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
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
with much murther and bloodshed in all ages these have caused the Husband to murther his Wife the Wife to poyson her Husband one Whore-master to murther his Corrivals to the selfe-same Strumpet yea these have caused unnaturall Mothers to murther their owne spuriâ—us Issues to conceale their lâ—wdnesse as Authors as our owne Statutes and experience teach us therefore they must needs be cryingâ— because they are bloody sinnes Fiftenthly they are such sinnes which offer an high indignity to the whole Trinity First to God the Father not onely in taking those bodies that are his which were made for himselfe alone not for fornication and giving them up as profâ—ssed instruments of sinne to lust to lewdnesse to Satan to all uncleanesse but likewise in contaminating oblitterating and casting dirt yea sinne upon his most holy Image stamped on them Secondly to Iesus Christ our Lord in taking those bodies which are his members purchased with his most precious blood that they might be preserved pure and chaste to him and making them the members of an Harlot Thirdly to God the holy Ghost in defiling those bodies which are the Temples of the holy Ghost which is in us who cannot indure any pollution especially in his Temples which should be alwayes holy as he is holy And who is there so desperately wicked that dares thus affront the whole Trinity it selfe by these cursed filthy sinnes Sixteenthly they are sinnes of which men very seldome repent A Whore saith Salomon is a deepe Ditch and a strange woman is a narrow Pit out of which men can hardly recover themselves None that goe into her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of Life And who then would ingage his soule upon such irrecoverable irrepenitable sins as these Seventeenthly these sinnes are the very high-way to Hell the beaten rode to eternall death the end of them is bitter as wormwood sharpe as a two-edged sword Wherefore Salomon exhorts his Sonne to remove his way farre from a strange woman and not to come nigh the doore of her house a place well worthy their observation who feare not for to run to Whore-houses or to cast themselves upon the temptations the enticements of Strumpets as too many doe For her house inclineth unto death and her pathes unto the dead her feet goe downe to death her steps take hold of hell her house is the way to hell going downe to the chambers of death None that goe into her returne againe neither take they hold of the path of Life Eighteenthly they are sinnes against the very bodies and soules of men Against the bodies of men as the Apostle witnesseth Flee fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body that is in defiling it in dishonouring it in impayring it in destroying it Against the soules of men as Salomon testifieth Who so saith he committeth adultery with an woman lacketh understanding he that doeth it destroyeth his owne soule And who would be so inhumanely so atheistically desperate as to destroy both soule and body for ever to enjoy the momentany bitter-sweetnesse of these filthy sinnes Nineteenthly they are sinnes which disable men to performe any holy duty acceptable to God Sinnes into which few fall but such as are abhorred of the Lord and given up to a reprobate sence to worke all wickednesse even with greâ—dinesse Sinnes which devoure to destruction and roote out all a mans increase Sinnes which cause the earth to rise up against men and the fire not blowne to devoâ—re them Sinnes which draw downe the temporall the eternall wrath of God upon the children of disobedience These were the sinnes that destroyed the old worldwith water which consumed the Citties of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven Which caused three and twenty thousand of the Isralites to fall in one day These were the sinnes that caused God in the yeere of our Lord 1583. even in our Citty of London to destroy with â—ire from Heaven two Cittizens the one leaving his Wife the other her owne Husband whiles they were in the very act of adultery on the Lords day their bodies being left dead and halfe burnt up for a Spectacle of Gods avenging Iustice unto others These are the sinnes but adultery and incest morâ— especially which God himselfe hath commanded to be punished with death yea with stoning to death the most vile and shamefulest death of all others Yea these are such sinnes that not onely the Iewes in ancient times but even meere Pagans from the very light of nature did punish with death it selfe Hence Dracâ— enacted that the adulterer taken in adultery might without any danger to the party be lawfully killed The selfe-same Law was enacted by Solon and Plato Hence Romulus among those lawes which he wrote in brasse and placed in the Capitol enacted That the convicted adulteresse should be put to death according as her husband or his friends should thinke meete Which act was afterwards confirmed by the Iulian Law Hence among the Lacedemonians it was lawfull for a man to kill him who was taken in adultery with his wife Hence the Corinthians used to drowne those who prostituted themselves to the lust of others The Vestel Virgins among the Romans bâ—ing convicted of fornication were buried alive In ancient Tiâ—es among the Turkes the adulterer and adulteresse were both stoned to death and at this day they are both most ignominiously punished The Arabians and Tenedians punish adultery with death reputing it a farre greater crime then periury or sacriledge and therefore worthy of a severer punishment The AEthiopians account adultery treason and therefore they make it capitall In Peru whoredome is punished with the death of both parties The Brasilians prosecute adultery with capitall hatred in so much that he whose wife is taken in adultery may lawfully kill her if he please The Indian Bramanes may lawfully poyson their uncâ—aste wives In old Saxony women who were convicted of adultery and ravishers of maides were first hanged and then burned In Sâ—aâ— adultery is death the Fathers of the Malefactors or the next Kinsmen being the Executioners In Palmaria adulterous Priests are punished with cruell death In Hispaniola unchaste Priests are either drowned or burnt Iâ— Bantam Mexico and China adultery is punished with death The Tartars taken in adultery are put to present death for feare of which they live very chaste If then the very judiciall Law of Moses together with these Heathens and Pagan Nations have deemed these sinnes capitall punishing adulterers and adulteresses with death as being the publike enemies of mankinde needs must these sinnes bee execrable yea dangerous unto Christians Twentiethly these sinnes are prejudiciall both to the Church and State in
their gates that so they might meditate and discourse of them day and night upon all occasions But alas our Stage-playes incorporate themselves so firmely and sinke so deepe into our Actors and Play-hâ—â—nters mindes that they quite invert these sacred precepts suppressing those heavenly Christian conferences which they command reviving and advancing those vaine lascivious discourses which they prohibite This the fore-quoted Authors this present experience testifie Wherefore I shall end this Scene with this short Syllogisme being a 37. Argument against Stage-playes Those things which banish all holy conferences all pious discourses out of their Actors and Spectators mouthes and furnish them with all variety of idle vaine unprofitable lascivious scurrilous prophane atheisticall irreligious phrases Play-house conferences and Stage-discourses must questionlesse bee unlawfull yea abominable unto Christians as the alleadged Scriptures testifie But this doe Stage-playes as the premises and experience manifest Therefore they must questionlesse bee unlawfull yea abominable unto Christians SCENA DVODECIMA THe twelfe effect of Stage-playes is this That they wholy indispose their Actors and Spectators to all religious duties that they withdraw and keepe them from Gods service that they bring the Word the worship yea all the ordinances of God into contempt making them vaine and ineffectuall to their soules First I say that Stage-playes inâ—ispose men to the acceptable performance of every religious duty be it prayer hearing and reading of Gods Word receiving the Sacraments and the like This sundry Fathers fully testifie and I would to God all Christians would well weigh their words which much concerne their soules in the