If God sayth hee spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell 2. Pet. 2.4 and deliuered them into the chaines of darknes to be kept vnto iudgement Neither spared the olde worlde but saued Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousnes and brought in the floud vpon the world of the vngodly And turned the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them ouerthrewe them and made them an example vnto them that afterward should liue vngodly and deliuered the iust Loth The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly that honor him out of temptation and to reserue the vngodly vnto the daie of iudgement to be punished Saint Iude in stead of the example of the floud propoundeth the vengeance of God poured vpon the vnbeleeuing Israelites in the wildernesse Also Iude vers 5 making mention of the horrible punishment fallen vpon Sodome and Gomorrha sayth that they were set forth for an example and suffered the vengeance of eternall fire When therefore wee heare the threatnings of the liuing God by the mouth of his seruants let vs make hast to conuert to the Lord in amendement of lyfe lest by our obstinacie as Saint Paul sayth and our hearts not knowing howe to repent we heape vp wrath for the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and of the manifestation of the iust iudgement of God who shall render to euerie man according to his workes 10 Inasmuch therefore as through our infirmitie albeit wee bee taught the waie to heauen and that we bee put in minde to walke in the same by representation of benefits receiued of promises of blessings to come yea euen of threatninges with the examples of vengeance we neuertheles cannot desist from offending of God and so from turning out of the waie of saluation and lyfe euerlasting The ministers of the word doo moreouer vse reprehensions reprouing our sinnes and offences thereby to reduce vs into the right waie and in respect of our slownesse to doo good and to amend our liues they also vse vehement exhortations yea they do euen praie adiure and intreate vs in the name of God to amend and to walke in the feare of God And where wee haue many noâ—some hinderances that trouble vs and quaile our courages 2. Thes 2.11 they do likewise propound vnto vs mightie consolations in the woorde of God to the end wee may cheerefully and constantly proceede in the waie of saluation What man therefore inioying the holy ministerie can excuse himselfe in the sight of God in case hee doo not constantly resolue to amend his lyfe and dayly to put the same in practise How horrible a iudgement shall he deserue that is so hardened in wickednesse and so tied in the chaines of Sathan that there is no light before his eyes no path to the waie of saluation no feeling of Gods benefites no remembrance of his promises no feare of his threatninges no apprehension of the examples of his vengeance no reprehension no exhortation no consolation that can bee of strength and sufficient to moue his heart to amend Be not these men then that remaine thus obstinate without amendement euen monsters in nature 11 Now as the administration of the Sacraments is one part of the holy ministery let vs first see how forcibly our Baptisme shuld moue vs to amend our liues Baptisme is the seale of the couenant of God comprehending especially two graces namely remission of sinnes our regeneration or spirituall renuing When the children of Christians therfore are baptised the same is as if God speaking by the mouthes of his ministers shoulde saie O my people acknowledge my great mercie and goodnesse towards these little babes they are conceiued in sinne borne in iniquity by nature the children of wrath yet doo I aduow them for mine their sinne a d corruption is washed awaie in the bloud of Iesus Christ I doâ—â—nite and ioyne them vnto him to the end that being grafted into his death and resurrection they may bee regenerated theyr olde man bee mortified and themselues become newe creatures in my sight In them do I seale these graces whilest they be yet babes before they know me euen before they haue done anie good that so they may be acknowledged to bee meerely free to my glorie Is not this a great bond vnto children to binde them as they come to age to loue God who loued them before they knew him and to doo the dutie of children because hee aduowed them to be his children euen before they hadde done anie good Surelye loue should beget loue and loue feare to offend and feare to offend amendement of lyfe If by Baptisme wee bee regenerate and made the children of God are wee not bound to liue as the children of God and as it may beseem the holynes of such a father The kings children doo not apply theyr minds to handle crafts but to works fitting their greatnes much lesse then should the children of God applie themselues to the works of the darke Such as by Baptisme are recalled from death should doo no deadly works they that by Baptisme are incorporated into Iesus Christ ought so to be guided by his spirit that as it