much more difficultie then in prose that therby the carelesse mindes of vvanton persoÌ„s might be mooued to read or hear that vvhich othervvise they vvould neuer regarde Learned he hath shevved him selfe in that he hath confuted all obiections and confirmed his ovvne assertions by sufficient aucthoritie of holie scriptures and also by the iudgemeÌ„t both of ecclesiasticall and profane vvriters yea and by the lavves and constitutions made in generall counsailes and in our ovvne parliaments also Receiue thankfully therfore these our brothers labors so godly so painfull and so learned Imbrace veritie vve he not maried to custome but to Christ He neuer said I am custom But thus he hath said I am the vvay the truthe and the life Let vs therfore vvalke in him that vvhen our iourney shal be ended vve may enter vvith him into that endles rest vvherof the rest of the seuenth day is a figure And liue vvith him in that endles life that he hath prepared for vs vvhich God for his mercie sake graunt vs all to doo Amen ⧠Yours in Christe Robert Crowley A Dialogue between Custom and veritie concerning Dauncing and Minstrelsie Custome WHeÌ„ I beholde the discord great bout things of sundry kinde one thiÌ„g aboue the rest there is that runs oft in my minde Some fréend therfore I seek to finde to him the same to showe And it discust betwixt vs two the truthe therof to knowe Ah fréend wel met for one I wisht a matter to dissolue Wherof I greatly stand in dout and oft in minde reuolue Veritie If my small skil in any wise to you may profit bring In honest cause it shall not want therfore declare the thing Custome But first your name I doo demaunde and that the truthe be tolde Euen as you think herein and that you nothing doo with holde Veritie In trueth my name is Veritie the trueth therfore I tel And hate all lyes and flatterie though few doo like me wel Custome For to discourse my cause you are the chéefst that could be found For Custome I and you the trueth therof shall search the ground The knot that I would haue vntied is in the great dissent Of men conscerning dauncing which hear in haue right iudgement Veritie Your cause is hard to be discust and trueth therin to tel Gets many foes of all degrées Dauncing they like so wel Yet sith that trueth is great and dooth preuaile in spight of all Confirme thy cause if thou haue ought confute the same I shall Custome In this conflict and battel fearce in front shall Scripture be As Armor strongst that thou therwith dismaid the rest maist flée Sam. 6 26 That princely Prophet Dauid eke and king of Israell Did leap and daunce before the Arke as sacred Scriptures tell Veritie That noble king and man of God before the Arke did spring With dauncing leapes with all his hart but for no worldly thing But praisd the Lord which had him set on royall seat as King And eke because the mightie Ark they back again did bring And Micol which this humble king Sam. 6 2 did rashly scoffe and scorne Had this rewarde that of her womb no Childe at all was born Custome When Dauid Victor did return Sam. 18. and great Goliah kild With songes the women with daunce did méet him in the féeld Veritie They sung daunst and musick made not for their fleshly lust But for to sée that Giant quaild and lye now dead in dust Which did before blaspheme their God and sore their harts afright But ah alas in these our dayes in this daunce few delight Custom Exod. 15.20 Miriam Aarons sister and the women daunced and ioyd When Iewes did paue the sea as land and nothing them annoyed Veritie The cause of mirth as was before for that the Lord did saue His owne and did his foes all drown with waters surging waue Custome Likewise when Iephtha Captain stout with triumph home did fléet His daughter sole with Timbrell shril and daunces him did méet Also when Iudith had cut of proud Holofernes head Iudg. 11.34 The women daunced and in that dance she all the women led Veritie In bréef to these as to the rest Iudith 15. â— 13 this onely I reply To Iewes a common vse it was to ioy at victory â—uk 13.25 Because with musick daunce and song they praysd the high Gods name Ougt be no cloke for filthy rimes or wanton daunces shame Custome But what to that Saint Luke to vs dooth showe in Gospel plain When the lost Childe and prodigall returned home again His parents made great mellodie glad daunsing eke was heard I déem therfore that men may mirth and plesant daunce regarde Veritie Ah wher 's the parent that dooth daunce or mirth for his cause make To sée his sonne leaue his lewd life and wicked waies forsake Our custome is clene contrarie we laugh and mery be To sée them wanton proud vnchaste and liue in lechery And practice that which dooth vs make to stinck before the Lord For which except we doo repent we shall be clene abhord Custome The woord of God you wrest a wry to make your cause séem right From it I flée and for defence wil run to reasons might Veritie Gods Gospell and his woorthy woord I neither wrest nor wring But as the text wil teach all those that wil attend reading Turn to the bookes weigh wel the woords where these recorded be That I the truthe hearin haue tolde moste plainly shalt thou sée TheÌ„ dauncing dames delight falles down in Gods woord hath no stay Now let vs heare what reasons reach too saue the same can say Custom First reason saith that daunces neat cause many men to catch A faithful wife with whome too liue yf they can wisely watch Veritie A woorser way who can deuise an honest Spouse to choose Then at such foolish fantasies where lewd life they doo vse Gods book bid'th man vse other meanes Pro. 31.30 if wife he minde to wed That she haue better qualities then traces fine to tread The Virgins vertues let him vieu if viewed he doo minde Tob. 4.12 In honest sort let him demaund chaste mariage may them binde Her Parents paths eke let him prye what life they long haue led What law they looue how they haue their tender babes vp bred Let parents in this case consent so better may they thriue A wary way he ought to woork which dooth begin to wiue What godly properties should prooue her fit to be thy mate Of sacred scriptures counsaile learne This cause they doo debate Where one by dauncing dooth obtain a spouse that may him make Twenty doo make deer fréends their foes while wiues they rashly take For making one and that by chaunce let many not be mard Let men therfore those honest meanes in wedding wiues regard Custome Again while they doo tread their trace and lightly leap about They from their mindes vaine fansies and
for all that come to play And minstrels for the dauncing dames and youths that goe so gay Yf they some larned men would haue to teach their ghestes what gaine They haue by Christ his birth and death and take them selues some paine To heare the same Christyde aright then should these men obserue And while they féed the body not suffer the soule to sterue But ah alas this séems to men agréeuous charge to be Then to procure by whome we may the light from darkenes sée To further their saluation what so men doo bestowe They count a charge but nothing déer for that which bringeth wo. Like vnto Esops cock God graunt we may not fooles remain Before the péerlesse pearle of price Stil to prefer the grain Custome SoÌ„e think when weddinges feast is kept where many men doo méet That youthful yéers in plesant daunce may nimbly mooue their feet Veritie That feast is signe that man hath chosen 1. Cor. 7.2 a wife so to liue chaste To vnchaste and adulterous life vain dauncers other haste For this estate of mariage men should praise and thank the Lord Those fleshly wicked woorkers of them ought clene to be abhord When man and wife doo firmly ioyne and faithful promise make Oh let not vs like faithlesse whoores our husband Christe forsake Custome If daunce with sinne be so replete and vertues shine doo dim Mens wits of late are very quick and they in knowledge swim For dauncing hath béen long in vse mong men of learned skil They found no fault but thought it wel why then count you it il Veritie Gods gifts they are not tide to time nor any age of men He powers them foorth when he thinks good bothe how to whom and when Iob. 32.7 Long custome ought to be no rule Ma. 5.21 Ier. 6 1â— therby our liues to frame Except it be the way of trueth then may we vse the same By multitude your argument if you doo minde to prooue Bothe God and godlynes alwaies the smaller sort doo looue Noe and his familie were few saued in pinetrée Ark When all the world beside for sinne were drownd with waters dark When iust Lot and his daughters two were sau'd from firye slame The Sodomits and many were consumed with the same Elyas séemd alone to be sinne then did so abound And to be