8. Command. vpon the C ommandertlents. 93 But none the fecund ftcppe is mere harde than this, namely to knowe whatgames we may vfe,and at what we may play. Wherein not purpofing any let and curious treatife, l aunfwere briefly , that of thole many and differingkindes of fportes that are deuifed and vied io euery place,! condemne none which snake for the qufckenii g ofbodie orminde, which feriae toaaiuitie, and prepare men for better feruice an other day,vnleffe they haue ioyned to them anie vngodlyneffe, or are by !awe of that particular place forbidden : no not Cardes orTables in all refpeeles, and to euery perfon at all times,andtin all places: Neucrehelefie I am fully affured, and doe willin- glyafh me,thattheyoughtnotofChriflians profefhng the.Gofpcl to bee fo much vied asthey are ,1 haue ioyning with mee , that godly Father Matter Peter Martin whole iudgement it is in playne tearmes , That, nonratim damnandus efl fi quit dram p.martyrde egrotat, ant debifitatur ,eogenere lode ferecreat,yuoda forrunave !cafupendeat,modos6iludts. pecunia non pertclitrntur. It is not by and by to bee milli! ¿ed ifone that is flake o weakened in bodte,whereby hee cannot vfe other exercife,doe recreate himfelfe with thofe Fi;rdes ofplay, which depende of chatence and Fortune , as Tables and Cardes. ( For againft Dice hee hath flatly fpoken before.) Let vs therefore rather enter to confider an ocher poynt, which is harder than this, namelie, whether we fhoulde playa for money or no? And Ern I reafon thus: If it bee lawefull toplay formoney , then isjt lawefull to win mo- ney in this forte, and the money lawefully pot-Idled : But this fecond is falle, therefore the former alfo , that the fecond is falle , the ende and firfl in. uention of playe prooueth , which as euerie one can well witnetfe was neuer inuented to this ende , but onelie ro refrefh eyther bodie or minde, and corruption afterwarde brought in money,as we fee daylie before our eyes. For fo long as a game is orange or neve to vs , we can take great delight to play for nothing : but when once we are perfeéìlie acquainted , and fee the courfe ofit, then forfooth, vnleffe we mayperuert the ende of it , and make it away to gayne or loofa by, we can not like a- ny more to vfe it. Therefore I fay fence it is apparant,that the firfl beginning ofplay, and the true vfe of it was never any fuch matter , we ought not thereby to gayne any goods. Secondlie I faie , that asplay in the beginning was not made for it , neyther is it yet allowed a mcanes toalienate our goods to an other cyther by Gods Iawe, or mans Lawe. For marke the heades of anie lawefull conueiance,& it is eyther buying, fel ling, letting, biring,or filch like,amor4n them all you finde not gaming. Where- fore the !corer isì'nìufllydifpoffeffed, and the winner is wrongfully poffeffed. Da- Deludis nowt handling both this matter and this reafon , addeth this which I pray you marke, that albeit tome private laweor cuffome of lome private place fhoulde alioweit,yet Sit the Lawe.ofnature againft ie,and the former ought to giuc'place to the latter. But . fayeth he , I haue not reade euer any privare!awe of any private place publifhed in v: riting, that money %tonne and loft by playc coulde cyther bee retayncd , orreco- Líb.a. devfu_ ucred,if it were denyed, by vertue of any fuch title or right. And hee bringeth Otto-Vs chap.a. man a famous Lawyer to confirme as much.Arrguflme woulde haue all thinges gotten /Ic af4' ad by playe taken from the winner , andneuerrefloredtothe loofa, but giuen CO the poore, that both the winner might wante what fo greedilie hee gapeth for , and the loofer not ro recouer what fo foolifhly hee parted with. Dances betide woulde haue them both punifhed with a further mulrlofmoney. Thirdlie I reafon fromthe multi- tude of miferable creatures that are the fame flefh that we are, and yet pitifullie crie for want of fuc court fromthe multitude of godly and Chriflian vies, to employ that which we may fpare vppon, &euen from thewant ofmanie necefntiesfor our$elues, that it is not lawful! nor tollerable to play for monie.For is it not lamentable, & mofc fearefull,that anie Chriftran man fhoulde carie about in his confcience day and night a witneflc, that this feauen yeares hee hath not giuen feauen fhillinges to the naked, .needie,and comforteffemembers of lefus Chrift , and yet hee bath loft at vaineplaye, in a vaine manner, twentie rimes as much ? Can à man bee fo dull, as to thinks this thing will neuer prick e him , or neuer haue a lull rewarde of punifhmentatGods Landes ? is it not lamentable,that a man can fee no Chriflian vfe to giue ofhis aboun- daunce to,but thinke all that euer bee can get littleynough to confume in play ? Are we
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