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heart_n	hymn_n	let_v	survey_v	240	4	17.6095	5	false

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

towards God how many graces and degrees of grace we want how many daily sinnes and lusts we have to lament and mortifie how many offices of piety of charity of courtesie duty and civility wee have to exercise towards our selves our friends our neighbours our families our enemies as we are men or Christians in all those severall relations wherein wee stand to others considering withall what time we ought to spend upon our lawfull callings upon the care and culture of our soules which are then most neglected when as our bodies are most pampered most adorned all which are su●ficient to monopolize even all our idle dayes more And if we would adde to this these strict commands of God Exod. 20.9 Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne unto the ground a curse a precept layd on all mankinde Ephes. 5.15 16. See that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time because the dayes are evill 2. Thes. 3.10 11 12 13 14. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not worke neither should he eate For we heare there are some and O that we did not now heare of many ●uch among us which walke among you disorderly not working at all but are buste-bodies Now them that are such we● command and exhort by our Lord Iesus that with quie●nesse they worke and eate their owne bread not being weary in well doing And if any obey not our Word by this Epistle note that man and have no communion with him that he may be ashamed Did we I say consider all this or did we remember how narrow steepe and difficult the way is unto Heaven and what paines all those must take who meane to climbe up thither We should then speedily discover how little cause men have to run to Stage-playes to passe away their idle houres which flie away so speedily of themselves But suppose there are any such as alas our idle age hath too too many who though they are loath to die as all men should be willing to depart who have finished or survived their worke or else want good imployments yet they have so much idle time that they know not how to spend standing all the day idle like those lazy Loyterers Matth. 20.1 to 8. even for want of worke or loytring abroad like our common Vagrant Sturdy-beggers not so much because they cannot but because they will not worke let all such idle Bees know that Christ Iesus their Lord and Master hath a Vineyard in which they may and ought to spend their time he hath store of imployments for them though themselves have none even enough to take up all the vacant houres of their lives When therefore any Play-haunters or others have so much idle time that they know not how to bestow it let them presently step into the Lords Vineyard let them repaire to Sermons and such other publike exercises of Religion calling upon one another and saying Come and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes or else betake themselves to their owne private prayers and devotions Let them read the Scriptures or some other pious Bookes which may instruct them in the wayes of godlinesse or sing Psalmes● and Hymnes and spirituall Songs to God● let them seriously examine their owne consciences hearts and lives by the sacred Touch-stone of Gods Word let them bewayle their owne originall corruption with all their actuall transgressions and sue earnestly to God for pardon for them let them labour after all the graces and degrees of grace which yet they want and bee ever adding to those graces which they have let them renew their vowes and covenants with God and walke more closely more exactly with him every day let them muse and meditate on God on all his great and glorious workes and attributes on Christ and all his suffrings on the holy Ghost and all his graces on the Word of God and all its precepts promises threatnings on Heaven and everlasting happinesse on Hell and all its torments on sinne and all the miseries that attend it on their owne frailty and mortality on the vanity of all earthly things on the day of death and judgement which should be alwayes in their thoughts and on a thousand such like particulars on which they should imploy their mindes and vacant houres If men will but thus improve their idle time which now they waste on Playes and such like vanities which onely treasure up wrath unto their soules against the day of wrath and plunge them deeper into Hell at last what benefit what comfort might they reape their idle vacant seasons would then