short in number few the Godly haue béen found The way that leads to life is straight and few therin doo trace Brode is the way that leads to hell there many run their race â—â—c 1.4 â—ech 20. Our Fathers steps and multitude to follow we denay â—xod 23.2 â—su 24.25 Where they from law of God haue erd Els follow them we may Though soÌ„e which séem Clerks of great skill and others to excell with dauÌ„cing holde against Gods woord they may not beare the bell Though other all one far surpasse yet being but a man If from right way he tread a wry we may not follow than Respect of persons set aparte and iudge with vpright minde Whose proof on woord of God is ground and therto doo incline The Scribe and the proude Pharise was thought a learned wight And Christe vnlearned yet in déed Christe had the trueth and light Philosophers were counted wise and Paule a foole was thought Yet Paule said trueth and taught them Christe which hath vs déerly bought Let not the lofty countenaunce of men whom many praise Nor noble birth nor worldly welth dasle thine eyes alwaies Let woord of God the tuchstone be and not the face of men To trye who hath in this discourse the trueth set down with pen. If that the noble Berreans Acts. 17.11 or such like now did liue They rightly would discusse this cause and best to trueth would giue If by right rule of Gods good woord this cause might squared be Such trifling daunces clene abhord then shortly should we sée Custome Though this thy parte thou hast wel proou'd that it dooth firmly stand From dauncing yet I wil not yéeld nor giue thée vpper hand Though all my proof thou hast disproou'd and I no proof can bring This shift I haue say what thou wilt I wil beléeue nothing Veritie Sith thou art froward and selfwild gainst trueth and reason bent To talk with them whom reason ruleth a while is mine intent God hath with reason you indued let reason yéeld to right With equall ballance weigh this cause and in the trueth delight Of sundrie sorts of daunce we read and eke wherof it sprung But we wil talk of that which dooth to this discourse belong plato lib. 3. de legibus There is a daunce calld Choria which ioy dooth testify An other called Pyrricha which warlike feats dooth try For men in armour gestures made and leapt that so they might When néed required be more prompt for publique weal to fight An other instituted was for onely pleasures sake Which fleshly foolish is and vaine Solinu this daunce should no man make Some from Sibilles priestes affirm this dauncing first did spring Some from the Préests of Mars some from Hiero Sicil king Some say from Ethniks olde it came Polid. Viirgil de inuen â—â—tam lib. 2. cap Rodolph Gualtetâ— in Mar. 51. ca. 6. Chrisost mat hor but Chrisostom dooth tel How that this daunce did first procéed from Sathan Prince of hel Theffects cannot be good that from such causes doo procéed Therfore I wish all godly men of this to take great héed All kinde of daunce is not misliked but men should vse it wel By gift of God in ioynts of man Agillitie dooth dwel In comely manner if he mooue apt measures if they trace With mean in time without offence it is a séemly grace As songes so daunces may be vsed to praise Gdds holy name So Dauid daunst and many mo and we may doo the same Psal 148 For as almightie God hath made all things his praise to tell So chéefly man who o'er the rest on earth as king dooth dwell For mortall man with reasons might high things to comprehend God hath indued that his good Lord to knowe he should attend What he in inward hart dooth knowe and constantly beléeue Other to tel a tung he hath but God the praise to giue As tung and voyce so members all Gods woorthy praise to sound In sundrie sort created were â—sal 15â— as is in Scripture found The Princely Prophet dooth prouoke with sound of Trumpet shrill With pleasant lute and warbling harp and pipe that plaieth not il With Cimbals loud dauncing swift By all meanes that we can Our gracious God to magnify before the face of man But in this daunce this must we note that men should daunce alone And eke the women by them selues thus seperate eche one When Dauid dauÌ„ced no womeÌ„ dauÌ„ced with him as scriptures tel No men did daunce with Miriam if thou doost mark it wel When Iephthas daughter did with dauÌ„ce her Father méet
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