salvation from day to day Declare his goodnesse among the Heathen his wonders among all people Give unto the Lord O yee Kindreds of the people give unto the Lord glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name bring an Offring and come into his Courts O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse feare before him all the earth Come yee and let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes c. But now alas in stead of calling upon one another to heare Sermons and of these encouragements to goe up to the house of the Lord to blesse and prayse his Name which is now no better then a brand of Puriranisme we heare nought else among many who professe themselves Christians but come let us goe and see a Stage-play let us heare such or such an Actor or resort â—o such and such a Play-house and I would I might not say unto such a Whore or Whore-house where we will laugh and be merry and passe away the afternoone As for any resort to such or such a Lecture Church or pious Preacher it s a thing they seldome thinke much lâ—sse discourse of Alas that any who prosesse themselves Christians should be thus strangly that I say not atheistically infatuated as to forsake the most sacred Oracles the soule-saving Word the most blessed Sacraments house and presence of their God to runne to Playes and Play-houses the abominable Spectacles Lectures Pompes and Synâ—gogues of the Devill as thus to leave the pather of uprightnesse to walke in the wayes of darknesse reioycing to doe evill and delighting in the frowardnesse of the wicked even then when as they should solace their very soules in God Yet this is the most desperate deplorable condition of many hundred prophane ones in this age of light who admire who respect the very basest Stage-players more then the devoutest gravest Preachers and would rather heare the most lascivious Comedy then the best soule-searching Sermon their very practise proclaiming as much unto the world if not their words they being oftner weekely in the Play-house then in the Church reading over three Play-bookes at the least for every Sermon for every Booke or Chapter in the Bible O that the execrable sinfulnesse of this prodigious profanesse would now at last awake us then those who thinke a Stage-play once a day at leastwise three aweeke too little a Sermon once or twice a weeke a moneth too much would change their tune for shame thinking one Play a yeere to much one Sermon a weeke a moneth to little for Christians concluding in the words of that blessed Martyr of our Church Iohn Hooper Bishop of Glocester who constantly preached in his Dioces most times twice or at leastwise once every day thorowout the weeke without faile in the Confession and protestation of his Faith Dedicated to King Edward the sixt and the whole House of Parliament in the yeere of our Lord 1550. where we writes thus What Realme soever will avoyd the evill of Sedition and contempt of Godly Lawes let them provide the Word of God to be diligently and truely preachedâ— and taught unto the Subjects and Members thereof The lacke of it is the cause of sedition and trouble as Salomon saith Where Prophecy wanteth the people are dissipated Wherefore I cannot a little wonder at the opinion and doctrine of such as say a Sermon ONCE IN A VVEEKE IN A MONETH OR IN A QVARTER OF A YEERE is sufficient for the people Truely it is injuriously and evill spoken against the glory of God and the salvation of the people But seâ—â—ng they will not be in the whole as good unto God as before they have beene unto the Devill neither so glad to remove false doctrine from the people and to continue them in the true where as they did before occupie the most part of the forenoone the most part of the afternoone yea and a great part of the night to keepe the estimation and continuance of dangerous and vaine superstitions were it much now to occupie ONE HOVRE IN THE MORNING AND AN OTHER HOVRE TOVVARDS NIGHT to occupie the people with true and earnest prayer unto God in Christs Blood and in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ that they might know and continue in the true Religion and faithfull confidence of Christ Iesu Fifteene Masses in a Church daily were not too many for the Priests of Baal and SHOVLD ONE SERMON EVERY DAY BE TOO MVCH FOR A GODLY BISHOP AND EVANGELICALL PREACHER I wonder how it can be too much opened unto the people If any man say labour is lost and mens businesse lyeth undone by that meanes Surely it is ungodly spoken for those that beare the people in hand of such a thing knoweth right well that there was neither labours cares needs necessity nor any things else that heretofore could keepe them from hearing of Masse though it had beene said at 4. a clocke in the morning Therefore as farre as I see people were content to lose more labour and spent more time then to goe to the Devill then now to come to God as our common Players and Play-haunters doe But my faith is that both Master and Servant shall finâ— gaine thereby at the yeeres end THOVGH THEY HEARE MORNING SERMON AND MORNING PRAYERS EVERY DAY OF THE VVEEKE Thus farre this reverend Bishop whose words and practise I would the grosse and shamelesse perverters of his doctrine in the points now controverted he being a professed Anti-Arminian and Anti-Pelagian and that in terminis as his printed Workes most positively demonstrate however some pervert them together with our constant Play-haunters would now seriously consider especially in these our dayes wherein Stage-playes almost cry down Sermons and Play-books finde so quicke a sale that if Stationers doe not misinforme me there are at least a dozen Play-bookes vented for one printed Sermon so that I may safely affirme that Stage-playes exceedingly withdraw and keepe men from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals set apart for better purposes which experimentall truth is so visible to the eyes the consciences of all men that it needs no further proofe If any man be so uncredulous as not to believe experience let him then attend to sundry Councels Fathers and other moderne Authors who affirme that Stage-playes withdraw men from the Church and keepe them from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals which were set apart for pious exercises For Councels See the 4. Councell of Carthage Canon 88. with sundry others here recited Act 7. Scene 3. For Fathers Clemens Romanus in the 2. Booke of Apostolicall Constitutions cap. 64.65 complaines That many leaving the Congregation of the Faithfull with the Church and Lawes of God did runne to the
vanities Alas one day one houre in Gods Courts Gods service had beene farre better to us then all tâ—e yeeres of our vaine uselesse lives which wee have spent on Playes and Theaters which now bring nothing else but a more multiplied treasure of endlesse miseries and condemnation on our owne and others soules which these our Enterludes have drawne on to sundry sinnes O that the day had perished wherein we were borne and the night wherein it was said there is a man-childe conceived Why dyed we not from the wombe why did we not give up the ghost when we came out of the belly before ever we had learnt the art of making Playes for then should wee have lien still and beene at rest then had we beene free from all those Play-house sinnes and tortures which now â—urcharge our soules then had wee never drawne such troopes of Players of Play-haunters after us into Hell whose company cannot mitigate but infinitely enlarge our endlesse torments And then all this over-late repentance will be to little purpose O then be truely penitent and wise beâ—imes before these dayes of horror and amazement over-whelme you that so you may have peace and comfort in your latter ends in that Great that terrible Day of the Lord Iesus when all impenitent Play-poets Players and Play-haunters faces shall gather blacknesse their hearts faint their spirits languish their joynts tremble their knees smite one against the other and their mouthes shreeke out unto the Mountaines to fall upon them and unto the Rockes to cover them for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he shall come in â—laming fire to render indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish to every soule of man that doth evill whether he be Iew or Gentile Certainely the time will come ere long when the Sunne shall become blacke