What linnet ought to be Jo1Len' andwrittenagainff. 79 couetous, or pride among the fordious, or fuperfition a- mong the prophane & irreligious;this is not to reproue, but to backbite fin ; to fight valiantly in the abfence ofthe ene- miè, andwith a wrongarme to beat the aire,and to contend againfl a flaadow;which may fpraine a ioint,and for reward tnooue fcornefull laughter, rather then admiration ofany true valour ; yea in truth this is nothing elfe but to nourifh vice with the milke of vertue, by religious reproofcs to ftrengthenmen in their fins, & to make them flatter them- felues with a conceit that theyare fufficientiyvcrtuous,whé theyarenot alike vicious to other men ; and to lie fecurely `allowing in thofe fins which are extreame and contrary to thofe which are reprooued. The confiderationwhereof, made mee, whoam bound in confciencc ofmycalling to fpcake and writeagainfl fin and wickednes, to ponderwith my felfe what fumes were moll fit tobe fpoken againt}, as needing in our times andcountry moil reproofe: andafter fome deliberation,Irefolued to inueighagain{} that beaffly fin of reafonablc creatures, thefinne of drunkenneffe, that s much as in me lieth,I may diffwadeal men from this vice, which darkeneth the light,both3fnature and grace, bring- cth upon the eie of the vnderflanding, a temporaryblind- neffe,and foyeeids men ouervnto Satan tobe ledas it were blindfold into all maner of fin andwickedneffe. In which argument I hope I (hallnot fpend.iny rimevn- §.SeE1,2, profitably, feeing inour daics this vice more raigneth then vrunkennes eucr it did in former ages ; as mayappeare,in that our wife aboundetotn Stateflnen thought it neceffary inParlament, toenaa a law our [acrd. for the fuppreflingofthis fin; for,Exmalismoribui bona naf- cuntur leges;euill maners occafion good lawes. And indeed not without good caufc,is thefwordoftheMagiflrate ioi- ned with the fword of the fpirit, feeing now this vice is grown to fuchflrength,that it is tobe feared it will not in haft,by bothbe repreffed. For who fceth not that many of ourpeople oflate,arefovnnieafurablyaddi&edto this vice, that they feem to cótend with the Germanes thaelues,fpen- ding flee greatefl part of their time in caroufing, as though they didnot drink to line3but lined todrink:or as iffrd men they
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