THat I, who am as I am. Vndertake this ma­ter (good Christian) when other of our English Na­tion, wryting both learnedly with iudge­ment, and zealously with knowledge, a­gainst diuerse and sundry abuses crept in amongst vs, nothing or very lytle handle the same, may to many perhaps, who are lyghtly wayed to the worse parte, offer occasion of this common obiection: What meaneth he to medle with this thing, see­ing hee séeth others holde their peace? what? thinketh he if it were so necessarie and néedefull a thing to bée published in print, that among so many Bookes, there shoulde bée none, or nothing in them set foorth? This kinde of cauell, because I sée it first & most of all others in the mouthes of many, it séemed not therefore to mée a mysse at the first to méete herewith: as­well to remoue the sinister opinion they conceaue (I dare say) of the godly, as also the preiudiciall verdite this maye bréede [Page] vppon this my true, though not trimme style of wryting. Whether there bée not diuerse that haue writtē fréely & franklie against the abuse of Dauncing, not onely in the Latin and French, but likewise in our mother tongue: who wyll plucke the beame out of his eyes, maye soone espie. But why our late learned men haue not purposely penned some péece of work, (if it be long agoe or lytle, these men forget it, or neuer sée it) forasmuch as it may be imputed to the want, neyther of wyll nor abilitie, to what it maye bee, I certainly know not: for who knoweth what things are in man, sauing God and the spirit in him) yet to vse a probable coniecture, I take the occasion to be in these vertuous persons: Because God hath eyther geuen thē the peaceable state of Salomon, y^t they néede not come forth into the fielde: or if not the peaceable state, yet the ready yéel­ding of the people vnder EZra, that there required no assaulte to be geuen: or if not the ready yéelding, yet the speedy conquest of captaine Iosua, that the onely certayne sounde of the Trumpe, the scripture hath ouerthrowne the walles of Iericho: and the walles ouerthrown, the bright Lamps [Page] of the gospell so shined out of their earthē vesselles, that the eyes of the aduersaries wer in such sort daseled, that Phineas with his speare thrust this Madianitishe wo­man cleane thorow: or if none of all these come to passe, (as oft times for the aboun­daunce of our iniquityes in these latter dayes they doo not) yet because God hath sent them a Moyses zelouse in his cause,Exo. 32.19 to put downe such outragious pastime, that theyr shoulders are eased of this heauye burthen. But wyll some Saloms say, this comparison you make betwéene vs, & the chyldren of Israel, is odious. Farre bée it from vs, that our disporte should be lyke, or lykened vnto theyre. Whether there be such dissolute disportes in all places or no, I am vtterly ignoraunt, and God for byd there shoulde: Neyther include I in this my comparison all manner of daun­ces, no more then mine Author doth, and so I beséeche thée (gentle Reader) inter­prete both our meanings. But truely to reporte what I haue hearde with myne eares, séene with mine eyes, and myne handes haue as it were handled, I sée no cause why ours & theirs may not iustlye hée coupled together.

[Page]Theyrs (who knoweth not) tended to the dishonouring of God: and to tell thée how many wayes God is dishonored by ours: I maye deale with thée, as the spyrite of the Lord dealt with the Prophet Ezechiel. Sonne of man, beholde the abhominations flo­wing out of this filthy fountaine. Math. 12.36. For euerye ydle worde that man shall speake, shall he geue accoumpt at the daye of iudgement: And whether at this playe, there bée any other almost, then ydle wordes vttered, if man wyll not, I call heauen and earth to wytnesse. But yet turne thée, and thou shalt sée greater abhominatiōs then this. That fylthy cōmunication proceede not out of our mouthes, Eph. 4.29 &. 5.3. but that whiche is good to the vse of edifying, that no vn­cleannes be once named amongst vs, as it becommeth Saints: neither fylthines, nei­ther foolish talking, neither iesting, which are things not comely, but rather geuing of thanks, we are by the Apostle charged. And whether at these meetinges, these thinges bée not commonly vsed: notwith­standing, wée finde them forbidden vs by Gods worde: if the offendours wyll not geue glorie to the Lord God of Israel, by making confession of their faultes, I ap­peale [Page] to theyr conscience, bearing them wytnesse, & theyr thoughts accusing one another, or excusing. But yet turne thée, and thou shalte see greater abhominati­ons then these. Christe condempneth him of adulterye, that looking vppon a wo­man lusteth after her:Mat. 5.28 but quallyfying the condempnation of adulterye, because the Lawe of man requyreth so precyse profe: yet howe the lookes are a prouo­cation therevnto, beléeue the Wyse man, and followe his good counsell. Vse not the company of a woman that is a singer, and a dauncer, neyther heare her: Eccle. 9.4. least thou be taken in her craftinesse. Gaze not on a Mayde, that thou fall not by that, that is precious in her. The sonnes of God gazed on the daughters of men, Gene. 6. and seeing them fayre, tooke them wiues of all that they lyked. Therefore the Lorde sayde: my spirite shall not alwayes striue with man, because hee is but fleshe, his dayes shall be an hundered and twentye yeares.

