Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A06390
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A dialogue between custom and veritie concerning the vse and abuse of dauncing and minstrelsie
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Lovell, Thomas.
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1581
(1581)
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STC 16860; ESTC S109641
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21,954
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68
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of Christe we Christians be and with his spirit lead The flesh we ougth to crucyfy and vnto sinne be dead For if that raging lusts doo rule and in vs mortall reign Though plesant hear a while it séem it wil be to our paine Vain pleasures of the world doo passe but their reward is sure Luk. 16 2â— Which is the second death in hel for euer to indure Custome Sith dauncing is so daungerous and of sinne such a sinck Of minstrells which doo cause the same I would hear what you think Veritie Musick mislike I not at all musicions may play In time and measure if it be gainst them nothing I say But minstrelles which go comonly about from town to town Wheron their calling for to build haue but a sandy ground With vs the law of man dooth not their kinde of life maintain In sacred scripture dooth therof no proof at all remain If neither law of man nor God dooth minstrels life vpholde That it is built on sandy ground to say I may be bolde Custome A thing is quickly said but not so soon by reason prooued Prooue that you say and then I graunt minstrels should be remooued Veritie Anno Eliâ—abeth 14. They are accounted vagarant roges by act of Parliament What reason why they should not then like Roges to Iaile be sent The Roges doo lead an idle life moste minstrels doo the same The Roges doo beg from house to house moste minstrels vse that game Though clenly they doo cloke the same vnder pretence of sport Yet cunningly they money craue all men can this report In other poynts aswel as these I might them bothe compare Wherin they rightly doo agree but that I doo them spare Except they doo belong to men which are of high degree As in that act by woords set down expressly we may sée To such I think but few of these vain Pipers doo pertain To men so graue a shame it were fond Fidlers to maintain A great disgrace it were to them their cloth abrode to send Vpon the backs of them which doo their life so lewdly spend And as for those that shrowded are vnder the cloth of men Which haue not licence so to doo I may set down with pen. Their cloth cannat exempt them from the note of rogish name Which term is not of my deuise the act dooth giue the same Therfore if they doo think this name to sharp and hard to be Vpon the Statutemakers let the blame light not on me Custome The lawes of this our Realm I sée the minstrels vse deny Whether the woord of God forbid the same I pray you try Veritie The woord of God wil not allow men any trade to vse Ephe But that which good and honest is the euil we must refuse Moste minstrels by vngodly meanes there maintenaunce obtain What euil a peny to possesse to doo wil they refrain Their instruments if you respect they vse them to intise Wilde youth olde age which should be graue oftimes to practise vice Therby they call yung men maides togither on an heap In wanton and lasciuious daunce vnchristianly to leap On Saboth dayes which God coÌ„mauÌ„ds vs holyly to kéep To hear and read and search his woord his honor for to séek 〈◊〉 5â— 1 Euen then doo we dishonor him then doo we our own wil Then moste we practise wicked woorks which God forbiddeth still The minstrels with their Mermaides sound doo so bewitch lewd youth That they prefer the deuilish daunce before the wholsom trueth From minstrels which doo cause such evil to Church they wil not come To learn the Catachisme of true Religion the some But out of Church at Tabrets sound bothe olde and yung haue run In haste before the reading of Gods woord hath quite béen doon This to be true I dare affirm for I them not â— doo knowe Why minstrels then should be denayd Good cause there is I trowe Their singing if you doo regard it is to be abhord It is against the sacred woord and Scripture of the Lord. As fountain at one place saith Iames bothe water salt and swéet Ia. 3.10 11 Dooth not send foorth for natures course denyeth that to be méet So godly blessing to proceed and deuilish blasphemy Out of one mouth in no wise ought this sinne dooth God deny But this doo minstrels clene forget some Godly songs they haue Some wicked Ballads and vnméet as companies doo craue For filthies they haue filthy songs for bandes lasciuious times For honest good for sober graue songs so they watch their times Among the loouers of the trueth Ditties of trueth they sing Among the Papists such as of their godlesse legend spring And as with mouth they thus apply them selues to euery kinde Of men to doo the same by déeds they be not far behinde With modest men they modest be with sober they be graue With lewd and naughtie companie they also play the knaue For he that cannot give and iest vngodly scof and trump Is thought vnméet to play with pipe on Tabret or to thump The minstrels doo with instruments with longs or els wish iest Maintain them selues but as they vse of these naught is the best Sith then the mean is nought wherby they doo their liues maintain The woord of God dooth not allow that such vse should remain Custome Though thou thy saying hast confirmd and minstrels vse doo seem Against the woord of God to be yet many men doo déem That by their godly songs ther dooth much porfit oft arise For some by them instructed are how to be godly wise And soÌ„e from that which minstrels sing a great deale more wil beare Then when of godly Preachers they a learned sermon heare Therfore if you doo stil deny the singing I may say You are an enemie to that which teacheth the right way But all men ought