Minister onely c. As for the place of Ieremie you shall note that he goeth aboute to shewe the Iewes the right keeping of the Lawe For by naming the Sabboth day he comprehendeth the thing that is thereby signified for if they transgressed in the ceremonie they must needes be culpable of the rest which is meditating the spiritual Sabboth or rest hearing of Gods worde and resting from worldly trauels And doth also declare that by the breaking of this one coÌ„maundement he maketh them transgressors of the whole lawe forasmuch as the first and seconde table are therein contayned that is as I haue sayde before fayth towardes God and charitie towardes our neyghbors and not for our owne fantasie gaine and pleasure we shoulde go about our owne businesse and leaue our duty towards God and giue our selues to al maner ydlenesse and Ethnicall sportes and pastimes as is nowe vsed too muche amongst vs That day is most holy in the which we must apply and giue our selues vnto holy workes and spirituall meditations For if we doe but rest in the Sabboth day from the works of the bodie then do we take that like rest as beasts do and not as the faithfull doe Saint Hierome to this sayth Non sufficit à malis esse otiosum si quu fuerit à bonis otiosus It is not ynough for man to rest and cease from euil things if a man be ydle from good things Likewise Saint Augustine sayth Quod in otio non debet esse iners vacatio sed aus inquisitio veritatis aut inuentio that is In ydlenesse sluggish rest ought to be away and when he is at rest there ought to be either inquisitioÌ„ of the truth or inuention of the same YOVTH What doth this worde Sabboth signifie AGE It signifieth in Hebrue quietnesse or rest YOVTH Howe many Sabboths are there AGE Three The first is corporall to cease from our bodily labours Seconde is spirituall to cease from our sinne Thirde is heauenly that is after this our pilgrimage and ende of our life we shall keepe our Sabboth and rest in heauen with Iesus Christ for euer and euer YOVTH You haue throughlye satisfied me in this point I thank you good Father for it Yet I pray you let me vnderstand what Christ meaneth by saying in S. Mathewe that of euerye ydle worde that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the daye of iudgement AGE That is a sharpe saying and a true if we shall giue account for euery ydle worde O Lorde be mercifull to vs what shall we doe then for our ydle and sinnefull workes By these ydle wordes Saint Hierome vnderstandeth all that is spoken without profit to the hearers letting passe good and gracious talke and speake of friuolous vaine things full of scurrilitie and baudrie c. Maister Bullinger sayth Hereby is forbidden all lyes vanities and whatsoeuer springeth of the affections of the fleshe Maister Musculus sayeth That Christ hereby declareth that we shall not giue accountes to God onely for deedes but also for wicked wordes not onely for vaine wordes but for ydle words it for ydle wordes what for hurtfull wordes what for lyings what for slaunderings what for cursings what for leastings and mockings what for periuries shall be done hereafter to those at the daye of iudgement Wee see hereby that there is not a worde in our tongue but the Lorde knoweth them wholy altogither Not without great cause therefore did Dauid pray vnto the Lord that he would set a watch before his mouth to keepe the doore of his lippes Bicause sayeth Paule euill speakings corrupt good maners Saint Paule sayth that fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnes must not be once named among vs as it becommeth Saints Neither filthinesse neither foolish talking neither â—easting which are things not comelye but rather giuing of thanks Let your speach be gracious alwayes poudred with salt He sayth also Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes but which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers In fine therefore he concludeth to the Colossians thus Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in worde or deede doe all in the name of the Lorde Iesus giuing thanks to God euen the father by him O quà m sanctum est os vnde semper coelestia erumpunt eloquia O sayeth Augustine howe holy is that mouth wherrout commeth alwayes heauenlye speaches Let them take heede therefore which speake what they list saying with the wicked in the Psalme With our tongue we will preuayle our lippes are our owne who is Lorde ouer vs But sayth the Prophet the Lorde will cut off all flattering lippes and the tongue that speaketh proud things Dauid asketh what the deceitfull tongue bringeth vnto himselfe or what doth it auayle him Salomon sayeth that life and death are in the power of the tongue and they that loue it shall eate the fruite thereof YOVTH Is it not lawfull then to vse any kinde of ieasting or mery talke when companies are gathered togither to make them merie withall AGE Yes so that your talke and ieasting be not to the disglorie of Gods name or hurt to your neighbour you maye For there are diuers examples in the Scriptures of pleasant talke which is also godlye as Eliah â—easted with Baals Prophetes saying Crie loude for he meaning Baall the Idoll is a God eyther he talketh or pursueth his