The Anatomy of Abuses, Part 15 – Part 17
Cards, Dice, Tables, Tennisse, Bowles, and other exercyses, vsed vnlawfully in Ailgna.
Philoponus.
THese be no Sabaothlike exercyses for any Christian man to follow any day at all,Exercises vnlawfull vponupon the Sabaoth day. much lesse vppon the Sabaoth daye, which the Lord wold hauehave to be consecrat to himselfe, and to be spent in holy and Godly exercyses according to his will. As for cards, dice, tables, bowls, tennisse, and such like, thei are furta officiosa, a certē kind of smooth deceiptfull,Furta officiosa. and sleightie thefte, wherby many a one is spoiled of all that euer he hath, sometimes of his life withall, yea of body and soul for euer: And yet (more is the pitie) these be ye onelyonly exercyses vsed in eueryevery mans howse, al the yeer thorow. But specially in Christimas tyme there is nothing els vsed but cards, dice tables masking, mumming, bowling▪ & such like fooleries: And the reason is, they think they hauehave a commission and prerogatiue that time,All wicked games vsed in Christmas tym…. to do what they lust, and to folow what vanitie they will. But (alas) do they thinke that they are priuiledged at that tyme, to doo euill? the holier the time is (if one time were holier than another, as it is not) the holier ought their workes to be. Can anie time dispense with them or giuegive them libertie to sin. No, no:No tyme priuiledged a man to sinne. the soule which sinneth shall dye, at what time so euer it offēdeth. But what will thei say? Is it not Christmas? must we not be mery? truth it is: we ought both than, and at all tymes besides to be merie in the Lord, but not otherwyse, not to swil and gull more that time thā at any other time, not to lauish foorth more at that time, than at another times.
But the true celebratiō of the Feast of christmas is,The true keeping of Christmas. to meditat (and as it were to ruminat) vppon the incarnation and byrthe of Iesus Christ, not onelyonly that time, but all the tymes and daies of our life, and to shewe our selues thankeful to his Maiestie for the same: Notwithstanding, who is ignorant, that more mischiefe is that time comm…ted than in all the yéere besides? what masking and …umming, wherby robberie, whordome, murther, and what no, tis committed: what dicing & carding, what eating and drinking, what bā queting and feasting is than vsed more than in all the yéere besydes?Wickednes in Christmas. to the great dishonor of GOD, and impouerishing of the realme.
Spud.
Is it not lawfull for one Christian to play with another at anye kinde of game, or to winne his monie, if he can?
Philo.
To play at tables, cards, dice, bowls or the like (though a good Christian man will not so ydlely,Vnlawful for one Christian to play with another to win his money. and vainely spend his golden dayes) one Christian with another, for their priuat recreations, after some oppression of studie, to druie awaye fantasies, and suche like, I doubt not, but they may, vsing it moderatly, with interm…ssion, and in the feare of GOD? But to play for lucre of gaine, and for desire onelyonly of his Brothers substaunce (rather than for any other cause) it is at no hand lawfull, or to be suffered.
For as it is not lawful to robbe, steale and purloine by deceit, or slaight, so is it not lawfull to get thy Brothers goods from him, by …arding, dicing, tabling, bowling, or any other kynd of thefte, for these playes are no better, nay worser than opē theft, for opē theft eueryevery Man can be ware of, but this being a craftie pollitick theft, and cōmōly don vnderunder pretēce of Fréendship, few, or none at all can beware of it. The commaundement saith, thou shalt not couet, nor desire any thing that belongeth to thy Neighbour. Now, it is manifest, that those that playe for monie, not onelye couet their Brothers monie, but also vse craft falshood and deceit to wyne the same.
The Apostle, forbiddeth vsus to vse deceipt in bargaining, in buying, or selling, much lesse than ought we to vse deceipt in gaming.
Our Sauiour Christ biddeth eueryevery man, do to an other, as he would another should do vntounto him.A rule to restraine vnlawfull gameuing. Which rule if it weare dulie obserued, weare sufficient to withraw men both from all kynd of gameing, and also from all kynd of indyrect, and vniust dealing.
For as thou woldest not that another man should winne thy money, so thou oughtest not to desire the winning of his, for thou must do as thou wouldest be done by.
Spud.
