Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	efficient_a	final_a	material_a	2,518	5	8.7678	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02072	A refutation of the Apology for actors Diuided into three briefe treatises. Wherein is confuted and opposed all the chiefe groundes and arguments alleaged in defence of playes: and withall in each treatise is deciphered actors, 1. heathenish and diabolicall institution. 2. their ancient and moderne indignitie. 3. the wonderfull abuse of their impious qualitie. By I.G.	I. G., fl. 1615.	1615 (1615)	STC 12214; ESTC S103404	45,377	76

Salomon writeth in his Prouerbes That God doth abhor all Mockers For this cause wee are to resemble the Phisitians which Hypocrates made to sweare that they should not bewray the secret and hidden falts and euills or rather follow the counsell of saint Peter 1 Pet. 2.1 That laying a side all malliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and enuy and all euil speaking as new borne babes we desire the sincere milke of the word that we may grow thereby But now to examine plaies according to the foure generall causes the Efficient Materiall Formall and Fynall cause of all things all men shal see the goodnesse that they containe in them or much rather the great euill wherewith they abound The Efficient cause of Plaies The Efficient cause of Playes I haue allready shewed in sundry places of this worke to be the Diuell chiefely by his owne command and secondarily heretofore by his heathenish agents first the Idolatrous Greekes and after the pagane Romaines and at present by his Ministers the almost-heathenish Poets Wherefore I will insist no longer heerein The Materiall cause of Plaies The Materiall cause or matter of Playes is their Subiect wherevpon they speake and entreat and that is two fould either Diuine or Prophane If Playes be of Diuine matter then are they most intolerable or rather Sacrilegious for that the sacred Word of god is to be handled reuerently grauely and sagely with veneration to the glorious maiesty of God and not with scoffes and iybes or with the iests of a Foole as it is in enterludes without any worship or reuerence to the same The word of our saluation the price of Christs blood the merrits of his life and passion the holy Scriptures were not giuen to be abusiuely acted on a Stage but to be Preached by his Godly Ministers it was not giuen to be mixed and interlaced with scurrilous and vncomely gestures laughters and vaine locutions but to be grauely handled and with veneration expounded in Gods assembly In Deut. 4.2 it is commanded to ad nothing nor take away ought from Gods word to the doers of which in the end of Iohns Reuelation there is added a greeuous curse Wherefore whosoeuer abuseth the word of God on Stages in Playes and Entertludes abuseth the Maiesty of God which shineth in the same and maketh a mocking stock of him and thereby purchaseth iudgement to himself And no maruel for the sacred word of God God himselfe is neuer to be thought on or once named but in Feare and Reuerence to the same All the whole company of Heauen Angells Archangells Cherubin Seraphin Thrones Dominations Virtues Principallities Potestates and all powers whatsoeuer yea the Diuells themselues doe tremble and quake at the naming of God and at his presence And doe these mockers and flouters of his Maiesty these dissembling Hypocrites thinke to escape vnpunished Beware therefore you Players warning to Players Hypocrites and like good coumptists cast vp your accounts before hand what will be your reward in the end Abuse God no more corrupt his people no longer with your dregs and entermingle not his blessed Word with your prophane vanities For in noe wise is it lawfull to mixe Scurrility with Diuinity nor Diuinity with Scurrility Theopompus mingled Moses Law with his writings and was therefore striken Mad. Theodictes began the like practise and the Lord strocke him Blinde And many others attempting the like deuises were all confounded and died miserably besides which what is their iudgement in the other world the Lord onely knoweth On the other side if the matter of playes be prophane then tend they to the dishonour of God and nourishing of vice both which are damnable So that whether they be diuine or prophane they are quite contrary to the word of grace and sucked out of the Diuils teates to nourish vs in Idolatry heathenry and sinne To discribe the matter of prophaine playes wee are to consider the generall kindes of Playes which is the Tragedy and the Comedy The matter of Tragedies is haughtinesse arrogancy ambition pride iniury anger wrath enuy hatred contention warre murther cruelty rapine incest rouings depredations piracyes spoyles roberies rebellions treasons killing hewing stabbing dagger-drawing fighting butchery trechery villany c. and all kind of heroyick cuils whatsoeuer Of Comedies the matter is loue lust lechery baudry scortation adultery vncleannesse pollution wantonnesse chambring courting ieasting mocking flouting foolery venery drabbery knauery cosenage cheating hipocrisy flattery and the like And as complements and appendants to both kindes of playes is swearing cursing othes and blasphemies c. Hence ariseth the formall cause or forme of playes which consisteth in the action and in the Actors The formall cause of Plaies The action is two-fould in word and in deede The action in word is lasciuious speches idle and vaine scoffing ieasting and foolery and cosenage knauery flattery and what soeuer els set forth in their coullors phrases and tearmes and with the grace elegancy and lustre of the tongue The action in deede is the setting forth of all enormities and exorbitances with the personating of the doers of them with false representations lying shewes killing stabbing hanging and fighting actiue demonstration of cosenage whorish enticeing all kinde of villany and hypocrisie with embracing clipping culling dandling kissing all manner wanton gestures and the like The forme that consists in the Actors is the parts they play And these are ioyntly both in Tragedies and Comedies Tiranous Kinges and Queenes ambitious Potentates Nobles Peeres vniust Iudges Magistrates Officers couetous Cittizens spend-all Gentlemen Gods Goddesses Fiendes Furies Diuells Hagges Ghosts Witches Magitians Sorcerers Trechers Murtherers Swaggerers Knaues Drabs Queans Whores Baudes Courtezans Rogues Villaines Vagsbonds Theeues Rouers Pyrates Cosoners Cheaters Brokers Banckrupts Hyppocrites Sycophants Parasites Flatterers Talecarriers Makebates Lecherous old men Amarous young men Wanton maides Lasciuious dames Vnhonest wiues Rebells Traytors proud hauty arrogant incestuous wicked persons Whoremasters Gluttons Drunkards Spend-thrifts Fooles Madmen Iesters Iybers Flouters Mockers and finally contemners of God his lawes and the Kinges and blasphemers of his holy name with such like of infinite variety That if there were nothing els but this it were sufficient to withdraw a good Christian from beholding of them For as often as they goe to Theaters to see Playes they enter into Venus Pallace and Sathans Synagogue to betray and insnare their owne souses And therefore these Players through the parts they act carrying the note and brand of all kinde of cursed people on their backs wheresoeuer they goe are to bee hissed out of all Christian Kingdomes if they will haue truth and not vanity Christ and not the Diuell to dwell among them The finall cause or end of Playes particulerly toucheth their vse and qualities wherein I am to answer three maine obiections The Finall cause of Plaies The first obiection The first obiection is that they instruct men what vices to auoid what ordinances to obserue what