prove the comfortablest the profitablest of all others and bring them in a large returne of grace here of glory hereafter Let us therefore henceforth labour to improve our cast our leisure times to our eternall advantage ab hoc exiguo● caduco temporis transitu in illa nos toto demus animo quae immensa quae aeterna sunt quae cum melioribus communia Haec nobis dabunt ad aeternitatem iter nos in illum locum ex quo nemo eijciet sublenabunt haec una ratio est extendendae mortalitatis imo in immortalitatem vertendae and then we need not run to Masques to Playes or Play-houses to passe away our time Lastly I answer That men cannot be worse imployed then in hearing or beholding Stage-playes Nihil enim tam damnosum bonis moribus quàm in aliquo Spectaculo desidere tunc enim per voluptatem facilius vitia surrepunt It was Seneca his resolution to his friend Lucilius when he requested his advice what thing hee would have him principally to avoyd and it may be a satisfactory answer to this Objection For how can men be worse imployed then in hearing seeing learning all kinde of vice of villany and lewdnesse whatsoever then in depraving both their mindes and manners and treasuring up damnation to their soules This is the onely good imployment that our Play-haunters have at Playes which is the worst of any This Objection therefore is but idle The 3. Objection which Play-frequenters make for the seeing of Playes is this That the frequenting of Stage-playes as their owne experience witnesseth doth men no hurt at all it neither indisposeth them to holy duties nor inticeth them to lust or lewdnesse therefore it is not ill An Objection made in Chrysostomes time as well as now To this I answer first that Play-haunters are no meete judges in this case because most of them being yet in the state of sinne and death are altogether sencelesse of the growth and progresse of their

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 m●●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 th●se severall circūstances therefore these dances these examples doe no wayes iustifie but conde●ne all ours which have no affinity nor cognation with them To the second Obje●tion that Salomon saith there is a time to dance I answer first that by dancing in this and the other obiected Sc●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 Olympi●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 ●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 r●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 sle●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

Gellius and Quintilian stile them are abundantly condemned as abominable sinfull pastimes misbeseeming godly Christians First by the expresse verdict of the Scripture which as it inioynes all Christians in their Feasts their mirth and private meetings to sing Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs of prayer of praise to God with a grace and melody in their hearts a practise which all the Primitive ●hristians as the marginall Authors witnesse observed in their Love-feasts in all their private and publike meetings and I would those moderne Christians who banish these things from their Feasts and Merriments as altogether unseasonable exhilerating themselves with nought but scurrilous beastly Songs lascivious musicke wanton dancing and such unchristian mirth would now againe reviue it So it expresly prohibits all filthy corrupt unedifying communication all fornication and uncleanesse which are not so much as once to be named among Christians together with all foolish talking and iesting all ribaldry and scurrility either in songs or iests which Plato and the Athenians though Pagans did prohibite by an unanimous law as odious unto God pernicious to the manners mindes and soules of men and misbeseeming Christians whose words should be alwayes gracious seasoned with salt that so they might administer grace not poyson or corruption to the heaerers Ribaldrous amorous Songs are so unsutable for the mouthes the eares of Christians that Theophylact plainly tells us that those who sing such Songs are po●sessed with an uncleane spirit and S. Bernard that he who is delighted with obscene Iests and secular Ditties as alas too many are is in the very pavilion or possession of the Devill No wonder therefore if the Scripture condemnes such songs as these as unbefitting Christians Secondly as the Scripture so sundry ancient and moderne Councels expresly censure such Poems Songs and Ditties as abominable and polluted in themselves defiling the mouthes the eares of those who chaunt or heare them chaunted as allectives unto lewdnesse incentives unto lust which grieve the holy Spirit of God whereby we are sealed up to the day of redemption and wholy effeminate the mindes of men Witnesse Concilium Arelatense 3. apud Surium Concil Tom. 1. pag. 727. Concil Agathense Can. 39. Veneticum Can. 11. Toletanum 3. Can. 23. Altisiodorense Can. 9. 