Ionah . 1. 7. SOme yeares are past since Mr. Gataker tooke occasion , from casting of Lotts to finde out for whose sake a daungerous storme was , to justisie playing with Dice , Cards , &c. and to confute me by name in open pulpit . I hearing thereof by many , sent him this message . If it would please him to send the substance of the Confutation ( for I dare not rely vpon report ) I would either reply , or chaunge mine opinion with thankes to God for him ; though for the present , I thought he failed in Indgment , Discretion , and Charity . In Iudgment . Because that Doctrine was not drawne from his Text ; Except this be a judicious deduction . Gentiles cast Lotts in a most serious matter , therefore Christians may vse Lottery in dicing , carding , &c. In Discretion . Because that Doctrine ( though occasioned by his text , yet ) so insisted vpon , incourageth gamesters in their sinfull course and buildeth vp those abuses , which the Lawes of our Land , would pull downe . In Charity ; Because he confuteth me by name , ( as I was certified ) not having had any conference with me either by speech , or by writing , though I be his neighbour Minister . Well ; Mr. Gataker , sent me his answere to my dialogue . I acknowledge it with hearty thankes . But why have I not replyed in so many yeares ? I answere , Sa●●itò , si sat benè . To speake freely I thinke , I should never have replied , in hope that the question would have died , had not Mr. Gataker confuted my Dialogue in print ▪ But now , the rather , being provoked ▪ by many learned Ministers & other , who tell me , that , seeing of all those whom Mr. Gataker confuteth , viz: Peter Martyr , Zuinglius , Cartwright , 10 1. Danoeus , Perkins , Fenner , &c. I onely live , I ought to reply , least my silence should give way to impiousiniquity , I am ready to performe my promise in replying . Which ( indeed ) I could not have done so conveniently before , because the answer , which Mr. Gataker sent me , had not the positiue groundes of his opinion , which the printed booke hath .

Before I proceed ▪ I protest before God , that I esteeme Mr. Ga●aker as a learned , painfull , and faithfull Minister , and a right honest man , and therefore pray thee ( Christian Reader ) that whatsoever I write may be considered as concerning the question betweene vs , and not in any wise applied to the least praejudice of so reverend a brother , or to any of his excellent parts ; So excellent , that I wonder what mooved him to publish his opinion in print , and the more , because of many passages in his booke . First , He taketh knowledge 1 ▪ of many enormous crimes , which accompany Dice , Cardes , &c. pa. 193. & in the quotations . Secondly ; 2. He giveth this rule , That , that , which is no necessary duety , but a thing indifferent onely , otherwise , may not be done , where is strong presumption vpon good ground yet it shall spiritually endanger a mans selfe , or others , by giving occasion of sinne vnto the one , or the other . pag. 107. 108. 109.

If many and greivous sinnes attend dice , cardes , &c. If those games be too too commonly abused , as he confesseth . pa: 194. and if an indifferent thing may not be done which giveth occasion of sinne , I wonder why Mr. Gataker writeth in defence of dice , &c. and the more , because he graunteth , that , where the vse , and abuse of a thing are so inwrapped , and intangled togither , that they cannot easily be severed the one from the other , then the vse of the thing it selfe , ( if it be vnnecessary otherwise ) would be wholely abandoned , pag. 262. 263. Thirdly ; He sheweth in many pages ▪ how severely tables , but especially dice , be condemned by Lawes , Civill , Canonicall , and Municipall , that is , our English statutes , as ●e sheweth at large , Lib. 8. § 5. 8. He wisheth the Lawes were yet ●ore severe , & putt in better exe●ution , pà . 