The Anatomie of Abuses Contayning A DISCOVERIE OR BRIEFE Summarie of such Notable Vices and Imperfections as now raigne in many Christian Countreyes of the Worlde but especiallie in a verie famous ILANDE called AILGNA Together with most fearefull Examples of Gods Iudgementes executed vpon the wicked for the same aswell in AILGNA of late as in other places elsewhere Uerie Godly to be read of all true Christians euerie where but most needefull to be regarded in ENGLANDE Made dialogue-wise by Phillip Stubbes Seene and allowed according to order MATH 3. ver 2. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hande Lvc. 13. ver 5. I say vnto you saith Christ except you repent you shall all perish ¶ Printed at London by Richard Iones â—â—â—â—aij 1583. To the Right Honorable Phillip Earle of Arundell Phillip Stubbes wisheth helth of body soule fauour of God increase of Godly honour reward of laudable vertue and eternall felicitie in the Heauens by IESVS Christ. NOBILITAS Patriae DECVS THE Lord our God right honorable hauing by the power of his word created Heauen and Earth with all thinges what soeuer for the comfort and vse of Man the last of all other euen the sixt daye made Man after his owne similitude and likenesse that in him he might be glorified aboue all other Creatures And therfore wheras in making of other thinges he vsed onely this Woord FIANT be they made or let them be made when he came to make Man as it weare aduysing himselfe and asking councell at his wisdome he said FACIAMVS HOMINEM let vs make Man that is a woÌ„derful Creature and therfore is called in greek MICROCOSMOS a litle world in himself And truely he is no lesse whether we consider his spirituall soule or his humaine body For what Creature is theare vppon the face of the Earth comparable to man either in body or in mind what creature hath a soule immortall inherent in his body but onely Man what Creature can forsee things to come remember things past or iudg of things present but onely man what Creature beareth the ymage of God about with him but Man what Creature is made so erect to behould the Heauens as man What Creature may be likened to man either in proportioÌ„ of body or gifts of the soule And finally what Creature hath the promise of the resurrectioÌ„ glorificatioÌ„ of their bodies of eternall life but onely Man Than seeing the Lorde hath made Man thus glorious and preferred him in euery degree before al other Creatures the Angelicall Creatures set a part it is manifest he hath done it to some end purpose namely that he might be glorified in him and by him aboue all other his works according to the measure of his integritie excellency and perfection And hereby we may learn that it is the will of GOD that we bend all our force to the aduauncing of his glorious Name the edification of his People and the building vp of his Church which he hath redemed with the bloud of his deare Sonne Which thing mee think is notably figured foorth vnto vs in the .25 of EXODVS wher the Lord commaunded Moyses to build him a Tabernacle or howse of prayer to this end and purpose doubtles that therin his lawe might be read his Ceremonies practised Sacrifices Victimates Holocaustes offred and his glorious Name called vppon and obeyed To the erection wherof euery one conferred some what some brought gold some siluer some brasse lead tinne other brought silk purple skarlet and other ornaments and the meanest brought some what namely skins heare sand lyme morter wood stone and such like Euen so right honorable would the Lord haue euery one to conferre some what euen such as he hath to the building of his spirituall howse the Church purchased with the bloud of Christ. Wherfore seeing it is so that euery one is to further this spirituall building to his possible power I haue rather chosen with the simplest and meanest sort to bring though but heyre sand skins lyme morter wood or stones than altogether to contribute nothing Not doubting but that the chief Maister and Builder of this howse Christ Iesus will not dislike but accept of my poore contribution no lesse than he did of the poore wydowes Mite to whom was imputed that she had cast more in Gazophilatium Templi into the treasury of the Temple than all the rest for what she wanted in effect that she supplyed in affect And for that also the Lord our GOD committing his taleÌ„ts to euery one whether more or lesse not onely requireth of vs the same againe simply but also as a straight computist demaundeth interest and gaine of euery one of vs for that not only he is a murtherer a Homicide before God who slayeth or killeth a Man with materiall sword but he also vho may preuent the same and will not And not onely he is guiltie of haynous transgression that committeth any euill really but also he who consenteth to it as he doth who holdeth his peace or he who by any means might auoid it and either for negligence wil not or for feare of the world dare not Therfore albe it that I haue receiued but one poore taleÌ„t or rather the shadow of one yet least I might be reproued with that vnprofitable Seruaunt for hyding my small talent in the Earth not profiting therwith at all either my self or others I haue adueÌ„tured the making of this litle treatise intituled The Anatomy of Abuses hoping that the same by diuyne assistance shall somewhat conduce to the building of this spirituall howse of the Lord. And although I be one most honorable Lord that can do least in this Godly course of life palpable barbarisme forbidding mee so much as once to enter into Wysdomes school yet for that somewil not for feare of losing worldly promotion though in the meane tyme they lose the Kingdome of Heauen Other some dare not for displeasing the world I say for these semblable causes together with the zeale and goodwill I beare vnto my Countrey and feruent desire of their conuersion and amendement I haue taken vpon me the contryuing of this book Which GOD graunt may be with like plausible alacritie receiued as with paines and good will I haue published it for the benefit of my Cuntrey the pleasure of the Godly and amendement of the wicked And I doubt not that as none but the wicked and peruerse whose gawld backes are tutched will repyne against mee so the Godly and vertuous will accept of this my labour and trauaile herein whose gentle fauour and goodwill shall counterpoyse and farre surmount with mee the maligne stomacks and stearn countenances of the other After that I had right honorable fully perfected this booke I was minded notwithstanding both in regard of the straungenes of the matter it intreateth of and also in respect of the rudenesse of my penne to haue suppressed it for euer for diuerse and sundrie
the destruction of many thousands But haue you a lycence from the Arch-iustice of peace Christe Iesus If you haue so you may be glad if you haue not for the Worde of GOD is against your vngodly exercyses and condemneth them to Hell than may you as rogues extrauagantes and straglers from the Heauenlye Country be arrested of the high iustice of peace Christ Iesus and be punished with eternall death notwithstanding your presented liceÌ„ces of earthly men Who shall stand betwixt you and the Iustice of GOD at the daye of Iudgement Who shall excuse you for drawing so manye thousandes to Hell shall the Iustices of peace shall their licenses Oh no For neither ought they to graunt anye licencens to anie to doo hurt withall neither if they would ought any to take them Giue ouer therfore your Occupations you Pypers you Fidlers you minstrelles and you musitions you Drummers you Tabretters you Fluters and all other of that wicked broode for the blood of all those whome you drawe to destruction thorow your prouocations and intysing allurementes shalbe powred vppon your heads at the day of Iudgement but hereof enough and perchaunce more than will like their humour Spud. Is it not lawfull vppon the Sabaoth daye to playe at Dice Cardes Tables Bowles Tennisse and suche other pleasaunt exercyses wherein Man taketh pleasure and delight Cards Dice Tables Tennisse Bowles and other exercyses vsed vnlawfully in Ailgna Philoponus THese be no Sabaothlike exercyses for any Christian man to follow any day at all much lesse vppon the Sabaoth daye which the Lord wold haue to be consecrat to himselfe and to be spent in holy and Godly exercyses according to his will As for cards dice tables bowls tennisse and such like thei are furta officiosa a certeÌ„ kind of smooth deceiptfull and sleightie thefte wherby many a one is spoiled of all that euer he hath sometimes of his life withall yea of body and soul for euer And yet more is the pitie these be y e onely exercyses vsed in euery mans howse al the yeer thorow But specially in Christimas tyme there is nothing els vsed but cards dice tables masking mumming bowling such like fooleries And the reason is they think they haue a commission and prerogatiue that time to do what they lust and to folow what vanitie they will But alas do they thinke that they are priuiledged at that tyme to doo euill the holier the time is if one time were holier than another as it is not the holier ought their workes to be Can anie time dispense with them or giue them libertie to sin No no the soule which sinneth shall dye at what time so euer it offeÌ„deth But what will thei say Is it not Christmas must we not be mery truth it is we ought both than and at all tymes besides to be merie in the Lord but not otherwyse not to swil and gull more that time thaÌ„ at any other time not to lauish foorth more at that time than at another times But the true celebratioÌ„ of the Feast of christmas is to meditat and as it were to ruminat vppon the incarnation and byrthe of Iesus Christ not onely that time but all the tymes and daies of our life and to shewe our selues thankeful to his Maiestie for the same Notwithstanding who is ignorant that more mischiefe is that time commâ—â—ted than in all the yéere besides what masking and â—umming wherby robberie whordome murther and what no tis committed what dicing carding what eating and drinking what baÌ„queting and feasting is than vsed more than in all the yéere besydes to the great dishonor of GOD and impouerishing of the realme Spud. Is it not lawfull for one Christian to play with another at anye kinde of game or to winne his monie if he can Philo. To play at tables cards dice bowls or the like though a good Christian man will not so ydlely and vainely spend his golden dayes one Christian with another for their priuat recreations after some oppression of studie to druie awaye fantasies and suche like I doubt not but they may vsing it moderatly with intermâ—ssion and in the feare of GOD But to play for lucre of gaine and for desire onely of his Brothers substaunce rather than for any other cause it is at no hand lawfull or to be suffered For as it is not lawful to robbe steale and purloine by deceit or slaight so is it not lawfull to get thy Brothers goods from him by â—arding dicing tabling bowling or any other kynd of thefte for these playes are no better nay worser than opeÌ„ theft for opeÌ„ theft euery Man can be ware of but this being a craftie pollitick theft and coÌ„moÌ„ly don vnder preteÌ„ce of Fréendship few or none at all can beware of it The commaundement saith thou shalt not couet nor desire any thing that belongeth to thy Neighbour Now it is manifest that those that playe for monie not onelye couet their Brothers monie but also vse craft falshood and deceit to wyne the same The Apostle forbiddeth vs to vse deceipt in bargaining in buying or selling much lesse than ought we to vse deceipt in gaming Our Sauiour Christ biddeth euery man do to an other as he would another should do vnto him Which rule if it weare dulie obserued weare sufficient to withraw men both from all kynd of gameing and also from all kynd of indyrect and vniust dealing For as thou woldest not that another man should winne thy money so thou oughtest not to desire the winning of his for thou must do as thou wouldest be done by Spud. If gameing for money be so vnlawfull wherfore are there howses and places appointed for maintenance of the same Philo. That excuseth not the fault but aggrauateth it rather And truely great pitie it is that these brothel howses for so I call all gaming howses are suffred as they be For are they not the very seminaries and nurseries of all kynd of abhomination whatsoeuer heart can thinke or tongue expresse And therfore I marueile y â— those who keep and maintaine these gaming howses can euer haue light hearts or once to looke vp towards Heauen y â— not onely suffer this manifest theft in their howses for gaming is no better but also maintaine and nourish the same The Apostle saith not onely they that doo euill digni sunt morte are worthie of death but also qui consentiunt facientibus those who consent to them that do it Call to mind than what euills come of this wicked excercyse I beseeche you For doth not swearing tearing and blaspheminge of the Name of GOD doth not stinkinge Whordome Thefte Robberie Deceipt Fraude Cosenage fighting Quareling and sometymes Murder doth not pride rapine drunkns beggerye and in fine a shamefull end followe it as the shadowe doth follow the body Wherfore I will not doubte to call these gaming howses the slaughter howses the
