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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10187	Histrio-mastix The players scourge, or, actors tragædie, divided into two parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring authorities and resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture ... That popular stage-playes ... are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly spectacles, and most pernicious corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable mischiefes to churches, to republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. And that the profession of play-poets, of stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding academicall enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning dancing, dicing, health-drinking, &c. of which the table will informe you. By William Prynne, an vtter-barrester of Lincolnes Inne.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1633 (1633)	STC 20464A; ESTC S115316	1,193,680	1,258

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 obtin●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 callings● 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 proved● 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 som● 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

this dissolute and vnruly age For first the Scriptures doe positiuely informe vs that Righteousnesse● hath no fellowship with Vnrighteousnesse nor Light with Darkenesse that Christ hath no co●cord with Belial that he that beleeueth hath no part nor portion with an Infidell that the Temple of God hath no agreement wi●h Id●les and that we cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of De●ils nor be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of Deuils If then Christ if Christians and Infidels haue no communion great reason is it that they should not intercommon in these Heathenish Spectacles and delights of sinne Secondly all Christians haue vowed in their Baptisme to forsake the Deuill and all his workes the Pompes and Vaniti●s of this wicked world and all the sinfull lustes of the flesh and haue they any reason then to harbour or retaine the Ceremonies of Worldlings or Enterludes of Pagans which they haue thus seriously renounced Thirdly all true and reall Christians are Redeemed by the red and precious blood of Iesus Christ from the ordinances rudiments and customes of the world from their vaine conuersation receiued by tradition from their Fathers they are purchased from off the earth and from among the sonnes of men they are ransomed and taken out of this World and made m●n of another world that so they might haue their whole conuersation with God in Heauen and walke on in all holy conuersation and godlinesse seruing God in holinesse and true Righteousnesse all the dayes of their liues Christ Iesus himselfe hath bought them at the dearest rate for this very end that they should no longer liue to the world or to the will and lusts of men but vnto him alone that they should cast off the workes of Darkenesse and put on the armor of Light that they should not hencefoorth walke as other Gentiles in the vanitie of their mindes following the desires of the flesh and of the minde giuing themselues ouer to Lasciuiousnesse and vncleannesse that the time past of their liues might suffice them to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when as they walked in Lasciuiousnesse Lusts Reuellings Banquetings and abominable idolatries that they should now denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and walke soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed comming and appearance of their Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ that they should not hencefoorth walke according to the course of this world according to the power of the Prince of the ayre which now worketh in the children of disobedience but that they should be pure and vndefiled before God keeping themselues vnspotted from the World Since therefore Ie●us Christ ha●h thus Redeemed all Christians from the World and all i●s Pagan customes pleasures ceremonies and delights of sinne that so they might be holy and blamelesse before him in loue and become a peculiar people to him Zealous of good workes great reason is there that they should abominate all Pagan practises Enterludes and Ceremonies as vnlawfull and misbeseeming Christians else they should but euacuate and make voyde vnto themselues the death of Christ yea trample vnder feete his precious blood and put him vnto open shame And would any Christian be so ingratefull so dispitefull to his blessed Sauiour whose bleeding wounds doe preach Saluation to his fiercest enemies as thus to wrong and shame him Fourthly mans nature is exceeding prone to Paganisme and Heathenish superstition as is euident not onely by the frequent Apostasies of the Israelites to grosse Idolatrie recorded in the Scriptures but likewise by that generall deluge of Heathenisme Mahometisme and hideous Idolatrie which now and alwayes heretofore hath ouerspred the greatest part of all the world God therefore out of his Fatherly care and compassi●n ●o his Children to anticipate all occasions which might withdraw them from him to Idolatrie doeth oft times prohibit them to imitate the Fashions Customes Vanities Habites Rites or Ceremonies of Infidels and Heathen Gentiles for feare lest one thing should draw on another by degrees till they were quite Ap●statized to Idolatrie and seduced from the Faith Whereupon Saint Augustine exh●rts all Christians to prohibit the vse of all diabolicall Enterludes Vacillations and songs of the Gentiles and that no Christian should exercise any of these because by this he is made a Pagan Since therefore the imitation of Pagan customes pleasures and delights are but so many ingredients