musicall instruments and tabers in the processions of images through the streetes and crosse wayes let them abstaine from the Ale-house and practise nothing but that which may savour of piety Let Christians all these dayes imitate by the workes of charitie those Saints whose memorie they observe Let Clergy men never put on vizards let them abstaine from acting and beholding comaedies Stage-playes morrices and dances Let them shun dice tables cards all prohibited Playes riotous and immodest feasts markets faires tavernes and Innes but onely when they travell This Synode doth likewise exhort all Christians that they carry themselves for the honour and credit of Christianity and that they avoid and shun Masques and dances publike Playes Iesters Stage-players vizards and dice as much as may be Which stands not with the honour of Christianity Which Councel extending unto all Christians as well as to Clergy men and exhorting them as much as may be to abstaine from all dancing dicing Stage-playes Mummeries Stage-players and the like even for the honour of religion is an unanswerable evidence that these sports these Enterludes are altogether unseemely and unlawfull unto Christians The 53. is Synodus Aquensis Anno 1585. which decreeth thus Cessent in die sanctorum Innocentium ludibria omnia et pueriles ac theatrales lusus Nullus etiam vestibus religiosorum hominuÌ„ aut mulierum utatur ad larvas vel scurrilia sub poena excoÌ„municationis ipso facto incurrenda Sacerdotes ne pagellis aut alea aliove hujusmodi ludo ludant aut â—udentes spectent Ne personati unquam incedant neve comaediarum aut chorearum aut profani ullius spectaculi actores sint vel spectatores Tabernas ne frequentent adeantve nisi itineris causa A comessationibus aut minus honestis convivijs abstineant omninò nec dicterijs aut mordacibus utantur salibus neve sacrae Scripturae verbis ad profanos sermones abutantur Let all pastimes all childish and theatricall Enterludes on the day of the holy Innocents cease Let none likewise use the garments of religious men or women for Masques and scurrilous Playes under paine of excommunication to bee ipso facto incurred Ministers may not play at cards or dice or any other such like play or look upoÌ„ those that play They may not walke disguized neither may they be actours or spectatours of comaedies or dances or of any prophane Play Let them not frequent or goe to tavernes but by reason of travell Let them wholly abstaine from riotous and dishonest feasts neither let them use scoffes or biting jests nor yet abuse the words of holy Scripture to prophane discourses A good pious Canon which I wish all Ministers would observe The 54. and last printed Councell with which I will conclude is Concilium Tholosanum Anno 1590. which concludes in this manner Ludis spectaculis histrionumque circulationibus Ecclesiam caemiteriumque deinceps patere prohibemus Et quoniaÌ„ SacerdotuÌ„ vitia ut apparere maximè et primo conspectu occurrere majori denique dedecore haberi imò et quae in alijs levia in illis gravissima censeri consueverunt ijs tripudia ludos publicos aliaque omnia quibus reliquos homines damnoso aliquo scandalo offendere possent omnino interdicimus et prohibemus Wee prohibit the Church and Churchyard from henceforth to stand open to Playes to Spectacles and the jests of Stage-players And because the vices of Ministers are wont most of all to appear to come in ure at the first sight and to be accounted more shamefull yea and those things that are reputed slight things in others are deemed most hainous in them wee wholly interdict and prohibit them dances publike Playes and all other things by which they may offend any other men by any hurtfull scandall To these I shall adde as a Corollary the Nationall Protestant Synode at Rochell Anno Dom. 1571. Where these two Canons were unanimously composed by all the Protestants in France All Congregations shall be admonished by their Ministers seriously to reprâ—hend and suppresse all Dances Mummeries and Enterludes And it shall not be lawfull for any Christians to act or to be present at any Comedies Tragedies Playes Enterludes or any other such sports either in publike or in private chambers Considering THAT THEY HAVE ALVVAYES BEENE OPPOSED CONDEMNED AND SVPPRESSED IN AND BY THE CHVRCH AS BRINGING ALONG WITH THEM THE CORRVPTION OF GOOD MANNERS especially when as the holy Scripture is prophaned which is not delivered to be acted or played but onely to be preached Dancing-masters or those who make any dancing-meetings after they have been often admonished to desist ought to be excommunicated for this their pertinacy and rebellion By which it is most apparant that Stage-playes Danâ—es and Mummeries have beene evermore condemned in and by the Church of God as the corruptions of mens manners and unlawfull Pastimes Whence the French Protestants as I am informed by those who have lived among them doe wholly abandon Stage-playes and Dancing as unchristian sinfull pastimes neither will they suffer their sonnes or daughters to dance or to resort unto a dancing-schoole as the French Papists doe who delight and glory in nothing more than dancing to which they are naturally addicted whereas effeminate amorous dancing either of men or women together or of men in the presence of women or of women in the sight of men hath beene alwayes an allurement to lewdnesse a grand occasion of much whoredome and uncleannesse a recreation fit for none but whores adulteresses c. as Philo Iudaeus Chrysostome Nazienzen Basil Vincentius Hugo Cardinalis and Bellarmine himselfe with sundry other Fathers and Authors formerly quoted Act. 5. Scene 8. most plentifully testifie By all these 55 severall Councels and Synodes in divers ages and Countries 3 or 4 of which are confâ—ssed to be oecumenicall and universall to which all the Christian Churches in these knowne parts of the world subscribed by their selected Bishops and proxies it is most apparant to passe by dicing carding dancing health-drinking bonefires New-yeares gifts scurrilous songs and other recited particulars concerning Clergy men which they have condemned First that the profession of a Stage-player is altogether unchristian abominable and unlawfull and that all common Actors and Stage-players ought to stand excommunicated ipso facto both from the Church the Sacraments and all Christian society till they have utterly renounced and quite given over their infamous execrable lewd profession which is no wayes tolerable among Christians And if the very profession of a Stage-player bee so execrable by these Councels resolution much more abominably execrable must Stage-playes be which make it so Secondly that all Christian Princes and Magistrates ought to suppresse all Stage-playes all common Actors and to banish them their territories and dominions severely punishing all such persons who dare to harbour or protect them Thirdly that Stage-playes are diabolicall heathenish
the selfesame reason argue that our Saviours passion did not relate à parte ante to save those beleevers who died before but only à parte post to redeeme such onely who departed after his incarnation which were blasphemy for to thinke since our Saviour was virtually and in destination though not actually a lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now that the Christian sabbath or Lords day begins at even and so ought to be sanctified from even to even not from morning to morning or from midnight to midnight which ecclesiasticall beginning of dayes we never find in Scripture or in any Ecclesiasticall Writers it is most apparant First because we reade of no other beginning or end of the sabbath in Scripture but this and to make it begin from the very houre or minute of our Saviours resurrection is to make it arbitrary and altogether uncertaine because the very houre and minute of his resurrection is not neither can it certainly be knowne Secondly because the sabbath being nothing else in proper speach but a day of rest it is most naturall and proper it should then begin when as God and man begin their rest and leave off their labour not when as they begin their worke but God began his rest at the end of the sixth day not on the morning or midnight of the seventh day and men begin their rest at evening not at midnight or morning Witnesse Psal. 104.22 23. The Sunne ariseth and man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour unto the evening and Iohn 9.4 I must worke the workes of him that sent me whiles it is called to day the night commeth when no man can worke therefore it is most consonant to reason and nature that it should begin at evening Thirdly this beginning of the Lords day on saturday at even doth best prepare Christians for the sanctification and duties of the Lords day For it makes them put a period to their labours in due time it disburdens them the sooner of their weekday imployments it causeth them to goe to bed sooner to rise earlier and to prepare themselves the better for the duties of the ensuing morning and upon this ground did the Church appoint Vigils and Evening Saturday service in ancient times that Christians laying aside all secular imployments and resorting then unto Gods publike worship might after the manner of the Iews who had their preparatioÌ„ of the sabbath the better prepare themselves for the sacred duties of the Lords day And hence perchance it is that we have seldome any Playes or Masques at Court upon saturday nights Lastly it is infallibly evident by the constant practise of the primitive Church who kept the Lords day onely froÌ„ evening to evening not from morning to morning as is evidenced not onely by the assemblies of the primitive Christians who met together before day-breake upon the Lords day to praise their Lord and Saviour Christ but by sundry Councels Fathers and Imperiall Constitutions To begin with Councels Survey we Concilium Tarraconense Can. 7. Surius Concil Tom. 2. p. 292. Matisconense 2. Can. 2. Ib. p. 683. Toletanum 4. Can. 8. Ib. p. 729. Constantinop 6. Can. 90. Ib. p. 1052. Foro-juliense Can. 13. Surius Tom. 3. p. 266. Turonicum 3. sub Carolo Magno Can. 40. Ib. p. 272. Concilium apud Compendium Apud Alexandr Alesium Summa Theolog. pars 3. Quaest 32. Artic. 2. p. 245. Synodus Francfordiana Anno Dom. 793. cap. 22. Concilium Moguntinum Anno 813. apud Iuonis Decreta pars 4. c. 16. Synodus Galonis et Simonis Legatoris An. 1212. Synodus Andegavensis An. 1282. All these expresly decree Vt dies Dominicus à vespera usque ad vesperam servetur Omnesdies Dominicos à vespera in vesperam omni veneratione decernimus observari et ab omni illicâ—to opere abstinere Nec aliquis à vespera dici Sabbathi usque ad vesperaÌ„ diei Dominicae ad molendina aquarâ— nec ad aliqua alia molere audeat c. So that by the expresse resolution of all these severall Councels whereof one is oecumenicall the Lords day ought to be kept onely from evening to evening and so to begin and end at evening If we peruse the Fathers we shall finde St. Augustine enjoyning Christians to celebrate the Lords day from evening to evening as the Iewes did celebrate their sabbath And that the Lords day and our Christian sabbath begins at evening not at morning or midnight it is the direct and punctuall verdict of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epist. 1. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 3. p. 81. A. to H. Of Theophilus Antiochenus Comment in Evangelia l. 1. Bib. Patr. Tom. 2. p. 153. C D. Of Gregory NysseÌ„ Oratio 1. 2. De Resurrect Christi p. 145 146 151â— 152. Of HieroÌ„ Com. in IonaÌ„ c. 2. ToÌ„ 5. p. 137. E. CoÌ„ in Mat. 12. v. 40. ToÌ„ 6. p. 22 23. of Leo Epist. Decret Epist. 81. c. 1. HRabanus Maurus Homil. De Dominicis Diebus Operum Tom. 5. p. 605. Chrysost. Hom. 5. in Genes Tom. 1. Col 26 B. Hom 82. in Matth Tom 2. Col 559. B. Theophylus Alexandrinus Epist Paschalis 3. Bibl Patrum Tom 4. p 723. G. Cassianus de Incarnatione Domini lib 5 Bibl Patr Tom 5. pars 2. p 81. F G. Anastatius Sianita Anagogicarum Contemplationum Hexaëm l. 2. Bibl Patr Tom 6â— pars 1 p. 634. E. Quaestionum lib Quaest 87. Ibid p 778. Quaest 152 153. Ibid p 794 795. Theophylact. in Matth 12. v 40. 28. v. 1. Anselmus in Matth 12. Tom. 1. p 60 61. in cap 28.1 p 116. Eusebius Gallicanus de Symbolo Hom 2. Bibl Patr Tom 5. parsâ— 1. p 554. G H. Paschatius Rhadbertus in Matth l 12. Bib. Pat Tom 9. pars 2. p 1230. Haymo Halberstattensis Homil. in Die Paschatis p. 7 8. Radulphus Tungrensis De Canonum observantia lib Propositio 23. Bibl Patr Tom 11. p 455. F G. Propositio 15. Ibid p 445. F G. Tom 14. p 242. B. C. Amalarius Fortunatus De Ecclesiasticis Officijs l 1. c 11. Bibl Patr Tom 9. pars 1. p 311. F. Honorius Augustodunensis De Imagine Mundi lib. 1. cap 27. Bibl Patr Tom 12. pars 1. p 947. H. De Antiquo ritu Miss lib 1. c 191. p 1047. F. Christianus Grammaticus Expositio in Matth Bibl Patr Tom 9. pars 1. p 941. D E. Zacharias Chrysopolitanus in unum ex quatuor lib. 4. c. 173. Bibl Patr Tom 12. pars 1. p 203 204. To which I may adde Gregorius 9. Decretal l. 2. Tit. 9. De Ferijs cap. 2. p. 595. Summa Angelica Tit. Dies sect 1. Constitutiones Symonis Islepe Archiepisc. Cantuariensis apud Gulielmum Lindwood Constit. Provinciales l. 2. Tit. de Ferijs fol. 74. B. Ioan. Aton fol 148. a. where he decreeth thus In primis sacruÌ„ diem dominicum ab hora diei Sabbati vespertina inchoandum
so weake so few that they cannot bring one Councell one Father one ancient one moderne Christian or Pagan Writer of any note into the field to maintaine their cause against this army-royall of Play-condemning Authorities which I have here mustered up against them It is not their long since conquered and confuted Lodge or Haywood two scribling hackney Players their onely professed printed Play-Champions that I know of who can withstand their all-conquering troopes which either severall or united are impregnable able to over-power to vanquish all the forces that the whole world can raise agaiâ—st them Let it therefore be your wisdome now at last to take the best the strongest side not onely in quality but in number too Stage-playes and Actors as the foregoing Scenes declare have bin oppugned condemned in all ages all places by all sorts of men Iewes and Gentiles Greekes and Barbarians Christians and Pagans Emperours Magistrates people Writers of all sorts have bent not onely their hearts and judgements but their very hands their tongues their pens and power against them Yea those who are dead and rotten long agoe still fight against them in their surviving workes Licet ossa jacent calamus bella gerit and they will one day rise up in judgement as they doe now in armes against us if we submit not to them Let us O let us not therefore be any longer beso â—e befooled with these lewd stigmatized Playes or Actors as we have beene in former times but since all Ages all Nations yea those who loved them best and most at first to wit the Greeks and Romans together with all primitive and moderne pious Christians Fathers Councels Writers have thus unanimously successively condemned renounced them let us abominate and reject them too It was the branded infamie of the Iewes that they pleased not God and were contrary to all men and will it not be ours too if all these Authorities will not sway us If Scriptures Councels Fathers if Christian if Pagan Writers Nations Citties Republickes Emperours Magistrates Kings and Edicts thus severed thus united will not stir nor draw us from our Stage-playes Play-houses and Actors what then can we conclude of our selves but this that God hath given us over to an impenitent heart a reprobate sence a cauterized conscience if not to strong delusions to beleeve to affect these lying Playes and Fables that we all might be damned who will not beleeve the truth which all these Witnesses have confirmed but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse in ungodly Playes and Actors which leade their followers to destruction and without repentance plunge them into hell for ever amids those filthy Divels whose disavowed pompes and workes they deeme their chiefest pleasures Let us therefore earnestly pray to God to open our eares that we may heare to incline our hearts that we may beleeve what all these testifie and averre of Stage-playes that so now at last we may take our finall farewell of them as all true penitent Christians have done before us and never returne unto them more to Gods dishonour the Republickes dammage or our owne eternall ruine concluding from henceforth of all Stage-playes all amphitheatricall Spectacles as Prudentius that worthy Christian Poet did many hundred yeares agoe Heu quid vesani sibi vult ars impia ludi Hae sunt deliciae IOVIS INFERNALIS in istis Arbiter obscuri placidus requiescit Averni And then we neede no more no other arguments to disswade us from resort to Stage-playes when we shall thus adjudge them the chiefest delights of the infernall Divel Iove who rests well pleased well delighted with them as too many carnall Christians doe who will one day rue it when it is too late if they now repent it not in time ACTVS 8. SCENA PRIMA HAving thus at large evinced the unlawfulnesse of Stage-playes by Reasons by Authorities I come now to refute those miserable Apologies those vaine pretences or excuses rather which their Advocates oppose in their defence the most of which are already answered to my hands Apologies for Stage-playes are of great antiquity Tertullian in his booke De Spectaculis cap. 1 2 3. 8. brings in the Pagan Romans whose consciences the pleasures of these enchanting Enterludes had bribed apologizing for their Playes with great acutenesse the feare of losing these their secular pleasures adding a kinde of sharpnesse to their wits I finde St. Cyprian complaining that the vigour of Ecclesiasticall discipline was so farre enervated in his age and so precipitated into worse in all dissolutenesse of vice that vices were not onely excused but authorized there wanting not such flattering Advocates and indulgent Patrons of naughtinesse who gave authority unto vices and which was worse converted the very censure of the heavenly Scriptures into a justification of crimes and Stage-playes producing some texts of Scripture in defence of Playes as well as reasons which this Father at large refells The like Play-apologies of voluptuous Pagans I reade recorded in Arnobius Chrysostome Augustine and Salvian who answer them to the full And as these Pagans of olde so some who would be deemed Christians now as namely one Thomas Lodge a Play-poet in his Play of Playes and one Thomas Haywood a Player iâ— his Apology for Actors have lately pleaded as hard for Stage-playes as ever Demetrius did for his great Diana whose severall allegations in the behalfe of Playes are soledly refelled by Mr. Stephen Gosson in his Playes confuted by the Authour of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters by Mr. Iohn Northbrooke in his Treatise against vaine Playes and Enterludes by Dr. Rainolds in his Overthrow of Stage-playes by I G in his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors which you may peruse at leisure and by sundry others forerecited whom I spare to mention The Players the Play-patrons of our present age as their cause is worse so their Pleas for Playes are no other no better than those of former times which neede no other replies then what these Fathers these Authours have returned yet since their answeres are now growne obsolete and our Play-Advocates persevering in their former folly proceede to justifie one vanitie one falshood with another disputing much for the lawfull use of Stage-playes perchance to exercise or declare their witts in the unhappy patronage of evill things I shall therefore addresse my selfe to give a satisfactory answer to all their chiefe Play-propugning Objections that so I may puâ— them to perpetuall silence The first if not the best Argument in defence of Stage-playes may be cast into this forme That which is not prohibited but rather approved and commended by the Scripture cannot be sinfull nor unlawfull unto Christians But Stage-playes are not prohibited but rather approved and commended by the Scripture Therefore they cannot bee sinfull nor unlawfull unto Christiâ—ns The Major being unquestionable the Minor may be thus
in despite of scandall and all lying rumours hath manifested that these Puritans and Precisians are such persons as both feare God and honour the King though they oppugne the corruptions sinnes profanesse and Popish and Pelagian Errors of the times with all such factious Innovators who either broach new heresies and superstitions or revive olde As for their loyalty to their Prince his power and prerogative it is so apparant that however Papists and persons popishly affected now slander them as enemies to Monarchie and Princes Prerogatives in words to take off this merited imputation from themselves yet they bâ—ame them even under the very name of Puritans as over-great advancers and chiefest patriots and propugners of Monarchy of Princes supremacy in their printed workes none going so farre in suppressing the Popes usurped Authority or eâ—larging the Kings and temporaâ—l Magistrates prerogatives and supremacy as they as even the Iesuite in his Answer to Deus et Rex hath proclaimed uâ—to all the world Let therefore the Moguntine Iesuites Contzen disciples following the desperate plot of their Master to cheat a Protestant Church of her religionâ— and to scrue in Popery into it by degrees without noyse oâ— tumult by raising slaunders upon the Doctrines and persons of the most zealous Protestant Ministers and Protestants to bring them into the Princes and peoples hatred and thrust them out of office accuse Puritans of faction sedition and rebellion now without any ground or proofe at all as the Pagans did the Christians long agoe or let the Epicures and prophane ones of our voluptuous times repute them such because they wage warre against their sinnes and sinfull pleasures yet now upon the serious consideration of all these premises I hope their consciences will acquit them of these malicious slaunders and readily subscribe to this apparant truth that they are the holiest meekest and most zealous Christians and that they are onely hated and reviled for their goodnesse Since therefore these Play-censuring conformable Puritans and Precisians in their proper colours uncased of these odious persecuted termes of scandall which represent them to mens fansies in a most ugly forme there being never poore persecuted word since malice against God first seized upon the damned Angels and the graces of heaven dwelt in the heart of man that passed through the mouthes of all sorts of unregenerate men with more distastfulnesse and gnashing of teeth than the name of PVRITAN doth at this day which notwithstanding as it is now commonly meant and ordinarily proceedes from the spleene and spirit of prophanesse and good fellowshippe is an honourable nicke-name of Christianity and grace as a worthy reverend Divine observes are the very eminentest choicest and most gracious forward Christians let us not thinke the better but farre worse of Stage-playes because they all abominate condemne them as all good Christians have done before them and if any have thus persecuted hated or reviled them out of ignorance or malice heretofore let them heartily bewaile it and give over now because it is not onely a kinde of sacriledge but even an high indignity and affront to God himselfe to hate to slaunder persecute or wrong his servants especially for controlling us in our delights of sinne of which these constantly condemned Stage-playes are the chiefe And for a close of this Objection and Scene together let us all remember that worthy sentence of St. Hierom Apud Christianos ut ait quidam non qui patitur sed qui facit contumeliam miser est and then these maliciouâ— calumnies against Puritans and Precisians will quickly vanish CHORVS YOV have seene now Christian Readers the severall arguments and Authorities against Stage-playes together with the â—lender Apologies for them which how poore how illiterate and weake they are the very meanest capacity may at first discerne I beseech you therefore by the very mercies of God as you tender the glorie of Almighty God the honour and credit of religion the happinesse and safety both of Church and State the serious covenant you have made to God in baptisme to forsake the Divell and all his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world with all the sinfull lusts of the flesh whereof Stage-playes certainly are not the least as you regard that solemne Confession you have publikely made to God and ratified in the very sacred blood of the Lord Iesus Christ at every receiving of the Sacrament that you doe earnestly repent and are heartily sorrie for all your misdoings that the remembrance of them is grievous unto you the burthen of them intollerable and that you will ever hereafter serve and please God in newnesse of life to the honour and glory of his name offering and presenting unto the Lord your selves your soules and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice unto him or as you respect your owne or others soules whom your evill examples may leade downe to hell that upon the serious perusall of all the premises you would now at last abominate and utterly abandon Stage-playes as the very fatall pests both of your mindes and manners and the most desperate soothing enemies of your soules as all ages all places have found theÌ„ by experience It may be some of you through ignorance and incogitancy have formerly had good opinions and high thoughts of Playes and Players as being altogether unacquainted with their infernall originallâ— and most lewd effects which I have here displayed to the full and that made you so diligently to frequent them Let not this then which was only the â—in of ignorance of weaknesse heretofore become the sinne of wilfulnesse or presumption now but as God by these my poore endeavours hath opened your eyes to see so doe you pray unto him for strength and grace to reâ—orme your ancient errour in this case of Playes Repent thereforâ— with teares of griefe for what is past and then speedily divorce your selves from Playes and Theaters for time to come that as your consciences upon the serious perusall of all the premises cannot but now subscribe to this strange Paradox as some may deeme it which I have here made good That all popular and common Stage-playes whether Comicall Tragicall Satyricall Mimicall or mixt of either especially as they are now compiled and personated among us are such sinfullâ— hurtfull pernicious recreations as are altogether unseemely yea unlawfull unto Christians so the lives and practise likewise may say Amen unto it So shall you then obtaine the intended benefit and I my selfe enjoy the much desired end of these my weake Endeavours which was which is no other but Gods owne glory your temporall and eternall happinesse and the Republickes welfare For which as I have hitherto laboured so I shall now by Gods assistance proceede to endeavour it in the ensuing part of this Play-scourging Discourse which now craves your favour and attention too
Honestate Ecclesiasticorum lib. 2. cap. 11.12 * See 5. 6. Edward 6. c. 3. b See the Exhortation in the Booke of Common-prayer as the end of publike and privâ—te baptisme See Canon 45. which enjoyneth every benefâ—ced Minister that is a Preacher to preach once a Sunday at least either in his owne or some other adjoyning parish * â—al 95.1 2 6. d Psal. 96.1 2 3 8 9. See Psal. 97.1 Psal 99.9 Psal. 100.1 2. e Isay 2.3 5. Psal. 122.1 f See Act 1.2 p. 10.52 67 68 g Prov. 2.13 14. * See Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum ex authoritate Regis Henrici 8. Edwardi 6. Londini 1571. Tit. De Divinis Officijs c. 4â—6 9 10 12. fol. 43.44 45. which appoints two Sermons a day in Citties on Lordsâ—dayes Holi-dayes See Canons 1604. Canon 45. which enjoynes all licensed Preachers to preach one Sermon every Sunday at the least h Master Fox Booke of Martyrs Edit 1610. pag. 1366. Col. 11. Line 77.78 * O that our Bishops and Ministers would doe thus now i Imprinted by Iohn Day Anno 1550. k Let such now who cry downe preaching Lectures and Lecturers as the cause of Sedition consider â—his l Prov. 29.18 * Let â—asie Ministers carelesse Christians who cry downe Lecture and cry up Stage-playes note this well m Let all our Prelates and Ministers consider well of this n See the Historicall NarratioÌ„ c. printed An. 1631. The Copy of an answer to a Letter c. Imprinted by stealth in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths Raigne without any Authors or Printers name unto it was answered verbatim by Robert Crowly and printed by Authority Anno 1566. which shewes the shamelesnesse of him who durst now lately in his new Narration to publish it as the received Opinion of the Church of England it being penned by one Champâ—eis who if Iohn Veron may be credited in his Apologie in Defence of his Treatise of Predestination was both a Papist and a Pelagian too o See his Confession and Protestation of the Christian Faith Dedicated to Edward the 6. the whole Parliament Anno 1550. His Comfortable Exposition upoÌ„ certaine Psalmes London 1580. fol. 22.23 24 29 46 55 56â— 57 60 63 64 65 78 105. and his Articles upoÌ„ the Creed London 1581. Article 3. to 15 17 20 21 25 29 30 33 36 38 39 40 42. to 52 55 62 67 78 91 93 94 97 98. where he concludes point-blanke against the Arminian Tenets which some men cast upon him * Hanc ob rem maximus ille Moses aequum câ—nsuit ut omnes ascripti ejus Civitati jus naturae sequentes celebrarent hunc diem Sabbatum otio festisque hilaritatibus intermissis laboribus opificijs quaestuâ—rijs negoâ—iâ—sque victuÌ„ paranubê° ablegata etiaÌ„ tantisper ceu per inducias solicitudine anxia ut vacarent non ludicris sicut quidam ridendisque spectaculis mimorum saltatoruque quae insanum vulgus amat perdite c. sed soli philosophiae verae câ— Philo Iudaeus l. 3. De Vita Mosâ—s p. 932. u Tu verò relicto fidelium caetu Dei Ecclesia ac legibus ad Graecorum ludos curris ad Theatra properas expetens unus ex venientibus eò numerari partiâ—eps fieri audiâ—ionum turpium ne dicam abominabilium nec audisti Hieremiam dicentem Domine non sedi in concilio ludentium sed timui a conspectu manus tuae â—neque Iob dicentemâ— similia Ibid. Surius Concil Tom. 1. pag. 68. * Ier 15.17 y Iob 31.1 5 7. an excellent place z Hoc autem dum cantant recantantij qui immortalitatem anteà celebrabant tandem perniciosissimam mali malè canunt pâ—linodiam Comedamus bibamus cras enim morimur Ii autem non cras verè sed jam Deo mortui sunt sepelientes suos mortuos hoc est seipsos in mortem infodientes c. Ibidem a Loquâ—mur tamen ad illos quos frequenter ab Ecclesiae conventu spectacula voluptuosa subducunt c. August Hom. 21. Tom. 10. p. 592. See Enar. in Psal. 80. Tom. 8. pars 2. p. 3.4 8 13 18. b Hanc inquam pudendam veraeque religioni adversandam detestandam talium numinum placationem has fabulas in Deos illecebrosas atque criminosas haec ignominiosa Deorum facta sceleratè turpiterque conficta sed sceleratius turpiusque commissa oculis â—uribus publicis Civitas tota disceâ—at c. De Civitate Dei l. 2. c. 27. c Hom. 3. De Davide Saul Tom. 1. Col. 511.512 Hom. De Verbis Isaiae Vidi Dominum sedentem c. Tom. 1. Col. 1281. to 1284. Hom. in Psal. 118. v. 151.152 Tom. 1. Col. 1030.1931 Hom. 7. in Matth. Tom. 2. Col. 58.59 Hom 15. 21. Ad Pop. Antioch d Majorem obtinent insana spectacula frequentiam quaÌ„ beaâ—a martyria Sermo in Octavâ— Petri Paâ—li cap. 5. fol. 165. e Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 705. D. E. f Sed proh dolor quamplurimi inter Christianos hanc Iudaeorum amentiam improbitatem imitantur qui diebus festis aut ludis illiberalibus crapula choreis aut alijs mundi vanitatibus dediti quum Deo diligentius obsequium exhibere quum templa Dei frequentare orationibus insistere atque Ecclesiastico interesse officio deberent tunc maxime Deum suis dissolutissimis moribus irritant Idnè est ô Christiani celebrare diem festum indulgere ventri inconcessis voluptatibus habenas laxare Si prohibetur die festo opus quod manu exerceatur ad vitae necessitatem ut integrius divinis rebus vacare possitis nonne potiori jure prohibita sunt ea quae non nisi cum peccato committi poâ—â—unt gravi offensione Dei Diebus ad exercenda opera servilia concessis unusquisque suo intentus est operi abstinet à crapula ludis vanitatibus Diebus autem festis passim currunt ad cauponaÌ„ â—d ludos spectacula choreas in irrisionem divini nominis diei praevaricationem quum tamen eo gravius sit peccatum quo sanctiori tempore committatur Resipiscant igiturâ— id ziâ—anium quod inimicus homo superseminavit in agro Domini prorsus extirpareâ— a se evellere laborent Cyril Alex. in Ioan. Evang. l. â— c. 5 p. 595. g Qui Domini metu praediti sunâ— dominicuÌ„ diem expectaÌ„t uâ— Deo praeces adhibeant â—c coâ—pore sanguine Domini fruantur Inertes autem socordes Dominicum diem â—xpectant ut ab opere feriati vitijs operaÌ„dent Quod autem non mentiar res ipâ—ae fidem faciant Alio die in mediuÌ„ prodi neminem invenies Die Dominico egredere atque alios cithara canentes alios applaudentes â—altantes alios sedentes ac proximos maledictis insectantes alios denique luctantes reperies Praeco ad Ecclesiam vocat omnes segnitie torpent ac moras nectunt Cithara aut tuba personuit omnes tanquam
