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conscience_n eat_v idol_n weak_a 2,180 5 9.3570 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A40498 The Friendly monitor laying open the crying sins of cursing, swearing, drinking, gaming, detraction, and luxury or immodesty ... : in five short discourses ... 1692 (1692) Wing F2225; ESTC R777 33,216 88

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be come behind at so great a distance that they may hope the Guilt falls not much on them Let them look therefore on every Nights Work and see whether nothing of this happens for which they must be in part accountable The Masters are engag'd at their Game till late at Night the Servants who 't is likely were well employed at their usual Hours now when these are past have nothing to do they meet together and if there be but one bad amongst them he sets them on some idle Discourse every one takes their turn in telling their Masters Faults they defame their Neighbours repeat wicked Passages and often immodest Stories and filthy Songs here take their place here they teach and encourage one another in evil and those who brought with them pure and innocent Minds soon find them corrupted And who now must answer for the Transgressions of this Assembly They must every one 't is true hold up their Hands for themselves but shall not the Masters too be brought in as Promoters and Encouragers who by their ill Honrs lay before their Servants the occasions of these Evils Of these I say and often more than these For when Servants have thus contracted a Familiarity and finding Sleep now draw on with the Night they grow weary of this Entertainment the Meeting is broke up by degrees one lies down on a Bench others retire into this Corner others into that and can any one tell me whether the ill consequences of this Privacy and Retirement may not be much more pernicious than what was acted in Publick Thus may this Innocent Gaming be easily attended with the blackest of Crimes and those Masters who pass under the Character of Just and Good have Sins to answer for against all the Commandments for not keeping due Order in their Diversions Since therefore there will be some Gaming let him be my Man who considers how much he may venture and will play for no more who thinks how much time may be proper for a reasonable Diversion without giving any Disturbance to the Family of his Friend or his own and when that is expir'd whether Winner or Loser goes his way And for the Master of a Family let him be the Man who Brave as a Christian ought to be sees this Order duly kept in his House who is Civil to his Friends but Just to his Family lets them know his Hours and yields not from his Duty in Complement to any ones Weakness for this he can't do without another Weakness as great as theirs 3. A Third Condition to be observ'd by those that Game at Cards or Dice is That they Play not on Sundays This is added for the sake of some Persons who I am told scruple not thus to divert themselves on the Lord's Day being of Opinion there 's no more guilt in this than in any other sort of Harmless Diversion such as Walking or Discoursing I meddle not here with the Lawfulness of the thing in it self but one thing I with all assurance declare that this sort of Recreation of Cards c. on Sundays is what gives great Scandal to others And I think every good Christian ought to have that Tenderness towards his Neighbour as not to give him occasion of Offence on those days on which all things ought most particularly to be done to Edification I know their Plea is That if their Neighbour be Scandaliz'd at this it proceeds from his Weakness and not from any just occasion given by them and therefore if there be any Fault 't is his and not theirs I answer were the case really thus is it not still a great Christian Duty in matters of this nature which no Necessity or Obligation presses to have regard to the Weakness of our Brother St. Paul was so cautious and tender in a case like this that he solemnly declares If he saw his Brother thro' want of Knowledge or Weakness offended at his eating of such Meat which he lawfully mightyet on this consideration I will eat no Flesh says he while the World standeth 1 Cor. 8. 13. For this reason while he shews it to be no Sin to eat Meat offer'd to Idols at the same time he desires the Faithful to take heed lest by any means they abuse this Liberty and become a Stumbling-block to them that are weak v. 9. For that by sinning against the Brethren and wounding their weak Conscience they sin against Christ v. 12. If therefore Playing at Cards on Sundays were as lawful as these Men pretend yet ought they to take heed not to abuse this Liberty to the offence of those Brethren whose weak Consciences are wounded by this Diversion and by this Moderation prevent that Scandal which they otherwise bring on their Church and Religion Secondly If they must have Diversion on these Days why such an one as is so dangerous and subject to so many Abuses which even the Pious and Discreet have difficulty enough to use with Moderation but too often fall into Excess either as to the length of Time or of Heat and Passion Contesting Swearing Covetousness c. And if there be any that can govern themselves as to these Points yet don't they by their Example encourage others at least to Play who cannot And is this a good Sunday-work Thirdly How does this Diversion agree with the Precept God commands this Day to be kept Holy and these Men spend a considerable part of it at Cards What sort of Christian Holiness is there in this This Game would be a Prophanation of a Holy Place how comes it to be a means of Sanctifying a Holy Day Methinks since God has reserv'd but One Day of the Seven to himself it might be much better imploy'd especially too since every Christian besides Praising and Adoring his Maker has the great works of his Soul and Eternity to be done on that Day The works of calling himself to an account enquiring into the state of his Soul mastering his Passions regulating his Affections repenting of his Sins preparing for Death and Judgment Reading Instructing and Catechising those under his Charge whether Children Servants c. These may very well serve for a full employment for One day in the Week and those that find then time to Play at Cards I fear know not the great work they have to do or at least leave it undone There are some other Conditions I would have set down but I think they may be reduced to these and I cannot but hope if Christians would be exact in the observance of these mention'd Inconveniences and Evils might be avoided which are too common amongst Gamesters and Men would find a way to give themselves a just Diversion without entrenching on their Greater Duties and Playing away all Religion and Christianity The next shall be Of the Sin of Detraction Printed for Sam. Crouch at the Corner of Popes-head-Alley over against the Royal-Exchange 1692. THE Friendly Monitor Of the SIN of DETRACTION Speaking ill of