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A09809 The liues of Epaminondas, of Philip of Macedon, of Dionysius the Elder, and of Octauius Cæsar Augustus: collected out of good authors. Also the liues of nine excellent chieftaines of warre, taken out of Latine from Emylius Probus, by S.G. S. By whom also are added the liues of Plutarch and of Seneca: gathered together, disposed, and enriched as the others. And now translated into English by Sir Thomas North Knight Nepos, Cornelius. Vitae excellentium imperatorum. English. Selections.; Goulart, Simon, 1543-1628.; North, Thomas, Sir, 1535-1601? 1602 (1602) STC 20071; ESTC S111836 1,193,680 142

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That the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine revellings banquetings and abominable idolatries wherein they thinke it strange that you run not with th●m into the same excesse of riot speaking evill of you who shall giue an account to him who is ready to iudge both quicke and dead By Titus 2.11.12 The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly right●ously and godly in this present world By Ephes. 5.18 And be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse By Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overch●rged with surfetting a●d drunkennesse and cares of this world and that day come upon you at unawares by sundry such like Scriptures to this purpose which I have formerly quoted in another Treatise And likewise by the dangerous quality of these effeminating soule-destroying sinnes which are more pernicious to a Common-weale then pestilence or warre it selfe m●re fatall to mens soules and bodies then any Circean charme The Minor is most apparant First from the originall invention and dedication of Stage-playes which were first of all devised by a company of drunken Grecians in honor of their Devil-Idoll Bacchus the God of wine of drunkennesse and all excesse to whom Playes and Play-houses were consecrated at the first as Historians and Fathers certifie us Whence Tertullian stiles the Theater the house or temple of Bacchus because Stage-playes which were formerly stiled Liberalia were as Diodorus Siculus Isiodor Hispalensis and others record instituted by consecrated unto Bacchus the Idol the author of all intemperance If therefore their very inception were thus from drunkennesse and excesse their progresse questionlesse must bee such Secondly it is euident from the testimony the experience of former ages who not onely enumerate Stage-playes among the exc●sses the luxury both of the Greckes and Romanes as the Fathers and Authors in the margent testifie● but likewise make them the chiefe occasions of it Hence Chrysostome and Nazianzen stile the Play-house The Schoole of intemperance deboistnesse luxury and excesse Hence Salvian ioynes the Stage-playes epicuri●me and drunkennesse of the Romanes and those of Trevers both together making one the effect the companion of the other It is noted by Historians that Caligula Heliogobalus Nero Commodus Gallienus and other Roman Emperours who delighted most in Stage-playes were the most deboist luxurious dissolute ebrious of all others an infallible demonstration that Stage-playes are the occasion fewell and attendants of these sinnes It was the custome of the Pagan Greekes and Romanes in all their drunken riotous Feasts as it is now the usage of too many Christians to exhilerate themselves with Stage-playes of purpose to draw men on to drunkennesse luxury and more grosse intemperance Whence the Councell of Laodicea Can. 53.54 and the Councell of Aquisgrane under Lewes the godly prohibited Stage-playes at Christians marriage-Feasts and enioyned all Ministers not to be present at them but to arise and depart from such feasts before the Players entred that so they might prevent that riot that excesse which these theatricall Enterludes might occasion All which together with that of Plutarch who relates that all Stage-players were consecrated unto Bacchus as well as these their Stage-playes is a plenary ratification of my Minors truth to which our owne experience must subscribe For who more luxu●ious ebrious riotous or deboist then our assiduous Actors and Play-haunters Who greater Taverne Ale-house Tobacco-shop Hot-water house haunters c who greater stouter drinkers health-quaffers Epicures or good-fellowes then they What walke more usuall then from a Play-house to a Taverne to an Ale-house a Tobacco-shop or Hot-water Brothel-house or from these unto a Play-house where the Pot the Can the Tobacco-pipe are alwayes walking till the Play be ended from whence they returne to these their former haunts Many are the Ale-house more the Bacchanalian Taverne-meetings that are appointed concluded at the Play-house from which much drunkennes●e and excesse arise yea the Play-house is the common Randevouze where most such riotous Taverne conventicles are either motioned plotted or resolved on as our Play-haunters themselves confesse And is there not reason why it should be so Are not drunkennesse ioviality epicurisme luxury and profusenesse most rhetorically applauded most elegantly adorned in our Stage-playes with the sublimest Encomiums the most insinuating Panegyrickes the most amiable Titles that either art or eloquence can invent and doth not this adde spurs and fewell to many Yongsters lusts who to purchase the empty title of brave generous liberall and right ioviall Sparkes whom Players most applaud doe prodigally consume their Patrimonies their Pensions their time