Babler say May we know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest certaine strange things to our eares wee would therfore know what these things meane But if you will doe it so much honour as considerately to revolve it you shall finde it to containe nought else but resolved uniuersally receiued ancient though now forgotten truthes so farre from any suspicion of factious Novalty or puritanicall singularity that they have the concurrent testimonies the unanimous resolutions of sundry sacred texts of Scripture of the whole primitive Church and Saints of God both before and under the Law and Gospell the Canons of 55 severall oecumenicall nationall provinciall Synods and Councels of divers ages and Countries together with the canonicall the imperiall Constitutions of the Apostles themselves of Emperours Popes and other Bishops the workes of 71 Fathers and ancient Christian Writers of chiefest note from our Saviours Nativity to the yeare 1200. the suffrages of above 150 Christian Authors of all sorts from the yeare 1200 to this present the sentence of 40 Heathen Philosophers Orators Historians Poets together with the Play-condemning Lawes and Edicts of sundry Christian yea Pagan Nations Republikes Emperours Princes Magistrates in severall ages with the Statutes Magistrates Vniversities Writers and Preachers of our owne renowned Kingdome to back to second them in all particulars who all have long since passed this heavie Censure against Stage-playes that they are the very workes the pompes inventions and chiefe delights of the Divell which all Christians solemnly abjure in their baptisme the most pestilent corruptions of all mens especially young mens minds manners the chiefe fomenters of all vice and wickednesse the greatest enemies of all vertue grace and goodnesse the most mischievous plagues that can be harboured in any Church or State yea lewd infernall pastimes not tollerable among Heathens not sufferable in any well-ordered Christian Republike not once to be haunted or applauded by any civill vertuous persons who are either mindfull of their credits or of their owne salvation Which as it controlls the grosse mistake of divers voluptuous paganizing Christians in our dayes who dote on Stage-playes as the most laudable generous if not necessary recreations so it should now at last ingage all Christians for ever to abandon them as the very best of Saints of Pagans have done in former ages Alas what goodnesse what profit doe men reape from Stage-playes that should any way ingage their affectionâ— to them Doe they not enrage their lusts adde fire and fewell to their unchast affections deprave their minds corrupt their manners cauterize their consciences obdurate their hearts multiply their heinous transgressions consume their estates mispend their time canker their graces blast all their vertues interrupt their studies indispose them to repentance and true godly sorrow for their sinnes make all Gods ordinances ineffectuall to their spirituall good draw downe the guilt of sundry Play-house abominations on their persons incorporate them into lewd ungodly company and without repentance damne their soulesâ— Doe they not dishonour their most holy God abuse their most blessed Saviour sundry wayes blaspheame and grieve Gods holy spirit prophane the sacred Scriptures and the name of God deride and jeare religion holinesse vertue temperance grace goodnesse with all religious vertuous persons advance the Divels scepter service kingdome by sowing by cherishing the seedes of atheisme heathenisme prophanesse incontinency voluptuousnes idlenes yea of all kind of wickednes both in their Actors and Spectators hearts How many thousands have Stage-playes drawne on to sinne to lewdnesse to all sorts of vice and aâ— last sunke downe to hell with the weight of those prodigious evills which they had quite avoided had they not haunted Play-houses How many Novices and Youngsters have beene corrupted debauched and led away captive by the Divel by their owne outragious lusts by Panders Players Bawdes Adulteresses Whores and other lewd companions who had continued studious civill hopefull towardly and ingenious had they not resorted unto Stage-playes the originall causes of their dolefull ruine which bring no other benefit to their Actors their Spectators at the last but this to post them merrily on to hell with a greater loade of soule-condemning sinnes quasi vivendi sensum ad hoc tantum acceperant ut perirent as if they had received life for no other purpose but to worke out their owne eternall death which needes no other instruments to effect it than lewd lascivious Enterludes O therefore deare Brethren as you tender Gods honourâ— the publike welfare or your owne soules safety abominate these glittering gawdy pompous snares these sugered poysoned potions of the Divell by which he cunningly endeavours your destruction when as you least suspect it and if any of you have formerly frequented Stage-playes either out of childish vanity or injudicious ignorance of their oft-condemned mischievous lewd effects or through the over-pressing importunity of voluptuous carnall acquaintance or by reason of that popular erronious good opinion which our wicked times conceive of Stage-playes which humour them in their lusts or because such multitudes resort now daily to them that they carry one another headlong to these sinfull pleasures without any sense of danger or hopes of reformation be you henceforth truly penitent for what is past Quem delectabaâ— spectare delectet orare quem delectabant cantica nugatoria et adulterina delectet hymnum dicere Deo currere ad Ecclesiam qui primo currebat ad theatrum as St. Augustine sweetly councels and wholly abandon them for all future time And so much the rather that you may now at last falsifie that ignominious Censure which some English Writers in their printed Workes have passed upon Innes of Court Students of whom they recordâ— That Innes of Court men were undone but for Players that they are their chiefest guests and imployment the sole busines that makes them afternoons men that this is one of the first things they learne as soone as they are admitted to see Stage-playes take smoke at a Play-house which they commonly make their Studie where they quickly learne to follow all fashions to drinke all Healths to weare favours and good cloathes to consort with ruffianly companions to sweare the biggest oaths to quarrell easily fight desperately game inordinately to spend their patrimony ere it fall to use gracefully some gestures of apish complement to talke irreligiously to dally with a Mistresse and hunt after harlots to prove altogether lawlesse in steed of Lawyers and to forget that little learning grace and vertue which they had before so that they grow at last pasâ— hopes of ever doing good either to the Church their Country their owne or others soules Which heavie Censure if any dissolute Play-haunters have justly occasioned heretofore to the dishonour of those famous Law-Societies wherein they live I hope
Reader want let him then onely examine the number of the Bookes the Chapters Homilies or Sermons here quoted in those Editions which he hath omitting the pages and he shall finde every quotation true save onely where the Editions varie And if any shall here quarrell with me for the multitude of Authors and quotations let him know that I produced them onely for the Readers better satisfaction to evidence the damnable odiousnesse of Stageâ—playes in all ages not out of any vaine-glorious ostentation which I much abhorre Which advertisements being thus premised I shall now beseech thee courteous Reader in the feare of God to peruse this HISTRIO-MASTIX with an impartiall eye and even seriously to consider with an unprejudicated affection what all the primitive Christians what all the Councels Fathers Emperours Magistrates and Authors here enumered have constantly thought of Stage-playes and other particulars here recited And then I doubt not but what a noble Earle of this Kingdome in his late dangerous sicknesse professed publikely even with detestation of his effeminate fantastique Love-locke that he sensibly perceived it to be but a cord of vanity by which he had given the Divell holdfast to leade him captive at his pleasure who would never let goe his holdfast of him as long as hee nourished this unlovely Bush whereupon hee comanded his Barber to cut it off a speech a president well worthy those womanish Ruffians consideration who yet are peccant in this kinde the same wilt thou affirme of these lascivious Enterludes that they are the very Divels pompes and snares by which he captivates and inthralls mens soules who can never enfranchise themselves from his infernall vassalage till they have cordially renounced these his sugered gins which detaine them captive in his service and binde them over to damnation as the here recited Councels Fathers and other Authours witnesse whose workes if Play-haunters would but study at those vacant times which they sinfully waste on Playes on Play-bookes and such like unprofitable pleasures of sinne which will end in horrour at the last they would speedily abandon all Enterludes all Play-houses as the most execrable pernicious corruptions which now they so much dote on as their chiefe delights The Lord therefore open all such blinde Stage-haunters eyes by these my poore endeavours who are yet so besotted with ignorance and these enchanting Spectacles that they cannot discerne those infinite mischiefes that attend them wasting their precious time upon them even from day to day and quarrelling with all such pious Christians as would reclaime them from them Of whom I may fitly use St. Augustines memorable passage Quem itaque comprehendam istorum insanorum Quis me audiaâ— quem eorum nos non miseros dicat quia cum eis non insanimus Amisisse nos putant varias et magnas voluptates in quibus ipsi insaniunt nec vident quia mendaces sunt Quando illis ovum invito vel calicem salutarem porrigo saucio et quomodo reficiam Hortor ut reficiant pugnas parant saevire volunt in medicum Et si percusserint diligantur et si injuriam fecerint non relinquantur redituri sunt ad mentem gratias acturi Oremus itaque pro ipsis fratres charissimi inde crescit numerus sanctoruÌ„ de numero qui erat impiorum It was this Fathers speech of those Play-haunters whom he indeavoured to reclaime in his time and it shall be mine of ours now whose conversion I shall truly pray for how evill soever they intreat mee or this worke of mine which if it doe no good to others or purchase nought but hatred but contempt unto my selfe yet Symmachus his speech shall be my comfort Saluti publicae dicata industria crescit meritò cùm caret praemio or if not his the Prophet Isaiah's Then I said I have laboured in vaine I have spent my â—trength for nought and in vaine yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my reward with my God to whose onely blessing I shall now commend this Treatise and thee true Christian Reader whose spirituall good being the primum mouens that set my thoughts upon this Subject I hope it shall finde thy favourable acceptation Sciens quia sicut non habet unde placeat ex venustate sic ex devotione scribentis non potâ—rit displicere And so I rest Thine in the LORD WILLIAM PRYNNE Autor ad Opus suum SI mihi credideris linguam cohibebis et aulae Limina non intret pes tuus esto domi Aspectus hominum cautus vitare memento Et tibi commissas claude libelle notas Omnia sint suspecta tibi quia publicus hostis Et maiestatis diceris esse reus Ignis edax gladiusque ferox tibi forte parantur Aut te polluta subruet hostis aqua Cum tamen exieris faciem velabit amictus Deformentque tuam pulvis et aura cutem Sit gradus et cultus habitus peregrinus eunti Non nisi barbariem barbara lingua sonet De Pictavorum dices te gente creatum Nam licet his lingua liberiori loqui Nusquam divertas ne quis te laedat cuntem Nugarumque luat garrula lingua notas Omnia si nescis loca sunt plenissima nugis Quarum tota cohors est inimica tibi Ecclesia nugae regnant et principis aula In claustro regnant Pontificisque domo In nugis clerus in nugis militis usus In nugis iâ—venes totaque turba senum Rusticus in nugis in nugis sexus uterque Sâ—rvus et ingenuus dives egenus in his Accelera gressus cauto diplomate perges Vt valeas esto sobrius esto gravis Gens penetranda tibi perlarga bibaxque loquaxque Et cui ni morem gesseris hostis eris I ciâ—us atque redi ne quorum carpere nugas Aususes infligant tela necemque parent Hospitiâ—que fidem quaeres super omnia quo siiâ— Tutus ab insidiis quas tibi quisque parat Stultos prudentes nimium pravosque caveâ—is Et quos insignes garrula lingua facit Si quis amat verum tibi sit gratissimus hospes Et quem delectat gloria vana cave Iuie patronatus illum cole qui velit esse Et sciat et possit tutor ubique tuus Sperne malos venerare bonos ignosâ—e volenti Laedere nulla bonis ultio grata magis Et nisi festinus fugeres te plura monerem Vix pateris dici pauca vel ista tene ERRATAES COurteous Reader I shall desire thee ere thou read this Treatise to correct these several following Errataes which in my absence through the Correctors and Printers oversight have escaped the Presse IN the Pages Pag. 12 l. 24. for ready reade readily p. 76. l. 18. for Contr. r. ad p. 77. l. 27. their his p. 92. l. 7. r. displaied p. 142. l. 12. r. protervos p. 145. l. 6. r whence p. 168 l. 6. for p. r. p. 169. l. 24. r. inflections
acknowledged at first by Heathen Emperors States and Writers yea and Iewish Authors both before and after Christ and since that ratified by the concurrent voyce and verdict of the whole Church of God from age to age euen to this present day as the venerable records of all the Fathers the irrefragable Decrees of sundry Councells and the learned Treatises of diuers Moderne Christians both Protestants and Papists doe at large declare a catologue of whose names and workes shall bee presented to you in its proper Scaene Not to enter into any curious diuision or enumeration of such Playes or Enterludes as were vsuall among the Greekes and Romans such as were their Ludi Circenses with Chariots their Ludi Gladiatorij or Sword-Playes their Ludi Compitalitij Florales Gymniâ—i Lupercales Megalenses Cereales Martiales Appollinares Consuales Capitolini Laquearij Retiarij Troiani Plebeij and the like since diuers now of late as well as heretofore haue discribed them to the full in sundry Treatises nor yet to shew you the exact differences betweene Comicall Tragicall Satyricall or Mimicall Enterludes together with their seuerall circumstances inuentions parts or properties delineated likewise by the marginall Authors which differ more in substance then in forme or action in which they neere accord I shall onely informe you of one moderne distinction which some haue pleased for to make of Stage-Playes Of Stage-Playes say they there are two sorts The one popular or publike acted by hired and professed Stage-Players the Playes wee haue now in hand and these they all confesse to be abominable and vnlawfull Pas-times The other Academicall managed onâ—ly by Schollers in priuate Schooles and Colledges at some certaine seasons and these they hold at least wise tollerable if not lawfull so as these sixe prouisoes be obserued First that there bee no Obscenitie Scurrilitie Prophanenesse Amorous Loue-toyes Wantonnesse or Effeminacy mixed with these Playes Secondly that there bee no Womans part no Dalliance no Lustfull nor Lasciuious Complements Clippings or Embracements in them Thirdly that there be no mention or Inuocation of Heathen Gods or Goddesses in them Fourthly that there be no putting on of Womans apparell or any sumptuous or costly attire Fiftly that these Playes produce no prodigall or vnnecessary expence either of money or time Sixtly that they be not ordinarily but very rare and seldome Acted and that for the most part in the Latine tongue for vtterance and learning sake alone not for any gaine of money or vaine-glory If all or any of these conditions faile as what Achademicall Enterludes faile not either in all or most these very scholasticall Spectacles become vnlawfull euen by the most moderate mens confession For the lawfulnesse or Illegitimacy of our Achademicall Stage-Playes I shall discusse it in its proper place in the meane time I shall addresse my selfe vnto the probate of my precedent Conclusion by Reasons by Authorities My Reasons to euince the vnlawfulnesse of Stage-Playes I shall branch into these sixe seuerall Acts. The first is drawne from the Originall Authors and Inuentors of them The second from those Impious endes to which they were destinaâ—ed and ordained at the first The third from their ordinary Stile or subiect matter which no Christian can euer iustifie or excuse The fourth from the persons that Act and parties who frequent them The fift from the very forme and manner of their Action and those seuerall parts and circumstances which attend them The sixt from the pernitious effects and sinfull fruites which vsually if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them My Authorities doe marshall themselues into seuen seuerall Squadrons The first consisting of Scriptures The second of the whole Primitiue Church both vnder the Law and Gospel The third of Councells and Canonicall or Papall Constitutions The fourth of the ancient godly Fathers The fift of Moderne Christian writers of all sorts as well Diuines as others The sixt of Heathen Philosophers Orators Historians and Poets The last of the Acts and Edicts of sundry Christian and Heathen States and Emperours All which accompanied with the irrefragable and plaine defeates of those pretences which giue any colourable iustification to these Theatricall Enterludes will giue no doubt a fatall if not a finall ouerthrow or Catastrophe to Playes and Actors whose dismall Tragoedie doeth now begin ACTVS 1. SCAENA PRIMA THat all popular and common Stage-Playes whether Comicall Tragicall Satyricall Mimicall or mixt of either especially as they are now composed and personated are such sinfull hurtfull and pernicious Recreations as are altogether vnseemely and vnlawfull vnto Christians I shall first of all euidence and prooue it from their originall parents and primary Inuentors which were no other but the very Deuill himselfe or at leastwise Idolatrous and Voluptuous Pagans impregnated with this infernall issue from Hell it selfe from whence I argue in the first place thus That which had its birth and primarie conception from the very Deuill himselfe who is all and onely euill must needes be Sinfull Pernicious and altogether vnseemely yea Vnlawfull vnto Christians But Stage-Playes had their birth and primary conception from the very Deuill himselfe who is all and onely euill Therefore they must needes bee Sinfull Pernicious and altogether vnseemely yea Vnlawfull vnto Christians The Minor which is onely liable to exception I shall easily make good First by the direct and punctuall testimony of sundry Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus Oratio Exhortatoria ad Gentes fol. 8. Tertullian de Spectaculis cap. 5.7.10.24 Clemens Romanus Constitutionum Apostolorum lib. 2. c. 65.66 S. Cyprian De Spectaculis l. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 10. Eucratio Arnobius Disputatioâ— Aduers Gentes l. 7. Lactantius De Vero Cultu c. 20. Cyrill of Hierusol Catech. Mystag 1. S. Chrysostome Hom. 6.7 38. on Mat. S. Augustine De Ciuit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 32. l. 2. c. 6. to 23. Saluian De Gub. Dei lib. 6. pag. 206.207 All excellently learned in all the learning of the Heathen and therefore best able to determine of the Originall of Stage-Playes especially since they liued so neere vnto their birth-day All these I say to whom I might adde Pope Innocent the first Epistolarum Decretalium Epist. 2. ad Victricium cap. 11. which you shall finde in Surius Conciliorum Tom. 1. pag. 529. and in Gratian. Distinctio 51. cap. Praeterea frequenter Ludouicus Viâ—es Comment in Augustinum De Ciu. Dei lib. 1. cap. 32. lib. 2. cap. 6. to 22. Coelius Rhodiginus Antiquarum Lectionum lib. 8. cap. 7. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 59. Ioannes Mariana Doct. Reinolds Gosson with sundry others in their Bookes and Treatises against Stage-Playes doe expressely testifie That all Theatricall Playes or Enterludes had their Originall birth from the very Deuill himselfe who inuented them for his owne honour and worship to detaine men captiue by them in his infernall snares Whence they all condemne them as sinfull hurtfull abominable and vnlawfull pleasures stiling all
Sacrifices Rites or Ceremonies Therefore since God hath giuen such speciall charge against the reliques and monuments of Idolatrie heretofore it cannot but be sinfull vnseemely and Vnchristian for vs to foster or admit of Stage-Playes or any other Inuentions now which were originally ordained and for many hundred yeeres together appropriated to the solemne worship and gratification of Idole-Deuill-Gods Thirdly the Scriptures doe peremptorily enioyne all Christians to abstaine from things offered or consecrated vnto Idoles as these Stage-Playes were First because the things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they Sacrifice to Deuills and not to God therefore those that participate of them must needes haue communion with the Deuill and I would not saith the Apostle that ye should haue fellowship with Deuills Secondly because Christians cannot drinke the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Deuills they cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Deuills for what fellowship hath Righteousnesse with Vnrighteoâ—snesse What communion hath Light with Darkenesse What concorde hath Christ with Belial what part hath hee that Beleeueth with an Infidell or what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles God and the Deuill Christ and Belial are contrary are inconsistent therefore the seruice and ceremonies of the one are altogether incompatible with the other Thirdly because Christians must not bee vnequally yoaked with vnbeleeuers with whom they haue no part nor fellowship now if they should communicate with the Gentiles in Stage-Playes or things consecrated to their Idoles they should bee then vnequally yoaked they should haue part and fellowship with Infidels in this respect which God will not allow of Fourthly because the Consciences of the weaker brethren should not be grieued offended defiled or emboldened by others participation of these Idolatrous Sacrifices to their ruine and the Gospels scandall Fiftly because all the Sacrifices reliques and ceremonies of Idoles are an abomination to the Lord and therefore prouoke him vnto wrath to our destruction Lastly because they are a ready meanes to withdraw our hearts from God vnto Idolatrie therefore wee must seperate from them and not so much as touch them else God will not recâ—iue vs as his people Since therefore God vpon all the former reasons doeth thus seriously and frequently prohibit such ceremonies and inuentions as were instituted and destinated to the Deuills seruice at the first My Maior is irrefragable and my Conclusion true That Stage-Playes are pernicious vnseemely and vnlawful vnto Christians because they were at first deuoted to the honour and for many hundred yeeres together designed to the worship of some Idole-Gods by the very Deuils fauourites All that can bee here replied to euade this Argument is reducible to these two heads First that the Dedication of Stage-Playes to these Deuill-Gods did onely Contract a Guilt or Sinfulnesse vpon those particular Playes that were really appropriated to their worship and Celebrated to their honour but not vpon all the kinde Secondly that though Pagans or others haue abused Stage-Playes to Idolatrous and vnlawfull ends yet this is no impediment but that Christians may reduce them to a commendable and lawfull vse so that we cannot well conclude That all popular Stage-Playes are vnlawfull because the first of them were inuented and for a long tract of time deuoted to the Deuills worship To the first of these I answere with Tertullian that though the consecrating of any profitable and vsefull Inuentions to Idole-Gods as of Letters and Trade to Mercurie of Musickâ— and Poetriâ— to Apollo of Physicke to AEsculapius of Ships and Nauigation to Neptune and Minerua of Wins to Bacchus of Corne and Husbandrie to Ceres of Fire and Smitheriâ— to Vulcan and the like by whom they were inuented as Heathen Poets and Historians faine doeth no wayes vitiate or defile them in the generall but that they are and may be lawfull vnto Christians because they are absolutely necessary at leastâ—ise vsefull vnto men for whose benifit by Gods prouidence they were at first inuented Euen as the sacrificing of a Male-goate to Bacchus of a Cocke to AEsculapius of a Bull to Iupiter of a Lambe or She-goate vnto Iuno of an Horse to Mars of a Doue to Venus of a Swine to Pan of a Doe or Heifer to Minerua or of Myrre and Frankincense to other Idoles did stampe no Impresse of vnlawfulnesse or vnholinesse on the whole kindes or species of these seuerall creatures which did still retaine their entitiâ—e goodnesse in them though it did so defile thâ—sâ— indiuiduall and particular creatures that were immediately offered vp in Sacrifice to them that Christians might not lawfully eate of them Though I say it bee alwayes true in case of profitable Inuentions or Gods good creatures that the peruerting of them to Idolatrous ends doeth lay a blemish vpon the depraued Indiuidualls onely not impose an vnlawfulnesse on the whole species or other Indiuidualls of their kinde Yet it is vndoubtedly true that the destinating and deuoting of Vnprofitable Pleasurable Heathenish Infamous Scandalous and vnnecessary Inuentions which neither the Scriptures nor Primitiue Church approoued to Idolatrous and Sinfull ends and that from their very first conception which is the case of Stage-Playes doeth make not onely the deuoted Indiuidualls but likewise the whole kinde it selfe vnlawfull vnto Christiansâ— so that no particulars of this nature may be vsed Hence Tertullian concludes that it is vtterly vnlawfull for Christians to weare a Laurell Crowne or flowrie Garland in any case though it be by way of Triumph because these Crownes were first inuented for the honour worne to the worship and consecrated to the seruice of Pagan Deuill-gods Hence the selfe-same Father affirmes that it is no wayes lawfull for Christians to retaine the names of Iupiter Bacchus Apollo or other Idole-gods or to impose them on their children because they were the names of Idoles at the first therefore vnlawfull to bee vsed now Hence the Fathers Councells and fore-recited Protestant Authors condemne all Diuinations Morrice-dances Bonefires Newyeeres-gifts the obseruation of newyeeres-Newyeeres-day or the Calends of Ianuary Effeminate mixt Dauncing especially at Weddings where it is now most in vse burning of Tapers in Churches especially in the day-time as the Papists vse shauing of Priests crownes and beardes c. as vtterly vnlawfull vnto Christians now because they were Reliques of Idolatrie yea Sacrifices appendices and deuoted ceremonies of Idoles heretofore If then it bee true in all these cases that the appropriating of some particulars to Idolatrous vses doeth wholy vitiate and defile not onely the Indiuidualls thus deuoted but likewise the whole Species of them vnto Christians then needes must it be true of Stage-Playes which bring no glory at all to God nor good to Church or State that the Idolatrous and Vnchristian ends to which they were first inuented and for many hundred yeeres designed must make them altogether
I pray you but to foster mischiefe in their youthâ— that it may alwayes abide with them and in their age bring them sooner unto hell And as for these Stagers themselves are they not commonly such kinde of men in their conversation as they are in profession are they not as variable in heart as they are in their parts are they not as good practisers of baâ—dery as inactors Live they not in such sort thâ—mselves as they give precepts unto others Doth not their talke on the Stage declare the nature of their disposition â—doth not every one take that part which is proper to his kinde Doth not the Plough-mans tongue walke of his Plough the Sea-faring maâ—s of his Mast Cable and Saile the Souldiers of his Haâ—nesse Speare and Shield and bawdy mates of bawdy matters Aske them if in the laying out of their parts they choose not those parts which are most agreeable to their inclination and that they can best discharge And looke what every of them doth most delight in that he can best handle to the contentment of others If it bee a roisting bawdy or lascivious part wherein are unseemely speeches and that they make choyse of them as best answering and proper to their manner of play may we not say by how much the more he exceds in his gesture he delights himselfe in his part and by so mach it is pleasing to his disposition and nature If it be his nature to be a bawdy Player and he delight in such filthy and cursed actions shall we not thinke him in his life to be more disordered and to abhorre virtue But they perhaps will say that such abuses as are handled on the Stage others by their examples are warned to beware of such evils to amendment Indeed if their authority were greater then the words of the Scripture or their zeale of more force than of the Preacher I might easily be perswaded to thinke that men by them might be called to good life But when I see the Word of truth proceeding from the heart and uttered by the mouth of the Reverend Teachers to be received of the most part into the eare and but of a few rooted in the heart I cannot by any meanes beleeve that the words proceeding from a prophane Player and uttered in scorning sort enterlaced with filthy lewde and ungodly speeches have greater force to move men unto virtue than the words of truth uttered by the godly Preacher whose zeale is such as that of Moses who was contented to be rased out of the booke of life and of Paul who wished to be separated from Christ for the welfare of his brethren If the good life of a man be a better instruction to repentance than the tongue or word why doe not Players I beseech you leave examples of goodnesse to their posteritie But which of them is so zealous or so tendereth his saluation that he doth amâ—nd himselfe in those points which as they say others should take heed of Are they not notoriously knowne to be those men in their life abroad â—s they are on the Stage Roisters Brawlers Ill-dealers Bosters Lovers Râ—ffians So that they are alwayes exercised in playing their parts and practising wickednesse making that an Art to the end they might the better gesture it in their parts For who can better play the Ruffian than a very Ruffian who better the Lâ—veâ— than they who make it a common exercise To conclude the principall end of all their Enterludes is to feed the world with sights and fond pastimes to Iuggle in good earnest the money out of other mens purses into their owne hands What shall I say They are infamous men and in Rome were thought worthy to be expelled allbeit there was libertie enough to take pleasure In the Primitive Church they were kept out from the communion of Christians and never remitted till they had performed publike pennance And thereupon Saint Cyprian in a certaine Epistle counselleth a Bishop not to receive a Player into the Pension of the Church by which they were nourished till there was an expresse act of penance with protestation to renounce an Art so infamous Some have obiected that by these publike-Playes many forbeare to doe evill for feare to be publikely reprehended and for that cause they will say it was tollerated in Rome wherein Emperours were touched though they were present But to such it may be answered that in disguised Players given over to all sorts of dissolutenesse is not found so much as to will to doe good seeing they care for nothing lesse than for virtue And thus much for these Players Thus this Play-Poet and sometimes an Actor too Master Stephen Gosson another reclaimed Play-Poet writes thus of Stage-Players That they are uncircumcised Philistims who nourish a canker in their owne soules ungodly Masters whose example doth rather poyson then instruct men Wherefore writes he sithence you see by the example of the Romans that Playes are Raâ—s-bane to government of Common-weales and that Players by the iudgement of them are infamous persons unworthy of the credit of honest Citizens worthy to be removed their Tribe if not for Religion yet for shame that the Gentiles should iudge you at the last day or that Publicans and Sinnes should presse into the Kingdome of Heaven before you withdraw your feet from Theaters with noble Marius set downe some punishment for Players with the Roman Censors shew your selves to be Christians and with wicked Spectators be not puld from Discipline to libertieâ— from virtue to pleasure from God to Mammon so shall you prevent the scourge by repentance that is comming towards you and fill up the gulfe that the Divell by Playes hath digged to swallow you Thus he To him I will annex the testimonie of I. G. in his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors Therefore writes he let all Players and founders of Playes as they tender the salvation of their owne soules and others leave off thaâ— cursed kinde of life and betake themselves to such honest exercises and godly mysteries as God hath commanded in his Word to get their living withall For who will call him a wise man that playes the foole and the vice Who can call him a good Christian that playeth the part of the Devill the sworne enemy of Christ Who can call him a iust man that playeth the dissembling hypocrite Who can call him a straight dealing man that playeth a cosoners tricke and so of all the rest The wise man is ashamed to play the foole but Players will seeme to be such in publike view to all the world A good Christian hateth the Devill but Players will become artificiall Divils excellently well A iust man cannot endure hypocrisie but all the acts of Players is dissimulation and the proper name of Player witnesse the Apologie it selfe is hypocrite A true dealing man cannot indure deceit