is the soule that worketh all the workes of the bodie so the spirit of Christ as it were the soule of this new man Iesus Christ being considered as vnited with his bodie there should be no motion thought worde or worke but such as should proceed from the spirite of Iesus Christ in all fulnesse dwelling in him and in vs his members according to the measure limited to euery one of vs. 12 Moreouer if by Baptisme we be grafted into Iesus Christ we must bring forth fruit worthie of Iesus Christ Iohn 15 5. Hee that dwelleth in me sayth he and I in him beareth much fruit If wee speake of trees experience teacheth vs that the signe that is thereinto grafted doth in such wise drawe awaie thâ— sappe and force thereof that it bringeth forth fruit according to it selfe kinde not after the kinde of the tree whereinto it is grafted but wyth Iesus Christe it is contrarie for they that are grafted in him doo in deede gather strength from him yet so that they alter their nature bring forth fruit not after the kinde of Adams children but of Iesus Christe into whom they are grafted And therefore as it were a monstrous matter to see an apple tree whereupon nothing had beene grafted beare acornes so is it as straunge and repugnaunt to reason that they who by Baptisme are ingrafted into Iesus Christ should not bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse according to his kinde Lykewise if Baptisme bee a pledge of our regeneration of necessitie the workes and affections of our first generation according to the which we are full of corruption and wickednesse must cease and be mortified and now we must shew forth the fruits and effects of our regeneration in newnes of life sith by our baptisme our olde
let him hast his worke that we may see it let the counsell of the holy one of Israel drawe neere and come that we may know it Secondly of those that call euill good and good euill that make darknesse light and light darknes that make bitter sweet sweet bitter Thirdly of those that are wise in their owne conceits and skilfull in the consideration of themselues The explaning therfore of these seuen follies afore mentioned may stand as a commentarie and opening of these cords and cables mentioned by Esay as also to shew that these follies tende onely to persuade man that he is a beast and that after his death he is to attend neither good nor euill thereby to staie all his thoughts and affections vpon this temporall life to plunge him in the pleasures of the world and the flesh and consequently to take from him all holines and religion Inasmuch therefore as we are now to amend our liues we must learne to renounce these seuen follies and to be wiser hereafter Of the first Folly Not to beleeue that there is a God Chap. 2. THe first principall folly is the same whereof the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psa 14.1 53.1 speaketh saying The foole hath said in his heart that there is no God Of those that in their heartes doo saie thus there be two sorts the one pronounce it with their lips the other with their woorks Aâ— for the Iewes of whom Dauid heer speaketh they in their woorks shewed that their harts did say that there is no God And tâ—is doth he note where for proof therof he addeth They are corrupt and become abhominable But among Christians there are some a matter of extreem terror that say both in hart and mouth that there is no God Yea and this impietie hath taken such hold of diuers that they will not stick to say it and that not whisperingly mumbling or between the teeth but euen with open throat And in deed in many places they dispute no longer of differences concerning the hope of saluation seruice of God but now the question is whether there be a God Yea it is a common phrase when a man affirmeth that there is a God Who did euer see him that we may beleeue him 2 The sole representation of such a blasphemie might suffise to terrifie our harts and to make vs to sweat euen water and blood for anguish That Christiandome should afford any so abhominable monsters as should denie God God I say not onely the creator whom we may behold in his works but also the redeemer that is to say God reuealed in the flesh iustified in the spirite 1. Tim. 3 16 seen of Angels preached to the Gentils beleeued vpon in the world and lifted vp into glorie This verelie is a iust and terrible iudgement which God executeth vpon those whose harts and mindes are plunged and so swallowed vp in the pleasures of the world and the flesh that they neuer think vpon God no more then if there were none It is a horrible vengeance that God layeth vpon those who to the ende without remorse of conscience to giue themselues ouer to their owne abhominations and corruption do maliciously go about to choak vp these reliques or remainders of the image of God namely That there is a God a prouidence a righteousnes in God As Dauid also noteth Psal 10 4 that all the imaginations of the wicked do concurre that there is no God It is the punishment that those men doe deserue who when