if the exercise were lawful, such patrons as pleasure, & covetousness would not speak for it. §9Take thy pleasure therefore in that which is good, & the angels will rejoice with thee: if this were good, God would prosper them better that use it: but neither winners nor losers are gainers. I know not how but there is not so much won as lost, as though the devil did part stakes with them, & draw away with a black hand when no man seeth, for the winner saith he hath not won half so much as the looser hath lost. §10One would think that some of them should flow, when so many ebb: there is never an ebb without a flowing, never one looseth but another winneth but at dice. §11What a cursed thing is this that turns no man to good, which robs others & beggars them selves? the school of deceit, the shop of oaths, & the field of vanities. §12Thou dost not only hazard thy money (in this game) but venturest thy salvation, & castest dice with the devil, who shall have thy soul. §13For every thing that cometh to a man he giveth thanks, but that which cometh by dice, he is ashamed to give thanks: which showeth that in conscience that gain ⟨p. 172⟩is evil gotten, and that he sought it without God. §14Can this be good when w••st men use it most, if it were good the evil would like worse of it then the good, but the more a man savoureth of any goodness, the more he begins to abhor it, and his conscience doth accuse him for it as for sin. §15They which doubt whether God do allow it, need but look how he doth prosper them that use it, but they trust not in God (as the terms of their occupation descries) for they call all their casts chances, as though they relied not upon God but upon chance. Therefore if dice make strife without cause, if they take away others goods for nothing, if we may not live by playing but by labour, if they which have been dicers repent it amongst their sins, if the holy men never used this recreation, but the worst most delight in it, if thou would not have God see thee when thou playest at dice, nor take thee at it when he comes to judgement, if nothing but pleasure & covetousness speak for them, if they do not prosper which take pleasure in it, if they trust not upon God but rely upon chance if thou doest not only venture thy money but hazard thy soul, then the best cast at dice is to cast them quite away.
if the exercise were lawfull, such patrons as pleasure, & couetousnes would not speake for it. §9Take thy pleasure therfore in that which is good, & the angels wil reioyce with thee: if this were good, God would prosper thē better that vse it: but neither winners nor loosers are gainers. I know not how but there is not so much wonne as lost, as though the deuil did part stakes with them, & draw away with a blacke hand whē no mā seeth, for the winner saith he hath not wonne halfe so much as the looser hath lost. §10One would thinke that some of thē should flow, when so many eb: there is neuer an eb without a flowing, neuer one looseth but another winneth but at dice. §11What a cursed thing is this that turnes no mā to good, which robbes others & beggers thē selues? the schoole of deceit, the shop of oths, & the field of vanities. §12Thou dost not only hazard thy money (in this game) but vētrest thy saluatiō, & castest dice with the deuil, who shal haue thy soule. §13For euery thing that cōmeth to a mā he giueth thākes, but that which cō meth by dice, he is ashamed to giue thankes: which sheweth that in conscience that gaine ⟨p. 172⟩is euill gotten, and that he sought it without God. §14Can this be good when w••st men vse it most, if it were good the euill would like worse of it then the good, but the more a mā sauoreth of any goodnes, the more he begins to abhorre it, and his conscience doth accuse him for it as for sinne. §15They which doubt whether God do allow it, neede but looke how he doth prosper them that vse it, but they trust not in God (as the termes of their occupatiō descries) for they cal all their casts chances, as though they relied not vpō God but vpon chaunce. Therefore if dice make strife without cause, if they take away others goods for nothing, if we may not liue by playing but by labour, if they which haue bene dicers repent it amongst their sinnes, if the holy men neuer vsed this recreation, but the worst most delight in it, if thou would not haue God see thee when thou playest at dice, nor take thee at it when he comes to iudgement, if nothing but pleasure & couetousnes speake for them, if they do not prosper which take pleasure in it, if they trust not vpon God but relie vpon chance if thou doest not onely venture thy money but hazard thy soule, then the best cast at dice is to cast them quite away.
