they see sin vnpunished What crueltie is it to se women children almost starued the whole countrie grow into decaie The mercifull God open the eies of our Magistrates make thē see a difference betweene mercifull seueritie cruell pitie We haue an English prouerbe which saith that foolish pittie marreth a citie but it is little thought vppon They maie perhappes thinke they shall bee well thought of by suffering the wicked to go scotfree but it can not be The people shal curse such a one the multiude shall abhorre him but to them that rebuke the wicked shalll be sweetenesse vpon them shal come the blessing of euery good man Pro. 24. 23. For open rebuke is better then secret loue And though the parties punished winch a little at the first yet hee that reproueth a man shall finde more fauour at the last then he that flattereth with his tongue If men wold but open their eies experience would teach them the truth of that which I say For by reason of their fearefulnesse and loosenesse this waies men make no account of them they despise the Lord therfore the Lord despiseth them Now they do nothing they are accounted as a king in a stage play that only maketh a show whē he hath done he goeth his waies wheras otherwise the Lord would cause men to loue honor them To keep their court dinners or to haue their men officers to waite vpon them is but an outward thing an accessarie matter to giue some countenaunce to their office but the chiefe thing the essentiall part of their dutie is to doe iustice iudgement But men are hard to be intreated in this matter I therefore beseech all pastors teachers that they would not suffer themselues to be deceiued witht he disguised names of parson or viccar which names the scripture knoweth not but that they would remember that they are appointed as continuall watch men to ring the alarum bell to beat to knocke at the consciences of men especially of the Magistrates which maie do all in all in this matter For it is great pittie that they shuld wāt so great a benefit as is the putting them in minde of their dutie especially seing the whole Church receiueth so great losse by their slackenesse If I spake of mine owne head my words might be little set by for who am I that any mā shuld esteme of my saying But because they be the words of the great God they must be set by Apollos was a very eloquent learned man yet he was very well content to be more thē admonished of a poore simple man I desire my Reader that he would do the like For I protest before the Lord his Angells before all the world that I haue not spoken anie thing for any delight that I haue in reprouing the truth whereof the Reader may easily see if he consider that I haue reprooued no mans fault so much as mine owne If I seeme to be more vehement then needeth the cause thereof is because it is both long since this our good statute was made also a contrary custome hath almost ouergrowne it It hath bene smoothered shamefully kept vnder of a long time And it is noted of one that a Law the farder it is from the first authoritie which is as it were the first stroke wherewith it is first sent abroad the weaker it is And that a custome the longer it cōtinueth the stronger it is I speak not this to end any should be discouraged from labouring against this sin for the word of God is mightie to bring down euerystrong hold euery high thought that lifteth vp it selfe against the almightie but that we shold rouse vp our selues to fight more manfullie against it seeing it hath so manie so mightie enemies to defende it And because there is little hope that the Lord will take awaie this losenesse of life from vs either by preaching or by the seueritie and diligence of the godlie magistrate so long as we cast away from vs so churlishlie his blessed discipline that hath bene so louingly offered let vs throw our selues downe and craue forgiuenesse for this our great rebellion giue enterteinmēt to it at the last that the vse praise of our catholike religion maie bee seene and that it maie appeare in hir perfect beautie We see nowe that euerie bodie maie do what him listeth without controlement The Church maie seeme to bee nothing els but a companie of outlawes And what reproch is this to the holy and righteous Lord Iesus Christ which is the Lord thereof What Christian heart doth not bleed to see open common dronkards to come to the Church and to be accounted catholikes How wonderfullie doth this sinne preuaile for want of church discipline Know you not saith the Apostle that a leauen sowreth a whole lumpe of dowe How manie are infected whilest the corrupted parties are not cut off What great commoditie is the whole Church depriued off for want of this communication If these filthie persons were thus banished the Church deliuered vnto Sathan vntill they had acknowledged their fault and washed their faces with teares of repentance before all the congregation this fearfull punishment would make others afraid to offend The parties that hath offended shall receiue a singuler commoditie by this thing for now they be not of the Church and yet are accounted to be of the Church they thinke their case is verie good and harden themselues in their sins and so goe to hell as it were in a sleepe before they be aware wheras by this wholsome discipline they would be awakened out of their deepe sleepe they would be made ashamed and so repent Thus if they were confounded in this world they