A testimony against gaming, musick, dancing, singing, swearing and people calling upon God to damn them: commended to the consciences of all people in the sight of God, but more especially to those who keep publick-houses. Kelsall, John. 1682 Approx. 12 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2011-04 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A47207 Wing K246A ESTC R218586 99830164 99830164 34614

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A47207) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 34614) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2033:1) A testimony against gaming, musick, dancing, singing, swearing and people calling upon God to damn them: commended to the consciences of all people in the sight of God, but more especially to those who keep publick-houses. Kelsall, John. 1 sheet ([1] p.) printed and sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch, London : 1682. Signed: John Kelsall. Reproduction of the original in the Friends House Library, London.

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eng Conduct of life -- Early works to 1800. Dance -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Gambling -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Singing -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Swearing -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. 2020-09-21 Content of 'availability' element changed when EEBO Phase 2 texts came into the public domain 2007-11 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-01 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2009-07 Sampled and proofread 2009-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
A TESTIMONY AGAINST Gaming, Muſick, Dancing, Singing, Swearing, AND People calling upon God to Damn them: Commended to the Conſciences of all People in the ſight of God, But more eſpecially to thoſe who keep Publick-Houſes.

Firſt, SEE that you ſuffer none to play at any ſort of Game in your houſes, viz. Cards, Dice, Tables, Shuffle-board, and the like, for in ſo doing you will diſpleaſe the Lord, and may cauſe him to bring a Blaſt upon all your undertakings: But on the contrary, reprove and admoniſh ſuch in Gods fear; for it never was the Practice of Gods People in the primitive times to game away their precious time which the Lord gave them to work out their own Salvation in; neither is it the Practice of them that are Chriſtians indeed in this day, though the Nominal Chriſtians may plead for it.

Therefore, you that know the Life of true Chriſtianity, bear your teſtimonies againſt Gaming faithfully, for it is as it were a piece of Witchcraft; for when mens hearts and minds are exerciſed in it, they are even overcome by the ſame, and ſo are ſerving the Enemy of their own immortal Souls with all their ſtrength, and the fear of the Lord is not before their Eyes; for when their hearts and minds are exerciſed in their Games, it is as it were their Godd, and often times tends to Quarrelling, Fighting and Bloodſhed. It is therefore good for all that are Chriſtians in deed and in truth, to bear your Teſtimonies againſt Gaming; for this is certainly true, that the Lord and his Truth is diſhonoured by admitting People to game in your Houſes: Therefore be careful in bringing Honour to God by bearing your Teſtimonies for him and his Truth, againſt that that is diſpleaſing unto the Lord, and hurtful unto your own poor Souls.

Secondly, See that you ſuffer none to play upon any ſort of Muſick, nor any to Dance, Sing or Swear in your houſes; but bear your Teſtimonies againſt ſuch things, both by reproving them in Gods fear and love, and in obſtructing the ſame; for they are all diſpleaſing in the ſight of the Lord, and may cauſe his Judgments to come upon your Houſes and Families. Therfore to prevent the ſame from coming upon you, live up to that Gift which the Lord hath given you, that you may ſtand in your paces and bear a Teſtimony for the Lord and his Truth in your Day, Age and Generation; then will the Lord bleſs and proſper you, both inwardly and outwardly, and in all that you undertake; and all that do rejoyce, let them Rejoyce in the Lord.

Muſick is a thing that ſtealeth the hearts of them that play upon it, or adhere unto it, from the Lord (and tends to raiſe up a light, airy, frothy, wanton Mind; for they that live in Pleaſures, are dead while they live; and they that live wantonly, kill the juſt;) for when mens hearts and minds are exerciſed by it, they remember not the Lord, that made them and all Mankind for a purpoſe of his own Glory; but ſpend away their precious time in that which the Lord by his Prophet Amos bore Teſtimony againſt, as you may read in th 6th Chapter of the Prophecy of that Prophet, in which he pronounceth a Wo unto them that chaunt unto the Viol, and invent unto themſelves Inſtruments of Muſick, like unto David. Do ſuch Remember their Creator in the dayes of their Youth? No; they have rather forgotten their Maker, which would be their Saviour, if they would come to be ſaved by him, from their periſhing fading Vanities, which God and his People are againſt.

Singing and Dancing are of the ſame Root and Ground with Gaming and Muſick, &c. all which proceed from that ſeed which the Enemy of Man and Womans Salvation hath ſown in the hearts of the Children of Diſobedience, which enemy is the Devil, who walks about, ſeeking whom he may devour. And ſuch who let loſe their hearts, minds and affections after thoſe things, perſuing and following with greedineſs after the ſame, are making an Idol of them, and do deſire more after them than they do after the knowledge of God, whom to know is Life Eternal; and ſo hereby God, who alone ought to be ſought after and bowed down unto, is robbed of that which is his right, even the Praiſe, the Honour and the Glory of his Name, which ought to be given unto him from every reaſonable Creature that he hath made by his mighty Power; for it is the incumbant duty of all Mankind to ſerve the Lord above all things, even with all their Souls and all their Might, and not run into fading Vanities, which periſh in the uſing, and which bring Tribulation, Anguiſh and Wrath upon all that are found in them; for God will not be mocked; ſuch as every man ſows, ſuch they muſt reap from divine Juſtice, who renders unto every man according unto his deeds, without reſpect of Perſons.

