fings, fuch as none but GoD can give ; and fuch as are never to be hoped for or expected but by Prayer and Supplication to him.

Thô it is now plain that an Health even in the Softeft Turn it can bear, carries in it no fmall Degree of Evil and Sin, and is a fhameful Defection from the true Spirit of Primitive Christianity: Yet let us suppose that fome fuch Senfe or Meaning of an Health could be found out that may be innocent in it felf; which upon a most serious Recollection I do not think poffible. Because it is poffible to frame One Innocent Notion in which an Health may be drank, fhall this attone for the many Evil Turns to which it is naturally liable, and for the evil Tendency the Custom of it hath to lead Men into great Variety of Sin and Wickednefs? Because it may be with much Thought and Diftinguishing Nicely, reduced at length to One Senfe or Meaning which is not against the exprefs Laws of GOD, and at beft but barely Indifferent; is it not a strange Confequence that therefore the general Custom of it fhall be lawful, tho' there are many other wicked and deteftable Notions to which it is liable, and in which I cannot but know that Multitudes practice it daily?

CHAP.

T

CHAP. VI.

HE laft Acceptation of an Health is When I name any King or Governour over my Cup or Glafs, and then Drink as an outward Indication of my inward Loyalty, and unfeigned Fidelity to him. Loyalty is a Chriftian Duty which consists in an Inward Difpofition of the Mind to pay all that Veneration, and Obedience, and Fidelity to our King or Governour, which is requir'd by GoD and Man: And that, not only as he gratifies my Private Interest, or that of my Party; but as we are taught in Scripture, out of pure Sense of Duty to GOD, For the Lord's Sake; and for Confcience Sake; as He is The Lord's Anointed; and Ordained of Him. Now if Drinking a Glafs of Wine were an Evidence or outward Sign of Loyalty, in this truly Christian Sense of it, at a Man's Heart; this wou'd be a ftrong Prefumption in favour of making a Draught of Liquor the current Test of it. But on the contrary, fince it is fo far from being any Real Tryal and Infallible Teft of a Man's Loyalty, that it may be, and I fear is, too often used as a Cloak of Malicioufnefs and Disloyalty, to conceal the Faction

3

Faction that is within, and cover over a Seditious, Murmuring, Discontented Spirit. Since the Scripture fhews as there may be a Sort of Men, who Give Good Words, I may add and drink With their Mouths, and at the fame Time Curfe with their Hearts. Since Experience fhews us that commonly fuch who drink Moft, pray Leaft; that this is the only way that fome have of praying either in Publick or Private for their King; and that this is most to be feared of them who make the greatest Noise and Stir about drinking Healths. Since this Health by many is made a meer Thing of Course, and too often drank for the Sake of the Liquor, or Company; out of Fear, or Defign; or for any Other Reafon, rather than for an Actual Darting up of their Mind to GOD for that Long Life and Health for which they Pray, and Drink; and Drink, and Pray. Since I fay the Cafe is thus, we may begin to doubt whether the Best and moft Loyal Subjects have not been led into this Cuftom by pure Miftake, and Inadvertency; for want of weighing thrôly the Nature of the Thing, or because they would prevent any Cenfure or Mifrepresentations of Drinking and Defigning Men.

We

We read in Scripture of Praying for the Life of the King, and are exhorted to Make Prayers and Supplications for Kings, and for all that are in Authority; and in fodoing we honour Him who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. But it ought to be well confider'd, whether we do fo in Drinking Health and long Life to our King, and to fuch as are in Authority; There is no Colour or Foundation for this Practice in Chriftianity, and if there be any where, it is in Heathenifm. For befides the other Inftances of Evil I have already fhewn to attend that of Health-drinking in General, there is this Weight over and above to be put into the Scale here; namely, that it was the Cuftom of the Heathen to pay Divine Honour to Kings and Emperors by drinking their Health; and that it is from them deriv'd down to us. This was the Teft by which * Pliny tells the Emperor Trajan he found out whether Men were Chriftians, Viz. By trying whether they wou'd do him Honour before his Statue Thure & Vino, either of which None could be compelled to do who were truly Chriftians; And

**Quorum nihil cogi poffe dicuntur qui fint reverâ Chriftiani. Lib, 10. Ep. 17.

F

the

the Manner of doing Honour by Wine I have already fhewn to be drinking Some, and pouring the Reft on the Table, or the Ground. * Sigifmundus in his Account of Mufcovy, recites it as a Barbarous Custom among the Old Mufcovites and Ruffians; That they drank Pro Sanitate Cæfaris, And for the Safety and Profperity of others whom they knew to be placed in Pofts of Honour and Dignity: And they were fo zealous in this, that among them No Man ought or dare refufe a Cup which was named to the Health of any of thofe great Men.

The Antient Heathen, fays † Pitifcus, ufed to drink for the Health of the Emperor, and this we have from Dion Caffius, who tells us that among other Honours Decreed to Auguftus by the Senate, This was one, That Men Should Drink for his Health in their En

tertainments.

* Incipiunt tandem bibere Pro Sanitate CæfarisAliorum deniq; Incolumitate quos videlicet in aliquo Dignitatis & Honoris Gradu conftitutos effe exiftimant : Illorum Nomine Quemquam recufare Poculum non debere, nec etiam poffe exiftimant. See Stuck. Antiq. Conv. pag. 358.

Bibere pro Salute Imperatoris folebant Veteres; Indicat hoc Dio Caffius, qui Augufto inter alios hunc quoq honorem Decretum ait, ut pro Salute ipfius in Conviviis biberent. Lex. Ant. Vol. 1. pag. 274. Where Quotations are multiply'd to this Purpose.

To