A GLASSE for Gamesters and namelie for suche as delight in Cards Dise wherein thei maie see not onely the vanitie but also the vilenesse of those plaies plainly discouered and ouerthrowen by the word of God Written by T.W. ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Kyngston for Thomas Man 1581. ¶ A Glasse for Gamesters ¶ The first Chapter SEyng that the lewsenesse and blindnesse of this our age either of ignoraunce perceiueth not or of malice will not vnderstande what greate euill ensueth by the plaie of Cardes and Dise and other games of lotte fortune or chaunce as men vse to call them I haue thought good to putt doune and by writyng breefly to shewe the argumeÌ„tes and reasons which maie make the inconueniences hereof to bee sensiblie perceiued yea seene as it were with the eye and touched with the hand And although I knowe by the little experieÌ„ce whiche God hath giuen me that in these euill daies of the worlde wherein all maner of vngodlinesse doeth wonderfully abound there is greate store of mockers and contemners of God and good thynges men altogether inflamed and sette on fire to run after their owne pleasures yea and that euen in the middest of the Christian congregation who peraduenture for all this will not leaue their vanitie and in respect of whom all the trauaile that I now take shal be but labor loste â—saiah 55.11 yet because I am assured by the woorde of God that the truthe shall neuer be vttered in vaine and because I hope that euen in these wicked daies there are some though the number bee but small with whom good couÌ„sell shall preuaile when thei shall see the euill thei haue doen to drawe them backe froÌ„ former incoÌ„ueniences and disorder I haue for their sakes the more willingly atteÌ„pted this matter For notablie in deede and full of greate comforte bothe in the instructor and the partie instructed is this saiyng of the holie ghost Prouerb 9.9 Giue admonition to the wise he will be the wiser teach the righteous man and he will increase in learnyng But terrible to the one and full of heauinesse to the other are these saiynges Prouer. 1.7 Fooles despise wisedome and instruction And again Though thou shouldest braie a foole in a Morter Prouer. 27.22 emong Wheate braied with a Pestell yet will not his foolishenesse depart from hym ¶ The seconde Chapter HEre in the beginning I will put doune the thinges I purpose to deale withall the order whiche I minde to obserue in handelyng of the same As first whether a ChristiaÌ„ maie plaie yea or no Secondlie whether it be lawfull to plaie at any game for money Thirdly I wil name those Games whiche I take to be vnlawfull Fourthly I will make it plaine by the testimonies of the Scripture of auncient Fathers generall Councelles the Ciuill and Canon Lawe yea and of the Painims themselues that these plaies of chaunce and fortune and namely them of Dise and Cardes for my purpose is speciallie to touche them are not tollerable nor to bee vsed of them whiche make professioÌ„ of Christianitie Lastlie I will aunswere in as fewe wordes as I can the obiections and reasons of such men as maintaine these Plaies ¶ The third Chapiter THe firste matter whiche I am to intreate of is a question and that is whether a Christian man maie plaie at any maner of game yea or no Whiche I thinke meete to be handeled because there is in these daies emongest vs not onely diuersitie but contrarietie of iudgementes touchyng this matter Libertines Atheistes and carnall professers For the greatest number plaie it self beyng a thing wherein the fleshe verie muche delighteth thinke that thei maie lawfullie plaie at all games an opinion surely verie detestable and to be shunned of all true Christians An other sorte there are Anabaptistes and others who seeyng the euill that ensueth of some games vnlawfull holde it therefore vnlawfull to play at any game a iudgement thought not sounde and therefore to be auoided yet nothing so daungerous as the other Because this though ouer muche and more in deede then reason would brideleth the fleshe a thing whiche standeth in neede of very muche taming and subduyng whereas the other loseth the raines openeth not a window onely but a broad gate to many greate mischiefes and greeuous inconueniences A Christian therefore is to coÌ„sider how he may escape these twoo greate gulfes and how he maie so behaue hym self that in this behalfe he bee no sclaunder to that holie profession wherein God hath placed hym I for myne owne parte and yet in all that I write I willinglie submitte my self and my iudgement to the censure of Gods Church am neither so leuse as the firste sorte nor so rigorous or scrupulous as the other but am perswaded of whiche minde also sainct Augustine seemeth to be that it is the duetie of a wise or godlie man Augustin libr. 2. de Musica cap. 14. sometymes so to recreate hym self by lawfull exercises that he maie be able to endure and holde out in the labour of those thinges whiche he hath attempted and begunne