40. Cabilonense 1. Can. 19. Senonense Cap. 25. Surius Tom. 4. p. 742.743 Cabilonense 2. Can. 9. Moguntinum sub Carolo Magno cap. 10. 14. Rhemense cap. 17. Parisiense lib. 1. cap. 38. Moguntinum sub Raebano Archiepiscopo cap. 13. Turonense 3. cap. 7.8 Coloniense 1536. pars 2. cap. 25. pars 9. c. 10 Synodus Carnotensis Anno 1526. Concilium Burdigense Anno● 1582. Synodus Turonica● 1583. which 17● severall Councels inhibite all Christians especially Clergy-men both from the use the hearing and singing of such Songs as these for the precedent reasons A sufficient inducement to cause all godly Christians to abandon them together with all those Playes those Play-houses and places where they are in use Thirdly as these Scriptures and Councels so likewise the Fathers are very copious in censuring such ribaldrous lascivious songs as these which if we beleeve S. Ambrose or S. Basil defile the very earth and aire where they are breathed out Survey we but Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. l. 2. c. 4● 6. l. 3. c. 11. Tertullian Cyprian in their Bookes De Spectaculis Arnobius advers Gentes lib. 4. 7. T●tianus Oratio adversus Graecos Lactantius de Ver● Cultu l. 6. c. 21. Basil. Hexaëmeron Hom. 4. De Ebrietate Luxu Sermo 2. De Legendis libris Gentiliū Oratio Nazienzen Oratio 28.37 38. 48. Ad Selucum De Recta Educatione p. 1063. Hierom● Epist. 2. c. 6. Ep. 9. c. 5. Ep. 10● c. 4. Adversus ●ovinianum l. 2. c. 7 Cyrillus Hierusolomitanus Chatechesis Mystagogica 1● who makes such songs the very workes and pompes of the Devill which we renounce in baptisme Eusebius apud Damascenum Parallelorum l. 3. c. 47. Ambrose De Elia Ieiunio c. 18 Sermo 33. Sti. Asterij Homilia in Festum Kalendarum Oratio Bibl. Patrū Tom. 4. p. 706. Augustine De Civit. Dei lib. 6. c. 6.7 De Rectitudine Catholicae Conversationis Tractatus De Decem Chordis cap. 4. Tom 9. De Tempore Sermo 225. De Verbis Apostol Sermo 17. Hippolitus Martyr De Consummatione mundi Antichristo Oratio Bibl. Patrum Tom. 3. p. 16. H. 17. A.B. Gaudentius Brixiae Episc De L●ctione Evangelij Sermo 8. Bib● Patrum Tom. 4. pag. 813. C. D. Primasius Oecumenius Theodoret Sedulius Remigius Anselmus Ha●mo Rabanus Maurus Theophylact on Ephes. 4.29 30. on cap. 5.3 4. Salvianus De Gubernatione Dei l. 6. Fulgentius super Audivit Herodes Tetrarcha c. Sermo Chrysologus Sermo 128. Olympiodorus in Ecclesiast Enarrat c. 12. Ca●siodorus V●riarum lib. 2. Epist. 40. Bernardus Oratio ad Milites Templi cap. 4. Col. 832. L. De Nuptijs Filij Regis Col. 1725. A. Ioannis Salisburiensis De Nugis Curialium l. 1. c. 6. 8. P●trus Blesensis Ep. 76. Maphaeus Vegius De Educat Lib. l. 3. c. 10.12 Paulus Wan Sermo 7. Espencaeus in Tim. 1. Digressionum l. 1. c. 11. p. 212. Gratian De Consecratione Distinctio 3. we shall finde such Songs such Poems as these abundantly condemned as filthy and unchristian defilements which contaminate the soules effeminate the mindes deprave the manners of these that heare or sing them exciting enticeing them to lust to whoredome adultery prophanes wantonnesse scurrility luxury drunkennesse excesse alienating their mindes from God from grace and heavenly things and Syren-like with their sweet enchantments entrap ensnare destroy mens soules proving bitter potions to them at the last though they seeme sweet and pleasant for the present Let S. Chrysostome that all-golden Father as Theodoret stiles him whose lips did drop with Myrre and Hony speake here for all the rest who is somewhat copious in this theame Like as Swine writes he runne thither where there is mire and as Bees doe live where there are spices and perfumes so where there are whorish Songs there are the Devils gathered together but where there are spirituall Songs thither the grace of the holy Ghost doth flie and the mouth sanctifieth the heart And as those who bring in Stage-players and Harlots into their Feasts I would those whose practise it is now would marke his words doe call in Devils thither so they who call in David with his Harpe he meanes his Psalmes of which he speakes doe call in Christ by him They make their house a Theater doe thou make thy Cottage a Church This saith David is my perpetuall Song this my constant worke and office to prayse the Lord. Let them give eare who effeminate and putrifie themselves with satanicall Songs What punishment shall not they undergoe or what