in Tavernes Ordinaries Tobacco-shops c. in ebrious luxurious meetings to their owne undoing their friends and Parents griefe Alas the pittifull complaints of sundry parents together with the testimony of our owne grave English Authors prove this to be too true Therefore we must needs abominate and reject all popular Stage-playes in respect of these their cursed fruits SCENA OCTAVA THe eight effect of Stage-playes is impudency immodesty and shamelesnesse yea even in sinfull things Whence this 34. Argument may be deduced That which banisheth all modesty al shamefacenesse and makes both Actors Spectators impudently shamelesse in committing sinne is questionlesse abominable and unlawfull unto Christians But this doe Stage-playes and Play-houses Therefore they are questionlesse abominable and unlawfull unto Christians My Major is irrefragable First because modesty and shamefastnesse are such graces such vertues as God himselfe requires of us in his Word and which the very Heathen much extoll They are the chiefest ornaments virtues guides supports and stay of Youth the Mothers the conservers of all other Christian or morrall vertues the onely curbs that restraine men from all sinne all lewdnesse and dishonest● whatsoever where these are once removed the whole practise of honesty and vertue will be quite extinguished Hee who hath lost these vertues is no better then a cast-away He who is past all shame is certainely past all grace past all recovery all amendment That therefore which banisheth these two restrayning vice-suppressing vertues in which not onely Christianity but even all common honesty civility and the publike safety doe subsist must needs bee abominable Secondly because impudency and shamelesnesse especially in committing sinne is almost the very highest degree of sinne yea they provoke God more to anger and draw a deeper guilt a more multiplied condemnation upon men then the sinne it selfe which they thus perpetrate They are infallible symptomes of a cauterized conscience an obdurate heart a reprobate sence of a man given wholy over unto sinne and Satan yea they
All which is a sufficient evidence that Stage-playes wholy indispose men to the true worship of God Salvian Bishop of Marselles is very copious in this theame We say writes he God hath forsaken us when in very deed we forsake God For suppose we that the Lord will respect us not deserving his favour let us see if he can Loe infinite thousands of Christians daily abide at the shewes of unseemely things Can God then favour such kinde of persons Can God cast his gracious countenance upon such as rage in Cirques and commit adultery in Theaters Or is this our meaning or d●e we thinke it meete that for as much as God seeth us in Cirques and Theaters that what things we see he beholdeth and what filthinesse we behold he seeth it also for company For one of these must needs be for if he vouchsafe to looke upon us it followes that he must behold all these things where we are or if which is most true he turne away his eyes from these things he must likewise turne away his countenance from us who are there And the case standing thus yet neverthelesse we doe these things which I have said and that without c●a●ing Or thinke we that God hath his Theaters and Cirques as had the gods of the Gentiles For thus did they in old teme because they were perswaded that their Idols delighted in them but how is it that we doe so who are certaine that our God detesteth them Or verily if we know that these abominations doe please God I will not gainsay but we may resort unto them continually But if it be in our conscience that God abhorreth that he detesteth that God is offe●ded as the Devill is fed by Theaters how say we that we worship God in the Church who alwayes serve the Devill in the obscenity of Playes and that wittingly and willingly out of deliberation and set purpose And what hope I pray you shall we have with God who not ignorantly or at unawares offend him but after the example of those Giants heretofore whom we read to have attempted Heaven with their mad endeavours and as it were to have marched forwards against the clouds So we through the iniuries which all the world over we continually commit doe as it were appugne Heaven with a common consent To Christ therefore O monstrous madnesse even to Christ doe we offer Cirques and Stage-playes yea and even then especially when as we receive any goodnesse from his hands when any prosperity is bestowed upon us by him or when as God hath given us any victory over our enemies And what else by this doe we shew our selves to doe but even to be like the man who is iniurious to the person who hath done him good who rayles upon him that speakes him faire or strikes him over the face with a sword that kisseth him For I aske the great and rich men of this world of what offence is that servant guilty which wisheth ill to a good and gracious Master which rayleth on him that deserveth well and rendreth dispitefull words for his good received without controversie all men will iudge him a most hainous offender who rendreth evill for good to him to whom indeed he might not render evill for evill Thus verily doe even we who are called Christians we stirre up a mercifull God against us by our uncleanesse we offend a gracious God by our filthinesse and we wound a loving God by our wickednesse To Christ therefore O monstrous madnesse even to Christ doe we offer Cirquers and Stage-players to Christ doe we render for his benefits the filthinesse of Th●●ters