enimies or is in his iourney or it may be that he sleepeth and must be awaked c. When honest iesting to good honest endes be vsed it is tollerable Therefore Paule sayeth not simplye Iâ—asting but addeth whiche are things not comely meaning ieasting that is full of scurrilitie and filthinesse YOVTH Well let this passe and let vs come againe to our talke that we had before which was that you wente aboute to driue me to labour for my liuing and that euerye man shoulde walke in his vocation to get his breade in the sweate of his face Well I tell you plaine Playes must be had and we will haue them say you to the contrarie what you lyst AGE Salomon sayth He that loueth pastimes shall be a poore man. c. Agayne he sayth By slothfulnesse the roofe of the house goeth to decay and by the ydlenesse of the handes the house droppeth through againe a diligent hande maketh riche but a slothfull hande maketh poore He that tilleth his lande shall bee satisfied with breade but he that followeth the ydle is destitute of defence c. YOVTH And it please you sir Christe biddeth vs not to bee carefull for our liues what we shall eate and drinke and sayeth that the Lillies of the fielde labour not neyther spinne yet Salomon was neuer arrayed like vnto them And also that the birdes doe not sowe reape nor carie into the barne c. We are bidden also not
my soule thou hast a great deale layd vp for thee which wil last thee for many yeares now therfore take thy rest eate drinke and be of good cheare But in this Securitie what heard he of god thou foole this night thy soule shal be také away c. markest thou not how death coÌ„meth sodainly vpó him thinking to haue had al the cómodities pleasures of the world as ease rest delicious fare pastimes delectations and safegard of al his goods For this cause then Paule commaundeth vs to awake and bee in a readinesse at al times against the comming of the lord Christ our Sauiour also saith waâ—ch and pray least ye enter into tentatioÌ„ againe take heed to your selues least at any time your heartes bee oppressed with surfeting and dronkennesse and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnwares For as a snare shall it come onal thé that dwel on the face of the earth like as it befell and happened in the time of Noe whéal the world was drowned and in the time of Lot when Sodome was burned with fire from heauen so verily the last day shal come sodainely at the twinckling of an eye euen when men loke least for it These things might be faire examples and sufficient warnings for vs if wee were not more than senselesse The fift cause is the hope of long life Among many euilles naughty affections which folow the nature of man corrupted by sinne none bringeth greater inconuenience than the inordinate hope of long life as Cicero saith no man is so olde and aged that he perswadeth not himselfe that he may liue a whole yeare This is the cause why we defer the reformation of our liues and reméber not that we haue an account to make at the last day It is to be wondered that men do put of and defer such a great and weightie matter and loke no more of a thing which profiteth so much and is so necessarie vnto saluation The very heathen I feare me shal in the last iudgement be a reproch to vs Christians in that we are so slouthfull and haue almost minde at no time to repent and amend our liuings Pythagoras rule and custome was wheÌ„ he weÌ„t to take reste to recken and call to remembraunce what thing so euer he had said or done good or bâ—d the day before which Virgil speaking of a godlye and vertuous man painteth out to vs learnedly how he neuer slept til he called to remébráce al things that he did that day c. I can not let passe that which Seneca speaketh of this form and order Sextus saith hâ— at the euening ere he weÌ„t to rest accustomed to aske of his minde certain questions what ill and naughty condition hast thou this day amended what vice hast thou withstanded what art thou better now than when thou diddest arise And after he addeth this what better forme can there be than this to examine the whole day againe in this wise And this rule saint Paul giueth also saying let a man therfore examine himself c. if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged But now of the contrarie let vs consider our exercises how we vse to recken our faultes and examine the whole day again at night ere we go to rest and slepe how are we occupied verily we kepe ioly cheare one with an other in banquetting surfeting and dronkennesse also we vse al the night long in ranging from town to town and from house to house with Mummeries and Maskes Diceplaying Carding and Dauncing hauing nothing lesse in our memories than the day of death for SalomoÌ„ byddeth vs remember our end and last day and theÌ„ we shal neuer do amisse but they remeÌ„ber it not therfore they do amisse The bereuiti of our life is compared in Scriptures vnto the smoke vapour grasse a flower shadow a span long to a weauers web to a post c. teaching here by that we should be alwayes preparing to die for that we know not what hour it wil come therfore as wise Virgins let vs prepare oyle readie in our lampes for doubtlesse the day of the lord is not farre off