what setting foorth of fucate deceiuable wares is not there frequeÌ„ted what lying swering forswering drunkennes whordom theft soÌ„etimes murther either there or by y e way thither is not euery where vsed In courtes 〈◊〉 what enuie malice hatred is nooâ—rshed what expostulation railing scoulding periuring reperiuring is maintained what opression of y â— poore what fauouring the rich what iniustice indirect dealing what bribing deceiuing what poling pilling is there practised it would make a christiaÌ„ hart to bléed in beholding it And yet notwithstanding we must haue these goodly pageaÌ„ts played vpon y â— sabaoth day in a wanion because there are no mo daies in y â— wéek And heerby y â— sabaoth is coÌ„taminat Gods woord contemned his coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts disanulled his sacrameÌ„ts coÌ„culcate his ordinaÌ„ces neglected in suÌ„ma his blood trod vnder féet and all mischéef maintained The Lord cut of these with all other sin both from their soules and thy Sabaoth that thy name may be glorified thy Church truely edified Spud. Is y â— playing at football reding of mery bookes such like delectations a violation or prophanation of the Sabaoth day Ph. Any exercise which w tdraweth vs from godlines either vpon y e sabaoth or any other day els is wicked to be forbiden Now who is so grosly blinde y t seeth not y t these aforesaid exercises not only w tdraw vs from godlines vertue but also haile allure vs to wickednes and sin for as coÌ„cerning football playing I protest vnto you it may rather be called a fréendly kinde of fight then a play or recreation A bloody and murthering practise then a felowly sporte or pastime For dooth not euery one lye in waight for his Aduersarie séeking to ouerthrowe him to picke him on his nose though it be vppon hard stones in ditch or dale in valley or hil or what place soeuer it be hée careth not so he haue him down And he that can serue y e most of this fashion he is counted the only felow and who but he so that by this meanes somtimes their necks are broken soÌ„etimes their backs sometime their legs sometime their armes sometime one part thurst out of ioynt sometime an other sometime the noses gush out with blood sometime their eyes start out and sometimes hurt in one place sometimes in another But whosoeuer scapeth away the best goeth not scotfrée but is either sore wouÌ„ded craised and bruseed so as he dyeth of it or els scapeth very hardly and no meruaile for they haue the sleights to méet one betwixt two to dashe him against the hart with their elbowes to hit him vnder the short ribber with their griped fists and with their kâ—ées to catch him vpon the hip and to pick him on his neck with a hundered such murdering deuices and hereof groweth enuie malice raÌ„cour cholor hatred displeasure enmitie and what not els and sometimes fighting brawling contention quarrel picking murther homicide and great effusion of blood as experience dayly teacheth Is this murthering play now an exercise for the Sabaoth day is this a christian dealing for one brother to mayme and hurt another and that vpon prepensed malice or set purpose is this to do to another as we would wish another to doo to vs God make vs more careful ouer the bodyes of our Bretheren And as for the reading of wicked Bookes they are vtterly vnlawfull not onely to bee read but once to be named that not onely vpon the Sabaoth day but also uppon any other day as which tende to the dishonour of God deprauation of good manners and corruption of christian soules For as corrupt meates doo annoy the stomack and infect the body so the reading of wicked and vngodly Bookes which are to the minde as meat is to the body infect the soule corrupt y e minde hailing it to distruction if the great mercy of God be not present And yet notwithstanding whosoeuer wil set pen to paper now a dayes how vnhonest soeuer or vnséemly of christian eares his argument be is permitted to goe â—orward and his woork plausibly admitted and fréendly licensed and gladly imprinted without any prohibition or contradiction at all wherby it is growen to this issue that bookes pamphlets of scurrilitie and baudrie are better esteemed and more vendible then the godlyest and sagest bookes that be for if it be a godly treatise reproouing vice and teaching vertue away with it for no man almost though they make a floorish of vertue and godlynes will buy it nor which is lesse so much as once touch it This maketh the Bible the blessed Book of God to be so little estéemed That woorthie Booke of Martyrs made by that famous Father excellent Instrument in God his Church Maister Iohn Fox so little to be accepted and all other good books little or nothing to be reuerenced whilst other toyes fantasies and bableries wherof the world is ful are suffered to be printed These prophaÌ„e schedules sacraligious libels and hethnical pamphlets of toyes bableries the Authors wherof may vendicate to them selues no smal commendations at the hands of the deuil for inuenting the same corrupt mens mindes peruert good wits allure to baudrie induce to whordome suppresse vertue erect vice which thing how should it be otherwise for are they not inueÌ„ted excogitat by Belzebub writteÌ„ by Lucifer liceÌ„sed by Pluto printed by Cerberus set a broche to sale by the infernal furies themselues to y e poysning of the whole world But let the InueÌ„tors the liceÌ„sors the printers the sellers of these vaine toyes and more then Hethnicall impieties take heed for the blood of all those which perish or take hurt thorow these wicked bookes shalbe powred vpon their heads at the day of iudgement and be required at their hands Spud. I pray you how might al these inormities and Abuses be reformed For it is to small purpose to shew y e abuses except you shewe withall how they might be reformed Philo. By putting in practise and executing those good lawes wholsome sanctions and Goldy statutes which haue béene heretofore and daily are set foorth and established as GOD be thanked they are manie The want of the due execution wherof is y e cause of all these mischiefs which both rage and raigne amongst vs. Spud. What is the cause why these lawes are not executed as they ought to be Philo. Truely I cannot tell excepte it be thorow the nigligence and contempt of the inferiour Magistrates Or els perhaps which thing happeneth now and than for money they are bought out diffranchised and dispensed withall for as the saying is quid non pecunia potest what is it but money will bring to passe And yet notwithstanding shall it be don inuisibly in a clowde vnder benedicite I speake it the Prince being borne in hand that the same are daliâ— executed This fault is the corruption of
beware for Cain repented yet is he condemned Esau did repent yet is he condemned Antiochus did repent yet is he condemned Iudas did repent yet is he condemned with infinite moe And why so Because their prolonged repentaunce sprange not of faith c. Thus they may sée that euerye light affection is no true repentance And that it is not ynough to say at the last I repent I repent For vnles it be a true repentaÌ„ce indeed it is worth nothing But indeed if it weare so that man had liberuÌ„ arbitrium free wil of himself to repent truely when he wold and that God promised in his word to accept of that repentance it weare another matter But repentance is donum Dei the gifte of God de sursum veniens a patre luminum comming from aboue froÌ„ the Father of light therfore it is not in our powers to repent when we will It is the Lord y t giueth the gift when where to whom it pleaseth him of him are we to craue it incessantly by faithfull prayer not otherwise to presume of our owne repentaÌ„ce when indeed we haue nothing lesse than a true repentance Spud. Than thus much I gather by your words that as true repentance which is a certen inward grief and sorrow of the heart coÌ„ceiued for our sinnes with a hatred and lothing of thesame erueth to saluation thorow the mercie of GOD in Christ so fained repentance saueth not from perdition And therfore we must repent dayly and howrely and not to deferre our repentaunce to the last gaspe as many doo than which nothing is more perilous Philo. True it is for maye not he be called a great Foole that by deferring and prolonging of repentance to the last cast as they say will hazard his body and soule to eternall damnation for euer Wheras by daily repentaunce he maye assure him selfe both of the fauour of GOD and of life euerlasting by faith in the mercy of GOD thorow the most precious blood of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour and Redemer to whome be praise for euer Spud. Now must I néeds say as the Wyse King Salomon said all things are vaine and transitorie and nothing is permanent vnder the Sonne the workes of men are vnperfect and lead to destruction their exercyses are vaine and wicked altogether Wherfore I setting apart all the vanities of this lyfe will from hencefoorth consecrate my selfe to the seruice of my GOD and to follow him in his Woord which onely is permanent and leadeth vnto life And I most hartelie thanke the Lord God for your good Company this day and for your graue instructions promising by the assistance of God his grace to followe and obey them to my possible power all the daies of my life Philo. God giue you grace so to do and euery Christen man els and to auoid all the vanities and deceiuable pleasures of this life for certenly they tread the path to eternal destruction both of body and soule for euer to as many as obey them For it is vnpossible to wallowe in the delights and pleasures of this World and to lyue in ioy for euer in y e Kingdom of Heauen And thus we hauing spent the daye and also coÌ„summate our iorney we must now depart beseaching GOD that we may both meete againe in the Kingdome of Heauen there to raigne and lyue with him for euer through Iesus Christe our Lorde to whome with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour glorie for euer more Amen FINIS Flying fame oftentimes lyeth The place wher the Authour hath trauayled Trauailing chargeable The causes that moued the author to take this trauaile in hand The differeÌ„ce betwixt a maÌ„ the hath trauayled and a man that hath not The benefite of a good Companion to trauayle withall A request to auoid offeÌ„ce Ailgna a goodly cuÌ„try The people of Ailgna The liues of the people of Ailgna From wheÌ„ce all euilles spring in maÌ„ We ought to haue no dealing with the workes of the flâ—sh The day of Dome not regarded Euery Man must answer for him selfe The mutuall harmonie of one member with an other No maÌ„ born for himselfe The number of Abuses infinite All sinne in it owne nature is mortall The greatest abuse which offendeth god most is pride Pride the begyning of all euill ECCLES 10. What is it but pride dares attempt it Pride is three fold pride of the hart pride of the mouth and pride of apparell What pride of the hart is PHILAVTIA How pride of wordes or of the mouth is committed How pride of apparel is perpetrate coÌ„mitted A decorum to be obserued Our apparell rather deformeth than adorneth vs. No Cuntrey so drunken with pride as Ailgna Other countreyes not to be blamed though they go in silkâ— veluets and why Other Countryes esteme not so muche of silkes veluets as we do Euery man may weare apparell according to his callinge The nobility may weare gorgiouse attyre and why Maiestrats may were sumptuouse attyre why Not lawfull for priuate subiectes to weare sumpâ—â—ous attyre Hard to know a Gentleman from another by apparell Wherfore the lord made riche ornamentes Wherto riche ornamentes do serue When where and for what cause our appâ—rell was geuen vs. The fall of man by the malice of the deuill Impudenâ— beasts Wherfor our apparell was geuen vs. Mens bodies lyuing sepulchres In our apparell we ought rather to oby necessity than to feed vanity AdaÌ„ his meankind of attire was a â—igne 〈◊〉 mediocrity vnto vs â—n our â—pparell No religion reposed in apparell The fruite of Pride The Lord accepteth no man after his apparell No attyre can make the creature of God seeme fayrer Euery one is to contente him selfe with his creation and to prâ—yse God for it The Lord ouâ— God is a consuming fire to destroy all impenitenâ— siâ—nerâ— The wise will not accept of any after apparell Wisdom not tyed to exteriour pompe of apparell Reuerence due to vertue not to attyrâ— Wherfore man is to be worshiped and had in reuerence Gentilitie without vertue is no geÌ„tilitie The exordium of virtue is the exordium of gentilitie worship and want of the one is the decay of the other No holynes in apparell An argument trimly contryued Vnpossible to take away pride except sumptuouse apparell be taken away also Apparell and pride combined togetheas mother daughter Vnpossible not to be proud of rich attyre The Godly haue euer detested pride of apparell The verie hethen haue coÌ„temned sumptuouse apparell Testimonieâ— of hethen people who derided richâ— attire Virtue is the comlyest ornameÌ„t of all Dioâ—ines his â—suerity The example of a Philosopher deriding the pompe 〈◊〉 World The exaÌ„ple of a Philosopher who spat in the kings face ProbatioÌ„ that the former world hath contemned pompouse attyre Elias Elizeus Samuell The children of Israell Iohn Baptist. Peter The humility and pouertie of Christe vppon earth Superfluitie of apparell With dyuersitie
of his truth aboue all other Landes in the world yet is there not a people more abrupte wicked or peruerse liuing vpon the face of the earth Spud. From whence spring all these euills in man for we sée euerie one is inclined to sin naturally and there is no fleshe which liueth and sinneth not Philo. All wickednes mischiefe and sinne doubte you not brother Spud. springeth of our auncient ennemie the Deuill the inâ—eterate corruption of our nature and the intestine malice of our owne hearts as from the originals of all vncleannes impuritie whatsoeuer But we are now newe creatures and adoptiue children created in Christ Iesus to doe good woorkes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in Wherefore wee ought to haue no fellowship with the workes of darknesse but to put on the armour of light Christ Iesus to walke in newnesse of life and to worke our saluation in feare and trembling as the Apostle saith and our sauiour Christ biddeth vs so work as our workes may glorifie our heauenlye Father But alas the contrarie is most true for there is no sinne that was euer broached in any age which florisheth not nowe And therfore the fearfull daie of the Lord cannot be farre of at which day all the World shall stand in flashing fier and than shall Christ our Sauiour come marching in y â— clowdes of heauen with his Taratantara sounding in each mans eare arise you Dead and come to iudgement and than shall the Lord reward euery Man after his owne workes But how little this is esteemed of how smally regarded to coÌ„sider it greeueth me to the very harte and there is almost no life in mee Spud. It is but a follie to greeue at them who sorowe not for them selues Let them sinck in their owne sinne lyue well your selfe you shall not answeare for them nor they for you Is it not writen vnusquisque portabit suuÌ„ onus Euery one shall beare his own burden Anima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur y e soule that sinneth shall dy wherfore surcease to sorow or greeue any more for them for they are such as the Lord hath cast of into a reprobat sence preiâ—dicat opinion preordinat destruction that his power his glorie and iustice may appeare to all the World Philo. Oh brother ther is no christeÌ„ maÌ„ in whose hart shineth scintillula aliqua pietatis any sparke of God his grace which will not gréeue to sée his brethren sisters in the Lord members of the same body coheyres of y e same kingdom purchased with one the same inestimable price of Christ his bloud to runne thus desperatlie into the gulphe of destruction and laberinth of perdition If the least and meanest member of thy whole body be hurt wounded cicatriced or brused doth not the hart and euerie member of thy body feele the anguish and paine of the grieued parte seking endeuouring them selues euery one in his office calling to repaire the same and neuer ioying vntill that be restored again to his former integritie perfection Which thinge in the balance of Christian charity consideratly weighed may mooue any good Man to mourn for their defection and to assay by all possible means to reduce them home again that their soules maie be saued in the daye of the Lord. And the Apostle commandeth vs that we be alter alterius emolumento an ayde and helpe one to an other And that we do good to all men dum tempus habemus whylest we haue tyme. To wéepe with them that weepe to mourne with them that mourne and to be of like affection one towardes an other And common reason aduertiseth vs that wee are not borne for our selues onelie for Ortus nostri partem patria partem amici partem parentes vendicant Our Countrey challengeth a part of our byrth our brethren and frendes require an other parte and our parentes and that optimo iure doe vendicate a third parte Wherefore I will assay to doe them good if I can in discouering their abuses and laying open their inormities that they séeing the gréeuousnes of their maladies daunger of theyr diseases may in time seeke to the true Phisition expert Chirurgion of their soules Christ Iesus of whome onelie commeth all health grace and so eternally be saued Spud. Séeing that so many and so haynous sinnes do raigne and rage in Ailgna as your wordes import and which mooue you to such intestine sorrowe and griefe of minde I pray you describe vnto me more perticularly some of those Capitall crimes and chiefe Abuses which are there frequented and which dishonour the maiestie of God the most as you suppose A particuler description of PRIDE the principall Abuse and how manifold it is in AILGNA PHILOPONVS YOu do well to request me to cipher foorth vnto you parte of those great Abuses and Cardinall Uices vsed in AILGNA for no man in anie Catalogue how prolixe soeuer is able to comprehend the summe of all abuses there in practise And whereas you woulde haue mee to speake of those Capitall or chiefe Abuses which both are deadly in their owne nature and which offende the maiestie of God moste Mée thinke you shake hands with the sworne enemies of God the Papistes who say there are two kindes of sinne the one veniall the other lethall or deadly But you must vnderstand that there is not the least sinne that is committed eyther in thought woorde or déede yea Vae vniuersae iustitiae nostrae si remota misericordia iudicetur Wo be to all our righteousnes if mercie put away they should bee iudged but it is damnable dempta misericordia Dei if the mercie of God be not extended And againe there is no sinne so gréeuous which the grace and mercy of God is not able to counteruaile withal if it bee his pleasure to blot it out for euer So y t you see now there is no sinn so venial but if the mercie of God be not stretched out it is damnable nor yet anie sinne so mortall which by the grace and mercie of God may not bee done away And therfore as we are not to presume of the one so wee are not to despaire of the other But to returne againe to y e satisfying of your request The greatest abuse which both offendeth god moste is there not a little aduaunced is the execrable sinne of Pride and excesse in apparell which is there so ripe as the filthie fruits thereof haue long since presented themselues before the throne of the maiestie of God calling and crying for vengeance day and nighte incessantly Spud. Wherfore haue you inteÌ„ded to speak of Pride the first of all geuing vnto it the first place in your tractation Because it is euill in it selfe and the efficiente cause of euill or for some other purpose Philo. For no other cause but for that I thinke it to bee not onely euill
the Lord ordeane these riche ornaments and gorgiouse vestments to be worne of all men or of anie so muche as to garnish bewtifie and set forth the maiesty glorie of this his earthly kingdome For as cloth of gold Arase tapestrie such other riche ornameÌ„ts pendices and hangings in a house of estate serue not onely to manuall vses and seruyle occupatioÌ„s but also to decorate to bewtifie become the house and to shewe the riche estate and glorie of the owner so these riche ornaments and sumpteouse vestments of the earthly territory of this World do not onelie serue to be worn of them to whome it doth appertaine as before but also to shew forth y e power welth dignity riches and glorie of the Lord the Author of all goodnesse And here in the prouidence and mercy of God appeareth most plainelye for wher there is store of other clothing there hath he geuen lesse store of silks veluets satens damasks and such like and wher there is plenty of them there is no clothing els almost thus the Lord did deale for that euery cuntrey ought to contente themselues with there owne kind of attyre except necessytie force the contrarie for than we are to vse our libertie in the feare of God Spud. I praye you let mee intreate you to shewe me wherefore our apparell was giuen vs and by whome Philo. Your requeste is both diffuse and intricate and more than my weake and infirme knowledge is able to comprehend yet least I might bee adiudged vnwilling to doe good I will assay to doe the best I can When the Lord our God a spiritual intellectible vnderstanding substance incomprehensible immensurable inaccessible had by his woord and heauenly wisedome Christ Iesus created and made y e world all things therin contayned y e sixte day he created man after his own similitude and likenes in innocencie holines righteousnes all kind of perfection he placed him in Paradise terestrial coÌ„maunding him to tyl manure y e same ThaÌ„ y e deuil an old maligner of mankind who before was an Angel in heaueÌ„ through sin of pride in arrogating to himselfe y e seate throne of Gods maiesty cast down into y e lake of hell enuyingâ— mans glorious estate which he than had lost came vnto man in Paradise inticed him oâ—â— torteouse serpent to eat of y e forbidden fruite wherof the Lorde God had forbidden him tâ— tast on pain of his life notwithstaÌ„ding Adaâ— condescending to his wife her perswasions oâ— rather to the Serpent hauing buzzed his venemous suggestions into their eares tooke of the apple did eat contrary to y e expresse commandement of his God This done their eyes were opened thei saw their nakednes were not a litle ashamed yet before sin was committed they being both naked were not ashamed but sin once committed they became vncleane filthie lothsome deformed sewed them garmeÌ„ts of fig leaues together to couer their shame withall Than the Lord pittying their miserie loathing their deformity gaue theÌ„ pelts felles of beasts to make them garments withall to the end that their shamefull parts might lesse appeare yet some are so brasen faced so impudent that to make y â— deuill his members sport will not sticke to make open shew of those parts which God coÌ„maundeth to be couered nature willeth to be hid honesty is ashamd once to behold or looke vpoÌ„ Spud. I gather by your words thrée speciall poynts First y t sin was the cause why our apparell was giuen vs. Secondly y t God is the author giuer therof Thirdly y t it was giueÌ„ vs to couer our shame w t all not to féed y e insatiable desires of meÌ„s waÌ„toÌ„ luxurious eies Philo. Your collectioÌ„ is very true Than seeing y t our apparel was giueÌ„ vs of god to couer our shame to kéep our bodies froÌ„ cold to bee as pricks in our eies to put vs in mind of our frailties imperfections and sin of our backslyding from the coÌ„maundements of god and obedience of the highest and to excite vs the rather to contrition and compunction of the spirit to bewayle our misery to craue mercy at y e mercifull hands of God let vs be thaÌ„kfull to God for them be sorie for our sinnes which weare the cause therof and vse them to the glory of our God the benefyte of our bodies and soules against the great day of the Lord appeare But alas these good creatures which the Lord our God gaue vs for the respects before rehearsed we haue so peruerted as now they serue in stead of the deuills nettes to catche poore soules in for euery one now adaies almost couet to deck and painte their liuing sepulchres or erthly graues their bodies I meane with all kind of brauerie what soeuer can be deuised to delight y e eyes of the vnchast behoulders wherby God is dishonored offence is encreased and much sinne daylie committed as in further discourse shall plainly appeare Spud. Did the Lord cloth our first parents in leather as not hauing any thing more preciouse to attyre them withall or for that it might be a permanent rule or patern vnto vs his posterity for euer wherafter we are of force to make all our garments so as it is not now lawfull to go in richer arraye without offendinge his maiestie Philo. Although y e Lord did not cloth theÌ„ so meanly for that he had nothing els more preciouse to attyre them withall for Domini est terra plenitudo eius the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse therof saith the Lord by his Psalmist And by his Prophet Gold is myne siluer is myne and all the riches of the world is my own yet no doubt but he would y t this their meane base attyre should be as a rule or pedagogie vnto vs to teach vs y t we ought rather to walke meanelye and simplye than gorgiously or pompously rather seruing presente necessitye than regarding the wanton appetits of our lasciuiouse mindes Not withstandinge I suppose not that his heauenlye maiesty would that those garments of lether should stand as a rule or pattern of necessytie vnto vs wherafter we shold be bouÌ„d to shape all our apparell for euer or els greeuouslye to offende but yet by this we may sée his blessed will is that we should rather go an ace beneth our degrée than a iote aboue And y t any simple couering pleaseth the Godly so that it repell the colde and couer the shame it is more than manifest as well by the legends both of prophane Historyographers Cronologers and other writers as also by the censures examples and lyues of all Godly since the beginning of the world And if the Lord would not that the attyre of Adam should haue beenâ— signe or patterne of mediocritie vnto vs hâ— both in mercy would in his almighty power could
haue inuested them in silks veluets satens grograins gold siluer what not But the Lord our God foresawe that if he had clothed man in rich and gorgiouse attyre suche is our proclyuitye to sinne he wold haue bene proude therof as we sée it is come to passe at this day God amend it and therby purchase to himselfe his body and soule eternall damnation Spud. Than it seemeth a thinge materiall and of great importaÌ„ce that we resemble our first PareÌ„ts in austerity and simplicity of apparell so muche as maye be possible doth it not Philo. I put no religion in goinge or not goinge in the like simple attyre of our pareÌ„ts Adam Eua as our Papistes Papists no Sorbonists Sorbonists no Atheists atheists no plaine Sathanists do placing all thier religion in hethen garments Romish raggs so that we obserue a meane and exceade not in pride But notwithstanding if we approched a litle nearer them in Godly simplicitie and Christian sobrietie both of apparell and maner of lyuinge we should not onely please God a great deale the more and enritche our Cuntrey but also auoyd many scandals offeÌ„ces which grow daily by our excessiue ryot and ryotouse excesse in apparell For doth not y e apparell styrre vppe the heart to pride doth it not intice others to sinne and doth not sin purchase hell the guerdon of pride Spud. But they say they please God rather than offend him in wearing this gorgiouse attyre for therby the glory of his workmanship in them doth more appeare Besides that it maketh a man to be accepted and esteemed of in euery place wheras otherwise they should be nothing lesse Philo. To think that the Lorde our God is delighted in the splendente shewe of outward apparell or that it setteth forth y â— glory of his Creatures and the maiesty of his kingdom I suppose ther is no maÌ„ at least no perfect christian man so bewitched or assotted For that weare as much as to say that stinking pride filthie sinne tended to the glory of God so that the more we syn the more we increase his prayse and glorye But the Lord oure God is so farre from dilightinge in sinne that he adiudgeth them to eternall Death and damnation that committe the same Than who is he that will take pleasure in vayne apparell which if it be worne but a whyle will fall to ragges and if it be not worne will soone rotte or els be eaten with mothes His wayes are not ourâ— wayes his iudgements not our iudgements as he sayth by his Prophet and wheras they holde that Apparell setteth foorth the glory of his Maiestie in his creatures makynge them to appeare fairer than other wyse they would of themselues it is blasphemously spoken and muche derogateth from y e exellency and glory of his name For saith not God by his prophet Moyses that after he had made all creatures he beheld them all behould they weare and especially maÌ„ the excellentest of all other his creatures whom he made after his own similitude liknesse excedinge good And were all creatures good perfect only maÌ„ not perfect nor faire inough If these their speeches were true which in the fulnesse of their blasphemie they shame not to speake thaÌ„ might we easily conuince the Lord of vntrue speaking who in his sacred word informeth vs that maÌ„ is the perfectest Creature the fayrest of al others y t euer he made excepting the heuenly spirits Angelical creatures after his own liknesse as before O maÌ„ who arte thou that reasonest with thy Creator shall the clay say vnto the potter why hast thou made me thus Or can y â— clay make himselfe better fauored than the potter who gaue him his first stamp proportion Shall we think that stinking pride can make the workmaÌ„shippe of the Lord to seeme fayrer Than why did not the Lord cloth vs so at y e first or at least why gaue he not commaundemeÌ„t in his will testament which he sealed with the price of the bloud of his sonne to cloth our selfes in riche gorgiouse apparel to set forth his glory y e more But away with these dogs hellish haggs who retaine this opinioÌ„ that cursed pride glorifieth God setteth forth or bewtifieth his workmaÌ„shippe in his creatures In vain is it for me to expostulat with them for doubtles noÌ„ hould this but such as be misecreants or deuills incarnate men cast of into a reprobate sence whom I beseech the Lord in the bowels of his mercy either speedely to coÌ„uert that they perish not or els confounde y t they hurte not that peace may be vppoÌ„ Israel Thus hauing sufficiently I trust refelled their false positioÌ„s I leaue them to the Lord beseechinge them as they tender their own saluation linguas coÌ„pescere digitis to stoppe their sacrilegiouse mouthes with ther fingers not to spit against heauen or kicke against the pricke as they do anie longer For the Lord our God is a coÌ„suming fier vpon obstinate sinners shal raine down fire brimston consume them in his wrath This is our portion acquired by sinne Spud. But what say you to the other branch of their conclusion namely that Apparell maketh them to be accepted and well taken in euery place Philo. Amongest the wicked and ignorante Pezants I must néedes confesse they are the more estemed in respect of their apparell but nothing at all the more but rather the lesse amongest the godly wyse So farre of will all wyse meÌ„ be from accepting of any for his gay apparell onely that be he neuer so gallantly painted or curiously plumed in the deceiptfullâ— fethers of pride they wil rather coÌ„temne him a great deale y e more taking him to be a maÌ„ puffed vp with pride and vaine glorie a thing both odiouse detestable to God good men And seeing it caÌ„not stand with the rule of god his iustice to accept or not to accept any maâ— for his apparell or any other externe shew 〈◊〉 deceiptfull vanytie it is manifest that maâ— doinge the contrarie is a Iudas to the truth 〈◊〉 Traytor to iustice an enemy to the Lord 〈◊〉 wherfore farre be that from al good christianâ— and if those that go richely clothed should bâ— esteemed y e rather for their rich apparel thaâ— Ã contrario must those that go in meane anâ— base attire be the more contemned and despised for their pouertie And than should Chrisâ—â—â— Iesus our great Ambassador from the king 〈◊〉 heauen only Sauiour be comtemned for 〈◊〉 came in poore mean array but Christ Iesuâ— is blessed in his pore raggs and all others arâ— coÌ„temned in their rich precious attyre Uâ—â—der a simple cote many tymes lyeth hid greaâ— wisdom knowledg coÌ„trarely vnder braâ—â—◠〈◊〉 somtime is couered great ydiotacy and folly Hereof euery daies successe offreth proofe sufficient more is the pytie Spud.
