Reply to Answers of Mr Gataker, To the reader 2 – To the reader 3
2. Tim. 3. 4.To the Chriſtian Reader being none of thoſe men▪ who, (according to S. Paul's prophecy,) love pleaſures more than God.
Ionah. 1. 7.SOme yeares are paſt ſince Mr. Gataker tooke occaſion, from caſting of Lotts to finde out for whoſe ſake a daungerous ſtorme was, to juſtiſie playing with Dice, Cards, &c. and to confute me by name in open pulpit. I hearing thereof by many, ſent him this meſſage. If it would pleaſe him to ſend the ſubſtance of the Confutation (for I dare not rely vponupon report) I would either reply, or chaunge mine opinion with thankes to God for him; though for the preſent, I thought he failed in Indgment, Diſcretion, and Charity. In Iudgment. Becauſe that Doctrine was not drawne from his Text; Except this be a judicious deduction. Gentiles caſt Lotts in a moſt ſerious matter, therefore Chriſtians may vſe Lottery in dicing, carding, &c. In Diſcretion. Becauſe that Doctrine (though occaſioned by his text, yet) ſo inſiſted vponupon, incourageth gameſters in their ſinfull courſe and buildeth vp thoſe abuſes, which the Lawes of our Land, would pull downe. In Charity; Becauſe he confuteth me by name, (as I was certified) not having had any conference with me either by ſpeech, or by writing, though I be his neighbour Miniſter. Well; Mr. Gataker, ſent me his anſwere to my dialogue. I acknowledge it with hearty thankes. But why have I not replyed in ſo many yeares? I anſwere, Sa…itò, ſi ſat benè. To ſpeake freely I thinke, I should never have replied, in hope that the queſtion would have died, had not Mr. Gataker confuted my Dialogue in print▪ But now, the rather, being provoked▪ by many learned Miniſters & other, who tell me, that, ſeeing of all thoſe whom Mr. Gataker confuteth, viz: Peter Martyr, Zuinglius, Cartwright, 10 1.Danoeus, Perkins, Fenner, &c. I onelyonly live, I ought to reply, leaſt my ſilence should give way to impiousiniquity, I am ready to performe my promiſe in replying. Which (indeed) I could not have done ſo conveniently before, becauſe the anſwer, which Mr. Gataker ſent me, had not the poſitiue groundes of his opinion, which the printed booke hath.
Before I proceed▪ I proteſt before God, that I eſteeme Mr. Ga…aker as a learned, painfull, and faithfull Miniſter, and a right honeſt man, and therefore pray thee (Christian Reader) that whatſoever I write may be conſidered as concerning the queſtion betweene vsus, and not in any wiſe applied to the leaſt praejudice of ſo reverend a brother, or to any of his excellent parts; So excellent, that I wonder what mooved him to publish his opinion in print, and the more, becauſe of many paſſages in his booke. First, He taketh knowledge1▪ of many enormous crimes, which accompany Dice, Cardes, &c. pa. 193. & in the quotations. Secondly; 2.He giveth this rule, That, that, which is no neceſſary duety, but a thing indifferēt onelyonly, otherwiſe, may not be done, where is ſtrōg preſumptiō vpō good ground yet it shall ſpiritually endanger a mans ſelfe, or others, by giving occaſion of ſinne vntounto the one, or the other. pag. 107. 108. 109.
If many and greivous ſinnes attend dice, cardes, &c. If thoſe games be too too commonly abuſed, as he confeſſeth. pa: 194. and if an indifferent thing may not be done which giveth occaſion of ſinne, I wonder why Mr. Gataker writeth in defence of dice, &c. and the more, becauſe he graunteth, that, where the vſe, and abuſe of a thing are ſo inwrapped, and intangled togither, that they cannot eaſily be ſevered the one from the other, then the vſe of the thing it ſelfe, (if it be vnneceſſary otherwiſe) would be wholely abandoned, pag. 262. 263. Thirdly; He sheweth in many pages▪ how ſeverely tables, but eſpecially dice, be condemned by Lawes, Civill, Canonicall, and Municipall, that is, our Engliſh ſtatutes, as …e sheweth at large, Lib. 8. § 5. 8. He wisheth the Lawes were yet …ore ſevere, & putt in better exe…ution, pà. 206. He ſaith, yet our …ommon dicers may be marshalled …mong ye flock, of ye Devill's fol…owers, pa. 217. He affirmeth moſt …ifelings, and Lotteries to be little …etter than vnlawfull games, pag. … 20. And he teacheth, that, by …heis games, we muſt not give of…ence to the Lawes vnderunder which …ee live, pa. 251. Now I wonder, …hat ſo good a man is not affraid to offend our Law by allowing for…idden games, even Dice, as well …s Cardes, &c. which conſiſt not onelyonly of Lottery. Here I have occaſion to thinke, that I may have …ome more comfort in mine opinion, than Mr. Gataker can have in …is; For he nameth famous, learned, and godly men concurring with