A brief treatise, concerning the use and abuse of dancing. Collected out of the…A briefe treatise, concerning the vse and abuse of dauncing. Collected oute of the…

The Apostle calleth a covetous person an Idolater,¹ not because he causeth an Idol to be made and set up, that be might adore and worship the same: but because he serveth Mammon, and who so serveth Mammon, cannot serve God, and who so serveth his riches, when they should serve him, is an Idolater. In like sort, who so leaveth the service of God, to serve his dancing, & who so taketh more delight in the strength of his legs, agility, and ⟨image 7⟩nimbleness of his joints, then in the Gospel of Christ: let the Apostles sentence-judge what he is, and for my part, I say nothing, but that such abuse hath been amongst us. Notwithstanding, if a Christian once creak against these works of the flesh, and with as gentle words & mild means, as possible he may devise, seek to suppress them: When as the very Heathens reprehend it with sharp terms, accounting the users thereof wanton, unhonest, unchaste, unsober, mad, & worthy great reproach: And when the faithful fathers going somewhat rounder to work, call it devilish, with other like phrases, as appeareth in the Tract following: with cheese colours, when these men blaze these abuses: if now a days, I say, one do but cypher, he is sure straight ways to be assayed with the Pharisees weapons: either with over curious reasons of mans device, impertinent and wrested places of Scriptures, frivolous and fruitless questions: or if these prevail not, then with injurious and unjust slanders: first for the first sort, to touch only those, either unremembered, or as it is more likely not at all uttered in mine Authors days, ⟨image 7⟩or at least those, which he not upon want of knowledge, but upon hope he had wrote enough (as in deed enough for any reasonable man) wittingly (as it seemeth) omitted. To touch these I say, their chiefest arguments they would fain fetch from the examples of the godly men and virtuous women. How say ye (say they) by Jephthah's deer Daughter?² met not she her Father with Timbrels & dances? by the noble Judith? led not she the dance her self? by the pitiful father? had not be melody, and dancing in his house, for joy his dead son was revived? these you cannot deny were virtuous people, and these their doings virtuous. But good it is, yea, our bounden duty it is, to follow the footings of our Forefathers in their virtuous actions: