A Testimony against Gaming, Music, Dancing, Singing, Swearing, and People's calling upon GOD to DAMN them. Commended to the Consciences of all People in the sight of God, but more especially to those who keep public Houses.  

Dr. Ames, de Consc. lib. 4. c. 23. § 5. saith, Plays which depend merely or principally of Fortune, are of their own nature Unlawful.  First, SEE that you suffer none to play at any sort of Game in your Houses, viz. Cards, Dice, Tables, Shuffle-board, and the like, for in so doing you will displease the Lord, and may cause him to bring a blast upon all your Undertake: But on the contrary, reprove and admonish such in God's fear; For it never was the Practice of God's People in the Primitive times to game away their precious time, which the Lord gave them to work out their own Salvation in; neither is it the practice of them that are Christians in deed in this day, though the Nominal Christians may plead for it.  
Therefore you that know the Life of true Christianity, bear your Testimonies faithfully against Gaming, for it is as it were a piece of Witchcraft; for when men's hearts and minds are exercised in it, they are even overcome by the same, and so are serving the Enemy of their own immortal Souls with all their strength, and the fear of the Lord is not before their Eyes; for when their hearts and minds are exercised in their Games, it is as it were their God, and oftentimes tends to Quarrelling, Fight and Bloodshed. It is therefore good for all that are Christians in deed and in truth, to bear your Testimonies against Gaming; for this is certainly true, that the Lord and his truth is dishonoured by admitting People to Game in your Houses: Therefore be careful in bringing Honour to God by bearing your Testimonies for him and his Truth, against that that is displeasing unto the Lord, and hurtful unto your own poor Souls.  

P●ov. 14. ●3. Even in Laughter the Heart is made sorrowful: and 〈◊〉 and of 〈◊〉 Mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Secondly, See that you suffer none to play upon any sort of Music, nor any to Dance, Sing or Swear in your Houses; but bear your Testimonies against such things, both by reproving them in God's fear and love, and in obstructing the same; for they are all displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and may cause his Judgements to come upon your Houses and Families. Therefore to prevent the same from coming upon you, live up to that gift which the Lord hath given you, that you may stand in your places, and bear a Testimony for the Lord and his Truth in your Day, Age and Generation; then will the Lord bless and prosper you, 
Eccles. 7.4. The heart of the Wise, is in the house of Mourning; but the heart of Fo●ls is in the house of Mirth.  both inwardly and outwardly, and in all that you undertake; and all that do rejoice, let them Rejoice in the Lord.  
Music is a thing that stealeth the hearts of them that play upon it, or adhere unto it, from the Lord (& tends to raise up a light, airy, frothy, wanton Mind; for they that live in Pleasures, are dead while they live; and they that live wantonly, kill the just) for when men's hearts and minds are exercised by it, they remember not the Lord that made them and all Mankind, for a purpose of his own Glory; but spend away their precious time in that which the Lord by his Prophet Amos bore Testimony against, as you may read in the 6th Chap. of the Prophecy of that Prophet; in which he pronounceth a Woe unto them that chant unto the Viol, and invent unto themselves Instruments of Music, like unto David. Do such Remember their Creator in the days of their Youth? No; they have rather forgotten their Maker, which would be their Saviour, if they would come to be saved by him, from their perishing fading Vanities, which God and his People are against.  
Singing and Dancing are of the same Root & Ground with Gaming & Music, 

Isa. 24.9. They shall not drink Wine with a Song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.  
Amos 8.10. And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning, and all your Songs into Lamentation.   etc. all which proceed from that seed which the Enemy of Man and Woman's Salvation hath sown in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience, which Enemy is the Devil, who walks about, seeking whom he may devour. & such who let lose their hearts, minds and affections after those things, pursuing and following with greediness after the same, are making an Idol of them, and do desire more after them than they do after the knowledge of God, whom to know is Life Eternal; and so hereby God, who alone ought to be sought after and bowed down unto, is rob of that which is his right, even the Praise, the Honour and the Glory of his Name, which ought to be given unto him from every reasonable Creature that he hath made by his mighty Power; for it is the incumbent duty of all Mankind to serve the Lord above all things, even with all their Souls and all their Might, and not run into fading Vanities, which perish in the using, and which bring Tribulation, Anguish and Wrath upon all that are found in them; for God will not be mocked; such as every Man sows, such they must reap from divine Justice, who renders unto every Man according unto his deeds, without respect of Persons.  
Some that delight in Music may object, That David and others of the People of God, did play upon Instruments of Music.  

