Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	canon_n	council_n	nice_a	2,852	5	10.4936	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41298	A Defence of dramatick poetry being a review of Mr. Collier's View of the immorality and profaneness of the stage.	Filmer, Edward, b. ca. 1657.; Settle, Elkanah, 1648-1724.; Rymer, Thomas, 1641-1713.; Vanbrugh, John, Sir, 1664-1726.	1698 (1698)	Wing F905; ESTC R16098	47,476	128

therefore is it to be doubted but that this unseasonable Inclination of the Christians for Plays went a great way in the Fathers Passionate Declamations against them and undoubtedly to check the Christian Fondness in that Case push'd 'em upon the necessity of enlarging upon that stronger Argument viz. The Unlawfulness of Plays where the weaker one the Indecency of seeing them would not prevail Nay as Clemens Alexandrinus joyns the Circus and the Theatre together when he says They may not improperly be called the Chair of Pestilence Does not therefore the bloody Gladiator the profession of the Murder at the Prize as Minutius Foelix calls it the Secular Games and the Pantomimi and all the rest of the more Licentious and Barbarous Heathen Entertainments go a great way in the Condemnation of the more Innocent Plays whilst the Stage suffers with the Ill Company it keeps all those horrid Diversions being at the same time supported by the Tyrant Pagan Emperors Nay does not the very Christian Horror of those Heathen Tyrants the Patrons of those Plays go a great way with these Fathers to the Condemnation of the Feast for the Founders sake And therefore is all this Vehemence though to a stretch of Argument and the Racking of Reasons against them any thing to be wonder'd at Suppose we could parallel the same Modern Case were there for Instance any such Diversion as Plays amongst the Turks would not the Grecian Patriarchs be as tender of the Christians mixing in that Diversion more especially if our Mahometans were like their Heathens a Spirit of Persecution Why then are all these Primitive Champions brought down to Battle our Theatres when their whole Ground of Quarrel and Foundation of Complaint is so Foreign to the present State of the English Stage Next we 'll examine the short Account he pretends to give us of the Councils of the Primitive Church concerning the Stage The Council of Illiberis or Collioure Decreed That it shall not be lawful for any Woman who is either in full Communion or a Probationer for Baptism to Marry or entertain any Comedians or Actors who takes this Liberty shall be Excommunicated Anno 305. Can. 67. The first Council of Arles Excommunicates Players as long as they continue to Act Anno 314. Can. 5. The second Council of Arles made their 20th Canon to the same purpose and almost in the same words Anno 452. The third Council of Carthage of which St. Augustine was a Member Ordains That the Sons of Bishops or other Clergy-men should not be permitted to furnish out publick Shews or Plays or be present at them Such sort of Pagan Entertainments being forbidden the Laity it being always unlawful for all Christians to come among Blasphemers By the 35th Canon of this Council 't is Decreed That Actors or others belonging to the Stage who are either Converts or Penitents c. shall not be denied Admission in the Church which our Author remarks was a Proof that Players as long as they kept to their Employment were barr'd Communion Another African Council declares That the Testimony of People of ill Reputation of Players and others of such scandalous Employments shall not be admitted against any Person Anno 424. Can. 96. The second Council of Chaalon sets forth That Clergy-Men ought to abstain from all over-engaging Entertainments in Musick or Show Oculorum auriumque illecebris and as for the smutty and licentious Insolence of Players and Buffoons let 'em not only decline the hearing it themselves but likewise conclude the Laity obliged to the same Conduct Anno 813. Can. 9. I have here recited his Authority of the Councils of the Church at this full length as affording Matter for several serious Reflections and weighty Considerations First then it appears by the express words of the Council of Carthage that the Comedies then Acted were Pagan Entertainments and generally perform'd by Pagans viz. Blasphemers and for certain were the Composition of the Heathen Poets for we have no Record or mention of any Christian Poet that compiled or wrote any Theatrical Representations For had there been any such Christian Author his Name at least if not some of his Works would in all likelihood have been transmitted to Posterity as well as so many of the Dramatick Labours of the Heathen Poets Besides had there been any such Dramatick Christian Writers undoubtedly the several Councils that prohibited the Performance of Plays and expresly forbid the furnishing or dressing out of Shews or Plays would have much more particularly reprimanded the more Capital Offender viz. the Compiler and Composer of such Entertainments it being their equal Duty and Caution to crush the Egg as the Cocatrice Nevertheless though Playing then stood upon that Heathenish bottom however the Christians were apt not only to entertain Comedians and Actors but Personally themselves to be Actors nay and in those very Heathen Compositions Now here was occasion of just Complaint in those Divine Assemblies the Councils of the Church against this Practice of the Christians were the matter of Playing it self never so innocent For much the same Reproach though not the same Apology lay against them as the Jews threw upon our Saviour viz. for consorting with Publicans and Sinners Christianity in those Days was in its Morning The Sun of Righteousness had not fully dispelled the Heathen Darkness and Ignorance The Christians had the Unconverted Heathen every where round them And as the great Work of calling in the fulness of the Gentiles was not yet perfected it might reasonably give Offence to the Fathers of the Church and raise some shadow of fear that the Christian Condescension to intermix in the Pagan Diversions and Vanities viz. their Plays and those originally too of an Idolatrous Foundation might give that Reputation or at least that Countenance to Infidelity as possibly might in some measure retard the great Work of Universal Conversion Now as all these Councils commenced from the beginning of the Fourth Century at or after the Administration of the Roman Empire was lodged in the Hands of Christian Princes those Primitive Royal Sons of the Church those Champions of the Faith that would never be wanting in their utmost Zeal and Industry to propagate the Gospel of Truth Here I say it will afford a Matter of the nicest Speculation viz. How Players and Playing should lie under this publick Censure of the Church and yet Acting it self continued unsilenced and unsuppressed by so many successive Christian Emperors That it kept all this while so unsuppress'd is plain and evident otherwise why so many repeated Decrees of Councils against them if the occasion of Offence viz. Playing it self had not continued Nor can it be supposed had Playing been very much offensive or had but half the black Colours Mr. Collier has laid upon it but that some Ghostly Counsellors would have advised those Emperors to such a Suppression of the Stage and undoubtedly they had listen'd to such Advice Their Power of putting such