A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

2. The second degree are they, that use to drink between meals, when their appetite desireth it, to the hindering of concoction, and the increase of crudities and catarrhs, and to the secret, gradual vitiating of their humours, and generating of many diseases; and this without any true necessity, or the approbation of sound reason, or any wise physician: yet they tipple but at home, where you may find the pot by them at unseasonable times.

3. The third degree are many poor men that have not drink at home, and when they come to a gentleman's house, or a feast, or perhaps an alehouse, they will pour in for the present to excess, though not to drunkenness, and think it is no harm, because it is but seldom; and they drink so small drink all the rest of the year, that they think such a fit as this sometimes is medicinal to them, and tendeth to their health.

4. Another rank of bibbers are those, that though they haunt not alehouses or taverns, yet have a throat for every health or pledging cup that reacheth not to drunkenness; and use ordinarily to drink many unnecessary cups in a day to pledge (as they call it) those that drink to them; and custom and compliment are all their excuse.

5. Another degree of bibbers are common alehouse haunters, that love to be there, and to sit many hours perhaps in a day, with a pot by them, tippling, and drinking one to another. And if they have any bargain to make, or any friend to meet, the alehouse or tavern must be the place, where tippling may be one part of their work.

6. The highest degree are they, that are not apt to be stark drunk, and therefore think themselves less faulty, while they sit at it, and make others drunk, and are strong themselves to bear away more than others can bear. They have the drunkard's appetite, and measure, and pleasure, though they have not his giddiness and loss of wit.

(3.) And of those that are truly drunken also, there are many degrees and kinds. As some will be drunk with less and some with more; so some are only possessed with a little diseased levity, and talkativeness, more than they had before: some also have distempered eyes, and stammering tongues: some also proceed to unsteady, reeling heads, and stumbling feet, and unfitness for their callings: some go further, to sick and vomiting stomachs, or else to sleepy heads: and some proceed to stark madness, quarrelling, railing, bawling, hooting, ranting, roaring, or talking nonsense, or doing mischief: the furious sort being like mad dogs that must be tied; and the sottish, prating, and spewing sort being commonly the derision of the boys in the streets.

II. Having told you what tippling and drunkenness is, I shall briefly tell you their causes; but briefly, because you may gather most of them from what is said of the causes of gluttony. 1. The first and grand causes are these three concurrent: a beastly, raging appetite or gulosity; a weakness of reason and resolution to rule it; and a want of faith to strengthen reason, and of holiness to strengthen resolution. These are the very cause of all.

2. Another cause is, their not knowing that their excess and tippling is really a hurt or danger to their health. And they are ignorant of this from many causes. One is, because they have been bred up among ignorant people, and never taught to know what is good or bad for their own bodies, but only by the common talk of the mistaken vulgar. Another is, because their appetite so mastereth their very reason, that they can choose to believe that which they would not have to be true. Another reason is, because they are of healthful bodies, and therefore feel no hurt at present, and presume that they shall feel none hereafter, and see some abstemious persons weaker than they (who began not to be abstemious till some chronical disease had first invaded them). And thus they do by their bodies just as wicked men do by their souls: they judge all by present feeling, and have not wisdom enough to take things foreseen into their deliberation and accounts: that which will be a great while hence they take for nothing, or an uncertain something next to nothing. As heaven and hell move not ungodly men, because they seem a great way off; so, while they feel themselves in health, they are not moved with the threatening of sickness: the cup is in their hands, and therefore they will not set it by, for fear of they know not what, that will befall them you know not when. As the thief that was told he should answer it at the day of judgment, said, he would take the other cow too, if he should stay unpunished till then; so these belly-gods think, they will take the other cup, if they shall but stay till so long hence. And thus because this temporal punishment of their gulosity is not speedily exercised, the hearts of men are fully set in them to please their appetites.

3. Another cause of tippling and drunkenness is, a wicked heart, that loveth the company of wicked men, and the foolish talk, and cards, and dice, by which they are entertained. One sin enticeth down another:[434] it is a delight to prate over a pot, or rant and game, and drive away all thoughts that savour of sound reason, or the fear of God, or the care of their salvation. Many of them will say, it is not for love of the drink, but of the company, that they use the alehouse; an excuse that maketh their sin much worse, and showeth them to be exceeding wicked. To love the company of wicked men, and love to hear their lewd and idle, foolish talk, and to game and sport out your time with them, besides your tippling, this showeth a wicked, fleshly heart, much worse than if you loved the drink alone. Such company as you love best, such are your own dispositions: if you were no tipplers or drunkards, it is a certain sign of an ungodly person, to love ungodly company better than the company of wise and godly men, that may edify you in the fear of God.

4. Another cause of tippling is idleness, when they have not the constant employments of their callings to take them up. Some of them make it their chief excuse that they do it to pass away the time. Blind wretches! that are so near eternity, and can find no better uses for their time. To these I spoke before, chap. v. part i.