Of the nature and use of lots a treatise historical and theologicalOf the nature and vse of lots a treatise historicall and theologicall

§ 2. ^dThomas Aquinas maketh three sorts, divisorie, consultory, and divinatory: divisorie, determining what each one shall have; consultory, inquiring what were best to be done; and divinatory, searching what shall hereafter ensue. In these, saith he, the event is expected, either from the stars, and that false and vain; or from chance alone, as in the divisorie, and that not wholly free from some vanity; or from some spiritual cause directing it, and that either the Devil, and that wicked, or God, and that of it self not evil; yet such as may become sinful, if Lots be used, upon no necessity, without due reverence, with abuse of divine oracles, or in Ecclesiastical offices: otherwise in case of necessity it being lawful with due reverence to ⟨p. 33⟩implore by Lot a divine sentence. In his steps tread most of your ^ePopish Writers; save that some of them, as ^fCaietan, and ^gTolet restrain these cautions to the consultory Lot only; some of them with ^hMalderus, and ⁱDelrio condemn utterly all both consultory and divinatory Lots, save in case of special either command or instinct, ^kallowing the divisorie wheresoever, being used without wrong or injury to any. And of ours, ^lPeter Martyr, as he setteth down the same sorts, so he passeth in a manner the same censure upon them: that to expect the event of them from Chance or Fortune is frivolous, from evil spirits superstitious, from planets ridiculous, from God alone religious, and only lawful, so that used in case of necessity, reverently and religiously, without superstition, without fraud or collusion, and without abuse of divine oracles.