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Drunkenne/J'. ~49
tirunken revels often end; and also those deleteri.
ous and maniacal effects, which strong liquors produce
upon particular constitution.~ ; because, in general
propositions concerning drunkenness, no consequences
should be included, bu t what are constant
enough to be generally expected.
Drunkenness is repeatedly forbidden by St. Paul :
c, Be not drunk \\,ith wine, wherein is excess."
.u Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting
and d~jnkenness." "Be not deceived.: neither
fornicators--nor dr1lnkardr, nor revilers., nor extor.
tioners, shall inherit the kingdom ot God," Eph. v.
18. Rom. xiii. 13. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. The same Apostle
'Iikewise condemns dr,unkenness, as peculiarly inconsistent
with the Christianprcfession : "They that be
drunken, are drunken in thE night.; but iet us, who
are of the day, be sober.J~ 1 Thes. v. 7, 8. We are not
concerned with the argumerlt; the words amo.unt
to a prohibition of drunkenness; and the authority
is conclusive. . .
It is a question of some importance, how far drunk.,
enness is an excuse for the ~rilDes which the drunk •
•
en pelSOO commIts.
In the solution of this question, we will first suppose
the drunken person to be altogether deprived' of
maral agency, that is to say, of all refiection and foresight.
In this condition, it is evident, that he is ne
Dlore capable of guilt than a madman; although,
like him, he may be extremely mischievous. The
.only guiJt~ with which he is chargeable, was incurred
at the time when he voluntarily brought himself in ..
to this situation. And as every man is responsible
for the consequences which he foresaw, or might
have foreseen l and for no other, this guilt will be in
proportion to the probability of such consequences
ensuing.
From which principle results the following
rule, viz. that the guilt of any action ill a drunken
man bears the same proportion to the guilt of the
like action in a sober man, that the probability of
its being the consequence O.f drunkenneS$ bears to ab-