as sackcloth and the Moone aâ— blood when the Starres of Heaven shall fall unto the earth even as a Figtree casteth her untimely fruit when shee is shaken with a mighty winde when thâ— Heaveâ—s shall depart as a scrowle when it is rolled together and the Elements melt with fervent heat when every Mountaine and I sland shall be moved out of their places yea the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up with fire when the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men who now wallow securely in their sinfull lusts and pleasures without feare of God or man and every Bond-man and every Free-man who lives and dyes in sinne and vaine delights shall hide themselves in the Dennes and Rockes of the Mountaines yea say to the Mountaines and Rockes fall on us and cover us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the Great Day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And then what good what profit will all the Stage-playes you have penned seene or acted doe you will they appease that sin-revenging Iudge before whose Tribunall you shall then bee dragged Will they any way comfort or support your drooping trembling soules or any whit asswage your endlesse easelesse torments O no! nothing but Christ nothing but grace and holinesse which the world which Playes and Play-poets now deride and laugh at will then stand you instead and sheild of all the terrors of that dismall Day Wherefore beloved seeing that all these dreadfull Spectacles and this day of horror draw so nigh be diligent that yee may be found of God in peace without spot and blamelesse abandoning Play-making with all such fruitlesse studies passing all the time of your sojourning here in feare endevouring to be holy in all manner of conversation even as God is holy and growing up daily more and more in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ laying up in store for your selves a good foundation against the time to come that so you may lay hold on eternall life and receive that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give at that Day to all those who love and wait for his appearing Secondly I shall here beseech all voluntary Actors of academicall or private Enterludes in the name and feare of God as they tender the glory of their Creator and Redeemer the peace of their owne consciences the eternall welfare of their soules or their owne credit and repute with men now seriously to consider the intolerable infamy sinfulnesse shame and vanity of acting Playes which not only the Primitive Christians aâ—d Protestants but even Pagans and Papists have condemned Alas how can you justifie or excuse your selves in the sight of God for this your action when as you are thus condemned in the eyes of men or how can you appeare before God with comfort in the Day of Iudgement when as you are unable to stand innocent before mans tribunall in these dayes of grace Certainely if for every idle word that men shall speake yea and for every idle part or gesture to which they shall act or use they must give an account at the day of Iudgement what a dreadfull reckning must you then expect for all those idle wanton words and gestures which have passed from you whiles you have acted Playes Repent therefore repent I say with floods of brinish teares for whaâ— is past and never adventure the acting of any academicall Enterlude for time to come And if any Clergie-men who have taken ministeriall Orders upon them are guilty of this infamy this impiety of prophaning of polluting their high heavenly profession by acting or dancing on any publike or private Stage becomming thereby the worlds the Devils professed Ministers instead of Christs to the intolerable scandall of Religion the ill example of the Laity who are apt to imitate them in their lewdnesse and their own deserved infamy Let such disorderly histrionicall Divines consider that of Bernard Si quis de populo deviat solus perit Verum Pastoris error multos involuit tantis ob est quantis praeest ipse Verum tu Sacerdos Dei altissimi cui ex his placere gestis mundo an Deo Si mundo cur Sacerdos Si Deo cur qualis populus talis Sacerdos Nam si placere vis mundo quid tibi prodest Sacerdotium Volens itaque placere hominibus Deo non places Si non places non placas Alas how can any commit the custody of their soules to such who are altogether negligent of their owne Qui sibi nequam cui bonus Placet vobis ut illi homini credam animam meam qui perdidit suam was S. Bernards question to Pope Innocent it may be mine to Patrons and Ordinaries who present or admit such Play-acting or other scandalous Ministers to the cure of soules which
to praise him with cymbals and dances That Salomon writes there is a time to dance and that other Scriptures seeme to allow of dancing as lawfull Therefore it cannot be unlawfull To these I answer first that these Scriptures and examples warrant that kinde of dancing onely which is specified and commended by them not our theatricall our moderne common dancing which differs from it in many materiall circumstances well worth the observation For first these dances which we read of in the Scripture were all single consisting altogether of men or of women onely which kinde of single measures were anciently in use among the Persians and Greecians are yet retained among the Brasilians and others Whereas our moderne dances are for the most part mixt both men and women dancing promiscuously together by selected couples Secondly these dances were no artificiall curious Galliards ligs or Carontoes learned with much paines and practise at a Dancing-Schoole as ours are but simple plaine unartificiall sober motions Thirdly these dances were no ordinary daily recreations practised at every feast or meeting upon every Lords-day Holi-day or vacant time and that upon no other occasion but for mirth or laughter sake to passe away the time or to satiate mens unruly lusts the onely props of dancing as all our moderne dances are But they were publike extraordinary speciall dances taken up by pious Christians to praise the Lord withall after some extraordinary great deliverances from or victories over their enemies which scarce hapned twice in divers ages Whereas our dances are not such Fourthly these dances were not made in any private House or Hall in any Ale-house Taverne or Bower neere adjoyning much lesse at any May-pole Wake or Church-ale at any Play-house Wedding or Dancing-Schoole as ours are but in the open field where the victorious Generall and his Army were to passe whom they went out to meet and welcome home with these their dances which sounded forth his praises in those Psalmes and heavenly Songs which the Scripture hath recorded Fiftly they danced not by couples or in measure as we use to doe but in one intire traine or round Sixtly they did not wantonly leape caper fling or skip about like Does or Bedlams nor mincingly trip it as our lascivious amorous Dancers doe but they used a modest grave and sober motion much like to walking or the grave old measures having timbrels and cymbals in their hands and Psalmes not scurrilous amorous Pastorals in their mouthes wherewith they did unfainedly blesse and praise the Lord for their obtained victories and deliverances and sound forth the Victors praises Seventhly These dances were free from all lascivious dalliances from all amorous gestures gropings kisses complements love-trickes and wanton embracements which abound in all our moderne Dances Lastly these dances were wholy devoted to Gods praise and glory they were a holy religious service done to God proceeding from the thankefulnesse of such hearts as were ravished with Gods more speciall mâ—â—cies Our moderne wanton dances have no such pious ends and circumstances they proceed not from such hearts such occasions such extraordinary favours of God as these they differ from them in all thâ—se severall circuÌ„stances therefore these dances these examples doe no wayes iustifie but condeâ—ne all ours which have no affinity nor cognation with them To the second Objeâ—tion that Salomon saith there is a time to dance I answer first that by dancing in this and the other obiected Scâ—iptures is not meant any corporall dancing or artificiall moving of the feet in measure but either an inward cheerefulnesse of heart and readines of spirit in Gods service or else a spirituall exultation of the soule in the apprehension of some