fifting in this Practice which daily Experience Thews us is to Multitudes a Stumbling Block and Occafion of Falling into Sin, can be called a giving No Offence in any Thing that the Miniftry be not blamed? 2 Cor. vi. 3. How this is ftrictly discharging the Office of a Watchman who is to be Vigilant and Watch in all Things; to notify every Approach of the Enemy; to cut off all Communication with Sin, and to diffwade from all Appearances of Evil? How fhewing themselves an Example to their Flocks in the Practice of Healths after every Meal, comes up to the Apostle's Directions to Timothy, of not being Given to Wine, to which a Man may be given without being Guilty of downright Drunkenness? And laftly, How the Continuance of this Cuftom is confiftent with that Grief of Heart which every good Paftor must be affected with at the Sins of Men; and particularly at that great Variety of abominable Wickedness which is daily exercifed and propagated by it; infomuch that the very Prospect of Sinking it will ftir up the Rage and Malice of the Kingdom of Darkness, and Alarm all the Powers of Hell? It were a Piece of true Wisdom for us of the Clergy now to reduce all our Reafonings 04 fonings upon this, as well as other Subjects of a like Nature, to that One Excufe which we fhall offer to the great Shepherd of Souls in the last Day. Shall we then say, Drinking Healths was a Thing Indifferent in it felf, and if other Men abufed it egregiously and abominably, you could not help that, you did not run thofe Lengths? which is the whole Subftance of the most plaufible Argument infifted on for the Defence of this Cuftom, but will furely fail us, there being no Truth either in the Suppofition or the Confequence: whereas we are fure not to want any Excufe for leaving off Healths our felves, and for diffwading others from them. The Evil of them is fo apparent,that many confidering and Religious People even of the Laity do wifh heartily they were no fuch Cuftom; who are yet under a Sort of Neceffity to comply, not having Refolution and Christian Courage enough to be Singular: Whereas if they had but the Concurrence of their Clergy in it, every good Man might without great Difficuly have his Wish as to himself; and then the keeping up the Cuftom would grow into fuch an Odious Diftinction, that even they who have no great Senfe of Religion would be ashamed of it. GOD requires no more of any of us than than what is in the Power of One, but thus much he doth require; and I bless God for this Opportunity of declaring my felf publickly againft this prevailing Cuftom, as being not Intirely Lawful in it felf; and being the direct and immediate Occafion of much Sin in the World. If all my Brethren, induced by Either of thefe Reafons; wou'd join with me in this, the plain Confequence wou'd be the Stemming a Flood of Iniquity, and introducing a greater Appearance of Religion and Piety among us; and therefore my moft Humble and Hearty Request to them is, That they would not leave me to ftand Alone in this dangerous Poft which I have taken, and fuffer me to be overwhelmed, or born down by the Impetuousness of the Torrent. FINIS. CONTENTS of the CHAPTERS. HAP. I. Firft Acceptation of an Health, of Curfe or Imprecation upon the Perfon himself CHAP. II. Second Acceptation, when Men drink themfelves by way of Imprecating a Curfe CHAP. III. A Third, when Men drink in an honourable Remembrance of their Abfent CHAP. IV. A Fourth, when we drink by way of wishing others Health and Profperity, or Succefs to any Affair. P. 42. CHAP. V. -A Fifth, when we drink as a bare Mark and Token of our Refpect and good Will towards another; or by way of Approba- CHAP. VI. A Sixth, when we drink by way of outward Indication of our Loyalty. p. 79. CHAP. VII. Of the Grace-Cup. p. 103, CHAP. VIII. The Controverfy concerning HAP. I. No Action_Indifferent but CHAP. II. Healths the Occafion of much Sin and Wickedness in the World. p. 148. CHAP. III. The last Inftance of the Evil Effects and Confequences of Healths, Viz. Drunkenness, and leffer Degrees of Intempe- rance in Drinking no way justifyable before CHAP. IV. The First Grand. Objection, from Rom. iv. 15. Where there is no Law there is no Tranfgreffion, Anfwered. p. 183. CHAP. V. The other Grand Objection, from 1 Corin. x. 29. Why is my Liberty judged of another Man's Confcience? An- |