they sweare for affirme any thing do spue out of their polluted lipps this blasphemie I renounce God To be briefe It is the payment wherewith God iustly punisheth the extreem ingratitude of such as contemne the incomprehensible treasure of the doctrine of the Gospell treading vnder foote the most precious blood of Iesus Christ And himselfe hath pronounced that such people do deserue a more horrible iudgement then the inhabitants of Sodome and Gomorrha Math 10 15 It is also the last plague and persecution wherewith Gods children toward this end of the world shall be tried when these monsters shall scorne their simplicitie and constancie in refraining from euill vpon their assured hope in God and for feare of his name 3 But as there is no wound more mortall than the same that plucketh foorth mans heart or soule so is there no poison or pestilence of greater force sodainly in men to kill all faith hope charitie with the feare of God and consequently to cast him headlong into the pit of hell than to deny the principle foundation of all religion namely that there is a God To the end therefore to arme the elect against such an extreame and pernitious temptation to make those that shall suffer themselues to be carried awaie with so bitter a temptation the more inexcusable in the daie of iudgement we will produce against these Atheists sundrie witnesses against whom no exceptions can bee taken and first all Iewes and Christians because they allow of the olde Testament secondly all men liuing thirdly all creatures as well those that haue essence onely as those that with essence haue life and those that with essence and life haue motion and feeling and lastly man although he speake nothing who besides his essence life and motion is also indued with reason And in deed the creation preseruation and guiding of all these creatures doo with a loude voice proclaime that there is a God And first we will begin with those that allow the olde Testament to be the word of God and consequently with all Iewes and Christians that are or euer were For as in the olde Testament the testimonies that there is a God are most euident infinite and of sundrie sortes so is it a desperate presumption and impudencie to go about to denie that which by so many millions both of Iewes and Christians haue euermore beene beleeued and confessed 4 If these Atheists do saie that both Iewes Christians haue all bin deceiued by beleeuing the holy Scripture whether of the olde or new Testament and consequently all testimonies of the diuinitie therein contained What booke haue they so authenticall or ancient as the Bible wherwith they may to the contrarie proue that there is no God Againe how can they shun the conuiction of their owne consciences which will force them to acknowledge that the holie Scriptures proceeded from God if they wil consider but these reasons folowing First they make no doubt whether the bookes attributed to Plato Aristotle Polibius Liuie Demosthenes Cicero Homer Virgil such others were writteÌ„ by those men to whoÌ„ they be attributed What reason theÌ„ haue they to demand whether the Bible were written by Moses Iosua Esdras Dauid the Prophets and Apostles They also at the least in general termes do approue the contents of the said prophane bookes whether for historie or for doctrine With what mallice are they then possessed that should
For the least that we can say of dances is to cal theÌ„ vnfruitful considering they also are in many sorts hurtfull as hereafter we wil declare 6 The same Apostle in another place propoundeth two sorts of works or fruits viz. Of the flesh of the spirit Gal. 5. but sith we cannot without great impudencie place these dances among the fruites of the spirit we must in reason acknowledge them to be the works of the flesh And indeed in dances we find the same pollution insolencie the S. Paul expresly mentioneth among the works of the flesh but not that temperance which he tearmeth the fruit of the spirit 1. Ioh. 2.15 Iohn saith Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world and for example which they be he nameth Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes pride of life Is not al this found in dances No doubt theÌ„ they be of the world not of God And so consequently as he addeth Who so loueth them the loue of the father is not in him If in a picture we see some eating drinking some dancing so forth will we terme this a picture of the children of God not rather a representation of the world Againe to what end is dancing but to delight the world the flesh As the affectioÌ„s of the flesh be enemies to god so he that loueth the world maketh himself an enemy to God It therfore plainly appeareth in this prohibition of Saint Iohn that we should not loue the world dancing is forbidden and applying our selues therto we must needs fal at enmitie with God Ephe 5.4 Mat. 12.36 7 Saint Paul willeth vs to abstaine from al folish vaine speeches as things not beseeming the Saints And Iesus Christ saith that in the day of iudgement we