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AN HOMILY

AGAINST GLUTTONY AND DRUNKENNESS.

And first, that ye may perceive how detestable and hateful all excess in eating and drinking is before the face of Almighty God, ye shall call to mind what is written by St. Paul to the Galathians, where he numbereth gluttony and drunkenness among those horrible crimes with the which (as he saith [Gal. 5:[19–21].]) no man shall enherit the kingdom of heaven.  He reckoneth them

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among the deeds of the flesh, and coupleth them with idolatry, whoredom, and murder, which are the greatest offences that can be named among men.  For the first spoileth God of his honour; the second defileth his holy temple, that is to wit, our own bodies; the third maketh us companions of Cain in the slaughter of our brethren; and whoso committeth them, as St. Paul saith, cannot enherit the kingdom of God.  Certainly that sin is very odious and lothsome before the face of God which causeth him to turn his favourable countenance so far from us, that he should clean bar us out of the doors and disherit us of his heavenly kingdom.  But he so much abhorreth all beastly banqueting, that, by his Son our Saviour Christ in the Gospel, he declareth this terrible indignation against all belly gods, in that he pronounceth them accursed, saying [Luke 6:[25].], Woe be to you that are full, for ye shall hunger.  And by the Prophet Esay he crieth out [Is. 5:[11–12, 22].], Woe be to you that rise up early, to give yourselves to drunkenness, and set all your minds so on drinking, that ye^c *sit sweating^d thereat until it be night.¹  The harp, the lute, the* shalm, and plenty of wine are at your feasts: but the words of the Lord ye do not behold, neither consider the works of his hands.  Woe be unto you that are strong to drink wine, and are mighty to avaunce^e drunkenness.  Here the Prophet plainly teacheth that feasting^f and banqueting maketh men forgetful of their duty towards God, when they give themselves to all kinds of pleasure,^g not considering nor regarding the works of the Lord, who hath created meats and drinks, as St. Paul saith [1 Tim. 4:[3].], to be received thankfully of them that believe and know the truth.  So that the very beholding of these creatures, being the handywork of Almighty God, might teach us to use them thankfully, as God hath ordained.  Therefore they are without excuse before God which either filthily feed themselves, not respecting the sanctification which is by the word of God and prayer [1 Tim. 4:5], or else unthankfully abuse the good creatures of God by surfeiting and drunkenness: forasmuch as God’s ordinance^h in his creatures plainly forbiddethⁱ it.

They that give themselves therefore to bibbing and banqueting, being altogether without^k consideration of God’s judg-

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ments, are suddenly oppressed in the day of vengeance.  And thereof our Saviour Christ warneth his disciples saying^l [Luke 21:[34].], Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this world, and so that day come on you unwares.  Whosoever then will take warning at Christ, let him take heed to himself, lest, his heart being overwhelmed by surfeiting and drowned in drunkenness, he be taken unwares with that unthrifty servant [Luke 22:[45–46].] which, thinking not on his master’s coming, began to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink,^m and to be drunken, and, being suddenly taken, hath his just reward with unbelieving hypocrites.  They that use to drink deeply and to feed at full, wallowing themselves in all kind of wickedness, are brought asleep in that slumbering forgetfulness of God’s holy will and commandments.  Therefore Almighty God crieth by the Prophet Joel [Joel 1:[5].], Awake, ye drunkards; weep and howl, all ye drinkers of wine; because the new wine shall be pulled from your mouth.  Here the Lord terribly threateneth to withdraw his benefits from such as abuse them, and to pull the cup from the mouth of drunkards.  Here we may learn not to sleep in drunkenness and surfeiting, lest God deprive us of the use of his creatures, when we unkindly abuse them.  For certainly the Lord our God will not only take away his benefits when they are unthankfully abused, but also, in his wrath and heavy displeasure, take vengeance on such as immoderately abuse them.

If our first parents [Gen. 3], Adam and Eve, had not obeyed their greedy appetite in eating the forbidden fruit, neither had they lost the fruition of God’s benefits which they then enjoyed in Paradise, neither had they brought so many mischiefs both to themselves and to all their posterity.  But, when they passed the bonds that God had appointed them, as unworthy of God’s benefits, they are expelled and driven out of Paradise, they may no longer eat the fruits of that garden which by excess they had so much abused; as transgressors of God’s commandment, they and their posterity are brought to a perpetual shame and confusion; and, as accursed of God, they must now sweat for their living which before had abundance at their pleasure.  Even so, if we in eating and drinking exceed when God of his large liberality sendeth plenty, he will soon change plenty into scarceness; and, whereas we gloried in fulness, he will make us

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empty, and confound us with penury; yea, we shall be compelled to labour and travail with pains in seeking for that which we sometime enjoyed at ease.  Thus the Lord will not leave them unpunished which, notⁿ regarding his works, follow the lust and appetite^o of their own hearts.

