people If they were thus carefull in the Lords matters and would not negligentlie giue ouer this their charge vnto others a great deale of their time which is now lost in riottous and superfluous gaming should bée verie well bestowed and to good purpose It is reported of my olde Lord of Oxford that hée kept Lawiers in his house which might iudge betwéene plea and plea ano take vp the controuersies which might fall out betwéene his tenaunts or those which were vnder his gouernment If the Noble men in our daies would followe this worthie patterne men should not be hindered so in their calling with following Lawe matters their eies should not be so wearied with waiting and looking Tearme after Tearme for a daie of hearing If they would leaue of from following so gréedelie their pastimes and bend themselues to ouerrule such troublesome fellowes as without cause molest simple men If they would deliuer the poore the fatherlesse and such as haue none to helpe them If they would as Iob saith Iob. 29. 17. breake the chawes of the vnrighteous and plucke the praie out of his téeth I dare be bold to saie that the tongues not onelie of those that receiue benefite by this their honourable paines but euen as manie as heard of it would blesse them the spending of a thousand pound at a Christmasse will not doe them halfe the like honour It is méete I graunt that in their diette in their apparell and in euerie parte of their ciuill behauiour they should haue some outward marke of eccellencie aboue the rest they maie hunt they maie hawke or vse anie other kinde of moderate exercise but the executing of Iustice and Iudgement is the thing they are called vnto and it is an honourable calling This labouring in some honest calling is so well pleasing in the sight of God that beside the profitte which commeth thereby he maketh men take great delight in it You shall oftentimes heare one that goeth to cart make a more chéerefull sound with whistling then anie idle fidler that goeth about the countrie can do with his instrument The Tailers Schomakers and other men of occupation that sing at their worke how merrie are they for their labour by reason of the diligent minding of that they goe about is not perceiued of them And when a man hath fullie purposed with himselfe to do anie thing hée doth it then chéerefullie without anie buisinesse he setteth himselfe to it delighteth his minde therein On the contrarie part an idle bodie hath alwaies a variable minde Because he is not throughlie perswaded to goe through with anie thing his minde cannot tell what to doe The sléepe saith Salomon of him that trauaileth Preacher 5. 11. is swéete whether he eate little or much but the sacietie of the rich will not suffer him to sléepe The thing that deceiueth a great manie is this they thinke because the matter where about gamesters and labouring men busie themselues is all one because they both do perteine to this present life they thinke it maketh no matter whether they followe labour or gaming but they doe not consider wiselie of this thing For labour is commaunded of God And therefore though labour in it selfe séeme to bée but a base thing yet to obeie the voice of the great God is a precious matter Beside this though wée inioie profite by our labour yet our brother also is profited thereby wée doe good to some and harme to none The like cannot be saide of vs when we followe gaming though we vse no deceite in it but if our labour be without deceite it maie truelie be said of vs. The most that can bée said for games is that wée maie vse them and it is alreadie graunted that a moderate vse of such games as are lawfull ought not to be condemned but we haue no commandement for them as we haue for labouring in some honest calling Amongst other mischifes that come by following plaie this is not the least that men thereby fall into euill companie euen amongst such as scoffe at all religion and goodnes which thing is of great force to driue vs from God He that delighteth so much in plaie he cannot alwaies haue his choice of companie but for the most part is faine to take such as come next hand and therefore gamesters vse such places as are open common for euerie bodie Though a man be neuer so wicked yet if he be a gamester hée is a good fellow vnlesse he be a rascall for that is some discredit to them But otherwise though in the sight of God he be as vile as anie lothsome begger that goeth from doore to doore his companie is good They neuer marke the common prouerbe which béeing rife in euerie mans mouth is noted of all men to bée true that a scabbed shéepe infecteth the whole flocke Knowe ye not saith the Apostle that a little leauen leaueneth a whole lumpe of dowe And what is 1. Cor. 4. 6. it but an intollerable pride to thinke our selues so strong that no companie can infect vs We maie I graunt haue to doe with the wicked so farre foorth as we shall be constrained by the necessities of this present life for otherwise we must goe out of the world as the Apostle saith but yet we must be no companions with Ephe. 5. 