and doe affirme that it is good to haue as it were a breathyng tyme that afterwardes he maie returne more chearfullie to his ordinarie trauaile and labour Wee see that the holie scripture which is the onelie rule to trie out good and euill bothe maketh mention of plaiyng and permitteth the same to Christians Zechariah 8.5 In the Prophet Zechariah wée haue these woordes And the streates of the Citie shall bee full of boies and girles plaiyng in the streates thereof 1. Corint 10.31 Also when sainct Paule saieth Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God wee maie vnderstande this woorde whatsoeuer to comprehende any godlie and honest recreation whiche without doubte is as lawfull for vs by reason of the infirmitie and weakenesse of our Nature as is drinke meate slepe or any other thing when we haue neede thereof And as we maie by our Sauiour Christes wordes in S. Marke plainly gather this poinct Marke 2.27 to witte That the Sabbath was made for man and his vse and all to this ende that it might bee referred to Gods glorie his owne good and the benefite and profite of others So I suppose that a man maie safelie and without any preiudice to the truthe conclude that honest and lawfull recreation hath been inuented for manne and for his healthes sake and the preseruatioÌ„ of his life I meane not that plaie can prolong mannes life Iob. 14.5 for all our daies are numbred so that we cannot passe them in whiche while wee are we haue no doubt wonderfull and vnspeakable occasions offered vs religiouslie and holilie to serue the Lorde our God Whiche I thinke to bee one of the cheefest causes why GOD hath placed men in this worlde and one of the greatest reasons whiche moued Dauid Psalm 30 9.
godly interpretatiō a very good saiyng Sure I am that all the Gamesters in the worlde if thei should laie their heads together shal neuer be able to proue either by the lawe of God or by mans lawe that plaie was at any tyme receiued amongst men to be as it were a certain kinde of Marchandize traffick and bargainyng awaie of our goodes or a lawfull meanes whereby to get other mens gooddes Amongst al the lawes of men whiche haue at large sette out all honest meanes rightly to come by and lawfully to possesse the goods of an other the ciuill Lawe is very excellent and hath moste largely and carefully put doune the same and yet amongst all the honest meanes there declared plaie is not so muche as recited or reckoned vp naye cannot bee comprised either directly or indirectly vnder any terme there expressed There is mentiō made of bargaines of sale of hiryng of others thynges of promising to leaue a thing better then a man findeth it and suche like by whiche wee maie iustly haue and possesse that whiche is an others but of lawfull possessyng an other mans goods gotten by plaie not so muche as one worde title or iotte tendyng to that ende So that seeyng neither in God his lawe nor mans any thing is found for it we may well inferre that whosoeuer taketh and withholdeth the money of an other hauyng wonne it at plaie withholdeth it without any lawfull cause and therfore hath it with an euill conscience And if this should be permitted se what would insue thereupon men should bring in an vnsatiable couetousnesse in the place of the recreation of the mynde and an earnest desire to beguile one an other insteede of delightyng and reioysing the spirite whiche is so farre of from refreshyng either of the parties which plaie that it is a continuall trouble and boylyng in them one while hauyng a greedie desire to winne and gaine that which is an other mās and an other while vexed and moued that he shall leese and forgoe his owne And though there were neuer so many customes politick lawes euill vses and corruptions of maners set againste this truthe that here I put doune albeit for my parte I knowe no lawe or custome that saieth otherwise then I saie here yet durst I boldly aduouche that to winne money at plaie and to purse it vp is vtterly intollerable and vnlawfull yea that it is plainely and directly against this last commaundement of the seconde Table Exod. 20.17 Thou shalt not couet for tell me I praie you who is he among al the plaiers in the world that hath not this greedie desire in hym rather to winne an other mans then to leese his owne though he plaie for neuer so little or small a somme And herein I am not alone for amongste the Lawes and statutes of Geneua a Citie for the Godlines there practised The lawes of Geneua folio 70. pag. ◠lin 8 Also fol. 80. pag. 1. lin 8. worthie of all men to be reuerenced it is decreed that no man plaie at any maner of game for money whosoeuer shall doe otherwise shall forfeite thréescore shillinges in money and abide three daies in prisonmēt That not able man Peter Martir Peter Martir in cap 14. lib. Iudicum fol. 148. pag 2. lin 44. c. in his Commentaries vpon the Iudges both aunsweareth an obiection that men vse to make for their defence in this behalf and plainly declareth his mynde