4. There is drinking of healths, and constraining a pledging (as it is called) of them, and thus by this means, forcing, or tempting, or occasioning (although it be willingly done by them) drinking in others; this is one of the highest provocations in drunkenness, and a dreadful perverting of the end for which God hath given meat and drink, neither health nor necessity calling to it: For 1. this hath the woe appropriated to it that is pronounced Hab. 2.15. Woe to him that giveth his neighbour drink; this is a great incitement and provocat •on to drinking, and how many times hath it occasioned drunkenness? Again, 2. whereas every mans own appetite should rule his drinking, this maketh one man prescribe the quantity and quality to others, and so one man, or several men, drinketh by the measure, will, and appetite of another; which is unreasonable, it being contrary to nature that men should drink all at one time, and precisely so much, and of such drink. This even in Ahasuerus his Feast, Esther 1.8. was forbidden. Beside, what can be the use of drinking of healths? it cannot be the health of another whom we respect, because that is to be expected in the approved way of prayer, which is the mean that Christians ought to keep fellowship in for the health one of another, and we suppose they are readiest to drink healths who are least in prayer for such whom they pretend to respect. It was a notable saying of a great man (solicited belike to drink the Kings health) By your leave I will pray for the Kings health, and drink for my own: And certainly whatever it be in it self, yet the many ill consequents which have followed the drinking of healths, the many drunkennesses and quarrellings occasioned by it, the resentments that men will have if they seem to be slighted (as they account it) either when they are drinking themselves, or when their name is mentioned in the health to be drunk, do manifest that they who use it, esteem more to be in that way of drinking then in any other, and so allege that if a man drink not as much as they, he respecteth them not.
4. There is drinking of healths, and constraining a pledging (as it is called) of them, and thus by this means, forcing, or tempting, or occasioning (although it be willingly done by them) drinking in others; this is one of the highest provocations in drunkenness, and a dreadful perverting of the end for which God hath given meat and drink, neither health nor necessity calling to it: For 1. this hath the woe appropriated to it that is pronounced Hab. 2.15. Woe to him that giveth his neighbour drink; this is a great incitement and provocat •on to drinking, and how many times hath it occasioned drunkenness? Again, 2. whereas every mans own appetite should rule his drinking, this maketh one man prescribe the quantity and quality to others, and so one man, or several men, drinketh by the measure, will, and appetite of another; which is unreasonable, it being contrary to nature that men should drink all at one time, and precisely so much, and of such drink. This even in Ahasuerus his Feast, Esther 1.8. was forbidden. Beside, what can be the use of drinking of healths? it cannot be the health of another whom we respect, because that is to be expected in the approved way of prayer, which is the mean that Christians ought to keep fellowship in for the health one of another, and we suppose they are readiest to drink healths who are least in prayer for such whom they pretend to respect. It was a notable saying of a great man (solicited belike to drink the Kings health) By your leave I will pray for the Kings health, and drink for my own: And certainly whatever it be in it self, yet the many ill consequents which have followed the drinking of healths, the many drunkennesses and quarrellings occasioned by it, the resentments that men will have if they seem to be slighted (as they account it) either when they are drinking themselves, or when their name is mentioned in the health to be drunk, do manifest that they who use it, esteem more to be in that way of drinking then in any other, and so alledge that if a man drink not as much as they, he respecteth them not.