me in opinion: But in t… multitude o… his quotations, I find none approoving Dice in play, an whereas ſome learned Divines, i ſome ſort, allow games conſiſtin of Lott, and …itt, but altogethe condemne D…e, Mr. Gataker defe… deth mine opinion, diſapproovin… a mixt▪ as well as a mere Lott, b… cauſe (as he ſaith) a true Lott is i… either, pa. 126. and, He deemet… them to be amiſſe, who allow Lott in game, and yet adde for a cautio… that Religionſneſſe be vſed in th… action, in regard that Holy thing… muſt be done in an holy manne… 4.pa. 133. Fourthly, He graunteth tha… Prayer ſpecially applied to th… Lott may be conceived, where th… matter is more weighty, and th… event of ſome conſequence, pa. …1… And yet he holdeth, that the leſſ… weighty the matter is, wherein … Lott is vſed, the lawfuller the Lott is, pag. 111. The reaſon, why I wonder at this paſſage, shall be given in my Reply. The laſt paſſage now to be obſerved as matter of my wondering, is this; Notwithſtanding, he confidently affirmeth that we may not doe ought without warrant, pag. 301. Sufficiently confirmeth the ſame, becauſe ſuch an Act is not done of Faith, and therefore not free from ſinne, Rom. 14. 23. but is a mere preſumption, and tempting of God, pag. 313. and quot. A▪ and B. and Earneſtly reprooveth one kinde of Lottery (why not all, againſt which the ſame reaſon is of like validity?) becauſe not found revealed in any word of God, but brought in either by Sathan, or by ſome of his inſtruments who are addicted to Vanity, pag. 315. and 316. and, yet he avoucheth, That it is a ſufficient warrant for the vſe of Lottes, In that the oppugners, being learned, can ſay nothing againſt them▪ but what hath beene, or may be ſufficiently anſwered, pag. 235.
May I not wonder that ſo judicious a ſcholler doth not obſerve this diſcrepance? Lottery is vnlawfull, if not warranted by the word which poſitiō ſuppoſeth the Wor… to be perfect, as is the Authou… thereof, and 2. Lottery is lawful… if Learned men can ſay nothing ou of the Word againſt it. Which poſition ſuppoſeth two things, viz That the Word is like the Lawes o men, that is, Imperfect, as be the Authours therof; and, That Learne… men cannot ſo faile in Diligence o reading, Cleareneſſe of vnderſtanding, and Firmeneſſe of Memory but that▪ if there were in the Wor… anything againſt Lottery, the… could nor but ſee it. Well; It ma… be ſeene shortly, how Mr. Gataker Diligence, Vnderſtanding, and Memory have ſerved him in defenoing Luſorious Lotts. In the meane while, Sufficiency of his anſwering is but vponupon the Triall, and not yet adjudged.
All theis paſſages well reveiwed by Mr. Gataker I should thinke he cannot wonder that a man of 64. yeares compleate, (and therefore his wittes may faile) doth wonder that ſo godly, wiſe, and learned a man, the faculties of whoſe minde are at the beſt, did not ſay to himſelfe, before he preached, much more before he penned this luſorious doctrine, Let Baal plead forIudg. 6▪ 31. …2. Eſa. 5. 18 himſelfe; and, Theis gameſters shall, without any encouragment from me, draw on their iniquity …ith theis cordes of vanity; and the rather, becauſe he acknowledgeth that accoumpt is to be given vntounto God of gaming pa. 261. If of the act much more of juſtifying it. Fro m which account good Lord deliver me. For I feare, that in iuſtifying luſorious Lottes, I should put falſe ſpectacles on a gameſter's noſe, whereby the bridge ſeemeth broader, than it is, and ſo he falleth in without feare, to vſe Mr. Gataker ſimilitude, pag. 264. But Mr. Gataker beleveth, that he hath written the truth, (Preface to the Reader) and is confident that truth is to be knowne, eſpecially concerning matters of common practiſe, pag. 263. and giveth foure reaſons, by which he was mooved to defend1. luſorious Lottes, pag. 264. The first is, To draw men from Superſtition in reſtraining themſelves, when God doth not reſtraine them. This beggeth the queſtion, (as I hope) will appeare in the Reply.