Dare we take our rest and boldely to sleape in these our wicked sinnes in which if any man should die as no man is sure that he shall liue the next morow folowing he were vtterly cast away condemned body soule but alas these things they remeÌ„ber not In such wise they flatter theÌ„selues with hope of longer lyfe fith with the which so many men be deceiued how childish are they or rather how do they dote which do perswade themselues that they be exempted out of the number of those as it were by some singular priuiledge and prerogatiue These are the chiefest causes that we liue so wickedly as we do in these dayes Take away therfore the causes the effectes wil easily be remedied And for the curing of three notable vices amoÌ„g all the reste I haue here made according to my small skill a Treatise against Diceplaying Dauncing and vayne playes or Enterluds Dialogue wise betwene Age Youth wherin thou shalt finde great profit and commoditie and how in al ages times and seasoÌ„s these wicked c detestable vices of ydlenesse Diceplaying Dauncing and vaine Enterludes hath bin abhorred detested of al nations and also among the Heathens to the great shame condemnation of Christians that vse no playe nor pastime nor any exercise more than Diceplaying Dauncing and Enterludes Now therfore friendly Reader I haue laboured for thy sake with my poore penne to bring forth this small volume that thou seest VVherin I haue to request and desire thy friendly acceptaunce of the same bycause it is a pledge and token of my good hart will to thee for which if thou canst afourde me thy good worde I aske no more it shal not be the last if God leÌ„d me life that thou shalt receiue of me As for Aristaâ—chus broode and Zoilus generation lurking loyterers Dicers Dauncers Enterlude Players frantike findefaults dispraysing and condemning â—uerye good endeuour I wey them not I am not the first though the simplest and rudest that their venemous tongs typped with the Mettal of infamy and slaunder haue torne in pieces vncharitably abused god forgiue theÌ„ Accept thou therfore I beseech the cutteous Reader this my trauel good meaning in the best part Thus I bid thee farewel From Henbury Iohn Northbrooke ¶ A Treatise against Idlenes Idle Pastimes and Playes YOVTH AGE GOD blesse you and well ouertaken good father Age. AGE And you also good sonne Youth YOVTH From whence came you nowe good father if I may be so bolde to presume of your curtesie to demaunde of you AGE I came from thence whereas you oughte to haue bene and resort vnto YOVTH What place is that I pray you declare to me AGE In good sooth it is that place whiche you
we should heare him AGE You haue aunswered trulye and directly whereby I perceyue you haue read the Scriptures and haue some knowledge of Gods will and therefore sith you knowe your maisters will and doe it not you shall be beaten with many stripes YOVTH Is it sufficient then to heare the word of God preached and so to be hearers onely AGE No. For as you ought to heare so must you be a doer thereof Saint Iames sayeth Receyue with meekenesse the worde that is graffed in you whiche is able to saue your soules And be ye doers of the worde and not hearers onelye deceyuing your owne selues For if any heare the worde and do it not he is lyke vnto a manne that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse For when he hath considered himselfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was c. Saint Paule also sayeth The hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God but the doers of the Lawe Wee are sayeth hee his workemanshippe created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes which God hath ordeyned that we shoulde walke in them Herein sayeth Christ is my father glorified that wee beare muche fruite Whosoeuer heareth of mee these wordes and doth the same I will liken him to a wyse builder c. Christ ioyneth hearing and doing togither with a true Copulatiue saying Beati qui audiunt sermonem dei obseruant eum Blessed are they that heare the worde of God and keepe it Therefore Christ biddeth our light that is our fayth and religion to shyne to the worlde that the worlde may see our good workes and glorifie our heauenly father c. Whereby we may see that wee ought and must needes haue wyth hearing doing with fayth workes wyth doctrine lyfe with knowledge practise with science zeale with professing expressing with hearing keeping with wordes deedes with talking walking So that these muste needes dwell togither in one house as Marie and Martha two sisters whiche ought to bee tanquam Comites indiuidui he that hath my commaundementes sayth Christ and keepeth them is hee that loueth mee c. Saint Augustine vpon these wordes sayeth Qui habet in memoria seruat in vita qui habet in sermonibus seruat in moribus qui habet in audiendo seruat in faciendo aut qui habet in faciendo seruat in perseuerando ipse est qui diligit me Hee that that hath my worde in hys memorie and keepeth it in lyfe hee that hath it in wordes and keepeth it in manners he that hath it in hearing and keepeth it in doing or he that hath it in doing and keepeth it in perseuering and continuing he it is that loueth mee You see then that wee must not