speciall favour of God unto it expressed in an abundant praysing of God in psalmes in hymnes and spirituall songs This and no other is the dancing intended by Salomon and commanded in the Scripture as Olympiâ—dorus Chrysostome Ambrose Glossa Ordinaris Lyra Calvin and sundry others teach us Secondly admit this text be meant of corporall dancing yet it intends no other but religious holy dances in which either men or women praise the Lord with Hymnes and godly Psalmes singing with a grace in their hearts to him who hath given them so great an occasion of much holy ioy it allowes no other dances but such in which the heart is more active then the feet in which Gods glory not carnall iollity is the utmost end It gives no tolleration therefore for our common dances which have neither holinesse for their quallity nor piety for their end Lastly Salomon saith onely that there is a time to dance and this time I am sure is neither Lords-dayes nor any other solemne â—estivals devoted to Gods service as the fore-quoted Councels Fathers and moderne Authors testifie these are not times of dancing but of praying hearing reading meditating and such like holy duties All dancing therefore on such times as these which are now made the chiefest dancing seasons are out of Salomons dispensation Againe the time of working of following our vocations of performing private familie duties of religion the times of sleepe and rest I meane the night which is more often spent in dancing then in praying or any pious duty is none of Salomons times for dancing it being altogether untimely at these seasons Therefore those who spend their working praying reading studying time which God commandes them to râ—deeme in dancing which too many make their worke their life their trade dance out of Salomons time and measure who gives no allowance to their untimely Rounds Againe dancing after a man is tyred out with honest labour is altogether unseasonable sleâ—pe and quiet rest are a wearied mans best his fittest recreations They that worke hard all day had more need to rest then dance all night And yet how many are there who after an hard iourny or a toylsome dayes worke will take more paines at night in dancing then they did in labouring all the day time because they are quite tyred out with working they will yet tire themselves once againe in dancing and so disable themselves the more for the workes and duties of the ensuing day whereas every recreation should helpe not hinder men in their callings Hard workers therefore have little time at least but little need or reason to turne Dancers For others who can finde either little or no time at all to worke which is the epidemicall deplorable gentile fashion of our lazy age I am sure Salomon hath bounded them out no time to dance Eccles. 3. hath set downe 24. severall times at least for severall workes and but one if that for dancing Those therefore who exempt themselves from these times of working can make no title to this dancing season He that will not
And this I speake not to excuse their fault but that you may learne that you especially are the spring and head of this iniquity who spend the whole day in such ridiculous in such pernicious pleasures proclaiming abrode the honest name of Wedlocke and the reverend businesse in it For he who personates these things doth not sinne so much as thou who commandest them to be done Neither dost thou onely command and call for but thou dost likewise further the things that are acted by thy exultation laughter applause and by all manner of meanes thou maintainest this Diabolicall Shop With what eyes then canst thou now behold thy wife which thou hast there seene prostrated to so great iniury in the person of another How canst thou refraine from blushing as oft as thou remembrest thy wife when thou shalt there see the same sex so filthily made common Neither maist thou reply unto me now that whatsoever is there done is but a fiction or fained argument but not the truth of things For this very â—eining which comes home to our purpose hath made very many adulterers and overthroweth many houses And therefore it grieves me most that this so great an evill is not believed to be an eviâ—â— but that which is farre the worst of all both â—avour and clamor and applause and laughter are expressed when so beastly adultery is committed to the publike hurt What then sayest thou is this onely feining not a crime Well therefore are these worthy of a thousand deaths because what all lawes command men to shun those things are these not afraid to imitate For if adultery it selfe be evill doubtlesse the imitation of it must be evill And I doe not yet report how many and great adulterers they may make who personate such adulteries in an histrionicall fiction and how impudent likewise they make their spectators For there is nothing more filthy nothing more lascivious then that eye that can patiently that I say not willingly behold such things Moreover what a thing is this that when as thou wilt not so much as looke upon a naked woman in the street yea nor yet at home but if such a thing fall out by accident thou thinkest it done to iniure thee that yet when as thou goest up to the Play-house that thou maist violate the chastity of both Sexes and maist likewise incestuously defile thine owne eyes thou believest that no dishonest thing befalls thee For thou canst not say thus that she is an harlot that is thus uncovered because it is nature it selfe and there is the same body of an whore and of a free woman For if thou thinkest that there is no obscenity in such a fight for what cause when as thou shalt see the same thing in the street doest thou step backe againe from thy intended walke and most severely rebuke that immodesty unlesse perchance thou believest the same thing not to be alike filthy when we are severed and when we sit all together But this is meerely derision and shame and words altogether of extreme folly and it is better for one to besmeare his whole face with clay and dirt then with a spectacle of so great filthinesse For dirt is not so noxious to the eyes as that unchaste spectacle and the sight of a naked Harlot Heare therefore what nakednesse brought upon mankinde even from the beginning and even by this meanes feare that filthinesse What then hath made men naked disobedience and the counsell of the Devill so much hath this alwayes pleased him from the beginning But they verily when they were naked were yet ashamed you repute the same thing worthy prayse according to that of the Apostle glorying in your shame After what manner therefore can thy wiâ—e from henceforth behold thee returning from such a contumely how can she entertaine or speake to one so unworthily defiling the condition and sex of womans nature yea and returning a captive a servant of an whorish woman from such a spectacle If then you grieve when you heare these things I confesse that I give you and owe you the greatest thankes For who is he that doth comfort me but he who is made sorrowfull by me Wherefor cease not to mourne for this licentiousnesse and oft to be grieved for it For this grieâ—e will be made unto you a beginning of conversion unto better things Wherefore I have more earnestly pressed my speech that I might free you by a more deepe incision from their corruption by whom you are intoxicated and might revoke you to pure holinesse of mindâ— which verily together with the promised rewards of piety we may all happen to enioy by the grace and mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be glory for ever and ever Amen In his 7. Homely upon Mathew he proceeds thus against Playes and Play-haunters But what doe I speake of the space of the long iourney of the wise men to see Christ when as many women are now growne to such an height of effeminacy of minde that they cannot so much as come a very little distance from their houses to see the Lord in a spirituall manger unlesse they be carried upon Mules But of those also who verily can indure the paine of walking some preferre the tumult of worldly businesse others Theatricall routs or Play-house meetings before holy Assemblies Verâ—ly these Barbarians before they had seene Christ overcame so great a iourney for him thou verily no not after thou hast seene him dost like to imitate him For even when thou hast seene him thou so relinquâ—shest him that after him thou runnest to Play-houses and dost rather desire both to heare and to see a Stage-player then him And that I may touch the same things againe that I followed before thou verily leavest Christ placed in a Spirituall Manger but thou hastest to see a Strumpet lying on the Stage But of what punishments now at last doe we thinke this worthy Answer I beseech you if any one should promise he would bring thee unto the King and would shew thee him glittering on every side and sitting amidest the severall ornaments of hâ—s pompe and state dost thou thinke thou shouldest prefer a Stage-play before this courtly dignity though thou expectedst no benefit to accrue unto thee by it Verily out of this Table there flowes a fountaine of spirituall good things and this thou presently leaving runnest to the Theater that thou maist see a swimming woman and thou beholdest that sex exposed to the publike view I say that thou maist see this thou leavest Christ sitting by the fountaine of heavenly gifts For even now he sits not onely upon that one Samaritan Well but speaketh to the whole Citty But perchance even now he speakes onely to the Samaritan woman for even now no man stands by him save onely that some perchance are present onely with their bodies but others truely not