and the eyes with shewes and the eares with hearing are there polluted all which are so bad that no man can well report or declare them with honesty For who without passing the bounds of modesty can utter those imitations of dishonest things those filthy spectacles those lewde motions those obscene gestures that are used there the extraordinary sinfulnesse of which may be gathered even from this that it is unlawfull for to name them For s●me sinnes though most hainous may well and honestly both be named and blamed too as murther theft adultery sacriledge and such like onely the impurities of Theaters are such as may not honestly be no not so much as blamed Such new matter ariseth against the reprover in finding fault with their most horrible filthinesse that albeit he be a most perfect honest man that would speake against it yet can he not so doe and keepe his honesty Againe all other evils pollute the doers onely not the beholders or the hearers for a man may heare a blasphemer and not be partaker of his sacriledge in as much as be dissenteth from him in minde And if one come while a robbery is doing he is not actually guilty of it because he abhors the fact Onely the filthinesse of Playes and Spectacles is such as makes the Actors and Spectators guilty alike For whiles they gladly looke on and so approve them by beholding them they all become Actors of them by sight and assent so as that of the Apostle may be properly applyed to them How that not onely those who commit such things are worthy of death but they also who favor those that doe them So that in these representations of whoredome all the people doe altogether in minde play the Harlots And such as happily come chaste to Stage-playes returne adulterers from the Theater For they play the fornicators not then onely when they goe away but also when they come to Playes For as soone as one lusteth after a filthy thing whiles he hasteneth to that which is uncleane he becommeth uncleane And so hee proceeds It is therefore abundantly evident by the concurrent punctuall testimonies of these 30. Fathers whose words I have here transcribed to whom I might have added Clemens Romanus Irenaeus Epiphanius Philo Iudaeus Cyrillus Alexandri●us Theodoret Beda Alchuvinus Anexagoras Olympiodorus Orosius Iulius Firmicus Grattan with others whom I shall quote hereafter in their more proper Scenes That Stage-playes pollute the eyes the eares the mindes both of their Actors and Spectators by ingendring unchaste adulterous lewde affections in their hearts by their obscene words and lascivious gestures That they irritate inflame foment those beastly carnall lusts which draw them on to actuall uncleanesse to their eternall ruine and so by necessary consequence that they are utterly unlawfull for Christians to act to see to heare or resort to even in this regard as they all from hence conclude And dare any Play-patron then reject these grave Authorities in iustifying in frequenting Stage-playes as innoxious honest chaste or usefull recreations after all these Fathers censures If any Stage-frequenting● Play-adoring Christian bee so incredulous as not to give credit to these alleaged Fathers let him then listen to some Councels some moderne Christian Authors some ancient Pagans who averre the selfesame truth whose ioynt concurrent Authorities he cannot deny If wee cast our eyes upon Councels we shall finde these severall Councels in severall Countries and ages to wit Concilium Laodicenum Can. 54. Eliberinum Can. 62.67 Arelatense 1. Can. 4.5 2. Can. 20. Carthaginense 3. Can. 11. 35. Carthaginense 4. Can. 86. 88. Aphricanum Can. 27.28 30. Agathense Can. 39. in S●rius but 28. in Carranza Vene●ic●m Can. 11. Constantinopolitanum 6. in Trullo Can. 24 51 62.66 71. Turonense 3. Can. 7.8 Cabilonense 2. Can. 9. Moguntinum Anno Dom. 813. Can. 10.14 Rhemense Anno. 813. Can. 17. Synodus Francica sub Zacharia Papa Anno Dom. 742. Aquisgranense Concilium sub Ludovico Pio. Canon 83.100 145. Concil Parisiense 1. Can. 28. Moguntinum sub Rabano Archiepiscopo Can. 13. Synodus 8. Oecumenica Can. 16. Capitula Graecarum Synodorum Can. 59. Concilium Lateranense 1. Can. 16. Concil Basiliense Sessio 21. Appendix ●●usde● Concilij Concil Senonense Can. 25. Nicaenum 2. Can. 22. Mediolanense 1. De Mimis Circulatoribus cap. Concil Carolo Magnum Can. 5. Coloniense Anno. 1536. pars 2. cap. 25. pars 3. cap. 26. pars 9. cap. 10. Synodus Augustensis Can. 19. Concil Coloniense sub Adolpho Anno. 1549. Can. 17. Synodus Moguntina Anno. 1549. sub Sebastiano cap. 61. 