another and all vnder y â— Maister deuil ruffe the skyrts then of these great ruffes are long and side euery way pleted and creâ—ted ful curiously God wot Then last of all they are either clogged w t golde siluer or silk lace of stately price wrought all ouer with néedle woork speckled and sparkled héer there with the sonne the moone the starres and many other antiquities straunge to beholde Some are wrought with open woork down to the midst of the ruffe and further some with purled lace so cloyd and other gewgawes so pestred as the ruffe is the least parte of it self Sometimes they are pinned vp to their eares sometimes they are suffered to hang ouer their shoulders like windmil sayles fluttering in the winde and thus euery one pleaseth her self with her foolish deuices for suus cuiusque crepitus sibi bene olet as y e prouerb saith euery one thiÌ„keth his own wayes best though they leade to distruction of body and soule which I wish them to take héed of Spud. As in a Camelion are said to be â—all coulours saue white so I think in these people are all things els saue Uertue and christi an sobrietie Proteus that Monster could neuer chaunge him self into so many fourmes shapes as these women doo belike they haue made an obligation with hel and are at agréement with the deuil els they would neuer outrage thus without either feare of God or respect to their weak Bretheren whom héerin they offend Philo. The Women also there haue dublets Ierkins as men haue héer buttoned vp the brest and made with wings welts and pinions on the shoulder points as mans apparel is for all the world though this be a kinde of attire appropriate onely to man yet they blush not to wear it and if they could as wel chaunge their sex put on the kinde of man as they can weare apparel assigned onely to man I think they would as verely become men indéed as now they degenerat from godly sober women in wearing this wanton lewd kinde of attire proper onely to man It is writteÌ„ in the 22. of Deuteronomie that what man so euer weareth womans appareâ—â— is accursed and what woman weareth mans apparel is accursed also Now whether they be within the hands and lymits of that cursse let them sée to it them selues Our Apparell was giuen vs as a signe distinctiue to discern betwixt sex and sex therfore one to weare the Apparel of another sex is to participate with the same and to adulterate the veritie of his owne kinde Wherefore these Women may not improperly be called Hermaphroditi that is Monsters of bothe kindes half women half men Spud. I neuer read nor heard of any people except drunkeÌ„ with Cyrces cups or poysoned with the exorcisins of Medea that famous and renoumed Sorceresse that euer woulde weare suche kinde of attire as is not onely stinking before the face of God offensiue to maÌ„ but also painteth out to the whole world the venereous inclination of their corrupt conuersation Philo. There Gownes be no lesse famous also for some are of silk some of veluet some of grogran some of taffetie some of scarlet and some of fine cloth of ten twentie or fortie shillings a yard But if the whole gowne be not silke or veluet then the same shall be layed with lace two or thrée fingers broade all ouer the gowne of els the moste parte Or if not so as lace is not fine enough sometimes then it must be garded with great gardes of veluet foure or six fingers broad at the least and edged with costly lace and as these gownes be of diuers and sundrie colors so are they of diuers fashions changing with the Moon for soÌ„e be of the new fashion some of the olde some of this fashion and some of that some with sléeues hanging down to their skirts trayling on the ground and cast ouer their shoulders like Cow-tayles Some haue sléeues much shorter cut vp the arme and pointed with silk-ribons very gallantly tyed with true-looues knottes for so they call them Some haue Capes reaching downe to the middest of their backs faced with Ueluet or els with some fine wrought silk Taffatie at the least fringed about very brauely to shut vp all in a word some are pleated ryueled down the back woÌ„derfully with morâ— knacks than I can declare Than haue they Petticots of the best cloth that can be bought and of the fairest dye that can be made And sometimes they are not of cloth neither for that is thought to base but of scarlet grograin taffatie silk and suche like fringed about the skirts with silk fringe of chaungable coloure But which is more vayn of whatsoeuer their petticots be yet must they haue kyrtles for so they call them eyther of silk veluet grograâ— taffatie saten or scarlet bordered with gards lace fringe and I cannot tell what besydes So that when they haue all these goodly robes vppon them women séeme to be the smallest part of themselues not naturall women but artificiall Women not Women of flesh blod but rather puppits or mawmets of rags clowtes compact together So farre hath this cancker of pride eaten into the body of the common welth that euery poore YeomaÌ„ his Daughter euery Husband maÌ„ his daughter euery Cottager his Daughter will not spare to flaunt it out in suche gownes petticots kirtles as these And not withstanding that their Parents owe a brase of huÌ„ndred pounds more than they are worth yet will they haue it quo iure quauè iniuria eyther by hooke or crooke by right or wrong as they say whereby it commeth to passe that one can scarsly know who is a noble woman who is an honorable or worpshipull Woman from them of the meaner sorte Spud. Their parents Freinds are muche to be blamed for suffering them to go in suche wanton attyre They should not allowe them such large pittaÌ„ce nor suffer them to measure their apparell after their own licentious yardes of selfe will and wicked desires Philo. Than shall they be sure neuer to haue good day with them For they are so impudent that all be it their poore Parents haue but one cow horse or shéep they wil neuer let them rest til they be sould to maintain them in their braueries past all tongue can tell And to say the truth some Parents worthie to be inaugured with the lawrell Crowne of triple follie are so buxome to their shamelesse desires and so exorable to their prostitute requests y â— they grauÌ„t to their too too nice daughters more than they can desire themselues taking a singular felicity surmouÌ„ting pleasure in sing them to go plumed and decked in the Feathers of deceâ—ptfull vanity Sp. This ouer great lenitie remisse libertie in the educatioÌ„ of youthe in respect of the euent and
successe in the end maye rather be counted an extrem cruelty than a Fatherly pitie of them towards their children For what maketh them so soone whores strumpets and bawdes as that cockering of them doth What maketh them apt prone to all kind of naughtynesse but this Nothing in thâ— World soe muche For giue a wild horse the libertie of the head neuer so litle and he will runne headlonge to thyne and his owne destruction also So long as a sprigge twist or braunche is yong it is flexible and bowable to any thing a man can desire but if we tarie till it be a great trée it is inflexible and vnbowable If wax be taken whylest it is hote anye character maye be easily imprinted but tarying till it be hard it receiueth no printe at all So correct Children in their tender yeres and you may bow them to what good lore you will your selfe but tarie till they be old than is it to late as experience teacheth daylie Philo. Their neitherstockes in like maner are either of silke gearnâ—ey worsted crewell or at least of as fyne yarn thread or cloth as is possible to be had cunningly knit and curiously indented in euery point wherto they haue korked shooes pinsnets pantoffles and â—â—ippers some of black veluet some of white some of gréene and some of yellowe some of spanish leather and some of English lether â—â—itched with silk and imbrodered with Gold â—nd siluer all ouer the foote with other gewgawes innumerable All which if I should endeuoure my selfe to expresse I might with more facilitye number the sands of the Sea the Starres in the skye or the grasse vppon the Earth so infinit and innumerable be their abuses For weare I neuer soe expreâ—e an Arithmetrician or Mathematician I weare neuer capable of the halfe of them the deuill brocheth soe many new fashions euery day Wherfore to their Author I leaue them not omittinge to tell you by the way as an interim of a certen kynde of swéete Pride vsed amongest the Gentlemen and Gentlewomen in Ailgna Spud. I haue learned out of the Booke of God that all Pride is stincking before the face of GOD wherfore I greatlye desyre to knowe what abortyue Miscreant this is for it is some portenteous mishapen monster I am perswaded Philo. Is not this a certâ—n sweete Pride to haue cyuet muske swéete powders fragrant Pomanders odorous perfumes such like wherof the smel may be felt and perceiued not only all ouer the house or place where they be present but also a stones cast of almost yea the bed wherin they haue layed their delicate bodies the places where they haue saâ—e the clothes and thinges which they haue touched shall smell a wéeke a moneth and more after they be gon But the Prophet Esaias telleth them instead of their Pomaunders musks ciuets balmes swéet odours and perfumes they shall haue stench and horrour in the nethermost hel Let them take héed to it and amend their wicked liues And in the Sommer-time whilst floures 〈◊〉 gréene and fragrant yee shall not haue any Gentlewoman almost no nor yet any droye or pussle in the Cuntrey but they will carye in their hands nosegayes and posies of floures to smell at and which is more two or thrée Nosegayes sticked in their brests before for what cause I cannot tel except it be to allure their Paramours to catch at them wherby I doubt not but they get many a slabbering kisse and paradeuenture more fréendship besides they know best what I mean Spud. You wil be thought very straight laâ—ed to speak against these thinges for I haue heard it said that these swéet smels are bothe corroboratiue to the sences and confortatiue to the spirits and which doo viuiâ—â—e and recreate aswel the body as the minde Philo. They are so far from comforting the braines or lightning the spirits of men that as mystes and exhalations which euaporate from these earthly bodyes and are drawen vp by the attractiue power of the Sun Moon and starres doo rather obnubilate and darken the beames of the Sun not suffering his radiatioÌ„s to disparcle abrode So these in a maner palpable odors fumes vapours smells of these musks cyuets pomanders perfumes balmes suche like ascending to the braine do rather denigrate darken and obscure y e spirit and sences then either lighten them or comfort them any manner of way But howsoeuer it falleth out sure I am they are ensignes of pride allurements to sinne and prouocations to vice After all this when they haue attired theÌ„ selues in the midst of their pride it is a world to coÌ„sider their coynesse in gestures their minsednes in woords and speaches their gingerlynes in trippinge on toes like yong goats their demure â—icitie and babishnes and withall their hawtie stomackes and more than Cyclopicall countenaÌ„ces their fingers are decked with gold siluer and precious stones their wristes with bracelets and armlets of gold and other preciouse Iewels their hands are couered with their swéet washed gloues imbrodered with gold siluer and what not to such abhominatioÌ„ is it grown as they must haue their looking glasses caryed with theÌ„ whersoeuer they go And good reason for els how cold they see the deuil in them for no doubt they are the deuils spectacles to allure vs to pride coÌ„sequently to distructioÌ„ for euer and aboue al things they must haue their silk scarffes cast about their faces fluttering in the winde with great tassels at euery end either of gold siluer or silk But I know wher for they wil say they weare these scarfes namely to kéep them from Sun-burning But I wold aske these Nice lings one question wher in if they caÌ„ resolue mée theÌ„ I will say as they say y â— scarffes are necessary and not flags of pride Can that thing which is moste glorious fair of it self make any thing foule or ilfauored the sun is a most glorious fair creature therfor caÌ„not make theÌ„ fowler then they are of their own nature FroÌ„ whence then is it y â— the Sun burneth them altereth their orient colour into woorser hue The cause therof procéedeth from their own genuine corruptioÌ„ and natural imperfectioÌ„ for no more is their fowlenes to be ascribed to the stelliferous beames of y â— glistering sun then y e stench of a dead carcasse may be said to come of y â— Sun not rather of it own corruptioÌ„ filthines They busie theÌ„selues in preseruing the beautie of their bodyes which lasteth but for a time in time is cause of his own corruptioÌ„ which in effect is nothing els then putrifactioÌ„ it self a dunghil couered with white red but for y â— beautie of y e soule they care nothing at all When they vse to ride abrod they haue inuisories or visors made of veluet wherwith they couer all their faces hauing holes made