should bee glorified in the world to come vpon their repentance they should be receiued againe then should they not onely be in the Church but of the Church theyr sinnes which were so fast bound in heauen but not in earth should then be loosed both in heauen in earth These things are confessed wished for in our cōmunion booke as it were by a generall consent of the whole Realme that manie yeares ago yet we stand at a staie and account those good men our enimies that perswade vs to the practise of it The Lord for his mercies sake that sitteth in the heauens and laugheth his enimies to scorne that can bring to passe with the turning of an hand whatsoeuer he wil bring this thing to passe Wherfore shall the Papists saie We neuer saw the like wickednesse in our fathers daies O Lord deliuer thy word from this reproch and deliuer vs from the slauerie of sin Sathan our own rebellious practises to freedome libertie which is no where els to be found but in putting on the easie yoke of Iesus Christ in being gouerned by his word We shal not thē anie longer
A friendlie communication or Dialogue betweene Paule and Demas wherein is disputed how we are to vse the pleasures of this life By Samuel Byrd Master of Art and fellow not long since of Benet Colledge DM Imprinted at London for Iohn Harison the younger dwelling in Pater noster Roe at the signe of the Anker and are there to be solde 1580. ¶ TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader Samuel Byrd wisheth grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ IT maie perhaps seeme somewhat straunge there beeing so manie learned and godlie bookes set out that I haue not bene discouraged thereby from writing I desire therfore leaue of the good Reader that I maie bee heard what I can saie for my selfe First therefore it maie be answered that though a matter be handled of neuer so manie yet the varietie of time and place maie alwaies minister some new and profitable matter to speake of Beside this I haue speciall reasons and those also manie to alledge for my selfe in this behalfe First it may be said that though the Argument heere handled especially dice and card plaie haue bene condemned as it were by a general consent of all Nations yet are there verie fewe founde which haue in particulars vnfolded laide abrode the vglinesse thereof They haue taken the beastlinesse of this game to be so plaine and so euident a case that they haue not vsed manie reasons in the proofe thereof And least I should seeme to affirme this thing at a venture without some triall onelie to excuse my selfe the Reader shall vnderstand that I haue made inquirie that the most that hath bene said of anie that I can heare of is of Pascasius which hath entered into the secrets of this idle pastime hath bewraied the hid thoughts of gamesters and their distempered affections In this respect I saie he hath said very much although concerning the vnlawfulnesse of this game hee hath said nothing at all Daneus a learned diuine hath proued that this game is vnlawfull but yet in fewer wordes then can satisfie the patrones therof I haue not heard of manie other and I am the sooner brought to thinke that but few haue taken paines in this thing because the forenamed Pascasius making great inquirie could not heare of anie as he saith that hath of purpose written a treatise of this matter It ought therefore as I said before the lesse to be accounted an vnnecessarie worke which speaketh of that that so few haue spoken of especiallie in our English tongue And I haue ben the bolder to take this thing vppon mee because I cannot thinke but that the Lord which cannot awaie with idlnesse and hath graunted me so great leasure requireth it at my handes This my enterprise shall the lesse bee meruailed at if men consider that my miserable experience in these vnthriftie games canne make mee speake that which those that want the like experience cannot though otherwise they bee neuer so eloquent Beside that it shall make more for the glorie of God and more against this sinne when it is cried out vppon of him that hath had his delight therein rather then when it is spoken against of him that hath had no acquaintaunce with it and hee teacheth well which would haue vs Excerpere ex ipsis malis quod inest boni I shall also by this meanes cheere and make glad the heartes of those good men whome I doubt not but I haue heeretofore greeued and vexed with following this confused and foolish gaming Neither shall it be a small comfort vnto mine owne soule not onelie for the present time but euen when those that stand about my bedde can doe mee no good when the women are almost readie to binde vp my face in a napkin It will bee I saie at that time a great staie vnto my soule when I shall consider that that hande that hath beene so defiled with the cursed bones and with such filthie papers now hath beene at defiaunce with them and hath writ against them This I doubt not in my greatest extremitie will bee a witnesse vnto me that both hand and foote and euerie part of mee are purged and cleansed and purefied with the precious bloudshedding of the sonne of God my almightie redeemer All these reasons beeing well waied of mine indifferent Reader this my booke shall I hope haue the better enterteinement at his handes Concerning the matter and substaunce of this treatise my purpose was to sette downe a difference betweene the childe of God and a naturall man in