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…

Hither flock the effects of dancing recorded in Matthew, how the daughter of Herodias skipped in the kings feast, the king toke pleasure in her, whom without shame he could not openly gaze upon: for it was a most evident token of the forbidden marriage & whoredom: for Herod had ⟨image 26⟩taken unto him the wife of his brother, and mother of this damsel: of that dance it followed that John was be headed. Many are misgreeved with us, that we cry out upon dances, as upon things: evil of their nature and prohibited. We again make answer, that things ought not always to be measured, by their nature, but by the disposition and abuse of our flesh: wine, we cannot, deny, of it self is good: yet is it not administered to the sick of the Fever: not in that it is evil, but in that it agreeth not with the body so affected. In Exodus when the people made to themselves a golden calf, which they might worship, they sate down, they eat, they drank, and they rose up to play: In which place to play seemeth to be nothing else then to dance. But that I may not seem singular and alone man in these my sayings and censure, I will annex certain testimonies of the forefathers. Augustine in the sixth Chapter of his book against Petilian, saith: Bishops were evermore wont to punish vain and lascivious dances: but now a days, there be many Bishops not only present at the dances, but dancers themselves with ⟨image 27⟩women: so far are they from correcting this vice. The same Augustine while he expoundeth those words of the .32. Psalm Upon an instrument of ten strings will I singe unto thee: those ten strings he maketh the ten commandments, and when he had said some what upon every one of them, at the last he cometh to the Sabbath: of which it is written, remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day: I say not (saith he) that thou shouldest be so drowned in delicacy, as the Jews are accustomed: for better it is all day to dig, then to dance on the Sabbath, Chrysostom in .56. Homely upon Geneses, entreating of Jacobs Marriage, Marriage (quoth he) have ye heard, but no dancing, which there he calleth Diabolical: and many more matters hath he in the same place, which make for us. And among all the rest be writeth how by dancing, the Bride and Bridegroom are corrupted, and the whole family defiled. Again in his .48. Hom.

Hyther flocke the effects of dauncinge recorded in Mathew, how the daughter of Herodias skipped in the kinges feast, the king toke pleasur in her, whome without shame he could not opēly gaze vppon: for it was a most euident token of ye forbidē marriage & whoredome: for Herod had