If gameing for money be so vnlawfull, wherfore are there howses, and places appointed for maintenance of the same?
Philo.
That excuseth not the fault, but aggrauateth it rather. And truely great pitie it is, that these brothel howses (for so I call all gaming howsesGamiug houses with their wickednes) are suffred as they be.
For, are they not the very seminaries, and nurseries of all kynd of abhomination, whatsoeuer heart can thinke, or tongue expresse.
And therfore I marueile y• those who keep and maintaine these gaming howses, can euer hauehave light hearts, or once to looke vp towards Heauen, y• not onelyonly suffer this manifest theft in their howses (for gaming is no better) but also maintaine and nourish the same.
The Apostle saith, not onelyonly they that doo euill, digni sunt morte, are worthie of death, but also, qui consentiunt facientibus, those who consent to them that do it.
Call to mind, than what euills come of this wicked excercyse I beseeche you.
For doth not swearing, tearing, and blaspheminge of the Name of GOD, doth not stinkinge Whordome, Thefte, Robberie, Deceipt, Fraude, Cosenage, fighting Quareling, and sometymes Murder, doth not pride rapine, drunkns, beggerye, and in fine, a shamefull end followe it, as the shadowe doth follow the body? Wherfore I will not doubte to call these gaming howses, the slaughter howses the shambles or blockhowses of the Deuill, wherin he butchereth Christen mēs soules infinit waies, God knoweth, the Lord suppresse them.
Spud.
Weare there euer anie lawes made against the inordinat abuse hereof,Lawes and sanctions di…lgat against gaming. or hauehave the Godly in any age misliked it?
Philo.
In all ages and times, both the godly sober Christians hauehave detested it, and holsome lawes hauehave been promulgat against it.
Octauius Augustus, was greatly reproched of the Writers of his time, for his great delight in gaming, notwithstanding, his manifold vertues besides.
Cicero, obiected to Marcus Antonius, his often gaming, as a note of infamie vntounto him.
The noble Lacedemonians sent their Ambassadours to Corinth, The infamy purchased by gaming.to cōclud a peace, who coming thither, and finding the People playing at dice, and cards, and vnthriftie games, returned back again (infecta pace) their peace vnconcluded, saying, it should neuer be reported, that they wold ioyne in league with Dice-players and gamesters.
The same Lacedemonians, sent to Demetrius in decision of his diceplaying, a paire of dice of gold. Sir, Thomas Eliot (that worthie Knight) in his Book of go…ernance, asketh, who will not think him a light man of small credit, dissolut, remise and vaine, that is a Dici-player, or gamester.
Publius saith. Quantò peritior est aleator in sua arte, tanto nequior est, & vita & moribus. How much cōninger a mā is in gaming and diceplaying, so much corrupter he is both in life and maners. Iustinian made a lawe, that none should play at dice,Laws against gaming. nor cards for no cause, neither priuately, nor openly.
Alexander Seuerus, banished all gamesters out of his dominions. And if anie were found playing, their goods were confiscat and they counted as mad men euer after, neuer trusted, nor estéemed of anie.
Ludouicus, ordeined y• al gamesters shold depart his lād, for feare of corrupting of others.
K. Richard the second, forbad all kynd of gaming, and namely dice-playing.Punishment for gaming.
K. Henrie the fourth, ordeined y• eueryevery Dice-player should be imprisoned six daies for eueryevery seuerall time he offended in gaming.
K. Edward the fourth, ordeined who so kept gaming howses, should suffer imprisonment three yéeres,The penalty for those that keep gaming howses. and forfait .xx.li. & the Players to be imprisoned▪ two yéers, & forfait x. pound.
K. Henri that seuenth, ordeined y• eueryevery Dice-player should be imprisoned all a day, and the Kéeper of the dicing howse to forfait for eueryevery offence vi. shil. viij.d. and to be boūd by recognizance to good behauiour.
K. Henrie the eight, ordeined that eueryevery one that kept di…ing houses, should forfa…t .xl. shil. and the Players to forfait vi. shil. viij.d. with many good lawes and sanctiōs set foorth against this raging Abuse of gaming, which to auoid tediousnes I omit, beseching y• Lord to root vp, and supplant these, and all other stumbling blocks in his church what so euer.
Sp.
