heathenish unchristian polluted spectacles which defile the eyes the eares the soules corrupt the manners enflame the lusts of those who act who see or heare them acted disabling them likewise to and withdrawing them from Gods holy worship and service Fourthly that Stage-playes even in private houses at marriages or feasts are unlawfull and misbeseeming Christians as well as in publike Theatres Fifthly that the acting of Stage-playes whether publike or private by common Actors or others especially in Churches and Church-yards is altogether abominable and unlawfull though it be still permitted in some places among the Papists in forraigne parts Sixthly that the acting of our Saviours passion or of any other sacred history either in the Church or on the Stage a practise yet in use among the prophane sacrilegious Papists and Iesuites is altogether to be abandoned and condemned Seventhly that dancing dicing carding and Stage-playes are unlawfull and abominable as at all other times so chiefly upon Lords dayes holy dayes and solemne Christian festivalls especially on Easterâ— Whitsontide and Christtide set apart and consecrated to Gods peculiar and more speciall worship when they are now most in use If any here demand of me how the beginning and ending of Lords dayes and holy dayes on which these Stage-Playes and Pastimes are more specially prohibited should be accounted I answer that the Lords day notwithstanding some late reverend opinions to the contrary hath alwayes anciently beene reputed to begin at saturday evening not at midnight or daybreaking as some now teach and so to continue to the evening following At the time of the creation it is most apparant that the day began at evening For the evening and the morning were the first second third fourth fifth sixth and so by consequent the seventh day in ratification of which originall law of nature for the beginning and ending of dayes the Lord himselfe above two thousand yeares after commanded the Israelites to celebrate their Sabbath from evening to evening Levit. 23.32 From even to even shall you celebrate your Sabbath By vertue of which precept the Iewes did alwayes begin and keepe their Sabbaths and solemne festivalls from evening to evening till our Saviours passion and this present day Neither did our Saviours resurrection on the first day of the weeke alter the beginning and end of that day nor yet of the Sabbath which we now keepe upon it For if the first day on which our Saviour rose againe tooke its beginning onely from the time of his resurrection as some affirme then our Saviour could not possibly be three dayes in the grave nor yet be truly said to rise againe the third day according to the Scriptures the night in which our Saviour rose being according to this computation a part of the seventh day and no part of the first of which the Fathers and all other Expositors have alwayes made it parcell to justifie the truth of our Saviours resurrection on the third day And whereas some object that it is absurd that our Christian sabbath should begin before the houre of our Saviours resurrection which is the ground of it for thâ—s were to put the effect before the cause and to make the sabbath precede Christs resurrection which was the cause of its commencement I answer first that Christs resurrection did not sanctifie onely the first houre but the first day on which he rose therefore the antecedent part of the first day which was past before his resurrection as well as the subsequent For as Christians celebrate the day of our Saviours passion even from the very morning though our Saviour suffered not till towards evening and as the Israelites by Gods owne appointment were to begin their Passeover the evening of the foureteenth day not at midnight though the Angell slew not the first-borne of Egypt nor yet passed over the Israelites till midnight And as all Christians keepe holy the mornings of those dayes wherein they receive any publike deliverances as well as the evening though the deliverances perchance were not till noone or after And as if our Saviour should have risen at two of the clocke in the afternoone about which time he first shewed himselfe to his Disciples yet no man would have argued that therefore the sabbath must not begin before that houre so be kept from noone to noone because we observe not the houre but the intire day So our Christian sabbath by the selfsame reason must be still kept from evening to evening though our Saviour rose not till the morning because we observe not the houre the minute but the intire day whereon he rose againe which then began at evening Secondly I would demand on what day our Saviour rose on the seventh or on the first day of the weeke If on the seventh then he was not three dayes in the grave and then we have no ground for sanctifying the first day If on the first day of the weeke then the day was begun before he rose for if the day began not till he was risen then he rose not on it but before it If he rose after the day began as it is certaine he did by severall Scriptures then his resurrection did not change the beginning of the day it being begun befoâ—e else this day should have two beginnings and so it was begun before it began and after it began which is a contradiction and if it altered not the beginning of the first day then by what authority is it changed now Neither can it be here replied that the first day hath one beginning and the Sabbath or Lords day another for as it is said of the seventh day that the seventh day is the sabbath and the sabbath the seventh day so it may be truly said that the Lords day is the first day of the weeke and the first day of the weeke the Lords day they having both the selfe-same limits Thirdly no Scripture informes us that our Saviours resurrection changed the beginning or end of the sabbath that it should now begin at midnight or morning not at evening therefore it kâ—epes the selfâ—same beginning and end it had before Neither doth the objected reason viz that the cause should precede the effect warranted by no Scripture prove any thing at all Indeed if any had celebrated the first day as a sabbath before our Saviour had risen the reason had beene good but since our Saviour was risen againe before the first day was ever kept holy and since his resurrection on it was the cause why Christians subsequently observed the whole day not the very minute or houre on which he rose or that part onely of the day which remained after he was risen the reason is of no weight at all For if our Saviours resurrection should not extend to consecrate that part of the first day which preceded it because the effect should not goe before the cause a man might