liue and soiourne in this vaste wildernes of the worlde but not that they should be instruments of destuction to vs bothe of body and soule And truely they are no lesse when they are takeÌ„ immoderatly without the feare of God And dooth not the impletion and sacietie of meates and drinks prouoke lust as Hiero saith Venter Mero estuans spumat in libidinem the belly enflamed with wine bursteth foorth into lust Doth not lust bring foorth sinne and sin bring foorth death The Childreâ— of Isrâ—el giuing them selues to delicat 〈◊〉 gluttony fel to Idolatrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worshipping stocks stones and deuils in-sted of the liuing God The â—onnes of 〈◊〉 the Priest giuing themselues to daintie 〈◊〉 belly-chéere fell into such 〈◊〉 as the Lord slâ—w them all their father also for that he chastised them not for the same The Children of blessed Iob in midst of all their banquetings ryot were slain by the lord the whole house falling vpon them and destroying them most pitiâ—ully Balâ—hasar king of the Chaldeans in midst of all his good chéer saw a hand writing vpon the wall these woords mene techel uphaâ—sin signifiing y â— his kingdoÌ„e should be taken from him and so it was and he slain the same night by the hand of y â— lord The rich glutton in the Gospel for his riotous feastings proposterous liuing was coÌ„demned to y e fire of hel Our Father Adam with all his of-spring to the end or y e world was coÌ„demned to hel-fire for taking one apple to satisfie his glotonus desire withall Gluttony was one of the chiefest canons wherwith the deuil assaâ—led Christe thinking therby to batter his kingdome to win the féeld for euer yet not withstanding y e greeuousnes héerof the same is thought to be a coutenaÌ„ce a great credit to a maÌ„ in Ailg But true hospitality consisteth not in many dishes nor in sundry sorts of meats the substance wherof is chaunged almoste into accidents thorow their curious cookries which doo help to rot y â— bodies shorten their daies but rather in giuing liberally to the poor and indigent members of Iesus Christe helping them to meat drink lodging clothing such other necessaries wherof they stand in néed But such is their hospitality y â— the poor haue y e least part of it you shal haue 20. 40. 60 yea a C.li. spent in some one house in baÌ„queting festing yet y â— poor shall haue litle or nothing if they haue any thing it is but y e refuge meat scraps patrings such as a dog would scarse eat soÌ„times wel if they can get y â— too insted wherof not a few haue whipping chéerto feed theÌ„ withall it is couÌ„ted but a smal matter for a man that can scarslie dispend fortie pound by the yéer to bestow against one time ten or twentie pound therof in spices And truely so long so gréeuously hath this excesse of gluttonie and daintie fare suâ—ffeted in Ailgna as I feare mée it will spâ—e out many of his Maisters ouâ— of dores before it be long But as some be ouer largeous so other some are spare enough for when any meat is stirring then lock they vp their gates that no man may come in An-other sorte haue so many houses that they visit them once in vij yeer many Chimnies but little smoke faire houses but small hospitalitie And to be plaine there are three cankers which in procâ—sse of time wil eat vp the whole common Welth if spéedy reformatioÌ„ be not had namely daintie Fare gorgious Buildings and sumptuous Apparel which thrée Abuses especially yet not without their cosin germanes doo florish there God remooue them thence for his Christes sake Spud. I had thought that dainty fare good chéer had both noorished y e body perfectly and also proloÌ„ged life dooth it not so think you Philo. Experience as my former intimations you may gather teacheth clean contrary for who is sicklier theÌ„ they that fare deliciously euery day who is corrupter who belâ—heth more who looketh wursse who is weaker and féebler then they who hath more filthie colour flegme and putrifaction repleat with grosse humors then they and to be bréef who dyeth sooner then they Doo wée not see the poor man that eateth brown bread wherof some is made of Rye barlie peason beans oates and such other grosse graines drinketh small drink yea sometimes water feedeth vpon milk butter and chéese I say doo wee not see such a one helthfuller stronger and longer liuing then the other that fare daintily euery day And how should it be otherwise for wil not the eating of diuers and sundry kindes of meats of diuers operations and qualities at one meale engender distemperance in the body And the body distempered wil it not fall into sundry deseases one meat is of hard disgesture another of light whilst the meate of hard disgesture is in concoctiâ—g the other meat of light disgesture dooth putrifie and stink this is the very mother of all diseases one is of this qualitie another of y â— one of this operatioÌ„ another of that one kind of meat is good for this thing another is naught for that Then how can all these contrarieties discripancies agrée togither in one body at one the same time wil not one câ—ntrary impugne his contrary one enemy resist an other Then what wiseman is he that wil receiue allthese enemies into the castle of his body at one time Doo we not se by experieÌ„câ— that they y â— giue theÌ„selues to dainty fare and swéet meats are neuer in helth dooth not their sight wax dim their eares hard of hering their teeth rot fall out dooth not their breth stink their stomack belch foorth filthy humors and their memory decay doo not their spirits and sences becoÌ„e heuie dul by reason of exhalations impure vapors which rise vp in their gingered brests spiced stomacks sumyng vp to y e hed they mortifie y e vitall spirits intellectiue powers dooth not y e whole body become pursie corpulent yea somtimes decrepit therwith ful of all filthy corruptioÌ„ The Lord keep his chosen from the tasting therof Sp. You spake of drâ—keÌ„nes what say you of y â— Phi. I say y e it is a horrible vice too too much vsed in Ail Euery cuÌ„trey citie towne villaged other hath abundaÌ„ce of alehouses taueâ—ns Iâ—nes which are so fraughted with mault-wormes night day that you would wunder to se them You shalâ—haue them there sitting at y e wine and goodale all the day long yea all the night too peraduenture a whole wéek togither so long as any money is left swilling gulling carowsing from one to an other til neuer a one can speak a redy woord Then when w t the spirit of the buttery they are thus possessâ—d a world it is to
ego retribuam Uengeance is mine and I wil rewarde saith the LORD Beléeue mée it gréeueth mée to heare walking in the streats the pitiful cryes and miserable complaints of poore prisoners in duraÌ„ce for debt and like so to continue all their life destitute of libertie meat drink though of the meanest sorte and clothing to their backs lying in filthie strawe and lothsome â—â—ng wursse then anie Dogge voide of all charitable consolation and brotherly comfort in this World wishing and thyrsting after death to set them â—â—â—â—ibertie and loose them from their shackles giues and yron bands Notwithstanding some mercilesse tygers are groweâ— to such barbarous crueltie that they blush not to say tush â—e shall either paye mée the whole or els lye theâ—â— till his héels â—ot froÌ„ his buttâ—â—â—s and before I will release him I will make dâ—ce of his bones But take héed thou Deuill for I dare not call thée a Man leâ—t the Lord say to thée as he said to that wicked Seruant who hauing great sommes forgiuen him wold not forgiue his Brother his small debte but catching him by the throte said pay that thou owest â—ind him hands and feet and â—ast him into vtter Darknes wher shall be weeping and gnashing of téeth An Usurer is worse thaÌ„ a Thief for the one stealeth but for need the other for coueitousnes and excesse the one stealeth but in the night commonly the other daylie and hourely night and daye at all times indifferently An Usurer is worse than a Iew for they â—o this daye will not take anye vsurie of their Brethren according to the lawe of GOD. They are worse than Iudas for he betraied Christ but once made restitution and repented for it though his repentance sprang not of faith but of despaire but these Usurers betray Christ in his meÌ„bers daylie and hourly without any remorse or restitution at all They are wursse then hel it self for it punisheth but only the wicked and reprobate but the Usurer maketh no difference of any but punisheth all alike They are crueller then death for it destroyeth but the body and goeth no further but the vsurer destroyeth both body and soule for euer And to be bréef the Usurer is wursse then the Deuil himself for the Deuill plagueth but onely those that are in his hands or els those whome God permitteth him the Usurer plagueth not onely those that are within his iurisdiction alredy but euen all other without permission of any Therfore saith Ambrose if any man commit vsurie it is extortion rauin pillage and he ought to dye Alphonsus called vsury nothing els then a life of death Lycurgus banished all kind of vsury out of his lands Cato did the same Agessilaus Generall of the Lacedemonians burned the Usurers bookes in the open market places Claudius Vaspatiannus and after him Alexander Seuerus made sharpe lawes against vsury and vtterly extirped the same Aristotle Plato Pythagoras and generally all writers bothe holy and prophane haue sharply inueighed against this deuouring canker of vsury yet cannot we that fain would be called christians auoid it And if it be true that I heare say theâ—e be no men so great doers in this noble facultie and famous science as the Scriueners be For it is sayd and I feare mee too true that there are some to whome is committed a hundred or two of poundes of some more of some lesse they puttinge in good sureties to the owners for the repayment of the same againe with certaine allowance for the loane thereof then come there poore men to them desiring them to lende them suche a som of money and they wil recompence them at their owne desires who making refusall at the firste as though they had it not to acuatâ— the minds of the poore petitioners withall at last they lend them how much they desire receiuing of the poore men what interest assuraÌ„ce they lust themselues and binding them their lands Goodes and all with forfaiture thereof if they fayle of paymâ—nt where note by the way the Scriuener is the Instrument wherby the Diueâ—l worketh the frame of this wicked woorke of Usurie hee beeing rewarded with a good fleece for his labour Fâ—r firste he hath a certaine allowance of the Archdiuel who owes the money for helping him to such vent for his coyne Secondly he hath a greate deale more vsurie to himselfe of him who boroweth the money than he alloweth y â— owner of the mony And thirdly â—e hath not the least part for making the writings betwene them And thus the poore man is so implicate and wrapped in on euerie side as it is impossible for him euer to get out of the briers without losse of all that euer hee hath to the very skin Thus the riche are inriched the poore beggered and Christ Iesus dishonored euerie way God be mercifull vnto vs. De his hactenus Spud. Hauing by the grace of Christe hytherto spoken of sundrie Abuses of that countrie let vs procéed a little further howe doe they sanctiâ—ie and kéepe the Sabbaoth day In godly Christian exercises or els in prophanâ— pastimes and pleasures The Maner of sanctifiyng the Sabaoth in Ailgna Philo. THE Sabaoth day of some is well santified namely in hearing the Word of GOD read preached and interpreted in priuat and publique Prayers in singing of Godly Psalmes in celebrating the sacrameÌ„ts in collecting for y â— poore indigent which are the true vses and ends wherto the Sabaoth was ordained But other some spend the Sabaoth day for the most part in frequenting of baudie Stage-playes and enterludes in maintaining Lords of mis-rule for so they call a certaine kinde of play which they vse May-games Church-ales feasts and wakeesses in pyping dauncing dicing carding bowling tennisse playing in Beare-bayting cock-fighting hawking hunting and such like In kéeping of Faires and markets on the sabaoth In kéeping Courts and Léets In foot-ball playing and such other deuilish pastimes reading of laciuious and wanton bookes and an infinit number of such like practises and prophane exercises vsed vppon that day wherby the Lord God is dishonoured his Sabaoth violated his woord neglected his sacraments contemned and his People meruelously corrupted and caryed away from true vertue and godlynes Lord remooue these exercises from thy Sabaoth Spud. You wil be déemed too too Stoicall if you should restrain men from these exercises vpon the Sabaoth for they suppose that that day was ordained and consecrate to that end and purpose only to vse what kinde of exercises they think good theÌ„selues was it not so Phi. After that the Lord our God had created the world and all things therin contained in six dayes in the seuenth day he rested from all his woorks that is from creating them not from gouerning them and therefore hée commaunded y â— the seuenth day should be kept holy in all ages to the end of the world then