7. them We maie I graunt haue an other purpose in kéeping companie then to be infected with them But as one that walketh in the Sunne shall be sunburnt though the end of his walking in it bée not to be sun-burnt so likewise will it bée with vs in kéeping companie with the wicked Demas I but sir you knowe we are all sinners whie then should I auoide an other mans companie when I am a sinner as well as hée Paule Wée are all sinners in déed but all men doe not make a sport of sinne if there were no difference amongst sinners whie should the holie Ghost forbidde the godlie to vse the companie of the wicked Demas But how can I iudge when a man is such a sinner as ought to be auoided Paule The iudgement of this matter is easie inough For though I be forbidden to espie a mote in my brothers eie when I can well inough abide to haue a beame in mine owne eie Though I must not iudge before the time but thinke the best so long as a thing maie be well taken yet must I not be without all iudgement Though loue be not suspitious yet it maketh not a man a foole When I heare a man spew out blasphemies when I heare him talke filthilie when I heare him rage shall I not iudge him to be a wicked man Whē Abraham came into Gerar seing the peoples conuersation he said Gen. 20. 11. surelie the feare of God is not in this place yet wée must not accuse him of rash iudgement O it were a fearfull thing if the Lord when hée commeth should finde vs eating and drinking
loose nothing at gaming yet gripe poore men but yet I knowe there be a great manie that if they lost and spent not so much at plaie would bée more frank-hearted to poore men then they are Doth the Lord finde fault with the vnprofitable seruaunt that laid not out his talent to his masters aduauntage but hid it in the ground And will he not iudge that seruant that wasteth it vpon trifles The holie Ghost commandeth vs to honour the Pro. 3. 9. Lord with our riches And the Iewes to giue vs to vnderstand that they were redie to bestow their goods at the Lords appointment were willed to paie the first fruits to the Lord of all that euer they had but do we honour him with our goods thinke you when we trifle them away at cards tables But sin hath no staie with it For it is not enough for vs thus vnthankfullie to abuse the good gifts of God except we sin directly against himselfe What cholarick passions I pray you are the loosers tossed withall gentlemen or other insomuch that he that cannot chafe is accounted a senceles block And because they dare not giue the whole disposition of that dice vnto the Lord least in finding falt therwith they shuld open their mouth against him they set vp an Idoll to their imaginations I wil set out his hand saie they in despite of the dice. Did euer man hold out so long hauing so manie points to enter What fortune is this What lucke is this I care not so much for the monie but to sée what spitefull lucke I haue Then must the Cards be rent in péeces or the Dice throwne into the fire and yet they will laugh at a little child which beateth the ground for giuing him a fall I speake fauourablie of them for they are so farre from thinking that they shall giue account for euerie angrie and idle word that they thinke of no account for foming out such blasphemies against the blessed name of God and that also not in vaine alone as others doe which are no gamesters to confirme euerie trifle for they sweare not to ende anie controuersie but because God ordereth the Dice no better for them therefore do they spue out blasphemies against him For why els should they sweare by him Naie they themselues rēder this reson that I haue brought why they sweare It would make one sweare saie they to haue such lucke Of a truth God is long suffering to sée if they will repent For els he would neuer staie to take them awaie by ordinarie sicknes as he vseth to deale with others but he would cause the earth to swallow them vp into eternall confusion euen whilest the oathes are in their mouthes such open contempners of him And although the partie that plaieth with them beginneth to tremble for feare yet he must not reprooue him For then he looketh vppon him with firie eies and is readie to thrust his dagger into him he accounteth then that he hath great iniurie for loosers must haue their saieng So that a man must either by reproouing bée in daunger of outrage or els by his silence he must be accessarie to open treason against the almightie So that whether you looke to the winner or to the looser they are both guiltie euen by the iudgement of sinfull flesh of most grieuous sinne against the Lord God What is the cause of drunkennesse but this beastlie game For if the companie were not continued with flush and ace of spades king a diamonds and such like stuffe if I saie men were not kept still at the Alehouse with this fond talke by that time they had ben together a litle while they could not tell what to saie one to another they would then goe from their cups before that staring Pro. 23. 