but Players get their living by craft and cosenageâ— For what greater cheating can there be then for mony to render that which is not monies worth Then seeing they are fooles artificiall Divels hypocrites and coseners most evident it is that their art is not for Christians to exercise as being diabolicall and themselves infamous such indeed as the Lacedaemonians had we also have great reason to extrude out of our Common-wealth for they are idle vitious dishonest malicious preiudiciall and unprofitable to the same They are idle for they can take no paines they know not how to worke nor in any lawfull callingâ— to get their living but to avoide labour and worke like brave and noble beggers they stand to take money of every â—â—e that comes to see them loyter and play Hence is it that they are vitious for idlenesse is the mother of vice and they cannot exercise their offices but in vices and in treating of and with vitious men They are dishonest for they get not to eate by doing good workes but by speaking filthie vile and dishonest words They are malicious for they are accustomed either for their friends or themselves when they love not a man to speake evill of him and colourably underhand to mocke and flout at any They are preiudiciall and â—nprofitable to the Common-wealth for they cosen and mocke vs with vaine words and we pay them good money c. From all which ancient and moderne testimonies I may not unfitly write of Stage-players as Saint Bernard doth of the ancient Irish in Conâ—ereth in Malachias his time Nusquam adhuc tales expertus fuerat in quantacunque barbarie Nusquam repererat siâ— propteruos ad mores sic ferales ad ritus sic ad fidem impios ad leges barbaros ceâ—vicosos ad disciplinam spurcos ad vitam Christiani nomine re Pagani And no wonder is it that Players are so transcendently vitious and unchaste since they are trained up from theâ—r cradles in the very art the Schoole of Venerie lewdnesse and prophannesse which quickly eates out all their honesty their modestie their virtues and fraughts them full with vice Since then it is abundantly evident by the premises as also by experience that common Actors are thus excessively vitious unchaste prophane and dissolute in their lives which drawes them on to a dissolute Religion the most of our present English Actors as I am credibly informed being professed Papists as is the Founder of the late erected new Play-house the Playes which issue from them must needs resemble these their Actors the fruit being never better than the tree that beares it the stream no purer than the Springs that feed it From whence I deduce this twelfth Syllogisticall Argument against Stage-playes That whose ordinary Actors and Composers are for the most part dissolute infamous unchaste prophane deboyst and vitious men must needs be sinfull and unlawfull unto Christians because no good thing can proceed from such Witnesse Matth. 7.17 18. Levit. 5.2.3 Iob. 14.4 Eccles. 9.18 But such are the ordinary Actors and Composers of Stage-playes witnesse the premises Therefore they must needs be sinfull and unlawfull unto Christians even in this respect SCENA SECVNDA SEcondly as the vitiousnesse of the Actors even so the evilnesse of the most assiduous Spectators of Stage-playes infallibly evidenceth them to be evill If we looke backe to former Ages we have the expresse testimony of sundry Fathers and Councels that all the godly Christians in the Primitive Church did wholly withdraw themselves from Stage-playes that all those Pagans who either acted or frequented Playes did immediately upon their conversion to the Christian faith and their very first admittance into the Church of Christ even publikely renounce all future acting or resort to Plaies and that none but Pagans unchaste prophane and gracelesse persons who were cast out of the Church by publike Censures did use to flocke unto them Hence was it that Tertullian writes thus harshly So many persons as there are sitting in the Play-house so many uncleane spirits are there present intimating that all the Play-hunters of his Age were little better than incarnate Devils whence he seriously dehorts all Christians from Playes Hence not onely Clemens Alexandrinus Cyprian Lactantius Nazianzen Hierom Chrysostome Augustine Salvian Iohn Salisburie the third Councell of Carthage Canon 11.15 with divers other ancient and moderne Christian Authors but even Tully Seneca and the lascivious Poet Ovid with sundry other Pagans doe earnestly disswade men from resorting unto Playes and Theaters because none but infamous vitious dissolute unchaste prophane and gracelesse persons whose company was apt to poyson to corrupt all such who durst come nigh them did frequent them It is observed by sundry Historians that Tiberius Nero Caligula Heliogabalus Verus Commodus Gallienus Carinus the most execrably vitious and unchaste of all the Roman Emperours delighted most in Playes and Actors for which they deepely taxe them whereas the better sort of Emperours were not addicted to them but did either banish them their dominions or else deminish or withdraw their publike stipends Suruay we all the Christian all the Pagan Antiquities this day extant we shall finde the very best of Christians Iewes and Pagans of all Ages all places not onely wholly absteining from but likewise censuring and condemning Stage-playes the very worst the dissolutest and unchastest onely of them resorting to them with delight Saint Chrysostome Ovid with sundry others informe us That Adulterers Whore-masters Panders Bawdes Whores and such like effeminate idle unchaste lasciuious gracelesse persons were the most assiduous Play-haunters in their times Whence Isiodor Hispalensis Primasius Remigius Haymo and Anselme write That the Play-house and the Stewes were one and the same in ancient times because after the Playes were ended the Whores who resorted to the Play-houses or were harbored in them did prostitute themselves upon the Theater unto the lust of others they when all derive the Word fornication a fornicibus seu locis theatralibus from Brothels and Play-houses where Whores were kept and prostituted after the Playes were acted Such and no other were Play-houses is Stage-frequenters in former Ages And are they not now the same If we seclude those children those novices whose ignorance childishnesse vanitie folly or injudiousnesse allure them to playes or such like Gugaes which men of riper yeares and iudgement doe contemne together with some few sociable ingenuous dispositions whom the pressing importunitie of carnall friends or vehement sollicitations of lewde acquaintance doe casually draw to Stage-playes against the secret reluctances of their owne gain-saying consciences what else are the residue at least the Maior part of our assiduous Play-haunters but Adulterers Adulteresses Whore-masters Whores Bawdes Panders Ruffians Roarers Drunkards Prodigals Cheaters idle infamous
jests to recreate mens mindes transforme yoâ—thes into the very habit and order of Strumpets to the great injury and dishonour of their age and sexe a thing which Moses doth much condemne Witnesse Tertullian De Spectaculis lib. c. 10. p. 17. Together with Isiodor Hispalensis Originum lib. 18. cap. 51. In all scenicall arts say they there is plainely the patronage of Bacchus and Venus which are peculiarly proper to the Stage From the gesture and flexure of the body they sacrifice effeminacy to Venus and Bacchus the one of them being effeminate by her sexe the other by his fâ—nx c. Witnesse Saint Cyprian De spectaculis lib. where he writes thus To this vile shamefull deed another equall wickednesse is super-added A man enfeebled in all his joynts resolved into a more than womanish effeminacy whose art it is to speake with his hands and gestures comes forth upon the Stage and for this oneâ— I know not whom neiâ—her man nor woman the whole Citie flocke together that so the fabulous lusts of antiquity may be acted Yea men writes he in another place are unmanned on the Stage all the honour and vigour of their sex is effeminated with the shame the dishonesty of an unsinâ—ed body He who is most womanish and best resembles the female sex gives best content The more criminous the more applauded is he and by how much the more obsene he is the more skilfull is he accounted What cannot he perswade who is such a one c. And in another Epistle of his he writes to Eucratius to Excommunicate a Player who did traine up Boyes for the Stage for that he taught them against the expresse instruction of God himselfe how a male might be effeminated into a female how their sex might be changed by Art that so the divell who defiles Gods workemanship might be pleased by the offences of ae depraved and effeminated body I thinke it will not stand with the Majestie of God nor the discipline of the Gospel that the modestie and honour of the Church should be polluted with such a filthy and infamous contagion For since men are prohibited in the Law to put on a womans garment and such who doe it are adjudged accursed How much more greater a sinne is it not onely to put on womans apparell but likewise to expresse obscene effeminate womanish gestures by the skill or tutorship of an unchaste Art The most unchaste gestures and actions of Stage-players writes Lactantius what else doe they but teach and provoke lust whose enervated bodies effeminated into an womanish pace and habit resemble unchaste women by their dishonest gestures c. One being a Youth writes Saint Chrysostome combes backe his haire and effeminating nature with his visage his apparell his gesture and the like strives to represent the person of a tender virgin which he condemnes as a most abominable effeminate act There is another sort of Actors writes Nazianzen more unhappy then these to wit those who lose the glory of men and by unchaste infections of their membersâ— effeminate their manly nature being both effeminate men and women yea being neither men nor women if we will speake truely For they continue not men and that they should become women they attaine not For what they are by nature that they continue not in regard of manners and that which they wickedly desire to be that they are not by nature By which it commeth to passe that they are certaine riddles of luxurie and intricacies of vices being men among women and women among men Whether doe these things rather deserve applauses aspections and mirth or teares and sighes Verily laughter raignes in these Nature is vitiated and adulterated and a various flame of pleasures is kindled To these I might acumulate the parallell testimony of Athanasius Contra Gentes Oratio p. 10. A. B. of Theophylus Antiochenus ad Autolicum lib. 3. of Tatianuâ— Oratio adversus Graecos Of Minucius Felix Octauius p. 70. 101.223 Of Augustine De Civitate Dei lib. 2. cap. 3. to 14. and lib. 7. c. 24. Of Salvian lib. 6. De Gubernatione Dei. Of Hierom. Epistâ— 2. cap. 6.7 Epist. 9. cap. 5. Epist. 10. c. 4. Epist. 13. c. 2. Epist. 48. c. 2. Epist. 88. cap. 4. Of Eusebius apud Damascenum parallelorum lib. 3. cap. 47. Of Cassiodorus Variarum lib. 1. cap. 27.30 lib. 3. cap. 51. and lib. 7. cap. 16. Of Damascen Parallelorum lib. 3. cap. 47. Of Iohn Salisbury De Nugis Curialium lib. 1. cap. 8. together with the concurrent suffrages of Ludovicus Vives De Causis Corruptâ— Artium lib. 2. p. 82.83 Notae in Augustinum De Civit. Dei lib. 2 cap. 3. to 14. Of Radolphus Gualther Homilie 11. in Nahum 3. p. 214.215 Of Francis Petrarcha De Remedio vtriusque fortunae lib. 1. Diologus 30. Of Agrippa de Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 20 59â—64.71 Of Peter Martyr Locorum Communium Classis 2. cap. 11. sect 62.66 cap. 12. sâ—ct 15.19 and Commentary on Iudges page 310.311 Of Bodine De Republica lib. 6â— cap. â— Of Ioannis Mariana Barnabas Brissonius and Bulengerus De Tâ—eatris spectaculis ludis scenicis of the third Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters page 110 111 112. of Master Northbrooke Master Stubs Master Gosson and Doctor Reinolds in their severall Treatises against Stage-playes Of Bishop Babington Master Perkins Master Dod Master Lakes Master Downeham and sundry other on the seventh Commandement Yea of Plato Cicero Senica Tacitus Iuvenall Marcus Aurelius Plinie and other Pagan Authors who all with one consent not onely testifie but likewise positively condemne the grosse the execrable effeminacy which attends the acting of all Stageplayes which the very Cynicke himselfe would blush for to behold And must not our owne experience beare witnesse of the invirillity of Play-acting May we not daily see our Players metamorphosed into women on the Stage not only by putting on the female robes but likewise the effeminate gestures speeches pace behaviour attire delicacy passions manners arts and wiles of the female sex yea of the most petulant unchaste insinuating Strumpets that either Italy or the world affords What wantonnesse what effeminacy parallell to that which our men-women actors in all their feminine yea sometime in their masculine parts expresse upon the Theater was ever the invirility of Nero Heliogabalus or Sardanapalus those Monsters if not shames of Men and Nature was ever the effeminate lewdnesse of Flora or Thais comparable unto that which our artificiall Stage-players trayned up to all lasciviousnesse from their Cradles continually practise on the Stage without blush of face or sorrow of heart not onely in the open view of men but even of that all-eyed God who will one day arraigne them for this their grosse effeminacie And dare wee men wee Christians yet applaud it Pitty is it to consider how many
wives daughters and servants of their neighbours Againe a man may prove how great an evill dancing is by the multitude of sinnes that accompany those that danceâ— for they dance without measure or number And therefore faith S. Augustine the miserable Dancer knowes not that as many paces as hee makes in dancing so many leapes he makes to Hell They sinne in their orâ—aments after a five-fold manner First in being proud thereof Secondly by iâ—flaming the hearts of those who behold them Thirdly when they make those ashamed thaâ— have not the like ornaments giving them occasion to covâ—â— the like Fourthly by making women importunate in demanding the like ornaments of their Husbands And fiftly whâ—â— they cannot obtaine them of their Husbands they seeke to get them elsewhere by sinne They sinne by singing and playing oâ— instruments for their songs bewitch the hearts of those that heare them with temporall delight forgetting God uttering nothing in their songs but lyeâ— and vanities And the very motion of the body which is used in dancing gâ—ves testimony eâ—ough of evill Thus you see that dancing is the Devils procession and he that entreth into a dance entreth into the Devils possession Of dancing the Devill is the guide the middle the end and he that entreth a good and wise man into the dance commeth forth a corrupt and wicked man Sarah that holy woman was none of these Thus farre the Waldenses and Albigenses whose words I would the dancing wanton that I say not whorish Herodiasses the effeminate sinqua-pace Caranto-frisquing Gallants of our age together with our rustique hobling Satyrs Nymphes and dancing Fairies who spend their strength their time especially the Easter Whitson Midsommer and Christmas season in lewde lascivious dancing would now seriously consider And this would teach them not onely to abandon all such dancing themselves but likewise to withdraw their children especially their daughters from the Dancing-schoole as S. Ambrose long since advised all holy women all godly Parents for to doe admonishing them to teach their daughters religion not dancing as now alas too many doe that so they might keepâ— them chaste and honest leaving lust-provoking dancing unto Adulteresses and their Daughters onely as well beseeming none but such in whose roundes the Devill for the most part leades continues ends the Dance as the Waldenses and fore-quoted Fathers largely write Thirdly they condemne all dancing as being not onely a common recreation of lascivious drunken Pagans Idolaters in their Festivals and times of publike mirth as Ovid Horace Iuvenall Virgâ—ll Catullus Tibullos Propertius Homer Odysseae lib. 1. pag. 8. lib. 8. p. 214. Iliados l. 18. p. 694.700 Dionys. Hâ—lliâ—ar Antiqu. Rom. l. 7. sect 9. others cited by Bulingerus De Theatro l. 1. c. 52. together with Heâ—iodi Ascraei Scutum pag. 62.64 Arnobius adversus Gentes lib. 2. pag. 75. l. 4. p. 147 Chrysostome Hom. 6.49 74. in Matth. Concilium Arelatense 3. Surius Tom. 1. p 727. Concil Aphricanum Canon 27. Concil Constantinop 6. Can. 62.65 Isiodor Hisp. Originum l. 18. c. 50. Polydor Virgil. De Inventoribus rerum l. 5. c. 2. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum c. 18. and infinite others testifie but likewise a part of that solemne worship wherewith they courted and honored their Devill-Idols whose Festivals and Solemnities were for the most part spent in Playes and Dancing as our Christian Holy-dayes oâ—t-times are Witnesse Exod. 32.6.19 1 Sam. 30.16 Iob 21.11 Isay 13.21 Mat. 14.6 Mar. 6.22 Concil Aphricanum Can. 27. Concil Arelatense 3. Surius Tom. 1. p. 727. Concil Constant. 6. Can. 62. 65. Augustine De Civit. Dei lib. 2. c. 20. Theophylact. Enarrat in Marc. 6. Christianus Grammaticus Expositio in Matth. c. 35. Bibl. Patr. Tom. 9. pars 1. pag. 901. F.G.H. Sebastianus Brant in his Navis Stutifera Calvin and Marlorat in 1 Cor. 10. v. 7. together with Horace Iuvenal Ovid Vergil Catullus Tibullus Propertius Bulinger Arnobius Chrysostome Polydor Virgil Agrippa with others in their forâ—-named places and Polybius Historiae l. 4. p. 340. Homer Odysseae l. 8. p. 214. who all testifie as much Witnesse their Corybantes Curetes Salij and such like dancing Priests who on the solemne festivall dayes of Cybele Bacchus Mars and other Pagan-deities danced about the streets and Markâ—t place with Cymbales in their hands in nature of our Morricâ—-dances which were derived from them thâ— whole multitude accompanying them in these their dancing Morrices with which they honoured these their Devill-Idols Yea witnesse the common practise of most Idolatrous Pagans who never honoured saluted or offred any publike sacrifice to their Idols but with musicke songs and dances dancing about their Temples and Altars to their honour as Virgil Ovid Plato Strabo Zenophon Horace Iuvenal Catullus â—â—bullus Aristotle Athâ—naeus Alexander ab Alexandro Genialium Dierum l. 4. c. 13. Caelius Rhodiginus Antiqu Lectionum l. 5. c. 3. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 18. Purchas Pilgr Booke 5. chap. 1. Bulingerus De Theatro lib. 1. cap. 52. Euripidis Bacchae thorowout and sundry others testifie from which practice our dancing at Wakes a name an abuseâ— derived from the ancient Vigils or Church-aâ—es and our late crouching and ducking unto new-erected Altars a Ceremony much in use with Idolatrous Pagans heretoforâ— have beene originally derived Since therefore its evident by all these testimonies that dancing had its oâ—iginall from â—dolatry and Idolatrous drunken Pagans who consecrated dances to their Idols and went dancing to their Temples their Altars when they sacrificed to them in their solemne Festivalsâ— and dayes of mirth they hence conclude them to be unlawfull unto Christians who must not imitate them in their Idolatrous Pagan customes as I have here largely proved in the first and second Act on which you may reflect Fourthly dancing write they yea even in Queenes themselves and the very greatest persons who are commonly most devoted to it hath beene alwayes scandalous and of ill report among the Saints of God as the fore-going Councels Fathers and Authors plentifully evidence who have condemned dancing as a pompe a vanity of this wicked world an invention yea a worke of Satan which Christian have renounced in their baptismes a recreation more fit foâ—â—agans Whores and Drunkards then for Christians therefore a Christian who is onely to follow things of good report and to provide things honest in the sight of all men not giving any offence or scandall to Gods Church or people may not practise it Fifâ—ly dancing say they is not onely an effeminate recreation enâ—eebling the mindes yea depraving the lives and maners of men a suâ—ficient argument of its unlawfulnesse but it likewise irritates and ingenders noysome lusts it occasions much dalliance chambering wantonnesse whoredome and adultery boâ—h in the Dancers and Spectators This
6. Bonaventure in lib. 4. Sententiarum Distinctio 16. Numb 13. and sundry other of the Schoolemen tâ—ere Alexander Fabritius Destructorium Vitiorum pars 3. c. 10. 4. c. 23. The Waldenâ—es History of the Waldenses Albigenses pars 3. l. 2. c. 9. p. 64. 65 66. Bp. Latymer in his Sermons fol. 13. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters pag. 62. to 68. M. Brinsly in his 3. part of the true Watch. chap. 11. Abomination 30. pag. 302. Astexanus De Casibus l. 2. Tit. 53. Alexander Alensis Summa Theologiae pars 4. Quaest. 11. M. 2. Artic. 11. sect 4. Quaest. 8. pag. 392.393 with sundry others complaine who doe likewise all of them unanimously condemne dancing as an unlawfull exercise and pastime especially on Lords-dayes and Holy-dayes which circumstance of time as they all conclude makes dancing unavoydably sinfull and abominable Which I observe the rather to confute the groâ—se mistake of some licentious Libertines who hold dancing on Lords-dayes to be no unlawfull exercise sport or pastime within the pious Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. within which there is no question but dancing is included it being an exercise which all the fore-quoted Councels Fathers and Christian Authors have unanimously condemned as unlawfull especially on the Sabbath or Lords-day as we stile it which our owne Homelies and Canons enioyne us to spend in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private and publike prayers in acknowledging our offences to God and amendment of the same in reconciling our selves charitably to our neighbours where displeasure hath beene in oftentimes receiving the Communion of the Body and Blood of Chriâ—t in visiting of the poore and sicke using all godly and sober conversation informing us withall That God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day they should cease from all weekely and worke day labour to the intent that like as God himselfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour even so Gods obedient people should use the Sunday holylie and rest from their common and daily businesse and also give themselves WHOLLY to heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service But alas quoth the Homely all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldnes of those that will be counted Gods people who passe nothing at all of keeping and hallowing the Sunday And these people are of two sorts The one sort if there be businesse to doe though there be no extreme need they must not spare the Sunday they must ride and iourny on the Sunday c. they must keepe Markets and Faires on the Sunday finally they use all dayes alike Working-dayes and Holy-dayes are all one The other sort is worse For although they will not travell nor labour on the Sunday as they doe on the weeke day yet they will not rest in holinesse as God commandeth but they rest in ungodlinesse and filthinesse prancing in thâ—ir pride pranking and pricking pointing and painting themselves to be gorgeous and gay they rest in excesse and superfluity in gluttony and drunkennesse like Rats and Swine they rest in brawling and rayling in quarrelling and fighting they rest in wantonnesse in toyish talking in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth too evidently appeare that God is more dishonoured and the Devill better served on the Sunday then upon all the daies in the weeke besides And I assure you the beasts which are commanded to rest on the Sunday honour God better then this kinde of people For they offend not God they breake not their holy-dayes Wherefore O ye people of God lay your hands upon your hearts repent and amend this grievous and dangerous wickednesse stand in awe of the Commandement of God himselfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christs Church used and kept from the Apostles time untill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of Almighty God if ye be negligent Dancing therefore on the Lords-day which no godly Christians in the Primitive Church did once use for ought we read is an unlawfull exercise if our Homelies or Canons may be iudges therefore an unlawfull pastime punishable by the Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. which intended to suppresse dancing on the Lords-day as well as Beare-bayting Bull-bayting Enterludes and Common Playes which were not so rife so common as dancing when this law was first inacted Finally this dancing as the Waldenses teach doth lead men on to the breach of all the ten Commandements and to sundry inevitable sinnes and mischiefes In all these respects therefore they conclude it to bee evill and unbeseeming Christians Seventhly Dancing as Peter Martyr Viâ—es Agrippa Erasmus Brant Lovell Northbrooke Stubs Gualther and others in their fore-alleaged places testifie is for the most part attended with many amorous smiles lascivious gestures wanton complements lustfull embracements loose behaviour unchaste kisses meretricious scurrilous Songs and Sonnets effeminate musicke lust-provoking attire obscene discourses ridiculous Love-prankes lewde companions all which are as so many severall strong solicitations to whoredome and uncleanesse and savour onely of sensuallity of raging fleshly lusts which warre against the soule Therefore it s wholly to be abandoned of all good Christians Eightly this Dancing serves to no necessary use no profitable laudable or pious end at all it neither glorifies God nor benefits men in soule in body in estate or reputation it issues onely from the imbred pravity vanity wantonnesse incontinency pride prophanesse or madnesse of mens depraved natures and it serves onely to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof whereas all those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Therefore it must needs be unlawfull unto Christians Ninthly this kinde of dancing as it was never in use among the Pâ—imitiue Christians whose footsteps we should tread in so it is quite out of the road of Christianity and salvation Wee never reade of any Christians that went dancing into Heaven though we read of sundry wicked ones who have gone dancing downe to Hell The way to Heaven is too steepe too narrow for men to dance in and keepe revell rout No way is large or smooth enough for capering Roisters for iumping skipping dancing Dames but that broad beaten pleasant road that leades to Hell The gate of Heaven is to strait the way to blisse to narrow for whole roundes whole troopes of Dancers to march in together Men never went as yet by multitudes much lesse by Morrice-dancing troopes to Heaven Alas there are but few who finde that narrow way they scarce goe two together and those few what are they Not dancers but mourners not laughers but weepers whose tune is Lachrymae whose musicke sighes for sinne who know no other Cinqua-pace but this to Heaven
fooles who make a mocke of sinne or recreate themselves with the iniquities of other men That Play-house laughter then which ariseth from such filthy scurrilous objects must needs be evill discovering nothing but a gracelesse heart delighting onely in ribaldry in uncleanesse whereas all Christians must reioyce in God alone not in the Devill not in sinfull pleasures which are but for a season Secondly it muâ—t needs be sinfull in regard of its excesse it being altogether boundlesse beyond the rules of modesty temperance christianity sobriety by which it should be regulated Theatricall laughter knowes neither bounds nor measure men wholly resigne and let loose the reines of their hearts unto it glutting nay tyring their sides and spirits with it the dissolute profusenesse of it therefore mâ—kes it evill Thirdly the end of Play-house laughâ—â—r is onely to satiate mens flâ—shly lusts with secular iollity and delights of sinne tâ— pamper to arme the rebellious flesh against the Spirit to quench those heauenly ioyes and spirituall comforts which should ravish Christian soules to exile all true repentance all godly sorrow and sound humiliation for sinne which are altogether incompatible with these lascivious smiles to put the evill day farre off from men by stupifying their selfe-condemning consciences and lulling them fast a sleepe in a most desperate carnall security Such is the use the fruite of this Stage-laughter it cannot therefor but be evill Fourthly this laughter is altogether unseemely unseasonable unto Christians Vnseemely because immoderate profuse excessive laughter especially at the sight or hearing of a ribaldrous Stage-play is altogether inconsistent with the gravity modesty and sobriety of a Christian whose affâ—ctions should be more sublime more serious and composed then to be immoderately tickled with meere lascivious vanities or to lash out into excessive cachinnations in the publike view of dissolute gracelesse persons who will be hardned and encouraged in their lascivious courses by their ill example Vnseasonable because this is no place no time no world for Christians to laugh or to be merry in but to bewaile their owne and others sinnes that so they may escape the eternall torments of them at the last Our Saviour whose doctrine no Christian dares controll hath denounced an woe to all those that laugh that live in ease iollity and carnall pleasures now because they shall certainely mourne and suffer eternall toâ—ments for it hereafter informing all his Children whose ioyes are treasured up in heaven against another day that in this world they shall be sure to suffer persecution and affliction to weepe lament and be sorrowfull and that this world onely who have their portion in this life shall now reioyce that is in a carnall worldly manner whereupon he adviseth all his followers to turne their secular laughter into mourning their carnall iollity into weeping and heavinesse For Christians therefore to make this world a paradice of all earthly pleasures to spend their dayes in Epicurisme mirth and iollity glutting themselves with sinfull Spectacles and mirth-provoking Enterludes as alas two many doe to be like Democritus alwayes laughing never weeping unlesse it be sometimes against their wils and then not for their sinnes to be most unlike their blessed Savioâ—r who was oft-times weeping never smiling that we read of Quem flevisse legimus risisse non legimus how can it but be sinfull yea abominable Christ Iesus our patterne our example whose steps we all must follow if ever we expect salvation from him was alwayes mourning never laughing I am sure not at a Stage-play which hee and his condemne as worthy teares not smiles and shall we doe nothing but reioyce The Apostles and Christians in the Primitive Church yea all the Saints of God who went before us were for the most part weepers not laughers deploring among sundry other evils those execrable abominations which Stage-playes did produce And shall we be alwaies laughingâ— nay laughing at these filthy Enterludes which they so much bewailed Is this to imitate Christ or his Apostles to live like Saints like Christians like men redeemed from the world Is this to participate with Christ in his afflictions or to trace the narrow uncouth way that leades to endlâ—sse ioyes O no! this carnall life of iollity prognosticks nothing but a voluptuous heart a Godlesse Christlesse conversation which leades men downe to Hell needs therefore must it be unlawfull unto Christians Fiftly this profuse Theatricall laughter doth give a publike approbation to all the ribaldry and prophanesse that is either personated â—r perpetrated on the Stage and so makes these laughers deepely guilty of it Sixtly it produceth sundry sinfull conâ—equents as cachinnations clamors impudency effeminacy incivility voluptuousnesse loosenesse and lightnesse of spirit impenitency carnall security indisposition to every holy duty especially to godly sorrow for sinne therefore it cannot but be evill Peruse we but the Scriptures we shall finde them much condemning this excessive carnall laughter especially at vaine at sinfull objects as misbeseeming Christians Survey wee the Fathers they are exceeding copious in this subject Witnesse Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. l. 2. c. 5.6 l 3. c. 11. Arnobius Advers Gentes l. 4 pag. 149.150.151 l. 7. pag. 230. to 242. Basil. De Ebrietate Luxu Sermo p. 329.332 236. Nazianzen ad Selucum p. 1063.1064 Sententiae p. 1168. 997. Ambros. Sermo 17. S. Asterij Homil. in Festum Kalendarum Bibl. Patrum Tom 4. p. 706. Hierom. Epist. 8. c. 7. August De Verbis Apostoli Sermo 9. Tom. 10. p. 376. ConfessionuÌ„ l. 2. cap. 9. Enar. in Psal. 51. Tom. 8. pars 1. pag. 605.606 Salvian De Gubernat Dei lib. 6. 7. Theophâ—lact Enar. in Luk. 6. p. 135. Ioannis Climachus De Discretione Gradus c. 31. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 6. pars 2. p. 280. G. Bedae Scintillae Tom. 7. Col. 335. Risus Antiochus Hom. 95. Quod temperandum sit à solutiore immoderato Risu Bibl. Patrum Tom. 7. p. 209. Bernard in Caena Domini Sermo 9. De Gradibus Humilitatis Col. 961. A. De Ordine Vitae Col. 1117. A.B. Olympiodorus Enar. in Ecclesiasten cap. 2. 7. and above all S. Chrysostom Hom. 6.38 69. in Matth. Hom. 17. in Ephesios 15. in Hebraeos 54.14.15 62. ad Pop. Antiochiae To which I might adde Robertus Holkot in Lib. Sapientiae Lectio 172. fol. 133. Revelationes Sanctae Brigiâ—tae l. 2. c. 29. Nicolaus de Clemangis De Novis Celebritatibus non instituendis p. 143. to 150. Thomas Gualesius Lect. 77 in Proverb Solomonis fol. 97. Edit Ascentijs 1510. a notable place Antonius Laurentius De Risu l. 2. Summa Angelica Tit. Risus Rabanus Maurus Com. in Regulam S. Benedicti Oper. Tom. 6. p. 278. E.F. 283. E. 292. d. Alexander Alensis Summa
