THe benefits which God hath mercyfully po­wred vpon vs (moste vile & wretched sinners) are multitude innumerable, in value inestimable, so that the slender capacitie of our weake wits is not able throughly to comprehend them. Much lesse the féeble voyce of our stambring tongs woorthyly to declare them. A­mong which manyfolde and rich graces: this is to be reconed of gretest price, that he hath blessed vs with the comfortable wrood and glad tidings of our eternall saluatiō, fréely purchased vnto vs by his welbelooued sonne & our onely saueour Christe Iesus, and hath by the princely authoritie of his woorthy Minister our moste gracioꝰ Quéen brought in again, established, and these thrée and twentie [Page] yéeres continued the same (God graunt that long it may abide, florish and fruc­tifie amōg vs for all which his vnspeka­ble blessings, he requireth nothing of vs but that we cheerfully take the cup of saluation, and giue harty thanks vnto our loouing Lord, and yeeld dutiful obedience vnto the diuine precepts of our gracious God. But alas who truely performeth these: Is he a grateful receiuer, which cōtemp [...]uously reiecteth such a bounteful gift? Dooth he performe loyall obedience, which stubburnly rebelleth against his Lords lawful commaundement? Is not the comfortable message of our happy re­conciliation vnto God onely by Christe Iesꝰ, despitefully contēned of many? Doo not y^e moste parte rebelliously in déed re­sist the perfect law of the Lord? And how then can we be laid dutifully to render vnto our heauenly father that which in respect of his great bountefulnes he may rightly chalenge? As truely as the Lord liueth: vnthankful ingratitude is abbo­mination vnto the Lord, and stubburn rebellion as the sinne of withcraft. Why then doo we not dayly and hourely euen euery moment tremble and quake for [Page] feare lest his heuy vengeance & terrible wrath fall vpon vs disobedient children, for these and the like sinnes which wée haue vngodly committed But the holy Scriptur [...]e conteine a large volume, and the whole law cōsisteth of many pre­cepts, so that perfectly to draw foorth and in liuely colours to expresse y^e manifolds and gréeuous offences which we moste wickedly haue cōmitted against the testimonies of the highest, dooth require a longer discourse then I purpose to prefix or set before this short treatise Yet that we may partely beholde y^e euil fauored defor­mities & filthy staines y^t abound euen a­mong them y^t account them selues moste handsome and beawtiful. let vs look as it were by a glimpse into the cleere mir­rour of the p [...]re woord of the Lord. The almightie Iehoua spake vnto his seruāt Moyses and gaue him this commaunde­ment to deliuer vnto the childrē of Isra­el. Kéep ye my Saboths,Exo. 31 14. for it is a signe between me and you in your generations that ye may knowe that I the Lord doo sanctifie you. Ye shall therfore kéepe the Saboth, for it is holy vnto you. He that defileth it shall dye the death. &c.

[Page]Héer are two forcible reasons added to the cōmaundement, to mooue the peo­ple of Israell diligently to obserue the Saboth. First for that it is a sure signe of their sanctification that they being de­filed by the lothsome flithynes of sinne, are sanctified by the Lord and made ple­sant in his sight. Secondaryly for that they which pollute the holy Saboth shall suerly dye. These ought to be sufficiēt to cause men to kéep holy the Saboth day, either for profit, in respect of all worldly things incomparable: or for death, not withstanding all mans deuises ineuita­ble But wherin consisteth the right vse of the Saboth? and what is it truely to keep holy the Saboth day? If we wil (as we ought) vse and obserue it according to that exquisit order which the Lord hath prescribed in his Sacred woord: we must not doo y^e thing that pleaseth our selues: we must not speak our owne woords:56. 2. we must not doo after our owne imaginati­on, neither seek our owne wil▪ 58. 13. we must keep our selues that we doo no euil in the Lords holy day. But it is not inough to eschew euil: but we must also doo good. Therfore in halowing the Lords day of [Page] rest, we must holde greatly of the things that pleaseth the Lord, and kéep his coue­naunt,Esay. 56 we must stick to the Lord to serue him & to looue his name, to be his seruāts to fulfil his couenāt, to giue him y^e honor. Now if this straight line be laid to our crooked liues, and this iust rule to our vnruly behaueour: oh how far out of squa­re shall we be found? For when doo we more practise our vain pleasures: Whē doo we more after our owne wicked im­magination? When doo we more séek our owne froward wil? When doo we more speak our owne filthy & corrupt woords? When doo we exercise more euil then on the Lords day? As for other dayes euery man in his vocation (if he haue any naturall care to maintain him self and his fa­milie) wil apply his worldly businesse, he wil not let a char. But the holy Saboth is so vnholyly