them I doubt not but they would take care of the soules that are like to perish neither would they suffer such things on the holy dayes of the Saints as were not permitted to be done in the Bacchanalia themselves Either therefore they would recall the people by the censure of discipline from such most unworthy obscenities or would compell them to celebrate Festivals with due honesty or if they could not breake the force of pernicious custome they would rather abolish the feasts themselves lest they should bee an occasion of so great wickednesses which as it seemes to agree with the safety of soules according to the variety of manners and times are either to be discharged from observance or else more stricktly to be tied to an honest observance lest they should doe farre more hurt by being ill observed then well omitted c. By all which diâ—course of this learned Author who hath much more to the selfesame purpose which suites punctually with the practise of our present times wee may easily discerne how Stage-playes and dancing avocate and with-hold men from Gods worship especially on Lords-dayes and the most solemne Christian Festivals which of all other times are most abused to the eternall ruine of many thousand Christians soules To passe by Bucer in Psal. 92. Master Gualther Hom. 88. in Acta Apostolorum cap. 13. Master Iohn Calvin on Deut. 5. Sermo 34. Doctor Bownde of th Sabbath London 1595. p. 135.136 283 284. Master Beacon Hooper Babington Brinsly Perkins Dod Lake Downham Andrewes Williams Ames and most other Writers upon the 4. Commandement and the Sabbath who make the selfesame complaint that the Lords-day and Holi-dayes are prophaned and oft-times spent in Stage-playes Dancing Drinking Masques and Pastimes Which complaint I finde likewise seconded by learned Iohn Gerson Vincentius Bellovecensis and Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe who as they condemne all Stage-playes Enterludes Masques with all mixt lascivious amorous dancing against which Vincentius and Bellarmine have largely written at all times so especially on Lords-dayes Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals on which they are most execrable The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters is very copious in this point God writes he hath given us an expresse Commandement that we should not violate the Sabbath day and prescribed an order how it should bee sanctified namely in holinesse by calling into minde the spirituall rest hearing the Word of God and ceasing from worldly businesse Whereupon Isaiah the Prophet shewing how the Sabbath should be observed saith If thou tuâ—ne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will on mine Holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour himâ— not doing thing owne wayes not seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word then shalt thou delight in the Lord and I will cause thee to mount upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoâ—en it Here we see how the Lord requireth that this day should be observed and what rest hee looketh for at our hands But alas how doe wee follow the order which the Lord hath set downe Is not the Sabbath of all other dayes most abused which of us on that day is not carried whether his affections leades him unto all dâ—ssolutenesse of life How often doe we use on that day unreverend speech which of us hath his heart occupied in the feare of God who is not led away to the beholding of those Spectacles the sight wherâ—of can bring but conâ—usion to our bodies and soules Are not our eyes there carried away with the pride of vanity our eares abused with amorous that is lecherous filthy and abominable speech Is not our tongue which was given us onely to glorifie God with all there imployed to the blasâ—eming of Gods holy Name or the commendation of that is wicked Are not our hearts through the pleasure of the flesh the delight of the eye and the fond motions of the minde withdrawne from the service of the Lord and meditation of his goodnesse So that albeit it is a shame to say it yet dovbtlesse whosoever will marke with what multitudes these idle plâ—ces are replenished and how empty the Lords Sanctuary is of his people may well perceive what devotion wee have We may well sâ—y we are the servants of the Lord but the slender service wee doe him and the small regard we have of his Commandements declares our want of love towards him For if yee love mee saith Christ keepe my Commandements Wee may well bee Hirâ—lâ—ngs but wee are none of his Houshold Wherefore abuse not the Sabbath day my Brethren leave not the Temple of the Lord sit not still in the quagmâ—re of your owne lusts but put to your strength to helpe your selves before your owne waight sincke you downe to Hell Redeeme the time for the dayes are evill Alas what folly is it in you to purchase with a penny damnation to your selves why seeke you after sinne as after a banket None delight in those Spectacles but such as would bee made Spectacles Account not of their drosse their treasures are too base to be laid up in the rich Coafers of your minde Repentance is farthest from you when you are nearest to such May-games All of you for the most part doe lose your time or rather wilfully cast the same away contemning that as nothing which