Nature and Use of Lots, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the seuerall Sorts of Lots.
§ 1.THus much then shall suffice to hauehave spoken of the definition of a Lot, and of Casuall Euents, whereof a Lot is one, in generall: we will now proceed to consider of the seuerall Sorts and Kinds of it.
In the diuision of Lots therefore I finde much diuersitie among Writers, some referring all to two heads, some to three, some to foure, some to more, vncertaine how many.
aLyra in Num… c. 34. & in …rou…. c. 16. & in Iome. 1. diuisoria ad aliquid inter plu…es di…idendum; consultoria ad aliquid determina…è agendū.Lyra maketh but two sorts of Lots, diuisorie, vsed for the diuiding of something betweene diuers; and consultorie, for the determining of somewhat to be done. The former, saith he, lawfull and free from offence, if without greedy desire of gaine the euent be committed to the chance or the casuall motion of the creature: the latter vnlawfull, if the euent of it be expected from any created power beside the casuall act of the creature, as from the motion of Planets, or the operation of euill Spirits; not vnlawfull if it be expected from God or good Angels, so it be done in case of necessitie, with due reuerence, and out of Ecclesiasticall Elections.
bLavat: in Prou. c. 16. diuis…riae, licitae, qusbus hereditares, possessiones, praedae, &c. diuiduntur; diuinatoriae illicitae, quibus occulta investigantur, quisue rerū aut personaris futuru… fit exitus.Lavater likewise, and *Schindler: …n l…x. pentaglos:Schlinder make two sorts, but in different termes, diuisorie and diuinatorie: diuisorie, vsed (as before) for diuision of possessions, legacies, spoiles, offices, exercises, imployments, and the like, and these lawfull and commendable: diuinatorie, vsed for the finding out of hidden and vnknowne truths, and the foretelling of future euents, and these vnlawfull and damnable. The consultorie Lot they thinke to be included in the two former, though not the same simply with either.
cSerar: in Iosh: …om: 2 c 7. q. 17. Sorte vel cognitio quaeritur sola praeteritorum, praesentium, futurorum; & est diuinatoria; vel actio eti…m quaecunque subconsilium & deliberationē cadere potest; & est consultoria: ad quem diuisoria revocari potest.Serarius againe maketh two sorts another way, consultorie, and diuinatorie: For that, saith he, that by a Lot is sought out, is either the bare knowledge of things past, present or future; or beside the knowledge of something any action whatsoeuer that may come within compasse of deliberation and counsell; that is done by a diuinatorie, this by a consultorie Lot: the diuisorie Lot may be referred, he thinketh, to this latter.
§ 2. dThom: sum part: 2•. 2 ….q. 95. art 8. & de sortib: cap. 2, 3, 4. Diuisoria qua quaeritur, quid cui fit exhibendum; Consultoria, qua quaeritur, quid sit agendum; Diuinatoria, qua quaeritur, quid fit futurum.Thomas Aquinas maketh three sorts, diuisorie, consultorie, and diuinatorie: diuisorie, determining what each one shall hauehave; consultorie, inquiring what were best to be done; and diuinatorie, searching what shall hereafter ensue. In these, saith he, the euent is expected, either from the starres, and that false and vaine; or from chance alone, as in the diuisorie, and that not wholy free from some vanity; or from some spirituall cause directing it, and that either the Deuill, and that wicked, or God, and that of it selfe not euill; yet such as may become sinfull, if Lots be vsed, vponupon no necessitie, without due reuerence, with abuse of diuine oracles, or in Ecclesiasticall offices: otherwise in case of necessitie it being lawfull with due reuerence to implore by Lot a diuine sentence. In his steps tread most of your eLudouic: de Pruss: trilog: animae part. 3. cap. 21. Henr: Herp: spec: aur: de praecep: 1. ser: 4. Astesan: sum: lib. 1. tit. 14. Syl…est: & Angel: sum. Io: Busae… ad Bles: Ep: 30. & alij.Popish Writers; saue that some of them, as fCaietan: summa peccat: de Sort.Caietan, and gTolet: sum: cas: conse: l 4. c. 15.Tolet restraine these cautions to the consultorie Lot only; some of them with hMalder: de superstit: tract: 10. cap. 7. dub: 9.Malderus, and iDelrio disq. mag: l. 4. c. 3. q 7. § 4. consultoria aequè a… divinatoria hodi… damnatur.Delrio condemne vtterly all both consultorie and diuinatorie Lots, saue in case of speciall either command or instinct, kMald: & Delr: ibid: c. 4. q. 1.allowing the diuisorie wheresoeuer, being vsed without wrong or iniurie to any. And of ours, lMartyr in 1 Sam. c. 10.Peter Martyr, as he setteth downe the same sorts, so he passeth in a manner the same censure vponupon them: that to expect the euent of them from Chaunce or Fortune is friuolous, from euill spirits superstitious, from planets ridiculous, from God alone religious, and onelyonly lawfull, so that vsed in case of necessitie, reuerently and religiously, without superstition, without fraud or collusion, and without abuse of diuine oracles.