spent, as if it were conse­crated to the abhominable idole of fleshly pleasure, rather then to the true seruice of the almighty God: for if there be any match made for the triall of any mastrie, or méeting for meriment (as they terme it) either betwéen town & town, or neighbour & neighbour, or if there be any kéeping [Page] ales, either for y^e maintenance of the Church, or for some that are fallen into decay. When must these be tried or doon but vpon the Saboth day? If any go about with a pewter or rather pilfe­ring game (because by offering a shewe of profit, it priuily robbeth men) when must it be played but vpon the Sabaoth day? And who more to be blamed for this then such Iustices vnder whose licence they doo it? is this y^e way for Magistrates to showe them selues men fearing God, to giue men licences wheby they may rebelliously break Gods cōmaundements them selues, [...]xod. 18.21. Chro. 19.7. and be wicked instruments to cause others to doo the same? Let such knowe that the Lord shall iustly lay to their charge, that their hands haue béen chéef in this trespasse.

Moreouer wheras many Minstrels liue idlye moste parte of the wéek when they should woork, doo not they by wic­ked abuse of their instruments prouoke the people to vnhallow the Lords holy day, by deuelish dauncing the Nurce of much naughtines, and doo not to to ma­ny of all degrees with tooth and naile en­deuor to vpholde this Idole of wanton [Page] plesure, which prouoketh Gods indignation? The youth doo seruice vnto it with their bodyes, they commit filthy fornica­tion with it, being before maried vnto their husband and head Christe Iesus in Baptisme. The elder sort offer sacrifice vnto this Idole, sōe wheat, some mault, some Barley, ome other victualls, some money, and by these meanes shew them selues shamelesse Bandes to maintaine their Children and seruants in this spi­rituall whoordome, béeing by dutie bound to bring them vp as Chaste Virgins, and vndefiled members of Christe. The auncients or Officers (some of them) are present at this Idole seruice and by their presence (it may be also by their woords promising them aid, and by their déeds giuing them some maintenaunce) incou­rage these Idolaters to continew and go forwarde in their abhominable seruice, being appointed of God (to whom they shall yéeld and account) for the punishmēt of them that doo euil.Rom. 13. 1. [...]e [...]t. 2. Num. 27. Psal 119 Psal. 5.5 for the suppressing of vice, which should haue the spirit, and pray with Dauid. O turne away mine eyes lest they beholde vanitie, and quic­ken thou me in thy way. In such places [Page] where GOD by good Magistrates hath quite thrown down this Idole, [...]sal. 119. [...]sal. 5. ver 5 sharply reprooued the Idolaters, and iustly bani­shed thamnuz (I mean vain minstrilles) The women mourn & lament for him, so that of all sorts to to many conspire to maintain this wanton and fleshly Idolatrie. [...]zech. 8.14 The like might be said of diners o­ther abuses, which reign amōg vs, wherby the Lords Saboth is greatly propha­ned, but for breuitie sake omit them. Now as we defile the holy Saboth by dooing that which we ought not to doo: so we cōmit the same offence by leauing vndoon y^e which we should doo. For we should holde greatly of y^e thing that plea­seth the Lord. but few regarde it, few professe it, few name it. We should fulfil his Couenaunt and kéep it, but few doo it, few know it, few read it. we should stick to the Lord to serue him, but who performeth his seruice? who acknowledgeth it? nay who fléeeth not from it? who yeeldeth not him self as a bondslaue to obay sinne? We should looue his name, but is it not of the greater parte contem­ned, spited, and hated in the faithful Christians? We should giue him the honour, [Page] but how shamefully doo we dishonor him by drawing sinne togither as it were with Cart ropes? Farre of then are wee from rightly obseruing the Saboth day. And shall not the consideration of our great disobedience in transgressing this diuine law for euery one of vs to say w^t Dauid.Psal. 119. Psal. 20.6. Psal. 7.5. I saw the transgressors & was gréeued because they kept not thy woord, feare is come vpon me for the wicked, that forsake thy law. For if that man of God, the holy Prophet was so touched with gréef, and striken with such a feare for the wickednes of other: how much more ought we to be greeued at the very hart, and to be astonied for fear of Gods iust iudgemens, which hang ouer our heads, and are redy to fall vpon vs (but that his endlesse mercy as yet striueth with his iustice) for our owne manifolde and greeuous transgressions,Ezech. 20.21 euen of this precept? For the Lord hath threatned to poure out his wrathful indignation vp­on such as polute his Saboth.Iere. 17:27. If we wil not be obedient vnto him to hallowe it: then shall he set fire vppon the gates of our Cities and townes and it shall burn vp our houses and no man shall be able [Page] to quench it. These and far more gréeuo­us threats vttered by him that is able to bring them to passe, should be fearful and terrible vnto our giltie consciences, and should perforce driue vs to remooue (as much as in vs lyeth) all occasions which the subtle enemies of our saluation doo offer to break this commaundement of the Lord Neither is it sufficient to haue regarde of our selues onely, but we are bound by the rule of Christian charitie to seek one an others welth, the which hath been as a spurre to prick me forwarde to attempt this meanes to reclaime some if it maybe, from the shamefull abusing of the Saboth, which is doon by heathnish dauncing and vain Minstrelsie.