very maine of Christianity to wit Gods worship and their vow in baptisme Tertullian informes us That Stage-playes defile the eyes the â—ares the souleâ— of the Spectators and make them to appeare polluted in Gods sight That none of the things deputed unto Stage-playes are pleasing unto God or beseeming the servants of God because they were all instituted for the Dâ—vill and furnished out of the Deâ—ils treasuryâ— for every thing that is not of God or displeasing unto God is of the Devill Stage-playes they are the pompe of the Devill against which we have protested in the seale of our faith That therefore which we renounce we ought not to participate of neither in deed nor word nor sight now view And doe we not then renoâ—nce and teare off the seale againe in cutting off the testimoniall of it Shall we then desire an answer from the very Heathens themselves Shall they resolve us whether it be lawfull for Christians to use Stage-playes But verily they most of all discerne a man to be a Christian even from this renouncing of Stage-playes he therefore doth manifestly deny himselfe to be a Christian who takes away this badge by which he should be knowne to be a Christian. Now what hope is there remaining in such a one No man hath revolted unto the enemies Tents unlesse he first cast away his armes unlesse he hath first forsaken the colours and allegeance of his Princâ— unlesse he hath covenanted to perish together with them Will â—e thinke earnestly of God at that time who is placed where there is nothing at all of God will he thorowly learne chastity who admires Stage-playes will he call to minde the exclamationsâ— of some prophet whiles the Tragedians are crying out will he mâ—ditate of a Psalme who â—its amidest effeminating measures or can he be moved with compassion who is wholy intent upon the biting of Beares and the spunges of retiaries God turne away from all his so great a desire of pernicious pleasure For what a desperate wicked thing is it for a man to goe out of the Church of God into the Chappell of the Devill out of Heaven as they say into the mire and clay those hands which thou hast lifted up unto the Lord in prayer to weary afterwards in applauding a Stage-player out out of the same mouth with which thou hast uttered Amen to the holy one to give testimony to a Sword-player or to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever and ever to any one but to God Christ Why then may not such become liable to the possession of Dâ—vils c For no man can serve two Maisters What hath light to doe with darkenesse What relation hath life to death we ought to hate these assemblies of Pagans even because the Name of God is there blaâ—phemed and because divers temptations are sent out from thence How wilt thou doe being deprehended at unawares in that over-flowing of impious suffrages not as though thou shouldest there suffer any thing from men for no man knoweth thee to be a Christian but consider seriously what may be done concerning thee in Heaven For doâ—t thou doâ—bt but that in the very moment when as thou art in the church of the Devill all the Angels looke downe from Heaven and take speciall notice of every one there present observing who he is that speakes blasphemy who that heares iâ— who it is that lends his tongue his eares to the Devill against God Wilt thou not therefore flie these seates oâ— the enemies of Chriâ—t this pestilentiall chaire and that very aire which hangs over it adulterated with wicked words and sounds c Thus he whose words sufficiently testifie that Stage-playes indispose men to all religious duties because they defile their eyes their eares their hands their soules they being the pompes the inventions of the Devill which are incompatible with Christianity because they teare of the very seale and cognisance of their Christianity and wholy inthrall them to the Devils vassalage Saint Cyprian writes thus of Stage-playes to the selfesame purpose What hath the Scripture interdicted Vâ—rily it hath prohibited that to be behold which it inhibiteth to be acted I say it hath condemned all these kindes of spectacles when as it hath taken away Idolatry the mother of all Playes from whence these Monsters of vanity and leâ—ity have proceeded For what spectacle is there without an Idoll what Play without a sacrifice c What doth a faithful Christian make among these if he flieth Idolatry why doth he speake it he who is now holy can he râ—â—pâ— pleasure from criminous things Why approves he superâ—tâ—tions against God which he affecteth whiles that he beholds them But let him know that all these are the inventions of Devils not of God He impudently exorcizeth Devils in the Church whose pleasures â—e applaudes in Stage-playes and when as by renouncing him once every thing of his was pared off in Baptisme whiles that after Christ I pray observe it all you Christians who resort to Stage-playes he resorteth to the spectacles of the Devill he renounceth Christ as if he were a Devill Idolatry as I have already said is the Mother of all Playes which that it may allure faithfull Christians to it flatters them with the pleasure of the eyes and eares Romulus did first of
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
the vices were more then which they did commit then the sacrifices they did offer And trust mee I am of that opinion that the Lord is never so ill served as on the Holi-dayes For then Hell breakes loose Then wee permit Youth to have their swinge and when they are out of the sight of their Masters such government have they of themselves that what by ill company they meete withall and ill examples they learne at Playes I feare me I feare me their hearts are more allienated from virtue in two houres then againe may well be amended in a whole yeere Thus hee yea and thus M. Gosson M. Northbrooke M. Stubs M. Brinsly and others too tedious to transcribe together with the expresse words of the Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. which informes us That the holy keeping of the Lords-day in very many places of this Realme hath beene and now is prophaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people in exercising and frequenting Beare-bayting Bul-bayting Enterludes common Playes and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes neglecting Divine Service both in their owne Parishes and elsewhere All which concurrent testimonies are a suâ—ficient confirmation of this experimentall truth that Stage-playes avocate with-hold and keepe men from Gods worship house ordinances especially on Festivals Holi-dayes and those solemne times which should bee more peculiarly devoted to his service And no wonder that it should be so First because the vulgar people who are commonly inamored with childish pleasures and pompous vanities are exceedingly delighted with Enterludes and Stage-playes as Tully Horace Iuvenal Theodoricus Ovid with sundry others testifie they are as the Apostle speakes Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Gods presence Sacraments Temple Word and service are not so gratefull so delightfull to them as these No wonder therefore if they neglect the one which are but a yoke a wearisomnesse a paine a burthen to them to enjoy the sinfull pleaâ—ures of the other which are suitable to their vaine voluptuous humour Secondly because these Stage-play pleasures are the very chiefest baites the strongest the most prevailing Engins which the Devill hath to with-draw mens hearts from God They were so in former ages as Tertullian Cyprian Chrysostome Lactantius Augustine and Salvian teach us no wonder therefore if they bee so now Thirdly as Stage-playes thus with-draw men from Gods-service so they bring the Word the ordinances the worship Ministers and sincere service of God into contempt and scorne Witnesse Saint Chrysostome who expresly avers it That nothing brings the Oracles and Ordinances of God into so great contempt as the admiration and beholding of Stage-playes Hence Lactantius and Hierom informe us That those who are accustomed to rhetoricall Stage-playes to sweet polished Orations and Poems despise the plaine common phrase and humble stile of the Sâ—riptures as base and sordid seeking after that which may delight their senses Hence Gregory Nazianzen informes us That Stage-playes make men unfit to heare Gods Word and cause them to contemne it And that the Inhabitants of Constantinople who delighted much in Stage-playes accounted the Divine Mysteries and Oracles of God but a meere sport as they