The patriarch Noah, whom the Apostle [2 Pet. 2:5] calleth the preacher of righteousness, a man exceedingly in God’s favour, is in holy Scripture made an example [Gen. 9:20–23] whereby we may learn to avoid drunkenness.  For, when he had poured in wine more than was convenient, in filthy manner he lay naked in his tent, his privities discovered.  And, whereas sometime he was much^p esteemed, he is now become a laughingstock to his wicked son Cham, no small grief to Sem and Japheth, his other two sons, which were ashamed of their father’s beastly behaviour.  Here we may note that drunkenness bringeth with it shame and derision, so that it never escapeth unpunished.

Lot in like manner, being overcome [Gen. [19:30–38].] with wine, committeth^q abominable incest with his own daughters.  So will Almighty God give over drunkards to shameful lusts of their lewd^r hearts.  Here is Lot by drinking fallen so far beside himself, that he knoweth not his own daughters.  Who would have thought that an old man in that heavy case, having lost his wife and all that he had, which had seen even now God’s vengeance in fearful manner declared on the five cities for their vicious living, should be so far past the remembrance of his duty?  But men overcome with drink are altogether mad, as Seneca saith.²  [Epist. 84]  He was deceived by his daughters: but now many deceive themselves, never thinking that God by his horrible^s punishments will be avenged on them that offend by excess.  It is no small plague that Lot purchased by his drunkenness.  For he had copulation most filthy^t with his own daughters, which conceived thereby; so that the matter is brought to light, it can no longer be hid.  Two incestuous children are born, Ammon and Moab; of whom came two nations, the Ammonites and Moabites, abhorred of God, and cruel adversaries to his people the Israelites.  Lo, Lot hath gotten to himself by drinking sorrow and care with perpetual infamy and reproach unto the

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Margin Notes:  By paragraphs containing their references respectively: Noah.  Lot.

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world’s end.  If God spared not his servant Lot, being otherwise a godly man, nephew unto Abraham, one that entertained [Gen. 19:1–3] the angels of God, what will he do to these beastly bellyslaves, which, void of all godliness or virtuous behaviour, not once, but continually day and night, give themselves wholly to bibbing and banqueting?

The great Alexander, after that he had conquered the whole world, was himself overcome by drunkenness; insomuch that, being drunken, he slew his faithful friend Clitus; whereof, when he was sober, he was so much ashamed that for anguish

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of heart he wished death.  Yet, notwithstanding, after this he left not his banqueting, but in one night swilled in so much wine that he fell into a fever; and, when as by no means he would abstain from wine, within few days after in miserable sort he ended his life.³  The conqueror of the whole world is made a slave by excess, and becometh so mad, that he murdereth his dear friend: he is plagued with sorrow, shame, and grief of heart for his intemperancy, yet can he not leave it; he is kept in captivity; and he, which sometime had subdued many, is become a subject to the vile belly.  So are drunkards and gluttons altogether without power of themselves, and the more they drink, the drier they wax;⁴ one banquet provoketh another; they study to fill their greedy stomachs.  Therefore it is commonly said, A drunken man is always dry, and, A glutton’s gut is never filled.

Unsatiable truly are the affections and lusts of man’s heart; and therefore we must learn to bridle them with the fear of God, so that we yield not to our own lusts, lest we kindle God’s indignation against ourselves, when we seek to satisfy our beastly appetite.  St. Paul teacheth us [1 Cor. 10:[31].], whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, to do all to the glory of God.  Where he appointeth, as it were by a measure, how much a man may eat and drink; that is to wit, so much that the mind be not made sluggish by cramming in meat and pouring in drink, so that it cannot lift up itself to the praise and glory^b of God.  Whatsoever he be then that by eating and drinking makes^c himself unlusty^d to serve God, let him not think to escape unpunished.

Ye have heard how much Almighty God detesteth the abuse of his creatures, as he himself declareth, as well by his holy word, as also by the fearful examples of his just judgments.^e  Now, if neither the word of God can restrain our raging lusts and greedy appetites, neither the manifest examples of God’s vengeance fear us from riotous and excessive eating and drinking, let us yet consider the manifold mischiefs that proceed

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thereof; so shall we know the tree by the fruits.  It hurteth the body; it infecteth the mind; it wasteth the substance; and is noyful^f to the neighbours.  But who is able to express the manifold dangers and inconveniences that follow of intemperate diet?