even to Christ doe we sacrifice the oblation of most base sports As though our Saviour who for us became man had taught us thus to doe As though he had preached this either by himselfe or by his Apostles As though that for this end he had taken upon him the shame of mans nativity and the contumelious beginnings of an earthly generation As though for this end he had layen in a manger at what time notwithstanding the very Angels ministred unto him As if for this purpose he would be swadled in ragges of cloth who did governe Heaven in his cloutes As though for this end he had hung upon the Crosse at whose hanging the whole world was astonished Who for your sakes saith the Apostle when he was rich became poore that yee through his poverty might be made rich And being saith he in the forme of God hee humbled himselfe to the death even the death of the Crosse. Even this did Christ teach us when he suffred these things for our sakes Well doe we requite his passion who receiving through his death redemption leade a most filthy life For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men saith blessed Paul and teacheth us that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the mighty God and of our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie us a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes Where be they who doe these things for which the Apostle saith that Christ came where be they who flie desires of this world where be they which live godly and righteously that looke for this blessed hope by well doing and leading a pure life shewing thereby that they looke and long for the Kingdome of God where be such Our Lord Iesus Christ came saith he that he might purifie us a pecular people to himselfe zealous of good workes Where is that pure people that peculiar people that good people that people of holinesse Christ saith the Scripture suffred for us leaving us an ensample that wee should follow his steps And we follow the steps of our Saviour in Cirques and in Theaters as if our Saviour had left us such an example whom we read to have wept but that he laughed we never read And both these for our sakes because weeping is a pricking of the heart laughter a corruption of manners Therefore saith he Woe to you that laugh for yee shall waile and weepe And blessed are yee that weepe now for yee shall laugh But it is not enough for us to laugh and be merry unlesse we reioyce with sinne and madnesse unlesse our laughter be tempered with filthinesse and mixed with impiety What error I say is this or what folly Cannot we daily be merry and laugh unlesse we make our laughter and mirth to be wickednesse Or else thinke we simple mirth to be nothing worth and can we not laugh except we sinne What a mischiefe is this or what furie Let us laugh I pray you and be merry so we sinne not What foolishnesse nay madnesse is it to thinke mirth and ioy nothing worth unlesse
alleageance to the World the Flesh and the Deuill or else beene Rebaptized in their names If so then let vs flocke and runne to Stage-Playes and take of them our fill I will not interrupt or keepe backe any But if the Deuill the World and God be as farre at var●ance now as 〈◊〉 is Righteousnesse and Vnrighteousnesse Christ and Belial Beleeuers and Infidels the Temple of God and the Temple of Idoles yea the World the Flesh the Deuill and Christians bee yet at irreconcilable and euerlasting enmitie as they are If the ancient contract betweene God and vs in Baptisme confirmed and ratified in the precious blood of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ stand good and there bee no new league nor couenant betweene the World the Deuill Hell and vs how can how may wee then approoue of Stage-Playes how can wee tolerate act admire or frequent them as alas we doe What shall we renounce the Deuill and all his Workes shall wee abiure the Pompes and Vanities of this wicked World which serue onely to feed the sinfull lusts of the flesh and yet shall wee Pleade for them with our Tongues Cherish them with our Purses Runne to them with our Feete Applaud them with our Hands Magnifie them in our Iudgements Harbour them in our Houses yea Lodge them in our Hearts Alas poore sinfull wretches who are thus grosely Deluded thus miserably Periured How how shall we answere how excuse or iustifie this our notorious and will-full Periury to our great Creatour how shall how can we looke our God our Iudge our Sauiour or any of the blessed Saints and Angells in the face where can we appeare how can wee stand in Iudgement what shall we doe or which way shall we turne our selues when God himselfe shall challeng vs when Christ Iesus shall arraigne vs and hee together withall his holy Saints and Angells condemne vs in that great and terrible day of Iudgement for breach of this our vow O let vs now at last remember that there is an Audit a day of Iudgement comming wherein we must all appeare before the great Tribunall of the 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ 〈…〉 all the breaches of this our solemne couenant and what will then become of vs if wee thus treacherously infringe it now in frequenting Stage-Playes Excuse our selues we cannot Perish perish we must and that eternally without recouery without all pittie For is it not equall that such who readily serue the Deuill in practising all his workes and resorting to his Pompes which they haue couenanted to abiure should participate of his wages and euerlasting torments that such who follow the Pleasures Pompes and Vanities of this