38. 69. in Matth. Hom. 42. in Acta Apost Hom. 15.62 ad Pop. Antiochiâ— Hom. 17. in Epheâ—ios 15. in Hebraeos Augustine De Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 4. to 15. 26. to 30. l. 6. c. 1.6 7.10 l. 8. c. 10. l. 11. c. 8. Salvian De Gubernat Dei l. 6. 7. Cassiodorus Variarum l. 1. Epist. 27â— l. 3. Epist. 51. Ioannis Salisburiensis De Nugis Curialium l. 1. c. 7.8 lib. 8. cap. 6.7 Sanctus Asterius Hom. in â—estum Kalendarum Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 705.706 with others which I pretermit who fully suffragate to my Minors truth For moderne Christian Authors Thomas Gualâ—sius Hom. 77. in Proverb Solomonis pag. 97. who is copious to this purpose M. Northbroâ—ke M. Gosson M. Sâ—ubs D. Reinolds Brissonius and Mariana in their Bookes and severall fore-named Treatises against Stage-playes The 2. 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters Bulengerus De Theatro l. 1. c. 60. 61. De Plausu Sibilo Clamoribus acclamationibus Theatri with sundry others formerly quoted to this purpose pag. 30.31 will sufficiently satisfie any that doubt of my Assumpsions truth Since then it is evident by all these testimonies that Stage-playes do occasion doe abound with such laughter such applauses as I have here evinced to be evill and misbeseeming Saints I may well conclude that Stage-playes even in this regard and in respect of all the fore-going particulars in the precedent Act are utterly unlawfull unto Christians which should cause them wholy to abandon them ACTVS 6 SCENA PRIMA FIftly as Stage-playes are sinfull and so unlawfull unto Christians in all the fore-mentioned regards so likewise are they in respect of severall pernicious effects and dangerous fruits which usually if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them the chiefest of which I shall here enumerate in their order that so you may more evidently discerne the badnesse of them by the sundry evils they occasion The first of these is the prodigall mispence of much precious time which Christians should husband and redeeme to better purposes From whence this 27. Argument against Stage-playes may be composed That which doth alwaies unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much peerelesse time which should be carefully improved and redeemed must certainely be sinfull and so unlawfull unto Christians But this doe Stage-playes as I shall fully manifest Therefore they must certainely be sinfuâ—l and so unlawfull unto Christians The Major all men must subscribe to because God himselfe commands us not prodigally to waste but wisely to redeeme the time and so much the rather because the dayes are evill Our time it is our richest treasure it is that peerelesse portion which God himselfe hath put into our hands that we might improve it to his glory to our owne and others good not sinfully consâ—me it upon lascivious childish Enterludes vanities or delights of sinne which bring nothing but eternall horror to mens soules at last For men for Christians then to cast this unvaluable Pearle of precious time to Swine to disburse this treasure for that which is not bread this money for that which satisfieth not to waste this royall patrimony upon voluptuous spectacles or lewde ridiculous Pastimes to trifle it quite away upon the very vainest vanities as alas too many doe who treasure up nothing but eternall wrath and horror to their soules against the day of wrath how can it but be sinfull Our dayes yea every houre and minute of our lives are Gods not ours they are those precious talents which God hath put into our hands to occupy with them till he come to him must we give up our account for the imployment of them at the last And can we then take Gods time Gods treasure allowed onely to us for his use his service which is abundantly sufficient to engrosse even al our dayes and spend it wholly upon sinne upon Satan upon our owne carnall lusts and pleasures upon lascivious Stage-playes Games and Sports upâ—n Dicing Carding Dancing Drinking Whoring Feasting upon idle Visits Complements and Discourses upon Meretricious Paintings Frizlings Pouldrings Attyrings and the like in which many squonder away their very choicest morning houres more fit for study devotion then such unchristian practises as if we had no God to serve no callings to follow no soules to save no Hell to feare no Heaven to seeke no Iudge to censure us no day of Iudgement to account in how we have spent our time and yet flatter our selves so grosly as to presume we have done full well at least-wise not offended in this profuse mispending of our Masters stocke of time Alas how many millions of pounds how many myriades of Kingdomes nay of Worlds were they but Masters of them would many thousand damned spirits now in torments or voluptuous distressed persons now lying on their death-beds ready to breathe out their soules at every breath into the infernall Tophet give for the moitie the tythe yea the very smallest quantity of that unvaluable time which they have irrecoverably spent on Playes and such like sinfull Pastimes that so they might in time bewaile with brinish teares with dolorous pangs and deepest sighes the losse of all those houres which they have prodigally spent in Play-houses Tavernes and such life-devouring places to prevent or else extenuate the intollerable horror of their eternall paines And shall wee then squander away we care not how those pretious houres which these which wee our selves perchance hereafter though now we value them at so low a price as to play them quite away for nought would willingly repurchase at the dearest rate on vaine lascivious Stage-playes toyes and childish vanities as if we were created only to play and follow sports which Tully and other Pagans quite deny and yet thinke to scape unpunished Those Playes and Pastimes therefore which miserably waste and eate out all our dayes which rob us of our pretious time our chiefe our onely treasure which we should carefully husband to our good Which sacrilegiously defraud our God our Country our Soules our Callings of sundry vacant houres which should be spent upon them must needs be evill and unlawfull unto Christians even in this respect For the Minor that Stage-playes unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much pretious time c. it is most apparant if we will but summe up all those dayes those houres which are vainely spent in the composing conning practising acting beholding of every publike or private Stage-play How many golden dayes and houres I might say weekes nay monâ—ths and I had almost said whole yeeres doe most Play-poets spend in contriving penning polishing their new-invented Playes before they ripen them for the Stage When these their Playes are brought unto maturity how many houres evenings halfe-dayes dayes and sometimes weekes are spent
salvation from day to day Declare his goodnesse among the Heathen his wonders among all people Give unto the Lord O yee Kindreds of the people give unto the Lord glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name bring an Offring and come into his Courts O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse feare before him all the earth Come yee and let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. But now alas in stead of calling upon one another to heare Sermons and of these encouragements to goe up to the house of the Lord to blesse and prayse his Name which is now no better then a brand of Puriranisme we heare nought else among many who professe themselves Christians but come let us goe and see a Stage-play let us heare such or such an Actor or resort â—o such and such a Play-house and I would I might not say unto such a Whore or Whore-house where we will laugh and be merry and passe away the afternoone As for any resort to such or such a Lecture Church or pious Preacher it s a thing they seldome thinke much lâ—sse discourse of Alas that any who prosesse themselves Christians should be thus strangly that I say not atheistically infatuated as to forsake the most sacred Oracles the soule-saving Word the most blessed Sacraments house and presence of their God to runne to Playes and Play-houses the abominable Spectacles Lectures Pompes and Synâ—gogues of the Devill as thus to leave the pather of uprightnesse to walke in the wayes of darknesse reioycing to doe evill and delighting in the frowardnesse of the wicked even then when as they should solace their very soules in God Yet this is the most desperate deplorable condition of many hundred prophane ones in this age of light who admire who respect the very basest Stage-players more then the devoutest gravest Preachers and would rather heare the most lascivious Comedy then the best soule-searching Sermon their very practise proclaiming as much unto the world if not their words they being oftner weekely in the Play-house then in the Church reading over three Play-bookes at the least for every Sermon for every Booke or Chapter in the Bible O that the execrable sinfulnesse of this prodigious profanesse would now at last awake us then those who thinke a Stage-play once a day at leastwise three aweeke too little a Sermon once or twice a weeke a moneth too much would change their tune for shame thinking one Play a yeere to much one Sermon a weeke a moneth to little for Christians concluding in the words of that blessed Martyr of our Church Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester who constantly preached in his Dioces most times twice or at leastwise once every day thorowout the weeke without faile in the Confession and protestation of his Faith Dedicated to King Edward the sixt and the whole House of Parliament in the yeere of our Lord 1550. where we writes thus What Realme soever will avoyd the evill of Sedition and contempt of Godly Lawes let them provide the Word of God to be diligently and truely preachedâ— and taught unto the Subjects and Members thereof The lacke of it is the cause of sedition and trouble as Salomon saith Where Prophecy wanteth the people are dissipated Wherefore I cannot a little wonder at the opinion and doctrine of such as say a Sermon ONCE IN A VVEEKE IN A MONETH OR IN A QVARTER OF A YEERE is sufficient for the people Truely it is injuriously and evill spoken against the glory of God and the salvation of the people But seâ—â—ng they will not be in the whole as good unto God as before they have beene unto the Devill neither so glad to remove false doctrine from the people and to continue them in the true where as they did before occupie the most part of the forenoone the most part of the afternoone yea and a great part of the night to keepe the estimation and continuance of dangerous and vaine superstitions were it much now to occupie ONE HOVRE IN THE MORNING AND AN OTHER HOVRE TOVVARDS NIGHT to occupie the people with true and earnest prayer unto God in Christs Blood and in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ that they might know and continue in the true Religion and faithfull confidence of Christ Iesu Fifteene Masses in a Church daily were not too many for the Priests of Baal and SHOVLD ONE SERMON EVERY DAY BE TOO MVCH FOR A GODLY BISHOP AND EVANGELICALL PREACHER I wonder how it can be too much opened unto the people If any man say labour is lost and mens businesse lyeth undone by that meanes Surely it is ungodly spoken for those that beare the people in hand of such a thing knoweth right well that there was neither labours cares needs necessity nor any things else that heretofore could keepe them from hearing of Masse though it had beene said at 4. a clocke in the morning Therefore as farre as I see people were content to lose more labour and spent more time then to goe to the Devill then now to come to God as our common Players and Play-haunters doe But my faith is that both Master and Servant shall finâ— gaine thereby at the yeeres end THOVGH THEY HEARE MORNING SERMON AND MORNING PRAYERS EVERY DAY OF THE VVEEKE Thus farre this reverend Bishop whose words and practise I would the grosse and shamelesse perverters of his doctrine in the points now controverted he being a professed Anti-Arminian and Anti-Pelagian and that in terminis as his printed Workes most positively demonstrate however some pervert them together with our constant Play-haunters would now seriously consider especially in these our dayes wherein Stage-playes almost cry down Sermons and Play-books finde so quicke a sale that if Stationers doe not misinforme me there are at least a dozen Play-bookes vented for one printed Sermon so that I may safely affirme that Stage-playes exceedingly withdraw and keepe men from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals set apart for better purposes which experimentall truth is so visible to the eyes the consciences of all men that it needs no further proofe If any man be so uncredulous as not to believe experience let him then attend to sundry Councels Fathers and other moderne Authors who affirme that Stage-playes withdraw men from the Church and keepe them from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals which were set apart for pious exercises For Councels See the 4. Councell of Carthage Canon 88. with sundry others here recited Act 7. Scene 3. For Fathers Clemens Romanus in the 2. Booke of Apostolicall Constitutions cap. 64.65 complaines That many leaving the Congregation of the Faithfull with the Church and Lawes of God did runne to the
place hath greater troopes of Christians whether the Yard of the publike Play-house or the Court of Gods house and whether men flocke to most to the Temple or to the Theater Whether doe they most affect the sayings of the Evangelists or of Stage-players the words of life or the words of death the words of Christ or the words of a foole in a Play Doubtlesse wee love that most which we preferre For if the Church keepe any feast on that day when there are solemne Playes those who say they are Christians doe not onely not come to the Church but if any not thinking of the Playes come casually thither if they heare whiles they are in the very Church that there are Playes acting abrod they leave the Church and repaire to them The Temple of God is dispised to runne unto Theaters the Church is emptied the Play-house filled We leave Christ upon the Table to feed our adulterous eyes with the impure and unchaste sight of most filthy Enterludes What stranger soever either commeth to Ravenna or to Rome shall finde a part of the Romanes at Stage-playes and a part of the Ravenians at Theatâ—rs And although any be either absent or distant by place yet is he not excused thereby for as many as are ioyned together in likenesse of affection are guilty alike of the same wickednesse that either doth commit Yet for all this wee flatter our selves of our good behaviour and of the rarenesse of our impurity c. Thus farre these Fathers Polydor Virgil complaines That in his time holy dayes were most acceptable to youth for no other reason but that they had then leasure to lead about dances especially among the Italians who after the custome of the ancient Pagans did usually exhibite Spectacles and Playes unto the people reciting Comedies and personating the lives and martyrdomes of the Saints in Churches in which that all might receive equall delight they acted them in their Mother-tongue Thus was it heretofore among the ancient Romanes who on their solemne Festivals recited the Poems of Poets in open Theaters and made divers Spectacles of beasts and Sword-players in Amphitheaters with sundry other Playes thorowout the Citty with which the people were delighted Agrippa complaines and so likewise doth BB. Latimer our renowned Martyr and Episcopus Chemnensis That that waster of equity that subverter of all order and decency that author of all evill things the Devill endevouring daily to pull downe what ever the holy Ghost doth build up hath alwayes quite demolished this fortification The greatest part of Christian people so spending the holy rest of Holy-dayes not in meeting together to pray or heare Gods Word nor yet to performe those other duties for which they were first ordained but wasting it in all kinde of corruptions of good manners and of Christian doctrine in Dances in Comedies in Stage-playes in ribaldrous Songs in sports in drunken meetings in spectacles in all kinde of worldly and carnall workes contrary to the Spirit and holinesse And as Tertullian saith of the solemnity of the Caesars or Romane Emperours they are wont then to performe a notable piece of service to make Bonefires and Dances in the streets to feast from house to house to turne the whole Citty into the forme of a Taverne to force wine downe their throates to runne earnestly to misdemeanors to impudencies to irritations and enticements of lust thus is the publike ioy expressed by a publike shame so may it be said of our Festivals Are we not thâ—refore worthily to bee condemned who thus celebrate the solemnities of Christ and of his Saints Not to remember the Statute of 17 Edward 4. cap. 3. which informes us that the Holi-dayes and Suâ—dayes were spent in Dice-play Kayles Bowles and such other unlawfull ungracious and incommendable Games Nor to recite the words of the authorized Homily of the time and place of Prayer which complaines That it too evidently appeares that God is more dishonoured and the Devill better served on the Sunday then upon all the dayes of the weeke besides Nor yet to recite the lamentable complaint of Ioannis Langhecrucius That Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes in his time were for the most part spent in drunkennesse dancing wantonnesse Stage-playes and the like in so much that the very Singing-men and Choristers of the Church such was their blindnesse and madnesse did spend and honor the sacred feast-day of the Virgin Martyr Caecilia not in sackcloth and fastings but in gluttony in drunkennesse in dancing in lascivious and unchaste songs being then more prone to all lascâ—vious wickednesse then to the reformation of their lusts or to fasting and prayer And that almost all Artificers and Tâ—ades-men had chosen some one Saint or other to be a Patron to them which Saints they worshipped in a deboist Bacchanalian manner so that by this kinde of worship and custome men seemed to have relapsed to Heathennisme or Atheisme I shall truely transcribe a notable passage out of Nicholaus de Clemangis to the like effect in his Treatise De Novis celebritatibus non instituendis where he writes thus Every one may perceive with what devotion Christian people doe at this day celebrate their Festivals and Holi-dayes They seldome come to Church they most seldome heare the Masse and that for the most part but by piece-meale c. Yea they leave the Church and runne away One goeth to a Farme another to his worldly affaires a great companie resorts to faires which now are never kept in a publike and solemne manner but on the most eminent Festivals the Stage-player delighteth some Play-houses take up others Tennis-courts many Dice very many Festivals are celebrated by the richer sort with great gawdinesse of apparell and provision of banquets but betweene rich cloathes and pompous feasts the conscience lies unadorned in uncleanesse The outward house is cleansed with beasoms the floores are swept greene boughes are placed at the doore the ground is strowed with hearbes and flowers all outward things are cleane and trim but the miserable inward man not partaking of this exultation pines away in the meane time in his filthinesses and by how much more excessive the laughter is in the middest of vaine delights by so much the more is it afflicted with greater sorrowes and wounded with sharper prickes of sinnes But to omit these let us see what the prophane vulgar doth in the meane time and the youth in our times corrupted with luxury I have fitly said the prophane vulgar according to the thing which is done because then doubâ—lesse they are farre from the Temple and as they arâ— farre from the Temple so likewise farre from home For Holi-dayes are not celebrated by them in the Temple nor in their houses all the solemnities of their celebration are in Tavernes and Ale-houses They resort thither almost at Sunne-rising and oft-times they abide there untill midnight they sweare forsweare blaspheme God and
them I doubt not but they would take care of the soules that are like to perish neither would they suffer such things on the holy dayes of the Saints as were not permitted to be done in the Bacchanalia themselves Either therefore they would recall the people by the censure of discipline from such most unworthy obscenities or would compell them to celebrate Festivals with due honesty or if they could not breake the force of pernicious custome they would rather abolish the feasts themselves lest they should bee an occasion of so great wickednesses which as it seemes to agree with the safety of soules according to the variety of manners and times are either to be discharged from observance or else more stricktly to be tied to an honest observance lest they should doe farre more hurt by being ill observed then well omitted c. By all which diâ—course of this learned Author who hath much more to the selfesame purpose which suites punctually with the practise of our present times wee may easily discerne how Stage-playes and dancing avocate and with-hold men from Gods worship especially on Lords-dayes and the most solemne Christian Festivals which of all other times are most abused to the eternall ruine of many thousand Christians soules To passe by Bucer in Psal. 92. Master Gualther Hom. 88. in Acta Apostolorum cap. 13. Master Iohn Calvin on Deut. 5. Sermo 34. Doctor Bownde of th Sabbath London 1595. p. 135.136 283 284. Master Beacon Hooper Babington Brinsly Perkins Dod Lake Downham Andrewes Williams Ames and most other Writers upon the 4. Commandement and the Sabbath who make the selfesame complaint that the Lords-day and Holi-dayes are prophaned and oft-times spent in Stage-playes Dancing Drinking Masques and Pastimes Which complaint I finde likewise seconded by learned Iohn Gerson Vincentius Bellovecensis and Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe who as they condemne all Stage-playes Enterludes Masques with all mixt lascivious amorous dancing against which Vincentius and Bellarmine have largely written at all times so especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals on which they are most execrable The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters is very copious in this point God writes he hath given us an expresse Commandement that we should not violate the Sabbath day and prescribed an order how it should bee sanctified namely in holinesse by calling into minde the spirituall rest hearing the Word of God and ceasing from worldly businesse Whereupon Isaiah the Prophet shewing how the Sabbath should be observed saith If thou tuâ—ne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will on mine Holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour himâ— not doing thing owne wayes not seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word then shalt thou delight in the Lord and I will cause thee to mount upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoâ—en it Here we see how the Lord requireth that this day should be observed and what rest hee looketh for at our hands But alas how doe wee follow the order which the Lord hath set downe Is not the Sabbath of all other dayes most abused which of us on that day is not carried whether his affections leades him unto all dâ—ssolutenesse of life How often doe we use on that day unreverend speech which of us hath his heart occupied in the feare of God who is not led away to the beholding of those Spectacles the sight wherâ—of can bring but conâ—usion to our bodies and soules Are not our eyes there carried away with the pride of vanity our eares abused with amorous that is lecherous filthy and abominable speech Is not our tongue which was given us onely to glorifie God with all there imployed to the blasâ—eming of Gods holy Name or the commendation of that is wicked Are not our hearts through the pleasure of the flesh the delight of the eye and the fond motions of the minde withdrawne from the service of the Lord and meditation of his goodnesse So that albeit it is a shame to say it yet dovbtlesse whosoever will marke with what multitudes these idle plâ—ces are replenished and how empty the Lords Sanctuary is of his people may well perceive what devotion wee have We may well sâ—y we are the servants of the Lord but the slender service wee doe him and the small regard we have of his Commandements declares our want of love towards him For if yee love mee saith Christ keepe my Commandements Wee may well bee Hirâ—lâ—ngs but wee are none of his Houshold Wherefore abuse not the Sabbath day my Brethren leave not the Temple of the Lord sit not still in the quagmâ—re of your owne lusts but put to your strength to helpe your selves before your owne waight sincke you downe to Hell Redeeme the time for the dayes are evill Alas what folly is it in you to purchase with a penny damnation to your selves why seeke you after sinne as after a banket None delight in those Spectacles but such as would bee made Spectacles Account not of their drosse their treasures are too base to be laid up in the rich Coafers of your minde Repentance is farthest from you when you are nearest to such May-games All of you for the most part doe lose your time or rather wilfully cast the same away contemning that as nothing which is so precious as your lives cannot redeeme I would to God you would bestow the time you consume in these vanities in seeking after vertue and glory For to speake truely whatsoever is not converted to the use wherefore it was ordained may be said to bee lost For to this end was man borne and had the benefit of time given him that hee might honour serve and love his Creator and thinke upon his goodnesse For whatsoever is done without this is doubtlesse cast away Oh how can you then excuse your selves for the losse of time doe you imagine that your carelesse life shall never bee brought into question Thinke yee the words of Saint Paul the Apostle were spoken in vaine when hee saith We must all appeare before the Iudgement Seate of Christ that every man may receive the things which are done in his body whether it be good or evill When that account shall bee taken I feare me your reckoning will bee to seeke c By such infamous persons as Players much time is lost and many dayes of honest travell are turned into vaine exercises Youth corrupted the Sabbath prophaned c. It was ordained in Rome by the Emperour Trajan that the Romanes should observe but 22 Holi-dayes thorowout the whole yeere For hee thought without doubt that the gods were more served on such dayes as the Romans did labour then on such dayes as they rested because
even as the holy Canons affirme For what communion hath light with darknesse as the Apostle saith or what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols or what part hath a beleever with an infidel or what concord or agreement is there betweene Christ and Belial Can. 62. Those things that are called Kalends and those that are named winter wishes and that meeting which is made upon the first day of March wee will shall bee wholly taken away out of the Citty of the faithfull as also we wholly forbid and expell the publike dancing of women bringing much hurt and destruction and likewise those dances and mysteries that are made in the name of those who are falsly named Gods among the Graecians or in the name of men and women after the ancient manner farre differing from the life of Christians ordaining that no man shall henceforth bee clothed in womans apparell nor no woman in mans aray Neither may any one put on comicallâ— satyricall or tragicall vizards in Enterludes neither may thâ—y invocate the name of execrable Bacchus when as they presse their grapes in winepresses neither pouring out wine in tubbes may they provoke laughter exercising those things through ignorance or vanity which proceed from the imposture of the Divel Those therefore who hereafter shall attempt any of these things that are written after they shall come to the knowledge of them if they be Clergy men we command them to be deposed and if Lay men to bee excommunicated Can. 65. Those bonefires that are kindled by certaine people on New moones before their shops and houses over which also they use ridiculously and foolishly to leape by a certaine ancient custome we command them from henceforth to cease Whoever therefore shall doe any such thing if he be a Clergy man let him be deposedâ— if a Lay man let him be excommunicated For in the fourth Booke of the Kings it is thus written And Manasses built an altar to all the hoast of heaven in the two courts of the Lords house and made his children to passe through the fire c. and walked in it that he might doe evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to wrath Canâ— 66. From the holy day of Christ our God his resurrection to the new Lords day the faithfull or Christians ought to spend the whole weeke in their Churches rejoycing without intermission in Christ in celebrating that feast with psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs not with dancing stage-playes dice tables or such like revel-rout addicting their mindes to the reading of the holy Scriptures and chearfully and richly enjoying the holy Sacraments For thus wee shall bee exalted with Christ and rise together with him By no meanes therefore on the foresaid dayes let there be any horse-race or any publike shewe or stage-playe made Can 71. Those who are taught civill lawes ought not to use Greeke manners or customes neither ought they to be brought into the theatre or to practise any playes called Cylistrae If any man shall presume to doe the contrary let him be excommunicated Can 100. Let thine eyes behold right things and keep thine heart with diligence is the command of wisdome For the senses of the body doe easily infuse their objects into the soule Therefore wee command that such pictures as dazell the eyes corrupt the minde and stirre up flames of filthy lusts be not henceforth made or printed upon any tearmes And if any shall attempt to doe it let him be deposed Some of these recited Canons as Canon 61 65 100. condemne all Bearehards Bearebaiting Bonefires and filthy pictures which Aristotle himselfe condemnes yet withall they oppugne Stage-playes ex obliquo there being betweene them and Playes so great analogie that the censure of one is the condemnation of the other But the other Canons are so punctuall so expresse against them that there can be no evasion from them The seventeenth Synodicall authority against Stage-playes is Synodus Francica under Pope Zachary Annâ— Dom. 742. which runnes thus Illas venationes et silvaticas vagationes cuÌ„ canibus omnibus servis Dei speaking of Clergie men interdicimus Similiter ut accipitres vel falcones non habeant Decrevimus quoque ut secundum Canones unusquisque Episcopus in sua parochia solicitudinem adhibeat adjuvante Graphione qui defensor Ecclesiae est ut populus Dei Paganias non faciat sed ut omnes spurcitiÌ„as gentilitatis abjiciat et respuat sive prophana sacrificia mortuorum sive sortilegos vel divinos c. sive hostias immolatitias quas stulti homines juxta Ecclesias ritu paganico faciunt sub nomine sanctorum martyrum vel confessoruÌ„ DeuÌ„ et suos sanctos ad iracundiam et vindictae gravitateÌ„ provocantes Sive illos sacrilegos ignes quos Nedfri vocant sive omnes quaecumque sunt PaganoruÌ„ observationes diligenter prohibeant We prohibit those huntings and silvaticall wandrings abroad with bounds to all the servants of God and likewise that they keepe neither hauâ—es nor falcons Wee decree also that according to the Canons every Bishop in his parish shall take care the Graphio or Curate who is defender of the Church assisting him that the people of God make no Pagan feasts or Enterludes but that they reject and abominate all the uncleannesses of gentilisme whether prophane sacrifices of the dead or fortune-tellers or diviners c. or immolated sacrifices which foolish men make near unto Churches after the Pagan manner provoking God and his Saints to wrath and vengeance And that they diligently inhibit those sacrilegious fires which they call Neâ—fri or boneâ—ires and all other observations of the Pagans whatsoever Which Canon is likewise ratified in Synodo Suessionensi sub Childerico Rege about the selfe same yeare wherein this Synode was held The eighteenth Play-oppugning Councell is Synodus Nicaena 2. Anno Dom. 785. or 787. in which there were present 350. or 377. Bishopsâ— as some record which Councell commonly reputed the 7. oecumenicall or universall Councell determines thus of Stage-playes Canon 22. Deo quidem universum dedicare et non proprijs voluntatibus servire res magna est Sive enim editis sive bibitis inquit divinus Apostolus omnia in Dei gloriam facite c. Cuâ—vis ergo homini necesse est comedere uâ— vivat et quibus est vita quidem matrimonij eâ— liberoruÌ„ et laici constitutionis immixtim comedere viros et mulieres est ab omni reprehensione alienum simodo ei qui dat nutrimentuÌ„ gratias agunt non cuÌ„ scenicis quibusdaÌ„ studijs sive sataâ—icis canticis et citharaedicis ac meretricijs vocibus quos prophetica execratio prosequitur sic diceÌ„s Vae qui cuÌ„ cythara et psalterio vinuÌ„ bibunt Domini auteÌ„ operâ— non respiciunt et opera manuiâ— ejus non consideranâ— Et sicubi tales fuerint inter Christianos corrigantur Can 22. Verily to dedicate all