reputed their Stage-playes and Cirque-playes implying thereby that Play-haunters for the most part contemne Gods Word his ordinances and all spirituall things as meere toyes and trifles This truth is likewise confirmed by Saint Augustine Salvian with other Fathers and Councels in the two precedent clauses by Rodolphus Gualther one of the eminentest Divines that the reformed Churches have bred who records That Stage-playes and common Actors bring all Religion into contempt and that Plato banished them out of his Common-weale for this reason among others because they would breed a contempt of the Gods By the Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters by M. Gosson Master Northbrooke and M. Stubs in their Treatises against Playes by Master Brinsly in the third part of his True Watch. cap. 11. Abomination 30 pag. 302. and by sundry others too tedious to recite And doth not our owne experience suffragate to this truth Alas who more vilifie Gods ordinances or more slight his Word his Ministers his Servants then Players and Play-haunters who so atheistically irreligious so gracelesse so godlesse so negligent of all holy duties so little acquainted or inamored with Gods Word his worship his service as they Whence is it that men and women are lately growne so cold so heartlesse in religion so remisse so carelesse in all religious duties so regardlesse of Gods Word his Sacraments his service so lukewarme yea so frozen in their love to God his Saints his Ordinâ—nces it is not from their late extraordinary resort to Playes and Play-houses which is now more frequent then in former times For my owne part I can impute it originally to nought else but it Sure I am that religion is no where more scorned and jested at that religious men are never more traduced then on the Stage that there are no such Seminaries of atheisme irreligiousnesse blasphemy idolatry Heathenisme and prophanesse as Playes and Play-houses This the Authors in the precedent Acts doe fully testifie It is more then probable therefore that they are the primary fundamentall causes of this most desperate lewde effect Lastly Stage-playes make all the meanes of grace and salvation all the ordinances of God ineffectuall to mens soules Men heare men read pray receive the Sacraments and come to Church in vaine as long as they continue Actors or Spectators of Stage-playes This all the Fathers Councels moderne Christian Authors with the severall reasons alleaged in the three precedent particulars abundantly evidence revolue them and you shall finde it true Saint Chrysostome is punctuall to this purpose Wee lose saith hee all the labour all the fruit of our fasting whiles wee resort to Stage-playes yea wee reape no benefit at all from the Word of God What profit reape you whiles you goe from hence to the Theater I reprove you the Player corrupts you I apply medicines to your disease hee ministers the fewell and occasion of the diseaseâ— I extinguish the fire of nature hee kindles a flame of lust I build up and hee puls downe Yea hee plainely informes us that neither the Sacrament nor any other of Gods ordinances will doe men any good so long as they resort to Stage-playes Saint Augustine informes us of himselfe That as long as hee delighted in Stage-playes which did nourish irritate and foment his lusts God was not then his life and that his life was not a life but a death For Stage-playes writes hee are the very baites the snares the dens and chaines of the Devill wherewith he takes and reintraps the soules of those whom he hath formerly left Flie therefore Stage-playes O beloved the
of their Husbands and Husbands of their Wives so that every way from foure of the clocke in the afternoone till nine at night especially over London-bridge many were carried in chaires and led betwixt their friends and so brought home to their houses with sorrowfull heavy hearts like lame Cripples A just though terrible judgement of God upon these Play-haunters and prophaners of his holy day the originall relator of which doth thus conclude And therefore for a conclusion I beseech all Magistrates by the mercies of God in Iesus Christ that by this occasion and example they take good heed to looke to the people committed to their charge that they take order especially on the Sabbath dayes that no Citizen or Citizens servants have liberty to repaire to any of those abused places and that they keepe their stragling wantons in that they may be better occupied And as they have with good commendation so farre prevailed that upon Sabbath dayes these Heathenish Enterludes and Playes are banished so it will please them to follow the matter still that they may be utterly rid and taken away For surely it is to be feared besides the destruction of body and soule that many are brought unto by frequenting the Theater and Curtinâ— that one day these places will likewise bee cast downe by God himselfe and draw with them an huge heape of such contemners and prophane persons to be killed and spoyled in their bodies Neither was he a false prophet altogether For in the yeere of our Lord 1607. at a Towne in Bedford-shire called Risley the flâ—ore of a chamber wherein many were gathered together to see a Stage-play on the Sabbath day fell downe by meanes whereof divers were sore hurt and some killed If these domestique examples together with that of Thales the Philosopher who was smothered and pressed to death at a Play will not move us let us cast our eyes upon some forraigne Tragedies of this nature I read in Munster his Cosmography that about the yeere of our Lord 1380. Lodovicke a Marquis of Nisina a man not very religious was made Arch-bishop of Magdeburge who thereupon invited many Gentlemen and others together with their Wives and Daughters into a Towne called Calven to feast and make merry with him who came accordingly The Bishop for their better entertainement provided the Towne-hall for them to dance in they being much addicted to dancing and singing and to act other vanities and whiles they were busily turning dancing and playing and every one danced merrily at the hands of their Ladies the house being oppressed with the great weight began to sinke giving a great cracke before The Arch-bishop taking the Lady who stood next him by the hand hastned to goe downe the staires with the first and as soone as he begun to goe downe the stony staires being loose before fell downe and miserably crusht to death the Arch-bishop and his consort with divers others It is storied by Froyssart in his Chronicle and by some others since that in the Raigne of Charles the sixt in the yeere of our Lord 1392. at a marriage made in the Kings Court at the hostle of Saint Pauls in Paris betweene Sir Yvan of Foiz Bastard Sonne to the Earle of Foiz and one of the Queene of Erance her Gentlewomen the Tuesday before Candlemas day A Squire of Normandy called Hogrymen of Gensay provided for a Play or Mummery against nightâ— for which purpose he had devised 6. Coates made of Linnen cloth covered with Pitch and thereon cloth and flax like haire and had them ready in a Chamber The King himselfe put on one of these Coates the Earle of Iovy a yong lusty Knight another Sir Charles of Poytiers the third Sir Yvan of Foiz another the Son of the Lord Lanthorillet had on the fift and the Squire himselfe put on the sixt Being thus apparelled and sowed fast on these Coates which made them soone like wilde wode-houses the King upon the advice of Sir Yvan of Foiz commanded an Vsher of his Chamber to enioyne all the Torch-bearers in the Hall where the Ladies were dancing to stand close to the wall and not to come neere the wode-houses for feare of setting them on fire which he did accordingly Soone after the Duke of Orleance who knew nothing of the Mummery or the Kings command entred into the Hall with foure Knights and sixe Torches to behold the dancing and begun himselfe to dance Therewith the King and the fiue other Masquers came in in these their disguises fiue of them being fastned one to the other the King onely being loose who went before and led the device When they entred the Hall every one tooke so great heed to them that they forgate the Torches The King departing from his company went to the Ladies to sport with them as youth required and came to the Dutches of Berry who tooke hold of him to know what hee was but he would not shew his name The Duke of Orleance running to the other fiue to dâ—scover who they were put one of the Torches his servants held so neere the flax that he set