mPaucer: de diuinat: c. de sort.Peucer and nKr…kevitz in Ion. c. 1. Sortilegium triplex; diuinum, diuinitus rectum & directum; ciuile, seu politicū; diuinatorium & superstitiosum.Krakevitz make three sorts also, but in another sort: Lots diuine, guided and gouerned immediately by God; such as godly men vsed vponupon Gods speciall commaund, not warranted now to vsus: Ciuill or politike vsed for the ending of strife and lawsuites, or the parting of goods, gifts, and legacies, or the collation of some honours and offices; which may lawfully be vsed with mutuall consent, and without couen and fraud: and Diuinatorie or superstitious, whereby men presume vponupon idle grounds, neither warranted by Gods word, nor founded on naturall reason, to find out hidden truths, and guesse at future euents; a course Satanicall, and in Scripture expressely forbidden.
oPerkins of Witchcraft.Perkins againe maketh three sorts with some new alteration: ciuill or politicke, vsed for the diuiding of bargaines &c, to end strife; sporting, vsed commonly for the setting vp of banckrupts; diuining, vsed for the foretelling of future euents: The first warrantable vsed in cases of weight and necessitie, with invocation of Gods name; the two latter notable abuses, hauing no warrant in Gods word.
§ 3. pEas…y historie of Gospell.Easty onelyonly maketh foure sorts; diuine, appointed and commanded to be vsed by God; diabolicall, for diuination, condemned of all; politicall, for choise of Magistrates in cases of warre, tolerated by many; ludicrous, for sport and pastime, questioned by most: and by himselfe disallowed.
Lastly Serarius, besides his former diuision; and another of qSerár: in Iosh: …om: 2. c. 7. q 17. Sors soria, lus…ria.serious and lusorious; as also those that diuers others hauehave, of rPermissa, prohibita. Greg: Tolos: de appell: l. 2. c. 19.permitted and prohibited, of sLicita, illicita. Gloss: ad Grat: cap. 26. q. 2. Chy…r. in Iud: cap. 1. Zanch: misc…ll: part. 2. c. de sort. bona & laudabilis, mala & reprehensibilis. Iun: in Ion. c. 1.lawfull and vnlawfull, of tSacrae, profanae. Peucer: de diuin: dluinae, diabolica. Bodin: damonol. l. 1. c. 6.religious and profane: heapeth vp uSerar: in Iosh: vbi sup.many others to small purpose, drawne from the great variety and diuersitie of workers about them, instruments vsed in them, matters disposed by them, the manner how, the places where, the times wherein they were vsed, and the like.
§ 4. But leauing these and the like diuers and disagreeing diuisions to their seuerall Authors crossing the one thus the other: we will assay (if it may be) to giuegive somewhat a fuller, and more exact distribution; at least fitter and more commodious for the businesse here intended, then the most of them hauehave done.
Lots therefore may be all well referred to two heads, and sorted into two ranks, either of Ordinarie, of which kind those are which they commonly terme Diuisorie; or of Extraordinary, such as the Consultorie and Diuinatorie are: the Ordinarie may be subdiuided into Serious and Lusorious; and these againe distinguished by sundry differences as occasion shall require.