secularibus negotijs procurandis verum etiam in luxu lascivia jocis et ludis vetitis compotationibus caeterisque flagitijs exercendis toti transigantur Which abuses it enjoynes Magistrates Officials to suppresse So it decreeth thus Clerici nunquam personati incedant neque comaedias fabulas choreas vel aliquid aliud ludicrum ex ijs quae ab histrionibus exhibentur agant vel spectent ne visus et obtutus sacris mysterijs dicati turpium spectaculorum contagione polluantur Ab alea tesseris chartis et quovis alio vetito et indecoro ludo cuÌ„ privatim tuÌ„ publicè penitus abstineant CoÌ„messationibus et minus honestis convivijs nunquaÌ„ intersint Forum merâ—catus andronas fug a Ì„t nec tabernas et diversoria nisi longioris itineris necessitate unquam ingrediantur c. Although Lords-dayes and holy-holy-dayes were instituted for this onely purpose that faithfull Christians abstaining from externall workes might more freely and with greater piety addict themselves to Gods worship c. Notwithstanding it is preposterously usuall in our times that even religious dayes are wholly spent not onely in following unlawfull and secular affaires but even in riot lasciviousnes prohibited sports and playes compotations and other execrable wickednesses Which abuses it enjoynes Magistrates and Officials to censure and prohibit So it decrees thus Clergy men may never put on vizards or goe disguized neither may they act or behold comedies fables dances or any other of those Playes that are exhibited by Stage-players lest the sight and hearing dedicated to sacred mysteries should be polluted with the contagion of filthy spectacles Let them wholly abstaine as well in private as in publike from dice tables cards or every other prohibited and unseemely play Let them be never present at riotous and dishonest feasts let them avoid places of judicature markets and places of resort neither let them ever enter into tavernes and innes but being necessitated by some long journey The 50. is Concilium Rhemense Anno 1583. Which condemnes the use of Stage-playes and dancing especially on Lord-dayes holy-dayes and the Christmas season when they are most in use under paine of excommunication Diebus Dominicis et Festis in suas Paraeseas populus conveniat et Missae concioni et vesperijs intersit Ijsdem diebus nemo lusibus aut choreis det operam maximè dum divinum celebratur officiuÌ„ monebiturque ab Ordinario vel paraeco Magistratus ut id nequaquaÌ„ fieri permittat Ludos theatrales etiam praetextu consuetudinis exhiberi solitos et puerilia caeteraque ludicra quibus Ecclesiae inquinatur honeâ—tas et sanctitas in Christi et Sanctorum festivitatibus omnino prohibemus contra nitentes autem poenis coerceri volumus à superioribus Let the people meete together in their parish Churches on Lords dayes and holy dayes and let them be present at Masse at Sermon and Vespers Let no man give him selfe on these dayes to Playes or dances especially whiles divine service is celebrating and the Magistrate shall be admonished by the Ordinary or Parish Priest that hee by no meanes suffer these things to be done Wee utterly prohibit Stage-playes and other childish pastimes accustomed to be presented under pretext of custome with which the honesty and sanctity of the Church is defiled in the festivalls of Christ and of the Saints those that doe contrary wee will shall be punished by their superiours The 51. is Synodus Turonensis Anno 1583. which is somewhat observable Cùm juxta divi Pauli praeceptum qui Christi funt sobrietatem semper sectari debeant diebus Dominicis praesertim et alijs festis commessationes convivia publica tripudia saltationes strepitus et choreas fieri vaenatu et aucupatu tempus terere in hospitijs seu cauponis alijs quaÌ„ peregrinis cibaria et vinum ministrari ludos palmarios et alios maximè dum sacra conficiantur laudesque Deo decantantur aperiri comaedias ludos scenicos vel theatrales et alia ejus generis irreligiosa spectacula agi sub anathematis poena prohibet haec Synodus praecipitquâ— omnibus et singulis Paraeciarum rectoribus eos apud Episcopum deferre qui huic decreto non paâ—uerint ut illius ordinatione nominatim excommunicati denuncientur et publicentur * valdè etenim est absurduÌ„ fideles ijs diebus qui propitiando Deo sunt destinati fallacibus illis Sathanae blanditijs illectos à divinis officijs religiosis supplicationibus concionibusque sacris abduci Since according to the precept of St. Paul those who are Christs ought alwayes to follow sobriety especially on Lords dayes and other festivalls this Synode prohibits under paine of excommunication on the foresaid dayes especially all râ—oting publike feasts galliards dances clamours and Morrices to be made to spend time in hunting and hauking to serve wine or victualls in Innes or victualling houses to any but to strangers any prizes or other playes to be shewed especially whiles divine things are performed and praises sung to God any comedies Stage-playes and other irreligious spectacles of this kinde so it stiles them to be acted and it enjoyneth all and singular Rectors of parishes to cite those before the Bishop who shall not obey this decree that in his name they may be denounced and proclaimed excommunicated for it is very absurd that Christians on those dayes that are destinated to appease Gods anger allured with those deceitfull inticements of Satan should bee drawne away from divine Offices religious supplications and holy Sermons So that by this Synodes expresse resolution Stage-playes are irreligious spectacles and the deceitfull inticements of Satan to withdraw mens hearts from God and from his service which should cause all Christians to abominate them The 52. is Concilium Bituriense Anno 1584. where these constitutions were compiled Proâ—â—betur populus prophana sodalitia et commessationes choreas tripudia larvas et theatrales ludos diebus Dominicis et festis exercere pompas instrumentorum musicorum et tympanorum in gestationibus imaginuÌ„ per vias et compita exhibere à caupona abstineant et nihil nisi quod pietateÌ„ redoleat exerceant Imitentur Christiani totis hisce diebus sanctos illos quorum memoriam colant per opera charitatis Clerici nunquam personati sint a comaedijs Mimis chorcis et saltationibus agendis atque spectandis abstineant Aleas tesseras chartas omnes ludos vetitos coÌ„messationes ac inverecunda convivia mercatus et nundinationes tabernas ac diversoria praeterquaÌ„ in itinere devitent c. Hortatur etiam haec Synodus Christianos omnes ut pro Christiani nominis honore et dignitate se gerant tripudia et saltationes publicos ludos mimos larvas et aleas quaÌ„tuÌ„ fieri poterit devitent The people are prohibited to exercise prophane assemblies and riotous feasts dances morrices disguises and Stage-playes on Lords dayes and holy dayes to exhibit shewes or pompes of
unchristian polluted spectacles which defile the eyes the eares the soules corrupt the manners enflame the lusts of those who act who see or heare them acted disabling them likewise to and withdrawing them from Gods holy worship and service Fourthly that Stage-playes even in private houses at marriages or feasts are unlawfull and misbeseeming Christians as well as in publike Theatres Fifthly that the acting of Stage-playes whether publike or private by common Actors or others especially in Churches and Church-yards is altogether abominable and unlawfull though it be still permitted in some places among the Papists in forraigne parts Sixthly that the acting of our Saviours passion or of any other sacred history either in the Church or on the Stage a practise yet in use among the prophane sacrilegious Papists and Iesuites is altogether to be abandoned and condemned Seventhly that dancing dicing carding and Stage-playes are unlawfull and abominable as at all other times so chiefly upon Lords dayes holy dayes and solemne Christian festivalls especially on Easterâ— Whitsontide and Christtide set apart and consecrated to Gods peculiar and more speciall worship when they are now most in use If any here demand of me how the beginning and ending of Lords dayes and holy dayes on which these Stage-Playes and Pastimes are more specially prohibited should be accounted I answer that the Lords day notwithstanding some late reverend opinions to the contrary hath alwayes anciently beene reputed to begin at saturday evening not at midnight or daybreaking as some now teach and so to continue to the evening following At the time of the creation it is most apparant that the day began at evening For the evening and the morning were the first second third fourth fifth sixth and so by consequent the seventh day in ratification of which originall law of nature for the beginning and ending of dayes the Lord himselfe above two thousand yeares after commanded the Israelites to celebrate their Sabbath from evening to evening Levit. 23.32 From even to even shall you celebrate your Sabbath By vertue of which precept the Iewes did alwayes begin and keepe their Sabbaths and solemne festivalls from evening to evening till our Saviours passion and this present day Neither did our Saviours resurrection on the first day of the weeke alter the beginning and end of that day nor yet of the Sabbath which we now keepe upon it For if the first day on which our Saviour rose againe tooke its beginning onely from the time of his resurrection as some affirme then our Saviour could not possibly be three dayes in the grave nor yet be truly said to rise againe the third day according to the Scriptures the night in which our Saviour rose being according to this computation a part of the seventh day and no part of the first of which the Fathers and all other Expositors have alwayes made it parcell to justifie the truth of our Saviours resurrection on the third day And whereas some object that it is absurd that our Christian sabbath should begin before the houre of our Saviours resurrection which is the ground of it for thâ—s were to put the effect before the cause and to make the sabbath precede Christs resurrection which was the cause of its commencement I answer first that Christs resurrection did not sanctifie onely the first houre but the first day on which he rose therefore the antecedent part of the first day which was past before his resurrection as well as the subsequent For as Christians celebrate the day of our Saviours passion even from the very morning though our Saviour suffered not till towards evening and as the Israelites by Gods owne appointment were to begin their Passeover the evening of the foureteenth day not at midnight though the Angell slew not the first-borne of Egypt nor yet passed over the Israelites till midnight And as all Christians keepe holy the mornings of those dayes wherein they receive any publike deliverances as well as the evening though the deliverances perchance were not till noone or after And as if our Saviour should have risen at two of the clocke in the afternoone about which time he first shewed himselfe to his Disciples yet no man would have argued that therefore the sabbath must not begin before that houre so be kept from noone to noone because we observe not the houre but the intire day So our Christian sabbath by the selfsame reason must be still kept from evening to evening though our Saviour rose not till the morning because we observe not the houre the minute but the intire day whereon he rose againe which then began at evening Secondly I would demand on what day our Saviour rose on the seventh or on the first day of the weeke If on the seventh then he was not three dayes in the grave and then we have no ground for sanctifying the first day If on the first day of the weeke then the day was begun before he rose for if the day began not till he was risen then he rose not on it but before it If he rose after the day began as it is certaine he did by severall Scriptures then his resurrection did not change the beginning of the day it being begun befoâ—e else this day should have two beginnings and so it was begun before it began and after it began which is a contradiction and if it altered not the beginning of the first day then by what authority is it changed now Neither can it be here replied that the first day hath one beginning and the Sabbath or Lords day another for as it is said of the seventh day that the seventh day is the sabbath and the sabbath the seventh day so it may be truly said that the Lords day is the first day of the weeke and the first day of the weeke the Lords day they having both the selfe-same limits Thirdly no Scripture informes us that our Saviours resurrection changed the beginning or end of the sabbath that it should now begin at midnight or morning not at evening therefore it kâ—epes the selfâ—same beginning and end it had before Neither doth the objected reason viz that the cause should precede the effect warranted by no Scripture prove any thing at all Indeed if any had celebrated the first day as a sabbath before our Saviour had risen the reason had beene good but since our Saviour was risen againe before the first day was ever kept holy and since his resurrection on it was the cause why Christians subsequently observed the whole day not the very minute or houre on which he rose or that part onely of the day which remained after he was risen the reason is of no weight at all For if our Saviours resurrection should not extend to consecrate that part of the first day which preceded it because the effect should not goe before the cause a man might by
c. to which the forequoted Authours suffragate Lastly King Edgar and Canutus enacted by their Lawes That the Sunday should be kept holy from saturday at noone till monday in the morning And Charles the Great Capit. lib. 6. enacted that the Lords day should be kept holy from evening to evening By all which testimonies and reasons it is most apparant that Lords dayes and holy dayes begin at evening and so ought to be celebrated and kept holy from evening to evening Therfore all dancing dicing carding masques stageplaies together with all ordinary imployments of mens callings upon saturday nights are altogether unlawfull by the verdict of the forequoted Councels because the Lords day as all these ancient Authorities and reasons against all new opinions prove is even then begun Neither will it hereupon follow that we may dance dice see Masques or Playes on Lords-day nights as too many doe because the Lords day is then ended since these Councels prohibit them altogether at all times whatsoever But put case they were lawfull at other times yet it were unseasonable to practise theÌ„ on Lords day nights For this were but to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh to conclude holy daies duties with prophane exercises and immediately after the service of God to serve the Divell and to commit our selves to his protection Wee must therefore know that though the Lords day end at evening yet there are then evening-duties still remaining answerable to the workes of the precedent day as the repetition meditation and tryall of those heavenly instructions which we have heard or read in the day-time prayer to God for a blessing upon all those holy ordinances of which wee have beene made partakers thanksgiving to him for his manifold mercies singing of psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs instruction and examination of our children servants and families examination of our owne hearts estates and wayes by the touch-stone of Gods word together with a serious commendation of our soules and bodies into the hands of God by prayer and well-doing when as we are lying downe to our rest All which most serious necessary duties with which wee should close up every day and night it being for ought we know the utmost period of our lives will out all dancing dicing Masques and Stage-playes which are incompatible with these holy duties and altogether unseasonable for the night which God made for sleepe and rest not for these dishonest workes of darknesse in which too many spend whole nights who never imployed one halfe night or day in prayer as their Saviour and King David did Since therefore we never reade of any faithfull Saints of God in former times who practised dancing dicing Masques or Enterludes on Lords day nights no nor yet on any other dayes or nights for ought appeares by any Author though they have oft times spent whole dayes and nights in prayer let us not take up this godlesse practise now which will keepe us off from God and better things But let us rather follow Edgars and Canutus Lawes keeping the Sunday holy from saturday evening till monday morning spending the whole day and night in prayer and praises unto God and in such holy actions as we would be content that Christ and death should finde us doing No man I am sure would be willing that Christ that death or the day of judgement should deprehend him whiles he is dancing drinking gaming Masquing acting or beholding Stage-playes yea who would not tremble to be taken away sodainly at such sports as these especially on a Sunday night when every mans conscience secretly informes him that they are unexpedient unseasonable if not unlawful too Let us therfore alwaies end the Lords day yea every weekday too with such holy exercises in which we would willingly end our dayes then neede we not be ashamed for to live nor feare to die Lastlyâ— it is evidently resolved by the foregoing Councelsâ— that the very beholding and acting of Stage-playes either in publike or private is altogether unlawfull unto Christians and more especially to Clergy men who now are not ashamed to frequent them against the expresse resolution of all these Councels who are neither to behold nor countenance any dancing dicing carding table-playing much lesse any publike or private Stage-playes the very acting or beholding of which subjects them both to suspension and degradation as the recited Canons witnesse to the full which I wish all Ministers would now at last remember If any man here object that many of the alledged Councels prohibit Clergy men onely from acting and beholding Stage-playes therefore Lay men may safely personate and frequent them still To this I answer First that most of these Councels expresly inhibit as well Lay men as Clergy men both from acting and beholding Stage-playes therefore the objection is but idle Secondly the very reason alledged by these Councels why Clergy men should abstaine from Stage-playâ—s to wit lest their eyes and eares deputed unto holy mysteries should be defiled by them c. extends as well to the Laity as the Clergie since every Lay Christian is as apt to be defiled by Playes and ought to be as holy in all manner of conversation as Clergy men Every Lay Christian is or ought to be a spirituall Priest to offer up spirituall sacrifices of prayer and praise to God both morning and evening and at all other seasons whence God himselfe enjoynes even Lay men as well as others to cleanse themselveâ— from all pollution of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God to keepe themselves unspotted of the world to abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule and to be holy even as God is holy There is the selfesame holinesse required both of the Laity and Clergy both of them ought to be alike spirituall Priests to God at leastwise in respect of family-duties and private exercises of piety and devotions if therfore Stage-playes unsanctifie or pollute the one and indispose them to Gods service needes must they defile the other too and so they are equally unlawfull to both by these Councels verdict Lastly though many of these Councels prohibit only Clergie men froÌ„ acting or beholding Stage-plaies partly because their Canons bound none but Clergy men not the Laity untill they were received and partlie because the reformation of the Clergie whose resort to Stage-playes did seduce the Laity was the â—peediest meanes to reclaime all Laicks yet they intended not to give anie libertie to Lay men to haunt Plaies or theatres for as they inhibit Ministers themselves from Plaies so they charge them likewise both by preaching by ecclesiasticall censures all other meanes to withdraw their parishioner and all others from them So that the objection is meerelie frivolous and
wives and daughters from Playes and Theaters the very marts the instructions of baudery and adultery if they would preserve them chast to which Adulterers Woers and others oft entice them that so they may more easily overcome their chastity and make them pliable to their lusts which they are alwayes sure to accomplish if they can once but draw them to resort to Playes as ancient that I say not moderne experience can too well witnesse The second are the imperial Constitutions of Honorius and Theodosius which runne thus Placuit nostrae clementiae ut nihil conjuncti Clerici cum publicis actionibus vel ad Curiam pertinentibus habeant Praeterea ijs qui Parabolani vocantur neque ad quodlibet publicum spectaculuÌ„ neque ad Curiae locum neque ad judicium accedendi licentiam permittimus c. Interdicimus sanctissimis Episcopis et presbyteris diaconis et subdiaconis et lectoribus et omnibus alijs cujuslibet ordinis venerabilis collegij aut schematis constitutis ad tabulas ludere aut alijs ludentibus participes esse aut inspectores fieri aut ad quodlibet spectaculuÌ„ spectandi gratia venire Si quis auteÌ„ ex his in hoc deliquerit jubemus hunc tribus annis a venerabili ministerio prohiberi et in monasteriuÌ„ redigi sed in medio tempore si se poenitenteÌ„ ostenderit liceat sacerdoti sub quo constitutus est tempus minuere et hunc priori rursus ministerio reddere It pleaseth our grace that Clergy men intermeddle not with publicke actions or things belonging to the Court. Besides wee permit not those who are called Parabolani to have leave to come to any publike Spectacle or Stageplay nor yet to the Court or place of judgement Wee prohibit the most sacred Bishops and Presbyters Deacons and Subdeacons and all others of the venerable colledge or livery to play at tables or to bee partners with others that play or spectators of them or to come to any spectacle or stageplay of purpose â—o behold it If any of these shall offend in this we command him to be suspended the venerable ministrie for three yeares and to be thrust into a Monastery But if in the middle of this time hee shall shew himselfe penitent it shal be lawfull for the Minister under whom hee is placed to shorten the time to restore him to his former ministery To which I may adde these ensuing Imperiall Constitutions of Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius Nullus solis die populo spectaculum praebeat nec divinam venerationem confecta solennitate confundat Dominico quae est septimanae totius primus dies et natale atque Epiphaniorum Christi Paschae etiam atque quinquagesimae diebus omni Theatrorum atque Circensium voluptate per universas urbes earundem populis denegata totae Christianorum ac fidelium mentes Dei cultibus occupantur Si qui etiam nunc vel ludaei impietatis amentia vel stolidae paganitatis errore atque insania detinentur aliud esse supplicationum noverint tempus aliud voluptatis Acne quis existimet in honorem numinis nostri veluti majo ri quadam imperialis officij necessitate compelli et nisi divina religione contempta spectaculis operaÌ„ daret subeundum forsitan fibi nostrae serennitatis offensam si minus circa nos devotionis ostenderit quat quaÌ„ solebat nemo ambigat quod tunc maxime mansuetudini nostrae ab humano genere defertur cum virtutibus Dei omnipotentis potentis ac meritis universis obsequium orbis impenditur Let no man exhibit any Stage-play or Spectacle to the people on the Sunday nor confound Gods worship with any acted Enterlude On the Lords day which is the first day and birth-day of the whole week and on the feast-dayes of the Epiphany of Christ of Easter also and of Whitsontide all the pleasure of Stage-playes and Cirque-playes being denied the people throughout all their Citties the whole minds of Christians beleevers shal be busied in the worship of God And if any now are deceived either with the folly of Iewish impiety or with the errour and frenzie of foolish paganisme let them know that there is one time of supplications another of pleasures And lâ—st any one should thinke himselfe as it wâ—re compelled out of honour to our Majesty with a certaine greater necessitie of imperiall duty and that perchance he shall undergoe the displeasure of our grace unlesse contemning divine religion he shall addict himselfe to Stage-playes or if hee shall shew lesse devotion towards us in this kinde than hee was wont let no man doubt that then most of all is attributed to our clemencie by mankind when as the obedience and service of the world is bestowed on the vertues and universall merits of the omnipotent God The last is that of Iulian the Apostata who in his Letter to Arsacius the Arch-Pagan Priest of Galatia writes thus by way of injunction of purpose to draw the Pagans to the discipline of the Christians Deinde sacerdotem quemque cohortare ne in theatro conspiciatur ne apud caupones potet neve arti cuiquam aut operae pudendae aut ignominiosae praesit Et morem quidem gerentes persequere rebelles vero à te repelle Moreover exhort every Priest that hee be not seene in the theatre that he drinke not at ale-houses and that hee practise or survey no ignominious no shameful art or worke And honour those who are obedient but repell the rebellious from thee So much shew of ingenuity was there even in this grand Apostate as to doome Stage-playes unfit Spectacles Playhouses Alehouses undecent places for Pagan Priests how much more then for Christian Ministers To all which Councels and Constitutions of this nature I shall adde Gratian Distinctio 33 48. Causa 21. Quaest. 3 4. Iâ—onis Decreta pars 5. cap 373. pars 11. c 76.78 79. Panormitan Tit De Vita et Honestate Clericâ—rum De Clerici Officio Alvarus Pelagius De Planctu Ecclesiae lib 2. Artic 28. fol 133. Isiodor Hispalensis De Officijs Ecclesiasticis l 2. c 2. HRabanus Maurus De Sacris Ordinibus lib 1. Operum Tom 6. p 63. A B Alexander Fabricius Destructorium Vitiorum l pars 4. c 23. Ioannis De Wankel Glossa in Breviarium Sexti lib 3. Tit 1. De Vita et Honestate Clericorum Innocentius 3. Decretalium Constit lib 3. Tit 1. De Vita et Honestate Clericorum Episcopus Chemnensis Onus Ecclesiae cap 23. sect 1 c. Ioannis de Athon Othoboni Constitutiones fol 78 79 80. Constitutiones Concilij Oxoniensis fol 122 123 124. Lindwood Provincialium Constitutionum l 3. Tit De Vita et Honestate Clericorum fol 87 88. Summa Rosella Tit Clericus sect 2. Chorea Summa Angelica Tit Chorea Clericus sect 4 9 11. Claudius Espencaeus Digressionum in Epist ad Timothaeum libâ— 2. cap
in all the quarters of the world Or as others of them paraphrase it They were made a wonderment a laughing-stocke to uncleane spirits and to the wicked of the world who rejoyced at their miseries their torments being glad to see them drawne to the place of execution called Theatrum a Theatre where the innocent Martyrs for the most part suffered in the view of all the people as our Traytors usually suffer on a Stage or scaffold erected for that purpose both which expositions some good Interpreters have conjoyned yet this no wayes justifies but oppugnes our Stage-playes For first the Apostles did not make themselves a voluntary Spectacle as all Players doe but they were made Spectacles by others Secondly they were no Spectacles of lasciviousnesse vanitie follie mirth or wickednesse as Plaies and Plaiers are but of grace of faith of pietie patience constancy martyrdome and the like which Plaies and Plaiers are not Thirdly they were Spectacles of Gods owne institution they being appointed called destinated to their sufferings by God himselfe whereas Plaies and Actors are Spectacles not of Gods but of the very Divels owne invention and appointment Fourthly they were memorable publike Spectacles of admiration of imitation both to the world to Angels and to men Playes Players and Play-haunters were yet never such Fifthly they were reall not hypocriticall histrionicall personated Spectacles consisting of representations onely as all Playes and Actors are Sixthly they were Spectacles appointed onely unto death not to laughter Spectacles of passion of compassion not of mirth and pleasure Spectacles onely at a stake appointed unto martyrdome not on a stage to stir up laughter Spectacles they were which the very Angels and Saints applauded not condemned which Divels and wicked men derided persecuted not applauded Spectacles which were the crowne the honour not the reproach and infamy of Christianity as Playes and Players are therefore they give no colour no approbation to our Play-house Spectacles with which they have no Analogie but this alone that as the chiefe agents in the Apostles and Martyrs tortures were desperate wicked men envenomed enraged with bitter rancor against all grace all goodnesse even such are the common Actors and Abetters of our theatricall Enterludes All the argument then that our Play-patrons can collect from hence is from the allusion which the Apostle hath to Theatres to Spectacles which being an allusion onely to the spectacle of a Martyr at the stake or of a malefactor at the place of execution as all Expositors accord not to a Play or Enterlude on a Stage subverts their very foundation and takes them off from this their hold in which they had most repose But admit it were an allusion to a Play-house Theatre yet as theeves can never justifie their stealing nor uâ—urers their usurie to be lawfull because the Scripture saith that Christ that the day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night and that he will require his owne with usurie no more can our Play-champions conclude from hence that Stage-playes are warrantable or lawfull among Christians because St. Paul by way of similitude writes thus of himselfe and his fellow-Apostles Wee are made a Theatre or Spectacle to the world unto Angels and to men These two maine Scriptures being thus fully vindicated from our Play-proctors wrestings the other will fall away of themselves there being no analogie at all betweene a race and a Stage-play an horse or chariot for warre and a Comedie for sport I shall therefore answer them all together in St. Cyprians words In this place I may say that it had beene better for these Objectors never to have knowne the Scriptures than thus to reade and wrest them For these words and examples which are laid downe as exhortations to evangelicall vertue are translated into apologies for vice For these things are written not that they should be gazed upon but that a more earnest vehemency should be stirred up in our minds in profitable things whiles there is so great a diligence in Ethnickes in unprofitable things It is an argument therefore of exciting vertue not a permission or libertie of beholding the Gentiles error that by this the minde may be more enflamed to evangelicall vertue by divine rewards when as men must passe through the miserie of all toyles and griefes before they can come to terrene emoluments That Elias is the horseman or charioter of Israel it yeelds no patronage to the beholding of Cirque-playes for he never ranne in any Circus That David danced in the sight of God it no wayes availes nor justifieth the sitting of faithfull Christians in the Theatre for by distorting none of his members with obscene motions hee hath ended the dance and put a period to the Play of Graecian lust His Lute his trumpets flutes and harpes have resounded Gods praises not an Idols It is not therefore hence determined that unlawfull things may be looked on those lawfull things by the Divels cunning being now changed from holy into unholy things Let shame therefore instruct or restraine these men although the holy Scriptures cannot doe it For is it not a shame is it not a shame I say for faithfull men who challenge to themselves the name of Christians to justifie the vaine superstitions of the Gentiles intermixed with their Stage-playes out of the sacred Scriptures and to give authority to Idolatry For when that which is done by Ethnickes to the honour of any Idol is frequented by Christians in a Stage-play both heathen idolatry is maintained and in contumely of God true religion is trod under foote This is St. Cyprians answer to the objected Scriptures and with it I rest SCENA SECVNDA THe second Objection in defence of Playes is this That they are innoxious pleasant honest laudable recreations which the ancient Greekes and Romans not onely tollerated but applauded therefore they are tollerable among Christians Not no answer this objection with that exclamation of Volateranus in this very case of Playes Sed quid nunc de faece hujus saeculi dicam quum virtutem ac gloriam veterum imitari nullo pacto valeamus vitia tamen omni studio imitamur Iam scena ubique renovata est ubique comâ—dias spectaâ— uterque sexus quodque longe impudentius ipsi Sacerdotes et praesules quorum erat officium omnino prohibere Multo igitur severiores in hac parte Graeci qui omnes suos comicos jamdiu aboluerunt propter unum Aristophanem quamvis moribus miâ—ime officeret I answer first that Playes are no harmelesse honest or laudable recreations as all the premised Authorities and this whole treatise prove at large this objection therefore is but a begging of the cause in question Secondly I answer that although some Pagan Greekes and Romanes approved Stage-playes at the first in lewd and dissolute times yet at last after long experience of those
