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…

We communicate, and what do we communicate, the supper of ⟨image 12⟩the Lord? nay that were to sad a matter for so merry a time, and it would let much good sport. But we communicate many idle words, many unseemly jests, I will say no more for sparing you. So that this unchristian behaviour of ours showeth us to celebrate the feast rather of Bacchus then of the holy Ghost. Secondarily for the maintenance of the Church, there are other and better means then this, as you your selves right well know. Oh, but you must consider, (will they say) that they would not give at all were it not to this end. Now truly, better well spared then so evil spent: and as for the reparations of the Church,¹ King Joas showeth a seem liar order, & though this law be abolished, yet have our own laws provided the like: use that a Gods name, and as for this unlawful & wicked way, let it serve the synagogue of Satan, for the Temple of the Lord was at no time by the godly, by these ungodly ways upholden. Thirdly for banishing idle thoughts out of your children's & servants minds, who worketh this way, drowneth a fish in the water, & putteth out a lamp with oil, as plainly appeareth both by that ⟨image 13⟩which goeth, before and that which cometh, after. These are one sort of the Weapons, the other (as I said) are slanders, wherewith they entreat them which reprehend these abuses, much after the manner the Libertines entreated Stephen. When Stephen replete with the holy Ghost disputed against certain Libertines Cyrenians, ²Alexandrians, and Cilicians, they not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which be spake, suborned false witness, who testified they hard him says that Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place and change the ordinances which Moses gave them? and thus moved they the Scribes, the elders▪ and the people against him.

We communicate, and what doo we cumunicat, the supper of ⟨image 12⟩the Lord? nay that were to sadde a matter for so mery a time, and yt woulde let much good sport. But we communicate many idle words, many vnseamely iests, I wyll say no more for sparing you. So that this vnchristian behauiour of ours sheweth vs to celebrate the feast rather of Bacchus then of the holy Ghost. Secondarily for the maintaynance of the Church, there are other and better meanes then this, as you your selues right wel knowe. Oh, but you must consider, (wyll they say) that they would not giue at all were it not to this ende. Nowe truely, better well spared then so euill spent: and as for the reperations of the Church,