75. together with Concilium Lingonense Anno. 1404. Senonense Anno. 1524. Carnotense Anno. 1526. Burdigense 1582. Bituriense 1584. Turonicum 1583. cap. 23. Senonense 1585. cap. 13. wee shall finde I say these 37. severall Councels together with sundry other Canonicall Constitutions prohibiting not onely Players under the penalty of excommunication from acting but even all other Christian● especially Clergy-men under the selfesame penalty from hearing seeing and frequenting Stage-playes as for sundry other reasons so especially for this because Stage-playes would contaminate their eyes their eares their mindes their hearts effeminate yea deprave their spirits exasperate and foment their lusts indispose them disable them to the religious performance of every holy duty and usher in by their eyes and eares the whole troope of vices into their soules An irrefragable confirmation of our present Assumption If we survey againe those moderne Christian Authors who have written against Stage-playes we shall finde them all concurring with us in this truth● I shall onely recite some few of them by which you may easily conjecture of the rest Cirques and Theaters writes Francis Petrarcha are the two places which have beene knowne to be alwayes most opposite to good manners whether if any bad man goe he will returne much worse For this iourny pray observe it is altogether unknowne to good men who if they ignorantly chance to goe unto them by any accident are sure not to want defilement Stage-playes which thou willingly beholdest are such things as can neither be honestly acted nor honestly seene neither is it easie to tell whether the Actor or the Spectator be more infamous or whether the Stage be more filthy then the Scaffold unlesse it be that poverty oft● times drawes m●n into the one● but va●ity alwayes into the other N●ither is there a greater co●sumption of Patrimonies at Stage-playes then of manners where lust is learned humanity forgotten What you might expect from Stage-playes even from the very beginning the first of your Kings Romulus may give you a guesse who by these circumvented that riged rough unpleasant chastity of the Sabin● Virgins albeit the honor of matrimony hath in some sort covered that offence But to how many since this have Stage-playes beene the way not to wedlocke but to

c. to which the forequoted Authours suffragate Lastly King Edgar and Canutus enacted by their Lawes That the Sunday should be kept holy from saturday at noone till monday in the morning And Charles the Great Capit. lib. 6. enacted that the Lords day should be kept holy from evening to evening By all which testimonies and reasons it is most apparant that Lords dayes and holy dayes begin at evening and so ought to be celebrated and kept holy from evening to evening Therfore all dancing dicing carding masques stageplaies together with all ordinary imployments of mens callings upon saturday nights are altogether unlawfull by the verdict of the forequoted Councels because the Lords day as all these ancient Authorities and reasons against all new opinions prove is even then begun Neither will it hereupon follow that we may dance dice see Masques or Playes on Lords-day nights as too many doe because the Lords day is then ended since these Councels prohibit them altogether at all times whatsoever But put case they were lawfull at other times yet it were unseasonable to practise thē on Lords day nights For this were but to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh to conclude holy daies duties with prophane exercises and immediately after the service of God to serve the Divell and to commit our selves to his protection Wee must therefore know that though the Lords day end at evening yet there are then evening-duties still remaining answerable to the workes of the precedent day as the repetition meditation and tryall of those heavenly instructions which we have heard or read in the day-time prayer to God for a blessing upon all those holy ordinances of which wee have beene made partakers thanksgiving to him for his manifold mercies singing of psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs instruction and examination of our children servants and families examination of our owne hearts estates and wayes by the touch-stone of Gods word together with a serious commendation of our soules and bodies into the hands of God by prayer and well-doing when as we are lying downe to our rest All which most serious necessary duties with which