…. A 2. motive is, Becauſe arguments againſt luſorious Lottes have made many ſtagger in the neceſſary vſe of ſerious civill Lottes. It may be ſo ſome failing in their judgment: But it may be alſo, that many moe will be made to ſtagger by reading Mr. Gatakers exceptions againſt arguments for, and cautions, in thoſe ſerious Civill Lottes, Cap. 5. and by his Maxime, [The leſſe weighty the matter is, wherein a Lott is vſed, the lawfuller the Lott is, pag. 111.] A 3. motive is, To take away3▪ much heart-burning; Nay, rather this juſtifying Luſorious Lottes will not onelyonly cauſe more heart-burning; but incourage alſo gameſters to overcrow ſuch, as are ſcrupulous. For, if many well affected have beene conſtrained, in regard of ſcruple, in this kinde, to ſtraine themſelves to ſome inconveniences by refuſall of thoſe games, when by thoſe, whom they had dependance vponupon, vponupon or familiarity withall, they have beene vrged occaſionally therevnto (which to prevent hereafter, is a 4. cauſe of his writing) How will thoſe ſupporters, and familiars inſult vponupon the ſcrupulous▪ now they have ſo learned a Patrone of their gaming? Some have ſtrained themſelves, to ſome inconveniences for not pledging drunken Healths, being drinke offerings to Bacchus. To prevent which hereafter, should Mr. Gataker doe well, vntounto aedification, to preach, and write in Iuſtification of theſe Healths? The ſumme of his cauſes (as he expreſſeth himſelfe in his preface to the Reader) is, To ſett at Liberty the intangled conſciences of Godly diſpoſed perſons. Indeed; If any conſcience, ſimply for playing with Lottes, should ſeeke his his ſatisfaction in private, then if Mr. Gataker quieted him by his grounds (ſuppoſed true) it were not amiſſe. But is every doctrine, though true, to be inſiſted vponupon both by preaching, and printing, and that affirming matter in queſtion, and of no neceſſary vſe? I ſay, Affirming, remembring the holy wiſedome of the Apoſtles, and Elders, who decreed touching offenſive things (yet ſome of them lawfull, if conveniently vſed) onelyonly negatively, and deemeth it not neceſſaryAct. 15. 28. 29. to decree affirmatively things that were then, and might be in vſe for a time. Many (I feare too many) learned Divines approove Vſury in their Iudgment, thouh condemned by Law. Yet none, that I know, ever inſiſted vponupon the Iuſtification thereof by preaching and printing. Againe; Was there ever any ſo troubled with playing with Lotts? I doubt it; But without doubt thouſandes will now more boldly vſe luſorious Lotts without regard of the cautions, in theis licentious times. As Vſurers regard not the cautions which Divines ſett downe. For it is enough to them, that ſome godly Divines affirme Vſury to be lawfull. O that Mr. Gataker had conſidered what he writeth, pag. 107. before cited, and what he writeth, pag. 103. and 104. viz: Where inconveniences, that shall neceſſarily, or in good probability, appeare to accompany the thing queſtioned, or enſu… vponupon the doing thereof, shall be ſuch, and ſo great as the Conveniences, which ſtand on the other ſide, shall not be able to countervaile, there that action is worthily diſallowed as Inconvenient, and … Lott conſequently vnlawfull, wha… he writeth in his ſpirituall Watch pag. 27. viz: The rifer any evill i… in thoſe places, or ages we live i… the more carefull should we be to shunne, and avoide ſuch a ſinne. No doubt he would have taken heede how by writing he make way to the ſinne of, or by, Luſorious Lotts. Many Divines and intelligent men, though of opinion that Luſorious mixed Lotts may be vſed lawfully, yet wish that Mr. Gataker had never published his booke. For a running horſe (ſay they) needeth no ſpurring. For my part I wish, that Mr. Gataker had beene affected in writing, as he profeſſeth himſelfe to be in the vſe of luſorious Lottes, pag. 266. Wel; Whatſoever he writeth dogmatically, he wisheth thee (good Reader) to imitate him in▪ his practiſe, to witt, That, albeit in judgment thou art rightly informed of the truth concerning the lawfulneſſe of theis games in themſelves; yet in godly diſcretion, thou wouldſt rather abandō them, conſidering the too too common, and ordinary abuſe of them, and that many (it may be) among whom thou liveſt may remaine vnreſolved, and vnſatisfied, touching the lawfulnes of them, pag. 267. I deſire the ſame, and therewith a ſuſpending thy judgment vntill thou haſt well conſidered my Dialogue, Mr. Gatakers anſweres, and my Reply, together with mine anſwere to his poſitive groundes. Here I promiſe (with Mr. Gataker, pag. 128.) to raze what I have reared, if my Reply and aunſweres be prooved inſufficient, and ſo commend thee to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build further. OnelyOnly, conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give thee vnderſtanding inAct. 20. 32. 2. Tim▪ 2. 7. all things.
14. Septemb. 1620.
To the Reader.
THat I may doe Mr. Gataker no wrong I am to lett thee know that the 14. of March. 1622. Stil: Ang. Mr. Gataker denied naming me when he confuted mine arguments in Pulpit, yet confeſsing that he named me in Pulpit, with others, diverſely diſsenting from him in judgment touching Luſorious Lotts when he entred into the queſtion of playing with Lotts.