vsing the present thinges of this life The naturall man as a brute beast looketh vpon whatsoeuer is before him and neuer goeth further and as a brutish swine which feedeth vnder an Acorne tree mindeth onelie the Acornes that lie seattered vppon the ground neuer looking vp to the tree from whence they came so this people nussel themselues in the creatures neuer lifting vp their heart vnto the Creator and some are so grose that they thinke God is greatlie honoured when they are so much delighted with the creature that they are neuer satisfied therewith For when their â—ares are altogether busied in piping and singing when they rest their soules laie themselues down in the melodie of Organs and quauering they call it an heauenlie noise but it is an earthlie noise they are Epicures that delight so much in it And therefore Plautus describing Epicures setteth them out by these words Viuunt musicè For whie maie not the dronken glutton as well saie that sweete luscious meate and drinke haue an heauenlie tast Manie of these men can tell the naturall reason of earthquakes windes snowe haile and raine and of all meteors they can shewe reasons howe meate and drinke doth nourish our life but the Lord and giuer of life they will not acknowledge They are busied altogether in secondarie meanes but the cause of all causes the high and mightie God that holdeth the sterne both of sea land ruleth with his becke both heauen earth worketh vsuallie by meanes oftentimes without meanes sometimes contrarie to all meanes they wil not remember If a man speak of this first cause they thinke there is no wit in anie such talke they are alwaies in their A B C as Caluin that good man noteth as blinde buzzards keepe altogether below but the learned Christian like an eagle mounteth vp aloft vseth the creatures as steppes and staires to ascend vnto the high God he is the resting place of their ioie he is the stay center of all their delights They pitie the foolishnes of such as make their back their bellie their bowling dicing carding their God For how can the vanitie of these vaine things helpe them in the time of need When they are sore sick their gaie coats must be let off When their stomacks be taken from them what good will their meate drinke do them They cannot stand to bowle they cannot
vse the name of Christ as men are wont to vse an olde cloke which put it on when any stormy tēpest is towards thē are ashamed of it when the storme is ouer Men shall not then anie longer vse the calling vppon the name of God as they vse Aqua vitae only when they lye a dieng but they shall professe the calling of his name throughout the whole course of their life then shall not the son of God be ashamed of vs before his father If the glorious kingdome of Iesus Christ were thus set vp we should haue euen an heauen vpon earth I am afraide I haue troubled my Reader with loking an Epistle and therefore I will heere take my leaue of him wishing him well to fare in the Lord. Thine in the Lord Samuel Byrd The summe of euerie Chapter VVhat pleasures are lawfull and that we maie offend by vsing them too little or too much Chap. 1. fol. 1. VVhat games are simplie vnlawfull Cha. 2. fol. 12. Continuing to much at lawfull games maketh Chap. 3. fol 29. That our kind of daūsing is vtterlie vnlawfull Chap. 4. fol. 34. Of Dice and Cards Chap. 5. fol. 37. A remedy against such euils as haue ben before spoken of Chap. 6. fol. 70. FINI◠¶ A friendlie communication or diōloge betweene Paule and Demas wherein is disputed how wee are to vse the pleasures of this life The first Chapter DEmas I am come to sée how you doe sir for me thinke it is long since I sawe you Paule It is long since I sawe you in déede but I will not saie you are therefore welcome for if you would come oftener you should be much more welcome De Well bicause as you saie I come so seldome I will tarrie with you so much the longer if it were not for hindering your studie you should haue me dwell with you this whole after-noone for I haue manie things to talke with you off you shall sée I will make you werie of me before I go The last time we were in companie together if you remember there was much talke had to and fro how we should vse this present world And me thinke it was well said of one that séeing it is the will of God to haue vs liue in this world It is likewise his plesure to haue vs inioy the pleasures of this life And yet on the other side the riotous life of a great manie was found fault withall that also not without good cause I would therefore gladlie learne some certeintie in this matter I would gladly learne I saie when we vse the pleasures of this world aright and when we abuse them But to the end you might vnderstand my meaning aright you shall vnderstand that I call those the pleasures of this life not which are simplie euill as adultrie is or such things as we inioie by stelth but I speake of such as maie be both vsed not vsed without anie breach of the commaundement And bicause I am somwhat doubtfull what those are that are of this kinde I praie you tell me what they are and how a man maie be bolde to vse them Paule The pleasures of this life maie verie well bée diuided into such as are common to all men as meate drinke such like or else into such as are vsed but of some men of this kind are games for all men you knowe are not gamesters Concerning the first kinde the Apostle telleth vs that the earth is the Lords all