But it may peraduenture be thought an vnaduised enterprise and néedlesse woork, for me to attempt the publishing of any thing in print touching this ar­gument seeing other before haue bothe taken in hand, and prosecuted the same. Vnaduised: because I may seem to forget that they haue diligently labored heerin. Needles: for that the matter is alredy throughly handled, as in other lāguages so especially in our moth [...]r tung for the [Page] vse and benefit of the vulgar sorte. To this I answer, that I am neither forget­ful of other mens painful trauail heerin: neither yet dooth their diligēt discoursing heerof cause me to leaue o [...] this mine at­tempt as a thing néedlesse. Nay it did ra­ther incourage me, & stirre me forwarde to take this little paines that I haue bestowed héerin for the infectious contagi­on of sinne in generall, and this speciall kinde of poysonable plague of y^e deuilish abuse of daunsing and disordered min­strelsie, hath infected as it were y^e whole Realme, and run in a manner ouer all the body, almoste frō top to toe in times past: but there hath béen a moste souere­ign medicine prescribed, composed of di­uers manners of hearbs of great vertue, gathered out of sundry gardens. I mean many good and graue s [...]ntences collected out of the woord of God, and writings of learned men bothe Christian and heath­nish, beeing vnited and knit togither of such singuler operation that it purgeth the infected, and preserueth the whole and serueth for all complexions, if they wil receiue it. This hath been with great diligence & labour by diuers godly Prea­chers [Page] in their Sermons, and some in writing, applyed vnto the infected, and infinit numbers the spirit of God woork­ing inwardly togither with the outward applicatiō héerof, haue béen clene purged from this noysome disease, & many wel amended, though it stick so deep in the bones of many that it wil hardly out of the flesh. I cōsidering with my self the great commoditie y^e redoundeth to the Church of God generaly, and as it were sensibly féeling the helth that hath been restored to many by these meanes, was incoura­ged to minister this medisine (according to that small skil wherwith God in mer­cy hath indued me) as occation was offe­red, in teachīg. But seeing many stomac­kes so quesie that they could not brooke and digest it, many also so full with sur­feting by excesse of worldly plesures and fleshly delights, that they would not at all receie it: I studied with my self in what sorte I might deal, that they might accept it At the last remembering that some delight in prose and some in verses: I addressed my self to comprehend this argument in vearses (though not plea­sant to the eares of such as delight in vanitie: [Page] yet I hope (by Gods woorking) profitable to the harts of such as reioyce in Veritie that thereby some might taste how good and holsome this medicine is, and if may be that one kinde of meat di­uersly dished, may prouoke diuers mens appetites to taste of it, and one bit may [...] another, so that they may féed wel of the same. Now that if may be cer­tenly knowen, that I minister the same that they doo: I haue referred the readers to the same gardines and borders, from whence they gathered the seuerall her­bes wherof this compound is made, so that not the substance: but the manner of dressing of it is altered. And if this may be a meane to ad, though it be but one, to the nūber of them which by their diligent labor haue been restored: I haue my desire, and the perfect recouery of one disordered person beeing reclaimed from the vnchristian prophaning of the Sab­both by the wicked practises before men­tioned: shall reioyce me more, then all the scoffing taunts of curious braines shall make me sory, for my plaine and simple handling heerof, the which is doon parte­ly of set purpose for the capacitie of the ig­norant, [Page] that they might reap the more profit to their better instruction. And I dout not but either the graue sentences of heathenish men wil mooue some euen for shame lest they should be woorse then heathens, or the godly sayings of christi­ans wil perswade them, or the diuine maiestie of y^e testimonies of Gods woord constraine them to renounce these vaine delights of the flesh, and delight them sel­ues in the holy exersises of faithful chri­stians.