herein His wordes are these But some say thei delight not in plaie except thei plaie for money But I will demaunde of them to what vse thei intende to bestowe that money Peraduenture thei will saie vppon a feaste Why not rather vppon the poore But I saie it is much better and safer not to plaie for any money for although it maie be that thou thy self art not touched with couetousnes the other yet with whom thou plaiest is peraduēture touched let the occasions vnto euill be taken awaie which otherwise are very many whiche moue vnto euill c. Hottomanus lib. 2. devsuris Maister Franciscus Hottomanus not onely a greate learned Lawier but a Christian Lawier is of the same iudgement also and teacheth that by the very order and disposition of the Ciuill lawe gaine gotten at plaie and pursed vp is a thing forbidden and iustly to be disliked Neither is Sainct Augustine farre from this mynde who willeth that the money wonne at plaie should bee giuen to the poore to the ende that bothe the looser should be punished not hauyng againe that whiche he lost and the winner also depriued of his hope hauyng nothing of that which he had euil gotten Besides what reason is there I praie you to turne that whiche was founde out and deuised for mans recreation into an occasion of couetousnesse and filthie gaine What shewe of reason is there in this that there being so many poore as there are in the Churche of God and they to in such greate miserie neede he which is called a Christiā and brother of these poore and acknowledgeth them for the members of Iesus Christe should plaie and spende his money at his pleasure and that at vnlawful games rather then to distribute it in almes and giue it to his poore brethren Isaiah 58.7 who in the Scriptures are called his owne fleshe Cannot money beyng of it self the good gifte of God be better imployed then vnthriftly to be consumed at Cardes Dice and other vnlawfull games If wee would looke well about vs we should see that with it many poore children might bee prouided for and instructed in knowledge and religion and so become afterwarde profitable members in the church or common wealth we shall finde many sicke and weake ones which haue neede to be relieued and many prisoners and exiles that ought to be comforted to minister vnto whom if we bee able rather then waste it at vnlawfull games our dueties prescribed vnto vs in the worde of GOD doe very straightly binde vs. What a greefe and horror of conscience wil be vnto vs one daie though now we consider not of it when wee shall buye this our pleasure so deare Were it not better for vs Luke 16.9 to followe Christes counsell and to make vs frendes with our money not those whiche winne it from vs in plaie for neither doeth our Sauiour Christe meane it of suche neither shall thei stande vs in any steede at that daie vnlesse it be to be witnesses of our synnes Prouer. 19.17.28.27 and to accuse vs but the Godly poore vppon whom looke whatsoeuer we bestowe we shall bee sure to haue it plentifully with greate profite and increase restored vnto vs again in the daie of that great iudgement of God Augu tom 8. colum 116◠d. Augustine will not haue a faithfull man to giue his money to a Iuggler or Stage plaier although that by his trauaile and pleasure wee receiue some pleasure muche lesse me thinketh should he suffer vs
Isaiah 38.3.1 Ezekiah and others to desire of the Lorde long life and continuaunce vppon the yearth I confesse in deede that all and euery one of our actions ought to be referred to the glorie of God and the edification and profite of our neighbours Neither doubt I but that if wee solace our selues honestly and godlie therby indeuouring to mainteine as muche as in vs lieth our strength to vpholde healthe to repaire our forces by continuaunce in some exercises a little as it were decaied to refreshe our Spirites dulled or ouerwhelmed with some labours or studies and all this wee doe to this ende that wee maie afterwardes when our duetie requireth more ioyfullie and chearfully giue our selues ouer to that callyng wherein it hath pleased God to sette vs and might bee thereby made the more fitte and better able to performe the same I doubte not I saie but that in the ende this shall redounde bothe to the glory of God whom by this meane wee serue more readilie and to the good of our neighbours whom wee beeyng freshe and well disposed thereto maie more easelie and commodiouslie helpe accordyng to suche abilitie as the Lorde hath giuen vs. The nature and spirite of man maie in my iudgement be aptly compared to a Bowe which how strong soeuer it be if it bee alwaies kept bent is not onelie in daunger of marring but by that meanes becommeth bothe verie weake and afterwardes beeyng drawen is easelie broken but if it be bent for the time that a man vseth to shoote in the same and afterwardes vnbent sette vp and kept in good order it is preserued and cōtinueth a long while No man I thinke hath euer denied but that it is lawfull and fitt for