that to estéem with might and main vpholde Which teacheth good therfore I think to sing they may be bolde Veritie Where one by minstrels godly songs dooth learn an honest race To run ten times so many learn to practise sinne a pace Be wicked songs which they doo vse for such they practise more And we are apter vnto sinne then vnto vertues lore Again what office to instruct haue they not publikely In Church they are not of the woord calld to the ministrie Ne doo they vse the order of priuate instruction Where by all men eche other teach Christes true religion For that is fréely to be doon without respect of gain But gain remooue and to instruct the minstrels take no pain Sith publique office they haue none instruction to vse And priuate order as it should be they séem to refuse And seeing many more by them are hurt then taught aright Directly I conclude in them men should not so delight If I should graunt that many be therby instructed wel Yet that they should stil practise it â—ark 1.24 d 5. 7 I may it thus refel The
deuils confessed that they knew Iesus the holy one Of God to be and of the same high God to be the sonne The deuiles said true héerin and some héerby might haue béen taught To knowe bothe God the Father and the sonne which hath vs bought The maid possessed with the spright of diuination Said Paule and other taught the way of mans saluation Act. 16.17 And that they were the seruants of the moste high God abooue And so they were this many might haue moou'd the trueth to looue Yet Christe the deuils to silence put and cast them out of man And would not suffer them to speak what they did knowe him than Paule cast the spright out of the maid and took it gréeuously That she though true it was indéed of them did testify The learned yéeld this reason why Christe and his Seruant Paule Cast out the deuil because he sought héerby no good at all But craftyly he went about by telling trueth to get Credit with men the better to insnare them in his net And this perswade them if he could that there agréement was Betwéen the deuils and liuing God 1. Cor. 10 which cannot come to passe â—or 6.14 â— And béeing once in credit he might all the euil he could Deuise performe men to destroy and neuer be controlde The Lord the mischéefs did preuent which after might ensue By Sathans sleights wherby in fine to men great profit grew For that they were deliuered from Sathans subtil wile Wherby vnder pretence of good he sought them to beguile The deuil the same is now as then his purpose is all one In minstrels singing godly songs he long about hath gon Therby such credit he hath got that now say what he wil Though handy wicked blasphemous the same he may say stil For wanton and lasciuiouse rimes are cloked vnder mirth And blasphemies go vncontrolde though they be Sathans breth And why forsooth because these men some Godly songs doo sing All must be good nothing refused that from the deuil dooth spring Thus Sathan by permission his purpose hath obtaind Because so long vncasten out in men he hath remaind These mischéefs therfore to redresse the course of them to stay Is sathan to cast out of men this is the redy way The Lord for this this meane hath left the preachers with the woord Must sharply Sathanists rebuke the Magistrates with swoord If these togither ioyned be the deuil for feare wil quake And out of men run to the Swine and haste to hellish lake The cause why men remain possest as yet with this foule sin Is men to execute their charge straine curtuÌ„e to begin The yunger post it to the olde the olde with custome drownd For vertue vice for mirth doo take oft Sathans deadly sound The minister that magistrates should first begin doo look The magistrates by ministers that Sathan first be strook But nether strike So Sathan hath his pleasure and his will His whistle doth deceiue the birds and them for euer kill But ministers and magistrates that such sins should remoue Ezech. 3.18 aâ—d 33.6 Heb. 13.17 And too neglect for these mens blood shall giue account abooue To God whom custom multitude Nor yet the face of man May mittigate but they for this shall feel his anger than If this could sinck into our heads and take root in our hart It would constrain vs wittingly not from Gods law to start But Oâ— mens eares are dul to hear their harts more hard then stone Nothing can pearce their lothsome liues to cause them to bemone God make vs fleshly harts not woorks of flesh to put in vre And therin print his holy lawes for euer to indure If all things you doo bear in mimde which I rehearsed haue I think you wil to prooue my cause no farther reason craue Custome Thy proof is firm no more I craue but yet I meruail much That learned men in former times gainst minstrels brought no such Veritie When learned wights in time of olde blamde dauncers fond delight Héerof which are the cause against vain minstrells they did write By name therfore again to thee I wil not them rehearse This may suffise a godly minde therfore I end my verse Custome God graunt I Custome leue my course and may be calld to grace To yéeld to trueth and not cause men to liue in sinful race That I by length of time and long continuance of ill May not perswade the simple sort The same to practise stil But that I which in time began may yéeld to him that was Before all time is and shal be when all things els shall passe Veritie Me for that which is sayd and prooued let no man rashly spight Not gainst right vse but the abuse of things hath been my fight God graunt his spirit may quicken vs good frute our trées may bring We may not fall in firye lake where dooth no mercy spring God graunt our noble Quéen may reign long time with happy dayes To purge out clean all popish dregs to godlines great staies That godly magistrates may strike and good lawes straightly vse That deuilish sin they sharply scourge that men may vice refuse And that bothe Prince and magistrates and Subiects by Gods grace After this life may rest in heauen all Christians dwelling place FINIS