and allectiues to Paganisme and grosse Idolatrie and since they alienate or at least in some degree disioyne our affections from God and heauenly things there is ground and cause enough that Christians should reiect them as sinfull and pernicious So that vpon all these authorities and reasons the force of which no pious heart is euer able to withstand I may safely conclude this second Scaene with this short Corollary That Stage-Playes are sinfull vnseemely pernicious and vnlawfull at least wise vnto Christians because they were the inuentions ceremonies and pastimes of Idolatrous Infidels and the most Licentious Heathens who were no other but the Deuils Purueyers whom Christians must not imitate ACTVS SECVNDVS SEcondly as Stage-Playes are thus sinfull vnseemely pernicious and vnlawfull vnto Christians in regard of their originall and primitiue Inuentors so likewise are they such in respect of those Idolatrous vnwarrantable and Vnchristian ends to which they were destinated and designed at the first The chiefe and primarie end of inuenting instituting or personating Stage-Playes was the superstitious worship or at least wise the pacification or attonement of Iupiter Bacchus Neptune the Muses Flora Apollo Diana Venus Victoria or some such Deuill-gods or Goddesses which the Idolatrous Pagans did adore to whose honour names and memories these Playes which were alwayes Acted and celebrated heretofore as the insuing Authours testifie on those Festiuall and Solemne dayes which were dedicated to the speciall seruice and commemoration of these Idoles were at first deuoted That Stage-Playes yea and Theaters or Play-houses too were primarily inuented for the honour and Dedicated to the seruice or at least-wise oft times Celebrated in times of Pestilence to appease the anger of these Idole-Gods whose Images and Pictures were carried about and represented in them wee haue the expresse authorities not onely of Plutarch in the life O● Romulus and Romanae Quaest. Quaest. 107. of Dionysius Hallicarnasseus Antiq. Roman lib. 2. cap. 3.5 lib. 7. cap. 9. Of Valerius Maximus lib. 2. cap. 4. Of Thucidides Hist. lib. 3. Of Liuie Rom. Hist. lib. 2. Sect. 36. l. 1. Sect. 9.20 l. 7. Sect. 2.3 l. 26. Sect. 23. lib. 5. Sect. 1. lib. 42. Sect. 20. Of Demosthenes Orat. aduersus Midi●m Of Horace De Arte Poetica lib. Of Athenaeus Dipnos lib. 2. cap. 1. Diodorus Siculus Histor. lib. 17. Sect. 16. with sundry other Pagan Authors but likewise of Tatianus Oratio aduersus

so much as with their bodies Notwithstanding be departs not but staies and demandeth drinke of us not water but holinesse For Christ des●ributeth holy things to holy men For he doth not give us water out of this Well but living Blood which albeit it be received to testifie the Lords death yet to us it is made a cause of life But thou leavest the fountaine of his blood and this dreadfull cup and runnest hastily to that diabolicall well that thou maist behold a swimming whore and suffer a shipwracke of thy soule For that water is a certaine vast sea of luxury in which bodies are not drowned but soules suffer shipwracke For she verily being naked sports her selfe with swimming in the midest of the waters but thou looking on her from an high scaffold art plunged into the depths of lust For these nets of the Devill doe not so much catch those who descend into that water and there roll themselves as those who sit above For these are drowned farre more cruelly then that Pharaoh heretofore who was overwhelmed with his Chariots Horsemen Now if were possible by any meanes for me to shew unto you the soules swimming upon these waters tru●ly they would appeare no otherwise then those AEgyptian bodies that were tossed in those floods But this verily ●s far more dangerous that this so great destruction they call pleasure and this filthy sea of perdition they stile the Euripus of delight when as verily one may more easily and safely passe over the AEgaean and Tyrrhenian sea then the horrible dangers of this spectacle For first of all the Devill doth sollicite the hearts of such all night long with an over-anxious expectation afterwards be represents that which hath beene so greedily beheld where with he doth presently binde and lead them captive Neither mayest thou thinke thy selfe free from sinnes if thou doest not couple with an harlot when as thou dost commit all this with thy will For if thou art possessed by this concupiscence thou art verily burned with a greater flame But if by beholding these things thou suffrest nothing notwithstanding thou art guilty in being a scandall unto others and by thy encouragement of such pleasures thou thy selfe confoundest both thine owne face and with thy face thy soule But that we may not seeme to deale onely by way of reproofe we will now propound the meanes of reformation What then is this meanes of amendment I deliver you to your owne wives to be instructed when certainely you ought rather according to the Apostle to be instructors of your wives But because by sinne the order is inverted and the body is made the superior the head the inferior let it not grieve you to returne to honest things by this way But if thou art ashamed of the tutorship of a woman avoyd sinne and thou maist quickly ascend into the chaire of a Doctor which is ordained for thee by God But as long as thou shalt sinne the Scripture doth send thee not onely to an woman but even to irrationall and the basest creatures Neither doth a creature endued with the honor of reason blush to become a Scholler of the Bee and the Ant neither is this the fault of the Scripture but of those who have lost their owne noblenesse Therefore we also will have a care to doe thus And now verily we assigne thee to a woman to be taught but if thou shalt contemne her admonitions we will even send thee to the tutorship of