a Christian if he be sicke to vse ordinarie and godlie meanes for the recouery of health And why I pray you should it bee lesse lawfull to vse lawfull and honest meanes for the continuaunce and preseruation of healthe The vse of godlie meanes is not vnlawfull but trust in them is forbidden To vse them with trust in them is to shutt God out of the doores and place his creatures in his steede On the other side to neglecte or refuse them whiche God hath ordeined is to tempt God and therfore we ought warely to shunne and auoide bothe these extremities Verely in my iudgement this should be too greate a crueltie in no wise to graunt that a nature ouermuche wearied with studie or a manne ouer-wrought with trauaile might not or should not recreate hym self And on the other side this were too greate a leusenesse to let hym vse at all tymes lawfull recreation or at any other tyme vnlawfull recreatiō I take plaie at honest and lawfull games to be a thing allowable and lawfull and to bee of the number of those thinges whiche are lefte in Christian libertie Galath 5.13 whiche libertie wee muste not abuse as an occasion vnto the fleshe but accordyng to suche rules as GOD hath lefte for the lawfull vse of the same in his holie worde Wherefore I forbid not neither doe I condemne all maner of plaie yea I thinke it not euill that sometymes a Christian man plaie and refreshe hym self Prouided alwaie that suche recreation and delight bee in thinges lawfull and honest that also with moderation or measure For it is not meete that men should spende at plaie though the plaie it self be neuer so lawfull either those thinges or that tyme whiche God hath allotted hym to other endes and purposes For God hath giuē him goodes for the mainteinance of him self and his familie and the releeuyng of those whiche want necessarie succour and maintenaunce The Lorde hath also appoincted hym a tyme whiche he ought to spende in the faithfull dischargyng of that office whiche the Lorde hath laied vpon hym So that whosoeuer shall thus excessiuelie and vnlawfully waste these good thinges yea I saie though it were at lawfull games shal be subiecte to Gods heauie iudgemente for the miserable and wicked abusyng of those his good giftes and shall no doubt vnlesse spéedy and vnfeined repentance ensue feele the hande of God vpon him for his synne and transgressiō And thus muche for the aunsweryng of thē which think it not lawfull to play at any game with somewhat also touching thē which thinke it lawfull to plaie at all games But these men shal be more particularly and fullie aunswered in the discourse of this treatie and namely in the last chapter thereof ¶ The fourth Chapter TOuchyng the seconde poinct I feare not to affirme that it is vnlawfull to plaie for money to winne it and purse it vppe when it is wonne that is to saie either for a man to lose his owne money or to winne an other mans and so to make gaine of the same As concernyng bothe their persones that is the winner and the loser I saie generally that thei both doe euill in this in turnyng vpside doune the nature of plaie and the ende for whiche plaie and gamenyng was deuised For whereas plaie was appointed in the beginnyng onely for the exercise of the bodie or recreation of the spirit these men omittyng those endes make it a meane to gaine or get money by and so chaūge and alter the nature of recreation into a kinde of vnhonest and vnlawfull game whiche thyng Christians bee it little or be it much are plainely forbidden by the worde of God And as touching the partie that loseth he is depriued of that yea though it bee but a little whiche either might doe good in his familie or profite other the needie members of Christ beside that whiche followeth vpon this losing as disquietnes of minde at the least if not cursing sweareyng quarellyng and suche other like whiche make the matter on his side and in respect of hym much more intollerable Adde to al this what wisedome doeth it argue to bee in that man who when he hath the possession of a thyng in his owne handes will by Cardes Dise and such other vnlawful exercises make triall whether it shal be his owne And if the looser fall into these inconueniences so that on his behalf it is not lawfull for him to plaie for money by what right or reason shall we thinke it maie be lawfull in the winner That which he getteth at plaie he must get either by right or by wrong for betwene these twoo there is very little or no meane at al If he get it wrongfully I thinke all the worlde will condemne hym therefore because that though the worlde delight in wrongfull dealing yet suche is the might and power of truthe and that euen in thē whiche doe wrong them selues that it maketh them to dislike that vice in others wherewith they them selues bee defiled and infected If thei will saie thei get it rightfully let thē shewe by what lawe This saiyng of the cōmon Lawier Id possumus quod iure possumus wee maie dooe that onely which by lawe we may do is hauing a