Nowe of those gazinges what became? Vnlawfull copulations. Of these copu­lations what? myghty men, and of great renowne, who vsurped aucthoritie [Page] ouer others, and degenerated from the simplicitie of theyr forefathers. Of these men what? they were myserably drow­ned in the great deluge. Beholde of this small sparkle, what raging fyre of concu­piscence flameth: & sée of this lytle droppe what a wonderfull huge water falleth frō out the windowes of Heauen, and issueth from the bowels of the earth, to quenche this furious fyre, and that about the be­ginning of Maie, when all things florish. You O ye sonnes of men kéepe company with dauncing Damsels, you gaze vpon them in the moneth of Maie: beware, you heare out of Gods owne mouth, what e­uyll endes ensue. A wyse man wyll not enter the brimmes of daungerous depths, least he soddainly slippe ouer headde and eares: These be the brimmes, come not nighe them my beloued, (you are not, I feare mée, all Iosephs) come not nigh them. For though the Rainebow be a certaine signe, that neyther of the Heauen aboue, nor of the earth beneath, the water wyll destroy you: yet wyll there fyre descend from the throane of the almighty Iehouah & with brimstone ascende out of the fiery lake,Reuel. 21.8 to bée a portion for them that pro­céede [Page] to the ende of these beginninges.

But yet turne thée & thou shalt sée grea­ter abhominations then these. Idlenesse, and Pride, two notable vices spring also herehence, as the masters of many, for the one, who see it by experience in theyr businesse: And for the other theyr gaye geare aboue their degrée & habilitie, their prowde behauiour and wordes towards their betters, their rude maners towards their elders, well wytnesse and declare. The chyldren of Israelles dauncing was done to the golden Calfe, and therefore Idolatry: oures though to tearme it Ido­latry, would séeme to some, not so straūge as vntrue, yet in diuerse qualities dot hit agrée therewith.

The Apostle calleth a couetous person an Idolater,Ephe. 5.5. not because he causeth an I­doll to be made and set vp, that bée might adore and worship the same: but because he serueth Mammon, and who so serueth Mammon, cannot serue God, and who so serueth his ryches, whē they should serue him, is an Idolater. In lyke sorte, who so leaueth the seruice of God, to serue his dauncing, & who so taketh more delyght in the strength of his legges, agilitie, and [Page] nimblenesse of his ioyntes, then in the Gospel of Christ: let the Apostles sentēce-iudge what he is, and for my parte, I say nothing, but that such abuse hath béene a­mongst vs. Notwithstanding, if a Christian once creke against these workes of the flesh, and with as gentle wordes & mylde meanes, as possible he may deuise, séeke to suppresse them: Whē as the very Hea­thens reprehend it with sharpe tearmes, accoumpting the vsers therof wāton, vn­honest, vnchaste, vnsober, madde, & wor­thy great reproche: And when the faithful fathers going somwhat rounder to work, call it deuyllish, with other lyke phrases, as appeareth in the Tracte following: with chese colours, when these men blase these abuses: if nowe a dayes, I saye, one doo but cypher, he is sure strayght wayes to be assayed with the Pharisées weapōs: eyther with ouer curious reasons of mās deuyce, impertinent and wrested places of Scriptures, friuolous and fruitlesse questions: or if these preuayle not, then with iniurious and vniust sclanders: first for the first sorte, to touch onely those, ey­ther vnremēbred, or as it is more lykely not at all vttered in mine Aucthors daies, [Page] or at least those, which he not vpon want of knowledge, but vpō hope he had wrote inough (as in déede inough for any reaso­nable man) wyttinglye (as it séemeth) o­mytted. To touch these I say, their chie­fest argumentes they would faine fetche from the examples of the godly men and vertuous women. How say ye (say they) by Iepthes déere Daughter?Iudg. 11.34 Iud. 15.12. Luk. 15.25 mett not shée her Father with