wee should close up every day and night it being for ought we know the utmost period of our lives will out all dancing dicing Masques and Stage-playes which are incompatible with these holy duties and altogether unseasonable for the night which God made for sleepe and rest not for these dishonest workes of darknesse in which too many spend whole nights who never imployed one halfe night or day in prayer as their Saviour and King David did Since therefore we never reade of any faithfull Saints of God in former times who practised dancing dicing Masques or Enterludes on Lords day nights no nor yet on any other dayes or nights for ought appeares by any Author though they have oft times spent whole dayes and nights in prayer let us not take up this godlesse practise now which will keepe us off from God and better things But let us rather follow Edgars and Canutus Lawes keeping the Sunday holy from saturday evening till monday morning spending the whole day and night in prayer and praises unto God and in such holy actions as we would be content that Christ and death should finde us doing No man I am sure would be willing that Christ that death or the day of judgement should deprehend him whiles he is dancing drinking gaming Masquing acting or beholding Stage-playes yea who would not tremble to be taken away sodainly at such sports as these especially on a Sunday night when every mans conscience secretly informes him that they are unexpedient unseasonable if not unlawful too Let us therfore alwaies end the Lords day yea every weekday too with such holy exercises in which we would willingly end our dayes then neede we not be ashamed for to live nor feare to die Lastly● it is evidently resolved by the foregoing Councels● that the very beholding and acting of Stage-playes either in publike or private is altogether unlawfull unto Christians and more especially to Clergy men who now are not ashamed to frequent them against the expresse resolution of all these Councels who are neither to behold nor countenance any dancing dicing carding table-playing much lesse any publike or private Stage-playes the very acting or beholding of which subjects them both to suspension and degradation as the recited Canons witnesse to the full which I wish all Ministers would now at last remember If any man here object that many of the alledged Councels prohibit Clergy men onely from acting and beholding Stage-playes therefore Lay men may safely personate and frequent them still To this I answer First that most of these Councels expresly inhibit as well Lay men as Clergy men both from acting and beholding Stage-playes therefore the objection is but idle Secondly the very reason alledged by these Councels why Clergy men should abstaine from Stage-play●s to wit lest their eyes and eares deputed unto holy mysteries should be defiled by them c. extends as well to the Laity as the Clergie since every Lay Christian is as apt to be defiled by Playes and ought to be as holy in all manner of conversation as Clergy men Every Lay Christian is or ought to be a spirituall Priest to offer up spirituall sacrifices of prayer and praise to God both morning and evening and at all other seasons whence God himselfe enjoynes even Lay men as well as others to cleanse themselve● from all pollution of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God to keepe themselves unspotted of the world to abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule and to be holy even as God is holy There is the selfesame holinesse required both of the Laity and Clergy both of them ought to be alike spirituall Priests to God at leastwise in respect of family-duties and private exercises of piety and devotions if therfore Stage-playes unsanctifie or pollute the one and indispose them to Gods service needes must they defile the other too and so they are equally unlawfull to both by these Councels verdict Lastly though many of these Councels prohibit only Clergie men frō acting or beholding Stage-plaies partly because their Canons bound none but Clergy men not the Laity untill they were received and partlie because the reformation of the Clergie whose resort to Stage-playes did seduce the Laity was the ●peediest meanes to reclaime all Laicks yet they intended not to give anie libertie to Lay men to haunt Plaies or theatres for as they inhibit Ministers themselves from Plaies so they charge them likewise both by preaching by ecclesiasticall censures all other meanes to withdraw their parishioner and all others from them So that the objection is meerelie frivolous and