one of the Coates on fire and so each of them set fire on the other so that they were all in a bright flame the fire taking hold of the living Coates their shirts began to scorch their bodies so that they began to bren and to cry out for helpe The fire was so great that none durst come neere them and those that did brent their hands by reason of the heate of the pitch One of them called Manthorillet fled into the Botry and cast himselfe into a vessell of water where they rynsed pots and so saved his life by quenching the fire but yet hee was sore hurt The Countesse oâ— Berry with her long loose Gowne covered the King and so saved him from the fire two of the other were burnt to death in the place the Bastard of Foiz and the Earle of Iovy were carried to their lodgings and there died within two dayes after in great paine and misery Thus was this Comedy turned into a dolefull Tragedy The King though he escaped was much distracted in minde and his servants distressed with griefe at this unhappy accident so that he could not sleepe quiet that night The next day these newes being spred abroad in the City and every man marveling at it some said how God had sent that token for an ensample and that it was wisedome for the King to regard it and to withdraw himselfe from such yong idle wantonnesseâ— which he had used overmuch being a King All Lords and Ladies thorow the Realme of France and elsewhere that heard of this chance had great marvaiâ—e thereof Pope Boniface being at Rome with his Cardinals reioyced at it and said that it was a token sent from God to to the Realme of France which had taken part against him Sure I am it was a just judgement of God to teach
inquit Theologus videam mihi et patriam communem cum eo habere nonnihil etiam ad insidias adversus Athanasium structas conferre Hence Flaccus Illyricus Iohannes Wigandus Matthaeus Iudex and Basilius Faber in their Famous Magdeburgian Ecclesiasticall Centuries 36 yeares before Dr. Rainolds relating the life and death of George the Arrian expresly affirme from this of Nazianzen That George the Arrian was a Cappadocian borne For thus they write Georgius natione Cappadox ex sordido et vili vitae genere ad Episcopatum seu tyrannidem potius Alexandriam pervenit Yea both Baronius and Spondanus from this passage of Nazianzen and those of Athanasius affirme That this Arrian George was a Cappadocian borne and the Countrey-man of Nazianzen For writing of Gregory and this Arrian George Concordant vero say they omnino patria cum utrumque fuisse Cappadocem veteres scriptores tradant quoting Nazianzen and Athanasius in the margent Whence they stile this George Georgius Cappadox quem quidem malum genere animo pejorem moribus pessimum fuisse Gregorius Nazianzenus ipsius Gentilis docet dum ejus scelera recenset If then we beleeve either the forenamed Historians or Athanasius Nazianzen Billius the Century-writers Baronius or Spondanus who are most expresse in point this George the Arrian was undoubtedly a native Cappadocian Lastly that passage of Cassiodorus in his Tripartita Historia where he stiles this George Cappadocem hominem Arianae vesaniae that more punctuall testimony of Nicephorus Constantinopolitanus who reckoning up the names of the Bishops of Alexandria whereof he makes this George the 22. stiles him Georgius Cappadox by which title hee distinguisheth him not onely from George the Arrian Bishop of Laodicea but from George the 50 Bishop of Alexandria who succeeded him perchance the same George whom Photius mentions as the authour of a booke concerning Chrysostome together with Nannius Billius the Centuriators Baronius Spondanus Nicolaus Faber and the severall Index-compilers of Athanasius Nazianzen Nicephorus Zozomen Socrates Scholasticus the Centuries Baronius Spondanus Bibliotheca Patrum and others who all stile him Georgius Cappadox as being a Cappadocian borne yeeld us an infallible testimonie in Dr. Rainolds his behalfe that George the Arrian Bishop a thing not questioned heretofore by any was by birth a Cappadocian Neither will those two objections to the contrary so much as once eclipse this shining truth To wit that Homo or Monstrum Cappadox is a proverbiall speech denoting not the Country but the lewd conditions of this Arrian George and that Ammianus Marcellinus who lived about those times affirmes for certaine in expresse termes that George of Alexandria was borne at Epiphania in the Province of Cilicia For first though Homo Cappadox be sometimes a proverbiall speech being applied to a notorious wicked wretch who is no Cappadocian borne where it must of necessity be proverbial because it cannot be litterall yet it is never so when as it is spoken of any native Cappadocian where it may have a proper litterall construction which is the case of George the Arrian whom all Writers hitherto till some of late haue conceived to be a Cappadocian borne But admit that Homo or Monstrum Cappadox were a meere Adagie or a periphrasis of a desperate gracelesse wicked miscreant which is unlikely in our case since Nazianzen Isiodor Pelusiota informe us that about this George his time the ancient infamie of the Cappadocians lewdnesse was quite abolished Cappadocia being then become not onely sacred but even famous and illustrious both for piety learning education of youth and learned pious men who were as so many lights of holy life and doctrine unto all the world Yet no one testimony can be produced by the objectors to prove that Georgius Cappadox or Cappadox coupled with any other proper name is used onely proverbially for a man of wicked lewd or vile conditions not for a Cappadocian borne For as Anglicus Scotus Brito Iudaeus and such like nationall stiles annexed unto proper names as Thomas Anglicus Ioannes Duns Scotus Herveus Brito Philo Iudaeus c. denominate onely the native Countrey not the morall conditions vertues or vices of men so Cappadox united to Georgius or any other proper name demonstrates onely the native soile not the notorious wickednesse of the person else Philagrius whom Nazianzen stiles Philagrius Cappadox clarus et illustris which were an apparant contradiction if Cappadox were nothing but a lewd companion else all the pious Cappadocian Bishops in the first Nicene Councels who are stiled Cappadoces else Eustochius Cappadox as I finde him named else St. Basil and famous Gregory Nazianzen who are called Cappadoces Basilius Cappadox and Gregorius Cappadox yea and Georgius Cappadox the Sainted Martyr too whom some make the same with George the Arrian others and among them Opmeerus Hyperius Georgius Stigelius and Ioannes AEmilius Mr. Samuel Purchas Mr. George Withers and famous Philip Melancthon too what ever some aver against it as his words I have quoted in the margent witnes a meere symbolical or allegoricall fiction either of pious Magistrates the Princes of Gods husbandry who fight against the Dragon rescuing the Virgin the Church from his assaults or defending and maintaining discipline and justice against all tyrants and oppressours or of our Lord and Saviour Christ the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Church who hath long since bruised the head wounded the body and vanquished the power of the great Serpent the Divell whom the Scripture stiles the Dragon and trampled him under his feete like a victorious conquerour rescuing the Woman his beloved Church whom he stiles his Margaritâ— his â—ewell from his infernall power as â—he Scriptures plainly teach us all which the emblematicall picture of S. George doth lively represent must all be now unsaincted and stigmatized for nought else but desperaâ—e notorious castawayes as this their proverbiall appellation of Cappadox proclaimes them if the objection prove once true since this title Cappadox is appropiated to them all yea even to George the Saint as well as to George the Arriâ—â— he being principally knowne and conceived to be a Cappadocian borne by this addition Cappadox which if it be meerely nationall in George the Martyr and others fore-recited must necessarily be so in George the Arrian there being no reason to make it proverbiall in the one and literall or nationall onely in the other Secondly for the objected authority of Ammianus Marcellinus which is misquoted in the chapter I answer first that he was onely an heathen Writer and not so well acquainted either with the birth or life of George the Arrian as Athanasius his competitor as Nazianzen his Countreyâ—man and the forequoted Ecclesiasticall historians were who all affirme him to be a Cappadocian borne his single