unreasonable creatures For we will shew thee how many birds and fishes yea how many kindes of beasts and creeping things outstrip thee in honesty and chastity But if thou art ashamed to be compared to such creatures returne to the ensigne of thy owne noblenesse and remembring that vast Sea of Hell and fiery River avoyd this pestiferous Fish-pond of the Play-house For this is it which doth drowne its Spectators in that fiery Sea and which doth kindle the very bottome of that fire For if he who without these provocations seeth a woman is yet notwithstanding drawne sometimes to lust after her and commits adultery onely by lusting he who not onely s●eth but likewise earnestly beholds a naked and lascivious women with his whole minde how is he not a thousand times made the captive of lust That great Flood under Noah did not so extinguish mankinde as these swimmers doe altogether suffocate all their spectators even with much disgrace For that flood although it brought in the death of bodies yet it blotted out the vices of soules But this water doth the contrary it workes the destruction of soules the bodies still continuing in life You verily if that any contention about honor ariseth contend with all ambition that you ought to have preheminence of the whole world flattering your selves with this priviledge that this Citty did first give the name of Christians to the faithfull but when you should contend about honesty and chastit● are you not ashamed lest you should be overcome of the very basest villages Yes sayest thou But what then doe you command us to doe To goe into desert Mountaines and to become Monkes And what else doe I lament but that thou thinkest an honest and pure life belongs onely to them Verily Christ hath given common precepts unto all men For where he saith If any man looke upon a woman to lust after her hee hath already committed adultery with her in his heart it is not onely spoken to a Monke but likewise to an Husband For that Mountaine in which Christ taught these things was then filled almost only with such Consider therefore that Theater and avoyd their Diabolicall Assemblies and doe not as it were blame my more troublesome speech For I prohibit not marriages nor honest pleasure but I would have it to be done with honesty not with obscenity or sinne I doe not therefore bid the goe into Mountaines and Deserts but to be bountifull and likewise honest and modest even while● thou livest in the midest of the City The Apostle tells us The time is short it remaines therefore that those who have wives bee as if they had none for the fashion of this world passeth away As if he should say I bid you not to dwell in the tops of Mountaines although I desire that likewise because Citties imitate the abominations committed in Sodom but yet I doe by no meanes force you to it Contiu●e having an house wife children onely doe not make them Spectators of incestuous pleasures doe not thou introduce the plague of the Theater into thine house Doest thou not heare Paul saying The man hath not the power of his body but the woman Therefore he hath also given common precepts to him Thou verily if thy wife frequent the Church becommest a most grievous accuser of her but thou thy selfe spending the whole day in Play-houses dost not believe thy selfe to be worthy of accusation but when as thou

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 thē 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 Lastly● it is evidently resolved by the foregoing Councels● 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-play●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 themselve● 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 frō 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 ●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

without but poysons onely within Thirdly though all these good things are in Stage-playes now and then yet they are there onely as good things perverted which prove worst of any Nothing is there so pernicious as good parts or a good wit abused as wit art eloquence and learning cast away upon an amorous prophane obscene lascivious subject on which whiles many out of a vaine-glorious humour have spent the very creame and flower of their admired parts I may truly affirme with Salvian Non tam illustrasse mihi ipsa ingenia quàm damnasse videantur they seeme to me not so much to have illustrated as damned their much applauded wits and parts in being acutely elegant in such unworthy sordid theames which modest e●es would blush to reade and chast tender consciences bleede to thin●e of As therefore Ovids transcendent poetry Martials prophane and scurrilous pande●ly wit Catullus Tibullus and Propertius their eloquence made their obscene lascivious poëms farre more pernicious not more chast and commendable so the elegancy invention stile and phrase of Stage-playes is onely an argument of their greater lewdnesse not any probate of their reall goodnesse What therefore Vincentius Lerinensis writes of Origen and Tertullian that their transcendent abilities of eloquence learning and acutenesse made their erronious Tenents farre more dangerous the same wee may conclude of Playes and Poets the more witty and sublime their stile or matter the more pernicious their fruites for then Viperium obducto pot●mus melle venenum We drinke downe deadly poyson in a honey potion which proves honey onely in the pallate but gall in the bowells death in the heart as the most delightfull amorous Stage-playes alwayes doe SCENA SEXTA THE 6. Objection in the defence of Stage-playes is this which is as common as it is prophane That Stage-playes are as good as Sermons and that many learne as much good at a Play as at a Sermon therefore they cannot be ill To this I shall answer first in the words of Mr. Philip Stubs and of I. G. in