shall giue accompt of euery Idle word If the holy Ghost condemneth al tauntes quippes pleasant and idle talke that tend onely to delight the companie and consequently beseeme Apes and iesters but are not any way conuenient among Christians and the children of God surely the sollies mirth vanitie of dances are without comparison more vnseemly among the Saints and rather to be condemned Ephe. 5.16 The Apostle representing vnto vs the time that wee haue lost during our ignorance whiles we yet serued the Deuill the world and the flesh exhorteth vs to redeeme it And how In forsaking the pleasures of our flesh for the price of the purchace But doe we obey his admonition when we loose the whole day yea and spend the night in dancing making our selues besides wearie and vnfit for our vocation in the morning 8 The holy Scripture in many places exhorteth vs to be sober modest 1. Pet. 5.8 Phil. 4.5 Luk. 12.35 Phil. 3.20 1. Thes 5.6 1. Pet 5.8 Col. 3.5 Gal. 5.24 1. Cor. 9.27 Eccles 7 3. Mat. 16 24. Phil. 2.11 stedfast in al parts of our life to haue our loyns girt vp that is not to suffer the affections of our soules to cleaue to the ground in the desires and vanities therof to haue our conuersation in heauen to watch to mortifie our members to crucifie our flesh and the lusts thereof to tame and subdue our bodies to goe rather to the house of mourning then of mirth that is to say to seeke meanes to quench our pleasures vanities by the representation of death to deny our selues to beare our crosse to weepe when the world reioyceth To be short to employ our selues in our vocation in feare trembling But such as vse dancing do little thinke vpon these rules and duties of Gods children The onely remembrance of these exhortations and admoniâ—ions might suffice were they not desperate to make them renounce such vanitie insolencâ—e lightnes yea euen to abhorre and detest them If when they were in the châ—efe of their dance God should send some extraordinarie thunder or earthquake they would straight leaue off Yea if the same should long continue with other tokens from heauen then would all this mirth and vaine dancing bee conuerted into sorrow and griefe for their dancing and so their consciences would testifie that dances are repugnant to that disposition that should be in vs to watch for the comming of the Lord. 9 Now to proceede to another consideration By three principal points we may iudge whether our deeds and works be good First whether they concurre with our vocation Secondly whether they edifie our neighbours Lastly whether they tend to the glory of God As concerning our vocation it coÌ„sisteth in this That we being freed from sin do she from it and shunne all apparance of euill As touching edification the same resteth in this that our conuersation be such as may beseeme the profession of the Gospell that others may be induced to embrace follow the same And for the glory of God Saint Paul saith Whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe let all be done to the honour and glory of God Now we referre our eating and drinking to the glorie of God when wee vse the same in sobernesse and thankesgiuing that wee may euerie of vs bee the better disposed to serue God in our vocations The like is in our sleepe and all other the recreations of our bodies or mindes But is not dauncing directly repugnant to our vocation because that where we should shunne sinne and all apparance of euill with all occasions and allurements thereto it ministereth nothing but apparance and entisement to the same Likewise for the edification of our neighbours This folly and vanitie is to no other vse but to be an offence vnto them in that thereby the dancers seeme to inferre that the Gospel therein concurreth with the world and the flesh considering that we that professe the Gospell and therefore ought to renounce such vanitie are so bent giuen thereunto And as touching the glorie of God what dancer dare be so impudent as to mayntaine that God is glorified in dancing either that hee danceth to the ende to glorifie God or to bee the more apt to serue him in his vocation Moreouer the rule of good workes resteth not in the custome and vse of the world but in the testimonie of the will of God Rom. 1â— â— Fashion not your selues like vnto this world sayth Saint Paul but proue what is the good will of God As for dancing wee must therefore place it among the wicked woorkes because it is repugnant to our vocation to the edification of our neighbours to the glorie of God and to the rule of his will Rom. 14.23 Agayne if euerie worke that is not of saith bee sinne as Saint Paule affirmeth and that there can bee no faith without the testimonie of Gods will let our dancers eyther prooue that it is Gods wyll that they shoulde dance or else acknowledge and confesse that dancing is sinne 10 Furthermore let vs consider the persons If they be stroken in yeeres dancing is an vnseemly lightnesse
