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 drunkennefs; and the authority is conclufive.

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

In the folution of this queftion, we will firft suppose the drunken person to be altogether deprived of moral agency, that is to fay, of all reflection and forefight. In this condition, it is evident that he is no more 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 refponfible for the confequences which he forefaw, or might have foreseen, and for no other, this guilt will be in proportion to the probability of fuch confequences enfuing. From which principle refults the following 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, thofe vices, which are the known effects

of

of drunkenness, either in general, or upon particular constitutions, are, in all, or in men of fuch conftitutions, nearly as criminal, as if committed with all their faculties and fenfes about them.

If the privation of reafon be only partial, the guilt will be of a mixt nature. For fo much of his felf-government as the drunkard retains, he is as refponfible then, as at any other time. He is entitled to no abatement, beyond the ftrict proportion in which his moral faculties are impaired. Now I call the guilt of the crime, if a fober man had committed it, the whole guilt. A perfon in the condition we defcribe, incurs part of this at the inftant of perpetration; and by bringing himself into fuch a condition, he incurred that fraction of the remaining part, which the danger of this confequence was of an integral certainty. For the sake of illustration, we are at liberty to suppose, that a man loses half his moral faculties by drunkenness: this leaving him but half his responsibility, he incurs, when he commits the action, half of the whole guilt. We will also fuppofe that it was known before-hand, that it was an even chance, or half a certainty, that this crime would follow his getting drunk. This makes him chargeable with half of the remainder; so that altogether, he is responsible in

three

three fourths of the guilt, which a sober man would have incurred by the fame action.

I do not mean that any real cafe can be reduced to numbers, or the calculation be ever made with arithmetical precision: but these are the principles, and this the rule, by which our general admeasurement of the guilt of fuch offences, fhould be regulated.

The appetite for intoxicating liquors appears to me to be almoft always acquired. One proof of which is, that it is apt to return only at particular times and places; as after dinner, in the evening, on the market day, at the market town, in fuch a company, at fuch a tavern. And this may be the reason, that if a habit of drunkennefs be ever overcome, it is upon fome change of place, fituation, company, or profeffion. A man funk deep in a habit of drunkenness, will upon fuch occafions as these, when he finds himself loofened from the affociations which held him faft, fometimes make a plunge, and get out. In a matter of fo great importance, it is well worth while, where it is tolerably convenient, to change

our

our habitation and fociety, for the fake of the experiment.

Habits of drunkenness commonly take their rife either from a fondnefs for and connection with fome company, or fome companion, already addicted to this practice; which affords an almost irresistible invitation to take a share in the indulgencies, which those about us are enjoying with fo much apparent relish and delight: or from want of regular employment, which is fure to let in many fuperfluous cravings and customs, and often this amongst the rest: or lastly, from grief or fatigue, both which strongly folicit that relief which inebriating liquors adminifter, and furnish a fpecious excufe for complying with the inclination. But the habit, when once fet in, is continued by different motives from those to which it owes its origin. Perfons addicted to exceffive drinking fuffer, in the intervals of fobriety, and near the return of their accuftomed indulgence, a faintness and oppreffion circa præcordia, which it exceeds the ordinary patience of human nature to endure. This is ufually relieved, for a fhort time, by a repetition of the fame excefs and to this relief, as to the removal of every long continued pain, they who have once experienced it, are urged almoft be

yond

yond the power of refiftance. This is not all: as the liquor lofes its fimulus, the dose must be increased, to reach the fame pitch of elevation, or eafe; which increafe proportionably accelerates the progrefs of all the maladies that drunkenness brings on. Whoever reflects upon the violence of the craving in the advanced ftages of the habit, and the fatal termination to which the gratification of it leads, will, the moment he perceives in himself the first symptoms of a growing inclination to intemperance, collect his refolution to this point; or (what perhaps he will find his best security) arm himself with fome peremptory rule, as to the times and quantity of his indulgencies. I own myself a friend to the laying down of rules to ourselves of this fort, and rigidly abiding by them. They may be exclaimed against as stiff, but they are often falutary. Indefinite refolutions of abftemioufnefs are apt to yield to extraordinary occafions; and extraordinary occafions to occur perpetually. Whereas, the ftricter the rule is, the more tenacious we grow of it; and many a man will abstain rather than break his rule, who would not easily be brought to exercife the fame mortification from higher motives. Not to mention, that when our rule