A20762:998
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
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.
§. Sect. 1 That greedy gaming for gain is unlawful.
§. Sect. 1 That greedy gaming for gaine is vnlawfull.
The last caution to be observed, is, that we use our recreations as a liberal exercise, and not as a sordid trade to get money. To which end let us know, that if we use gaming with a greedy and covetous desire, to enrich our selves by impoverishing others, it is but an inordinate course, which God never appointed and blessed to get wealth, and consequently no better then theft; yea herein worse then the most thefts, in that other thieves rob strangers, but these commonly their friends and familiar acquaintance, and in that it is committed by mutual agreement, whereby the loser becometh an accessary to the theft of the winner, and so is as well as he a robber, not only of himself, but also of his wife and children. As also because the covetous delight which they take in this kind of gaming, not only robbeth them of their riches; in which respect, the saying of the Wise man may be applied and appropriated hereunto, that he who loveth pleasure, shall be a poor man; but also spoileth them of their hearts, so that 1after much loss and great experience of this gamesome misery, they have neither power nor will to leave their folly, and to be better husbands for the time to come. Let us know, that by such kind of greedy gaming, we set our hearts and minds upon a strange kind of rack, which pleaseth in tormenting, and tormenteth in pleasing; even the rack of tumultuous passions, which draw and distract us divers ways; one while hoping, another while fearing; now rejoicing, and soon after grieving and fretting at our loss. Finally, that such will have a fearful reckoning to make at the day of Judgement, not only of their precious time, lavishly mis-spent in these vain and wicked exercises, but also of their wealth lewdly wasted and consumed, when in their accounts there shall be found so much wasted in gaming, and so little given to the poor, and to religious and charitable uses, or employed in those works of mercy, which Christ hath graciously promised should be so richly rewarded at the last day.