WJ,at goetlJ to make a Lmvfi'l ~creatiorz. --------------------------------------------------- truly do ! And therefore no camal H11J!,adlyperfun, that hath no fuch Haly md, can ufe any recrea.tion lawfully : bc:caufc he ufeth it not to a due wd: f'or the end is l'.ffemial to the moral g(ml of any a~ton : and an evil md mufi needs make it evil. Tit. x. I5· Vnto the Pure aU tbingJ 11re Pure (that Is, all things not forbidden); bxt untp tbtm tbt are defiled and m:btlieving i1 nothing Pure, hm evm their rnind and Confcience i4 defiled. . . . 9· 6. QE_efi. But mufi aU wicked m~n therefore forbor recreawm -~ An{w. r. WICkeJ men are fuch. as ~rft. will not obey Gods law tf they know. It; and therefore they enq~1re not what they jhou/d _du,~ wuh any purpofe linccrdy _to o~cy. But tf they would obey; that whiCh God cernmandeth them .'s Jmme– diatcly to forfake thetr wtckednefo;, and to become the fervants of God, and then there vnll be no IOom fOr the qucftion. 2· Eut if they will continue in a finful ungodly fiate, it is in vain to contrive how they may {port themfelvu wit!Jortt (tn. But yet we may tell t~er:t that if the JPort bemateri-·· aL'y lawful, it is not the matter, that they are bound to forfake, but 1t JS the finful end and m(lJtntr ~ And till this be reformed they cannot but fin. 9· 7 . ~;l. 3· A l;wfuJ recr_eat!M mufl b~. a means fitly cbofen an~ ~t{ed to this end: If it have n_o aptitude to rit us for Gods fervtct mour o~d.mary CaUmgs and_d~ty, It can be to us no lawful recre.JJI.· on. Though it be lawful eo another that it IS a real help to, It IS unlawful to us 9· s. ~·I· 4 • 4• Therefore all Recreations are zml~wful, which arc themfelvcs preferred before our CaUin,s, or which arc ufcd by ·a man that hveth 1dly, or m no Callmg, and hath no Drdina~ ry worl{. t; make him need them. for thefe are no fit mea;u, which exclude our end, infiead of fur– thering it. 9· 9 • ~al. 5· 5· Therefore all thofe are unlawful fports, which are ufed only to delight a carnal famafit and have nohigher md, than to pltafe the fickly mind that lovttb them. 9· ~~. ~al. 6. 6. And therefore all thofe are zml,;wful Jporlf, which really tmfit us for the dut)'J of our CaUilrg1 and the ferv~ce of God : whrch, laymg the bmefir and burr together, do hmder us as mucil or more than they help us ! which is the cafe of all voluptuous wantons. 9. 11. !}0>1. 7· 7· All fP"" are unlawful which take up any part of the Time, which we lhould fpend in greater works: fuch are all thofe that are tmfeafonable: (as on the Lords-Day without ne· ceffity, or when we (hould be at prayer, or any other duty): And all thofe that take up more time than the end of a recreation doth neceffarily require (which is too common). 9· 12. ~al. 8. 8. If a Recreation be Propbantl as making JPorr of hoiythiNgi, it is a mocking of . " 1 . . God, and a villany unbefeemtng any of hts creatures, and laytng them open to hts heav1efi vengeance. :. Km::J'-1 · a3. The children that made fport with calling the Prophet Bald·head were flain by Bears. 9· 13· £!0al. 9• 9• They are uNlawful JPow which arc ufed to the wrong of others; as Players that defame and reproach other men: And Hunters and Hawkers that tread dOwn poor mens com and hedges. 9· 14. fieal. ro. 10. It is finful to make fport of o1her mens ]inning, or to afl it our felyes fo as eo become partakers of it : which is too com!non with Comcedians, and other prophane ~ wits. 9· I 5• ~al. I I· I I· Unclean obfcene_ recr~ations are unlawful! When filthinefs or wantonnefs is repretlmcd without a due exprdlion of Its odwufne~s ; or with obfcenc words or ad-ions. Eph. 5 . 3 • But fornication and aU unc/eannefs or covetoufnefl, let zt JZot once be once named among you M becometb Saints, mitlur filthinefi, nor foolifo talkjng, nor jeajting, &c. 9· 16. ~al. 12. 12· Thofe fports are unlawful, which occafion the multiplying of We worJr about them ; and engage the Players in fooliih, needlefs, unprofitable Preaching. . · 9· 17• £!0al. 13· IJ· And thofe fports are finful, which plainly tend to provoke our felves or others to tin: As to lull, to fwearing, and curfing, and railing, and righting or the like. i· 9· 18. ~al. '4· •.4· Thofc alfo are finful, which are the exercifc ,of Covttoufoej}, to win other mens money of them : Or that tend to lbr up covetoufncfs m tho!e you play with. 9· 19. ff0al. 15• '5· Cruel recreations ,aJfo are unlawful; As taking pleafure in the beholding of Vueliers, Fighters, or any that abufe each other; or any other Creatures that needlejly torment each other. 9· 20. ff<!<al. 16. 16. Too cojlly recreation alfo is unlawful; when you are but Gods flewards and muli: be a4i:coun[ablc: to him for all you have, it's finful to expend it needltjly on fports. 9· 2 I. Sl.:!.al. 17. 17. Vnneceffary recreations forbidden by our lawful Govtrnours arc unlawful: If they were before lawful to thee, yet now they are noc; becaufe your King, your Pafior, your p 3 .. rents, your Maficrs have power to rule and refirain you in fuch things ; and you mull obey therr.. 9· 22. fi?.!!_al. 18. rS. Latlly, if have the choice of divers recrtations before you. you mufi choofe the fitteft; And if you choofc one that is lefr fit and profitablt, when a fitter might be chofen it is your fin: Though that which you choofe were lawful, if you had no othet. ' t ~· 23· By all this it is eafie to judge of our common Stage·Plays, gaming, Cards, Dice and divers !i!.!£· What ro. other tU.ch kind Qf [pOrts. If they have b\.lt any one of thcfe evil qualifica(ions they arc finful : And thmk ~f com-: when are they ufcd without ver.y many of them? I· They are tob conftnonly ufed by inen [hat never ~on SGg:– inten.dcd to fit th.cn;fe\vcs for their work and duty b_y t~·1em : Yea by men that live not at all to the ~'~~: c:rds, Pleahng and Glonfymg of God, and know not what tt IS to be obed icntly addicted to his fervice ? Dire, &,. Yea by men that live not in any confiant hondllaboor) brit make a Very trade of their ~ecreations ' and u!C them as the chief bufincfs of the day. · '
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