29. rednesse of the eies that the scripture speaketh of came vppon them Demas When a man doth tell gamesters that these fruits that you haue spoken of come by plaie their aunswere is that these be the faultes of men that abuse their sport and not of the game it selfe Paule Those that aunswere so you maie aske them how they themselues knowe anie thing for example How doe they knowe that a tale-bearer causeth contention They will aunswere by the effect of the matter it alwaies falleth out so So doe I know and so maie they know that a thousand more mischiefes then I haue spoken of doe come of dice-plaie If they saie that there be not these mischifes in the game if gamesters were as they should be so can I saie that a tale-bearer cannot cause contention if the partie to whom the tale is told were as he should be and yet we saie a talebearer causeth contention we maie as trulie saie that dice and cards cause such mischiefes as are spoken of When a statute was made by Act of Parliament against vnlawfull games did not the Knights and Burgesses being aduertised by the communaltie whose patrones they are Did not they perceiue what horrible mischiefes broke out into the common wealth For want of restraint that waies Did not the Lords and Nobles of the vpper house sée that their complaint was iust and that they laide the fault where it was when they confirmed that which they deuised And héere haue all good consciences iust cause to complaine For what a shameful thing is it that such an honourable assemblie should be gathered from euerie part of the lande to make so good and so notable a law and yet that thorough the loose negligence of those that haue that trust committed vnto them to sée these lawes executed all should be to no purpose Naie I speake fauourablie of them for they doe not onelie not punish these vnlawfull games but with their authoritie they license a companie of néedelesse Alehouses which are places of refuge for naughtie packes to lurke in And though for verie shame they be cōpelled to take awaie their license from some dronken Alehouse that for maintaining of wickednesse is more notable then the rest yet if some wicked rich mā speak a good word for them they shall haue leaue to be masters of as much euill rule as euer they wer And what man cannot make some friend or other to speake for him If they can saie that they are poore men all is well But why should not they worke for their liuing as well as other poore men Why haue they more respect to the pouertie of one then to the beggering of al the poore men in the towne They say men maie chuse whether they wil spende their moneie at the Alehouse or no but poore women their children can not chuse whether their husbands shal spend that at the alehouse that should be for their maintenance or no. Beside this if mē could gouerne themselues to what purpose should they be appointed gouernours of a towne For they are set in authoritie aboue their bretheren to the end they might ouerrule and gouerne such
kingdome of God that is to saie hée shall not bée in the kindgome of God at all for it followeth immediatlie Except your righteousnesse excéede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharesies ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen and wée knowe that their righteousnes had respect to outward murther to outward theft till heauen and earth perish one iotte or title of the lawe shall not scape till all thinges be fulfilled I read not long since a learned a godlie treatise wherein is conteined a speach belonging to this matter which because it is excellent and because a notable iudgement of God did followe vpon the preaching thereof which did as it were from heauen féele the truth of it I will repeate it vnto you Hath Iesus Christ come into the flesh to laie the bridle of our necks to runne after our owne vaine deuises Hath he obtained by his comming twelue daies of God the father for carding dising masking muming for mocking and mowing for crieng and laughing for the practising of euerie vaine deuise that commeth to our heads all the yeare Or doe we thinke that this prophaning of so earnest a matter this turning of the grace of God into licence and wantonnesse shall be vnpunished What is this but euen to giue a réede into the hand of Iesus Christ and to mocke his kingdome What crowning of him is it in this vaine mirth and wantonnesse but with briers and thornes to pricke his head Is this the ioie spoken off by the Angell that came to declare his birth tolde hée tidinges of this gladnesse Is this the benefite that thou hast purchased to vs by that wonderfull mysterie of thine incarnation O Emmanuel Oh I am ashamed