that there in is And therefore we maie boldlie féed on anie thing that is solde in the Shambles We maie be bolde I saie to delight our tast with anie kinde of foule that flieth in the aire with anie kinde of liuing thing that goeth on the earth with anie kinde of fish that liueth in the water or with anie kinde of fruite that groweth out of the earth It is lawfull to delight our hearing our eie-sight our smelling our tast our féeling with the vse of anie thing that the Lord hath made for example it is lawfull to delight our hearing with the singing of birds or with anie other kind of honest melodie It is lawfull to delight our eies with beholding the glorious maiestie of the heauens that are drawne out like a curtein We maie behold the Sun when he commeth out of his chamber like a bridegrome to run his race we maie beholde all the host of heauen and all the glorie of the earth we may delight our eies with looking vpon anie amiable coulour or pleasant sight we may take pleasure in anie fresh swéet smelling sauour We may féed as I said before on whatsoeuer is pleasant to our tast we maie refresh our selues with heat in Winter and with cooling things in Summer And 1. Tim. 4. 1. as the Apostle is bolde to call the forbiddng of anie kinde of meat the doctrine of diuels Bicause the occasiion of giuing God thankes therefore is therby taken awaie so I dare boldlie saie that the forbidding a man to refresh anie of his other senses with anie honest delight is likewise the doctrine of diuels so far am I frō condēning anie honest pleasures We maie therefore sport our selues as I haue said or to speake more particularlie we may with delight view the earth the is apparelled with flowers hearbs trées with all kinde of fruite The incredible multitude wherof is distinguished with an insatiable vareitie whervnto we maie adde fountaines Tullie de natura deorum 2. booke goodlie springs cléere waters riuers with their gréene bankes The huge height of mountaines the largnesse of the wide fields to conclude the whole earth with the rich treasures that are hid in the bowels therof what a comelie grace haue golde and siluer aboue other mettels what also and how manie kinde of beasts are there both wilde and tame how trimlie doe the birds fall vpon the earth the ground is diuided by the diligence of man some to pasture some to tillage and some is taken vp for places to dwell in The sea is full of fishes both great small If we consider the beasts of the earth it is wonderfull what care the dammes haue to defend their little ones how louinglie do the hen gather her chickins vnder hir wings Now if we shall come to the comelie proportion of euerie liuing thing especiallie of man how trimlie are our bones knit together fit for the mouing and for euerie action of the bodie The sences beeing the interpreters messengers of things are verie fitlie placed in the head as it were in a castle the eies as spies possesse the vppermost part of the face as it were a tower by their warning the bodie auoideth manie harmes All sounds and all sauours doe naturallie assend vpward our eares therefore and our nostrels which are made to receiue sounds sauours are verie fitlie placed aloft Our tast which trieth all those kinde of meates and drinks which we féede on dwelleth
wine Pro. 23 31. when it is red and when it sheweth his colour in the cup or goeth downe pleasantlie we must not make a God of our bellie for we read that the Iewes that had such a greedie desire to their meate died with Quailes in their mouthes For though a man haue abundaunce yet his life standeth not in his riches Man liueth not by bread but by the prouidence of God It was said to the rich man that reioiced so much in his riches and said to his soule Soule thou hast Luke 12. 17 much goods laid vp for manie yeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime O foole this night will I fetch awaie thy soule from thée then whose shal those things be which thou hast prouided The Lord doth sometimes of purpose lessen those meanes wherby he wil saue vs least we shuld staie our selues too much vpon them for this cause the Lord doth strike the Iudg 7 2. earth with barrennesse least our minde should bée too much busied in thinking what great crops we haue had for this cause by sicknes he dotâ— often take froÌ„ vs the vigor of our tast doth mingle all our pleasures with griefe as it were with an vnsauerie tongue as the booke of the preacher teacheth vs. He sometimes taketh from vs our wise counsellers our valiant politicke capitanes He sometimes seÌ„deth earthquakes He beateth down our strong holdes castels all our munition of war to the end we might see what a vaine thing it is to trust in any earthlie defense An horse saith the Prophet is but a vaine thing to saue a mans life It is but a vaine thing to trust in Princes for except the Lord kéepe the citie the kéeper watcheth in vaine Our trust therefore must be in the name of God that made both heaueÌ„ Psal 127. earth those that trust in him shal be as mount Sion which caÌ„not be remoued but remaineth for euer Héere alone doth the difference consist betweene the child of God a naturall man the child of God hath his hart knit vnto him that made all things but the natural man is altogether linked to the creature they make it the place where all their affections haue their abode it is their SummuÌ„ bonum it is their happines it is their onlie ioie The philosophers wer verie diligent markers of the goodlie properties that wer in the creatures of God they spake verie plentifullie of the vertue of hearbs mettals of that nature of euerie liuing thing They knewe by the creatures that there was a God yet did they neuer worship him as God neither were they thankfull but became vain in their imaginatioÌ„s their foolish hart was ful of darknes EueÌ„ Tullie their chiefe Orator in his Rom. 1. 