are curiously build and sumpteously adorned which plainly argueth that they rather bestow this drunken got-money vppon prophane vses and their own priuat affaires than vpon the howse of prayer or the temple of God And yet this their doing is wel liked of and no maÌ„ may say black is their eye For why Thei do all things well and according to good order as the say And when time commeth like good accoumptantes they make ther accoumptes as please themselues Sp. Were it not better more consonant to y â— truth that euery one contributed somewhat according to his abilitie to y â— maintenance of templaries oratories thaÌ„ thus to maintaine theÌ„ by drunkeÌ„ churchales as you say thei do Philo. It weare muche better And so we read the Fathers of the old Testament euery one after his abilitie did impart some what to the building and restauration of the Tabernacle which Moyses erected to the Lord. So as in the end there was such aboundance of all things as y â— Artificers consulting with Moyses were glad to request the People to stay their liberalitie for they had more than they knew what to do withall These People made no drunken Church-ales to build their edefice withal notwithstanding their importable charges and intollerable costes But as their zeel was ferueÌ„t and very commendable in bringing to the Church so our zeal is more than frosen blame worthie in detracting froÌ„ the Church and bestowing it vpon whordom drunkennesse gluttony pride and such like abhominations God amend it Spud. How do they solemnise their feastes and wakesses there and what order do they obserue in them The maner of keeping of Wakesses and feasts in Ailgna Philoponus THis is their order therein euery towne parishe and Uillage some at one tyme of the Yéere some at another but so that euery towne parish village kéep his proper day assigned and appropriat to it self which they call their Wak day vse to make great preparation and ordenaunce for good chéer To the which all their Fréends and kyns-folks farre and néer are inuited wher is such gluttony such drunkennesse such saturitie and impletion vsed as the like was neuer séen In so muche as the poore men that beare y â— charges of these feasts and wakesses are the poorer and kéep the Worser howses a long tyme after And no marueil for manie spend more at one of these wakesses than in all the whole yéer besides This makes many a one to thripple pinch to runne into debte and daunger and finallie brings many a one to vtter ruine and decay Spud. Wold you not haue one fréend to visite another at certen tymes of the yéer Philo. I disalowe it not but much commeÌ„d it But why at one determinat day more than at another except busines vrged it why should one and y e same day continue for euer or be distinct from other dayes by the name of a wake day why should there be more excesse of meats and drinks at that day than at another why should they abstaine from bodely labor ij or thrée dayes after peraduenture the whole week spending it in drunkennesse whordome gluttony and other filthie Sodomiticall exercyses Spud. Séeing you allowe of one Fréend to â—isite another would you not haue theÌ„ to congratulat their comming with some good chéer Philo. Yes truely but I allowe not of such excesse of ryot superfluitie as is there vsed I thinke it conuenient for one Fréend to visite another at sometimes as oportunitie occasion shall offer it selfe but wherfore shuld the whole towne parish village and cuntrey kéepe one and the same day and make such gluttonous feasts as they doo And therfore to conclude they are to no end except it be to draw a great frequencie of whores drabbes theiues and verlets together to maintaiâ—e whordome bawdrie gluttony drunkennesse thiefte murther swearing and all kind of mischief and abhomination For these be the ends wherto these feastes and wakesses doo tende Spud. From whence sprang these feasts and wakesses first of all can you tell Philo. I cannot tell except from the Paganes and heathen People who whan they were assembled together and had offred Sacrifices to their wodden Goddes and blokish ydols made feasts and banquets together before them in honour and reuerence of them so appointed the same yéerly to be obscrued in memoriall of the same for euer But whence soeuer they had their exordium certeÌ„ it is the deuill was y e Father of them of drown vs in perdition and destruction of body and soule which GOD forefend Sp. As I remember you spoke of dauncing before inferring y â— the â—abaoth is greatly prophaned therby whereof I pray you shew mée your iudgement The horrible Vice of pestiferous dauncing vsed in Ailgna Philoponus DAuncing as it is vsed or rather abused in these daies is an introductioÌ„ to whordom a preparatiue to wantonnes a prouocatiue to vncleanes an introite to al kind of lewdenes rather than a pleasant exercyse to y â— mind or a holsome practise for y e body yet notwithstanding in Ailg both men wemen childreÌ„ are so skilful in this laudable scieÌ„ce as they maye be thought nothing inferiour to Cynoedus y â— prostitut ribauld nor yet to Sardanapalus that effeminat varlet Yea thei are not ashamed to erect scholes of dauÌ„cing thinking it an ornament to their childreÌ„ to be expert in this noble science of heathen diuelrie and yet this people glory of their christianitie integritie of life Indead verbo tenus Christiani boni vocitentur But vita moribus Ethnicis paganis peiores reperieÌ„tur FroÌ„ y â— mouth outward they may be said to be good Christians but in life maners farre worser than the heathen or Paganes Wherof if they repent not amend it shalbe easier for that Land of Sodoma and Gomorra at the day of iudgement then for them Sp. I haue heard it said y â— dauncing is both a recreation for the minde also an exercyse for the body very holsome and not only that but also a meane wherby loue is acquired Ph. I will not much denie but being vsed in a meane in tyme and place conueniente it is a certeÌ„ solace to the minds of such as take pleasure in such vanities but it is not good reason to say some meÌ„ take pleasur in a thing ergo it is good but the coÌ„trarie is true rather For this is basis veritatis a ground of truth y â— whatsoeuer a carnall man with vncircumcised heart either desireth or taketh pleasure in is most abhominable wicked before god As on the other side what the spirituall man regenerat borne anew in Christ by the direction of God his spirit desireth or taketh delight in is good and according to the will of God And seeing maÌ„s nature is too procliâ—e of it selfe to sinne it hath no need of alluremeÌ„ts allections to sin as
but a very tollerable exercise being vsed moderatly and in y e feare of God And thus though I condeÌ„ne all filthie luxurious and vncleane dauncing yet I condemne not al kind of dauncing generally For certen it is the exercyse it self in it own nature qualitie proprietie though to some it is lawfull to othersome vnlawfull in dyuerse respects is both ancient general hauing been vsed euer in all ages as wel of y e Godly as of y e wicked almost from the beginning Wherfore when I coÌ„demne the same in some my meaning is in respecte of the manifold abuses therof And in my iudgement as it is vsed now a dayes an occupatioÌ„ being made of it and a continuall exercyse without any difference or respect had either to time Person sex or place in publique assemblies and frequencies of People with suche beastlie slabberings bussings smouchings and other filthie gestures misdeameanors therein accustomed it is as vnpossible to be vsed without doing of infâ—nit hurt as it is for a naked Man to lye in the middest of a hote burning fire and not to consume But these abuses with other y â— like as there be legions moe in it being cut of from the exâ—ercyse it selfe the thing remayneth very commendable in some respectes Or els if our daunces tended as I haue said to the setting foorth of GOD his glorie as the daunces vsed in preter time did to draw others to pietie and sanctitie of life and to praise and reioyce in God to recreat y â— minde oppressed with some great toyle or labor taken in true virtue and godlynes I would not being don in the feare of GOD men by them selues and Wemen by theÌ„ selues for els it is not possible to be without sinne much gainstand it But I see the contrarie is euery where vsed to y e great dishonor of God and corruption of good maners which God amend Spud. And wherfore would you haue Men to daunce by them selues and Women by them selues Philo. Because it is without all doubte a prouocation to lust and venery and the fire of lust once conceiued by some irruption or other bursteth foorthe into open action of whoredome and fornication And therfore a certain godly Father saidwel Omnis saltus in chorea est saltus in profundum inferni Euery leap or skip in dance is a leap toward hel Yet notwithstanding in Ailgna it is couÌ„ted a vertue and an ornament to a man yea and the onely way to attaine to promotion aduancement as experience teacheth Spud Notwithstanding for my further instruction I pray you showe mée what Fathers and Councels haue iudged of it and what they haue writ and decréed against it Philo. If I should goe foorth to shew all the inuectiues of Fathers all the decrées of councels and all the places of holy Scripture against the same I should neuer make an end wherfore of many I wil select a few hoping that they wil suffice any reasonable man Syrach saith frequent not the company of a woman that is a singer or a dauncer neither heare her least thou be intrapped in her craftines Chrisostome dylating vpon Mathew saith In euery dance the deuil daunceth by for companie though not visible to y e eye yet palpable to y e minde Theophilus writing vpon Mark y â— sixt Chapter saith Mira collusio saltat per puellam Diabolus This is a wunderful deceit for the deuil danceth amoÌ„gst theÌ„ for company Augustine writing vpon the 32. Psalme saith it is better to digge all the Sabaoth day then to dance Erasmus in his Booke de contemptu Mundi saith Whose minde is so well disposed so stable or wel setled which these wanton dances with swinging of armes kicking of legs playing vpon instruments and such like would not ouercome and corrupt Wherfore saith hée as thou desirest thine owne credit and welfare eschew these scabbed and scuruy companie of dauncers Ludouicus Viues saith amongst all pleasures dauncing and voluptuousnes is the kingdome of Venus and the empire of Cupid wherfore saith hée it were better for thée to stay at home and to break either a leg or an arme of thy body then to break the legges and armes of thy minde soule as thou doost in filthie scuruy dauncings And as in all Feasts and pastimes dauncing is the last so it is the extream of all other vice And again there were saith he from far cuntries certain men brought into our parts of y e world who when they saw men daunce ran away meruelously affraid crying out and thinking theÌ„ to haue béen mad And no meruaile for who seing them leap skip trip like Goates and hindes if hee neuer saw theÌ„ before would not think them either mad or els possest with some furie Bullinger paraphrasting vpoÌ„ Mathew 14. saith After feasting swilling and gulling commeth dancing the root of all filthynes and vncleannes Maister Caluin writing vpon Iob Ser. 8. Cap. 12. calleth dauncing the chéefe mischéef of all mischéefs saying there be such vnchast gestures in it as are nothing els but inticements to whordome Marlorate vpon Mathew saith whosoeuer hath any care either of honestie sobrietie or grauitie haue long since bad adieu to all filthie dauncing No man saith a certaine heathen Writer if hée be sober daunceth except hée be mad Salustius commending Sempronia that renowmed whore for many goodly gifts condemneth her for her ouer great skil in dauncing concluding that dauncing is the Instrument of lecherie Cicero saith a good man would not dance in open assembles though hee might by it get infinite treasure The Councel of Laodecea decréed that it should not be lawful for any ChristiaÌ„ to dance at mariages or at any sollemne feast It an other Councel it was enacted that no man should daunce at any marriage nor yet at any other time The Emperour Iustinian decréed that for no respect in feasts or assemblies there should be any dauncing for feare of corrupting the Beholders and inticing men to sinne Thus you may see bothe Scripture councels and Fathers holy and prophane heathen and other euen all ingenerall haue detested and abhorred this â—ilthie dauncing as the quauemire or plash of all abhomination and therfore it is no exercise for any Christians to followe for it stirreth vp the motions of y e flesh it induceth lust it inferreth â—aâ—drie affoordeth ribaldrie maintaineth wantonnes ministreth oile to y â— stinking lamp of deceitful pride and in summa nourisheth a world of wickednes and sinne Spud Now that the wickednes of it is so manifestly shewed that no man can denie it I pray you who inuented this noble science or from whence sprang it Philo. Héereof there be sundry and diuers opinions for some holde and opinion and very likely that it sprang from the heathen idolatrous Pagans â—nd Infidels who hauing offred vp their sacrifices victimats and holocaustes to their false