thou art so vigilant over thy wivâ—s chasty that thou art not ashamed to be excessive and immoderate keeping her oft-times from necessary iourneyes yet thou thinkest that all things are very lawfull to thy selfe But Paul doth not permit this to thee who likewise giveth the same power to the woman Let the man saith he give unto the wife due benevolence How then is thy wise honored by thee who is vexed with such an undeserved iniury when as thou doest ioyne thy body which is in her power to harlots For thy body is thy wives What honor I say dost thou give unto her when as thou bringest in tumults and contentions into thine owne house when as thou utterst such things in the market place that whiles thou relatest them at home thou disgracest thy wife that heares and makest thy daughter that is present to blush and besides others thy owne selfe For it were much better to keepe silence then to utter such obscene things which if thy servants should but speake of it were iust for thee to cudgle them Answer I pray what satisfaction canst thou give who beholdest these things with great delight which are not lawfull to be named and preferrest those things which are dishonest for to name before all honest and holy Arts Lest therefore I should seeme more troublesome I will here end my speech But if you persevere in these things I will launch with a sharper rasor and make a more deep incision neither wil I ever rest untill I breake in pieces that Diabolicall Theater that the Assembly of the Chuch may be made cleane and pure So shall we be freed from the present turpitude and acquire life to come by the grace and mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen In his 38. Homily upon Mathew upon these words It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgement then for thee hee falls into this excllent discourse against Stage-playes and their concomitances The Sodomites though they lived most wickedly yet they sinned before the Law and Grace but what pardon are we worthy of who commit such sinnes after so diligent a care both of the Law and Grace We shut â—ur gates and stop our eares to the poore what say I to the poore when as we doe the same to the Apostles themselves Yea therefore to the poore because we doe it to the Apostles For when as Paul is read publikely and thou dost not regard when as Iohn thunders and thou dost not heare wilt thou heare a poore man who dost not heare an Apostle That our houses therefore may be open to the poore and our eares to the Apostles all filthinesse is to be purged out of the eares of the minde For as filth and dirt are wont to stop the eares of the body so whorish songs the fables of this world the burthen of Debtors the accounts of Creditors and usury are wont to stop the eares of the minde more then any filthâ— Or rather they doe not onely stop them but also make them impure and filthy For such speeches dâ—e as it were cast dirt into our eares That which that Barbarian did threaten saying You shall eate your owne dung even that doe many now unto you not in word onely but in deed yea verily even far worse and filthier For whorish songs are much more abominable then dung And that which is worse to be indured you doe not onely not grieve whâ—n as you heare such things but you likewise laugh and reioyce And when as you ought to avoyd and abominate these things you entertaine and applaud them Therefore if these things be not abominable doe thou thy selfe likewise descend upon the Stage and imitate that thou praysest have society and commerce with those who move such laughter but if thou wilt not be coupled in that fellowship why dost thou give so great honor to it The very lawes of the Gentiles make them to be infamous but thou together with the whole Citty being all called together runnest out to them as to Ambassadors or Generals of the Warre that thou together with all the rest maist put dung into thine eares and thou who beatest thy servant if he utter any filthy thing in thy presence who permittest not thy Sonne to doe it who dost not suffer these things to be done at thine owne house as being an undoubted filthinesse when as certaine servile abiect persons who deserve the Whipping-post shall call thee to heare these things dost not onely not take it ill but even reioycest yea applaudest and givest thankes And what madnesse could ever be found greater then this But sayest thou I never spake nor sung these obscene things these incentives of pleasure But what profit is it if when thou dost not utter them yet thou hearest them willingly Yea how wâ—lt thou make this evident that thou dost not utter them when as thou dost willingly hearâ— them with laughter and runnest to receive them Tell me I pray â—hee when as thou hearest Blasphemersâ— dost thou reioyce and triumph or rather dost thou tremble and stop thine eares I doubt not but thou tremblest Wherefore because thou never art wont to blaspeme Wherefore doo so likewise in filthy speech if thou wilt thorowly perswade us that thou dost not utter filthy words then truely will we believe thee when as we shall see thee not to heare them For how dost thou respect vertue who art nourished by hearing these things how canst thou undergoe the difficult labours of chastity who aboundest with laughter and art insnared with a whorish song For if the soule which is farre remote from these songs doth scarce retaine thâ— honesty of chastity how can he live chastly who liveth in them Are you ignorant that we are more prone to vices When therefore we run unto these things with hast and earnestnesse how shall we avoyd the furnace of eternall fire Have you not heard Paul saying Rejoyce in the Lord. He hath said in the Lord not in the Devill How therefore canst thou heare Paul when thou shalt perceive that thou hast sinned when as thou art alwayes as it were made dranke with these ridiculous Spectacles For that thou camest hither now I wonder not yea verily I wonder greatly For thou camest hither as it were simply and perfunctorily but thou rusheâ— thither daily with all earnestnesse of minde with speed with alacrity which appeares by this because that most filthy sinne which by your â—ight and hearing hath beene infused into your soule you carry along with you from the Theaters to your houses yea verily you take it and lay it up in your mindes and thoughts and those things which are not worthy deteâ—tation thou disdainest but abominable things thou admirest and lovest For many returning from the office of burying have presently gone into the bath but those who come from
