A Testimony against Gaming, Musick, Dancing, Singing, Swearing, and Peoples calling upon GOD to DAMN them. As also against Drinking to Excess, Whoring, Lying and Cheating. 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,Dr. Ames, de Consc. lib. 4 c. 23. §. 5. saith, Plays which depend meer­ly or princi­pally of For­tune, are of their own na­ture Ʋnlaw­ful. 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 God's Fear. For it never was the Practice of God's 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 in deed, in this day, though the Nominal Christians may plead for it.

Therefore you that know the Life of true Christianity, bear your Testimo­nies faithfully agianst Gaming, 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 Eye [...]; for when the Hearts and Minds are exercised in their Games, it is, as it were, their God, and often times tends to Quarrelling, Fighting and Blood-shed. 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.

Prov. 14.13. Even in Laughter the Heart is made sor­rowful; and the end of that Mirth is heaviness. 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 God's 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. Therefore 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 places, 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 Pleasure, 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 the 6th Chapter of the Prophecy of that Prophet, in which he pronounceth a Doe unto them that chaunt unto the Viol, and invent unto themselves Instruments of Musick, like unto David. Do such Remember their Creator in the days 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.

Eccles. 7.4. The heart of the Wise, is in the house of Mourning; but the heart of Fools is in the house of Mirth. 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 loose their Hearts, Minds and Affections after those things, pursuing 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 [...] Mankind to serve the Lord above all things, even with all their Souls, and all [...] 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 elevate a vain, sinful, unclean Mind in themselves or any others;Isa. 24.9. They shall not drink Wine with a S [...]ng; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. Amos 8.10. And I will turn your Feasts into mourning, and all your Songs into Lamentation 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 Cymbal; 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 Herodi [...]'s [...], who Danced before Kings [...] 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.

Job 21.13. They spend their days in Wealth, and in a moment go down to the Grave.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, and 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 [...]ong of Moses and the Lamb. And wise Solomon said, (Eccles. 7.3, 2.Bellarmine Conc. 6.33.13. &c. saith Holydays are in our Agee celebrated in a Diabolical manner, like Baccanaels, Devils Fe­stivals; most Sins then committed, most Feast-Songs, Bowl­ings, Taver­nings, Scur­rilities, Dan­ces with Wo­men, as Straw with Fire. As a fur­ther Testi­mony a­gainst De­bauchery, he cites Niceph lib. 19. viz. Herodias her Daugh­ters Head danced upon the Ice. Ambros de Virg. lib. 3. Jerom. E­pist. 10.4. Christ. hom. 56. on Mat. 49. Basil on Drunkenness and Riot. Cicero a Heathen Promur [...]n [...] says, No So­ber Man Danceth, and objects it as a Crime to A [...]onius 6.) Sorrow is better than Laughter; and it is better to go into the House of Mourning than into the House of Mirth: Mourning, in the Ʋnregenerate, 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 Dulcimer, 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 by the Spirit; speaking to your selves in Psalms, 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 those things (to wit, in Swearing, Damning, Cursing and Blasphem­ing the Name of the Lord) think to escape God's 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, 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 Ʋnder­takings, 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.

In the late King's Proclamation against Vicious, Debauched and Prophane Persons, &c. Dated May the 30th 1660. in the Twelfth Year of his Reign, are these Remarkable Passages following.

There is a sort of Men, of whom We are sufficiently ashamed, who spend their time in Taverns, Tippling-Houses, and Debaucheries, giving no other Evidence of their Affection to us, but in Drinking Our Health, and inveighing against all others, who are not of their own dissolute temper, and who in Truth have more discredited our Cause, by the Licentiousness of their Manners and Lives, than they could ever advance it by their Affection and Courage— We reasonably hope, these Men will cordially renounce all that Licenciousness, Prophaneness and Impiety, with which they have been corrupted, and endeavoured to corrupt others; and that they will hereafter become Examples of Sobriety and Virtue— We will not exercise just severity against any Malefactors, sooner than against Men of Dissolute, Debauched and Prophane Lives, with what parts soever they may be otherwise qualified and endowed.— And we hope, all Persons of Honour, or in Place and Authority, will so far assist Ʋs in discountenancing such Men, that their Discretion and Shame will persuade them to Reform, what their Consciences would not.—Which may by the Example and Severity of Ver­tuous Men be easily discountenanced, and by degrees suppressed.

However for the more effectual reforming these Men, who are a discredit to the Nation, and unto any Cause they pretend to favour and to wish well to; We require all Mayors and Sheriffs, and Justices of the Peace, to be very vigilant and strict in the Discovery and Prosecution of all Dissolute and Prophane Swearing and Cursing.

