_Qual._ IX. 9. They are unlawful sports which are used to the wrong of others: as players, that defame and reproach other men; and hunters and hawkers, that tread down poor men's corn and hedges.
_Qual._ X. 10. It is sinful to make sport of other men's sinning, or to act it ourselves so as to become partakers of it; which is too common with comedians, and other profane wits.
_Qual._ XI. 11. Unclean, obscene recreations are unlawful; when filthiness or wantonness is represented without a due expression of its odiousness, or with obscene words or actions. Eph. v. 3, 4, "But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting."
_Qual._ XII. 12. Those sports are unlawful, which occasion the multiplying of idle words about them; and engage the players in foolish, needless, unprofitable prating.
_Qual._ XIII. 13. And those sports are sinful, which plainly tend to provoke ourselves or others to sin: as to lust, to swearing, and cursing, and railing, and fighting, or the like.
_Qual._ XIV. 14. Those also are sinful, which are the exercise of covetousness, to win other men's money of them; or that tend to stir up covetousness in those you play with.
_Qual._ XV. 15. Cruel recreations also are unlawful: as taking pleasure in the beholding of duellers, fighters, or any that abuse each other; or any other creatures that needlessly torment each other.
_Qual._ XVI. 16. Too costly recreation also is unlawful: when you are but God's stewards, and must be accountable to him for all you have, it is sinful to expend it needlessly on sports.
_Qual._ XVII. 17. Unnecessary recreations forbidden by our lawful governors are unlawful. If they were before lawful to thee, yet now they are not; because your king, your pastor, your parents, your masters, have power to rule and restrain you in such things; and you most obey them.
_Qual._ XVIII. 18. Lastly, if you have the choice of divers recreations before you, you must choose the fittest: and if you choose one that is less fit and profitable, when a fitter might be chosen, it is your sin; though that which you choose were lawful, if you had no other.
[Sidenote: What to think of common stage-plays, gaming, cards, dice, &c.]
By all this it is easy to judge of our common stage-plays, gaming, cards dice, and divers other such kind of sports. If they have but any one of these evil qualifications they are sinful. And when they are used without very many of them, 1. They are too commonly used by men that never intended to fit themselves for their work and duty by them; yea, by men that live not at all to the pleasing and glorifying God, and know not what it is to be obediently addicted to his service; yea, by men that live not in any constant, honest labour, but make a very trade of their recreations, and use them as the chief business of the day.
2. They are sports unfit for the ends of lawful recreation, as will easily appear to the impartial.[604] For it is either your bodies or your minds that need most the recreations: either you are sedentary persons, or have a calling of bodily labour: if you are sedentary persons, (as students, scribes, and divers others,) then it is your bodies that have most need of exercise and recreation, and labour is fitter for you than sport; or at least a stirring, labouring sport. And in this case to sit at cards, or dice, or a stage-play, is, instead of exercising your bodies, to increase the need of exercising them: it stirreth not your parts; it warmeth not your blood; it helpeth not concoction, attraction, assimilation, &c. It doth you much more harm than good, as to your very health. But if you are hard labourers, and need rest for your bodies and recreation for your minds; or are lame or sickly, that you cannot use bodily exercise; then surely a hundred profitable exercises are at hand which are more suitable to your case. You have books of necessity to read (as the word of God); and books of profit to your souls; and books that tend to increase your knowledge in common things, as history, geography, and arts and sciences. And should not these be any of them pleasanter than your dice, and cards, and plays?