that it should euer be hearde of among the Iewes and Turkes that the Christians at that time of the yeare when their sauiour was borne shuld giue themselues for manie daies from their ordinarie modest and shamefaced behauiour from walking ordinarilie in their vocation studies to vnmodest shamefull practises to vnmodest waking all for vaine vnfruitfull works of darknesse Wherin differeth our celebration of the natiuitie of Christ from the popish Christians How doe we looke to call Papists from their vaine conuersation whē we are not our selues a foot from them I think if but thus much were spoken amongst the Heathen against so great an abuse they would repent in sackcloth and ashes And yet I know that this people will not be brought from this vaine conuersation for they loue it and delight in that without these thinges they complaine that it is but a dead Christmas These men will neuer confesse the truth of this doctrine till God haue sealed it with some plague or other This plague of God was threatened by a godlie learned young man in a sermon that he made at Trinitie Colledge somewhat before Christmas after Christmas the plague that was threatened fell For a scholler of Trinitie Colledge strangled himselfe right ouer the place where he with other kept such reuell route Who is wise saith Dauid and will marke these thinges The sinne which before séemed as light as a feather did then lie heauie at his heart his merrie companions could not take awaie the sting thereof from him this sinne so troubled his minde that the violent renting asunder of the soule from the vodie séemed nothing so gréeuous nay hée vsed this violent renting that I speake off as a remedie to ease himselfe of the other The Lord would awake vs by this his fearefull iudgement out of our déepe sléepe of sinne least we should go to hell as it were in a sléepe before we are aware of it and yet wée are still foolish and can take no profit by it Because these iudgements of God come so seldome wée soone forgette them but if the Lorde should thus dailie punish vs wée would not thinke that there is anie iudgement to come Because this fearfull plague was not executed vpon our own persons we are therefore without feare but it pleaseth the Lord to admonish vs by this his iudgement and how could this thing haue bene if we our selues had bene thus punished wée thinke we haue wit inough to auoide this thing but in thinking so wée thinke amisse for the Scholler had wit inough and if hée had not I am sure Achitophel had and yet did he thus violentlie destroie himselfe When the iudgements of God fall vpon vs all the witte we haue cannot auoide them the onelie waie to auoide the fearefull iudgements of God is to forsake our rioting which is the cause thereof ¶ Of continuance at gaming The third Chapter BVt I will goe forward and speake more particulerlie of gaming Games me think maie verie well be diuided into such the chiefe sport whereof consisteth in looking on of which kinde are hunting hawking stage plaies and such like And into such wherein men are the chiefe dooers of which kinde are daunsing dicing tenesing and such like Demas I praie you sir what thinke you of hunting doe you thinke it an vnméet exercise for a Christian I haue heard that some haue vtterlie disalowed of it because Esau a wickedman hunted Paule What some men doe I cannot tell for my part I dare not condemne it as for the reason of Esau his hunting it is nothing worth For as euerie thing that a godlie man doth is not by and by to bée allowed off so is not euerie thing that a wicked man doth alwaies to be misliked Beside this though Esau béeing a wicked man hunted yet he did it at the commandement of his father which was a good man my reason wherefore it ought not to be condemned is this The Lord hath giuen the free vse of all his creatures to vs Christians wée maie safelie féede of them all In giuing therfore the vse of thē he alloweth of the meanes wherby we come to haue the vse of them for otherwise he should but mocke vs. Onelie the faultes of hunters and fawkners I will not take vpon me to defende The spoiling of mens douehouses for the prouision of their hawkes the spoiling of mens corne with the entring of their hawkes at the beginning of haruest the breaking of gaps whereby mens ground is laide open to the spoile these thinges cannot bée allowed off for if the Lorde cannot abide that wée should profit our selues by the hurt of an other he can much lesse abide that for our pleasure we should be an hinderaunce to anie The generall thing that is to be obserued in all games is this that no man bestowe too much time in them although they be lawfull for euerie man without exception must buisie himselfe in some certeine dailie calling but those that followe gaming cannot doe so therfore no man must followe gaming But to the ende it might bée knowne what I meane I tearme this a calling not to paie to euerie man that which is his or to doe as a man would bée done to for that is