Tymbrelles & daunces? by the noble Iudith? ledde not she y^e daunce her selfe? by the pittyfull father? had not be melodie, and daunceing in his house, for ioye his dead sonne was reuiued? these you cannot deny were vertuous people, and these theyr doings vertuous. But good it is, yea, our bounden duety it is, to follow the footings of our Forefathers in theyr vertuous actions: and therefore doo we well in this thing, to imitate their ex­amples which are written for our in­struction. They are (as the rest of the Scripture) to this ende lefte in wry­ting: but beware, least as the sworde taken by the handle, helpeth, and by the poynte hurteth: so this which ryghtlye receaued, serueth for instruction, wrong­fully [Page] receaued, & taken by the wrong end, serue not to destruction. In the right imi­tation of our Auncients, thrée things are chiefly to be considered: fyrst that we play not the deceaueable Coyner, who layeth golde vpon copper or brasse, or some such base mettall, to the intent y^e one might go currant by y^e meanes of the other: so that we gylde not, and florishe ouer the déedes of the wicked with the doings of the righ­teous, and then take them both as currāt: take Iudas in with the eleuen Apostles, & Sathan with the sonnes of God, accept none as our fathers, sauing those as be the sonnes of God. And secondarily, in these men we must not imitate al thinges, but onelye the good. And thirdly of the good not all too, nor in all respects: but we must haue herewith, these thrée noates in consideration: vpō what spirit, in what order, to what end they dyd thē. For otherwise, those that made their doings cōmendable in the sight of the Lorde: if they or any of thē want in vs, wyl make ours abhomi­nable. For the two first of the generall diuision you haue thē, good fathers, & god­ly Matrones: the last you lacke with the thrée braunches, which turneth the other [Page] two into bytter wormewood, as by cōpa­ring thē together wyll euidently appéere. Abrahams offering vp his déere sonne & only Isaack, Gene. 22. was to him an high praise by the mouth of the Angell, saying: I knowe that thou fearest God. The Ammonites, 1. Kin. 11.7 offering vp their sonnes and daughters to Moloche, is accounted an abhomination: because the one was of the spirit of God, the other of the deuyls, the one by fayth, the other by infidelytye, the one to Gods glory, the other to y^e idolatrous seruice of Moloche. 2. King. 1. The Prophet Elias prayer and inuocation, was so wel lyked of the Lord, that twyse at his request came fyre from Heauen, and consumed the two captains with their fifties:Luke. 9.54 James and Iohn asking Christ their Master, whether they should commaunde that fyre come downe from heauen to deuowre the Samaritans, were so much mislyked, that they were sharply reprehended. Beholde héere, how the facte being all one, the circumstaunces make y^e one good, the other starke naught. The Prophet moued by the spyrite of God, de­sired this plague to fall vpon them: the A­postles moued by an vndiscreet zeale, and ignoraunt of what spyrite they were, re­quyred [Page] the lyke. Ahaziah the wicked Apostatate, vnder the pretence of holynes sent to slea the Prophete: the Samaritanes denied, but lodging to Christ as he passed bye. The Prophete had to deale with thē, that hauing the worde of God, forsooke it: the Apostles with them that neuer knew the same. The Prophete at the plea­sure of almighty God, called downe fire from aboue, to shewe forth his glorye: the Apostles by humane affection, were pricked to reuenge the iniury. The Prophet was sent to punish the infidelity of the Israelits (as it may lykewise appéere by his kylling the fowre hundreth & fiftie Prophetes of Baall, 1. Kin. 18. & of the groues fowre hundreth:) the Apostles were sent to preach the Gospell, and not to punish the contemners thereof, except extraordina­rily: neyther was their Masters kingdom of this world, that his seruauntes should defende or reuenge his quarrell by any such meanes.