can expiate it but the offenders blood Hence is it that some Players some Play-haunters now living not satified with the murther of one have embrued their barbarous unchristian hands in the blood of two of three if not of foure severall men and so farre are they from ruing the odiousnesse of these their bloody deeds that they glory in the number of their murthers as the very trophies of their valour Pitty is it that such savage homicides who rest not with the first mans death should ever live to slay a second much lesse a third Yea pitty is it that such Playes such Spectacles should be suffred whih thus animate men on to quarrels duels contentions injuries impaciency bloodshed and most unchristian revenge As therefore the Fathers Christians with some Pagan Authors did generally condemne and good Christian Emperours utterly take away all bloody Sword-playes Cirque-playes Chariot-playes and such like barbarous inhumane Spectacles by reason of the murthers blood-shed quarrels contentions tumults debates and such like savage unchristian effects which they occasioned so likewise may we now suppresse condemne and quite abolish Stage-playes upon the selfesame grounds as the fore-quoted Authors and Pagan Emperours have done before us Wherefore I shall briefely close up this Scene with this 36. Play-confounding Argument That which is an ordinary occasion of much cruelty quarrelsomenesse impaciency fiercenesse implacablenesse and revenge of many tumults seditions quarrels murthers injuries brawles and such like barbarous unchristian effects must needs be sinfull and unlawfull unto Christians who should be men of peace of meekenesse willing to suffer to passe by if not to pardon wrongs intolerable in any Christian or peaceable Common-weale But such are Stage-playes as is manifest by the premises Therefore they must needs be sinfull unlawfull unto Christians intolerable in any Christian or peaceable Common-weale SCENA VNDECIMA THe 11. fruit of popular Stage-playes is this that they fill mens mouthes with idle frothie scurrilous lewde prophane discourses complements Histories Songs Iests which are odious unto God yea execrable to all chaste all modest Christians Stage-playes are the Lectures the Marts the common treasuries of all ribaldry scurrility prophanesse which furnish their Actors their Auditors with such plentifull variety of corrupt irreligious atheisticall unchristian and gracelesse discourses which they communicate to others upon all occasions that they scarce ever speake of holy things This Ovid himselfe confesseth informing us that men sing those ribaldrous songs and utter those amorous verses discourses at home which they have learned at the Play-house What Seneca writes of the words of flatterers and lewde companions I may well apply to Actors Their speeches doe much hurt For if they doe men no present harme yet they leave the seeds of evill in their mindes and an evill afterwards to arise followes them even then when as they are departed from them For as those who heare some pleasant consort carry away with them the sweetnesse of the song in their eares which hinders their thoughts and suffers them not to be intent upon serious things so the obscenities of Stage-players which men are aptest to remember as most agreeable to their lusts where as they are extraordinary forgetfull of all the good they heare sticke longer by men then whiles they heare them Neither is it an easie matter to shake their pleasant sound out of their mindes for it followes them it stayes with them and recoiles backe againe into their mindes and tongues after some little space Therefore the eares are to be kept shut against such evill speeches and that verily against the very first for when they have made a beginning and gotten entrance they will make a further attempt Lactantius Chrysostome Clemens Alexandrinus and BB. Babington informe us That Play-haunters carry away with them the Idaeaes and similitudes of the lewde representations they behold in Stage-playes which sinke deepe into their mindes that they sucke in the venome of Stage-playes with great delight practise the speeches the convayances of love which there they see and learne And having once polluted their speech with the language of the Theater for I will never writes BB. Babington call it polishing they are never better then when they have company to bestow their tales and Stage-greetings upon And for this reason among others they dislike of Stage-playes As these recited Authors so our owne experience can suffragate to the truth of this effect For who so vaine so frothie so prophane so atheisticall blasphemous lascivious scurrilous who lesse holy gracious or edifying in their ordinary discourses then Players and Play-haunters whose tongues are tipt with oathes execrations ribaldry lascivious tales amorous songs wanton histories unseemely jests adulterous insinuations invective taunts and scoffes against holinesse sobriety chastity modesty grace and goodnesse with the very language of the Stewes of Atheists of Pagans not of Christians Seldome shall you heare from such mens mouthes any religious discourses any conference of God of Christ of the Scriptures of grace of glory of practical divinity of sin of faith of repentance of the meanes or signes of grace and salvation any praysing or blessing of God for his mercy to us in his Sonne any bewayling of their owne sinfull conditions or of theiâ— slavery under sinne any exhortation unto goodnesse any dissuations from any sinne or the like the principall things that Christians should conferre off Their tongues are so accustomed to the theames the flattering Eloquence and phrases of the Theater so taken up with the relations of the things they heare or see at Stage-playes that they cannot relish the language of Canaan the dialect of Heaven nor brooke the Scripture phrase whose plainesse they deride and scorne much lesse can they spare any vacant time to habituate their unholy lips to season their uncircumcised hearts and eares with holy conference It is Gods owne command to Christians That they should put away all vaine all evill speaking that no corrupt communication should proceed out of their mouthes but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may administer grace to the hearers That fornication and all uncleanesse should not be so much as once named among them as becommeth Saints Neither filthinesse nor foolish talking nor iesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thankes That their speech should be alwayes gracious seasoned with salt And that his Words and his Commandements should be alwayes in their hearts to teach them diligently unto their Children to talke of them not of Play-house passages or such vaine fruitlesse trifles when they sit in their houses and when they walke by the way and when they lie downe and when they rise up that they should binde them for a signe upon their hands and that they should be as frontlets betweene their eyes and that they should write them upon the posts of their house and
pompes and vanities of Satan and the humility of our super-celestiall Saviour that men might serve and follow them both together Now Stage-playes are the very Devils owne peculiar pompes Play-houses his Synagogues Players his professed Masse-â—riests and Choristers Play-haunters his devoted servants as himselfe professeth and Origen with others largely prove Those therefore who thus serve the Devill in Playes and Play-houses its impossible for them to serve the Lord sincerely in prayers and Churches Thirdly No man can drinke the Cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils nor yet partake of the Lords Table and of the table of Devils But Stage-playes are the cup and table of Devils the very Devils meate his drinke those dishes and repasts wherewith he was solemnely feasted by his idolatrous worshippers in his owne Idoll-temples It is not possible therefore for any Christian to feed his eyes his eares with these diabolicall banqvets and yet worthily to participate of Christs Body and Blood the spirituall Sweet-meates of a Christian soule Fourthly the very acting and beholding of Stage-playes drawes downe a selfe-condemning guiltinesse and so by consequent a certaine secret terror of appearing in Gods presence on mens soules There is scarce a man of any grace or ingenuity but would even blush and feare to be deâ—rehended by any good man at a Play-house Yea the very Heathen Romanes stood so much in awe of Cato his vice-condemning presence that they durst not call for their â—loralian Enterludes whiles he was neere the Theater And will not the consideration of Gods all-seeing presence thinke yee strike much more feare into the hearts and consciences of such who are deprehended by him at lewde lascivious Stage-playes then any Christians any Catoes eye or face could strike into these Heathen Romans which have no such soule-confounding Majestie in them as is in the very smallest frowne of God If therefore those who