wise man saith so you can tell whome I meane So likewise is the prouidence of God the name of God it is a thing whereby he is knowne Now if I call for his name to witnesse a trifle what do I but take it in vaine When I must néeds haue a speciall determination immediatlie from the prouidence of God whether a testar or a shilling shall be yours or mine what doe I but make a mocke of his wisdome which distributeth to euerie man as it séemeth best vnto him What dalieng is this with him Demas Yet we reade that Iosua diuided their land to the Israelites by lot Paule I doe not condemne all casting of lots no more then I doe all kinde of swearing but to vse anie of them both when there is no néede must néeds be condemned I thinke it were verie good if all our demurs Pro. 18. 18. were ended by lot for when the Iudges stand at a staie cannot or will not make an end of a matter when a matter cannot be ended by anie ordinarie lawfull meanes what should men pause spend their money to no purpose In such a case I graunt we might haue a verie good vse of casting of lots but what maketh this for our common kinds of lotting Iosua you saie did cast lots The land of Canaan was to be diuided among the Israelites to euerie Tribe a portion now because there could be no such equall diuision but that there must néedes be some oddes in their portions it was wisdome both to put bye all suspition of partialitie from Iosua and enuie from amongst the people It was wisedome I saie for these causes to determine by lottes what seuerall portion that should be that euerie seuerall Tribe should haue But we when we haue monie in our purses cast lottes whether that which we haue should bée none of ours or whether we shal haue more to it You sée there is great ods betwéene these two Othes and lots are to end controuersies and not to waite vpon our fancies So that to come againe to that which I was about to saie the efficient and natural cause of this plaie is pride couetousnesse In the forme is hard dealing occasion of falling out breach of the third commandement The end is distempering of soule bodie so that whatsoeuer you haue respect vnto in this game it is naught Men wil not sticke to think the they haue meruailous hold of theÌ„selues when they begin to play they will set downe a quiet kinde of plaie how much they will plaie for and they will make an â—nd at a verie good time but when the affection is once vp all these thinges are cleane forgotten Naie though one hauing more care of his health theÌ„ an other maketh mention of ending plaie yet if an old fellow come out with a wooden iest and saith that is but a foolish custome to go to bed a nights this wooden iest shall be of force to kéepe them vp all the night long Trulie it is a woÌ„derfull thing almost vncredible but that it is so manifest that men should take such delight in hurting of theÌ„selues Their ordinarie plaie delighteth theÌ„ but wheÌ„ ther is a meting pitched wheÌ„ they make a daie of it as they saie and sit by it that is accounted a gamesters feast they are troubled then with surfetting more then they were accustomed they make themselues dronken with it and yet they take such delight in this gossopping gaming that you shall haue there talke of it a great while after All other delights are nothing where this gaming is awaie For as it is with a man that hath a bile vppon him as then all the other parts of the bodie séeme to be without féeling so other honest delights séeme to be nothing in respect of that Though they bee among those that loue them yet if they be no gamesters they are not in the right crue they are not they thinke where they should be Naie this their itching desire is of such power that though by reason of their losses surfettings they for the time are wearie of it though they make a vow shall forfet monie when soeuer they turne to their vomit again yet cannot these bars hold them from plaie for their desire in déede is vnnaturall I haue heard séene men casting their peniworths how they might make this kinde of game a recreation not a toiling I haue heard I saie that manie euen those that were thought to haue more holde of themselues then a great manie other haue deuised to bring this thing to passe but it could neuer be For as Parmeno saith in an other matter Incerta haec si tu postules ratione certa facere nihilo plus agas quam si des operam vt cum ratione insanias Thus haue I as wel as it hath pleased God to make mée able vnfolded and laid open the vglinesse of this beastlie game to the end that gamesters séeing what a mishapeÌ„ thing it is might turne their loue from it to a better thing Demas You haue proued that dice and card plaie are no recreations as they are pretended but you haue not yet spoken of the mischiefs that come of them Paule Their mischiefes in déed are infinit and to speake in