false Prophet that hauing endeuoured to seduce and diuert the faithfull from the truth but through their constancye cannot compasse his purpose is notwithstanding worthy to be punished so the true Pastors wheÌ„ they haue constantly emploied theÌ„selues to reduce those that be straied into the way of saluation albeit in respect of this constancy they caÌ„not profite yet are they worthie their hire recompence in the sight of God As therefore the springs doe not cease from giuing forth their waters or the riuers their streames albeit no man come to take vp any or to sayle vpon them so must not the Minister cease from preaching admonishing and reprouing albeit in manner no man make profite of his doctrine and admonitions 11 Moreouer albeit many times it fall out that the Pastors by preaching admonishing reprouing and threatning with Gods iudgements do incurre the displeasure of some yet must they not therefore faint but remember what God commaundeth to Esay saying Cry out with open throat spare not lifte vp thy voyce as a trumpet signifye to my people their offences Esay 58.1 and to the house of Iacob their sinnes As also they are to this purpose to marke what the Lord saide to the Prophet Ieremy Gird vp thy loynes and arise that thou maiest tell them all the thinges that I commaund thee feare them not least peraduenture I treade thee downe in their sight Iere. 1.17 It is verye dangerous saith Hierome to desist from preaching the worde of God for any of these three thinges for feare sloth or slatterye yet doe we not say that they must crye out like mad men and seek glory in bolde reprehensions When the Apostles said vnto Iesus Christ Luke 9.54 Lord wilt thou that we commaund that fire come down from heauen and consume these Samaritans that deny thee lâ—dging as Elias did he answered 2. King 10. 12 ye wot not of what spirite ye are euen so there are some that think to imitate the Prophets in bitter and sharpe reprehensions but they are not led by the like spirite For they doe it either to purchase a reputation of zeale and to be thought such as will spare none 2. Tim. 1.7 or for some other peruerse passioÌ„ God saith S. Paul hath not giuen to vs the spirite of feare but of power of loue and of a sound minde thereby shewing that Pastors truely must not feare the apparance of persons to dissemble their sins and offences but must be strengthned by the spirite of Christ to discouer and open their wounds that they may be healed But to this power and boldnesse let them ioyne on the one side discretion and soundnes of minde whereby to be able to yeeld a reason of their power and boldenes and on the other side such loue and charitie that their reprehensions and threatnings may proceede from a hart not prouoked bitter or flowing with reuenge but as hauing compassion on such as doe amisse and seeking by loue to reclaime and reduce them into the waye of saluation Being thus disposed let them sound forth Gods iudgementes Esay 50.7 with all holye boldenesse saying with Esaye The Lord God is my helper and therefore I shall not be confounded for I haue hardened my countenance as a stone and I know that I shall not be confounded yea let them remember the protestation of Micheas saying Mich. 3.8 I am full of power by the spirite of the Lord and of iudgment and of strength to declare vnto Iacob his transgressions and to Israel his sinne 12 This holy constancy must remaine in the seruantes of God to the end that in the defence of the trueth against such as would oppresse it they may ouercome all slaunders and reproches wherwith the Deuill seeketh to quaile their hartes or otherwise to hinder the trueth of their faith and zeale Thus when the Apostles had told Iesus Christ that the Scribes Pharisees were offended and murmured because he saide Mat. 15.12 It is not that which entreth at the mouth that defileth the man he proceeded and shewed theÌ„ that they must not for that desist from teaching and defending the truth and purenes of doctrine So S. Paul declareth that wheÌ„ Peter came to Antioch Gal. 2.11 he resisted him to his face for he deserued to be reproued in that by his exaÌ„ple he enduced the Gentiles to playe the Iewes And by his writinges wee may perceiue how earnestly hee opposed himselfe agaynst those false Apostles that sought to mixe the necessitie of the ceremonies of the lawe with the doctrine of the Gospell Theodo Eccl. hist l. 2. c. 16 17. Wonderfull also was the constancie of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in defending the Godhead of Christ against the Arrians whose furious persecution and most impudent slanders he ouercame and was therefore iustly tearmed The bulwarke of the truth Him dyd Liberius Bishoppe of Rome most vertuously second in this constancie for being most sharply vrged both by the reproches and threatnings both of the Emperor Constantius of Eusebius the Eunuch and of Epicterus the Bishop to subscribe to the condemnation of Athanasius after many couragious answeres to the instances of the Emperour he chose rather to be banished than not to defend the iust cause of Athanasius And this his constancie thus much