English Nation have farre excelled others with an hundred such like laudable exercises â—avouring both of royalty valour and activity which if they were now revived insteed of effeminate amorous wanton dances Enterludes Masques and Stage-playes effeminacy idlenesse adultery whoredome ribaldry and such other lewdnesse would not be so frequent in the world as now they are But admit this idle surmise as true as it is fabulous it then administers a pregnant argument against all common Stage-playes for if Stage-playes be meet ornaments for Princes pallaces at times of greatest state and royallest entertainment great reason is there to suppresse their daily acting and to appropriate them to such times such places such purposes as these for feare their assiduity their coÌ„monnes should make the despitably base and altogether unmeet for such sublime occasions Extraordinary royall occasions persons entertainments will not suite with common prostituted Enterludes which every tinker cobler foot-boy whore or rascall may resort to at their pleasure as they doe unto our Stage-playes which as they are every mans for his penny so they are every dayes Pastime too at every roguish Play-house And are such common hacknie Enterludes thinke you fit for high-dayes for Princes Courts and presence If therefore you will exalt these sordid Stage-playes to such sublime imployments as you here pretend you must now shut up our standing Play-houses and sequester all Stage-playes from the vulgar crew appropriating them onely to some certaine solemne publike festivities and times of royall entertainment as the ancient Greekes and Romans did who had no constant much lesse any private Enterludes acted day by day but onely publike Stage-playes at times of publike triumph or on the great solemne Feast-dayes of their Idol-gods to whom they were devoted that so their raritie may ennoble them to such royall services as are pretended when as their assiduous commonnesse hath now made theÌ„ their Actors base too base I dare say for any Princes presence when as they deeme themselves highly honoured with the very meanest varlets To the second clause of this Objection That Stage-playes are necessary for the true solemnizing of our Saviours Nativitie and other such solemne Christian Festivalls it is so diametrally opposite unto truth above 40 severall Councels besides Fathers and other Christian Writers professedly contradicting it See Act. 6. Scene 12. Act. 7. Scene 3. that I cannot so much as name it but with highest indignation Alas into what atheisticall heathenish times are we now relapsed into what a stupendious height of more than Pagan impiety are we now degenerated when as Stage-playes the very chiefest pompes and ornaments of the most execrable pagan Idols festivities are thought the necessary appendants of our most holy Christian solemnities when as we cannot sanctifie a Lords-day observe a fift of November or any other day of publike thanksgiving to our gracious God nor yet celebrate an Easter a Pentecost or such like solemne Feasts much lesse a Christmasse as we phrase it in a plausible pious sort as too many paganizing Christians now conceit without drinking roaring healthing dicing carding dancing Masques and Stage-playes which better become the sacrifices of Bacchus than the resurrection the incarnation of our most blessed Saviour which are most execrably prophaned most unchristianly dishonoured with these Bacchanalian pastimes What pious Christian heart bleedes not with teares of blood when he beholds the sacred Nativitie of his spotlesse Saviour transformed into a festivitie of the foulest Divels when he shall see his blessed Iesus who came to redeeme to call men from their sinnes and to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes entertained honoured courted served like a Divell yea rather crucified and nailed to his crosse againe with nought else but desperate notorious sinnesâ— by an unchristian crew of Christians I might say Pagans oâ— incarnate Divels who during all the sacred time of his Nativity when they should be most holy are more especially and that professedly tooâ— a most impure people zeaâ—ous of nothing but of Stage-playes dicing dancingâ— healthing riotâ—ng and such evill workes as would make the very lewdest Pagans to blush for shame Is this the honour the entertainment the gratitude the holy service the welcome we render to our Saviour for his Nativity his incarnation or his passion to court him thus with heathenish Playes or hellish pastimes as if he were no other no better than a Pagan Idol or infernall Divel who were alwayes wâ—rshipped courted with such solemne Enterludes Are Christ and Belial thinke we reconciled or is there no difference betweene our Saviours Nativity and a Divel-Idols birth-day that we thus commemorate them in the selfesame manner For how did the idolâ—trous Gentiles honour or please their Iupiter Venus Flora Apollo Berecynthea Bacâ—hus and such like Divel-gods upon their gaudiest feast-dayes but with healthing dancing Masques and Stage-playes the very workes and pompes of Satan invented for appropriated to these Idols service as I have largely proved and how doe we Christians spend or celebrate for the most part the Nativity of our Saviour but with such heathenish sports as these which Turkes and Infidels would abhorre to practise O wickednes O prophanesse beyond all expression even thus to abuse our Saviours solemne birth-time as to make it a patronage for all kinde of sinne Were wee to celebrate the very foulest Idol-Divels birth-day as many wretches doe in deedes whiles they solemnize Christs in shew how could we please or honour him more than to court him with lascivious Masques or Stage-playes an invention of and for himselfe which he hath oft exacted from his worshippers upon his solemne festivals or to give him the very selfesame welcome that most men give to Christ in the feast of his Nativity when the Divell hath commonly more professed publike service done him than all the yeare beside For may I not truly write of our English Citties and Country villages in the Christmas season as Salvian did of Rome Video quasi scaturientem vitijs civitatem video urbem omnium iniquitatum generi servientem plenam quidem turbis sed magis turpitudinibus plenam divitijs sed magis vitijs vincentes se invicem homines nequitia flagitiorum suorum alios impuritate certantes alios vino languidos alios cruditate distentos hos sertis redimitos illos unguento oblitos cunctos vano luxus marcore perditos sed penè omnes una errorum morte prostratos non omnes quidem vinolentia temulentos sed omnes tamen peccatis ebrios Populos putares non sani status non sui sensus non animo incolumes non gradu quasi in morem baccharum crapulae catervatim inservientes c. Those who are temperate and abstemious at all other times prove Epicures and drunkards then Those who make conscience to redeeme all other seasons deeme it a
venit ac virides passim disjecta per herbas Potat et accumbat cum pare quisque sua Sub jove pars durat pauci tentoria ponunt Sunt quibus è ramis frondea facta casa est Sole tamen vinoque calent annosque praecantur Quot sumunt cyathos ad numerumque bibunt Invenies illic qui Nestoris ebibat annos Quae sit per calices facta Sibylla suos Illic et cantant quiâ—quid dedicere theatris Et jactant faciles ad sua verba manus Et ducunt posito duras cratere choreas Cultaque diffusâ—s saltat amica comis Cum redeunt titubant et sunt spectacula vulgi Et fortunatos obvia turba vocat c. Rusticus ad ludos populus veniebat in urbem Sed dîs non studijs ille dabatur honos Luce sua ludos unvae commentor habebat Quos cum taedifera nunc habet ille dea c. Ibunt semi-mares et inania tympana tundentâ— AEraque tinnitus are repulsa dabunt Scena sonat ludique vocant spectate Quirites Et fora marte suo litigiosa vacent Annuimus votis Consul nunc consule ludos c. Talia luduntur fumoso mense Decembri Quae jam non ulli composuisse nocet The third thus Nunc mihi nunc fumo veteris proferre falernum Consulis et Chio solvere vincla cado Vina diem celebrent non fesâ—a luce madere Est rubor errantes et malè ferre pedes Sed bene Messallam sua quisque ad pocula dicat Numen et absentis singula verba sonant c. Agricola assiduo primùm satiatus aratro Cantavit certo rustica verba pede Agricola et nimio suffusus Baccho rubenti Primus inexperto duxit ab arte choros c. Whom Philo Iudaeus writing of the Romans festivals doth second in this manner In omni festo nostro eâ— celebritate quae miramur sunt haec securitas remissio ebrietas potatio â—oÌ„messationes deliciae oblectamenta patentes januae pernoctationes indecentes voluptates insolentiae exercitiuÌ„ inteÌ„perantiae insipientiae meditatio studia turpitudinis honestatis pernicies nocturnae excitationes ad cupiditates inexplebilâ—s somnus diurnus quando vigilandi tempus est naturae ordinis perversio tunc virtus ridetur ut noxia vitium tanqâ—am utile rapitur tunc in contemptu sunt quae oportet facere quae vero non oportet in precio Tunc philosophia et omnis eruditio divinae animae divina revera simulachra tenent silentium ac istae artes quae suis lenocinijs ventri et his quae sub ventre sunt voluptatem conciliant ostendunt suam facundiam Haec sunt festa istorum qui se faelices dicunt quorum â—urpitudo quamdiu inter privatos parietes locaque prophana continetur minus peccare mihi videntur ubi verò torrentis in morem populans omnia vel in sacratissima templa irrumpit quicquid in his sanctum est sternit continuò facieâ—s prophana sacrificia victimas absque litatione praeces irritas prophana enim mysteria simul et orgya pietatem sanctitatemque fucatam et adulterinam castitatem impuram veritatem falsatam cultum Dei superstitiosum Ad haec quidem corpora abluuntur lavacris et purificationibus affectiones verò animae quibus vita sordidatur nec volunt nec curant eluere Et ut candidati templa subâ—ant dant operam diligenter emaculatis vestibus amicti mentem verò maculosissiâ—am in ipsa sacraria penitissima inferre non verentur A most accurate Character both of our unruly Christmasses and such Christmas-men If wee now parallell our grand disorderly Christmasses with these Roman Saturnals and heathen Festivals or our New-yeares day a chiefe part of Christmas with their Festivity of Ianus which was spent in Mummeries Stage-playes dancing and such like Enterludes wherein Fidlers and others acted lascivious effeminate parts and went about their Towns and Cities in womens apparrell whence the whole Catholicke Church as Alchuvinus with others write appointed a solemne publike fast upon this our New-yeares day which fast it seemes is now forgotten to bewaile those heathenish Enterludes sports and lewd idolatrous practises which had beene used on it prohibiting all Christians under paine of excommunication from observing the Kalends or first of Ianuary which wee now call New-yeares day as holy and from sending abroad New-yeares gifts upon it a custome now too frequent it being a meere relique of Paganisme and idolatry derived from the heathen Romans feast of two-faced Ianus and a practise so execrable unto Christians that not onely the whole Catholike Church but even the 4 famous Councels Altisiodorum viz. Towres Capit. Graecarum Synodorum here p. 581. Concil Constantinop 6. here p. 583. together with St. Ambroseâ— Augustine Astâ—rius HRabanus Maurus Alchuvinus Gratian Iuo Carnotensisâ— Isiodor Hispalensis Pope â—achary Pope Martin Saint Chrysostome Michael Lochmair Ioannes Langhecrucius Bochellus Stephanus Costa Francis de Croy Polydor Virgil Durandus with sundry other have positively prohibited the solemnization of New-yeares day and and the sending abroad of New-yeares gifts under an anathema excommunication as unbeseeming Christians who shovld eternally abolish not propagate revive or recontinue this pagan festivall and heathenish ceremonie which our God abhors If wee compare I say our Bacchanalian Christmasses New-yeares tides with these Saturnalia and feasts of Ianus we shall finde such neare affinitie betweene them both in regard of time they being both in the end of December and on the first of Ianuary and in their manner of solemnizing both of them being spent in revelling epicurisme wantonnesse idlenesse dancing drinking Stage-playes Masques and carnall pompe and jollity that wee must needes conclude the one to be but the very ape or issue of the other Hence Polydor Virgil aâ—firmes in expresse tearmes that our Christmas Lords of misrule which custome saith he is chiefly observed in England together with dancing Masques Mummeries Stage-playes and such other Christmas disorders now in use with Christians were derived from these Roman Saturnalia and Bacchanalian festivals which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them If any here demaund by whom these Saturnalia these disorderly Christmasses Stageplayes were first brought in amoÌ„g the Christians I answer that the paganizing Priests and Monkes of popish the same with heathen Rome were the chiefe Agents in this worke who as they borrowed their Feast of All-Saints from the heathen festivall Pantheon and the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary which they have christned with the name of Candlemasse from the festivall of the Goddesse Februa the mother of Mars to whom the Pagan Romans offered burning tapers as the Papists in imitation of them now offer to the Virgin Mary on this day at evening answerable to which are their ordinary burning
Tapers on their idolized Altars borrowed froÌ„ Saturâ—e and those other Idol-Gods whose blindnes stood in need of those burning torches which the Pagans placed on their Altars they having eyes and yet not seeing though our Saviour Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse the light that lightens every one that commeth into the world the Father and author of all light the light of the heavenly Hierusalem it selfe which needes neither Sunne nor Moone because he is the light thereof and the light it selfe wherein is no darknesse needes no such Tapers as Lactantius tells usâ— So they have deduced not the celebration of our Saviours Nativity in a Christian manner which was ancient but the riotous solemnizing of this sacred festivall from these Pagan Saturnalia which having baptized or new guilded over with this glorious pompous title of CHRIST-MASSE a name I am sure of their owne imposing not knowne to the ancient Fathers as the MASSE therein imports they transmitted it as a most sacred Relique or Tradition to dissolute posteritie who are so farre besotted with its bacchanalian pastimes Enterludes and other heathenish disorders that they have both lost their Saviour and themselves whiles they thus celebrate his Nativitie which in regard of those infernall prophanesses of that licentious libertie of sinning which men now take unto themselves more than at other seasons may more truly bee stiled DIVELS-MASSE or SATVRNES-MASSE for such too many make it than Christ-masse there being farre more affinitie betweene the Divell Saturne Masse and riotous Christmas-keeping than betweene Christ and them who as he never approved idolatrous sacrilegious pompous Masses which rob him of his honour worship and all-sufficient sacrifice once for all so he cannot but abhor these bachananaliaÌ„ pagaÌ„ Christmasses which deprive him of his service praises love and proclaime him an open patron of those notorious sinfull Christmas practises which hee doth most abhorre When these disorderly extravagant kinde of Christmasses crept first into the Church I cannot certainly determine yet this I doe conjecture After that Pope Boniface and Pope Gregory the first under pretence of drawing men from Paganisme to Christianity had changed divers of the Pagan Festivalls into Christian as Pantheon into All Saints Februalia Lupercalia Proserpinalia and Palilia into the Feast of Candlemasse Quirinalia into Innocents the Feast of the Kalends of Ianuary into our Saviours Circumcision or New-yeares day these Saturnalia into our Saviours Nativitie and the like contrary to the judgement of St. Ambrose St. Augustine the whole Councell of Affricke and others who wished all Pagan Festivals not changed into Christian but quite abolished the better to avoid all heathenish customes it came to passe that the observation of these Pagan Festivalls whose names they onely changed brought in all Pagan rites and ceremonies that the idolatrous heathens used as drunkennes health-quaffing wantonnesse luxurie dancingâ— dicing Stage-playes Masques with all other Ethnicke sports into the Church of God she being never defiled with these prophane abominations till these Pagan holy-holy-dayes were metamorphosed into Christian which by reason of mens naturall pronesse unto evill did soone transformâ— all Christian Festiualls into Pagan as good Authors witnesse partly through the pâ—oples strong propensity to carnall pleasures to heathenish rites and ceremonies to which they naturally adhere but principally through the intâ—llerable luxurie and voluptuousnesse of the Popish Clergie whose excessive â—ndowments power pride and lordly pompeâ— drew them on by little and little to that stupendioâ—s Epicurisme and dissolutenesse of life that to stop the peoples mouthes and to palliate if not authorize these their luxurious courses they not onely stuffed their Kalenders with new-invented Festivals and Saints dayes but likewise countenanced all Pagan sports and customes on them exhibiting publike banquets Enterludes Mummeries Dances and merriments to the people who being bribed with their belly-cheare and soothed with their pleapleasures applauded them for the present and then fell to imitate them for the future till at last all Christendome was over-runne yea all life all power of Christianitie quite eaten out with these Pagan Christmas pastimes and delights of sin That the Popish Clergy whose extravagancies and most intollerable luxurie in this kinde many Councels and Authors have declaimed against at larg were the chiefest instruments of ushering in these Pagan Christmasses together with Stage-playes dances and such like bacchanalian practises into the Church of Christ it is most apparant not onely by those Councels and Authors which crie out against them for their strange unparalleld excesses in all these kindes and by that elegant oration of King Edgar to our English Praelates worthy to be registred in golden Characters where he thus displayes the Epicurian lives of the Clergy in his raigne Taceo quod Clericis nec est corona patens nec tonsura conveniens quod in veste lascivia insolentia in gestu in verbis turpitudo interioris hominis loquuntur insaniam Praeterà in divinis officijs quanta negligentia cum sacris vigilijs vix interesse dignentur cum ad sacra Missarum solennia ad ludendum vel ad ridendum magis quà m ad psallendum congregari videantur Dicam dicam quod boni lugent mali rident dicam dolens si tamen dici potest quomodo diffluant in commessationibus in ebrietatibus in cubilibus in impudicitijs ut jam domus Clericorum putentur prostibula meretriâ—um et conciliabula histrionum Ibi alea ibi saltus et cantus ibi usque in medium noctis spatium protractae in clamore et horrore vigiliae the chiefe ingredients of our exorbitant Christmasses Sic sic patromonia regum eleemosynae pauperum imo quod magis est illius pretiosi sanguinis pretium profligatur Ad hoc igitur exhauserunt thesauros suos patres nostri ad hoc fiscus Regius distractis redditibus multis detumuit ad hoc Ecclesijs Christi agros et possessiones Regalis munificentia contulit ut delicijs Clericorum meretrices ornantur luxuriosa convivia praeparentur canes et aves et talia ludicra comparentur Hoc milites clamant plebs submurmurat mimi cantant et saltant et vos negligitis vos parcitis vos dissimulatis c. But likewise by sundry forequoted Councels and canonicall Constitutions by which it appeares most evidently that divers of the Popish Clergie were common Iesters Actors Dicers Dancers Epicures Drunkards Health-quaffers that they both acted caused Playes and Enterludes to be personated both in Churches elswhere especially on the feasts of Innocentâ— New-yeares day and the Christmas holy-dayes the commonnesse of which abuses was the onely cause of those severall Canons and Constitutions to suppresse them on which you may reflect Hence Avenâ—ine records of Pope Boniface the 8. that he made and brought in secular sports and Enterludes endeavouring
holy Sermons on which prayers were humbly powred out to God not without teares and sighâ—s Thus did the primitive Christians spend their solemne holy-holy-dayes and so should we doe too as our owne Statute of 5. 6. Ed. 6. c. 3. expresly enjoynes us How the primitive Christians celebrated the Nativitie of our Saviour in particular and in what manner we also ought to solemnize it let Gregory Nazianzen in his 38 Oration upon our Saviours Nativity now at last informe us where thus hee writes Hoc festum nostrum est treating of our Saviours Nativitie Hoc hodierno die celebramus Dei nimirum ad homines accessum ut ad Deum proficiscamur aut ut aptiori verbo ut â—r revertamur abjectoque veteri homine novum induamus et quemadmodum in veteri Adamo mortui sumus ita in Christo vivamus unà cum eo nascentes unà crucifixi unà sepulti unà resurgentes Praeclara enim vicissitudo atque conversio mihi sentienâ—a est ut quemadmodum ex secundioribus rebus adversae natae sunt sic contra ex adversis ad laeta prosperaque redeam Vbi enim abundavit peccatum superabundavit gratia et si gustus condemnavit quantò magis Christi passio justificavit Quocirca non ostentoriè sed divinè non mundi ritu sed supra mundi ritum non res nostras sed nostri vel ut rectius loquar Domini non ea quae infirmitatis sunt sed quae curationis non ea quae creationis sed ea quae recreationis instaurationisque celebremus Id autem hac demum ratione consequemur si nec domus limina sertis coronemus nec choreas agetemus nec vicos ornemus nec oculum pascamus nec aurem cantu demulceaâ—us nec lenocinijs gustum titillemus nec olfactum effaeminemus nec tactui obsequamur promptis inquam illis ad vitium vijs peccatique januis nec teneris et circumfluentibus vestibus emolliamur quarum ut quaeque pulcherrima ita maximè inutilis jacet nec gemmarum splendoriâ—â—s nec auri fulgoribus nec colorum artificijs nativam pulchritudinem ementientibus atque adversus imaginem divinam excogitatis nec commessationibus et ebrietatibus quas cubilia et lasciviae comitantur quandoquidem malorum magistrorum mala doctrina est vel potius malorum seminum mala seges Nec thoros altos servamus ventri delicias sternentes nec vina generosa coquorum lenocinia liquorum profusas magnificentias in precio habeamus Nec terra et mare charum nobis ac preciosum stercus offerant hoc enim nomine deliâ—ias ornare soleo Nec alius alium intemperantia superare contendamus Mihi enim intemperantia est quicquid superfluum est usibusque necessarijs superest idque esurientibus alijs atque inopia laborantibus ijs inquam qui ex eodem luto et temperatione creati sunt Verum haec prophanis atque ethnico fastui solennitatibusque relinquamus qui cùm ijs deorum nomen tribuant qui sacrificiorum nidore oblectantur congruentur profectò eos helluando colunt mali utique mâ—lorum daemonum et fictores et sacerdotes et cultores At nos à quibus Verbum adoratur verborum delicijs si quid tamen delicijs dandum est indulgeamus atque ex lege divina et narrationibus cùm alijs tum ijs praesertim quibus praesentis festi mysteria explicantur voluptatem capiamus Ita enim commodae minimaeque ab eo à quo convocati sumus alienae deliciae nostrae fuerint Which thus he seconds in his 48 Oration against Iulian. Ac primum quidem fratres laetemur non corporis splendore non vestium permutationibus et magnificentijs non commessationibâ—s et ebrietatibus quarum fructum cubilia et impudicitias esse didicistis nec floribus plateas coronemus nec unguentorum turpitudine mensas nec vestibula ornemus nec visibili lumine splendescat domus nec tibicinum concentu plausibusque personent hic enim Gentilitiae festorum celebrationis mos est Nos vero ne his rebus Deum honoremus ne praesens tempus indignis rebus attollamus verum animae puritate et mentis bilaritate et lucernis totum Ecclesiae corpus illustrantibus hoc est divinis speculationibus â—t sententijs super sacrosanctum candelabrum erectis et excitatis orbique universo praelucentibus Parvum meo quidem judicio ac tenuè si cum hoc comparetur lumen illud omne est quod homines festos dies celebrantes privatim publicèque accendunt c. Hymnos pro tympanâ—s assumamus psalmodiam pro turpibus et flagitiosis cantibus plausum gratiarum actionis et canoram manuum actionem pro plausibus theatricis gravitatem pro risu prudenteÌ„ sermonem pro ebrietate decus et honestatem pro delicijs Quod si etiam te ut festum laeto animo celebrantem tripudiare convenit tripudia tu quidem sed non obscenae Herodiadis tripudium ex quo Baptistae caput secuta est verum Davidis ob arcae requietem saltitantis quo quidem itineris sancti ac Deo grati agilitatem volubilitatemque mysticè designari existimo These are the Christmas exercises this the only Christmas-keeping that the primitive Christians used all and this godly Bishop calls for To passe by that excellent passage of Salvian against our Christmas Enterludes which fully meetes with the Objectors frenzie * Christo ergo ô amentia monstruosa Christo Circenses offerimus et Mimos tunc et hoc maximè cum ab eo aliquid boni capimus cum prosperitatis aliquid ab eo attribuitur aut victoria de hostibus à divinitate donatur Et quid aliud hac re facere videmur quam si quis homini beneficium largienti injuriosus sit aut blandientem convitijs caedat aut osculantis vultum mucrone transigat c. which I have formerly englished As also to pretermit St. Cyprian St. Augustine Leo Bernard with sundry other Fathers who have written of our Saviours Nativitie how it ought to be celebrated with the greatest holinesse sobriety and chiefest devotion I shall relate the summe of all their Mindes in the words of St. Ambrose who is somewhat copious in this theameâ— Sermo 2. Dominica 1. Adventus he writes thus Hoc tempus fratres charissimi non immerito Domini adventus vocatur nec sine causa sancti Patrâ—s adventum Domini celebrare caeperunt et sermones de his diebus ad populum habuerunt id namque ideo instituerunt ut se unusquisque fidelis praepararet et emendaret quo dignè Dei ac Domini sui Nativitatem celebrare valeret Nam si aliquis vestrum seniorem suum in ejus domum suscepturus ab omnibus sordibus et immundis rebus ipsam domum mundaret et quaeque honesta et necessaria essent secundum suam possibilitatem praepararet et hoc facit
peccat quoniam homini mortuo defert divinitatis obsequium Inde est quod ait Apostolus Dies observatis et menses et tempora et annos timeo ne sine causa laboravero in vobis Observavit enim diem et mensem qui his diebus aut jejunavit aut ad Ecclesiam non processit Observavit diem qui hesterno die non processit ad Ecclesiam processit ad campum Ergo Fratres omni studio Gentilium festivitatem et fâ—rias declinemus ut quando illi epulantur et laetâ— sunt tunc nos simus sobrij aâ—que jejuni quo intelligant laetitiam suam nostra abstinentia condemnari Illi habeant mare in theatro nos habeamus portum in Christo. If then our Saviours Nativitie ought thus to be celebrated by us if all drunkennesse epicurisme health-quaffing dancing dicing Enterludes Playes lascivioâ—snesse pride and pagan customes must now be laid aside if all kinde of sinne and wickednesse whatsoever must now be banished our bodies soules and houses if our soules must now especially be cleansed by repentance from all their spirituall filâ—hinesse adorned beautified with every Christian grace and made such holy spirituall Temples that Christ the King of glory may come and dwell within them if nought but holinesse temperance sobriety and devotion must now be found within us yea if fasting and abstinence must now be practised as all these Fathers teach us let us now at last for very shame abandon all those bacchanalian infernall Christmas disorders Enterludes sports and pastimes which now overspread the world as diametrally contrary not onely to Christians but to our Saviours Nativitie which they most desperately dishonour and prophane And if there be any such deboist ones left among us as alas there are too too many every where who will still support and pleade for these abominable Christmas excesses not onely in despite of God of Christ of Angels Fathers Councels and godly Christians who condemne theÌ„ but even of our owne pious Statute viz. 5. 6. Ed. 6. cap. 3. Which expresly enjoynes menâ— even in the Christmas holy-dayes as well as others to cease from all other kinde of labour and to apply themselves ONELY AND WHOLLY to laâ—d and praise the Lord to resort and heare Gods word to come to the holy Communion to heare to learne and to remember almighty Gods great benefits his manifold mereies his inestimable gracious goodnesse so plentifully powred upon all his creatures and that of his infinite and unspeakable goodnesse without any mans desert and in remembrance hereof to render him most high and hearty thankes with prayers and supplications for the reliefe of all their daily necessities because these holy-dayes are separated from all prophane uses and sanctified and hallowed dedicated and appointed noâ— to any Saint or creature but onely unto God and his true worship Which Statute excludes all Stage-plaies Masques dancing dicing and such other Christmas outrages from this sacred festivall it being separated from all prophane uses and onely and wholly devoted to Gods worship and the forenamed duties of religion which are inconsistent with them If there be any such I say as these within our Church I only wish them banished into Nelewki in Moscovia every Christmas where if we beleeve Guagninus all Moschovites are prohibited to health to be drunke or to keepe revel-rout except onely in the Christmas Easter Whitsontide and certaine other solemne feasts of Saints especially of St. Nicholas their Patron and the festivities of the Virgin Mary Peter and Iohn on which like men let out of prison they honour Bacchus more than God or these their Saints healthing and quaffing downe sundry sorts of liquors so long till they are as drunke as swine and then they fall to roaring shouting quarrelling abusing and from thence to wounding stabbing and murthering one another Insomuch that if this drunkennesse and disorder were permitted every day they would utterly destroy one another with mutuall slaughters This is the Moschovites Christmas-keeping who have liberty granted them to be drunke all Christmas yea these are their drunken fatall ends which if our Christmas roaring boyes affect they may doe well to keepe their Christmas commons with these beastly drunken swine where strangers have libertie to be drunke to carouze health even all Christmas at all times else But let all who have any sparkes of sobriety temperance or grace within them abominate these unchristian Christmas extravagancies passing all the time of their sojourning here in feare concluding with that speech of holy Peter The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles and to have walked in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine and riot revellings banquettings abominable idolatries bacchanalian Christmas pastimeâ— and disorders And thereupon resolving to purge out all this old leaven of dancing dicing healthing Playes and riot that so they may be a new lumpe because Christ their Passeover is now sacrificed for them casting away all these workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light walking honestly as in the day especially in the dayes of Christs Nativitie not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnes strife and envying no nor yet in dancing dicing carding Stageplayes MuÌ„meries Masques and such like heathenish practises which are altogether unsuitable for Christians especially at such sacred times as these as sundry forequoted Councels have resolved but putting on the Lord Iesus Christ who about this time put on our nature as wee must now put on his grace his holinesse and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof So shall wee celebrate our Saviours Nativity and all other Christian Festivals with which Stage-playes are altogether inconsistent both to our Saviours honour our owne present comfort and our eternall future joy For the third part of the Objection that Stage-playes are necessary to recreate and delight the people I answer first that there are many other farre better easier and cheaper recreations void of all offence with which the people may seasonably delight themselves therefore they neede not these lewd superfluous costly Enterludes to sport themselves withall Secondly wee see that people live best of all without them There are many Nations in the world who never knew what Stage-playes meant yea there are sundry shires and Citties in our Kingdome where Players who for the most part harbour about London where they have only constant standing Play-houses never come to make them sport and yet they never complaine for want of pleasures or these unnecessary Stage-delights The most the best of men live happily live comfortably without them yea farre more pleasantly than those who most frequent them Therefore they are no such necessary pastimes but that they may well be spared Thirdly there are none so much addicted to Stage-playes but when they goe unto places where they cannot have