Some that delight in Muſick may object, That David and others of the People of God, did play upon Inſtruments of Muſick.

Anſwer; David and others who were faithful to God, did not play upon Inſtruments of Muſick to ſtir up, raiſe and elivate a vain, ſinful, unclean Mind in themſelves or any other; but their playing upon and uſe of Inſtruments of Muſick being under the Shadowy diſpenſation of the Law, what they did herein, they did it unto the Lord. The Prieſts under the Law had a command to ſound Trumpets, which was a ſort of Muſick; and David and others made uſe of other Inſtruments, as the Flute, Harp and Symbal; and this they did in honour and praiſe to the Lord, and not to ſtir up a vain, wanton, light, airy, fleſhly and ungodly Mind, as it may be ſeen in the Scriptures of Truth.

Again, ſome may plead for Dancing, becauſe David danced before the Ark.

Anſw. This Dancing was in the time of the Law, and was a token of his rejoycing, becauſe of the Ark of God, which was brought back out of the Philiſtians Land, who were Enemies to God and his People: This Dancing was not like the Dancing of the vain, wanton and prophane Perſons of our Age, nor yet like the Dancing of Herodias's Daughter, who danced before King Herod, who after ſhe had danced, demanded the Head of the Man of God, John the Baptiſt, and had it, being thereunto inſtructed by her malicious Mother.

As concerning Singing and Rejoycing; true Singing and Rejoycing the Lord God did own under the Law, which was Shadowy, and ſtood in many carnal Ordinances, which were to continue until the time of Reformation, as ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 9.10. which time is the Time of the Goſpel, which is come.

Again, God did and doth own Singing in the Spirit under the diſpenſation of the Goſpel; but the Singers that God doth own under the Goſpel diſpenſation, are thoſe who are firſt taught by him to Mourn for, Repent of & forſake their Sins; ſuch who are led by the Spirit of the Lord to mourn for, repent of and forſake their Sins, in the ſame Spirit they may Sing, as it moves and leads them. The Apoſtle Paul ſaid, I will Sing with the Spirit and with Vnderſtanding, 1 Cor. 14.15. And it is written, Iſa. 35.10. The Redeemed of the Lord ſhall return to Sion with Songs of Deliverance. And it is written, Rev. 15.3. They that were Redeemed from the Earth ſang the Song of Moſes and the Lamb. And Wiſe Solomon ſaid, (Eccleſ. 7.2, 3.) Sorrow is better than Laughter; and its better to go into the Houſe of Mourning than into the Houſe of Mirth: Mourning, in the unregenerate, in the ſence of their Sins, is better than Laughter and Singing. And God will turn the Songs of the Wicked into Mourning, Amos 8.10. And Chriſt ſaid, Mat. 12.36. Every Idle Word that men ſhall ſpeak, they ſhall give an Account thereof in the day of Judgment. And the Apoſtle James ſaith, Who among you ſeem to be Religious, and bridleth not his Tongue, but deceiveth his own Heart, this mans Religion is vain, James 1.26.

Obſerve that Nebuchadnezar, the Heathen King, and his company of Idolaters had Muſick (viz.) the Sound of the Cornet, Flute, Harp, Sacbut, Pſaltery and Dulſimer, and all kinds of Muſick, when they worſhipped the Golden Image that he had ſet up: Theſe were they which caſt the three Children into the fiery Furnace. This their Muſick and Rejoycing was Wicked and Ungodly.

Again, obſerve, the Apoſtle ſaid unto the true Chriſtians, Be ye not drunk with Wine, wherein is Exceſs, but be filled with the Spirit; ſpeaking to your ſelves in Pſalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord, Epheſ. 5.19.

Alſo, Swearing and calling upon God to Damn them, and Blaſpheming the pure, holy and undefiled Name of God, proceeds even from the ſame Root that Gaming, Muſick, Singing and Dancing do ariſe and ſpring from: Therefore let none who are found in any of theſe things, (to wit, in Swearing, Damning, Curſing and Blaſpheming the Name of the Lord) think to eſcape Gods Righteous Judgments; for it is written, The Lord will not hold him guiltleſs that taketh his Name in Vain. And the Lord complains by the Prophet Jeremiah, ſaying; Becauſe of Swearing the Land Mourneth, Jer. 23.10.

Therefore all you that are concerned, as Witneſſes for God ſee that you bear your Teſtimonies againſt theſe things, that the Lord may bleſs you and proſper you in all your Undertakings, that the Praiſe and Honour which is his due he may receive from you, and you from him a Crown of Glory, which fadeth not away when time here ſhall be no more.

John Kelſall.

LEt all conſider Iſrael of old, who when they forgot God (who had wrought mighty Deliverance for them) how they ran into Feaſting and Dancing; as it is written, They ſate down to Eat and to Drink, and roſe up to Play, and danced about the Golden Calf which they had ſet up. But it was a diſmal Dance unto them; for ſeveral Thouſands of them were deſtroyed in one day, Exod. 32.6, 19, 27.

And every one that Sweareth ſhall be cut off, &c. Zach. 5.3.

By Swearing, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood, Hoſea 4.2.

If the Righteous ſcarcely ſhall be ſaved, where ſhall the Wicked and Ʋngodly appear? 1 Pet. 4.18.

LONDON: Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch, 1682.