Now as we haue labored in laying these togeather, (and muche the more because lyke the Captaine we would bestowe the greatest part of our paines, in batteryng this your principallest bulwarke: for this [Page] once wonne, that ye haue no hold of scrip­ture, (as trueth you haue not) many of your souldiours wyll soone, I doubt not, yéelde) so set we theirs and yours, the one by the others. The Daughter of Iudge Iepthes, Iudith, & the good Father, delygh­ted in daunceing, and daunced some them selues: you in this poynt doo the lyke. But go further with thē in this wide wil­dernesse of the worlde, vntyll you come, (as Herculus dyd) to the two wayes, the one vertuous, the other voluptuous: and they enter the waye of vertue, you of vo­luptuousnesse, as apparauntlye declare your vsuall & wanton wordes, lasciuious iestures, and vnchast behauiour. If you can say that good men, and godly women, haue vsed this exercise, you haue sayd, you suppose something. But alas, this some thing is nothing, by that time you cōferre it with those three thinges, that make or marre all. For though the external actiōs be in a manner all one, as were those of Abraham, and the Ammonits Elias, and the two disciples, Iames, and Iohn, yet the cause, the maner, & the end, make as great differēce in these, as they did in those. The cause of the chaste Virgin, & worthy wo­mās [Page] dauncing, was in token of a ioyfull hart y^t the Lord had geuen them or theyr friendes victory ouer their, and the Lords enemies: your cause to satisfye your vo­luptuous pleasure. Theyr manner was modest & moderate to refresh their minds & recreate theyr bodies: yours immodest, if immodestye it selfe be immodest, and immoderate, if dauncing all daye long, & parte of the night bée immoderate: if to toyle & sweate thereat as if a man were at mowing: nay, they that sweat so much hereat, neuer so much and seldome at all sweate at worke.

The cause againe of the dauncing and melodye made in the Fathers house, was for ioye his Prodigall chylde was retur­ned, and the sinner repented: and I pray you, which of you euer daunceth for ioye the wastfull youth becommeth thryftye, or wicked forsaketh his naughtie wayes? dayly experience teacheth vs y^e contrary, that many yong men somewhat thriftye, after they geue them selues to daunceing fall to prodigallity? and somwhat vertu­ous, become altogeather vicious: or being before but vp to the shoe latchets, nowe are they sunke vp to the chinne, and with­out [Page] great héede, ouer head and eares. The end of theyrs tended to the glory and honour of almightye God, they sang the prayses & myghty works of the almighty, in their sober daunces: and at what tyme I beseech you, at these méetinges sing you the prayses, and wonderous workes of God? Naye, at what tyme is not hée or shée laughed to scorne, that shoulde so be­haue them selues? so farre are you from theyr godly pastimes. Wherefore for shame cease to cyte this that makes so much against you, and as pure whyte set­teth forth your fowle and steyned blacke: and if you haue any other & better, bring them forth. Better we haue not, neyther can we (for where so good maye be found, as in holy Scripture) but other we haue, whereby we wyll no more contende, that this lasciuious leaping of oures is suffe­rable at all tymes, but onely at VVhyt­sontide, and that for thrée causes: that we may vse reioysing in remembraunce the holy Ghoste descended to illuminate the hartes & mindes of men: that the Church might be the better by this meanes main­tayned: and that the youth might eschew ydle thoughtes, which by sytting styll and [Page] doing nothing would soone possesse theyr heads, and thereout would quickly flame euyll deedes.

The Kings of Iuda that walked in the wayes of their father Dauid, pulled down all Monuments of Idolatry, sauing that the high places stoode styll: God forbyd my beloued Brethren, that you shoulde roote out other oportunities of daunce­ing, and disallowe all other tymes and places, and yet suffer this high place to continew. If it be euil, or euilly vsed, then playe the parte of good King Josias, 1. King. 23 downe with al, yea, euen with this high place too, wherein and in which tyme this abhomi­nation is at the highest. If it be good, yet let vs not doo this good, that the euylles already rehearsed maye followe.Roma. 3.8. But these general examples and exhortations because they poynt not (as they thinke) dyrectly at them: I wyll (God wylling) therefore enter into particular examina­tion, and answer them seuerally by them selues.

