American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-04-19
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
DISTRIBUTION OF GAINS.
TO the Editors Of The american Tsleqraph.,

To the Editors Of the american Telegraph.
GENTLEMEN: Your correspondent, who has ta-
ken in hand to lecture the Bishop of Maryland,
seems to be more conversant with dice than
with Jewish antiquities. He has ventured to
affirm that which he cannot prove concerning
the use of the lot in the Mosaic ritual. Those
who know what the Jewish practice in the case
OF the Scape-goat was, will tell him that on
that occasion two strips of wood or metal, each
bearing an inscription, were put into an urn;
thence taken, with both hands, one in each
hand, by the officiating priest, and laid-one
upon the head Of each animal-upon the goats;
the inscription, then examined, designated the
lot of the animal for sacrifice or for escape.
One must be very fond of a profane jest, to call
such transaction :" q camel" There is every
reason to believe that the same mode of proce-
dure was adopted in the designation of ST. Mat
thias to the apostleship. See Adam Clarke on
the passage in Acts. 1t is worse than useless
to talk of such acts in connexion with I" lotte-
ries," {" raf1les,'' and g sdice-throwing" If "a
Churchman" will not listen to his bishop, he
may perhaps hearken to Matthew Henry, or John
Brown, of Bladdington. The former says: :" The
doubt in the case of Matthias was determined
by lot, which is an appeal to God, and lawful to
be used for the determining matters not other
wise determinabe, provided it be done in So
lemn, religious manner, and with prayer-the
prayer Of faith for the lot is cast into the
lap, but the whole disposal thereof is of the
Lord prov. xvi-33.'') Dr. Brown remarks:
g To pretend that chance, which is but the want
of design determines in any lot, is too absurd
for rational beings to believe. God, or the de-
yiL must therefore be the arbitrator, to whose
determination the matter is by lot referred.
God challenges it as His province to direct lots.
prov. 1vi-33.) Nor, I suppose, will many be
found, even of players at cards and dice, that
will avow Satan as their referee. How base,
then, and how sinful, to use lotteries in trifes,
or in sports or games, or to direct in sinful at
tempts"
These being dissenters, ga Churchman' may
like the Fathers better. Then st. Cyprian will
tell him that the advocate of the use of dice is
an advocate of sin, and the user of them nc
Christian and that bishops best work is to
turn his people from that and the like evil prac-
tees; and st. Clement, of Alexandria, will in.
struct him that gaming of every kind is the in.
vention of idleness and wantonness, and the ap.
peal to chance "the subterfuge of the lazy and
useless people of the world"
Permit me to say, furthermore, that your
correspondent has not dealt quite fairly by his
bishop. That gentleman seems to have guarded
himself sufficiently against the misconstructions
which have been put upon him by GA Church
man." The attempt to make but an allusion tc
insurance companies was mere blunder, and
| to talk of tBaltimore's" having made NJ
apology" when there was room for none, was
| worse than idle. 1t would be new thing tc
| apologize to the blunderer for the person who
was ridiculously misunderstood! Nor was the
bishops letter open to the kind of objection
that has been brought against it. He did not
profess to enter into the moral question of the
lawfulness of appeals to (so-called) chance; but
confined himself to the social question, of the
injuriousness of such appeals for certain ends,
viz, the distribution of gains. Doubtless this
touches sore place, as it applies to cart
Unions" in common with less specious modes
of gaining. Nevertheless, it may be that the
bishop is more deserving of credit for having
honestly done his duty without fear or favor.
ANOTHER CuURCHMAN.