wicked world should likewise be condemned with the world and be partakers of its punishments who can Commiserate or Pittie such a one or deeme him worthy of Saluation who leaues his euer-blessed God to whom hee owes himselfe and all his seruice to serue the Deuill whom hee hath defied or willingly parts with Heauen and Eternall glory by departing from the wayes of Grace which lead men to it to embrace the very vainest vanities and Enterludes of this wretched world which hee hath thus abiured Certainely such a mans Damnation is exceeding iust and his Saluation without repentance desperate And is not this the case of all such persons who resort to Stage-Playes after Baptisme O then good Christian Readers in the name and feare of God and in tender compassion to your owne distressed Soules I beseech y●● I intreate you euen with sobs and teares proceeding from a bleeding and lamenting spirit anxious of nothing but your Eternall good that you would now at last consider seriously what you are and what you haue done You are all Christians in name and it is my desire my prayer that you may bee such in trueth You haue all proclaimed a solemne defiance to the Deuill and all his Workes and openly renounced the seuerall Pompes and Vanities of this wicked World of which Stage-Playes are the chiefe and most assiduous as being the Seruants and Saints of God the Heires of Heauen the Vessels of Holinesse the liuing Temples of the holy Ghost the fellow Citizens of the Saints in Glory and the Inhabitants of a better World then this Oh answere therefore your profession with a correspondent conuersation If you are or would be Christians doe not you hencefoorth liue like Pagans but as you differ from them in your Faith be you likewise distinguished from them by your Workes If you haue renounced the Deuill and all his Workes O liue not any longer to them If you haue abiured the Pompes and Vanities of this wicked World O then returne not to them as Dogges vnto their vomit why should you serue why should you re-embrace how can you tollerate or approoue the things which you haue thus abiured God commands you not to giue place to the Deuill but to resist him stedfastly in the Faith that so hee may flie from you● how dare you then to entertaine him in these Enterludes which are his chiefest Pompes and Workes against this Precept and your Vow God commands you not to loue the World nor the things of the World not to conforme your selues to the Course the Fashions Pompes and Vanities of this present euill World which lyes in wickednesse but to keepe your selues vnspotted from it because the friendship of the World is enmitie to God and the friends of this World which is not of God are professed enemies vnto God How can you then admit or harbour Stage-Playes the greatest Pompes and Vanities that this World affords against these Precepts and your Co●enant without the danger of Rebellion and the highest Periury Christ Iesus informes you that you cannot serue two contrary Masters as the Deuill or the World and him and therefore you disclaime the one in Baptisme that so you may appropriate your selues and seruice to the other And can you then yoake and serue them all together Can you serue Christ Iesus and the Deuill Christ and the World Christ and Stage-Playes Or can you be so besotted by the Deuill as alas too many are as to thinke to please to honour court and entertaine Christ Iesus to welcome him into the World or celebrate his Natiuitie with infernall Stage-Playes the very Monuments and Insignes with which the Pagans did Gratifie and Court their Deuill-gods vpon their Feastiualls and solemne Birth-dayes as if Christ and the Deuill Christians and Pagans were accorded as if Stage-Playes were the chiefest workes of the Lord Iesus Christ who was borne of purpose to Redeeme vs from them and to destroy out of vs these workes of the Deuill the principall recreations and delights of Christians not the Inuentions Pompes and Solemnities of Satan not the remainders of Idolatrie not the Soule-poysoning pleasures shewes and vanities of this sinfull
filthiest dens of the Devill lest the bands of that malignant one hold you captive Whosoever hee bee that will obtaine perfect remission of his sinnes let him keepe and withdraw himselfe from these spectacles of the world which l●st sentence of his is approved both by Aquinas himselfe and by Alexander Fabricius for good Divinity If then Players and Play-haunters bee thus spiritually dead if they are in the very chaines of the Devill and uncapable of the full remission of their sinnes as long as they delight in Stage-playes or resort unto them as this Father writes needs must Gods holy Ordinances bee altogether unprofi●able to their soules whiles they resort to Playes A plaister never heales as long as there is an Arrowes head or poyson in the wound Stage-playes are an Arrowes head a venomous poyson to the soules of men they are cankers to their graces meere fire and fewell to their lusts no wonder then if Gods Ordinances never cure their sou●es whiles they resort to Stage-playes It was the use of Players and Play-haunting Pagans in the Primitive Church as soone as ever they were converted to the Christian Faith to renounce and utterly abandon Stage-playes as altogether incompatible with their Christian profession and making all the meanes of grace ineffectuall to their soules Doubtlesse the very ●e●fesame course must be taken now Hee that would thrive in grace and holinesse hee that would have the Word the Sacraments fasting prayer or