to reduce the golden age and of Pope Nicholas the 5. that he instituted secular Playes at Rome contrary to the Councell of Constans and that 560 persons were crushed to death and drowned with the fall of the Tiberine bridge who flocked to Rome to behold those Enterludes Hence Polydor Virgil Lodovicus Vives Ioannes Langhecrucius and Didacus de Tapia cry out against the popish Clergie for acting and representing to the people the passion of our Saviour the Histories of Iob Mary Magdalen Iohn the Baptist and other sacred Stories together with the lives and legions of their Saints and for erecting Theaters for this purpose in their Churches on which their Priests and Monkes together with common Enterlude-Players and other Laickes did personate these their Playes Which grosse prophanesse though thus declaimed against by many of their own Authors condemned by their Conncels is yet still in use among them as not onely Didacus de Tapia and others who much lament it but even daily experience the Iesuites practise together with Iohn Molanus Divinity-professor of Lovan witnesse who in his Historia SS Imaginum Picturarum Antwerpiae 1617. lib. 4. cap. 18. De Ludis qui speciem quandam Imaginum habenâ— in quibusdam anni solennitatibus p. 424 425 426 427. out of Conradus Bruno and Lindanus writes thus in justification of these their Enterludes Now even Stage-playes have a certaine shape of Images and oft times move the pious affections of Christians more than prayer it selfe And after this manner truly Stage playes and shewes are wont to be exhibited on certaine times of the yeare the certaine pictures of certaine Evangelicall histories being annexed to them Of which sort is this that on Palm-sunday children having brought in the picture of our Saviour sitting upon an Asse sing praise to the Lord cast bowes of trees on the ground and spread their garments on the way And that likewise upon Easter Eve when as the presbyter after midnight receiving the image of the crucifixe out of the sepulcher goeth round about the Church and beates the doores of it that are shut saying Lift up your gates yee princes and bee yee lifted up yee everlasting gates that the King of glory may come in and he who watcheth in the gates demanding Who is this King of glory the Presbyter answers againe The Lord strong and mighty in battaile the Lord of hoasts he is the King of glory Likewise that on the day of the resurrection of our Lord in the morning after morning prayers Angels in white garments sitting upon tâ—e sepulcher aske the women comming thither and weeping saying Whom seeke ye women in this tumâ—lt weeping he is not here whom ye seeke but goe ye quickly and tell his Disciples Come and see the place where the Lord lay And that on the same day the image of our Lord bearing an ensigne of Victorie is carried about in publike procession and placed upon the altar to be gazed upon by the people Likewise that of Ascention day in the sight of all the people the Image of the Lord is pulled up in the midst of the Church and shewed to be taken up into heaven In the meane time about the Image are little winged images of Angels carrying burning tapers in their hands and fluttering up and downe and a Prâ—est singing I ascend unto my Father and your Father and the Clergy singing after him and unto my God and your God with this solemne hymne Now is a solemne c. and this Responsory Goe ye into the world c. And that upon White sunday the image of a dove is let downe from aboue in the midst of the Church and presently a fire falls downe together with it with some sound much like the noyse of guns the Priest singing Receive ye the holy Ghost c. and the Clergy rechanting There appeared cloven tongues to the Apostles c. By all which and other such like spectacles and those especially which represent the passion of our Lord nothing else is done but that the sacred histories may be represented by these exhibited Spectacles and Enterludes to those who by reason of their ignorance cannot reade them And these things hiâ—herto out of Conradus Bruno in his Booke of Images cap. 17. Thou hast the like defence of these shewes and Enterludes in William Lindane the reverend Bishop of Râ—remond in his Apologie to the Germans where among other things he saith For what other are these Spectacles and Playes than the living histories of Lay-men with which the humane affection is much more efficaciously moved than if they should reade the same in private or heare theÌ„ publikely read by others c. Thus he O the desperate madnesse the unparalleld profanes of these audacious Popish Priests Papists who dare turne the whole history of our Saviours life death Nativitie Passion Resurrection Ascention and the very gifâ— of the holy Ghost descending in cloven tongues into a meere prophane ridiculous Stage-play as even their owne impious Pope Pius the 2. most prophanely didâ— contrary to the forequoted resolutions of sundry Councels and Fathers who would have these things onely preached to the people not acted not represented in a shew or Stage-play No wonder then if such turne the sacred solemnity of our Saviours Incarnation into a Pagan Saturnal or Bacchanalian feast who thus transforme his humiliation his exaltation yea his whole worke of our redemption into a childish Play But let these Playerlike Priests and Friers who justifie this prophanesse which every Christian heart that hath any sparke of grace must needes abominate attend unto their learned Spanish Hermite Didacus de Tapia who reades this Lecture both to them and us That this verily is altogether intollerable that the life of Iob of St. Francis of Mary Magdalen how much more then of Christ himselfe should be acted on the Stage For since the very manner and custome of Play-houses is prophane it is lesse evill if it were tollerable that prophane things onely should be acted and that holy things be handled onely in a holy manner c. But now that a Theatre A PLACE SO FAMILIAR TO DIVELS AND SO ODIOVS VNTO GODâ— pray marke it should be set up in the very middest of the body of the Church before the high Altar and the most holy Sacrament for Playes to be acted on it he onely can brooke it who by reason of his sins hath not yet knowne or felt HOVV CROSSE AND OPPOSITE THESE THINGS ARE TO THE HOLINES OF GOD. It is evident then by all these premises that our riotous ludicrous voluptuous Christmasses together with Stage-playes dancing Masques and such like Pagan sports had their originall from Pagan their revivall and continuance from Popish Rome who long since transmitted them over into England For if Polydor Virgil may be credited even in the 13. yeare of Henry the
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 quà m 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 eâ—es would blush to reade and chast tender consciences bleede to thinâ—e of As therefore Ovids transcendent poetry Martials prophane and scurrilous pandeâ—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 potâ—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 fortioriâ— 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 theÌ„ 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 thâ—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