by the waie dyd the Romane women followe who when they had procured the Emperour to call him home agayne vnderstanding that hee should be ioyned in the ministery with Felix who had bin aduanced to his place did with one consent crie out One God one Christ one Bishop and thereupon Felix withdrew himselfe from Rome 13 Basil the great whom Theodoret tearmeth Theod. Eccle. hist l. 4. c. 19 The light of the world shewed the like vertue For when the Emperour Valens an Arrian had expelled the faithfull pastors out of all the Churches and was come to Cesarea in Cappadocia where Basil was Bishop the gouernour of the towne sent for him and hauing honourablie receiued him hee spake louingly vnto him and exhorted him to frame himselfe to the time and not to bring so many Churches into daunger for some small difference in doctrine promising him in the Emperours name all friendship and great benefites But hee stoutly answered that such perswasions were fit for yong men that toke plesure in such things but that such as are brought vp in holy learning cannot indure that one title of the truth shoulde bee endangered yea that they vse not to refuse anie kind of death in defence of the truth And heereupon dyd Denis Bisâ—oppe of Alexandria iustly condemne both the deede of Nouatus who ioyned with those that denyed that there was anie place for repentance or saluation for sinners and his excuse when hee alleadged that hee was inforced and compelled thereto And to this purpose is the Epistle that hee wrote vnto him verie notable Denis wisheth health to his brother Nouatus If thou wert as thou saiest Eusc Ecc.
darknes What concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell And what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols for yee are the temple of the liuing God as God hath sayde I will dwell among them and walke there and I will bee their God and they shall bee my people Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues sayth the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will bee a father vnto you and you shall bee my sonnes and daughters saith the Lorde almightie And in the next Chapter following hee addeth Now therefore beloued seeing wee haue these promises let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite and growe vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God 3 The temple of Ierusalem was called holy because it was not a lodging for men but the house of God wholye dedicated and consecrated to his seruice as were also the vesselles belonging thereto in the same respect called holy Nowe if Baltasar king of Babylon by vsing them in a banquet drinking in them with his princes and concubines dyd prophane them and was for the same soone after rewarded for the same night hee lost both his kingdome and lyfe surely they that shall abandon not the vessels but the temple it selfe and not a temple of stone and of wood but euen theyr bodies and soules that are made the liuely temples of the liuing God to the prophane and filthie vses of the world and the flesh in lieu of dedicating the whole to the holye seruice of God who is with them do most filthily prophane the Temple of God and can expect no other than a most horrible vengeaunce and punishment as the holie Apostle Saint Paule protesteth saying Hee that destroieth the temple of God God will destroie him 1. Cor. 3.17 for the temple of God is holy which you are When a king maketh his entrie into a Towne or Citie hee findeth those streetes where he is to passe made cleane and his pallace hanged howe much rather ought wee whome God chooseth to bee his temple and to make his entrie into vs to bee with vs and to dwell with vs to purifie and cleanse from all filthynesse and vncleannesse and to adorne the place of his habitation with all vertue and holynesse 1. Pet. 1 13 4 Heereunto doth Saint Peter exhort vs saying Gird vp the loines of your minde bee sober and trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ as obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance But as hee that hath called you is holie so bee yee holie in all manner of conuersation because it is written Leuit. 11.44 19. 2 Be ye holie for I am holy Where hee sayeth that the loyns of our minds must be girt hee sheweth that as they that weare long garments when they come in foule wayes doo tucke and girte them vp least they should load them with mire by dragging them through the same so wee whose mindes and affections doo so bend to the earth that they doo euen traile thereupon walking thorough this world full of mire and corruption must tucke them vp toward heauen least they shoulde touch such daungerous and damnable mire from the which we ought wholy to retire and separate our selues that we may be made holy to the Lord. If anie man 2. Tim. 2.21 sayth Saint Paul purge himselfe from these filthinesses and corruptions he shall be a vessell vnto honour sanctified and meet for the Lord and prepared vnto euerie good worke 5 Iesus Christ prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie vs but how Euen by withdrawing vs from the corruptions of this worlde Iohn 17.17 and guiding vs by his spirite to bee consecrated and dedicated vnto him If therefore we grow not in sanctification we do make vaine the prayer of Iesus Christ so farre as it concerneth our selues In the same prayer hee addeth this protestation For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe Iohn 17.19 that they also maie bee sanctified thorough the truth If our sauiour Iesus Christ sanctified and consecrated himselfe to God his father to the ende his holynesse might stretch vnto vs and so in him and by him wee might bee sanctifyed vnto God wee doo falsely boast that hee is Emanuel God wyth vs conioyned and vnited vnto vs and that wee are members of his bodie vnlesse that separating our selues from the corruptions of the worlde and the flesh 1. Cor. 1.30 wee bee sanctified in him and vnto him And in deede if Christ were of God made vnto vs not onely righteousnesse but also sanctification it is in vaine for vs to boast of iustification wythout sanctification for God beeing wyth vs and vnited vnto vs this vnion must of necessitie engender not onelye our iustification in him but also our sanctification by him 6 It is the holy Ghost dwelling in vs that hath conioyned vs with Iesus Christ that hee may bee E anuel God wyth vs For hee sayth the Apostle Saint Paul that hath not the spirit of Christ is not his And as there can bee no fire without warmth or lyght so cannot God bee by his spirite in vs or with vs but hee will also sanctifie and purifie vs from all vice and corruption Rom. 8.9 that hee may consecrate vs vnto God We beleeue the holy Catholike Church Holy I saie because God is with it causing it to participate in his holynesse Wee are not therefore members of this holy Church vnlesse wee also bee holie As lykewise wee adde that wee beleeue the communion of Saintes that is of the faithfull and children of God But falsely and in vaine shall wee beare the name of Saintes or pretende our selues to bee the faithfull and children of God vnlesse that denying the filthynesse and corruptions of the worlde and the flesh wee bee fully dedicated in all purenesse and holynsse to the seruice of God And in deede when the holy Apostle sayeth Ensue peace and holinesse Heb. 12.14 without the which no man commeth to the Lorde Hee aduertiseth vs that holinesse is as it were the bonde betweene God and vs also that without the same we cannot beholde the face of the Lord. 7 This is the will of God saith Saint Paule euen your sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 that is that wee abstaine from whooredome that euerie one of you shuld know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour not in the lust of couetousnes euen as the Gentiles which knowe not God That no man oppresse or defrande his brother in anie matter for the Lorde is auenger of all such thinges as wee also haue tolde yee before time and testified for God hath not called vs to vncleannes but vnto holines 8 Whereas Emanuel commaundeth vs to sanctifie the sabaoth daie hee therein sheweth vs how much his holynes doth bind vs to amend our liues The
it is now vsed among Christians to our great shame and confusioÌ„ where men and women yong men and maides al mixed together doe dance with many gestures of wantonnes vanitie and slippery behauiour whether to the noyse of instruments or of songs for the most part dishonest and seeming only as bellowes to kindle fornication to minister pleasure delight First such dances haue alwaies been either effects or fruits or dependances of great wickednes as Idolatry drunkennes fornication And vsed among such as neuer were led or restrained by the feare of God Among the heathen such feasts as implyed most villanie lewdnesse and dishonestie as those that were dedicated to Bacchus Pan and such like were vsually celebrated for the most part with dancing 1. Cor. 10.7 Eod. 32.6 18.19 Yea euen the Iewes when they had erected the golden Calse and sacrificed thereto sat downe to eate and drinke and rise vp to playe which most interpreters doe referre to dancing As also Moses noteth that comming downe the mountaine he heard the noyse of singing and piping The like is also vsuall in the Church of Rome in their consâ—aries dedications and holy daies wherein they apply themselues to dancing Great feastes likewise and belly cheere are for the most parte accompanyed with this vanitie of dancing wherof is growne this prouerbe After the paunche came the daunce And indeede dauncing is seldome vsed in the morninges or whiles men bee fasting After the Amalekites had sacked Siceleg 1. Sam. 30.16 Basill in his Serm. against drunkennesse and had beene merrie in eating and drinking Dauid sound them dancing And Basill reprouing the dances vsed in his time layeth the blame vpon wine If dances therefore vsually bee the fruites of Idolatrie and drunkennesse who dare aduow the fruite of such trees to be good 2 Well let vs now consider of the dance it selfe The caperings