A01545:403
Of the nature and use of lots a treatise historical and theologicalOf the nature and vse of lots a treatise historicall and theologicall
Of the nature and use of lots a treatise historical and theological; written by Thomas Gataker B. of D. sometime preacher at Lincolns Inn, and now pastor of Rotherhith.Of the nature and vse of lots a treatise historicall and theologicall; written by Thomas Gataker B. of D. sometime preacher at Lincolnes Inne, and now pastor of Rotherhith.
London: printed by Edward Griffin, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To answer hereunto directly and briefly. Neither do Lot-games necessarily tempt the best to say so; neither is it blasphemy so to say. There is great difference between those two speeches rightly conceived, and as they may be and are of good Christians ordinarily used: yea they are nothing alike indeed.
To answere hereunto directly and briefly. Neither doe Lot-games necessarily tempt the best to say so; neither is it blasphemie so to say. There is great difference betweene those two speeches rightly conceiued, and as they may be and are of good Christians ordinarily vsed: yea they are nothing alike indeed.
There is somewhat else beside God and his providence, as in all other casual events, so in Lots, that such speeches may be applied unto. I am enforced too oft (I confess) to repeat what was ⟨p. 184⟩•aide down eat first, (while I tread the maze of sundry mens fancies;) that in casual events there are two distinct things, the work of the Creator and the act of the Creature: the latter whereof may such speeches be well applied unto, and so have no tang or taint at all of impiety or blasphemy. They build all upon this wrong ground, that there is a mere and immediate providence of God in all Lots, which is not true, as hath fformerly been proved, you may conceive it by examples of like casualty in other cases: To pass by actions of contingency carried by mans will and fore-cast oft crossing us in our lawful and warrantable courses, (as gin Davids despiteful wrong done him in the abuse of his Concubines by his own son Absalom,) wherein we use such like terms without any impeachment of or disparagement to the divine providence, which yet extendeth it self even unto those actions: Suppose a man riding on the way through the Forest, where a Deere rushing suddenly out of the covert maketh his Horse start and throw him: in this case for a man to say, what luck was this? or, what a cross accident was this? is no blasphemy, nor any accusing of Gods providence, but a complaining of the Creatures act and the event of it. Yea for any man to censure such a speech as blasphemous, or to construe it as if he should say, What a God is this? or, what a cross and crooked providence of God? were to make himself one of