onelye bee hearers but also doers of the worde It shall not bee asked at the dreadfull daye of Iudgemente howe muche we haue heard or readde or howe much we do know but howe well we haue liued What workes we haue expressed to testifie with vs of our spirituall regeneration and inward faith c. S. Augustine sayth Audire veritatem nihil est si non auditionem fructus sequatur To heare that truth is nothing vnlesse there follow fruites of our hearing Therefore we must be that good grounde wherein the seede of Gods worde is sowen which bringeth fruite an hundreth sixtie and thirtie folde For we ought not to be like those that professe they knowe God and denie him with their workes That grounde that bringeth forth such thornes and briers is neare vnto cursing whose ende is to be burned For euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire YOVTH I perceyue nowe that the doctrine of the Gospell is not a Libertine doctrine to giue a carnall libertie to men to doe and lyue as they liste or that all workes fasting prayers and almes deedes obedience c. are ouerthrowne or denyed thereby as the Popes Catholikes haue and doe report AGE By this doctrine of the Gospell as you heare is established and confirmed all godly life and good workes But this hath bene alwayes the practises of Satan and his Impes falselye to reporte of thys doctrine as we reade in the holye Scriptures YOVTH You haue satisfied me in this point I thanke God for you yet I pray you giue me to vnderstand what he was that preached this day at our Churche AGE I assure you I knowe not his name but whatsoeuer his name be he is a godly learned man one that beateth downe mightily by the worde of God all Popishe religion and superstition and therewith he is a great enimie to sinne and vice whiche nowe reigneth too too much amongst all estates and degrees and a great frende to vertue and true religion YOVTH I am very glad to heare so good a report of him as I doe it is glorious when the Preachers are certaine of their doctrine which they teach constant therein and leade liues aunsweswereable thereto hauing that Vrim and Thummim which signifieth knowledge and holynesse declaring thereby what vertues are required in those that are Ministers and Preachers of Gods worde and sacraments so as they may builde vp Gods Church both with doctrine and conuersation of lyfe AGE God defende but that they shoulde be such as in all respectes they may shewe themselues to the worlde an ensample in worde in conuersation in loue in spirite in fayth and in purenesse and that they shewe themselues lanternes of light and ensample of good works with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie and integritie c. YOVTH Your greate commendation of this Sermon maketh mee sorrowfull that I had not bene at it but my businesse was such as by no meanes I could be there AGE Was your businesse so great that it might not haue bene deferred and put off for that present vnto another time I pray you may I be so bolde as to vnderstande of you what this great businesse was that thus hindered you from hearing so notable and worthie a Sermon as was preached this morning YOVTH I may shewe you for anye great weyght that it was of But whatsoeuer it was I put you out of doubt it was about no matters of any common wealth AGE Then belike you were at prayer with all your familie in your owne house YOVTH I tell you truth I prayed not but I haue playde all this night that this morning I coulde scarse holde open my eyes for sleepe and therefore was fayne for to recouer my loste sleepe this forenoone AGE You haue herein abused Gods ordinance and your selfe also For God made the daye for man to trauell in and the night for man to rest in c. YOVTH Why good father is it not reason that a man shuld take his rest and sleepe when he pleaseth AGE Yes in dede so that he vseth his rest and
religionis that is The Sabboth day was appointed of God not for Idlenesse simplye Idlenesse of it selfe is no where allowed of God therefore the ydlenesse of the Sabboth day was commended for another purpose that is for the studie and diligent desire of religion Therefore he commaunded to rest from our handie labors that wee might bestowe all that time in the exercise of religion It is likewise in the very same commaundement sayde that God rested the seauenth day c. Shall we cōclude with the heretikes that God sitteth ydelly in heauen and hath no care of his creatures by his heauenly prouidence nowe he hath once created them God forbid This rest of God as the Scripture testifieth was à creatione sed non à gubernatione it was from creating but not from gouerning and ordering them For he doth alwayes by his power sustaine them by his prouidence gouerne and rule them and by his goodnesse nourishe them Wee must rest therefore from handie and bodily workes but we must not cease from such works as pertaine vnto the true worshipping of god This seruice among the fathers were vsed in iiij things that is First in reading interpreting and hearing of Scriptures Secondly in prayers publike and priuate in celebrating and receyuing of Sacraments Thirdly in collecting and gathering for the poore and indigent Fourthly in visiting and distributing