iumpes gambolds turnings windings courtesies paces first forward then backward wheeling about stamping vpon the ground with other like toies follies vanities what els do they represent but the gestures rather of a franticke or mad-man then of a sober person Their skips and wanton friskes doe better beseeme Kids or Gotes as by the tearme of capraying themselues do confesse or rather Apes as a certaine heathen Poet hath noted saying Ouid in his Metam Iupiter being offended with a people that gaue themselues too much to dancing transformed them into Apes Whereby hee declareth vnto vs that such as follow dancing are vnworthie to bee reckoned among men but rather deserue to bee transformed into Apes Also that the heathen and their Gods were of the same opinion But albeit we leaue them the name of men yet are we to esteeme them but as drunken and mad men considering their countenaunces and gestures quite altered from the shape of sober and wisemen And among the Romaines it was an approued sentence that none shoulde dance but such as were either mad or drunke Besides if from a farre off wee shoulde see some companye dancing and leaping and heare no noyse of Musicke or singing we should veryly take them to bee mad-drunken or distraught of their wittes 3 And as for such as being giuen to dancing cannot broke to be thought drunke or besides their wittes yet must they at the least confesse that most of them are led by some pleasures of the flesh which will engender filthy and cursed concupiscence which likewise would induce them to fornication Sueton. in Catelin were it not that God by his power and in mercy doth mightilie restraine them In this respect hath a heathen man tearmed dances the instruments of fornication Others the Deuils baudery as wee shall heereafter perceiue Is it not therfore the shamelesse impudencie and inuention of the Deuill euen among Christians to admit of the erection of publique schooles to teach dancing that is to say to transforme youth into Apes Ouid drunkerds or mad men and to giue precepts how to intise mens harts to lust and fornication The time was when a heathen Emperor banished a heatheÌ„ Poet for writing a litle booke of the Art of loue Yet can we Christians alow of schooles wherin to teach the practise alurements and occasions to draw or bee drawen into fornication But it were rather to be wished that these dancers men or women would carefully apply themselues in the schoole of the holy Ghost which is the heauenly doctrine to study how to forget dancing in such manner that neither it neither any such folly vanity or wantonnes might henceforth be remembred among Christians 4 Now let vs see what is taught in this schoole for the reiecting condemning vtter abolishing of such dances as we speake of together with the memoriall of the same 1. Pet. 43. First S. Peter saith It is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past of the life after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnes lusts drunkennes gluttonie drinkings and in abhommable Idolatries True it is that in expresse words hee saith not Dance not but let the proctors for dances aunswere what he meaneth by wantonnes conioyned to lusts drunkennes Idolatrie Is it not any thing that is repugnant to the modestie sobrietie chastitie required in the children of God And consequently all these sports toyes sollies gamboulds other vanities vsed in dances And doth not experience teach that drunkennesse is vsually accompanied with such insolencie and profane vaine songs And fornication with such villanous speeches songs toyings gestures other lasciuious fashions practised in dances what else are dances therefore but the insolencies fruits pathes and in a maner vnseparable companions both to whoredome drunkennesse And consequently who seeth not that dances and al dependances thereof are by the spirit of God prohibited in that it doth forbid all wantonnesse fornication and drunkennesse 5 If we should adde that dances are signified in the word gluttonie our dancers cannot well alow thereof Yet doth the worde which the Apostle vseth sometime signifie feasts and meetings to be merry in wantonnesse and dissolute gestures and sometime the dances that vsually do accompanie such feasts Which is more the God whom the heathen termed the God of good cheere riot and dances was called by the name of Comus from whence the Grecians as they wel know that vnderstand the tongue haue deriued a verb that signifieth to dance Must we not then confesse that by this word wherby we haue signified gluttonie the holy Ghost forbiddeth dancing meetings for belly cheere and al dissolutions Ephe. 5.11 Rom. 13 1â— S. Paul writing to the Ephesians prohibiteth al coÌ„munication in the vnfruitful works of darknes to the Romains he exhorteth vs to cast theÌ„ off and to put on the garmeÌ„ts of light Who therefore dare place dancing else wher then among the works of darknes rather then of light especially considering this title Vnfruitfull which the Apostle ioyneth with the works of darknes