206. He saith , yet our ●ommon dicers may be marshalled ●mong ye flock , of ye Devill 's fol●owers , pa. 217. He affirmeth most ●ifelings , and Lotteries to be little ●etter than vnlawfull games , pag. ● 20. And he teacheth , that , by ●heis games , we must not give of●ence to the Lawes vnder which ●ee live , pa. 251. Now I wonder , ●hat so good a man is not affraid to offend our Law by allowing for●idden games , even Dice , as well ●s Cardes , &c. which consist not onely of Lottery . Here I have occasion to thinke , that I may have ●ome more comfort in mine opinion , than Mr. Gataker can have in ●is ; For he nameth famous , learned , and godly men concurring with me in opinion : But in t● multitude o● his quotations , I find none approoving Dice in play , an whereas some learned Divines , i some sort , allow games consistin of Lott , and ●itt , but altogethe condemne D●●e , Mr. Gataker defe●deth mine opinion , disapproovin● a mixt ▪ as well as a mere Lott , b●cause ( as he saith ) a true Lott is i● either , pa. 126. and , He deemet● them to be amisse , who allow Lott in game , and yet adde for a cautio● that Religionsnesse be vsed in th● action , in regard that Holy thing● must be done in an holy manne● 4. pa. 133. Fourthly , He graunteth tha● Prayer specially applied to th● Lott may be conceived , where th● matter is more weighty , and th● event of some consequence , pa. ●1● And yet he holdeth , that the less● weighty the matter is , wherein ● Lott is vsed , the lawfuller the Lott is , pag. 111. The reason , why I wonder at this passage , shall be given in my Reply . The last passage now to be observed as matter of my wondering , is this ; Notwithstanding , he confidently affirmeth that we may not doe ought without warrant , pag. 301. Sufficiently confirmeth the same , because such an Act is not done of Faith , and therefore not free from sinne , Rom. 14. 23. but is a mere presumption , and tempting of God , pag. 313. and quot . A ▪ and B. and Earnestly reprooveth one kinde of Lottery ( why not all , against which the same reason is of like validity ? ) because not found revealed in any word of God , but brought in either by Sathan , or by some of his instruments who are addicted to Vanity , pag. 315. and 316. and , yet he avoucheth , That it is a sufficient warrant for the vse of Lottes , In that the oppugners , being learned , can say nothing against them ▪ but what hath beene , or may be sufficiently answered , pag. 235.

May I not wonder that so judicious a scholler doth not observe this discrepance ? Lottery is vnlawfull , if not warranted by the word which position supposeth the Wor● to be perfect , as is the Authou● thereof , and 2. Lottery is lawful● if Learned men can say nothing ou of the Word against it . Which position supposeth two things , viz That the Word is like the Lawes o men , that is , Imperfect , as be the Authours therof ; and , That Learne● men cannot so faile in Diligence o reading , Clearenesse of vnderstanding , and Firmenesse of Memory but that ▪ if there were in the Wor● anything against Lottery , the● could nor but see it . Well ; It ma● be seene shortly , how Mr. Gataker Diligence , Vnderstanding , and Memory have served him in defenoing Lusorious Lotts . In the meane while , Sufficiency of his answering is but vpon the Triall , and not yet adjudged .

All theis passages well reveiwed by Mr. Gataker I should thinke he cannot wonder that a man of 64. yeares compleate , ( and therefore his wittes may faile ) doth wonder that so godly , wise , and learned a man , the faculties of whose minde are at the best , did not say to himselfe , before he preached , much more before he penned this lusorious doctrine , Let Baal plead for Iudg. 6 ▪ 31. ●2 . Esa. 5. 18 himselfe ; and , Theis gamesters shall , without any encouragment from me , draw on their iniquity ●ith theis cordes of vanity ; and the rather , because he acknowledgeth that accoumpt is to be given vnto God of gaming pa. 261. If of the act much more of justifying it . Fro m which account good Lord deliver me . For I feare , that in iustifying lusorious Lottes , I should put false spectacles on a gamester's nose , whereby the bridge seemeth broader , than it is , and so he falleth in without feare , to vse Mr. Gataker similitude , pag. 264. But Mr. Gataker beleveth , that he hath written the truth , ( Preface to the Reader ) and is confident that truth is to be knowne , especially concerning matters of common practise , pag. 263. and giveth foure reasons , by which he was mooved to defend 1. lusorious Lottes , pag. 264. The first is , To draw men from Superstition in restraining themselves , when God doth not restraine them . This beggeth the question , ( as I hope ) will appeare in the Reply . ● . A 2. motive is , Because arguments against lusorious Lottes have made many stagger in the necessary vse of serious civill Lottes . It may be so some failing in their judgment : But it may be also , that many moe will be made to stagger by reading Mr. Gatakers exceptions against arguments for , and cautions , in those serious Civill Lottes , Cap. 5. and by his Maxime , [ The lesse weighty the matter is , wherein a Lott is vsed , the lawfuller the Lott is , pag. 111. ] A 3. motive is , To take away 3 ▪ much heart-burning ; Nay , rather this justifying Lusorious Lottes will not onely cause more heart-burning ; but incourage also gamesters to overcrow such , as are scrupulous . For , if many well affected have beene constrained , in regard of scruple , in this kinde , to straine themselves to some inconveniences by refusall of those games , when by those , whom they had dependance vpon , vpon or familiarity withall , they have beene vrged occasionally therevnto ( which to prevent hereafter , is a 4. cause of his writing ) How will those supporters , and familiars insult vpon the scrupulous ▪ now they have so learned a Patrone of their gaming ? Some have strained themselves , to some inconveniences for not pledging drunken Healths , being drinke offerings to Bacchus . To prevent which hereafter , should Mr. Gataker doe well , vnto aedification , to preach , and write in Iustification of these Healths ? The summe of his causes ( as he expresseth himselfe in his preface to the Reader ) is , To sett at Liberty the intangled consciences of Godly disposed persons . Indeed ; If any conscience , simply for playing with Lottes , should seeke his his satisfaction in private , then if Mr. Gataker quieted him by his grounds ( supposed true ) it were not amisse . But is every doctrine , though true , to be insisted vpon both by preaching , and printing , and that affirming matter in question , and of no necessary vse ? I say , Affirming , remembring the holy wisedome of the Apostles , and Elders , who decreed touching offensive things ( yet some of them lawfull , if conveniently vsed ) onely negatively , and deemeth it not necessary Act. 15. 28. 29. to decree affirmatively things that were then , and might be in vse for a time . Many ( I feare too many ) learned Divines approove Vsury in their Iudgment , thouh condemned by Law . Yet none , that I know , ever insisted vpon the Iustification thereof by preaching and printing . Againe ; Was there ever any so troubled with playing with Lotts ? I doubt it ; But without doubt thousandes will now more boldly vse lusorious Lotts without regard of the cautions , in theis licentious times . As Vsurers regard not the cautions which Divines sett downe . For it is enough to them , that some godly Divines affirme Vsury to be lawfull . O that Mr. Gataker had considered what he writeth , pag. 107. before cited , and what he writeth , pag. 103. and 104. viz: Where inconveniences , that shall necessarily , or in good probability , appeare to accompany the thing questioned , or ensu● vpon the doing thereof , shall be such , and so great as the Conveniences , which stand on the other side , shall not be able to countervaile , there that action is worthily disallowed as Inconvenient , and ● Lott consequently vnlawfull , wha● he writeth in his spirituall Watch pag. 27. viz: The rifer any evill i● in those places , or ages we live i● the more carefull should we be to shunne , and avoide such a sinne . No doubt he would have taken heede how by writing he make way to the sinne of , or by , Lusorious Lotts . Many Divines and intelligent men , though of opinion that Lusorious mixed Lotts may be vsed lawfully , yet wish that Mr. Gataker had never published his booke . For a running horse ( say they ) needeth no spurring . For my part I wish , that Mr. Gataker had beene affected in writing , as he professeth himselfe to be in the vse of lusorious Lottes , pag. 266. Wel ; Whatsoever he writeth dogmatically , he wisheth thee ( good Reader ) to imitate him in ▪ his practise , to witt , That , albeit in judgment thou art rightly informed of the truth concerning the lawfulnesse of theis games in themselves ; yet in godly discretion , thou wouldst rather abandon them , considering the too too common , and ordinary abuse of them , and that many ( it may be ) among whom thou livest may remaine vnresolved , and vnsatisfied , touching the lawfulnes of them , pag. 267. I desire the same , and therewith a suspending thy judgment vntill thou hast well considered my Dialogue , Mr. Gatakers answeres , and my Reply , together with mine answere to his positive groundes . Here I promise ( with Mr. Gataker , pag. 128. ) to raze what I have reared , if my Reply and aunsweres be prooved insufficient , and so commend thee to God , and to the Word of his Grace , which is able to build further . Onely , consider what I say , and the Lord give thee vnderstanding in Act. 20. 32. 2. Tim ▪ 2. 7. all things .