[afes about Lufa~y [ontraEfs. __ ..., ..... .,._. incafe ofan uncertain gain to the borrower, a conditional centrad: may be made. Yea, in cafe ofMer .. ,handize, where mens poverty forbiddeth not fuch bargains, I fee not but it is lawful to fell a greater uncettain gain, for'a fm11ler certain gain ; and fo to make die contralts abfolute : ( As Amejiur Caf. Confc· on this quellion !heweth.) As all oppreffion and unmercifulnefs mull be avoided, and all men moll do as they would ( judicioufly ) be done by; So it is a bad thing to corrupt Religion, and /ill the world with caufelefs fcruplcs, by making that a fin which is no fin. Divines that live in gfeat Cities and among Merchandize, are ufually fitter Judges in this C-ifc, than thofe that live more ob· fcurely ( without experience ) in the Countrey. Tit. 5· Cafes of Confcience abottt Lufory ContraEls. 9· I· Qgeft. •· IS it lawfHl to lay TYagtrs upon the credit or confidenct of o;u amJtherJ opinions or ~· r. ajfertions in difcourfe l As e. g. I wiU lay you fo much that I am in tbt right l Anfw. Yes, if thele three things concurr: I· That the tmc end of the Wager isto be a penalcy to him that !hall be guilty of-. n!h and falfe affertion, and not to gratifie the Covetoufncfs of thepther. 2 · That it be no greater a fumm than can be demanded and paid, without breach of Charity, or too much hurt to the loofer (as above the proportion of his error) : 3· That it be no other but what both parties arc truly willing to ftand to the lofs of, if either of them lofe : And that before hand they truly feem fo willing to each other. 9· 2· QL!efl. 2. lJ i1 lawful la lay Wagm upon Horfe·ram, Dogr, Hawfti, Rear·bailingr, or fuch 0!,efl. 2• , Games as depend onthe 6{iivity ofBea(i ot Man? Anfw. Yes, upon the two lafi exprdl conditions; and 3· That it be not an exercife which is it fc:lfunlawful, by cruelry .to Beafis,or hazard to the lives of men (as in Fencing, Running, Wrellling, &c. it may fall out if it be not cautcloufly done:) or by the cxpencc of an undue proportion of time in them, which is rhe common malignity of fuch recreations. • 9· 3• Q!tefi, 3• May I lawfuUy givemoney 10 fee fucb JPl<'ll, at Bear-bailingr, S•agt·playu, MMfti, ~f!· 3• Shtws, Puppet·playts, Aaivities of Man or Beaft? &c. . An[w. There are many S,hews that aredefirable and laudable, ( as of llrange Creatures, Monfters, rare Engines, AClivities, &c. ) the fight of which it is lawful to purchafe, at a proportionable price : As a profptc!t thorough one of Galil~ru T ubes or fuch another, is worth much money to a lludious porfon. But when the exercife is unlawful (as all St2ge-playes are that ever I faw, or had juft in– formation of; yea, odioufly evil; however it is very poffible that a Comcedy or Tragcedy migh1 with abundance of cautions be lawfully ac!ted), it is then (ulilallyJ unlawful to be a fpeehtor either for mo– ney or on free coft. I fay [ ufually J becaufe its poffible that fome on~ that is ntcrf!iwed to be there, or that goeth to find out their evil to fupprefs them, or that is once only induced to know the troth of them may do it innocently : But fo do not they, who are prefent voluntarily and approvingly. 3• And if the recreation be lawful init fclf, yet when yain pcrfons go thither to teed a carnal fan!ie and vicious humour, which delighteth more in vanity, than they delight in piety, and when it wafieth their cirne and corrupteth their minds,. and alienateth them 1 from good, or hindereth duty, it is to them unlawful. 9· 4· Queft. 4• I! il lawful lo play a1 Card1 or Diet for money, or al any Lollery l 0!, Anfw. The grcatefl doubt is, Whether the Games be lawful, many learned Divines being for the 0 "!{ 4·,.. Negative, and many for the Affirmative ; And thofe that are for the Affirmatlye lay down fo many on~ fe~eb~fo~~. necdi'aries or conditions to prove them lawful, as I fcarce ever yet Uw meet together: But if chey be proved at all lawful, the cafe of Wagers is rcfolved as the next. 9· 5• Ql_ef\. 5· May I play al Bowlr, Run, Sh001, &c. or uft foch ptrfonal a[iivilietfiJT' monry l ~·11· 5 • Anfw. Yes, t. lf you make not the Game it felf bad by any accident : 2.lf your Wager be laid tor fport, and not for Covctoufnefs ( f\riving who !hall get anothers money , and give them nothing for it ). 3• And if no ·more be laid than is fuitable to the fport, and the loferdothwell and willingly pay, 9· 6. Q!efi. 6. If I he loftr who[aid he wa1 wiUing, prove angry and unwiUing when it comelh to 1he ~eft. 6. paying, may I tak,.e it, or get it by Law againft his will l Anfw. No, no not in ordinary cafes ; be"caufe youmay not turn a fport to covetoufnefs, or breach ofCharity : But in cale that it be a fport that hath col\ you any thing, you may in Juflicc take your Charges, when Prudence forbids it not. i'ic. 4,
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