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…

First for rejoicing at the feast of Pentecost, that the comforter came down in the visible form of fiery cloven tongues: what other joy is better & meeter, then ⟨image 11⟩the comforter him self requireth? and what is that joy be showeth by the mouth of his servant James, saying,¹ is any among you afflicted? let him pray▪ is any merry? let him singe. And what he should singe, he declareth by the pen of his ready writer the Apostle Paul, saying:² Speak unto your selves in Hims and Psalms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody, to the Lord in your hearts. More over if we will rejoice for the coming of the holy spirit, what other rejoicing is so good and meet for a Christian, as that Primitive and first rejoicing at his visible dissension? what decenter order, what goodlier and godlier exercise, then the Apostles and the religious multitude gathered together out of many Nations to serve the Lord, kept at that feast of Whitsuntide? We rejoice (we say) and we gather our selves together out of many towns: but in what order rejoice we and to what end flock we so fast together? in no such order, to no such end (the Lord knoweth) as those Apostles and Apostles Disciples bid. The Apostles when the day of Pentecost was come,³ were all with one accord in one place, and were ⟨image 12⟩filled with the holy Ghost: the people wondered at the wonderful working of the spirit: the Apostle Peter painfully preached the word of God, the people heard him and constantly continued in the Disciples doctrine. The Apostles ministered the supper of the Lord (so much signifieth to us the breaking of bread) the people accompanied them in that godly fellowship. And to be brief both Apostles and people persevered together in prayer, in gladness, and in singleness of heart. Mark this manner of gladness and tell me whether ours in respect hereof be not mere madness. We are together but full far from one accord, as our daily debates declare: we are filled, not with the holy Ghost, but with strong ale: we come together from diverse places, to serve the Lord? no, to serve our voluptuous pleasures. We preach, but what preach we? the Gospel of Christ, or the sins & abomination of the people,