resort to Stage-playes by reason of their selfe-convincing consciences can never approach with boldnesse to Gods Throne of Grace its certaine they cannot serve or worship him as they ought Fiftly hee who perjures himselfe in the highest degree breaking that very origall covenant which he made to God at firâ—t in Baptisme and afterward ratified at every receiving of the Sacrament can never questionlesse serve the Lord in any acceptable pious manner the performance of this vow and covenant at least-wise in the desire the endeavour of his soule being that alone which makes him a Christian and so a man capable of serving God But he who acts or resorts to Stage-playes violates that very originall covenant which he made to God at first in baptisme and aâ—terwards reconfirmed at every receiving of the Sacrament as I have else-where largely proved therefore he can never serve the Lord in any acceptable or gracious manner according to his will And alas what Christian is there who would frequent or harbour any such sinfull pleasures as will quite disable him to serve his God to please his blessed Saviour who hath bought him even at the dearest rate What contentment can a man take in any thing in all the riches honours pleasures contentments of this world whiles his soule can draw no comfort no heavenly refreshment from his God Better can the inferiour world subsist without the light and influence of the Sunne or the body of a man without the heart then the soule of any Christian without the satisfactory soule-inlivening presence of his God his Saviour which is never found but in those broken humble spirits who seâ—ve him in syncerity and tremble at his Word As therefore we ever desire to please to serve our blessed God according to his will or to enjoy the heart-ravishing consolations of his most blisfull presence let us presently abandon Stage-playes which as they hinder us in the service so they utterly deprive us of the face and favour of our God which are able to make us more then happy in the middest of all our deepest miseries The pleasures the refreshments that men reape from Stage-playes as they shut out better contents so they abide no longer then the Playes are acting and sometimes scarce so long and then they oft-times leave a sting behinde them which gaules and prickes the soule for ever after If then that love of Christ which constrained holy Paul to bid adue to all carnall pleasures will not enforce us to say thus to Stage-playes as David sometimes did to his lewde companions Depart from me yee wicked yee workers yee producers of iniquity for I will keepe the CoÌ„mandements of my God yet let the comfort that Gods service wil bring unto our soules and this consideration joyned with it that we cannot serve God with any sâ—ncerity of heart as long as we delight in cursed Stage-playes now at last enforce us to bid this farewell to them that so we may be enabled to please that holy blessed God who created redeemed us at first and hath evermore preserved us since that we might doe him service Secondly as Stage-playes indispose men to so they likewise withdraw and keep them from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holy-dayes and solemne Festivals which should be wholy and onely consecrated to his more speciall worship and spent in duties of devotion in lawding and blessing him for his more speciall favourâ— And doth not our owne experience beare witnesse to this truth Are not our Play-houses oft-times more crowded more coached and frequented then many of our Churches and are they not full oft-times when our Churches are but empty Are there not many hundreds serving the Devill daily in our Theaters even then when as they should be serving God in his Temples Doe not more commonly resort to Playes then Lectures which is ill yea doe not too too many neglect to come to Sermons that they may runne to Stage-playes which is worse Indeed our Church of England out of the great respect it yeelds to Preaching and the absolute necessity of it to salvation enioynes God-fathers and God-mothers to call upon their God-children to heare Sermons which some prophane ones now begin to loath and speake against as if we had too much preaching that so they may the better forsake the Devill and all his workes mortifie all their unholy corrupt affections and daily proceed in all vertue and godlinesse of living Yea the Saints of God in ancient times were quickning and calling upon one another in this manner O coâ—e let us sing unto the Lord let us make a ioyfull noyse unto the Rockâ— of our Salvation Let us come bâ—fore his presence with Thankesgiving and make a ioyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes c. O come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker O sing unto the Lord a new Song sing unto the Lord all the earth Sing unto the Lord blesse his Name shew forth his
all to God and not to serve our owne wills is a great matter For whether ye eate or drinke saith the divine Apostle or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the praise and glory of God c. It is necessary therefore for every man to eate that he may live and those who live a married life and have children and are of a lay-condition for them to eate men and women together is farre from all reproofe if so be they give thankes to him who giveth foode not with Stage-playes or certaine theatricall practises or with satanicall songs or citheredicall and meretricious tunes which the propheticall execration pursueth in these words Woe unto them who drinke wine with the harpe and viol but they regard not the worke of the Lord the operation of his hands they consider not And if there be any such as these among Christians let them be severely punished Which Canon teacheth us First that Stage-playes and ribaldry songs or musick are no fit pastimes for Christians to praise the Lord withall on festivall and solemne seasons Which condemnes the atheisticall if not diabolicall practise of those heathen Christians who use them most at such times as these Secondly that they are directly contrary to the Scripture and utterly unlawfull not onely to Ministers but to lay men too Thirdly that those Christians who frequent or use them ought to be â—everely punished by the expresse resolution of this whole generall Councell in which all Christian Churches were present by their Delegates The nineteenth is Synodus Turonensis 3. under Charles the Great Anno Christi 813. which determines thus of Stage-players and their Enterludes that all Christians should avoid them as the ensuing Canons testifie Canon 7. Ab omnibus quaecuÌ„q ad auriuÌ„ et ad oculoâ—â— pertinent illicebras unde vigor animi emolliri posse credatur quod de aliquibus generibus musicorum aliisque nonnullis rebus sentiri potesâ— Dei sacerdotes abstinere debent quia per auriuÌ„ oculoruÌ„que illicebras vitioruÌ„ turba ad animaÌ„ ingredâ— solet Histrionum quoque turpiuÌ„ et obscaenorum insolentias jocorum et ipsi omnino effugere caeterisque effugienda praedicare debent Canon 8. Sacerdotibus non expedit secularibus et turpibus quibuslibet interesse jocis venationes quoque ferarum vel avium minime sectentur Can 7. The Ministers of God ought to abstaine from all allurements whatsoever belonging either to the eares or eyes from whence the vigour of the minde may be thought to be effeminated which may be conceived of certaine kindes of musicke and some other things because through the intisements of the eyes and eares the troope of vices is wont to enter into the soule They ought likewise wholly to eschew the insolencies of filthy Stage-players and of obscene jests and also to preach to others that they ought to be avoided Can 8. It is not expedient that Ministers should be present at any secular and dishonest Playes or sports neither may they follow the hunting either of wilde beasts or birds The twentieth is Synodus Cabilonensis 2. under Charles the Great Anno Christi 813. which defines thus of Players and Stage-playes that not onely Clergy men but even all manner of Christians ought wholly to abandon them Witnesse this Canon which is almost the same with the last recited Can 9. Ab omnibus oculorum auriumque illecebris sacerdotes abstinere debent et canum accipitrum falconuÌ„ vel caeteraruÌ„ hujusmodi reruÌ„ curam parvi pendere et histrionum sive scurronum et turpium seu obscaenorum jocorum insolentiam non solum ipsi respuant verum