As I remēber in the Catalogue of abuses before, you said, ye sabaoth day was prophaned, by bearbaiting, cockfighting, hau…ing, hunting, kéeping of faires, courts, & markets vpō ye said day. Is it not lawful thā to follow these exercises vponupon the sabaoth day, neither?
Beare baiting and other exercyses, vsed vnlawfully in AILGNA.
Philoponus.
THese Hethnicall exercyses vponupon the Sabaoth day, which ye Lord hath cōsecrat to holy vses, for the glory of his Name, and our spirituall comfort, are not in any respect tollerable, or to be suffered. For, is not the baiting of a Bear, besides that it is a …thie, stinking▪ and lothsome game, a daungerous, & perilous exercyse? wherein a man is in daunger of his life eueryevery minut of an houre: which thing though it weare not so, yet what exercyse is this meet for any Christiā? what christē heart cā take pleasure to sée one poore beast to rent, teare, and kill another, and all for his foolish pleasure? And although they be bloody beasts to mankind, & seeke his destructiō,No Creature to be abused. yet we are not to abuse them, for his sake who made thē, & whose creatures they are. For notwithstanding that they be euill to vsus, & thirst after our blood, yet are thei good creatures in their own nature & kind, & made to set foorth the glorie & magnificence of the great God, & for our vse, & therfore for his sake not to be abused. It is a mon saying amongst all men, borowed frō y• frēch: Qui aime Iean, aime son chiē, louelove me, louelove my dog, so louelove God, louelove his creatures.
If any should abuse, but the dog of another mans, wold not …e who oweth the dog, think y• the abuse therof resulteth to himselfe?God is abused when his Creatures are misused. And shall we abuse y• creatures of God, yea take pleasure in abusing thē, & yet think y• the contumely don to thē, redoūdeth not to him who made them? but admit it weare graūted that it weare lawfull to abuse the good Creatures of God, yet is it not lawfull for vsus to spend our golden yéers in such ydle and vaine exercyses daylie and hourelie, as we do.
And some who take themselues for no small fooles are so farre assotted,Keeping of mastyues & bandog…. that they will not stick to keep a dosen, or a score of great mastiues and bādogs, to their no small charges, for the maintenance of this goodly game (forsooth) and will not make anie bones of .xx.xl. C. pound. at once to hazard at a bait: with feight dog, feight beare (say they) the deuill part all. And to be plaine, I thinke the Deuill is the Maister of the game, beareward and all. A goodly pastyme, forsoth, worthie of commendation, and wel sitting these Gentlemen of such reputation. But how muche the Lord is offended for the prophanation of his Sabaoth by such vnsauorie exercyses, his Heauenly Maiestie of late hath reueiled, pouring foorth his heauie wrath, his fearfull iudgements, and dreadfull vengeance vppon the Beholders of these vanities.
A Fearfull Example of GOD his Iudgement vponupon the prophaners of his Sabaoth.
VPonUpon the 13. day of Ianuarie last, being the Sabaoth day. Anno. 1583. the People, Men, Wemen and Children, both yonge and old, an infinit number, …ocking to those infamous places, where these wicked exercyses are vsuallie practised (for they hauehave their courts, gardens & yards for y• same purpose:) when they were all come together, and mounted aloft vponupon their scaffolds, and galleries, and in middest of al their iolytie & pastime, all the whole building (not one stick standing) fell down with a most wonderfull and fearefull confusiō. So, that either two or thrée hundred, men, wemē and childrē (by estimatiō) wherof seuē were killed dead, some were wounded, some lamed, and othersome brused and crushed, almost to the death. Some had their braines dasht out, some their heads all to squasht, some their legges broken, some their arms, some their backs, some their shoulders, some one hurt, some another.A wofull crie. So, that you should hauehave hard a woful crie, euen pearcing the skyes, parents bewayling their children, Children their louing Parents: wyues their Husbands, and Husbands their wyues, marueilous to behould. This wofull spectacle and heauie indgement, pitifull to heare of, but most ruefull to behold, did y• Lord send down from Heauen to shew vntounto the whole World how gréeuously he is offended with those that spend his Sabaoth in such wicked exercises: In y• meane tyme leauing his temple desolat and emptie. God graunt all men, may take warning hereby to shun the same, for feare of like or worser Iudgement, to come.