Fyrst for reioysing at the feast of Pen­tecost, that the comforter came downe in the visible forme of fierie clouen tongues: what other ioye is better & méeter, then [Page] the comforter him selfe requireth? and what is that ioy be sheweth by the mouth of his seruaunt Iaemes, saying,Iam. 2.13. is any a­mong you afflycted? let him praye▪ is any mery? let him singe. And what he should singe, he declareth by the penne of his re­dy writer the Apostel Paul, saying:Eph. 5.19. Speak vnto your selues in Himmes and Psalmes and spirituall songes, singing and making melodie, to the Lord in your hartes. More ouer if we wyll reioyce for the comming of the holy spirit, what other reioysing is so good and méete for a Christian, as that Primatiue and first reioysing at his visi­ble discension? what decenter order, what goodlier and godlier exercise, then the A­postles and the religious multitude ga­thered together out of many Nations to serue the Lorde, kept at that feaste of Whitsontide? We reioyce (we saye) and we gather our selues together out of ma­ny townes: but in what order reioyce we and to what ende flocke we so fast togi­ther? in no such order, to no such ende (the Lord knoweth) as those Apostles and A­postles Disciples bid. The Apostls when the day of Penticost was come,Actes. 2. were all with one accorde in one place, and were [Page] filled with the holy Ghost: the people wondered at the wonderfull working of the spirit: the Apostle Peter painefully preched the word of God, the people heard him and constantly continued in the Dis­ciples doctrine. The Apostles ministred the supper of the Lord (so much signifieth to vs the breaking of bread) the people accompanied them in that godly felow­ship. And to be briefe both Apostles and people perseuered together in prayer, in gladnes, and in singlenes of heart. Marke this manner of gladnes and tell mee whe­ther ours in respect hereof be not méere madnesse. We are together but full farre from one accord, as our dayly debates de­clare: we are filled, not with the holye Ghost, but with strong ale: we come to­gether from diuerse places, to serue the Lorde? no, to serue our voluptuous plea­sures. We preach, but what preach we? y^e Gospel of Christ, or y^e sinnes & abhominatione of y^e people,Mich. 2.11 as Peter thē did? nothing lesse: but we prophecy & preach of plesure, of strong drinke, of wine, and then are we Prophets for this people, then are we ac­counted honest men. We communicate, and what doo we cumunicat, the supper of [Page] the Lord? nay that were to sadde a matter for so mery a time, and yt woulde let much good sport. But we communicate many idle words, many vnseamely iests, I wyll say no more for sparing you. So that this vnchristian behauiour of ours sheweth vs to celebrate the feast rather of Bacchus then of the holy Ghost. Seconda­rily for the maintaynance of the Church, there are other and better meanes then this, as you your selues right wel knowe. Oh, but you must consider, (wyll they say) that they would not giue at all were it not to this ende. Nowe truely, better well spared then so euill spent: and as for the reperations of the Church,2 Kin. 12.4 King Ioas sheweth a seeme lyer order, & though this lawe bee abolished, yet haue our owne lawes prouided the lyke: vse that a Gods name, and as for this vnlawful & wicked way, let it serue the sinagogue of Satan, for the Temple of the Lorde was at no time by y^e godly, by these vngodly wayes vpholden. Thirdelye for banishing idle thoughts out of your childrens & seruants minds, who worketh this way, drowneth a fish in y^e water, & putteth out alamp with oyle, as playnely appeareth both by that [Page] which goeth, before and that which com­meth, after. These are one sorte of the Weapons, the other (as I sayd) are slaun­ders, wherewith they intreat them which reprehend these abuses, much after the manner the Lybertines intreated Ste­phen. When Stephen repleate with the holy Ghost disputed against certaine Li­bertines Cirenians, Acts. 6. Alexandrians, and Cilicians, they not able to resist the wis­dome and the spirit by whiche be spake, suborned false witnes, who testified they hard him says that Iesus of Nazareth shoulde destroye that place and chaunge the ordinances which Moyses gaue them? and thus moued they the Scribes, the elders▪ and the people against him. In like sort these loose Libertines reason with those arguments and auctthorities before mentioned and when they bée not able to withstand the word of God and spirit that speaketh in his true ministers, then seke they out and set vp false wytnesse, who slaunderously report that we goo about to destroye all, to chaunge the auncient ordi­nances Moyses gaue them, to alter al olde customes their forefathers leaft them, to put down al honest and laudable pastime, [Page] to ende all friendly and neyghbourlye méetinges and mery makinges, to cut of good occasions of loue among men and charity towards the poore: and thus stirre they the Scribes, the Elders and the people againste vs well, for them I saye no more, but remember the commandement of almighty God, thou shalt not beare false wytnesse against thy neighbour. For you, ye Magistrats, Ministers and people I exhort in the Lord, that ye be not ouer credulose in these matters, leaste in quit­ting Barrabas you condemne Christ, and in letting goo these slaunderous witnesse, ye punishe innocent Stephen. Suffer mée a whyle to pleade our owne cause in your presence, and you shal plainely perceaue, howe these vniust accusations they laye to our charge, may iustly be turned vpon them: For first they by their abhomina­tions, endeuour to destroy all, to breake the ordinaunces of Moises and olde cust­omes of the primatiue Church, and purest tymes. There are manye thinges com­mitted in this lewde and licentious exer­cise: flat against Moises mind, as his dede declared: against his ordinaunces, as his lawes (who list to conferre them with E­zechiels [Page] for shewed sight) make manifest. By their voluptuous sport they put downe all honest lawefull and lawdable pastime, namely shuting, and especially at that season, when for the number and length of the holy dayes they are at most leasure, and for the freshnesse of the ayer and swéetnesse of the fieldes, they may take most delight. The Prince comands it, the wise commends it, the warre com­pels it, and yet rude royat shall preuayle against them all. By their vnciuell and vnmannerly vsage, friendly and neigh­bourly company and communication is quite dissolued and broken of. The caters cheife care, must it not be for the youth, howsoeuer the age? for the seruaunt how­soeuer the master? for the sonne, howsoe­uer the father fareth. The best and high­est roomes, be they not kept for the young men and maidens, wheresoeuer the aun­cient substantial, and honest of y^e Parrish sit? nay if they be sate, be their meetinges neuer so neighbourly, their communica­tion neuer so friendly, their matters ne­uer so weighty, must they not away, my Lorde commeth? But this is but once a yeare, and in iest manye wyll aun­swere, [Page] no more is this oportunitie of this neighbourly méeting, but once a yeare, and therefore to be preferred this once: and this iest, turneth commonly to such earnest all the yeare after, that Gods commaundement is broken, Honour thy Father and Mother:Ephe. 6.5. the Apostles precept neglected, Seruants obey your masters. By their brawles and sometyme blowes betwéene company and company, the linkes of loue are often seuered a sunder. By their ouermuch eating and drinking, charity to the poore waxeth colde. For doo they not ride from towne to towne, goe from village to village gulling in strong drinke, and glutting in good meate, na­ture being before sufficed, that might be better bestowed vpon the necessity of the saynctes? I wyll say nothing here of the gluttony and drunkennes comitted ney­ther of the practise and sport that I haue séene to make a man ouercome with nap­pie ale: but what if I (to spare you) saye nothing, neuerthelesse the Apostle sayth, That drounkardes shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen: 1. Cor. 6.10 Aba. 2.15 And the Prophet cryeth, VVoe vnto him that geueth his neyghbour drinke to make him drunken. [Page] Farre better were it (beloued brethren) that this Dauncing the cause of this great and gréeuous sinne (for take away Daun­cing and down fales al) should be vtterly abolished, then that on soule should perish, or one of these woes should light vpon vs. It is a sore and terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. Tushe wyl sume say, he y^t so delighteth in drinking & daun­cing if he haue it not here, wil haue in it a nother place & wil do it though this were not: & therfore it is better to let them haue thē at home, thē they should raung about. As though other places bée not, or ought not to be in this good order? or as though y^u shouldest norish naughtinesse, because o­thers do so? or as though thy fatherly fear, and masterly aucthority were not suffici­ent to suppresse this sinne & wickednesse? In excusing this one fault, thou makest thrée. First thou apeachest other places of like lewdnes: next that thou maist follow their examples: and last of all, y^t thy selfe wantest wisdom & discretion to rule thine vnruly familie. If other Towns were so vntoward as thou makest thē, doth it fol­low that thou shouldest associate them? If other youth be so euyll bent, must thine [Page] néedes accōpany them? God forbyd. Abra­ham that good father, & godly master, whē all other Nations round about him, were wholy geuē to all maner of abhominatiō, kept his household in such feare of God, & so well instructed them in his word, that they wyllingly receaued Circumcision at his handes:Gen. 17.23 If Abraham had sayd as you saye, I were best to suffer my familie to run royat at home, for otherwise they wil in other places round about mée: would they, thinke you, without resistance haue suffered the impression of this couenaunt, being so grieuous a sore, that the Seheehe­mites sicke therewith,Gen. 34.25 were a great num­ber