to the poore and making of peace and vnitie among neighbours where any controuersie was YOVTH Then I perceyue we must refrayne from all other labors vpon the Sabboth except those which you haue specified and so of necessitie we ought not to vse any labour or work what neede or necessitie soeuer there shoulde be AGE You must note that the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth and therefore is the sonne of man Lorde ouer the Sabboth The Sabboth was instituted of God to conserue man and not to destroy man and therfore the Sabboth is to be dispensed withall as often as it shall be through our necessitie safetie or health so required Of the which thing our Sauiour Christ disputeth in Mathew and Luke for in such things the libertie of the Christians doth consist And wheras the Priests and Leuites were exercised openly in slaying of beastes in the Temple scumming seething and burning them prepared for their sacrifices were not counted guiltie of the breache of the Sabboth daye In lyke sort it shall be lawfull to prepare meate for our neede on the Sabboth day and to feede the body Mattathius thought it had not bene lawfull to fight vppon the Sabboth day but when he considered the ende of the Sabboth howe it was ordeyned to preserue and not to destroye willed all men to make battell vpon the Sabboth day bicause they might not die all of them as their brethren did whiche were murthered by their enimies So it is lawfull vpon the Sabboth daye to heale the sicke to visit the sicke and prisoners to succour the needy to fight in defence that we may preserue the creature of god If it bee lawfull as Christ sayth to drawe a beast out of a ditch or myre on the Sabboth day why is it not lawfull on the Sabboth daye to saue a house that is ready to fall or a burning or to moore a ship faster that is ready to runne against the rockes Why is it not lawfull on the Sabboth day to gather togither corne or haye which hath layne abrode a long time and to saue it least it shuld through the iniurie and force of the weather and hie floudes and springs of waters be vtterly destroyed YOVTH If it be so as you haue sayde why then did Moses and Aaron commaunde the congregation to stone to death that man that was founde gathering stickes vpon the Sabboth day And why doth God threaten such plagues on those that carie any burthen on the Sabboth day AGE In that he was stoned to death was not simplye for gathering of stickes or that he did this of necessitie or of ignorance and simplicitie as some suppose but for that he did it of set purpose consumeliously obstinately and stubbornely didde breake and violate this commaudement of God Or as it were in spite of Moses Gods magistrate woulde doe this in the open face of all people teaching others by his example to do the like therfore Moses commaunded to stone him to death according to the lawe For if he had done it of ignorance necessitie and simplicitie then shoulde not he haue died as it is expressed in the very same chapter but certaine burnt offerings had bene offered to the Lorde for him c. But sayeth the Lawe if anye person doeth presumptuously despise the worde of the Lorde and breake his commaundements he shall be vtterly cut off from among the people c. Whereby you may perceyue that he was put to death for his contempt against the Lorde And for that cause Lyra◠supposeth this man was first kept in prison vntill it was tryed out whether he did it contemptuously or ignorantly And for that God sayth He that defileth the Sabboth shall die the death c. It was repeated of God for a speciall poynte teaching hereby that the whole keeping of the lawe standeth in the true vse of the Sabboth which is to cease from our workes and to obey the will of god For the obseruation of the Sabboth doth extende as well vnto the faith we haue in God as vnto the charitie of oure neighbors Also by this example we see the authoritie of the magistrate howe it is not onelye to punishe matters and faultes committed agaynst the seconde table but also for faultes and trespasses committed against the first table for matters touching religion So S. Augustine sayth In hoc Reges sicut eis diuinitus praecipitur Deo seruiunt in quantum Reges sunt si in suo regno bona iubeant mala prohibeant non solùm quae partinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam quae ad diuinam religionem that is In this Kings as it is commaunded them of God doe serue God as Kings if in their kingdome they commaunde good things and forbid euill things not onely those things which pertayne to humaine societie but also to all godly religion Some read of Nabuchodonosor howe he serued God when he forbad by a terrible law all men dwelling in his kingdome from blaspheming god So likewise we may reade of that godly king Ezechias how he destroyed the temple of the Idols c. Whereby we see that Princes may lawfully deale in matters of religion and also may lawfully put to death open and obstinate Papistes and heretikes that holde any false doctrine manifestly against the worde and commaundement of God. Whereas Christ sayth Let both the tares and wheate growe togither vntill the Haruest c. appertayneth nothing vnto the Magistrate but vnto the