Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

But what did they do now, to make their Father incestuous? Surely make him drink wine not moderately and in due quantity, for then his wits would have been his own still, and his sanctified conscience would have armed him sufficiently against all their most wanton carriages; yea the gravity of his countenance and parental authority would have affrighted them from lascivious words and gestures, that tended to produce such an effect. They therefore make him stark drunk with wine, making him by little and little take into him such a quantity as would bury his understanding, conscience and all, and turn him into a brute creature, and then they doubt not but that they may easily allure him to commit folly with them. A fearful sin it is to resolve before hand upon such a wickedness as this, and that also as a load-stone to draw on another worse wickedness. To make one drunk for any cause is bad enough, but to make him drunk of purpose to make him filthy after, that is much worse. Here is a most wicked end propounded, which would make a thing it self otherwise lawful utterly sinful, if done for such a purpose. Here is also a means utterly wicked, though it had been used for a most lawful end, but when end and means are both so remarkably and exorbitantly sinful, how great was that sin. Had they began alone to drink for cheerful refreshing of themselves and their old Father, and then one cup drawing on another had at unawares made both themselves and their Father drunk, and then unpurposedly fallen to wanton embraces and so to incest, that had been sin enough. But to take advice upon it, to determine before hand, that is, to conclude ⟨p. 186⟩fully that they would do such a thing, this shows that they had smothered their consciences, and were indeed void of all goodness.

But what did they doe now, to make their Father incestuous? Surely make him drinke wine not moderately and in due quantity, for then his wits would have beene his owne still, and his sanctified conscience would have armed him sufficieently against all their most wanton carriages; yea the gravity of his countenance and parentall authority would have affrighted them from lascivious words and gestures, that tended to produce such an effect. They therefore make him starke drunke with wine, making him by little and little take into him such a quantity as would bury his understanding, conscience and all, and turne him into a bruit creature, and then they doubt not but that they may easily allure him to commit folly with them. A fearefull sinne it is to resolve before hand upon such a wickednesse as this, and that also as a loade-stone to draw on another worse wickednesse. To make one drunke for any cause is bad enough, but to make him drunke of purpose to make him filthy after, that is much worse. Here is a most wicked end propounded, which would make a thing it selfe otherwise lawfull utterly sinnefull, if done for such a purpose. Here is also a meanes utterly wicked, though it had beene used for a most lawfull end, but when end and meanes are both so remarkeably and exorbitantly sinfull, how great was that sinne. Had they began alone to drinke for cheerefull refreshing of themselves and their old Father, and then one cup drawing on another had at unawares made both themselves and their Father drunke, and then unpurposedly fallen to wanton imbraces and so to incest, that had beene sinne enough. But to take advice upon it, to determine before hand, that is, to conclude