Imatges de pàgina
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СНАР. II.

DRUNKENNESS.

DRU

RUNKENNESS is either actual or habitual; just as it is one thing to be drunk, and another to be a drunkard. What we shall deliver upon the fubject, muft principally be understood of a habit of intemperance; although part of the guilt and danger described may be applicable to cafual exceffes; and all of it, in a certain degree, forafmuch as every habit is only a repetition of single instances.

The mischief of drunkenness, from which we are to compute the guilt of it, confifts in the following bad effects:

1. It betrays moft conftitutions either to extravagancies of anger, or fins of lewdnefs.

2. It difqualifies men for the duties of their ftation, both by the temporary disorder of their faculties, and at length by a conftant incapacity and ftupefaction.

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3. It is attended with expences, which can often be ill fpared.

4. It is fure to occafion uneafiness to the family of the drunkard.

5. It fhortens life.

To these confequences of drunkenness must be added the peculiar danger and mischief of the example. Drunkennefs is a focial feftive vice; apt, beyond any vice that can be mentioned, to draw in others by the example. The drinker collects his circle; the circle naturally fpreads; of thofe who are drawn within it, many become the corrupters and centres of fets and circles of their own; every one countenancing, and perhaps emulating, the reft, till a whole neighbourhood be infected from the contagion of a fingle example. This account is confirmed by what we often obferve of drunkennefs, that it is a local vice; found to prevail in certain countries, in certain diftricts of a country, or in particular towns, without any refon to be given for the fafhion, but that it had been introduced by some popular examples. With this obfervation upon the fpreading quality of drunkenness, let us connect a remark which belongs to the several evil effects above recited. The confequences of a vice, like the fymptoms of a difeafe, though they

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be all enumerated in the defcription, feldom all meet in the fame fubject. In the inftance under confideration, the age and temperature of one drunkard may have little to fear from inflammations of luft or anger; the fortune of a fecond may not be injured by the expence; a third may have no family to be difquieted by his irregularities; and a fourth may poffefs a conftitution fortified against the poison of strong liquors. But if, as we always ought to do, we comprehend within the confequences of our conduct the mifchief and tendency of the example, the above circumftances, however fortunate for the individual, will be found to vary the guilt of his intemperance, lefs, probably, than he supposes. The moralift may expoftulate with him thus: Although the waste of time and money be of finall importance to you, it may be of the utmost to fome one or other whom your fociety corrupts. Repeated, or long continued exceffes, which hurt not your health, may be fatal to your companion. Although you have neither wife, nor child, nor parent, to lament your abfence from home, or expect your return to it with terror; other families, in which hufbands and fathers have been invited to hire in your ebriety, or encouraged to imitate it, may juftly lay their misery or ruin

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at your door. This will hold good, whether the perfon feduced be feduced immediately by you, or the vice be propagated from you to him through feveral intermediate examples. All these confiderations it is neceffary to affemble, to judge truly of a vice, which usually meets with milder names, and more indulgence, than it deferves. I omit those outrages upon one another, and upon the peace and fafety of the neighbourhood, in which drunken revels often end; and also thofe deleterious and maniacal effects, which ftrong liquors produce upon particular conftitutions; becaufe, in general propofitions concerning drunkenness, no confequences fhould be included, but what are conftant enough to be generally expected.

Drunkenness is repeatedly forbidden by St. Paul: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excefs." "Let us walk honeftly as in the day, not in riot"ing and drunkenness." "Be not deceived: "neither fornicators--nor drunkards, nor re❝vilers, nor extortioners, fhall inherit the king"dom of God." Eph. v. 18. Rom. xiii. 13, I Cor. vi. 9, 10. The fame Apoftle likewife condemns drunkennefs, as peculiarly inconfiftent with the Chriftian profeffion: They that be "drunken, are drunken in the night; but let

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us, who are of the day, be fober." 1. Theff. v. 7,8. We are not concerned with the argument; the words amount to a prohibition of drunkenness; and the authority is conclufive.

It is a queftion of fome importance, how far drunkenness is an excufe for the crimes which the drunken perfon commits.

In the folution of this question, we will fir fuppofe the drunken person to be altogether deprived of moral agency, that is to say, of all reflection and forefight. In this condition, it is evident that he is no inore capable of guilt than a madman; although, like him, he may be extremely mischievous. The only guilt with which he is chargeable, was incurred at the time when he voluntarily brought himself into this fituation, And as every man is responsible for the confequences which he forefaw, or might have forefeen, and for no other, this guilt will be in proportion to the probability of such confequences enfuing. From which principle results the fol lowing rule, viz. that the guilt of any action in a drunken man bears the fame proportion to the guilt of the like action in a fober man, that the probability of its being the confequence of drunkennefs bears to abfolute certainty. By virtue of this rule, those vices, which are the known effects

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