the view of others the more is he maligned envied hated and the greater Puritan is he accounted as every mans owne experience can informe himâ— These Puritans and Precisians therefore are the best of Christians Secondly those who are most violently invective and maliciously despitefull against Puritans and Precisians both in their words and actions are such who are unsound or popishly affected in their religion or prophane and dissolute in their lives The most Romanized Protestants the deboisest drunkards the effeminatest Ruâ—fians the most fantasticke apish Fashion-mongers the lewdest whoremasters Panders Strumpets the prophanest Roarers Players Play-haunters and Brothel-hunters the most prodigious Swearers Epicures and Health-quaffers the most gracelesse vitious persons of all rankes and professions especially temporizing sloathfull unorthodox epicurean Ale-house haunting dissolute Clergy men the greatest enemies of all others to true grace and piety as all ages witnesse are alwayes the greatest railers the fiercest enemies against Puritans and Precisians as the world now stiles them therefore they are certainly the very best and holiest Christians because the very worst of men who like vitious Nero never heartily condemne ought else but some great good or other detest revile them most Et argumentum recti est malis displicere as not onely Seneca but the Scripture teacheth us Thirdly there is no man ever stiled a Puritan or Precisian by another in scorne or contempt as these names are now commonly used but it is either for some evill or other that he hates which he who stiles him so affects or for some grace or goodnesse or some transcendent degree of holinesse that is in him which the other wants To instance in some particulars Let a man make conscience of drunkennesse of drinking and pledging healthes of frequenting Ale-houses Tavernes and Tobacco-shops and presently he is cried out upon and censured for a Puritan by all the Pot-companions and Drunkards with whom he shall converse Let any one refuse to follow the guise and dissolute effeminate fashions of the times let him crie out against Love-locks and ruffianly long haire against false haire and perewigs which our men and women now generally take up as if they were quite ashamed of that head which God hath given them and proud of the tire-womans which they have dearely bought Let any Gentlewoman of quality now refuse to cut to poulder frizell and set out her haire like a lascivious courtezan or to paint her face like some common prostituted harlot or to follow any other amorous complements and disguises of the times adorning her selfe onely in modest apparell with shamefastnesse sobriety and good workes as becomes a woman professing godlinesse the onely feminine ornaments that St. Paul commends and what else shall they heare from all the Ruffians fantastiques and Frenchefied wanton Dames that live about them but this opprobrious censure that they are become professed Puritans If any make conscience of frequenting Play-houses Dice-houses Whore-houses of lascivious mixt dancing lascivious ribaldry songs and discourses inordinate gaming and such other sinfull pleasures which the most delight in refusing to beare men company in these delights of sinne our Play-haunters Dicers Gamesters Whoremasters and such voluptuous persons will presently voyce them up for Puritans Yea such is the desperate wickednesse of the times that let a man be vitious in one kinde and yet temperate in another as let him be a Play-haunter a gamester and not a drunkard a drunkard and yet no swearer no whoremaster no ruffian or the like or let a man be vitious in diverse kindes and yet not so bad as others of his companions and he shall be sometimes reproached for a Puritan because he is not so universally so extremely wicked and deboist as those of his companions who are farre worse than he Whence we oft times finde that such who are reputed no better than prophane ones when they are in company somewhat better than themselves are censured for Puritans among prophane ones because they are not so unmeasurably wicked as the worst of them And as those who are not so desperately outragious in their extravagant sinfull courses as others are thus houted at for Puritans and Precisians by such as are lewder than themselves so those who outstrip all others in holinesse pietie and vertue are reputed Puritans too because they excell in goodnesse For let a man be a diligent hearer and repeater of Sermons and Lectures a constant reader and discourser of Gods word a strict observer of the Lords day a lover and companion of the holiest men a man that is holy and gracious in his speeches in all companies and places desirous to sow some seedes of grace and to plant religion where ever he comes let him be much in prayer in meditation in fasting and humiliation much grieving for his sinnes and complaining of his corruptions let him be alwayes hungring and thirsting after grace and using all those meanes with conscionable care which may bring him safe to heaven abandoning all those sins those pleasures and companies which may hinder him in his progresse towards heaven Let a man be a diligent powerfull soule-searching sinne-reproving Minister residing constantly upon his benefice and preaching every Lords-day twice or let him be a diligent upright Magistrate punishing drunkennesse drunkards swearers suppressing Ale-houses Mâ—y-games Revels dancing and other unlawfull pastimes on the Lords day according to his oath and duty Let any of any profession be but a little holier or sticter than the Major part of men and this his holines his forwardnes in reliligion is suâ—ficient warrant for all prophane ones for all who fall short of this his practicall power of grace to brand and hate him for a Puritan as every mans conscience cannot but informe him It is manifest then by all these particular experimentall instances that those whom the world stiles Puritans and Precisians are the very best and holiest Christians and that they are thus ignominiously intituled yea hated and maligned because they are lesse vitious more pious strict and vertuous in their lives than such who call them so Fourthly there is no man so fierce an Antipuritan in his health and life but desires to turne Puritan and Precisian in the extremity of his sicknesse and the day of death When God sends his judgements crosses or tormenting mortall diseases upon such who were most bitter Satyrists against Puritans all their lives before or when hee awakens such mens consciences to see the gastly horrour of their notorious sinnes when they are lying perplexed on their death-beds with the feare of damnation ready to breath out their soules into hell at every gaspe they will then turne Puritans in very good earnest desiring to die such as they would never live yea then in such extremities as these they send for those very Puritan Ministers whom they before abhorred to instruct to
beene more copious in this theame before I shall here briefely passe it over now referring you to Part 1. Act 2. Act 5. Scene 11. for fuller satisâ—action THe 6. and last ground of the unlawfulnesse of acting Playes is the evil fruits that issue from it both to the Spectators of which I have at large discoursed Part 1. Act 6. thorowout and likewise to the Actors which I shal here onely name As first it makes the Actors guilty of many sinnes to wit of vaine idle ribaldrous and blasphemous words of light lascivious wanton gestures and actions losse of time hypocrisie effeminacy impâ—dency theft lust with sundry other sinnes which they cannot avoyd Secondly it ingenerates in them a perpetual habit of vanity effeminacy idlenesse whoredome adultery and those other vices which they daily act Discunt enim facere dum assuescunt agere simulatis erudiuntur ad vera as Lactantius and Cyprian truely write Whence we see for the most part in all our common Actors the reall practise of all those sinnes and villanies which they act in sport they being as Ludovicus Vives Iohn Calvin the Civilian and Iacobus Spielegius write Perditissimis moribus deploratae nequitiei men of most lewde most dissolute behaviour and most deplorable desperate wickednesse as I have elsewhere largely proved And how can it bee otherwise Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu being as true as it is ancient When Children Youthes and others shall be trained up either in Vniversities Schooles or Play-houses to Play effeminate amorous wanton Strumpets parts to act the parts of Wooers Lovers Bawdes Panders Whore-masters Incestuous persons Sodomites Adulterers Cheaters Roarers Blaspemers Paricides and the like when they shall be instructed Magisterio impudicae artis gestus quoque turpes molles muliebres exponere as Saint Cyprian phraseth it to expresse effeminate womanish wanton dishonest mimicall gestures by the tutorship of an unchast art to court Whores and Strumpets to sollicit the chastity and circumvent the modesty of others to contrive to plot and execute any villany with greatest secrecy and security to act any sinnes or wickednesse to the life as if they were really performed when they shall have their mindes their memories and mouthes full fraught with amorous ribaldrous panderly Histories Pastorals Iests discourses and witty though filthy obscenities from day to day the case of all our common Actors especially those who have beene trained up to acting from their youth no wonder if we discover a whole grove of all these notorious acted sinnes and villanies budding forth continually in their ungodly lives insomuch that those who in their yonger dayes represented other mens vices onely fall shortly after to act their owne the better to inable them to personate other mens of the selfesame kinde he being