A01970:52
The dignity of chivalry set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company…The dignitie of chiualrie set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company…
The dignity of chivalry set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company of London, June xiij. 1626. By William Gouge, B. of Divinity and preacher of Gods Word, in Black-friars London.The dignitie of chiualrie set forth in a sermon preached before the Artillery Company of London, Iune xiij. 1626. By William Gouge, B. of Diuinity and preacher of Gods Word, in Black-friers London.
London: printed by George for Ralph Mab, 1626
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Application of this point, 1doth as nearly concern this Artillery Company, as any of the former, both for justification, and also for approbation and commendation thereof. Were our days more halcyon, more quiet, and peaceable then they are, or were they more free from fear of danger then they are, yet were your Artillery exercises lawful, needful, useful. True it is, that they are not in pitched fields, pede pes, & cuspid cuspis, face to face, foot to foot, spear to spear against enemies. They are in a quiet City, in a time of peace among your selves. They are like the Olympian games (instituted by potent and prudent Hercules) and the Isthmian 2sports (ordained by Theseus in imitation of Hercules) as delightsome preparations for War. They are like to the Pyrrhic dancing which was invented 3by Pyrrhus, called armed dancing, ⟨p. 41⟩because it was performed by 4men clad in armour, and warlike dancing, because it was a representation of sundry kinds of battles, and a means to make them well to weld their Armour in War. They are like those War-like sports and pastimes 5which were practised by Cyrus when he was a youth, and by his coequals, and play-fellows. They are delightsome recreations. But what then? Are they therefore not lawful? Or not needful? Or not useful? He is too severe and censorious, and goeth beyond the liberty of Gods Word, that condemneth all recreations, all delightsome pastimes. He is too improvident and imprudent, that conceiveth nothing needful or useful, whereof there is not necessary use in that present and instant time wherein it is used. Were your Artillery exercises only for recreation, they are the best recreations that can be used. Were there at this time no need or use of them, they may be hereafter of absolute necessity. Delight ⟨p. 42⟩in the things which men do, swalloweth up the pains that is taken about them, makes men the more diligent and constant in their exercises, and bringeth them to the greater experience and perfection therein. Not only expert soldiers, but experienced Captains also are made by Military recreations used in Artillery Gardens.