etià m fidelibus respuenda percenseant Can 9. Ministers ought to abstaine from all wanton entisements of the eyes and eares and to neglect or disregard the care of dogges haukes falcons and such other things and not onely they themselves ought to contemne the insolency of Stage-players Iesters and of filthy or obscene jests and pastimes but likewise to beleeve and teach that they ought to bee rejected of all faithfull Christians The 21. is Concilium Moguntiacum under the same Emperour Anno 813. where I finde this Canon Canon 14. Ministri autem Altaris Domini vel monachi nobis placuit ut à negotijs secularibus omnino abstineant Multa sâ—nt secularia negotia c. videlicet conductores aut procuratores esse secularium reruÌ„ turpis verbi vel facti joculatorem esse vel jocum seculare diligere aleas amare ornamentuÌ„ inconveniens proposito suo quaerere in delicijs vivere velle gulam et ebrietateÌ„ sequi canes et aves sequi ad venandum Ecce talia et his similia under which all Stage playes are included ministris altaris Domini et monachis omnino coÌ„tradicimus de quibus dicit Apostolus Nemo militans Deo implicat se negotijs secularibus Can 14. We decree that the Ministers of the Lords Altar Monkes shall altogether abstaine from secular affaires Now there are many secular businesses as to be hirers or sollicitors of secular affaires to be a jester or actour of filthy words or deedes or to love a secularjest to affect dicing to seeke after such attire or ornaments which are inconvenient for his degree to desire to live in pleasures to follow hounds and haukes a hunting Loe these and such like things which include all Stage-playes dancing and scurrilous songs and musicke wee altogether forbid the Ministers of the Lords Altar and Monkes of whom the Apostle saith thus No man that warreth to the Lord intangleth himselfe in secular affaires The 22. is Synodus Rhemensis under the same Emperour Anno Christi 813. concurring with the former Canon 17. Vt Episcopi et Abbates ante se joca turpia facere non permittant sed pauperes et indigentes ad mensam secum habeantâ— which many of them now disdaine to speak to much lesse to eate with though Christ commands it et lectio divina ibi personet et sumant cibuÌ„ cuÌ„ benedictione et laude Domini secundùm Apostolum Sive manducatis sive bibitisâ— omnia in laudem Dei facitâ— Can 17. Wee decree that Bishops and Abbots permit no secular Playes or jests to bee made before them but let them have the poore and needy with them at their tables which some now scorne as a disparagement to their greatnesse let the reading of the Scripture sound forth there and let them eate their meate blessing and lauding the Lord according to the Apostles rule Whether yee eate or drinke doe all to the praise and glory of God The 23. is Concilium Aquisgranense under Lewis the godly Anno Christi 816. which concludes thus of Playes and prohibits all Clergy men especially from resorting to them Canon 83. Quod non oporteat Sacerdotes aut Clericos quibuscunque spectaculis in scenis aut in nuptijs interesse sed antequaÌ„ thylemici ingrediantur exurgere eos
omniuÌ„ sive Clericum sive Laicum ab hoc deinceps tempore alea ludere decrevimus Si quis autem hoc deinceps facere ab hoc tempore aggressus fuerit si sit quidem Clericus deponatur si Laicus segregetur Cap. 13. Also lest this most excellent Sacrament should suffer any injurie or contempt even by the decree and ordinance of the holy Fathers all infamous persons are prohibited from receiving it Iuglers inchanters publike offenders jesters and those who addict themselves to Playes prohibited by the Canon Law as Stage-playes are as also whores and panders all these are to be put from the Sacrament of the Altar untill their wicked life being wholly abandoned they shall have satisfied that mulct of penance that is imposed on them To these also are those to be added who perpetually give theÌ„selves to Dice-play to whom the venerable sacrament is not to be administred untill they abstaine from dicing Which accords well with the Councell of Eliberis Canon 79. If any beleever or Christian shall play at dice or tables wee ordaine that hee shall be excommunicated and if being reformed he shall give it over after a yeares space he may be reconciled and admitted to the Sacrament And with the 6. Councell of Constantinople Can. 50. We decree that none of all the Clergy or Laity shall from this time forwards play at dice. And if any one from henceforth shall hereafter attempt to doe it if he be a Clergy man let him be deposed if a Lay man let him be excommunicated Which Councells I would our common Dice-players and gamesters would seriously consider The 42. is Concilium Coloniense Anno. 1549. where I finde this notable Canon to our present purpose Cap 17. Percepimus ComaediaruÌ„ actores quosdam non scena et theatris contentos transire etiam ad monasteria monialium ubi gestibus prophanis amatoribus et secularijs commoveant virginibus voluptatem Quae spectacula etiamsi de rebus sacris et pijs exhiberentur parum tamen boni mali vero plurimum relinquere in sanctimonialium mentibus possunt gestus externos spectantibus et mirantibus caeterum verba non intelligentibus Ideo prohibemus et vetamus posthac vel comaedias admitti in virginum monasteria vel virgines comaedias spectare Cap. 17. We have understood that certaine Actors of Comedies not contented with the stage and theatres have entred into Nonneries where they make the Nons merry with their prophane amorous and secular gestures Which Stage-playes although they consisted of sacred and pious subjects can yet notwithstanding leave little good but much hurt in the mindes of holy virgins who behold and admire the externall gestures onely but understand not the words Therefore we prohibit and forbid that from henceforth no comaedies shall be admitted into the Monasteries of Nonnes neither shall Virgins be spectators of comedies An unanswerable evidence of the desperate venemous corruption of Stageplayes For if comaedies even of religious and holy subjects void of all scurrility would with their very gestures and action contaminate the mindes and enflame the lusts of devoted mortified Nons themselves and the most chast virgin spectators much more will amarous wanton Comedies corrupt all other actors and spectators and kindle a very flame of noysome lusts within their breasts The 43. is Synodus Moguntina Anno 1549. which decreeth thus against Stage-playes dancing and the like Cap. 60 61. Dum à novitijs sacerdotibus hujus sacri primitiae celebrantur serio mandamus choreas et seculares pompas omittendas c. Sed et sanctorum celebritates in diem dominicam incidentes censemus submovendas et in feriam aliquam praecedentem vel subsequentem transferendas quô sanctorum omnium Domino sua conservetur solennitas c. Et quo Dei gloria in observatione divini cultus magis illustretur et fidelium devotio minus impediatur diebus dominicis et festivatatibus celebrioribus mercimonia tripudia saltationes quas damnat Concilium Toletanum et prophana spectacula decernimus non permittenda simul etiam ludicra quaedam à pietate aliena et theatris quà m Templis aptiora censemus in Ecclesijs non admittenda Cap. 74. Clerici insuper tabernas publicas evitent nisi cas peregre proficiscentes ingredi oporteat et tà m inibi quà m domi et alibi à crapula et ebrietatibus omnique ludo à jure prohibito blasphemiis rixis et alijs quibuscunque excessibus et offensionibus penitus abstineant Choreas spectaculaque et convivia publica vitent ne ob luxùm petulantiamque eorum nomen Ecclesiasticum malè audiat Cap 60 61. We seriously command that whiles the first fruites of this sacrifice are celebrated by new-ordained Priests dances and all secular shewes be wholly omitted c. Wee likewise decree that those solemnities of the Saints which happen upon the Lords day shall be removed and transferred to some precedent or subsequent holy day whereby due solemnity may be preseâ—ved to the Lord of all Saints c. And that the glory of God may be more illustrated in the observatioÌ„ of divine worship and the devotion of the faithfull may be lesse hindred wee decree that on Lords-dayes more eminent festivals merchandises dances morrices and prophane dances which the Councel of Toledo condemns are not to be tolerated and we likewise resolve that certaine Playes that are farre froÌ„ piety more fit for Theatres than Temples are not to be admitted