ouercome by two persons, Simeon and Leui? Neyther the multitud of many coū ­tries could moue Abraham to let lose the reynes to his tender youth: nor the grie­uous sore againe of Circumcision, coulde cause his householde to withstand his do­ing: You haue not (God be praysed) so ma­ny (though too many) against you:Act. 16.10 neyther would I wish you, nor is it my minde to lay this, or the lyke yoake on your necks, which neyther our fathers, nor wée were able, to bear as some complain, saying, we would haue thē liue like Saints, (as who [Page] woulde saye that were euill (which is to strayght for them) but we desire to lay on your shoulders the yoke of Christ and his light burthen. And if it fall out that all towneships round about you, or, if al the towne which you inhabite maintain this misdemeanure, yet would I counsell a Christian to say w^t Captaine Iosua, Chose you whether you vvyl serue God, Iosu. 24.15 as your vain plesure, I & mine house vvil serue the Lord. This accompt if euery man would make as he ought, this disorder would be quickly redressed. Thus haue you heard howe they are fallen into the pyttes they digged for others and now a word or two howe Stephen is not onely cleare of these slaunderous accusations, but also ear­nestly desireth that whereof they accuse him. They accuse him to saye that Iesus of Nazareth (it can be none other so long as hee preacheth none but Iesus) woulde chaunge the ordinaunces Moyses gaue them, the auncient customes their fore­fathers leaft them, where he teacheth that Christ came not to destroye the lawes of Moyses but to fulfill them. They from this generall and false position, discend to as false particulars, bringing cer­tayne [Page] late and newe orders of merye makings and friendly méetings of neigh­bours, and of reléeuing the néedye, thin­king them olde orders if they can cal them so, or if they be out of their remembrance, or if they haue bene vsed an age or two before them: whereas hée endeuoureth to abolish the straunge innouations & newe fangles, and to call them backe to the old custumes and auncient orders in déede.

In the primatiue Church the faithfull made feasts amonge them selues,Iude ver. 12 partly to protest their brotherly loue, and partly to reléeue the poore people. The auncient Father Chrisostome saith.Chriso. vpon Gen. ho. 10. Let one of you take the holye booke, and let hym call hys neyghbours aboute him, and by the heauenlye wordes let him water and refreshe boeth their mindes, and also his owne, that by this meanes we maye bee able to escape the Deceiptes of the Deuyll. You that sticke so fast to olde customs and haue alwayes in your mou­thes let vs kéepe olde customes, leaue those your newe and naught, and kepe these oulde and good coustomes: or at the leaste chaunge youre common song, and sing another whyle: Ours be of [Page] late since iniquity hath got the vpperhād, & yours of olde in the primitiue Church, & time of the auncient Fathers. But for as­much as neyther the good counsell of this auncient Father, nor the shyning mirror of this primitiue Church, so much moue many as the cōmandement of the Prince and her Magistrates, I wyll therefore thereof speake somewhat, that I may win some. The Quéenes Maiestie in the twentie article of her Iniunctions, Com­maundeth that her faythfull and louing subiects celebrate, & keepe their holy daies according to Gods holy wyll & pleasure: that is, in hearing the word of God read & taught: in priuate & publique prayers: in acknowledging their offences to God, and amendment of the same: in reconcilyng themselues charitably to their neighbors, where displeasure hath bene: in often re­ceauing the Communion, in visiting the poore and sicke, in vsing al sobernesse and godly conuersation. Hitherto the wordes of the Iniunction: Wherein albeit daun­cing be not named, & namely forbydden, yet is it as straightly denied, as if it were expressed. For in cōmaunding godlines to be vsed, wickednes is denied: & whosoeuer accomplisheth her Maiesties most godlye [Page] minde in these pointes, shal haue (I war­rant him) litle leasure and lesse pleasure to daunce and dallye: and wheresoeuer these godlye exercises be put in practise, dauncinge Dagon will downe before the arke, the seuerest Saul that seeketh to persecute suche as speake against these abu­ses, will him selfe fall to prophecyeing? The sturdiest soldier that cōmeth to take Christ will stagger, and fall flatte to the ground, as many happy places and bles­sed persons in these daies well wittnesse and declare: where & among whom the arke (the bible cōteining the testimonies not of Arons rodde & the potte of Manna alone, but manye more myracles, togy­ther with the two tables) is so set vp, that the idoll of dauncing breakes his necke. The spirite of God so mightely worketh, that diuerse, of persecutours, are become defendors of Gods people: the wordes of Christ so effectually pronounced, that such as will not yeilde, they strike downe to the earth. This is the Lords doeyng and it is marueilous in our eyes.

