A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

I. The most that I have said against gluttony will serve against excess of drink also, therefore I need not repeat it. Drunkenness, in the largest sense, extendeth both to the affection and to the effect: and so he is a drunkard (that is, reputatively, in the sight of God) who would drink too much if he had it, and is not restrained by his will, but by necessity.

Drunkenness in the effect or act, is sometimes taken more largely, sometimes more strictly. Largely taken, it signifieth all drinking to excess to please the appetite. Two things here make up the crime: 1. Love of the drink, or pleasing the appetite, which we call gulosity. 2. Excess in drinking; which excess may be in quantity or quality.

Drunkenness strictly taken, signifieth drinking till reason have received some hurt: and of this there be many degrees. He that hath in the least degree disturbed his reason, and disabled or hindered it from its proper office, is drunken in that degree: and he that hath overturned it, or quite disabled it, is stark drunk, or drunk in a greater degree.

All excess of drink is sinful gulosity or sensuality, of the same nature with gluttony, and falls under all my last reproofs and directions. And in some persons that can sit it out, and bear much drink without intoxication, the sin may be greater than in some others, that by a smaller quantity are drunk by a surprise, before they are aware; but yet, cæteris paribus, the overthrow of the understanding maketh the sin to be much the greater; for it hath all the evil that the other degrees have, with more. It is a voluptuous excess in drink to the depravation of reason. Gulosity is the general nature of it: excess is the matter: depravation of reason is its special form.

It is excess of drinking, when you do drink more than, according to the judgment of sound reason, doth tend to fit your body mediately or immediately for its proper duty, without a greater hurt. Sometimes the immediate benefit is most to be regarded (as, if a man had some present duty of very great moment to perform). The present benefit consisteth, 1. In the abatement of such a troublesome thirst or pain, as hindereth you from doing your duty. 2. In adding that refocillation and alacrity to the spirits, as maketh them fitter instruments for the operations of the mind and body. That measure which doth one or both of these without greater hurt is not too great. I say, without greater hurt; because if any should in a dropsy or a fever prefer a little present ease and alacrity before his health and life, it were excess. Or if any man ordinarily drink more than nature will well digest, and which causeth the inconcoction of his meat, and consequently crudities, and consequently a dunghill of phlegm and vicious humours fit to engender many diseases, this is excess of drinking, though he feel it ease him and make him cheerful for the present time. And this is the common case of most bibbers or tipplers that are not stark drunkards: they feel a present ease from thirst, and perhaps a little alacrity of spirits, and therefore they think that measure is no excess, which yet tendeth to crudities and diseases, and the destruction of their health and life.

Therefore (except in some great, extraordinary case of necessity) it is not so much the present, as the future foreseen effects, which must direct you to know your measure. Reason can foresee, though appetite cannot. Future effects are usually great and long; when present effects may be small and short. He that will do that which tendeth to the hurt of his health for the present easing or pleasing of his thirsty appetite, doth sin against reason, and play the beast. You should be so well acquainted with your bodies, and the means of your own health, as to know first whether the enduring of the thirst, or the drinking to quench it, is like to be the more hurtful to your health, and more a hinderance to your duty.

And for the present alacrity which strong drink bringeth to some, you must foresee that you purchase it not at too dear a rate, by a longer dulness or disablement afterwards: and take heed that you take not an alien, counterfeit hilarity, consisting in mere sensual delight, for that serenity and just alacrity of the spirits as doth fit you for your duty. For this also is a usual (and wilful) self-deceit of sensualists: they make themselves believe that a cup of sack or strong drink giveth them a true assistant alacrity, when it only causeth a sensual delight, which doth more hinder and corrupt the mind, than truly further it in its duty: and differeth from true alacrity as paint from beauty, or as a fever doth from our natural heat.

You see then that intemperance in drinking is of two sorts: 1. Bibbing, or drinking too much. 2. Drunkenness (in various degrees). And these intemperate bibbers are of several sorts. (1.) Those, that when they have over-heated themselves, or are feverish, or have any ordinary diseased thirst, will please their appetites, though it be to their hurt; and will venture their health rather than endure the thirst. Though in fevers, dropsies, coughs, it should be the greatest enemy to them, yet they are such beastly servants to their appetites, that drink they must, whatever come of it: though physicians forbid them, and friends dissuade them, they have so much of the brute and so little of the man, that appetite is quite too hard for reason with them. These are of two sorts: one sort keep the soundness of their reason, though they have lost all the strength and power of it, for want of a resolved will; and these confess that they should abstain, but tell you, they cannot, they are not so much men. The other sort have given up their very reason (such as it is) to the service of their appetites: and these will not believe (till the cough, or gout, or dropsy, &c. make them believe it) that their measure of drinking is too much, or that it will do them hurt; but say, that it would hurt them more to forbear it; some through real ignorance, and some made willingly ignorant by their appetites.

(2.) Another sort of bibbers there are, much worse than those, who have no great, diseased thirst to excuse their gulosity, but call it a thirst whenever their appetite would have drink; and use themselves ordinarily to satisfy such an appetite, and drink almost as oft as the throat desireth it, and say, it is but to quench their thirst; and never charge themselves with intemperance for it. These may be known from the first sort of bibbers by the quality of their drink: it is cold small beer that the first sort desire, to quench a real thirst; when reason bids them endure it, if other means will not quench it. But it is wine, or strong drink, or some drink that hath a delicious gust, which the second sort of bibbers use, to please the appetite, which they call their thirst. And of these luxurious tipplers, next to stark drunkards, there are also divers degrees, some being less guilty, and some more.[433]

1. The lowest degree are they that will never ordinarily drink but at meals: but they will then drink more than nature requireth, or than is profitable to their health.