any other of Gods ordinances effectuall to his soule must bid an eternall farewell unto Stage-playes Thus did two eminent Play-poets and Play-haunters of our owne upon their very first conversion unto God as themselves record they abandoned Playes and Play-making as inconsistent with salvation with Christianity with the grace the service the ordinances of God resolving never to returne unto them more but to their powers to oppugne them as formerly they had admired composed frequented them which they did accordingly in severall printed Bookes Wherefore from all these severall premises thus confirmed by reason by authority I may safely frame this 38. Syllogisme against Stage-playes That which unfits and indisposeth men to the acceptable holy performance of all religious duties that which either with-drawes or keepes men from Gods service at times of greatest holinesse and devotion and brings the Word the worship with all the ordinances of God into contempt making them vaine and ineffectuall to mens soules must needs bee sinfull and utterly unlawfull unto Christians See Hebr. 12.1 Iam. 1.21 1 Pet. 2.1 2. accordingly But this doe Stage-playes as is evident by the premises Therefore they must needs bee sinfull and utterly unlawfull unto Christians SCENA DECIMA-TERTIA THe 13. effect of Stage-playes is that they breed in the hearts of their Actors and Spectators an inward disesteeme a violent antipathy an inplacable enmity against the practicall power of grace and holinesse against all pious and religious men This Lactantius this Chrysostome Augustine Salvian M. Gualther The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters M. Northbrooke M. Stubs with sundry others expresly testifie Yea this our owne experience must subscribe too For who more bitter more virulent more implacable adversaries to the power of godlinesse to those who excell in grace in piety who such deriders haters slanderers despisers of purity of sincerity of devout and holy Christians as Players and Play-haunters None abhorre revile traduce deride or scorne them more then they And no wonder for Saint Paul foretold it long agoe That such who are lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God as Players and Play-patrons for the most part are are alwayes despisers of those that are good having onely a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Lactantius hath given the true reason of it Everyone saith he that sinnes desire elbow roome he would have free liberty to sinne without controll neither can hee take any full delight in evill unlesse there be none to disapprove his wicked courses Therefore hee desires to roote out all good men who are offensive and displeasing to him because they are not onely witnesses of his evill deeds but likewise reprove and shame them by their different holy lives though they never speake of them with their tongues Their very holy lives are a reproach a scandall to their dissolute manners therefore they slander and abhor them S. Augustine oft-times informes us That the degenerous voluptuous Pagans did detract from Christ and Christians accusing yea declaiming against the Christian times as evill because they sought not after such times in which their lives might bee quiet but rather in which their wickednesse might bee secure in which they might securely enioy their wicked Stage-playes their sinfull lusts and worldly pleasures without any reprehension or restraint This doe our Paganizing Actors and Play-haunters now they hate revile and slander all zealous practicall Christians under the Tearmes of Puritanes Prescitians Novellers Factionists Holy-breathren Men of the Spirit Bible-beares Sermon-haunters Hypocrites Holy-sisters and a world of such like ignominious disgracefull tearmes though some of them in themselves are honourable having the holy Ghost himselfe for their Author how ever prophane Atheisticall persons turne them into very mottoes of disgrace They abhor the very appearances of all grace and holinesse as diametrally opposite to their ungodly courses to their prophane lascivious ribaldrous Enterludes which all the Saints of God have evermore condemned They thinke it strange that holy men run not with them into the same excesse of riot into the selfesame pleasures and delights of sinne in which they plunge themselves therefore speake they evill of them therefore they reproach traduce contemne detest oppugne them with the very height of spleene of malice as being an eye-sore yea a life-sore to them as present experience can informe us Hence therefore I argue in the 39. place That which ingenders in the hearts of its Actors and Spectators an inward hatred an undervaluing disesteeme a violent antipathy a virulent enmity against the practicall power of grace and holinesse against all holy gracious godly Christians must needs be sinfull and abominable unto Christians Witnesse the 1 Iohn 3.10 to 20. Phil. 4.8 9. and infinite other Scriptures But this doe Stage-playes as is evident by the premises by experience and by Act 8. Scene 7. Therefore they must needs be sinfull and abominable unto Christians SCENA DECIMA-QVARTA THe 14. fruit of Stage-playes is this That they inamor men with the love of sinne and vanity which is ill yea harden them in their sinne and indispose them to repentance which is farre worse The more a man resorts to Stage-playes the more hee delights in sinne in vanity scurrility lewdnesse in Pagan Rites and Ceremonies the more is hee obdurated and confirmed in his vitious wicked courses the more is hee