best able to play the sinnes of others who hath oft-times perpetrated the very selfesame crimes himselfe Whâ—nce commonly it comes to passe that the eminenâ—est Actors are the most lewde companions Et nonne satis improbata est cujusque artis exercitatio quâ quanto quisque doctior tanto nequior Thirdly it makes men vaine lascivious prophane and scurrilous in their discourses fantasticall and new-fangled in their haire and apparell mimicall antique histrionicall in their gate their gestures complements and behaviours prodigall in their expences impudent and shamelesse in their carriage false and trecherous in their dealings malicious bloody and revengefull in their miâ—des atheisticall gracelesse unchaste deboist and dissolute in their lives and for the most part impenitent and desperate in their deathes according to that true rule of the famous Roman Orator Mors honesta saepe vitam quoque turpem exornat vita turpis ne morti quidem honestae locum relinquit These and many such like evils are the fruits of Play-actingâ— as too many ancient and moderne visible examples witnesse Fourthly it nourisheth men up in vanity and idlenesse in which they waste their precious time which should be husbanded redeemed to farre better purposes For though our common Players be ever acting yet they are alwayes idleâ— and make thousands idle to besides themselves Horum enim non otiosa vita est dicenda sed desidiosa occupatioâ— Nam de illis nemo dubitabit quin operose nihil agant as Seneca wittily deâ—cants And so great is our popular Stage-players that I say not our ordinary Play-haunters idlenesse quod totam vitam ordinant adludendum as Aquinas writes of them they even spend thâ—ir whole lives in playing whence Marcus Aurelius long agone and our owne Statutes since have ranked Players among the number of idle vagrant Truants Rogues and Vâ—gabonds which ought severely to be punished and then set to some honest worke â—o get their livings their acting being nought else but idlenesse in Gods in mens account And alas what a poore reward must they expect from God at last when he shall remunerate every man according to his workes who have never wrought but oneâ—y loytered and played all their dayes Lastly the acting of Stage-playes inthrals the Actors both in the guilt the punishment of all those sinnes which their Playes or action occasion in the Spectators Which being so many in number so great in quality as experience manifests them to bee what Actors conscience is able to stand under their guilt their curse and condemnation either in this life or in the day of judgement when they shall all be charged on his soule Lastly the acting of Stage-playes as it of right excludes all Actors both from the priviledges of the Common-weale from the Church the Sacraments and society of the faithfull here and drawes a perpetuall infamy upon their persons â—o it certainely debars them from entring into Heaven and brings downe an eternall condemnation on their soules and bodies hereafter if they repent not in time those being bound over to the judgement of the great generall Assises and eternall torments even in Heavenâ— who are thus bound and justly censured by the Lawes and Edicts of the Church or State on earth Hence was it that divers Players and Play-poets in the Primitive Church and since renounced their professions as altogether incompatible either with Christianity or salvation yea hence a late English Player some two yeeres since falling mortally sicke at the City of Bathe whether he came â—o act being deepely wounded in conscience and almost driven to despaire with the sad and serious consideration of his lewde infernall profession lying upon his death-bed ready to breath out his soule adjured his sonne whom hee had trained up to Play-acting with many bitterâ—teares and imprecations as he tendred the everlasting happinesse of his soule to abjure and forsake his ungodly profession which would but inthrall him to the Devils vassalage for the present and plunge him deeper into Hell at last Such are the dismall execrable
dying Scenes draw on apace and it will not be long ere you goe off the Theater of this world unto your proper place and then how miserable will your condition be You have beene the Devils professed agents his meniall hired servants all your lives and must you not then expect his wages at your deathes You have treasured up nought but wrath unto your selves against the day of wrath whiles you lived here precipitating both your selves and others to destruction and can you reape ought but wrath and vengeance hereafter if you repent not now Your very profession hath excommunicated you the Church the Sacraments the society of the Saints on earth and will it not then much more exclude you out of Heaven O miserabilis humana conditio sine Christo vanum omne quod vivimus was S. Hieroms patheticall ejaculation and may it not be much more yours who have lived without Christ in the world who have renounced his service and betaken your selves to the Devils workes and pompes against your baptiâ—mall vow as if you had covenanted by your selves and others to serve the Devill and performe his workes even then when you did at first abjure them O then bewaile with many a bitter teare with many an heart-piercing sigh with much shame much horror griefe and indignation the losse of all that precious time which you have already consumed in the Devils vassalageâ— and since God hath forborne you for so many yeeres out of his tender mercy O now at last thinke it enough yea too too much that you have spent your best your chiefest dayes in this unchristian diabolicall lewde profession professing publikely in S. Peters words The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles and of the Devill to we will henceforth live to God alone If you will now cast of your former hellish trade of life with shame and detestaâ—ion if you will prove new men new creatures for the time to come Christs armes Christs wounds yea and the Church her bosome stand open to receive you notwithstanding all the lusts and sinnes of your former ignorance But if you will yet stop your eares and harden your hearts against all advice proceeding on stil in this your ungodly trade of life in which you cannot but be wicked then know you are such as are marked out for Hell such who are given up to a reprobate sence to worke all uncleanesse even with greedinesse that you all may be damned in the Day of Iudgement for taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse and disobeying the truth As therefore you expect to enter Heaven Gates or to escape eternall damnation in that great dreadfull Day when you must all appeare before the Iudgement Seate of Christ to give a particular account of all those idle vaine and sinfull actions gestures words and thoughts which have proceeded from you or beene occasioned in others by you all your dayes be sure to give over this wicked trade of Play-acting without any more delayes which will certainely bring you to destruction if you renounce it not as all true penitent Players have done before you For if the righteous shall scarcely be saved in the Day of Iudgement where shall such ungodly sinners as you appeare Certainely you shall not be able to stand in Iudgement or to justifie your selves in this your profession in that sinne-confounding soule-appaling Day but you shall then be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord from the glory of his power if the very riches of his grace and mercy will not perswade you to renounce this calling now Quantoque diutius Deus vos expectavit vt emendetis tanto districtius judicabit si neglexeritis by how much the longer God hath forborne you here expecting your repeÌ„tance the more severely shal he then condemne you If any Stage-players here object that they know not how to live or maintaine themselves if they should give over acting To this I answer first that as it is no good argument for Bawdes Panders Whores Theeves Sorcerers Witches Cheaters to persevere in these their wicked courses because they cannot else maintaine themselves so it is no good Plea for Players No man must live by any sinfull profession nor yet doe evill that good may come of it therefore you must not maintaine your selves by acting Playes it being a lewde unchristian infamous occupation Secondly there are divers lawfull callings and imployments by which Players might live in better credit in a farre happier condition then now they doe would they but bee industrious It is