a word they bréede contempt of all religion and goodnesse For what gamester maketh anie account of religion What gamester will hazard the losse of a friend or the losse of anie worldlie comfort for the honour of his God Naie a man must be conformable applie himselfe to euerie companie or els he is no méete man to be a gamester Talk of God who list they will talke of gaming Naie euen in praier time when they haue giuen eare a little they must talk of yesternights good fellowship and what they shall doe in the afternoone Good Lord what seruing of God call you this Would not they thinke it an absurd thing to talke of anie matter of diuinitie when they are set at cardes And is it not much more absurd to talke of card matters in praier time I tremble at the remembraunce of that irreuocable sentence that shall be pronounsed ouer them when they shall be called to iudgement The Lord for his mercies sake take the mist from their eies and then I knowe they will sée their sinnes and repent Demas Amongst all other euils me think this game should bring beggerie For the game it selfâ— asketh great charges and they are hindered by this meanes both from dooing good to others and from getting anie thing in their calling so that except they plaie vpon the vauntage it is an hundred to one that they shall bee baggered by it Paule You saie true for when they win anie thing yet because it coÌ„meth so lightlie it must go as lightlie as Tullie saith Quod adopti sunt per scelus per luxuriam offendunt The thing that deceiueth them is this Whatsoeuer they winne it commeth
take héede of plaieng before his Ladie or Lemman because it doeth laie open our beastlie affections which might otherwise be kept secret And so by this means a man shall not be so amiable to the companie as otherwise he shuld This game maie verie well be compared to water that is powred into a boule which causeth a wooden spoone or anie such light thing to swim aloft that would otherwise haue bene beneath Paschasius the Phisition of whom I spake before writeth a whole treatise against this game and sheweth by manie philosophicall resons the beastlinesse of it It were verie long and indéede infinite to rehearse those that haue writ against it And therefore let those that fauour this game giue me but one instance let them showe me if they can that anie learned man Diuine or other which is otherwise knowne to be a man of iudgement that if he speake anie thing of it condemneth it not But because they can not bring forth anie such let them not think themselues wiser then all other men let them be content to followe the counsell of those that bée wiser then themselues For my part I am wearie with laieng abroad this dunghill of sinne and therfore I wil grow to a conclusion with it The summe of that which I haue said is this Seing by vsuall words and continuall practise of gamesters themselues this game is an Art nothing els but a profession to how deceiue cunninglie Séeing whether you looke to the efficient materiall formal or final cause or to the horrible fruits and effects that procéed from anie of them it is naught séeing it is no recreation Séeing last of all it hath bene condemned in all ages not onelie by the iudgement of manie learned Diuines olde and new and of manie other that are otherwise learned but also by the common consent of whole countreies common wealths and kingdomes I conclude that dice and cards as common and wrangling barrators are to be banished the countrie The remedie against such euills as haue bene hetherto spoken of Chap. 6. DEmas Trulie sir I doe not thinke that you haue spoken anie thing to gall anie man but onelie of méere loue and therefore in my iudgement you should doe well if you would set downe a remedie against such faults as you haue discouered Paule The Lord that shall iudge both me and all other at the last daie can that loue towards my countreie my natiue towne and especiallie towards my kinds folke and bretheren hath caused me to speake as I haue done And therefore I beséech them in the bowels of Iesus Christ that they would looke to these faults that I haue laid before them and amend them I haue shewed them inéed that their fault is more grieuous then perhaps they take it to be For how could I els admonish them at all In the ninetéene of Leuiticus we are commaunded that we should not hate our brother but rebuke him plainlie If I had spoken coldlie and a farre of that had bene a waie to rock them a sléepe in their sinnes they would haue thought then that there is no daunger in continuing still the course which they haue begun For as one trulie saith hée that demaundeth a thing fearefullie teacheth a man to denie him his demaund and it is as true a principle in Diuinitie as it is in Surgerie that soft hands make a foule sore Desiring them therefore to take this my protestation as it is ment I will goe on forward to that remedie you speake of In