Job 21.13. They spend their days in Wealth, and in a moment go down to the Grave.  Answ. David and others who were faithful to God, did not play upon Instruments of Music to stir up, raise & elivate a vain, sinful, unclean Mind in themselves or any others; but their playing upon and use of Instruments of Music being under the Shadowy dispensation of the Law, what they did herein, they did it unto the Lord, The Priests under the Law had a command to sound Trumpets, which was a sort of Music; and David and others made use of other Instruments, as the Flute, Harp & Cymbal; & this they did in honour and praise to the Lord, and not to stir up a vain, wanton, Light, airy, fleshly and ungodly Mind, as it may be seen in the Scriptures of Truth.  
Again, some may plead for Dancing, because David danced before the Ark.  
Answ. This Dancing was in the time of the Law, and was a token of his rejoicing, because of the Ark of God, which was brought back out of the Philistines Land, who were Enemies to God and his People: This Dancing was not like the Dancing of the vain, wanton and profane Persons of our Age, nor yet like the Dancing of Herodias' Daughter, who danced before King Herod, who after she had danced, demanded the Head of the Man of God, John the Baptist, and had it, being thereunto instructed by her malicious Mother.  
As concerning Singing and Rejoicing; true Singing & in Rejoicing the Lord God did own under the Law, which was Shadowy, & stood in many carnal Ordinances, which were to continue until the time of Reformation, as saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.10. which time is the Time of the Gospel, which is come.  
Again, God did and doth own Singing in the Spirit under the dispensation of the Gospel; but the Singers that God doth own under the Gospel dispensation, are those who are first taught by him to mourn for, repent of, and forsake their Sins; such who are led by the Spirit of the Lord to mourn for, repent of, and forsake their Sins, in the same Spirit they may Sing, as it moves and leads them. The Apostle Paul said, I will Sing with the Spirit, and with Understanding, 1 Cor. 14.15. And it is written, Isa. 35.10. The Redeemed of the Lord shall return to Zion with Songs of Deliverance. And it is written, Rev. 15.3. They that were Redeemed from the Earth, sang the Song of Moses and the Lamb. And Wise Solomon said, (Eccles. 7.2, 3.) Sorrow is better than Laughter; and it's better to go into the House of Mourning then into the House of Mirth: Mourning in the unregenerate, in the sense of their Sins; is better than Laughter and sing. And God will turn the Songs of the wicked into Mourning, Amos 8.10. And Christ said, Mat. 12.36. Every Idle Word that Men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement. And the Apostle james saith, Who among you seem to be Religious, and bridleth not his Tongue, but deceiveth his own Heart, this man's Religion is vain, James 1.26.  
Observe that Nebuchadnezar, the Heathen King, and his company of Idolaters had Music; (viz.) the Sound of the Cornet, Flute, Harp, Sacbut Psaltery and Dulcimer, and all kinds of Music, when they Worshipped the Golden Image that he had set up: These were they which cast the three Children into the fiery Furnace. This their Music and Rejoicing was Wicked and Ungodly.  
Again, observe, the Apostle said unto the true Christians, 

Bellerum conc. 6.3.13. etc. saith, Holidays are in our A● celebrated in a Diabolical manner, li● bachanals Devils, Festivals most Sins then committed, most Feast Songs, Bowling, Taverning, Scurrilitys, Dances with Women, as Straw with Fire.  
As a forter testimony against Debaunchery he citys.  
Neceph. lib. 19 Herodias her Daughter's Head danced upon the Ice. Ambros de virg l. 3. Jerom epist. 10.4. Christ hom. 56. on Matthew. 49. Basil. on Drunkness and Riot.  
Cicero a Heathen promuraena says No Sober Man danceth, and objects it as a Crime to Amenius 6.   Be ye not drunk with Wine, wherein is Excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord, Ephes. 5.19.  
Also Swearing & calling upon God to Damn them, and Blaspheming the pure, holy and undefiled Name of God, proceeds even from the same Root that Gaming, Music, Singing and Dancing do arise and spring from: Therefore let none who are found in any of those things, (to wit, in Swearing, Damning Cursing & Blaspheming the Name of the Lord) think to escape Gods Righteous Judgements; for it is written, The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in Vain. And the Lord complains by the Prophet Jeremiah, Because of Swearing the Land Mourneth, Jer. 23.10.  
Therefore all you that are concerned, as Witnesses for God, see that you bear your Testimonies against these things, that the Lord may bless you and prosper you in all your Undertake, that the Praise and Honour, which is his due, he may receive from you, and you from him a Crown of Glory, which fadeth not away when time here shall be no more.  
John Kelsall.   

In the King's Proclamation against Vicious, Debauched and Profane Persons, etc. dated May the 30th 1660. in the Twelfth Year of his Reign; are these Remarkable Passages following.  
THere is a sort of Men of whom we are sufficiently ashamed, who spend their time in Taverns, Tippleing-houses and Debauchees, giving no other Evidence of their affection to us, but in Drinking our Health, and inveighing against all others who are not of their own dissolute temper, and who in Truth have more discredited our Cause, by the licence of their Manners and Lives, than they could ever advance it by their Affection and Courage.— We reasonably hope these Men will cordially renounce all that Licentiousness, Profaneness and Impiety with which they have been corrupted, and endeavoured to corrupt others; and that they will hereafter become Examples of Sobriety and Virtue.— We will not exercise just severity against any Malefactors, sooner than against Men of Dissolute, Debauched and Profane Lives, with what parts soever they may be otherways qualified and endowed.— And We hope all Persons of Honour, or in Place and Authority, will so far assist Us in discountenancing such Men, that their Discretion and Shame will persuade them to reform what their Consciences would not.— Which may by the Example and Severity of Virtuous Men be easily discountenanced, and by degrees suppressed.  
However for the more effectual reforming these Men, who are a discredit to the Nation, and unto any Cause they pretend to favour and to wish well to. We require all Mayors, and Sheriffs, and Justices of the Peace, to be very vigilant and strict in the discovery and prosecution of all Dissolute and Profane Swearing and Cursing.  
THis was reinforced by a second Proclamation of the King, the 13th of August, 1660. charging all Ministers to read it once each Month, for six Months ensuing, & Stir Up their Auditors to observe the said Duties, and avoid the said Vices.   
LEt all consider Israel of old, 
Mat. 5.9. But he that shall Blaspheme is in danger of eter 〈…〉 nation.  who when they forgot God (who had wrought mighty Deliverance for them) how they ran in Feasting Dancing, & Idolatry; as it is written, They sat down to Eat and Drink and rose up to play, and danced about the Golden Calf which they had set up. But it was a dismal dance unto them; for several Thousands of them were destroyed in one day, Ex. 32.6, 19, 27. And everyone that Sweareth shall be cut off, etc. Zach. 5.3. By Swearing, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood toucheth Blood, Hosea 4.2. If the Righteous scarcely shall be saved, where shall the Wicked and  appear? 1 Pet. 4.18  

LONDON, Reprinted with Additions, by John Bringhurst,