but most ruefull to behold did y â— Lord send down from Heauen to shew vnto the whole World how gréeuously he is offended with those that spend his Sabaoth in such wicked exercises In y â— meane tyme leauing his temple desolat and emptie God graunt all men may take warning hereby to shun the same for feare of like or worser Iudgement to come A fearfull Iudgement of GOD shewed at the Theaters THE like Iudgement almost did the Lord shew vnto them a litle befor being assembled at their Theaters to sée their bawdie enterluds and other trumperies practised For he caused y e earth mightely to shak and quauer as though all would haue fallen down wherat the People sore amazed some leapt down froÌ„ the top of y e turrets pinacles and towres wher they stood to the ground wherof some had their legs broke some their arms some their backs some hurt one where some another many sore crusht and brused but not any but they weÌ„t away store affraid wounded in coÌ„science And yet caÌ„ neither y e one nor y â— other fray them froÌ„ these diuelish exercyses vntill the Lorde consume them all in his wrath which God forbid The Lord of his mercie opeÌ„ the eyes of the maiestrats to pluck down these places of abuse that god may be honored and their conscieÌ„ces disburtheâ—ed Besids these exercises thei flock thick thrée fold to y â— cockfâ—ights an exercyse nothing inferiour to y â— rest wher nothing is vsed but swering forswering deceit fraude collusion coâ—enage scoulding railing conuitious talking feighting brawling quarreling drinking whooring which is worst of all robbing of one an other of their goods y â— not by direct but indirect means atteÌ„pts yet to blauÌ„ch set out these mischiefs w tall as though they were vertues thei haue their appointed daies set howrs when these dâ—uelries must be exercised They haue houses erected to y â— purpose flags ensignes hanged outâ— to giue notice of it to others and proclamation goes out to proclaim y e same to thâ—end y â— many may come to the dedication of this solemne feast of mischief the Lord supplant them And as for hawking hunting vpoÌ„ the sabaoth day it is an exercyse vpon y â— day no lesse vnlawful thaÌ„ the other For no maÌ„ ought to spend any day of his life much lesse euery day in his life as many do in such vaine ydle pastimes wherfore let Gentlemen take â—eed for be sure accounts must be giuen at the day of iudgemeÌ„t for euery minut of time â—oth how they haue spent it in what exercyses And let them be sure no more libertie is giuen theÌ„ to mispend an howre or one iote of the Lord his goods than is giuen to the poorest and meanest person y â— liueth vpoÌ„ the face of the earth I neuer read of any in y â— volume of y â— sacred scripture that was a good man and a Hunter Esau was a great hunâ—er but a reprobat Ismaell a great hunter but a miscreant Nemrode a great hunter but yet a reprobat and a vessell of wrath Thus I speake not to condemne hawking and hunting altogether being vsed for recreation now and than but against the continuall vse therof daylie hourly wéekly yéerly yea all the time of their life without intermissioÌ„ And such a felicitie haue some in it as they make it all their ioye bestowing more vpoÌ„ hawkes and hounds and a sort of idle lubbers to followe them in one yéer than they will impart to the poore members of Christ Iesus in vij yéers peraduenture in all the dayes of their life So long as maÌ„ in Paradice persisted in innocency all beasts what so euer we are obedieÌ„t to him and came and prostrated themselues before him But euer since his â—all they haue fled from him disobeyed him because of his sin that séeing he disobeyed the Lord they again disobeied him For so long as man obeied God so long they obeied him but so soone as maÌ„ disobeyed God they disobeyed him becam enemies to him as it were seeking to reueÌ„ge y e iniurie which maÌ„ had don vnto GOD in disobeying his lawes Wherfore the cause why all beasts do fly from vs and are become Enemies to vs is our disobedience to the LORD which we are rather to sorow for than to hunt after their deaths by the sheading of their blood â—If necessitie or want of other meats inforceth vs to séek after their liues it is lawfull to vse them in the feare of God w t thanks to his name but for our pastimes and vain pleasures sake wée are not in any wise to spoyle or hurt them Is he a christian man or rather a pseudo-christian that delighteth in blood Is he a Christian that spendeth all his life in wanton pleasures and plesaunt delights Is hée a Christian that buieth vp the corne of y â— poor turning it into bread as many doo to féed dogs for his pleasure Is hée a christian that liueth to the hurt of his Neighbour in treading and breaking down his hedges in casting open his gates in trampling of his corne otherwise in preiudicing him as hunters doo wherfore God giue them grace to see to it and to mend it betimes ere it be to late for they know mora trahit periculum delay bringeth danger Let vs not deferre to leaue the euil and to doo good least the wrath of the Lord be kindled against vs and consume vs from of the vpper face of the Earth Spud What say you to kéeping of Markets of Fayres Courtes and Léetes vpon y â— Sabaoth day Think you it is not lawful to vse the same vpon any day Philo. No truely for can you serue God the deuil togither can wée carrie to God and ferrie to the deuil can we serue two Maisters and neither offend the one nor the other can wée serue God and Mammon can wée please God and the world bothe at one time The Lord wil not be serued by péecemeale for either he wil haue the wholeman or els none For saith he Thou shalt looue the Lord thy God with all thy soule withall thy minde withaâ—l thy power withall thy strength and so foorth orels with none at all Then séeing that we are to giue ouer our selues so wholely and totally to the seruice of God al y e daies of our life but especially vppon the Sabaoth day being consecrate to that end we may not intermedle with these prophane exercised vpon that day For it is more then manifest y â— these faires markets courtes and léetes vpon the Sabaoth day are not only a hinderaÌ„ce vnto vs in the true seruice of God and an abuse of y â— Sabaoth but also lead vs the path way to hel For what cosonage is not there practised what falshod deceit fraude is not there exercised what dissimulation in bargaining
those that are put in trust to sée theÌ„ executed as I haâ—e tould you and notwithstanding do not Spud. This is a great corruption Abuse doubtles and worthie of great punishment Ph. It is so truely for if they be good lawes tending to the glorie of GOD the publique weale of the Cuntrey and correctioÌ„ of vices it is great pytie that money should buy them out For what is that els but to sell vertue for lucre Godlynes for drosse yea mens souls for corruptible money Therfore those that sell them are not onely Traitors to GOD to their Prince and Countrey but are also the Deuils Marchants and ferrie the bodies and soules of Christians as it were in Charons boate to the Stigian flood of Hell burning with fire and brimstone for euer And those that buy them are Traitors to GOD their Prince and Countrey also For if the lawes were at the first good as GOD he praised al the lawes in Ailgna be why shuld they be suppressed for money and if they were euill why were they diuulged but had rather béene buried in the wombe of their Mother before thy had euer séene y e light And why were lawes instituted but to be executed Els it were as good to haue no lawes at all the People lyuing orderly as to haue good lawes and theÌ„ not executed The Prince ordeining a law may lawfully repeale adnull the same againe vâ—oÌ„ speciall causes considerations but no inferiour maiestrat or subiecte what so euer may stop the course of any lawe made by the Prince with out daunger of damnation to his owne soule as the Word of GOD beareth witnesse And therfore wâ—â—e to those men that will not execut the sentence of the lawe being so Godly and so Christian as thei be in Ailgna vppon Malefactors and Offenders Uerely they are as guiltie of their blood before GOD as euer was Iudas of the death of Christe Iesus Spud. Séeing it is so that al flesh hath corrupted his way before the face of God and that there is such abhomination amongest them I am perswaded the daye of Iudgement is not farre of For when iniquity shall haue filled vp his measure than shall the end of all appeare as Christ witnesseth in his Euangelie Philo. The day of the Lord cannot be farre of that is most certen For what wonderfull portents strang miracles fearful signes and dreadfull Iudgements hath he sente of late daies as Preachers fortellers of his wrath due vnto vs for our impeniteÌ„ce wickednes of life Hath he not caused the earth to treÌ„ble and quake the same Earth to remooue from place to place the seas and waters to roare swell brust out and euerflow their bankes to the destruction of many thousands hath he not caused the Elements and Skyes to send foorth flashing fire to raine downe wheat a wonderfull thing as euer was heard and the like hath he not caused wonderfull Eclypses in the Sunne and Moon with most dreadfull coniunctions of Starres and Planets as the like this thousand yeeres haue not béen heard of haue not the clowdes distilled downe aboundance of rayne and showres with all kinde of vnseasonable wether to the destroying almost of al thinges vppon the Earth haue we not séene Commets blasing starres firie Drakes men feighting in the ayre most fearfully to behold Hath not dame Nature her selfe denied vnto vs her operation in sending foorth abortiues vntimely births vgglesome monsters and fearfull mishapen Creatures both in man beast So that it séemeth all the Creatures of God are angrie with vs and threaten vs with destruction and yet we are nothing at all ameÌ„ded alas that shal become of vs RemeÌ„ber we not there is a God that shal iudge vs righteously that there is a Deuill who shall torment vs after this lyfe vnspeakably if we repent not At that day the wicked shall find that there is a Material Hell a place of all kinds of tortures wherein they shal be punished in fire and brimstone amongest the terrible Company of vgglesome Deuils world without end how light so euer they make account of it in this World For some such there be that when thei heare mention of Hell or of the paines therof in the other World they make a mocke at it thinking they be but metaphoricall speaches onely spoke to terrifie vs withall not otherwyse But certen it is as there is a God that will reward his Children so there is a Deuill that will remunerat his Seruaunts And as there is a Heauen a Materiall place of perfect ioye prepared for the Godly so there is a Hell a Materiall place of punishmeÌ„t for the wicked and reprobat prepared for the Deuil his Angels or els the word of God is in no wyse to be credited which blasphemie once to think God kéep all his Children from Spud. But they will easily auoid this for they say it is writ at what time so euer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I wil put all his sin out of my remembrance saith y e Lord. So that if they maye haue thrée words at the last they will wish no more What think you of these felowes Philo. I think them no men but Deuills no Christians but worse thaÌ„ Tartarians and more to be auoided than y e poison of a serpent for the one slayeth but the body but the other both body soul for euer Wherfore let euery good Christen Man take heed of them and auoid them For it is truely said cum bonis bonus eris cum peruersis peruerseris with the good thou shall learne good but with the wicked thou shall be peruerted Spud. Do you think than that that cannot be a true repentance which is deferred to the last gaspe Ph. No truely For true repentance must spring out of a lyuelie faith with an inward lothing hating and detesting of sinnâ— But this deferred repentaÌ„ce springeth not of faith but rather of the feare of death which he â—éeth imminent before his eyes of the grief and tediousnes of paine of the Horror of Hell and feare of God his ineuitable iudgement which he knoweth now he must néeds abyde And therfore this can be no true repentance For there is two maner of repeÌ„taÌ„ces y e one a true repentaÌ„ce to life the other a false repentance to death As we maye sée by Iudas who is said to haue repented and which is more to haue confessed his faulte and which is most of all to haue made restitution and yet was it a false repentance And why because it sprang not out of true faith but as before Peter repented and wéept bitterly and was saued therby though he neither made coÌ„fession nor satisfaction and why Because it sprang of a true and lyuely faith So these felowes may say they repent but except it be a true repeÌ„tance springing of faith it can serue theÌ„ no more to life than the pretensed repentance of Iudas did serue him to saluation Let them