Notwithstandinge some much like Thomas Didimus, will not beléeue that this article of the Princes toucheth this [Page] disorder, because they here not dauncing expressly named. These men I referre to Maister Godwinnes. 47. article, vn­der the title of Church wardens & sworne men: who are sworne to sée the same ab­bollished, God geue them his grace to discharge theyr othe: Whiche that they might the rather doe, this besides diuerse other, was one cause I tooke this taske in hande. Others were to moue the Magis­trates by the example of Moses, Exo. 32.19 to stoppe this outragious pastimes, to stirre my bretheren, whome the Lord hath appoin­ted watchmen ouer his flockes, to admo­nishe them of theyr wicked wayes,Ezech. 3.18. & 33.6 least theyr bloude be not one day required at theyr hands: and for parte of discharge of this my charge amonge the rest, to de­clare vnto the people these abhominati­ons: that the mouthes of the malitious maye be musled, readinge and iudginge (by this meanes) at theyr leasure, the doctrine I haue taughte them, to be no olde wiues tale, nor corrupt custome, nor vayne inuention of man, as theires is, but the worde of the Lorde, rebu­kinge theyr sinnes, whereof I and suche as I am: vppon payne (you hearde euen [Page] nowe of euerlasting death, are straight­lye charged to admonishe you, and that the hartes of the honest, whoe more for wante the watchman warneth them not these offences,2. Cro. 29.36. & 30.14.15. & 31.1 Ezra. 8.15 then for obstinate and wilfull frowardnesse (for truelye to re­porte as I fynd, the people are often rea­dier to doe theyr duetie to the Lord, then the Priestes and Leuites, and willinger to obey his wil then the sonnes of Leuie) that these mens hartes (I saye) seinge now how they haue heretofore of igno­raunce in the word of God, and not thin­king it to be so euill as they here in mine Authors tracte sée it is, done amysse may be so inwardly touched y^t they may saye: Men and bretheren, what shall we doe?Act. 2.27. And because no Prophet is estéemed in his owne countrie, I haue thought it good to take a worthye Prophet of another countrye, that thou mightest not disdaine to bee taughte, at his handes, whoe once taught the learned Diuines in Oxforde: and that thou mighteste not refuse to be tolde thy faulte, whether it be of ma­lyce or ignoraunce (for if of ignoraunce,Leuit. 4. yet a faulte, as shewethe the obla­tions offered therefore) by suche a [Page] one as rebuked euen Kings for Christes sake, and Princes by the waighty words of his wrytinges. Finallye that thou mightest in litle tyme reade in thy mo­ther tongue: and for a litle monye buye not so much a litle booke according to the quantitye, as a whole librarye of bookes according to the quallitye. For by the wonderfull paines of this sedulous Bée, hast thou here the honnie of moste artes concerning this matter. Art thou a di­uine, and of the diuines a fauourer of the truth? Here hast thou examples of the scripture, generall councelles and aun­cient Fathers: or a fauourer of the Pope? here hast thou popes & popish scholemen. Art thou a lawier, and of the lawiers a ciuilian? here is ciuill lawe: or a Canno­nist? here are Cannons, distinctions, and decrées: Studiest thou Philosophy? here Philosophers speake theyr mindes: De­lightest thou in Oratorye? here Orators vtter their eloquent sentences: or in His­toriography? here Histories ar declared: dwellest thou in the country, and desirest to haue theyr obiections answered? here are they answered. Briefly he is of a very straunge decrée and condition of lyfe [Page] that may not in this smale tract of Mais­ter Martyres, in his owne professyon be brought familyarly from this vice to the better knowledge of Christ, as were the Astronomers by a star, and Peter the fisherman by a myraculous draughte of fishe: which God to the glory of his name graunt. So be it.