But that it may take the better effect: I haue thought good (in some respect) to fol­low the godly practise of y^e Apostle Saint Paule,Gal. 2.2. who after he had certain yéeres preached the gospel among the gentiles: went vp to Ierusalem and declared to them that were chéef of y^e Apostles that gospel which he had preached among the Gentiles, lest by any meanes he should run or had run in vaine, not that the A­postle douted of the doctrine which he had taught, or that the certentie of faith dependeth vpon the concent of men: but that he had a brotherly looue towards the babes in Christe, which had scarcely ta­sted of sound doctrine, that his painfull [Page] preaching might be more profitable vn­to thē, he sought to take away the stumbling blocke which the deceiuers & false teachers had cast in their way to hinder their edificatiō, namely that the doctrin which he taught was cōtrary to the doc­trine of the Apostles. This was a great tēptation to y^e weak cōsciences of yung christians, to hear that the chéefe doctors and principall pyllars of the Church did disagre, and dissent in doctrin, Paul therfore by conferring with the Apostles, and therby making it manyfest that their doctrine was all one, and that it was a deuilishe lye which was bruted abrode by the seducers touching the contrarietie of his doctrine with Peters & the other Apostles: taketh away that let whereby Sathan craftily went about to stay the the frée course of the gospell.

For when this was apparaunt his former laboures perished not as frute­les, and he might goe forward with the more frute. In like manner dealeth this subtil serptē in this cause I haue in hād, for he would bear the simple folke in hād, that this heathnish dauncing and vaine piping hath not béen gainsaid but of late, and that by yung heads; which haue [Page] little learning, and that such, which for age are more graue, and for knowledge are of more sound iudgement doo either holde with, or at the least not against the same: and so would kéep them in practise stil. Therfore to redresse this mischéef, and to prooue that the Deuil héerin spea­keth of him self béeing the father of lyes and that that which hath béen alredy taught either by preaching or writing, or heerafter shalbe touching these abuses may become more profitable to the ig­norant people: I thought good to de­dicate this my simple labour vnto you (good Maister Crowley and Maister Bras­bridge) of whome the one for his olde age beeing found in the way of righteous­nes, is to be honored as a reuerend Fa­ther: the other in respect of that which he hath doon towards me, is of mée to be reuerenced as a liberall Maister, and bothe for your singuler knowledge to be heard of all men, as learned Maisters in Israell. For I dout not but many, when they shall sée your learned consents héer­vnto, wil imbrace that which héertofore they haue reiected without due conside­ration or diligent examination of the [Page] matter. Especally it shall confirme ma­ny of your natiue contrie men, which are by Gods mercyful gifts reclaimed from those fleshly vanities, when they shall perceiue that you (the godly fame of whose effectuall faith soundeth among vs) approoue that which they haue recei­ued of their owne pastours. I therfore not douting of the matter (for I certain­ly knowe that such abuses are not tollo­rable, nor yet fearing the proofe of it, for I am throughly perswaded that it is suf­ficient for such which are not contenti­ous▪ but onely that it might be more profitable to our countrie where these a­buses are ouermuch vsed) craue your godly consents héer vnto, and desire to publish it vnder the protection of your names, who are wel knowen to be care­ful furtherers of all godlynes. Which God graunt (if it be his wil) that ye may long be to the great aduauncement of his glory, the singuler profit of his Church, and the continuall quiet and comfort of your owne consciences.