cosenage indirect dealingâ— if you will learne to deceive to play the hypocrite sycophant parasite and flatterer if you will learne to cogge lie and falsifie to jest laugh and fleere to grin nodde and mow to play the vice to curse sweare teare and blaspheme both heaven and earth in all kindes and diversities of oathes if you will learne to play the bawd or curtesan to pollute your selfe to devirginate maides to deflowre wives or to ravish widdowes by enticing them to lust if you will learne to drabbe and stabbe to murther kill and slay to picke steale rob and rove if you will learne to rebell against Princes closely to carry treasons to consume treasures to practise idlenesse to sing and talke of filthy love and venery to deride quippe scorne scoffe mocke and floate to flatter and smooth to play the Divel the swaggerer the whoremaster the glutton the drunkard the injurious or incestuous person if you will learne to become proud haughty and arrogant Finally if you will learne to contemne God and all his lawes to care neither for heaven nor hell and to commit all kinde of sinne and mischiefe with secrecie and art you neede not goe to any other schooles for all these good examples may you see painted before your eyes in Enterludes aud Playes These and these onelie are the great good instructions that either Actours or Spectatours learne from Stage-plaies which make them fit schollers only for the Divel and traine them up for hell where all Play-house goodnesse unlesse God grants mercie and sincere repentance ever ends SCENA SEPTIMA TO passe by other Objections in the defence of Stage-playes as namelie that they reprehend sinne and vice that they inveigh against the corruptions and corrupt ones of the times that they remunerate and applaud vertue and sharply censure vice that their abuses their excesâ—es may be regulated and themselves reduced to a good decorum therefore they are lawfull which Objections I have answered by the way before viz. at pag. 34. to 42. p. 96. to 106. p. 124. to 127. The grand Objection of our present dissolute times for the justification of these Playes is this That none but a companie of Puritans and Precisians speake against them all else applaud and eke frequent them therefore cetainly they are very good recreations since none but Puritans disaffect them To this I answer that the objection is as false as frivolous For first I have already fully manifested that many Heathen States and Emperors and among the rest Tiberius Nero and Iulian the Apostate who were as farre from Puritanisme as the deboisest Anti-puritans the most dissolute Players or Play-patrons this day living have condemned suppressed Playes and Players Besides I have largely proved that not onely Plato Aristotle Cicero Seneca and other heathen Philosophers but even Horace Iuvenal nay Ovid and Propertius the most lascivious heathen Poets who were as farre from Puritans as they were from Christians have declaimed against Stage-plaies And is not this then a notorious falshood that none but Puritans condemne Stage-plaies Were Tiberius Nero Iulian Aristotle Tibullus Ovid thinke you Puritans Were all those fore-quoted Pagans who censured and suppressed Stage plaies Puritans If these be now turn'd Puritans in the Objectors phrase I pray what manner of Christians I dare not say incarnate Divels are those persons who thus taxe these dissolute Pagans for puritanicalll Precisians certainlie if they are somewhat better than infernall Fiends yet they are by many degrees worse than the very worst of all these Pagans who by their owne confessions are Saints are Puritans in respect of them O then the stupendious wickednesse the unparalleld prophanesse of our gracelesse times when Christians are not afraid ashamed to professe themselves more desperately vitious lascivious and deboist than the very worst of Pagans whom they thus honour with the stile of Puritansâ— because they are more vertuous lesse vitious than themselves Certainly if atheisticall prophanesse and infernall lewdnesse increase but a little more among us as it is very like if Stage-playes still continue I am afraid these Oâ—jectors will grow to that excesse of wickednes ere longâ— that the Divell himselfe nay Beelzebub the very Prince of Divels shall be canonized by them for a Puritan because he equalls them not in wickednesse Let these Play-patrons therefore either waive this false Objection or else confesse these very heathen Puritans as they deeme them to be much better much worthier of the name of Christians than themselves Secondly I have infallibly manifested That the whole primitive Church both under the Law and Gospell together with all the primitive Christians Fathers and Councels have most abundantly censured and condemned Playes and Players in the very highest degree of opposition And were the primitive Church and Christians the Fathers or Bishops who were present at these Councels Puritans If not then the objection is false If Puritans then Puritans are no such Novellers or new upstart humorists as the world reputes them yea then they are in truth no other but the true Saints of God the undoubted successors of the primitive Church and Christians whose doctrine disciplineâ— graces manners they onely practise and maintaine And indeede if the truth of things bee well examined wee may easily prove the Fathers the primitive Church and Christians yea Christ himselfe his Prophets and Apostles Puritans if that which brands men now for Puritans in prophane ones censures may descide this Controversie To instance in some few particulars One grand badge of a Puritan is as the objection testifieth to condemne Stage-playes Players and Play-haunters and wholly to renounce these Pompes of the Divell But this the Apostles the Fathers the primitive Councels Church and Christians did as I have plentifully manifested this being the most notorious character of a faithfull Christian to abstaine from Stage-playes By this badge therefore they are arrant Puritans To condemne effeminate mixt dancing lasciviousnesse and diceplay together with health-drinking drunkennesse deboistnesse roaring whoring ribaldry obscene or amorous songs and jests and naked filthy lust provoking pictures are now chiefe Symptomes of a notorious Puritan but Christ his Prophets and Apostles together with all the primitive Churches Christians Fathers Councels have condemned all and each of these with an unanimous consent therefore they are arrant Puritans To speake or write against mens wearing of perewigges Love-lockâ—s and long haire together with the effeminate frizling pouldring and accurate nice composing of it to declaime against our whorish females frizling broydring pouldring dying plaiting with their late impudent mannish that I say not monstrous cutting and shearing of their haire and their false borrowed excrements to declaime against face-painting vaine wanton complements strange fashions tyrâ—s newfangled or overcostly apparell are eminent characters of a branded Puritan But Christ Iesus himselfe his Prophets and Apostles with all the
comfort them to pray with them for them and to advise them what to doe that they may be saved however they reputed theÌ„ no better than hypocrites fooles or distracted furious mad ones before yet they would willingly change lives change soules and consciences with them then wishing with many teares and sighes that they were but such as they This every dayes experience almost testifies therefore Puritans and Precisians even in the true internall conscientiall judgement of every Anti-puritan are the most godly men Fifthly let a drunkard a whoremaster a swearer a ruffian or any other prophane notorious wicked person be truly converted from these their sinnes and unfainedly devoted and united to the Lord so as never to returne unto them more cleaving unseparably unto him both in their hearts and lives or let God worke any such visible notorious happy change in men as to call them out of darknesse into his marvelous light and to translate them from under the power of Satan into the kingdome of his deare Sonne and no sooner shall they be thus strangely altered from bad to good or from good to better but presently they are christened as it were with these two proverbs or reproach and pointed at for Puritans and Precisians as if they were now unworthy for to live because they are thus converted to the Lord. Before people turne religious and gracious they are never pestered with these disdainfull tearmes but no sooner can they begin to looke towards heaven to change their vitious courses and amend their lives but these Mottoes of contempt are cast upon them even because they are growne better than they were before Thus was it long agoe even in Salvian his dayes who thus complaines Statim ut quis melior esse tentaverit deterioris abjectione calcatur Si fuerit sublimis fit despicabilis si fuerit splendidissimus fit vilissimus fi fuerit totus honoris fit totus injuriae ubi enim quis mutaverit vestem mutavit protinus dignitatem Perversa enim sum et in diversum cuncta mutata Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur si malus est quasi bonus honoratur Si honoratior quispiam se religioni applicuerit illico honoratus esse desistit ac per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur Et ideo non sine causa Apostolus clamat Seculum totum in malo positum est et verum est â— merito enim totum in malo esse dicitur ubi boni locum habere non possunt siquidem ita totum iniquitatibus plenum est aâ—t ut mali sint qui sunt aut qui boni sunt malorum persecutione crucientur And thus is it now in our dayes Therefore Puritans and Precisians are undoubtedly the very primest Christians because they are never honoured with these titles till they turne better than they were at first yea better than all those that reproach them by these names of sâ—orne And here we may observe a difference betweene eminency in religion and excellency in all other things besides For let a man be exquisite in any other art or profession whatsoever be it in Phisicke Musicke Law Philosophy or any liberall science or mechanicke trade yea let a man be a zealous forward Papist Iesuite Priest or Votary the more eminent they are in all or any of these the more honoured reverenced frequented admired and beloved are they of all sorts of men because they are but naturall humane excellencies to which corrupt nature and the Divell have no antipathy at all But let any man become a conscionable zealous sincere and forward professor of true religion transcending others in the practicall power of grace or in the inward beauty of holinesse and the more perspicuously eminent he growes in these the more is he commonly hated slaundered persecuted reviled by the tongues of wicked men and the greater Puritan doe they account him because there is grace within him that is diametrally contrary to their corruptions Neither neede we wonder at it for ever since God at first put enmity betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent those who have beene borne after the flesh have persecuted slandered abhorred those who have beene borne after the spirit and those who who are of this world have hated such who are redeemed out of the world there being never as yet in any age any concord or truce betweene Christ and Belial light and darknesse righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse Beleevers and Infidels those who are upright in the way being alwayes an abomination to the wicked for these very reasons onely and no other because they follow the thing that good is and runne not with them into the same excesse of riot because their works are good and theirs who thus revile and hate them evill because their lives are not like other men and their wayes are of another fashion because they are not for wicked mens turnes and they are cleane contrary to their doings upbraiding them with their offending the Law objecting to their infamy the transgressions of their education and abstaining from their wayes as from filthinesse testifying unto them by their holy lives that the workes they doe are evill These and no other were the true originall causes of mens hatred reproach against Christians against Christ and his Apostles heretofore and of mens inveterate rancor and malicious calumnies against Puritans now what ever mens pretences are against it as I have more largely manifested in a precedent Treatise If any thinke this strange that men should be thus persecuted hated reviled nicknamed slandered and contemned even for their grace their holinesse and the very practicall sincere profession of religion let them consider but these few particulars which will give them ample satisfaction in the point First those frequent predictions or premonitions of our Saviour to all the professors of his name That they shall be hated persecuted reviled of all men Nations for his sake that they shall seperate them from their company cast out their names as evill say all maner of evill against theÌ„ falsly for his names sake that in the world they shall have tribulation and that whosoever killeth them shall think he doth God good service Secondly that memorable position of St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.11 12. Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution for through many tribulations and afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of heaven Thirdly the examples of Gods Saints in all ages even from Adam to this present If we looke upon Cain and Abel the two first-borne of the world wee shall beholde gracelesse Cain who was of that wicked one slaying his righteous brother Abel wherfore slew he him S. Iohn resolves the question in these very termes
because his owne workes were evill and his brothers righteous and thereupon he grounds this inference Marvell not my brethren if the world hate you Non enim mirum est writes Salvian nunc sanctos homines quaedam aspera pati cum videamus quod Deus etiam per maximum nefas primum sanctorum sivit occidi Looke we upon holy King David we shall finde him thus complaining Psal. 38.19 20. They that hate me wrongfully are multiplied they also that render me evill for good are my adversaries pray marke the onely reason because I follow the thing that good is The Prophet Isay complaineth thus of his times Isay 59.14 15. Iudgement is turned away backward and justice standeth afarre off for truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter yea truth faileth and hee that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey or is accounted mad yea hee brings in Christ himselfe prophetically speaking in this manner Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders even in Israel The Prophet Amos writes thus of his age Amos 5.8 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and abhorre him that speaketh uprightly and the Prophet Zechariah informes us that Ioshua the high Priest and his followers that sate before him to wit Christ and all his followers were men wondred at in the world as if they were some monstrous creatures or men besides themselves The Prophet Daniel we know was so unblameable in his life and actions that his very enemies could not finde any errour fault or occasion against him except it were concerning the law of his God and that hee made prayers and supplications before the Lord his God three times a day and for this his piety onely they procured him to be cast into the Lions den I could instance in divers others of Gods dearest Saints who were thus persecuted and maligned for their graces before our Saviours time but that Tertullian hath long since forestalled mee whose memorable passage to this purpose I wish all Antipuritans to consider Aprimordio justitia vim patitur statim ut â—oli Deus caepit invidiam religio sortiâ—a est Qui Deo plaâ—uerat occiditur et quidem à fratre quo procliviùs impietas alieâ—um sanguinem sectaretur à suo auspicata insectata est Denique non modo justorum verum etiam et Prophetarum David exagitatur Elias fugatur Hieremias lapidatur Esaias secatur Zacharias inter altare et â—dem trucidatur perennes cruoris sui maculas silicibus adsignans Ipse clausula legis et Prophetarum nec prophetes sed Angelus dictus contumeliosa caede truncatur in puellae salticae lucar Et utique qui spiritu Dei agebâ—ntur ab ipso in martyria dirigebantur etiam patiendo quae praedicaâ—sent c. Talia à primordio et praecepta et exempla debitricem martyrij fidem ostendunt If wee looke upon Christ and his Apostles we shall finde them hated persecuted slandered reviled with opprobrious names and obloquies being made as the very filth of the world and as the offscouring of all things unto this day yea wee shall see them martyred and put to death for no other cause at all but onely for their grace their holinesse their transcendent goodnesse and their opposition to the sinnes and errours of the times as I have elsewhere amply discoursed If we behold the primitive Christians but a while we shall discover no other cause of their hatred and persecutions against them but onely this that they were Christians that they were better than they were before and more holy than their neighbours This Pliny himseâ—fe affirmes in his Epistle to the Emperour Trajan Affirmabant autem hanc fuisse summam vel culpae Christianorum vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carnemque Christo quasi Deâ— dicere secum invicem seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati dâ—negarent Aâ—d yet for this alone were they persecuted and put to death Hence was it that Clemens Alexandrinus writes thus in the behalfe of Christians Nos ergo prosequuntur non ut qui nos esse injustos depraehenderent sed quod nos vitae humanae injuriam facere existiment eâ— quod simus Christiani et ipsos inquam qui sic vitam instituimus et alios adâ—ortamur ut vitam degant similem Hence is that exceâ—lent discourse of Tertullian to the like purpose Ecce autem et odio habemur ab omnibus hominibus nominis causa Non scelus aliquod in causa est sed nomen et solius nominis crimen est Non ideo bonus Caius et prudens Lucius quia Christianus Vt quisquis nomine Christiani I may now say Puritani emendatur offendit Oditur in hominibus innocuis nomen innocuum Nomen detinetur nomen expugnatur et ignotam sectam ignotum et auctorem vox sola praedamnat quia nominatur non quia convincitur Which I may as justly apply to Puritaâ—s and Precisians as ever he did unto Christians who are persecuted and hated onely for their graces their surpassing goodnesse under the vizard of these odious names by such who would rather slaunder than imitate their holinesse Hence Gregory Nazianzen also thus complained of the usage of the pious Christians of his age Spectaculum uovum facti sumus non Angelis et hominibus sed omnibus fermè improbis et flagitiosis et quovis tempore et loco in foro in compoâ—ationibuâ— in voluptatibus in luctibus Ià m etiam ad scenam usque prodijmus quod propemodum lachrymis refero et cum perditissimis obscaenissimisque ridemur nec ullum tam jucundum est spectaculum quà m Christianus comicis cavillis suggillatus And is it not as true of Puritans and Precisians now as it was then of Christians Hence also was the complaint of holy St. Augustine Insultatur homini quia Christianus est insultatur etiam homini qui inter multos Christianos melius vivit et timens aspera verba insultatorum incidit in laqueos diaboli Tibi pro convicio objicitur quod Christianus es Cur autem modo objicitur quod Christianus est Tam pauci non Christiani remansâ—runt ut ijs magis objiciatur quia Christiani non sunt quà m ipsi audeant aliquibus objicere quia Christiani sunt Tamen dico vobis fratres mei incipe quicunque me audis vivere auomodo Christianus et vide si non tibi objiciatur et à Christianis sed nomine non vita non moribus Nemo sentit nisi qui expertus est And is not this the case of Puritansâ— among titular Christians now Survey we all the other Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Historians we shall finde them very copious in this theameâ— that the best Christians
ambitiosique sunt quid vos estis quibus ipsum nomen virtutis odio est Negatis quenquam praestare quae loquitur nec ad exemplar orationis suae vivere Quid mirum cum loquantur fortia ingentia omnes humanas tempestates evadentia cum refigere se crucibus conentur in quas unusquisque vestrum clavos suos ipse adjicit Non praestant Philosophi quae loquuntur multa tamen praestant quod loquuntur quod honeâ—ta mente concipiunt Nam si et paria dictis agerent quid esset illis beatius Interim non est quod contemnas bona verba et bonis cògitationibus plena praecordia studiorum salutarium etiam citra affectum laudanda tractatio est Quid mirum si non ascendunt in altum Arduos aggressus virtutis suscipe etiam si decidunt magna conantur Generosa res est respicientem non ad suas sed ad naturae suae vires conari alta tentare et mente majora concipere quam quae etiam ingenti animo adornatis effici possint Qui hoc facere proponet volet tentabit ad deos iter faciet ne ille etiamsi non tenuerit magnis tamen excidet ausis Vos quidem qui virtutem cultoremque ejus odistis nihil novi facitis Nam et solem lumina aegra formidant et aversantur diem â—plendidum nocturna animalia qui ad primum ejus ortum stupent et latibula sua passim petunt abduntur in aliquas rimas timida lucis Gemite et infaelicem linguam bonorum exercete convicio Instate commordete citius multo frangetis dentes quam imprimetis It is true that the best of all Gods children have their weaknesses their passions and infirmities which they cannot wholly conquer whiles they continue here they have flesh in them as well as spirit which sometimes shewes it selfe they have a dying body of sinne within them which though it raignes not in them as a King yet sometimes it overmasters them in some particular actions as a tyrant doeâ— But yet this frees them from hypocrisie First that they unfainedly desire and endeavour to mortifie all their sinnes and lusts and to be freed from them Secondly they utterly abominate and detest their sinnes continually watching fighting praying against them and labouring to destroy them Thirdly when they fall into any sinne of infirmity out of humane frailty they condemne and judge themselves for it it is their greatest griefe and shame and they goe mourning for it all their dayes loathing and abhorring themselves because they have thus offended Fourthly they become more vigilant against their sins and frailties for the time to come binding themselves by solemne vowes and covenants never to relapse into them more crying mightily unto God for strength to resistâ— and power to subdue them Fifthly they allow not themselves in one knowne sinne whatsoever they sinne not so frequently in that manner as others doe keeping themselves innocent for the most part from great offences and notorious sinnes in which those who most condemne them wallow Lastly they leade farre holier and stricter lives than other men they serve and honour God more than they they love and feare God more than others being farre more frequent more constant in hearing reading prayer meditation fasting and all holy duties than those who declaime against them most and yet they desire they endeavour to be better and holier every day Therefore they are no hypocrites as all Antipuritans for the most part are who professe themselves Christians as well as Puritans and yet live like Pagans like Infidels in grosse notorious sinnes without any shame or sorrow for them or any warre against them endeavouring not to grow better than they are For the second part of the Objection that Puritans and Precisians are seditious factious troublesome rebelâ—ious persons and enemies both to state and government and that this onely is the cause why they are so much hated persecuted reviled I answer that this is an ancient scandall which hath beene alwayes laid upon the choycest Saints of God from age to age wheâ—fore we may the lesse wonder at it now For did not Pharaoh long agoe thus censure Moses and Aaron and thereupon drove them out of his presence as factions persons who did let the people from their worke and stirre them up to mutinie Did not King Ahab accuse the holy Prophet Eliijah as a troubler of Israel when as it was onely himselfe and his fathers house that did disquieâ— it and did he not hate and imprison the good Prophet Micaiah as an enemie to him and his proceedings because he alwayes prophecied truth unto him and would not flatter him in his ungodly courses and humours Did not that wicked favourite Haman accuse the whole Nation of the Iewes to King Ahasuerus that their lawes were diverse from all people that they kept not the Kings lawes and that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them and thereupon procure the Kings Letters to the Lieutenants and Governours of the people that they might be destroyed Did not Rehum and Shâ—mshai write letters to King Axtaxerxes against Hierusalem of purpose to hinder the building of it ouâ— of their malice â—o the pious Iewes that it was a rebellious and a bad Citie and hurtfull unto Kings and provinces and that they had moved sedition of old time in the middest thereof for which cause it was destroyed informing the King withall that if the walls thereof were set up againe they would not then pay toll tribute and custome and so the Kings revenue should be endammaged and did not Sâ—nballat send his servant to Nehemiah with an open letter in his hand wherein it was written it is reported among the heathen and Gashmu saith it that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebell for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou maist be their King c. Was not the Prophet Ieremy persecuted and imprisoned by the high Priest the Prinâ—es and all the people for a man of strife and contention to the whole earth as a professed enemie both to the King the State and all the people for no other cause but this that he faithfully delivered those displeasing messages which God enjoyned him to proclaime against them for their sinnes Did not Amaziah the Priest of Bethel accuse the Prophet Amos to King Ieroboam for conspiring against him in the middest of the house of Israel and that the land was not able to beare his words Which scandalons accusation not succeding did hee not thereupon advise him to flee into the land of Iudah and to eate bread and prophecie there charging him like an Episcopall controller not to prophecie any more at Bethel for it was the Kings Chappell and the Kings Court where he would have no faithfull Prophets no truth-telling sinne-rebuking Câ—aplaines come who knew not
how to flatter Did not the governours who conspired together against the Prophet Daniel put in this information against him to King Darius that he neither regarded him nor his decree which hee had signed accusing him of disobedienceâ— faction and opposition to his lawes and royall authority Yea was not our blessed Saviour himselfe though he payed tribute to Caesar injoyning all his followers to give unto Caesar the things that were Caesars being as free from all sedition or rebellion against Princes as from all other sinnes accused condemned as a seditious Anti-monarchicall person Did not the whole multitude of the people with the chiefe Priests and Scribes accuse him before Pilate saying We found this fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himselfe was Christ a King and did not they thereupon cry out against Pâ—tate when as he sought to have released him saying if thou let this man goe thou art not Caesars friend for he speaketh against Caesar And if our most innocent Saviour were burthened with these most false and scandalous reproaches of sedition faction treason and rebellion against Caesar no wonder if none of all his followers can be exempted from these calumnies For if they have thus falsely called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more will they stile those of his houshold so the Disciple not being above his Master nor the servant above his Lord as himselfe doth argue in this very case To confirme this further by some other pregnant examples Was not St. Paul himselfe together with all the Disciples and beleeving Christians both at Philippi and Thessalonica accused by the Iewes and other lewd companions as men who did exceedingly trouble the Citty and teaching new customes which it was not lawfull for men either to receive or observe that did all contrary to the decrees of Caesar and that they had turned the whole world upside-downe insomuch that their sect was every where spoken against Did not the Iewes cry out against this most laborious Apostle St. Paul saying Men and brethren helpe this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the law and this place and hath likewise defiled this holy place and did not all the people thereupon lay violent hands upon him intending to put him to death as a most seditious factious person Yea did not Tertullus the Iewish Orator accuse him before Felix and the high Priests Pharisees traduce him before Festus for a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition among all the Iews throughout the world a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens And yet who so free from sedition faâ—tion rebellion or discord as this most blessed Apostle who commandeth every soule to be subject to the higher powers to obey those who have the rule over them and to submit unto them even out of conscience sake who exhorts all men to make supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgivings for Kings and all that are in authority to keepe the unity of the spirit in the boud of peace to marke those who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine they had received and to avoid them blaming the Corinthians for their dissentions Besides this doth not St. Peter informe us that albeit the Christians in his time had their conversation honest among the Gentiles submitting themselves to their Governours Kings and lawfull ordinances for the Lords sake yet the Gentiles were alwayes speaking against them as evill doers and falsly accusing their good conversation in Christ as if they were nought but seditious factious people and rebels or enemies to Governours and government To passe by many notable texts of Scripture which ratifie this notorious truth Doe not Tertullian Arnobius Lactantius Iustin Martyr Minutius Felix St. Chrysostome with all Ecclesiasticall Historians both ancient and moderne expresly informe us that the primitive Christians who were oft nicknamed by the ignominious titles of Galilaans Sibyllists Impostors Greekes Sarmentisij Semassij Biothonati Magitians Ioannites and the like as they are now derided under the names of Puritans and Precisians though they were neveâ— detected of any treâ—son rebellion mutinie or sedition whatsoever the case of those whom men stile Puritans and Precisianâ— now yet they were alwayes slandered accused traduced persecuted as refractory seditious factious mutineers as enemies and rebels to the Emperours and Governours under which they lived and as the authors of all the mischiefes and troubles that hapned in the world by which false pestilent suggestions in the eares of Princes continuall bloody persecutions were raised up against these innocent lambes who had no other offensive or defensive armes but prayers and teares and doe not the Century-Authors thence conclude eveÌ„ for our present times Solenne est ut Christianis crimina seditionis blasphemiae et lesae majestatiâ— Ã persecutoribus affingantur quibus tamen non sunâ— obnoxij Doe we not likewise reade that Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Chrysostome with sundry other ancient sinne-reproving error-confuting Bishops were accused of faction and sedition for â—pposing the sinnes and vices of the times and was not our owne worthy Bishop Latimer with other pious Martyrs accused slandered as raisers of sedition as factious turbulent and seditious persons by those whose sinnes and errours they reproved and that even in good King Edward the 6â— his dayes Survey wee all the Fathers all Ecclesiasticall Stories we shall finde poore innocent peaceable harmelesse conscionable Christians in all times and places maliciously slaundered with the crimes of sedition faction rebellion disobedience to Princes and their laweâ— of purpose to make them odious both to Prince and people even without a cause they being but as lambes in the very midst of wolves And is it any wonder thenâ— that Puritans and Precisians should suffer the very selfesame calumnies now Alas what powder treasons what conspiracies have these poore Play-condemning Puritans and Precisians hatched against King or State what rebellions have they raised what publike upâ—ores have they ever caused from the beginning of reformation till this present what treacheries what mutinies are they guilty of that they are thus condemned as if they were as bad or worse than Papists Priests or Iesuites for so some aâ—firme whose very faith is faction whose doctrine rebellion and their practise Treason Certainly were these whom the dissolutenesse of the times now brand for Puritans and Precisians though every way conformable to our Churches discipline such rebels factionists mutineers disobedient antimonarchicall persons as the world conceives them as Papists Priests Iesuites prophane dissoluâ—e companions proclaim theÌ„ for to be we should have seene some fruits experiments and detections of it ere this But blessed be God we have heard of no Puritan treasons insurrections or rebellions in our age and experience