Oft cometh sudden death by banqueting: sometime the members are dissolved, and so the whole body is bought into a miserable state.  He that eateth and drinketh unmeasurably kindleth ofttimes such an unnatural heat in his body, that his appetite is provoked thereby to desire more than it should; or else it overcometh his stomach, and filleth all the body full of sluggishness; makes it unlusty^g and unfit to serve either God or man, not nourishing the body, but hurting it; and last of all bringeth^h many kinds of incurable diseases, whereof ensueth sometimes desperate death. But what should I need to say any more in this behalf?  For, except God bless our meats and give them strength to feed us; again, except God give strength to nature to digest, so that we may take profit by them; either shall we filthily vomit them up again, or else shall they lie stinking in our bodies, as in a lothsome sink or canell,^{i 5} and so diversely infect the whole body.  And surely the blessing of God is so far from such as use riotous banqueting, that in their faces be sometimes seen the express tokens of this intemperancy, as Salomon noteth in his Proverbs.  [Prov. 23:[29–35].]  To whom is woe? saith he; to whom is sorrow? to whom is brawling? to whom are wounds without cause? and for whom is the redness of eyes?  Even to them that tarry long at the wine.  Mark, I beseech you, the terrible tokens of God’s indignation.  Woe and sorrow, strife and brawling, wounds without cause, disfigured face, and redness of eyes are to be looked for when men set themselves to excess and gourmandise,^j devising all means to encrease their greedy appetites by tempering the wine and saucing it in such sort that it may be more delectable and pleasant unto them.  It were expedient that such delicate persons should be ruled by Salomon, who, in consideration of the foresaid^k inconveniences, forbiddeth the very sight of wine.  Look not upon the wine, saith he, when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth down pleasantly.  For in the end

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thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrice.  Thine eyes shall look upon strange women, and thine heart shall speak lewd things.  And thou shalt be as one that sleepeth in the middes^l of the sea, and as he that sleepeth in the top of the mast.  They have stricken me, shalt thou^m say, but I was not sick; they have beaten me, but I felt it not; therefore will I seek it yet still.  Certainly that must needs be very hurtful which biteth and infecteth like a poisoned serpent, whereby men are brought to filthy fornication, which causeth the heart to devise mischief.  He doubtless is in great danger that sleepeth in the midst of the sea, for soon is heⁿ overwhelmed with waves.  He is like to fall suddenly that sleepeth in the top of the mast.  And surely he hath lost his senses that cannot feel when he is stricken, that knoweth not when he is beaten.  So surfeiting and drunkenness bites by the belly, and causeth continual gnawing in the stomach, brings men to whoredom and lewdness of heart, with dangers unspeakable, so that men are bereaved and robbed of their senses, and are altogether without power of themselves.  Who seeth not now the miserable estate whereinto men are brought by these foul filthy monsters, gluttony and drunkenness?  The body is so much disquieted by them, that, as Jesus the son of Sirach affirmeth [Ecclus. 31:[20].], the unsatiable feeder never sleepeth quietly, such an unmeasurable heat is kindled, whereof ensueth continual ache and pain to the whole body.

And no less truly is the mind^o also annoyed by surfeiting banquets.  For sometimes men are stricken with phrensy of mind, and are brought in manner^p to mere^q madness; some wax so brutish and blockish, that they become altogether void of understanding.⁶  It is an horrible thing that any man should maim himself in any member; but for a man of his own accord to bereave himself of his wits is a mischief intolerable.  The Prophet Osee, in the fourth chapter [Hos. 4:[11].], saith that wine and drunkenness taketh away the heart.  Alas then, that any man should yield unto that whereby he might bereave himself of the possession of his own heart.  [Ecclus. 19:[2].]  Wine and women lead wise men out of the way, and bring men of understanding to reproof and

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shame,⁷ saith Jesus the son of Sirach.  Yea, he asketh [Ecclus. 31:[27, 29].], What is the life of man that is overcome with drunkenness?⁸  Wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of mind, and causeth brawling and strife.  In magistrates is causeth cruelty instead of justice, as that wise philosopher Plato perceived right well, when he affirmed, that "a drunken man hath a tyrannous heart," and therefore will rule all at^r his pleasure, contrary to right and reason.⁹  And certainly drunkenness maketh men forget both law and equity: which caused king Salomon so straitly to charge that no wine should be given unto rulers [Prov. 31:[4–5].], lest peradventure by drinking they forget what the law appointeth them, and so change the judgment of all the children of the poor.  Therefore among all sorts of men excessive drinking is more intolerable in a magistrate or man of authority, as Plato saith.  [De Republ. Lib. iii.]  For a drunkard knoweth not where he is himself: if then a man of authority should be a drunkard, alas, how might he be a guide unto other men, standing in need of a governor himself?¹⁰  Besides this, a drunken man can keep nothing secret; many fond, foolish, and filthy words are spoken when men are at their banquets.  "Drunkenness," as Seneca affirmeth, "discovereth all wickedness, and bringeth it to light; it removeth all shamefastness, and encreaseth all mischief.  The proud man, being drunken, uttereth his pride, the cruel man his cruelty, and the envious man his envy, so that no vice can lie hid in a drunkard.  Moreover, in that he knoweth not himself, fumbleth^s and stammereth in his speech, staggereth to and fro in his going, beholdeth^t nothing steadfastly with his staring eyes, believeth that the house runneth round about him,"¹¹ it is evi-

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