The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

There is no sin but hath some show of virtue, only the sin of drunkenness is like nothing but sin: there is no sin, but although it hurt the soul, it beautifieth the body, or promiseth profit, or pleasure, or glory, or something to his servants, only drunkenness is so impudent, that it descrieth it self: so unthankful that it maketh no recompense: so noisome, that it consumeth the body, which many sins spare, least they should appear to be sins. Every sin defileth a man, but drunkenness makes him like a beast: every sin defaceth a man, but drunkenness taketh away the image of a man: every sin robbeth a man of some virtue, but drunkenness stealeth away all virtues at once: every sin deserveth punishment, but drunkenness upbraids a man while the wine […] in his stomach; and though he would ⟨p. 592⟩dissemble his drunkenness, yet he is not able to set a countenance of it, but the child descrieth him, the fool knows that he is drunk, because his face betrayeth him, like the leprosy which burst out of the forehead: so worthily hath he lost the opinion of sobriety, which hath lost it self. His son thinks himself more master now than his father: his servant makes him a fool, his children leads him like a child; his wife useth him like a servant, and although his drunkenness leaveth him when he hath slept, yet no man seeks to him for counsel after, no man regards his word, no man reckons of his judgment, no man is persuaded by his counsel, no man accounts of his learning, no man hath any glory to accompany with him, but so soon as drunkenness hath made him like a beast every man abhorreth him like a beast, as they did Nebuchadnezzar: the spirit flieth from him least he should grieve it, his friends go away least he should shame them, and no virtues dare come near, least he should defile them. How many things fly out when wine goes in? How is it then, that he which loveth himself, can be so cruel to himself? that he should love his life, and shorten his life? that he should love his health, and destroy his health? that he should love his strength, and weaken his strength? that he ⟨p. 593⟩should love his wealth, and consume his wealth? that he should love his credit, and crack his credit? that he should love his understanding, and overturn his understanding? that he should love his beauty, and deform his beauty?

There is no sinne but hath some shew of vertue, onely the sinne of drunkennes is like nothing but sinne: there is no sin, but although it hurt the soule, it beautifieth the body, or promiseth profite, or pleasure, or glory, or something to his seruants, onely drunkennesse is so impudent, that it descryeth it selfe: so vnthankful that it maketh no recompence: so noysome, that it consumeth the body, which many sinnes spare, least they should appeare to bee sinnes. Euery sinne defileth a man, but drunkennesse makes him like a beast: euery sinne defaceth a man, but drunkennesse taketh away the image of a man: euery sinne robbeth a man of some vertue, but drunkennesse stealeth away all vertues at once: euery sinne deserueth punishment, but drunkennesse vpbraids a man while the wine in his stomacke; and though hee would