21. booke De natura deoruÌ„ when he had discoursed at large of the great wisdom bountifulnes that was to by séene in the workmanship of the creatures yet as if he had bene halfe a god himself or onlie an idle looker on had no benefit by theÌ„ he vseth not one word of thanksgiuing He was a very eloqueÌ„t man had tounge at will yet wheÌ„ he shuld come to sound foorth the praise of God he was altogether speachles but the Prophet Dauid intreting of the same matter breaketh out into thankfull speaches O Lord saith he how manifold are thy workes In wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches And againe I will sing vnto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I liue And againe O my soule praise thou the Lord Praise ye the Lord. Likewise Psal 104. in the 8. Psalme O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the world His whole Psalmes are full of such meditations for this thankefulnesse that I speake of was alwaies the foote of his song O that the Papists would but aduisedlie consider this thankfulnesse of the Prophet Dauid our controuersie then about Organes chaunting of songs would soone be at an ende They can readilie alleadge all the kinde of instruments that Dauid vsed but they will neuer remember withall that he praised the Lord in them They maie vnderstand if they will by the 14. of the first to the Corinths that there was made a distinction in the soundes and that the people knew what was piped and what was harped Psa 106. 4â— But they think it maketh no matter though English men sing a song in the Latine tongue that they vnderstand not The note is the thing that they take pleasure in so that as we sée they sing not to the Lord but to their owne eares And that makes them speake so baselie of our songs We all with one voice in a plaine and distinct note sing lustelie vnto the Lord with a good courage And that they like not of their hearts are set vpon the melodie of the descant they worship him that made the note they doe not sing to the Lord. Where do they finde that the songs of Dauid vsed in the seruice of God were of fiue or six parts Where doe they finde that they quauered and deuided the note so that the people could not vnderstand what was sung In the 25. of the first booke of the Chronicles the order of musick that the Iewes vsed in the seruice of God is set down but there is no mention made of â—uch babbling musicke The end wherefore their songs were sung is directlie against this chaunting 1. Chro. 16. the. 4. 7. verse The Lord will be worshipped in spirit in truth And if we will sing Dauids Psalmes we must bring Dauids spirit or els the Lord cares not for our melodie Our delight must not rest in anie thing but in the Lord he is the Lord our God we must haue none other Gods but him The Lord himselfe hath commaunded vs to honour those that he hath set ouer vs the Apostle teacheth vs that it is the first commandement with a promise to obay our parents And yet he that loueth father or mother better then Christ is not worthie of him He that taketh more plesure in his parents then in Christ is reiected of him Likewise we must haue in estimation the ministers of the word for their works sake yet we 1. Cor. 3. 21. must not absolutelie rest our selues vpon theÌ„ we must not reioice in meÌ„ but we must reioice in God that worketh by men Now if the Lord will not haue vs depend too much vpon men that sowe into our hearts that immortall and Psa 014 incorruptible séed of eternal life how greatlie shal we think wil it displease the Lord to delight so much in that dunghil 1. Cor. â— things of this world which perish with the vse We maie reioice as I said before in vsing these corruptible creatures of God for wine maketh glad the heart of man as the Prophet saith but yet we must reioice
kingdome of God that is to saie hée shall not bée in the kindgome of God at all for it followeth immediatlie Except your righteousnesse excéede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharesies ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen and wée knowe that their righteousnes had respect to outward murther to outward theft till heauen and earth perish one iotte or title of the lawe shall not scape till all thinges be fulfilled I read not long since a learned a godlie treatise wherein is conteined a speach belonging to this matter which because it is excellent and because a notable iudgement of God did followe vpon the preaching thereof which did as it were from heauen féele the truth of it I will repeate it vnto you Hath Iesus Christ come into the flesh to laie the bridle of our necks to runne after our owne vaine deuises Hath he obtained by his comming twelue daies of God the father for carding dising masking muming for mocking and mowing for crieng and laughing for the practising of euerie vaine deuise that commeth to our heads all the yeare Or doe we thinke that this prophaning of so earnest a matter this turning of the grace of God into licence and wantonnesse shall be vnpunished