mancipia pantomimorum remember that holy covenant which you not long since made to God in baptisme to forsake the Devill and all his workes the pompes the vanities of this wicked world with all the sinfull lusts of the flesh of which Stage-playes as the Fathers teach you are the chiefe O perjure perjure not your selves renounce not your christianity your faith your vow your baptisme by frequenting Playes in your youth your child-hood bequeath not your selves so soone unto the Devill after your solemne consecration unto God in Christ let not him gaine possession of your persons your service in your youth that so hee may command and challenge them in your age Non enim obtinâ—bis ut desinat si incipere permiseris ergo intranti resistamus c. But as you have given up your soules and bodies as an holy living sacrifice unto God in baptisme to serve him with them in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of your lives so be yee sure to make good your promise by remembring by serving your Creator in the dayes of your youth your strength your health and life who will then crowne you with glory and immortality at your death Pitty it is to see how many ingenious Youthes and Girles how many young that I say not old Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of birth and quality as if they were borne for no other purpose but to consume their youth their lives in lascivious dalliances Playes and pastimes or in pampering in adorning those idolized living carcases of theirs which will turne to earth to dung to rottennesse and wormes-meat ere be long and to condemne their poore neglected soules casting by all honest studies callings imployments all care of Heaven of salvation of their owne immortall soules of that God who made them that Saviour who redeemed them that Spirit who should sanctifie them and that Common-weale that fosters them doe in this idle age of ours like those Epicures of old most prodigally most sinfully riot away the very creame and flower of their yeeres their dayes in Play-houses in Dancing-schooles Tavernes Ale-houses Dice-houses Tobacco-shops Bowling-allies and such infamous places upon those life-devouring time-exhausting Playes and pastimes that I say not sinnes beside as is a shame for Pagans much more for Christians to approve O that men endued with reason ennobled with religion with immortall soules fit onely for the noblest heavenliest sublimest and divinest actions should ever bee so desperately besotted as to wast their precious time upon such vaine such childish base ignoble pleasures which can no way profit soule or body Church or State nor yet advance their temporall much lesse their spirituall and eternall good which they should ever seeke You therefore deare Christian Brethren who are who have beene peccant in this kinde for Gods sake for Christs sake for the holy Ghosts sake for Religions sake which now extremely suffers by this your folly for the Church and Common-weales sake for your owne soules sake which you so much neglect repent of what is past recalling and for the future time resolve through Gods assistance never to cast away your time your money your estates your good names your lives your salvation upon these unprofitable spectacles of vanity lewdnesse lasciviousnesse or these delights of sinne of which you must necessarily repent and be ashamed or else be condemned for them at the last passing all the time of your pilgrimage here in feare and imploying all the remainder of your short inconstant lives in those honest studies callingsâ— and pious Christian duties which have their fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life And because we have now many wanton females of all sorts resorting daily by troopes unto our Playes our Play-houses to see and to be seene as they did in Ovids age I shall only desire them if not their Parents and Husbands to consider that it hath evermore beene the notorious badge of prostituted Strumpets and the lewdest Harlots to ramble abroad to Playes to Play-houses whether no honest chast or sober Girles or Women but only branded Whores infamous Adulteresses did usually resort in ancient times the Theater being then made a common Brothell And that all ages all places have constantly suspected the chastity yea branded the honesty of those females who have beene so immodest as to resort to Theaters to Stage-playes which either finde or make them Harlots inhibiting all married Wives and Virgins to resort to Playes and Theaters as I have here amply provedâ— Since therefore Saint Paul expresly enjoynes all women especially those of the younger sort to be sober chaste keepers at home yea therefore keepers at home that they may be chaste and sober as ancient and moderne Commentators glosse it that the Word of God be not blasphemed where as the dissolutenesse of our lascivious impudent rattle-pated gadding females now is such that as if they had purposely studied to appropriate to themselves King Solomons memorable character of an whorish woman with an impudent face a subtile heart and the attire of an Harlot they are lowde and stubborne their feet abide not in their houses now they are without now in the streets and lie in wait at every corner being never well pleased nor contented but when they are wandring abroad to Playes to Play-houses Dancing-matches Masques and publike Shewes from which nature it selfe if we believe S. Chrysostome hath sequestred all women or to such suspicious places under pretence of businesse or some idle visits where they oft-times leave their modesty their chastity behinde them to their eternall infamy Let me now beseech all female Play-haunters as they regard this Apostolicall precept which enjoynes them to be sober chast keepers at home or good carefull House-wives as somâ— have rendred it adorning themselves in modest apparell with shamefastnesse and sobriety which now are out of fashion not with broidered cut or borrowed plaited haire or gold or pearles or costly array the onely fashions of our age but which becommeth women professing godlinesse with good workes As they tender their owne honesty fame or reputation both with God and men the honour of their sex the prayse of that Christian Religion which they professe the glory of their God their Saviour and their soules salvation to abandon Playes and Play-houses as most pernicious Pests where all females wrecke their credits most their chastity some their fortunes not a few their soules and to say unto them as the Philosopher did unto his wealth which he cast into the Sea Abite in profundum malae cupiditates ego vos mergam ne ipse mergar à vobis CATASTROPHE I Have now deare Christian Readers through Gods assistance compleatly finished this my Histrio-Mastix wherein I have represented both to your view and censures to as well as my poore ability and other interloping
743. to 750. His passion ought not to be acted and yet Papists and prophane Iesuits play it p. 108. to 119 624 636 763 764 765 766 929. Why he redeemed us p. 26.27 749 450. Christians must imitate follow Christ alone p. 98.99 526 732. must excell Pagans in grace and vertue p. 57.98 99 4â—5 454 455 711 to 713. what they are and ought to be p. 56.57 63 425 persecuted and hated for their goodnesse and because they are Christians p. 799. to 826 nick-named pag. 824. accused of faction rebellion and hypocrisie pag. 816. to 828. must not follow Pagan customes p. 17. to 28. 32 33 47 578 580 582 583 584 585 586 587 751. to 762. not to read Playes and wanton Bookes but the Scriptures and good Bookes p. 913. to 924. the Primitive Christians condemned Stage-playes and excommunicated Players and Play-haunters p. 2 3â— 4 49. to 53. 325. to 355.545 to 705. and passim Ill Christians worse then Pagans p. 454.455 711. to 713. 798â— exceedingly dishonour Christ and scandalize religion pag. 744. to 749. Christmas disorders censured at largeâ— p. 48 225 743 to 783.600 to 635. See Haddon Cont. OsoriuÌ„ l. 3. f. 203. derived from Papists Pagans Saturnalia p. 600. to 635. Sparsim 751. to 769. Christmas how to be celebrated p. 48. 225 226 526 576 585 586 600. to 635. Sparsim 743. to 783. See Holi-dayes Christmas Lords of Misrule whence derived p. 767. Chrysologus his censure of Dancingâ— pag. 224. m.f. 526. Chrysostome his censure of dancing especially at maâ—riages p. 222.223 228. m. 555. See Marriage of Dice-play Epist. Dedicit 1. p. 423. of lascivious Songs and Musicke p. 263.267 268 269 412 413 420. See Homil. 20. ad Ephes. Hom. 12. ad Collos. of gawdy apparell and Stage-attires p. 219.420 of excessive laughter p. 290. to 296.403 404. of â—ffeminacy pag. 169. of mens long haire womeÌ„s cutting their haire mens putting on of womens apparell pag. 169.195 196 426. Of Stage-playes Players Play-haunters and Play-houses p. 50.66 156 164 169 392 to 432 474.552 563 566 680 681 738 988 989. See Hom. 12â— in Collos. 20. in Ephes. Churches no Playes Dances scurrilous Songs or Pastimes to bee suffred in them nor yet in Church-yards p. 581.600 to 660. Spâ—rsim 995.999 947. Gazers in iâ— censured p. 418.999 no Images Crucifixes or Saints Pictures to be suffred in theÌ„ p. 894. to 905. not to be overcuriously or vainly adorned p. 902.903 the Primitive Church excommunicated Players Play-haunters condemned Stage-playes and dancing p. 134.543 to 690. See Playes Clemangis his censure of Dancing Dicing Playes and Players and of the abuses on Lords-dayes and Holidayes f. 535.536 5â— 7. p. 690.691 of Popish Nonâ— and their grosse incontinency p. 880. m. Clemens Alexandrinus his censure of lascivious kisses and dancing p. 166. m. 222. of mens acting in womens apparell and wearing long haire p. 167.187 189. of lascivious apparell p. 218. of Images especially of God the Father p. 896.897 m. of excessive laughter p. 392. sâ—urrilous Songs p. 266. effeminate Musicke pag. 275. of Stage-playes and Theaters p. 67. m. 329. 344 472 532 609. Clemens Romanus his censure of mens long and frizled haire p. 189. m. of Players Playes and Play-haunters p. 49. f. 532. p. 649. to 652. his command and exhortation to Lay-men to read the Scriptures p. 927. Commodus censured for acting the Player and Gladiator for favouring Players and Gladiators for Sodomie and putting on womens apparell c. fol. 555.721 852 853 894 882. his murther f. 555. p. 854. Company of â—vill persons to be eschued p. 144 148. to 153. f. 547.548 a dangerous snare apt to draw men to Playes and sundry sinnes pag. 143. to 152.416 417. f. 547.548 549. got by frequenting Playes f. 547.548 549 598. See Master Boltons walking with God p. 73 c. Constantine the Great an Englishman borne a suppressor of Stage-playes of Sword-playes p. 75.467 and of Images p. 900. Constantius his Edict against Sword-playes p. 468. Councels 55. against Stage-playes pag. 570. to 668. against Dancing Dicing Health-drinking Beare-bayting Bonefires Newâ—yeeres gifts lascivious Pictures Songs and Musickeâ— prophaning of Lords-dayes Holi-dayes Churches Pagan customes haunting of Ale-houses and Tavernes Clergy-mens seeing and acting of Playes Dancing Dicing Non-residency c. p. 570. to 668 p. 150. m. 221.222 240 265 286 287 354 756 915 917 c. See these severall Titles Generall Councels binde in point of manners Ibidem For sâ—nctifying the Lords Day p. 242. m. 570. to 660. Crab his Councels against Stage-playes p. 571. to 660. Crossing of the face when men goe to Playes shuts in the Devill p. 342. Crownes of Lawrell not to be worne of Christians p. 20.36 Cyprian his censure of Mens long haire p. 189 of mens acting in womens apparell p. 168 169 187 188. of lascivious apparell p. 217 of Images p. 897. his Bookes against Stage-playes and censure of Players Playes Play-haunting and Theaters c. pag. 135.136 168 169 187 188 331 332 333 334 473 523 546 558 562 670 392 722 728 729. Cyrâ—llus Alexandrinus his censure of making Gods Image p. 898. of Dancing Stage-playes especially on Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes pag. 278.279 533 534 682 of wanton Musicke p. 278.279 Cyrillus Hierusolomitanus his censure of Stage-playes as the Devils pomps c. which we renounce in baptisme pag. 49.339 562 565. D Damascen his censure of Playes Dancing specially on the Lords Day pag. 260.349 f. 533.544 p. 683. of making the Picture of God p. 899 m. Damnation oft occasioned by Stage-playes f. 565. to 569. p. 910. oft to bee thought on Ibidem Dancing at marriages condemned p. 20. 22 36 222 278 555 573 602 603. See Marriage the Devils procession and invention p. 228.229 232 one of the Devils pomps which we renounce in baptisme p. 225.228 229 232 236 238â— 257 562 565. an occasion of the breach of all the 10. CoÌ„mandements p. 231.232 an offence against all the Sacraments p. 257.258 derived from Pagans who spent their Festivals in dancing and courted their Idols with it p. 225.233 234 235 236 251 575 576 584 704 751. to 763 771 779. Infamous among Pagans and condemned by them pag. 245. to 252. 709. to 711.849 to 864.884 854 855 801. a concomitant of Stage-playes p. 220.221 259 260. condemned by the Waldenses and French Protestants p. 226. to 233.636 637. Christians ought not to teach their Children especially their Daughters to dance p. 232.233 236 636 637. Delight skil in Dancing a badge of lewde lascivious women strumpets pag. 232.236 237 238 240 245 248 249.250.258 The Devill danceth in dancing women p. 228.229 232 257 258 260. effeminate mixt lascivious dancing condemned by Scriptures Councels Fathers Pagan and moderne Christian Authors of all sorts as an occasion of much sin and lewdnes c. p. 22.56 220. to 262.271 272. f. 534.575 576 599 584 600.636 637 652 666 693 799 698 704 to 711.729 765 770 771 772 479.
Prohibited and condemned upon Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes as a sinfull unseâ—mely and unlawfull pastime by Councels Fathers Imperiall and Canonicall Constitutions Christian Writers of all sorrs by our owne English Canons and Homilies and by the Statutes of 1. Car. c. 1. 5 6. E. 6. c. 3. p. 231. m. 220.222 240. to 245. 257 258 260 â—71 272 530. to 540. p. 575 576 580 605. to 609.615 620 621 622 625 627. to 636.664 715 716 717 770 771 to 779 780 781 913 693 419. All Clergie-men prohibited to dance or to behold others dancing or to reward or encourage Dancers p. 573. to 678. Sparsim See Prudentius contr Symmachum lib. 1. Bibl. PatruÌ„ Tom. 4. p 910. D Greg. Nyssen de Resurrect Christi Oratio 3. p. 160â— Valeriâ—n Hom. 1. De bono pudicitiae Bibl. Patrum Tom. 5. pars 3. p. 477. C. D. Arias Montanus in lib. Iudicum c. 16. p. 568. to 573. Ioannis Munster De Saltationibus lib. Gulielmus Stâ—ckiâ—s Antiqu. Convivalium l. 3. capâ— 21.22 Zeghedini Loâ—i Communes Tit. Chorea Saltatio Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtutum ac Vitiorum Tom. 2. Tit. De Luxuria c. 3. p. 68. M. Deering his 10. Lecture on the Hebrâ—wes Francis Salis his Introduction to a devout life part 3. c. 32.33 p. 648.649 Vincentius Beluacensis Speculum Morale l. 3. pars 9. Distinct. 6. p. 251.252 Summula Raymundi fol. 93. where a Dance is thus defined Chorea est circulus caâ—henatus cujus centrum est Diabolus with sundry others here omitted against Dancing David his Royall resolution p. 737. censured for feining himselfe mad p. 894. 160. his dancing before the Arke no justification of our lascivious dancing p. 552. to 555.729 773 729. Day of Iudgement at hand and ever to be meditated onâ— p. 56.59.976 to 979. Dice-play and Dice-houses censured condemned by Councels Fathers all sorts of Writers both Christian and Pagan by Mahomet in his Alcoran by Imperiall Edicts and Princes Lawes and by the Statutes of ouâ— Kingdome Epistle Dedicatory 1.2 p. 471.492 494 495 618 626 627 655 to 666.693 700 795. Ministers and Clergie-men prohibited to play at Dice or Tables to stand by or looke upon Dicers or to suffer any Dicing Carding or Gaming in their houses p. 573. to 668. Sparsim Dicers excommunicated and kept from the Sacrament in the Primitive Church p. 618.926 Didâ—cus de Tapia his censure of Players Playes and Theaters pag. 481.482 483 766. Diodorus Siculus his testimony of the originall of Playes censure of them p. 510.704 Diogenes Cinnicâ—s his censure of Musicke p. 287. Diogenes Laâ—rtiâ—s his censure of Stage-playes p. 707. Dion Cassius his censure of Dancing Playes Caligula his acting of them p. 707. to 710. Dionysius Halicarnasseus his censure of Playes their originall and use p. 704. Devils and Devill-Idols the inventors the fomenters of Stage-playes and Dancing which were appropriated to their solemne honour and worship their Festivals being spent in Playes and Dancing which they exacted from their worshippers p. 9. to 50.96 131 164 165 177 â—25 228 229 â—32 236 238 257 403 404 430 47â— 479 509 510 522 523 524 550 551 561 to 567 576 584 658 684 692 704 726 to 734 751 to 763 766 772 773 779 780 786 793. have Stage-playes in Hell every Lords-day night p. 12.13 The inventors of no good things and the enemies of mankinde pag. 9.14 15 16 c. Claime Playes Play-haunters and Play-houses as their owne p. 10.11 483. f. 523 524 555. honoured oft-times in stead of Christ. p. 744.745 759. The onely gainers by Stage-playes p. 44. to 48. Divinations and charmes unlawfull pag. 20.21 583. Divorce women who resort to Playes Play-houses may be divorced from their Husbands by the ancient Romanes and Iustinian his Laweâ— p. 391.661 662. S. Dominicke a story of his going to Hell p. 12 13. Domitian banished Players and suppressed Playes p. 461.714 Domna censured for putting on mans apparell p. 204. Drunkennesse occasioned by Stage-playes p. 508. to 512.731 732. a great and scandalous sinne especially in Clergy men p. 508.509 591. to 636. Sparsim 780. m. E Edgar his excellent Oration to his Prelates p. 762. Edricke his censure p. 133. Edward the 6. his Statutes and Commission for abolishing Images and Saints pictures out of Churches p. 902.903 m. For sanctifying the Lords Day c p. 781. his Comedy De Meretrice Babilonica p. 834. Effeminacy a great sinne p. 167.206 fol. 546.547 a necesâ—ary concomitant of Play-acting and a fruit of Playes pag. 167. to 214.420.422 458. f. 540 547 548 874. to 895.949 in haire apparell speech or gestures much condemned Ibidem Queene ELIZABETH and her Counsell suppressed Playes Play-houses and Dice-houses p. 491.492 her Injunctions against Images Pictures in Churches which she caused to bee demolished taken out of Churches pag. 902.903 m. her Statutes against Playes and Players p. 495. Englâ—sh Lawes Statutes Magistrates Vniversities Writers against Dicing Mummers Players Dancing Stage-playes lascivious Songs and Musicke Play-bookes c. p. 109.110 227 261 273 279. to 288.358 to 366.434 to 445.485 to 497. f. 517 518 519. p. 698.699 700 715 716 717 793 794 919. to 924. against Images in Churches p. 901.902 903. m. Epist. Ded. 1. For the sanctification of the Lords Day pag. 241.242 243 715 716 717 781. Ephori pag. 288.922 Ephorus his censure of Musicke p. 287. Epicarmus punished for his wanton Verses p. 921. Epiphanius his censure of Stage-playes wanton Musicke mens wearing of womens apparell long haire and womens cutting their haire pag. 188.279 556 680. of Images in Churchesâ— p. 899. m. Erasmus his censure of wanton Church-singing p. 285. Esau and Iacob a tipe of the Reprobate and Elect. p. 347. Euclid censured for putting on womens apparell p. 182. Euâ—hrosina and Empona censured for cutting their haire and putting on mans apparell p. 184.204 Eupolis the Poet drowned by Alccâ—iadâ—â— p. 121. f. 553. Eusâ—bius his censure of Stage-playes Dancing and wanton Musicke especially on Lords-dayes p. 164.260 fol. 533.534 â— 279.670 of making the Image of God p. 899. m. Euripides his death f. 553. Eustatius condemned for an Heretique for perswading women to cut their haire and put on mans apparell under pretence of devotion p. 203 204 184. Examples of Gods fearefull Iudgements upon Play-poets Players and Play-haunters f. 553. to 565. Exhortations to Play-poets Players Play-haunters p. 53. to 62. f. 567.568 pag. 566. to 569 686 687 701 711 712 717 718 8â—9 830 974. to 995. F Faâ—e-painting condemned p. 159 160 505 394 229 890 799 780 854 893. See Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtutum ac Vitiorù Tom. 2. De Superbia c. 14. Fathers against Dancing p. 22.36 221. to 230. Dicing Epistle Dedicatory 1. Heathenish customes pag. 20. to 37. Health-drinking p. 26.597 598 609 614 615. Mens long haire and Periwigs p 188. to 191.209 210. lascivious Songs and Musicke p. 261. to 285. fanâ—astique and gawdy apparell and fashions p. 217.218 890. to 904. Images in
Spectators he hath much inveighed which me thinkes should for ever shame and silence all such gracelesse Christians who dare to plead for Stage-playes giving out that none but some few foolish Puritans did ever yet condemne them infallibly evidence unto all mens consciences that Stage-playes desperately vitiate and deprave mens mindes and manners precipitating them into all vice all wickednesse and lewdnesse whatsoever and that they are unsufferable contaminating pernicious plagues in any Well-ordered State which caused these very Pagan Emperors States and Magistrates thus solemnely to exile them and these their Authors to declaime against them To passe from these to Christians wee shall finde both Christian Princes Republikes Authors of ancient and moderne times concurring with these former Pagans in these their doomes of Playes and Actors It is storied by Iosephus that when as King Herod would have brought Stage-playes Cirque-playes and other Spectacles into Hierusalem where he had erected a beautifull Theather and Amphitheater adorned with Caesars Titles and Inscriptions the whole Nation of the lewes though Forraigne Spectators much admired and delighted in his spectacles perceiving that these Playes did wholy tend to the dissolution of their ancient received Country discipline and fearing that some great inconveniencâ— to their Common-wealth would follow upon this alteration thought it their duty to maintaine their publike discipline which was now declining though it were with the hazard of their lives and not to suffer Herod to proceed with these his Spectacles shutting up their Citty Gates against them Which when Herod perceived he began to pacifiâ— and perswade them with good words to admit of these his Playes which prevayling nothing with many he endeavoured to introduce these Playes among them perforce whereupon ten of the Iewes conspired together to murther him whiles he was sitting in the Theater beholding these his Enterludes which they had certainely effected had not this their conspiracy beene casually detected Of which Herod taking advantage accomplished his desire and so brought these his Theatricall Enterludes into Hierusalem by meanes whereof saith Iosephus pray marke the dangerous consequence the Iewes departed more and more from their Country rites and corrupted the inviolable Institutions of their Ancestors with forraignâ— inventions and delights so that there was a very great declining and degenerating of their good manners into worse the discipline decaying whereby the people were wonâ— before this time to be kept in order Such vigorous venome was there in these Stage-playes both to subvert their State and discipline and corrupt their manners the whole Nation of the Iewes being thus both reall witnesses and examples to confirme my Minors truth whom I have here ranked among Christians as being then opposite unto Pagans I now come to reall Christians It is storied of Constantine the Great that very first and most famous Christian Romane Emperour whose name we English men have speciall cause to honour he being borâ—e bred and first crowned King and Emperour here in England his Mother Helena being a Brittish woman to That he wholy with-drew himselfe from the Secular Stage-playes of the Gentiles made in the third yeere of his Consulship â—o drive away plagues and diseases contemning and reiecting these their Eâ—terludes at which these Pagan Gentiles grieved much After which being established in his Empire he did by publike Edicts abolish all the ceremonies rites lascivious customes aud obscenities of the Gentiles and interdicted all gladiatory Playes and Enterludes as intolerable pernicious evils Not to speake of Nerva Constantius Valentinian Honorius Arcadius and playesâ— against which divers Fathers did declaime as barbarous and unchristian Spectacles not tolerable in any civil Stateâ— with which our tumultuous bloody Tragedies have too neere aâ—finity I finde Theodosius the Great who banished all Women-dancers Players and Singers by a publike Edicâ— as the plagues of those places and Citties where they were tolerated not onely suppressing and inhibiting all Stage-playes and Cirque-playes aâ— Antioch and stopping up all Cirques and Theaters as the fountaines of all wickednesse and the Nurseries of all those mischiefes that sprung up in Citties as Chrysostome at large relates and I likewise finde both him Valentinian and Gratian together with Valens the Emperour enacting these publike lawes against Stage-playes and common Actors well worthy observation That no Stage-playes should be acted on the Lords-day that Stage-players and Women-actâ—rs should be quite debarred from the Sacraments as long as they continued in their playing and that the Sacrament should not be administred to them in their extremity when as they lay upon their death-beds though they deâ—ired it unlesse theâ— did first renounce their wicked lewde profession and protest solemnely that they would not returne unto it againe in case they should recover Such was their detestation against common Actors and so by consequence against Playes themselves which made their Actors so base so execrable to these Christian Emperours Iustinian the Emperour promulgated this pious Edict That all sorts of Clergie men together with all other Christians should refraine not onely from Diâ—e play and Dicers company but likewise from the very acting and beholding of Stage playes and Theatricall Spectacles because they are not the least part of those pompes of the Devil which Christians solemnely renounce when they are baptized Leo and Anthemius two worthy Christian Emperours made this most pious Edict All Feaâ—t-dayes or Holy dayes dedicated to the most high God shall not be taken up or solemnized with any pastimes or excursions We therefore decree the Lords-day to be alwayes so honourable and venerable that it shall be exempted from all Executions Admonitions Bayles Appearances Arrests Law-suites and Controversies which shall all thâ—n cease Let all Advocates and Criers then be silent let there be then a kinde of trâ—ce for a space that so Adversaries may safely meete together upon it without feare and reconcile themselves one to the other c. Neither releasing the imployments of this religious Day doe we permit any one to be occupied in obscene pleasures Let not the Theatricall Scene nor the Cirque Combate or the dolâ—full Spectacles of wilde Beasts claime any liberty to themselves on this day and if any solemnity to be celebrated either in respect of our coronation or nativity shall chance to happen upon it let it be put off to some other time If any person shall ever hereafter presume to be present at Stage-playes on this Holy-day or if the Apparitor of any Iudge under pretext of any publike or private businesse shall violate those things which are decreed by this law he shall undergoe the losse of his office and the sequestration of his Patrimony O that this godly Law were now in force with Christians then Playes and Pastimes on Lords-day evenings would not be so frequent then those who had served God at Prayers and Sermons in the day time would not
so seriously serve the world the flesh the Devill in Dancing Dicing Masques and Stage-playes in the night beginning perchance the Lords-day like the foolish Galathians in the spirit but ending it in the flesh as alas too many carnall Christians doe Theodoricus a Christian King of Italy whose prayses Eâ—nodius Ticinensis hath proclaimed to the world in his Epistle to Faustus transmitted to posterity by Marcus Aurelius Cassiodorus hath-passed this Censure upon Stage-playes and Cirque-playes that they expell the gravest manners invite the most triviall contentions that they are the exhausters of honesty the ever-running fountaine of brawles and quarrels which antiquity verily reputed sacred but contentious posterity hath made them a meere ludibrium Which passage he thus seconds in his Epistle to Speciosius Who can expect grave manners in Stage-playes Catoes know not how to meete together at Play-houses Whatsoever is there spoken to the reioycing people is not deemed an iniury It is a place which defends excesse In another Epistle of his to the Roman Senate he thus informes them what great mischiefes these Stage-playes had procured to the people who were brought into extreme dangers by thâ—m Animum nostrum Patres Conscripti Reipub curis calentem pulsavit saepius querela populorum orta quidem ex causis levibus sed graves eructavit excessus Deplorat enim pro spectaculorum voluptate ad discrimina se ultima pervenisse c. And in his Epistle to Maximus of the divers sorts of Spectacles which the Consuls exhibited to the people out of a preposterous custome to their great expence against the severall wickednesses of which Enterludes hee there much declaimes he closeth up that Epistle with this patheticall Epilogue Heu mundi error â—olendus si esset ullus aequitatis intuitus tantae divitiae pro vita mortalium deberent dari quantae in mortes hominum videntur effundi Such was his Royall Censure of these pestiferous Stage-playes which bred so many mischiefes and discords in the world It it registred of Henry the third Emperour of that name whom they stiled blacke and godly that when as a great company of Stage-players and Actors flocked together to Ingelheim to his marriage about the yeere 1044. he thrust them all out of the Court and Citty and commâ—nded that the money which should have beene spent in maintaining rewarding and adorning them should be distributed among the poore An example writes Master Gualther who relates it truely worthy of eternall prayse which if Princes and Magistrates of Common-weales would this day imitate there would be lesse place left to filthy and sloathfull idlenesse then which there is nothing more powerfull to corrupt mens manners yea wise and prudent men would be then in greater request and the poore would be better provided for who now wander about in every corner to the great scandall of Christianity It is storied of Philip Augustus the 42. King of France that he being an enemy to publike dissolutions and a friend to good order and Iustice enacted publike lawes against Players Iuglers Playes and Dâ—cing-houses which he wholy suppressed as pornicious to his Kingdome banishing all Stage-players out of France by a publike Edict the true grounds of which worthy act of his Vincentius in his Speculum Historiale doth thus expresse Cum antem in Curijs regum vel principuâ— frequens histrionum turba convenire solebat ut ab eis aurum argentum equos seu vestes quas saepe principes mutare solent verba ioculatoria varijâ— adulationibus plena proferendo ab eis extorqueant videâ—s Rex Philippus haec esse vana animae saluti contraria mente promptissima Deo promisit quod omnes vestes suas quamdiu viveret intuitu Dei pauperibus erogaret malens nudum Christum in pauperibus vestire quà m adulatoribus vestes dando peccatum incurrere quoniam histrionibus dare and I would those who spend their money at Play-houses would well consider it est Daemonibus imolare Hoc si quotidie principes attenderent nequaquam tot leccatores per mundum discurrerent Vidimus autem principes quosdam vestes diu excogitatas varijs florum picturationibus artificiosissime elaboratas vix evolutis septem diâ—bus proh dolor histrionibus scilicet Diaboli ministris so hee stiles them ad primam vocem dedisse pro quibus forsan .20 aut 30. vel 40. marcas argenti impenderent de quo nimirum preciâ— totidem pauperes per totum annum victus necessaria percipere potuissent By all these severall Acts and Testimonies of these worthy Christian Princes it is most apparant that Stage-playes insufferably corrupt mens mindes and manners and that they are no wayes tolerable in a Christian State The selfesame verity wee shall finde confirmed by the Fathers Hence Clemens Alexandrinus stiles Playes and Play-housâ—s the very Chaire of Pestilence which corrupts mens mindes Hence Tertullian records that the Roman Censors oft-times demolish their re-erected Theaters to prevent the corruption of the peoples manners which they fore-saw would be much indangered and corrupted by the lasciviousnesse of Stage-playes the lewde effects of which hee at large discovers stiling the Stage the very Chaire of Pestilence and the Gallerie of the enemies of Christ. Hence Cyprian phraseth Stage-playes the Masters not of teaching but of corrâ—pting of destroying Yoâ—â—h and Play-houses the very Brothels of publike chastity where all vices arâ—â—oth taught and learned all modesty exiled all continâ—â—â—y wreckâ—d mens soules and manners most incurably corrupted to Gods dishonor aâ—d thâ— Churchâ—s shame Hence Lactantius informes us that the vâ—ry hearing and beholding of Stage-playes exceedingly corrupt all Youth by depraving their manners enraging their unruly lusts and teâ—ching them to commit adulteriâ—â— whiles they behold them acted Whereupon he peremptorily concludes that all Stage-playes are wholy to be abandâ—â—ed that so not onely no vices might harbour in our brests but that the customâ— of no pleasure might ever overcome us and so turne us away from God and from good workes Hence Gregory Nazianzen avers thâ—t Stage-playes ought to be reputed nothing else but the very plague and sicknesse of mens mindes the severall ill effâ—cts of which he there reckons up at large and thereupon he thus concludes Wherefore it evidently appeares that these Stage-playes are nought else but thâ— very destruction of mens soules which Censure of his is fully ratified by the concurrent suffrages of Tatianus Oratio Advers Graecos Bibl. Patrum Tom. 2. pag. 180.181 Of Theophilus Antiochenus Ad Autolichum lib. 3. Ibidem pag. 170. G. H. Of Minucius Felix Octavius pag. 101.121 Of Arnobius Advers Gentes lib. 4. pag. 149.150 151. lib. 7. pag. 230. to 242. Of Basil. Hâ—xaëmeron Hom. 4. Tom. 1. pag. 45. De Legendis Libris Gentilium Oratio pag. 308.312 Of S. Asterius in Festum Kalendarum Hom. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4 pag. 706. Of Gaudentius