in Churches Cap. 74. Moreover Clergy men must avoid all publike tavernes unles it be upon occasion whiles they are travelling and as well there as at home and elsewhere they must wholly abstaine from surfetting and drunkennesse and every Play prohibited by law as all Stage-playes are from blasphemies brawles and all other excesses and offences whatsoever They must shun dances stage-playes and publike feasts lest the Ecclesiasticall name be ill reported of for their luxury wantoÌ„nes The former part of which Canon prohibits Clergy men from wearing costly apparell silkes and velvets which sundry other Councels have condemned in Bishops Ministers and all other Clergy men who should be patternes of humility and frugality not of luxury pride and worldly pompe to others as many silken and satyn Divines now are The 44. is Concilium Parisiense Anno 1557. where I finde these Constitutions Caeteros dies festos Dominicis Ecclesia addidit ut beneficiorum à Deo et sanctis ejus nobis collatorum memores essemus sanctorum exempla sectaremur c. orationi vacaremus non autem ocio et ludis c. Moneant autem Ecclesiarum Rectores subditos suos ut praedictis diebus festis in templum conveniant illudque frequentent pièac religiose audituri quae in ijs sacra aguntur Conciones attentè audiant Deum pia mente et religioso affectu venerentur et colant His autem diebus ut dictum est cessent ludi choreae
endeavouring 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 second Anno Dom. 1270. it was the custome of the English to spend their Christmas time in Playes in Masques in most magnificent and pompous Spectacles and to addict themselves to pleasures dancing dicing and other unlawfull prohibited games which then were tolerated and permitted contrary to the usage of most other Nations who used such Playes and wanton pastimes not in the Christmas season but a little before their Lent about the time of Shrovetide What therefore Salvian writes of Sodomie and publike stewes from which the Popes Exchequer receives no small revenue Haec ergo impuritas in Romanis et ante Christi Evangelium esse caepit et quod est gravius nec post Evangelium cessavit the same may I say of Stage-playes and unruly Christmas-keeping they had their first originall from heathen Rome I meane from their Saturnalia Bacchanalia Floralia c. before the Gospell preached to her and they have beene since revived continued propagated by Antichristian Rome even since the Gospell preached which should cause all pious Protestant Christians eternally to abandon them conforming themselves to the most ancient practise of the primitive Christians who celebrated this festivall of our Saviours Nativitie in a farre different manner For when as the Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepheards abiding in the fields not feasting and playing in their houses and keeping watch over their flockes not dancing dicing carding drinking or keeping Christmas rout by night and said unto them feare not for behold I bring unto you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for to you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord What Christmas mirth and solace was there made but this which St. Luke hath recorded for our everlasting imitation Sodainly saith hee there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly hoast praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men This is the onely Christmas solemnity which the holie Ghost which Christ himselfe the whole multitude of the heavenly hoast and the very best of Christians have commended to us from heaven this I am sure is the ancientest and the best patterne of Christmas-keeping that we reade of why then should we be unwilling or ashamed for to imitate it When our Saviour was borne into the world at first we heare of no feasting drinking healthing roaroaring carding dicing Stage-playes Mummeries Masques or heathenish Christmas pastimes alas these precise puritanicall Angels Saints and shepheards as some I feare account them knew no such pompous pagan Christmas Courtships or solemnities which the Divell and his accursed instruments have since appropriated to his most blessed Nativitie Here we have nothing but Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men this is the Angels the shepheards only Christmas Caroll which the Virgin Mary in the former chapter hath prefaced with this celestiall hymne of prayse My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and Zacharias seconded with this heavenly sonnet Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David This was the only sport and merâ—iment these the soule-ravishing Ditties with which men and Angels celebrated the very first Christmas that was kept on earth yea this is the onely Christmas solemnity that the blessed Saints and Angels now obserue in heaven why then should we so earnestly contend for any other If we reflect upon the Christians in Tertullians Clemens Alexandrinus Philo Iudaeus Minucius Felix Plinie the seconds Chrysostomes and Theodorets times wee shall finde them banishing all gluttony drunkennesse health-quaffing intemperance dancing dicing Stage-playes fidlers jesters baudie songs and lewd discourses from their feasts and Christian Festivals which they celebrated in this manner First of all they assembled themselves together into one companie that so they might as it were assault and besiege God with their united prayers after that they did feed their faith erect their hope settle their confidence inculcate their discipline with the Scriptures and holy conferences and with the often inculcations of divine precepts using withall exhortations corrections and ecclesiasticall censures after which they kept their Agape or feasts of Love wherein no immodesty was admitted at which feasts they never sate downe to eate till they had first praemised a solemne prayer unto God and then falling to their meat they did eate no more than would satisfie their hunger and drinke no more than was fit for chast persons satiating themselves so as that they remembred they were to worship God in the night discoursing like such as those who knew that God overheard them After the bason and ewer and lights are brought in every one as he was able was provoked to sing a psalme unto God out of the holy Scriptures or out of his owne invention and by this it was manifested how he had drunke And as prayer began so it likewise concluded their feasts after which every one departed not into the routs of roaring swashbucklers nor â—et into the company of riotous ramblers nor into the lashings out of lascivious persons but to the same care of modesty and chastitie like those who had not so much repasted a supper as discipline Yea such was the puritanicall rigidnesse of the primitive Christians on the solemne birth-dayes and Inaugurations of the Roman Emperors when as other men kept revel-rout feasting and drinking from parish to parish making the whole Cittie to smell like a taverne kindling bonefires in every street and running by troopes to Playes to impudent prankes to the enticements of lust c. accounting their licentious deboistnesse at such seasons their chiefest piety and devotion as our Grand Christmas keepers now doe that they would neither shadow nor adorne their doores with laurell nor diminish the day-light with bonefires and torches nor yet drinke nor dance nor runne to Play-houses which they wholly abandoned but kept themselves temperate sober chast and pious celebrating their solemnities rather with conscience and devotion than lasciviousnesse whence they were reputed publike enemies as Tertullian Philo Iudaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus most plentifully informe us Hence Theodoret writes That the Christians of his time in stead of solemnizing the festivals of love and Bacchus did celebrate the festivities of Peter Paul Thâ—mas Sergius Marcellus Leontius Antoninus and other holy Martyrs and that in stead of that ancient pompe that filthy obscenity and impudency that the Pagans used on their festivals the Christians instituted holy-dayes full of modesty chastity and temperance not such as were moistned with wine lascivious with riotous feasts dissolute with shoutes and laughter but such as resounded with divine songs as were spent in
your last 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
postulare 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.