intreating of the which thing I will betake my selfe to that same order which I haue alreadie set downe It hath bene said that we maie offend in vsing the creatures of God either too little or too much Concerning the first kind those that offend that waies I would desire them to consider the inconueuience that commeth by their too much straitnesse For when men absolutelie condemne hunting hawking or taking delight in anie pleasure men that vse these delights too much thinke that it is vnpossible but that a man should take pleasure in the creatures of God and indéede they thinke aright so through too much straitnesse they giue themselues ouer to their accustomed delights whereas if the libertie that God hath graunted were set downe and men instructed in the right vse thereof it is to be hoped that men would come to a godlie moderation in these things I will therefoe alleadge such texts of scripture as maie remedie this too much seueritie We are taught in the scripture that if there were anie who had not eaten the fruits of their labours they should retourne home euen in the vrgent necessitie of warres A notable testimonie to shew how wel it liketh the Lord that men shuld take comfort of their owne The honest delight that a man maie take in anie thing the the Lord bestoweth vpon vs is verie plainlie set downe in the parable of Nathan to Dauid There was saith he a poore man that had only one litle shéepe which he had bought norished vp it grew vp with him with his children also did eate of his owne mursels and dranke of his owne cup slept in his bosome and was vnto him as his daughter This delight doth so wel please the Lord that in the Prouerbs it is set downe as a Chap. 5. 18. sufferaine remedie against sinne For there the holie Ghost disswading of vs from whoredome willeth vs in anie case to take delight in our wiues His words be these Reioice with the wife of the youth let her be as the louing hinde pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thée at all times delight in her loue continuallie For why shouldest thou delight my sonne in a strange womā or imbrace the bosome of a stranger If these texts doe not proue plainlie enough that a man maie vse recreatiōs let vs heare what Zacharie saith The Chap. 8. 5. Prophet foretelling the returne of the Iewes from their captiuitie setteth it downe in these words The citie shal be ful of boies girles plaieng in the stréets thereof the Lord knoweth that we cannot alwaies haue our mind bent fastned vpō waightie matters therfore he hath giuen vs leaue to vnbend our wits to leaue of our hold to refresh our werisom spirits to the end we might come to thē again with greater delight that which some allege is nothing They saie we must giue account for euery idle word much more for spēding our time in this order but when I delight my selfe some honest waie to the ende I might be fitter and better able afterward to do better things where as otherwise my memorie would be dulled and vnapt to good meditations I doe not now spend my time in vaine but to good purpose To vse such things as maie moue me chéerefullie to giue thankes is no vaine pastime They saie we must reioice in the Lord onlie The staie in déed of our ioie must be
with publicans sinners And whie should a man be so gréedie of their â—â—mpanie for though they can be content to vse the companie one of an other and by kéeping companie together to passe awaie the time pleasantlie Yet when the companie is broken vp euerie man gone to his seuerall abiding place If then anie thing shal be spoken in the commendation of anie of their coÌ„panions they cannot abide it for by by they thinke they are dispraised by it They will then vse such woordes as tend to the abasing one of an other and what good fellowship call you that But the loue of good men though it bée vnperfect yet it is in truth the difference betwéene the euill and outward curtesie of worldlie men and the Christian vnitie of such as feare God is meruailous great Who then would not rather wish to be of this companie The worldlings at their feasting vse curious delicates They féede the eies of their gesse with a great manie trimme things to the ende they maie make report that other men of their wealth haue not the like furniture and prouision that they haue But the children of God eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart without anie such curiositie Whether a man be poore or rich he is neither enuied nor disdained of them The loue of Paule the Apostle though he were an excellent man was yet meruailous great towards Oenesimus béeing a seruaunt For he writeth thus I beséech thée for my sonne Oenesimus whom I haue begotten in my bondes receiue him that is mine owne bowels receiue him as my selfe If hée hath hurt thée or oweth thée ought that put on mine accounts yea brother let mée obtaine this pleasure of thée in the Lorde comfort my bowels in the Lord. The