What is this but euen to giue a réede into the hand of Iesus Christ and to mocke his kingdome What crowning of him is it in this vaine mirth and wantonnesse but with briers and thornes to pricke his head Is this the ioie spoken off by the Angell that came to declare his birth tolde hée tidinges of this gladnesse Is this the benefite that thou hast purchased to vs by that wonderfull mysterie of thine incarnation O Emmanuel Oh I am ashamed that it should euer be hearde of among the Iewes and Turkes that the Christians at that time of the yeare when their sauiour was borne shuld giue themselues for manie daies from their ordinarie modest and shamefaced behauiour from walking ordinarilie in their vocation studies to vnmodest shamefull practises to vnmodest waking all for vaine vnfruitfull works of darknesse Wherin differeth our celebration of the natiuitie of Christ from the popish Christians How doe we looke to call Papists from their vaine conuersation whē we are not our selues a foot from them I think if but thus much were spoken amongst the Heathen against so great an abuse they would repent in sackcloth and ashes And yet I know that this people will not be brought from this vaine conuersation for they loue it and delight in that without these thinges they complaine that it is but a dead Christmas These men will neuer confesse the truth of this doctrine till God haue sealed it with some plague or other This plague of God was threatened by a godlie learned young man in a sermon that he made at Trinitie Colledge somewhat before Christmas after Christmas the plague that was threatened fell For a scholler of Trinitie Colledge strangled himselfe right ouer the place where he with other kept such reuell route Who is wise saith Dauid and will marke these thinges The sinne which before séemed as light as a feather did then lie heauie at his heart his merrie companions could not take awaie the sting thereof from him this sinne so troubled his minde that the violent renting asunder of the soule from the vodie séemed nothing so gréeuous nay hée vsed this violent renting that I speake off as a remedie to ease himselfe of the other The Lord would awake vs by this his fearefull iudgement out of our déepe sléepe of sinne least we should go to hell as it were in a sléepe before we are aware of it and yet wée are still foolish and can take no profit by it Because these iudgements of God come so seldome wée soone forgette them but if the Lorde should thus dailie punish vs wée would not thinke that there is anie iudgement to come Because this fearfull plague was not executed vpon our own persons we are therefore without feare but it pleaseth the Lord to admonish vs by this his iudgement and how could this thing haue bene if we our selues had bene thus punished wée thinke we haue wit inough to auoide this thing but in thinking so wée thinke amisse for the Scholler had wit inough and if hée had not I am sure Achitophel had and yet did he thus violentlie destroie himselfe When the iudgements of God fall vpon vs all the witte we haue cannot auoide them the onelie waie to auoide the fearefull iudgements of God is to forsake our rioting which is the cause thereof ¶ Of continuance at gaming The third Chapter BVt I will goe forward and speake more particulerlie of gaming Games me think maie verie well be diuided into such the chiefe sport whereof consisteth in looking on of which kinde are hunting hawking stage plaies and such like And into such wherein men are the chiefe dooers of which kinde are daunsing dicing tenesing and such like Demas I praie you sir what thinke you of hunting doe you thinke it an vnméet exercise for a Christian I haue heard that some haue vtterlie disalowed of it because Esau a wickedman hunted Paule What some men doe I cannot tell for my part I dare not condemne it as for the reason of Esau his hunting it is nothing worth For as euerie thing that a godlie man doth is not by and by to bée allowed off so is not euerie thing that a wicked man doth alwaies to be misliked Beside this though Esau béeing a wicked man hunted yet he did it at the commandement of his father which was a good man my reason wherefore it ought not to be condemned is this The Lord hath giuen the free vse of all his creatures to vs Christians wée maie safelie féede of them all In giuing therfore the vse of thē he alloweth of the meanes wherby we come to haue the vse of them for otherwise he should but mocke vs. Onelie the faultes of hunters and fawkners I will not take vpon me to defende The spoiling of mens douehouses for the prouision of their hawkes the spoiling of mens corne with the entring of their hawkes at the beginning of haruest the breaking of gaps whereby mens ground is laide open to the spoile these thinges cannot bée allowed off for if the Lorde cannot abide that wée should profit our selues by the hurt of an other he can much lesse abide that for our pleasure we should be an hinderaunce to anie The generall thing that is to be obserued in all games is this that no man bestowe too much time in them although they be lawfull for euerie man without exception must buisie himselfe in some certeine dailie calling but those that followe gaming cannot doe so therfore no man must followe gaming But to the ende it might bée knowne what I meane I tearme this a calling not to paie to euerie man that which is his or to doe as a man would bée done to for that is