This was Reinforced by a Second Proclamation of the King, the 13th of August, 1660. Charging all Ministers to read it once each Month, for six Months ensuing, and stir up their Auditors to observe the said Duties, and avoid the said Vices.

Also in the Late Proclamation by the King and Queen, against [...]c [...], Debauched and Prophane Persons, Who hath W [...]? who hath Sorrow? who hath Conten­tions? who hath Wounds, withoue cause? Who hath red­ness of Eye? they that tarry long at the Wine, they that go to seek mixt Wine; at the last it biteth like a Serpent. and slingeth like an Adder, See Prov. 23.27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. See also Deut. 29.18.19.20. Whose Heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to add Drunken­ness unto Thirst the Lord will not spare him, but the Anger of the Lord and his Jea­lousy shall smoke against that Man, and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven. Given at White-Hall the 21st of January, 1691/2.

BEcause that Impiety and Vice do still abound in this Kingdom, the King and Queen De­clare (as bound in Duty to God, and Care for the People.) Thus, viz. We have thought fit to Issue this our Royal Proclamation: And do declare our Princely Intention and Resolution, To Discountenance all manner of Vice and Immorality in all Persons, from the Highest to the Lowest Degree, in this our Realm; And We do hereby for that purpose straightly Require, Charge and Command all and singular our Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, and all other our Officers, &c. in their respective Stations, to Execute the Laws against Blasphemy, Prophane Swearing, Drunkenness, Lewdness, Prophanation of the Lord's Day or any o­ther Dissolute, Immoral or Disorderly Practices, as they will answer it to Almighty God, and upon Pain of our Highest Displeasure.

ANd at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held for the County of Middlesex at Hicks's-Hall, the 10th Day of July, 1691. An Order was thence Issued out Pursuant to the Queens Letter, bearing Date the 9th of July aforesaid, recommending unto the Justices the putting in Execution those Laws, which have been made, and are still in Force, against the Prophanation of the Lord's Day, Drunkenness, Prophane Swearing, and Cursing, and all other Lewd Enormous and Disor­derly Practices, which have spread to the Dishonour of God, and the Scandal of our Holy Reli­gion; and to apply themselves with all possible Care for the Suppressing of the same, and all other Sins and Vices, particularly those which are now prevailing in this Realm, for preventing those Iudgments, which are solemnly Denounced against the Sins abovementioned. And in Com­pliance with the said Letter from the Queen, the said Justices unanimously Resolved and Declared, that they would put all the Laws in Execution against Prophane Swearing, and Cursing, and also against the odious and loathsom Sin of Drunkenness, and against all Houses of Debauche­ry, and Evil-Fame, being Vices hateful to God and all Good Men [as they also Declare.]

ALso the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen for the City of London, gave out an Order the 6th. Day of August, 1691.

Wherein they take into their serious Consideration, the great Prophanation of the Lords Day, and [...] too common Practice of Cursing and Swearing, Excess of Drinking, and the Impudent comnitting of Lewdness and Debauchery, and the late Increase of these Vices, and Enormi­ties; and as being sensible, that the severe Iudgments of God have usually faln upon Nations and Cities persisting in such Impieties. Do therefore require all Persons intrusted with the Offices of Magistracy and Administration of Justice within the said City and Liberties thereof, impartially to Execute their several and respective Authorities to suppress and prevent the aforesaid Scandalous Ofences and Impieties, by punishing the Offenders therein, as the Laws and Statutes of this Realm ha [...]e provided, with Directions thereunto severally.

ANd Anno Sexto & Septimo Guilielmi Textii Regis: There is a Penal Act of Parliament made and Entituled.

In Act for the more effectual suppressing Prophane Cursing, and Swearing: wherein Pophane Swearing and Cursing are called detestable Sins, and therefore ordered to be pu­nis [...]ed by certain Fines, and corporal Punishments.

LEt all consider Israel of old,Mat. 5.6 But he that shall Blas­pheme, is in danger of Eternal Damnation who when they forgot God (who had wrought mighty Deliverances for them) how they ran in Feasting, Dancing and Idolatry; as it is written, They sate down to Eat and Drink, and rose up to Play, and Danced about the Golden Calf, which they had set up. But it was a dismal Da [...]e unto them; for several Thousands of them were destroyed in one day, Exod. 32.6, 19, 27. [...] [...]nd every one that Sweareth, shall be cut off, &c. Zach. 5.3.

[...] Swearing, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood, Hoseae 4.2.

[...]nd if the Righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the Ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Pet. 4.18.

London,, Printed by T. Sa [...]le, at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane, Shoreditch; and are tbe Sold near the Meeting-House in White-Hart-Court in Grace-Church-street, 1696.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.