like abundaunce of more then motherlie affection did the faithfull at Ephesus shew towardes the Apostle béeing most sorrie because he saide they should sée his face no more Neither are they onelie tender harted towardes the godlie but euen towarde the wicked The wicked Iewes persecuted Hieremie for discouering their sins but when the iudgements of God were vpon them his eies cast foorth teares and ceased not Men of the world will be sorie when they haue lost a dailie friend or a merrie companion but the children of God are sorie without anie such respect When wicked Absolon a false traitour and an open rebell against his father was taken away by death yet the Prophet Dauid could not but be moued He went vp to the chamber ouer the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thée O Absolon my sonne my sonne Who would not wish to be amongst this louing companie whose talke is how they might obeie the voice of the great God when other talke of trifles They sing Psalmes hymnes together to the Lord for all his goodnesse that he sheweth vnto the children of men The godlie are readie euen with chéerfulnesse to do a man good But the wicked will not be at leasure euerie little thing will be an Pro. 12 10. hinderaunce in the matter so that euen their mercies are cruell Whie then should a man be so gréedie of their acquaintance Whie should a man forsake an honest calling to followe their fancies And whie are we so fond of these worldlie delights Are they not common to vs with all Turkes and Infidels Is not the Turke better able to haue all kinde of glorious triumphes then anie of vs Maie he not haue whatsoeuer is pleasant to his eie or delightsome to his tast Maie hée not haue whatsoeuer in this world his heart can desire Hath not the beast of the fielde pleasure in eating in drinking in sléeping Doe not the birdes sport themselues with singing among the gréene braunches Doe not the young bullockes skippe and leape in the gréene meddowes naie do not the beasts of the field go beyond vs in this thing Doth not the hawke take a greater delight in following hir praie then the fawkners doe in looking on doth not the hound or the spaniell take delight in an higher kinde with the hope of obteining their praie then the hunters do in hearing or beholding the sport a far of Whie then are we so gréedie of gaming Demas This your treatise of continuance at gaming hath ben verie loÌ„g therfore for memories sake I praie you gather your reasons that you haue vsed into a narrowe roome yâ— I maie the better carrie them away Paule The sum of that which I haue said in this treatise is this séeing euerie man without exception must exercise the most part of his life in some certeine dailie calling séeing continuance at plaie cannot be mainteined without infinit charges which ought rather to be bestowed vpon such as haue néed séeing the Lord hath ioined an honest delight to a dailie calling which continuance at gaming doth want seing by coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce at gaming men must of necessitie fall into euill coÌ„panie which is of gret force to driue vs from God séeing by this meanes we bar our selues froÌ„ yâ— louing companie of the godlie séeing by following our dailie calling we obeie the voice of the great God do some good to our brethren which cannot be done with continuall gaming last of all séeing that delight that we haue in gaming is common to vs with all Turks Infidels with the beasts of the field I conclude that no man must follow gaming Of daunsing The fourth Chapter DEmas You diuided games into such wherin men are the chife doers into such wherein they are the lookers on You haue spoken of the first kinde though in few words yet in as manie as I desire I praie you speake now of the other kinde of this kind is daunsing what thinke you of it Paule Peter Marter vpon the last chapter of the Iudges speaketh of manie kindes of daunces But if you speake of that kinde of dauncing that is receiued with vs in euerie place wher dauÌ„sing is vsed all good consciences must néedes condemne it For is it a seemelie thing thinke you that a Christian man or a Christian woman should be so much delighted with hearing a prophane and sometimes a filthie song plaide vppon an instrument that they should leape for ioie at the hearing of it Shall the Lord thunder out his terrible iudgements against the stinking sinne of adulterie and shall we holde it lawfull to laie baites and allurements to intrappe our selues therein In the long pausing that is vsed in mas king betwéene daunce and daunce doe they not vse all kinde of filthie talke that they can deuise In other kindes of daunsing where they doe not vse to talke together what wanton iestures are vsed The young man must shew himselfe as youthfull as maie bée his turning on the toe his capering and all his other trickes want their grace if they bée not done in the sight of his