therefore Players idlenesse their love of vanity sinfull pleasures not want of other callings that is the ground of this objection Thirdly admit there were no other course of life but this for Players I dare boldly averre that the charity of Christians is such as that they would readily supply the wants of all such indigent impotent aged Actors unable to get their livelihood by any other lawfull trade who out of conscience shall give over Playing Certainely the charity of Christians was such in Cyprians dayes that they would rather maintaine poore penitent Actors with their publike almes then suffer them to perish or continue acting and I doubt not but their charity will be now as large in this particular as it was then Lastly admit the objection true yet it were farre better for you to die to starve then any wayes to live by sinne or sinfull courses There is sinneâ— yea every pious Christian as is evident by the concurrent examples of all the Martyrs should rather chuse to die the cruellest death then to commit one act of sinne Better therefore is it for Players to part with their profession for Christs sake even with the very losse of their lives and goods which they must willingly lose for Christ or else they are not worthy of him then to retaine their Play-acting and so lose their Saviour themselves their very bodies and soules for all eternity as all unreclaimed unrepenting Players in all probability ever doe Let Players therefore if they will be mercifull to themselves shew mercy rather to their soules then to their bodies or estates Talis enim misericordia crudelitate plena est qua videlâ—cet ita corpori servitur ut anima juguletur Quae enim charitas est carnem diligere spiritum negligere Quaeve discretio totum dare corpori animae nihil Qualis vero misâ—â—icordia ancillam reficere dominam interficere Nemo pro hujusmodi misericordia sperat se consequi misericordiam sed certissime potius paenam expectet Yea let them renounce their Play-acting though they perish here rather then perish eternally hereafter to live by it now Lastly I shall here exhort all Play-haunters all Spectators of any publike or private Enterludes to ponder all the premised reasons
videtur impetrare certe cupimus ut delectus aliquis sit neque promiscue licentia quidvis agendi histrionibus concedatur sed legibus certis circumscribantur finibus quos nemo impune transgrediatur Tametsi nullis legibus putabam furorem hunc satis frenari prudenter quidam O here inquit quae res nec modum habet neque Consilium ratione modoque tractari non vult Sequamur tamen Platonis institutum qui poetarum Carminibus examinandis praefici sanxit viros prudentes non minores quinquaginta annis eorum judicio quaecunque agendae erunt fabulae examinentur ipsi etiam intermedij actus quibus major turpitudo inesse solet mulieres in Theatra inducere nefas esto Theatrum nusquam publice constituatur Diebus festis uâ—i antiquis legibus sancitum meminimus ludi scenici ne exhibeantur ne temporibus quidem jejunij Christiani quid enim commercij squalori cum Theatri risu plausuque A templis sanctorum qui cum Christo in Caelo regnant ac omnino divinis celebritatibus amoveantur ac praesertim ij modi gestus quibus turpitudo in memoriam revocatur ferme oculis subijcitâ—r quae sunt vulnerareligionis nostrae probra monstraque immania Hispanorum nationis dedecora adeo faeda ut stilus contrectare vereatur suoque se faetore tueri hoc genus mali videatur Postremo quoad fieri poterit minori aetate pueri puellae arceantur ab ijs spectaculis ne à teneris reipublicae sâ—minarium vitijs inficiatur quae gravissima pestis est Aâ—sint inspectores publice designati viri pij prudentes quibus cura sit ut turpitudo omnis amoveatur potestas coercendi paena si quis se petulanter gesserit Denique populus intelligat histriones non probari à republica sed populi oblectationi atque importunis precibus dati quae cum non potest quae â—unt meliora obtinere solet aliquando minora mala tolerare populi levitati aliquid concedere What could any Puritan or Precisian as the world now stiles all such who run not with them into the same excesse of riot and prophanesse write more against Stage-playes Play-houses Players Play-haunters or what have I said more against them in this Treatise then this great Iesuit hath done and that by publike approbation both of his Royall Soveraigne his Visitor and Superior too And must not Stage-playes then be extremely bad when as pofessed Iesuits so severely censure them yea shall not Protestants nay Papists to be unexcusably licentious if they should be more moderate or indulgent unto Playes then they Let no Player or Play-haunter no voluptuous libertine therefore henceforth quarrel either with me or others as being too puritanically rigid against Stage-playes when as these loose Iesuits equalize if not exceed us in their Play-condemning Censures as this large transcribed passage fully proves Yee therefore beloved Readers seeing yee now know these things before hand beware lest ye also being led away to Playes to Theaters with the error the example the importunate sollicitations of the wicked as many ignorant and unstable nominall Christians have beene before you fall from your owne stedfastnesse faith and Christian vertues into a sinke of hellish vices to your eternall ruine Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheepe through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Augustinus de Symbolo ad Catechumenos l. 4. c. 2. Quisquis contempto Deo sequeris mundum ipse te deserit mundus Sequere adhuc quantuÌ„ potes fugitivum si potes apprehendere eum tene eum sed video non potes fallis te Illen labiles motus suos torrentis ictu percurrens dum te videt inhaerentem sibi tenentem se ad hoc te rapit non ut salvet sed ut perdat te Quid n. cuÌ„ pompis Diaboli amator Christi Noli te fallere odit n. tales Deus nec inter suos deputat professores quos cernit viae suae desertores Ecce ruinosus est mundus eccetantis calamitatibus replevit Dominus mundum ecce amarus est mundus sic amatur quid faceremus si dulcis esset O munde immunde teneri vis periens quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dulcis si amarus alimenta mentiris Vultis dilectissimi non inhaerere mundo eligite amare creatorâ—m mundi renunciate pompis mundanis quibus Princeps est Diabolus cum Angelis suis. FINIS A TABLE VVITH SOME briefe Additions of the chiefest Passages in this Treatise p. signifying the Page f. the Folioesâ— from pag. 513. to 545. which exceeded the Printers Computation m. the marginall notes if you finde f. before any pages from 545. to 568. then looke the Folioes which are overcast if p. then the pages following A Abomination used alwayes for a heinous sinne in Scripture pag. 181.212 Mens wearing of womens and womens putting on of mens apparell an Abomination to the Lord. p. 178. to 216.879 to 899. Acting of popular or private Enterludes for gaine or pleasure infamous unlawfull and that as well in Princes Nobles Gentlemen Schollers Divines as common Actors p. 133.134 137 140 841. to 911. p. 571. to 668. Sparsim accompanied with effeminacic hypocrisie and others sinnes p. 151. to 250.841 to 911. It occasions divers sins in Actors and Spectators p. 151. to 250.907 to 911. It helpes not mens action or elocution p. 931. to 939. Objections for acting of Playes answered p. 84. to 106. 913. to 943. Children ought not to bee trained up nor taught to act pag. 135.138 168 169 172 908. Acting of Idols Devils evill persons parâ—s or evill things sinfull p. 84. to 106.141 176 177 405 406 949. See Idols Achilles taxed for putting on womens apparell p. 182.199 884. Adrian his Temples built for Christ without Images pag. 901. Adultery an hainous dangerous sinne pag. 376. to 384. punished with death in divers places p. 382.383 See the Homily against Adultery part 3. pag. 86.87 and Thomas Beacon his 3. Booke of Matrimony p. 660. to 670. occasioned fomented by Playes and Play-houses p. 227. to 446.498 662. AEgyptians condemned musicke pâ— 287. AEtredus his censure of lascivious Church-musicke pag. 279.280 of Playes pag. 684. AEneas Sylvius his prophane Play and life p. 112.113 765. his recantation of his amorous Poems pag. 840.918 his censure of wanton Poets p. 917.918 of Playes and Players pag. 691.737 m. AEschylus one of the first inventors of Tragedies pag. 17. f. 552. his strange and sudden death fol. 552.553 AEthiopians punished adultery with death pag. 382. Agefilaus his answer to Callipides p. 741.742 C. Agrippa his censure of Danâ—ing pag. 237.238 of