a moment The Woman falling ouer the pan of coles was burned that all her bowels gushed out the man was founde lying by his cloths in some partes being scorched and burned some partes of his body also But which is most wonderfull his arme was burned to the very boone his shirte sleeue and dublet not once perished nor tutched with the fire Wherby may be thought not without great probabilitie of truth that it was eueÌ„ the fire of God his wrath from Heauen and not any natural fire from the earth And in this wonderfull fearfull maner weare these cupple founde which God graunt may be a documeÌ„t to all y e heare or read the same to avoyde the like offence and to all Magistrates an Example to see the same punished with more seueritie to the glorie of God and their owne discharge But so farre are some from suffering condigne punishment for this horrible sinne that they get good maintenance with practising the same For shall you not haue some yea many thousands that liue vppoÌ„ nothing els and yet go clothed Gentlewomenlike both in their silks and otherwyse with their fingers clogged with rings their wrists with bracelets Iewels and their purses full of gold and siluer And here of they make no conscience so their Husbands know it not Or if they doo some are such peasants and such maycocks that either they will not or which is truer they dare not reproue them for it But if the Husband once reproue them for their misdemeanour than they coÌ„spire his death by some meane or other And all this commeth to passe because the punishment therof is no extremer as it ought to be And some both Gentlemen and others wherof some I know are so nusled herein that hauing put awaye their owne wyues do kéepe whores openly without any great punishment for it and hauing beâ—ne conuented before the magistery and there béene deposed vppon a booke to put away their whores haue put them foorth at one doore and taken them in at the other And thus they dally in their othes with the Lord and stoppe the course of the lawe with rubrum argentum wherof they haue store to bestowe vppoÌ„ such wickednesse but haue not a mite to giue towards any good purpose Wherfore in the name of GOD let all men that haue put away their honest wyues be forced to take them again and abandon all whores or els to taste of the law And let all whores be cut of with the sword of right iudgement For as long as this immunitie and impunitie is permitted amongest vs let vs neuer looke to please GOD but rather proâ—oke his heuie iudgements against vs. And the reason is for that there is not sinne in all the World but these whores and whoremaisters will willingly attempt and atcheiue for the inioying of their whordome And Hell destruction and death euerlasting is the guerdon therof and yet men cannot be aware of it The Lord remooue it from all his Children and present them blameles before his tribunall seate without spotte or wrincle at that great day of the Lord. Spud. What memorable thing els haue you séen there frequented For séeing you haue begun in parte I pray you describe the whole Gluttonie and drunkennesse in Ailg Philo. I Haue séene that which gréeueth mée to report The People there are marueilously giuen to daintie fare gluttonye bellichéer many also to drunkennesse gourmandice Sp. That is a manifest argumeÌ„t of good hospitality which both is coÌ„mended in y â— word of God which I know you wil not repreheÌ„de Ph. Godly hospitalitie is a thing in no wisâ— worthy of reprehensioÌ„ but rather of great coÌ„mendatioÌ„ for many haue receiued Angels into their houses at vnawarâ—s by vsing y â— same as Abraham Lot Tobras many others Yet if hospitality flow ouer into superfluitie riotous excesse it is not tolerable for now adaies if y e table be not couered froÌ„ the one end to y â— other as thick as one dish can staÌ„d by another with delicat meats of sundry sorts one cleane different from an other and to euery dish a sâ—uerall sawce appropriat to his kinde it is thought there vnworthye y â— name of a dinner Yea so many dishes shal you haue posteruing the table at once as the insaciablest Helluo the deuouringest glutton or the gréediest cormorant that is can scarse eat of euery one a litle And these many shall you haue at the first course as many at the second and peradâ—entuâ—e moe at the third besydes other swéet 〈◊〉 and delicat 〈◊〉 of spiceries and I cannot tell what And to these dainties all kind of wynes are not wanting you may be sure Oh what nisitie is this what vanitie excesse ryot and superfluitie is heare Oh farewell former world For I haue heard my Father say y â— in his dayes one dish or two of good wholsome meate was thought sufficient for a man of great worship to dyne withall and if they had thrée or four kinds it was reputed a sumptuous feast A good péece of beef was thought thaÌ„ good meat and able for the best but â—ow it is thought too grosse for their tender stomacks are not able to disgest such crude and harsh meats For if they shold their stomacks being so queâ—sie as they be and not able to concoct it they should but euacuat the same againe as other filthie excrements their bodies receiuing no noorishment therby or els they should lye stincking in their stomacks as dirte in a filthie sinck or pryuie If this be so I marueile how oure fore-Fathers lyued who eat litle els but cold meats grosse and hard of disgesture Yea the most of them fead vppon graine corne roots pulse herbes wéâ—ds and such other baggage and yet liued longer then wée helthfuller then we were of better complection then we and much stronger then we in euerie respect wherfore I cannot perswade my self otherwise but that our nicenes and curiousnes in dyet hath altered our nature distempered our bodies and made vs more subiect to millions of discrasies and diseases then euer weare our Forefathers subiect vnto and consequently of shorter life then they Spud. They wil aske you again wherfore god made such varietie of meats but to be eaten of men what answere giue you to that Philo. The Lord our God ordained indéede the vse of meat and drinks for man to sustain the fraile caduke and brittle estate of his mortall body withall for a time But he gaue it him not to delight and wallow therin continually for as the olde Adage saith Non viuendum vt edamus sed edendum vt viuamus Wée must not liue to eat but wée must eat to liue wée must not swill and ingurgitate our stomacks so ful as no more can be crammed in The Lord willed that they should be ordinarie meanes to preserue the state of our bodyes a time whilste we
shambles or blockhowses of the Deuill wherin he butchereth Christen meÌ„s soules infinit waies God knoweth the Lord suppresse them Spud. Weare there euer anie lawes made against the inordinat abuse hereof or haue the Godly in any age misliked it Philo. In all ages and times both the godly sober Christians haue detested it and holsome lawes haue been promulgat against it Octauius Augustus was greatly reproched of the Writers of his time for his great delight in gaming notwithstanding his manifold vertues besides Cicero obiected to Marcus Antonius his often gaming as a note of infamie vnto him The noble Lacedemonians sent their Ambassadours to Corinth to coÌ„clud a peace who coming thither and finding the People playing at dice and cards and vnthriftie games returned back again infecta pace their peace vnconcluded saying it should neuer be reported that they wold ioyne in league with Dice-players and gamesters The same Lacedemonians sent to Demetrius in decision of his diceplaying a paire of dice of gold Sir Thomas Eliot that worthie Knight in his Book of goâ—ernance asketh who will not think him a light man of small credit dissolut remise and vaine that is a Dici-player or gamester Publius saith Quantò peritior est aleator in sua arte tanto nequior est vita moribus How much coÌ„ninger a maÌ„ is in gaming and diceplaying so much corrupter he is both in life and maners Iustinian made a lawe that none should play at dice nor cards for no cause neither priuately nor openly Alexander Seuerus banished all gamesters out of his dominions And if anie were found playing their goods were confiscat and they counted as mad men euer after neuer trusted nor estéemed of anie Ludouicus ordeined y â— al gamesters shold depart his laÌ„d for feare of corrupting of others K. Richard the second forbad all kynd of gaming and namely dice-playing K. Henrie the fourth ordeined y â— euery Dice-player should be imprisoned six daies for euery seuerall time he offended in gaming K. Edward the fourth ordeined who so kept gaming howses should suffer imprisonment three yéeres and forfait xx.li the Players to be imprisoned two yéers forfait x. pound K. Henri that seuenth ordeined y â— euery Dice-player should be imprisoned all a day and the Kéeper of the dicing howse to forfait for euery offence vi shil viij d and to be bouÌ„d by recognizance to good behauiour K. Henrie the eight ordeined that euery one that kept diâ—ing houses should forfaâ—t .xl. shil and the Players to forfait vi shil viij d with many good lawes and sanctioÌ„s set foorth against this raging Abuse of gaming which to auoid tediousnes I omit beseching y â— Lord to root vp and supplant these and all other stumbling blocks in his church what so euer Sp. As I remeÌ„ber in the Catalogue of abuses before you said y e sabaoth day was prophaned by bearbaiting cockfighting hauâ—ing hunting kéeping of faires courts markets vpoÌ„ y e said day Is it not lawful thaÌ„ to follow these exercises vpon the sabaoth day neither Beare baiting and other exercyses vsed vnlawfully in AILGNA Philoponus THese Hethnicall exercyses vpon the Sabaoth day which y e Lord hath coÌ„secrat to holy vses for the glory of his Name and our spirituall comfort are not in any respect tollerable or to be suffered For is not the baiting of a Bear besides that it is a â—â—â—thie stinking and lothsome game a daungerous perilous exercyse wherein a man is in daunger of his life euery minut of an houre which thing though it weare not so yet what exercyse is this meet for any ChristiaÌ„ what christeÌ„ heart caÌ„ take pleasure to sée one poore beast to rent teare and kill another and all for his foolish pleasure And although they be bloody beasts to mankind seeke his destructioÌ„ yet we are not to abuse them for his sake who made theÌ„ whose creatures they are For notwithstanding that they be euill to vs thirst after our blood yet are thei good creatures in their own nature kind made to set foorth the glorie magnificence of the great God for our vse therfore for his sake not to be abused It is a mon saying amongst all men borowed froÌ„ y â— freÌ„ch Qui aime Iean aime son chieÌ„ loue me loue my dog so loue God loue his creatures If any should abuse but the dog of another mans wold not â—e who oweth the dog think y â— the abuse therof resulteth to himselfe And shall we abuse y â— creatures of God yea take pleasure in abusing theÌ„ yet think y â— the contumely don to theÌ„ redouÌ„deth not to him who made them but admit it weare grauÌ„ted that it weare lawfull to abuse the good Creatures of God yet is it not lawfull for vs to spend our golden yéers in such ydle and vaine exercyses daylie and hourelie as we do And some who take themselues for no small fooles are so farre assotted that they will not stick to keep a dosen or a score of great mastiues and baÌ„dogs to their no small charges for the maintenance of this goodly game forsooth and will not make anie bones of xx.xl C. pound at once to hazard at a bait with feight dog feight beare say they the deuill part all And to be plaine I thinke the Deuill is the Maister of the game beareward and all A goodly pastyme forsoth worthie of commendation and wel sitting these Gentlemen of such reputation But how muche the Lord is offended for the prophanation of his Sabaoth by such vnsauorie exercyses his Heauenly Maiestie of late hath reueiled pouring foorth his heauie wrath his fearfull iudgements and dreadfull vengeance vppon the Beholders of these vanities A Fearfull Example of GOD his Iudgement vpon the prophaners of his Sabaoth VPon the 13. day of Ianuarie last being the Sabaoth day Anno. 1583. the People Men Wemen and Children both yonge and old an infinit number â—â—ocking to those infamous places where these wicked exercyses are vsuallie practised for they haue their courts gardens yards for y â— same purpose when they were all come together and mounted aloft vpon their scaffolds and galleries and in middest of al their iolytie pastime all the whole building not one stick standing fell down with a most wonderfull and fearefull confusioÌ„ So that either two or thrée hundred men wemeÌ„ and childreÌ„ by estimatioÌ„ wherof seueÌ„ were killed dead some were wounded some lamed and othersome brused and crushed almost to the death Some had their braines dasht out some their heads all to squasht some their legges broken some their arms some their backs some their shoulders some one hurt some another So that you should haue hard a woful crie euen pearcing the skyes parents bewayling their children Children their louing Parents wyues their Husbands and Husbands their wyues marueilous to behould This wofull spectacle and heauie indgement pitifull to heare of