his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors p. 61. Oh blasphemy intollerable Are obscene Playes and filthy Enterludes comparable to the word of God the foode of life and life it selfe It is all one as if they had said Baudry Heathenry Paganisme Scurrilitie and Divelry it selfe is equall with Gods word or that Sathan is equipollent with the Lord. God hath ordained his word and made it the ordinary meanes of our salvation the Divell hath inferred the other as the ordinary meanes of our destruction God hath set his holy word and Ministers to instruct us in the way of life the Divell instituted Playes and Actors to seduce us into the way of death And will they yet compare the one with the other If he be accursed that calleth light darknesse and darknesse light truth falshood and falshood truth then à fortiori● is hee accursed that saith Playes and Enterludes are equivalent with Sermons or compareth Comedies Tragedies with the word of God whereas there is no mischiefe almost which they maintaine not Thus they But if Stage-playes be as good as Sermons as many prophane ones who heare and reade more Playes than Sermons deeme them then Players certainly by the selfesame argument are as good as Preachers and if this be so what difference betweene Christ and Belial Play-houses and Churches Ministers and Actors yea why then doe we not erect new Theaters in every Parish or turne our Churches into Play-houses our Preachers into Actors since they are thus parallels in their goodnesse But what prodigious and more than stygean profanesse is there in this comparison Who ever paralleld hell with heaven vice with vertue darknesse with light Divels with Angels dirt with gold yet there is as great a disparity in goodnesse betweene Playes and Sermons as there is in these the one being evermore reputed the chiefest happinesse the other the greatest mischiefe in any Christian State But this part of the objection is too grosse to confute since the very naming of it is a sufficient refutation I come therefore to the second clause That many learne as much good at Playes as at Sermons And I beleeve it too for had they ever learn'd any good at Sermons which would be altogether needles if so much goodnesse as is objected might be learn'd from Playes they would certainly have learned this among the rest never to resort to Stage-playes The truth then is this most Play-haunters learne no good at all at Sermons not because Sermons have no goodnesse for to teach them but because they are unapt to learne it partly because they seldome frequent Sermons at leastwise not so oft as Playes partly because their eares are so dull of hearing and their mindes so taken up with Play-house contemplations whiles they are at Church that they mind not seriously what they heare partly because the evill which they learne at Playes overcomes the good they learne at Sermons and will not suffer it to take root within them and partly because Playes and Sermons are so incompatible that it is almost impossible for any man to receive any good at all from Sermons whiles hee is a resorter unto Stageplayes Well therefore may they learne as much goodnesse from Playes as Sermons because they never learned ought from either but much hurt from both the very word of God being a stumbling blocke a meanes of greater condemnation yea a savour of death unto death to such unprofitable hearers who reape no grace nor goodnesse from it But to passe by this if there be so much goodnesse learn'd from Playes I pray informe me who doe learne it If any then either the Actors or Spectators For the Actors their goodnesse verily is so little that it is altogether to be learnt as yet and if ever they chance to attaine the smallest dram of grace as they are never like to doe whiles they continue Players it must be then from Sermons onely not from Playes which make them every day worse and worse but cannot possibly make them better For the Spectators they can learne no good at all from Playes because as Isiodor Pelusiota long since resolved it Players and Stageplayes can teach thē none Never heard or read I yet of any whom Stage-playes meliorated or taught any good all they can teach them all they learne from th●m is but some scurrill jests some witty obscenities some ribaldry ditties some amorous wanton complements some fantastique fashions some brothel-house Courtshippe to wooe a strumpet or to court a whore these are the best lessons these schooles of vice and lewdnesse teach or these their schollers learne I shall therefore close up this objection with that of Mr. Stubs and I. G. in their forequoted places If you will learne to doe any evill skilfully cunningly covertly or artificially you neede goe no other where than to the Theatre If you will learne falshood

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 disobedience● 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 P●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 fa●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 neve● detected of any tre●son rebellion mutinie or sedition whatsoever the case of those whom men stile Puritans and Precisian● 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 evē for our present times Solenne est ut Christianis crimina seditionis blasphemiae et lesae majestati● à persecutoribus affingantur quibus tamen non sun● 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 ●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 6● 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 lawe● 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 then● 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 up●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 a●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 dissolu●e companions proclaim thē 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