is so precious as your lives cannot redeeme I would to God you would bestow the time you consume in these vanities in seeking after vertue and glory For to speake truely whatsoever is not converted to the use wherefore it was ordained may be said to bee lost For to this end was man borne and had the benefit of time given him that hee might honour serve and love his Creator and thinke upon his goodnesse For whatsoever is done without this is doubtlesse cast away Oh how can you then excuse your selves for the losse of time doe you imagine that your carelesse life shall never bee brought into question Thinke yee the words of Saint Paul the Apostle were spoken in vaine when hee saith We must all appeare before the Iudgement Seate of Christ that every man may receive the things which are done in his body whether it be good or evill When that account shall bee taken I feare me your reckoning will bee to seeke c By such infamous persons as Players much time is lost and many dayes of honest travell are turned into vaine exercises Youth corrupted the Sabbath prophaned c. It was ordained in Rome by the Emperour Trajan that the Romanes should observe but 22 Holi-dayes thorowout the whole yeere For hee thought without doubt that the gods were more served on such dayes as the Romans did labour then on such dayes as they rested because
of their Husbands and Husbands of their Wives so that every way from foure of the clocke in the afternoone till nine at night especially over London-bridge many were carried in chaires and led betwixt their friends and so brought home to their houses with sorrowfull heavy hearts like lame Cripples A just though terrible judgement of God upon these Play-haunters and prophaners of his holy day the originall relator of which doth thus conclude And therefore for a conclusion I beseech all Magistrates by the mercies of God in Iesus Christ that by this occasion and example they take good heed to looke to the people committed to their charge that they take order especially on the Sabbath dayes that no Citizen or Citizens servants have liberty to repaire to any of those abused places and that they keepe their stragling wantons in that they may be better occupied And as they have with good commendation so farre prevailed that upon Sabbath dayes these Heathenish Enterludes and Playes are banished so it will please them to follow the matter still that they may be utterly rid and taken away For surely it is to be feared besides the destruction of body and soule that many are brought unto by frequenting the Theater and Curtinâ— that one day these places will likewise bee cast downe by God himselfe and draw with them an huge heape of such contemners and prophane persons to be killed and spoyled in their bodies Neither was he a false prophet altogether For in the yeere of our Lord 1607. at a Towne in Bedford-shire called Risley the flâ—ore of a chamber wherein many were gathered together to see a Stage-play on the Sabbath day fell downe by meanes whereof divers were sore hurt and some killed If these domestique examples together with that of Thales the Philosopher who was smothered and pressed to death at a Play will not move us let us cast our eyes upon some forraigne Tragedies of this nature I read in Munster his Cosmography that about the yeere of our Lord 1380. Lodovicke a Marquis of Nisina a man not very religious was made Arch-bishop of Magdeburge who thereupon invited many Gentlemen and others together with their Wives and Daughters into a Towne called Calven to feast and make merry with him who came accordingly The Bishop for their better entertainement provided the Towne-hall for them to dance in they being much addicted to dancing and singing and to act other vanities and whiles they were busily turning dancing and playing and every one danced merrily at the hands of their Ladies the house being oppressed with the great weight began to sinke giving a great cracke before The Arch-bishop taking the Lady who stood next him by the hand hastned to goe downe the staires with the first and as soone as he begun to goe downe the stony staires being loose before fell downe and miserably crusht to death the Arch-bishop and his consort with divers others It is storied by Froyssart in his Chronicle and by some others since that in the Raigne of Charles the sixt in the yeere of our Lord 1392. at a marriage made in the Kings Court at the hostle of Saint Pauls in Paris betweene Sir Yvan of Foiz Bastard Sonne to the Earle of Foiz and one of the Queene of Erance her Gentlewomen the Tuesday before Candlemas day A Squire of Normandy called Hogrymen of Gensay provided for a Play or Mummery against nightâ— for which purpose he had devised 6. Coates made of Linnen cloth covered with Pitch and thereon cloth and flax like haire and had them ready in a Chamber The King himselfe put on one of these Coates the Earle of Iovy a yong lusty Knight another Sir Charles of Poytiers the third Sir Yvan of Foiz another the Son of the Lord Lanthorillet had on the fift and the Squire himselfe put on the sixt Being thus apparelled and sowed fast on these Coates which made them soone like wilde wode-houses the King upon the advice of Sir Yvan of Foiz commanded an Vsher of his Chamber to enioyne all the Torch-bearers in the Hall where the Ladies were dancing to stand close to the wall and not to come neere the wode-houses for feare of setting them on fire which he did accordingly Soone after the Duke of Orleance who knew nothing of the Mummery or the Kings command entred into the Hall with foure Knights and sixe Torches to behold the dancing and begun himselfe to dance Therewith the King and the fiue other Masquers came in in these their disguises fiue of them being fastned one to the other the King onely being loose who went before and led the device When they entred the Hall every one tooke so great heed to them that they forgate the Torches The King departing from his company went to the Ladies to sport with them as youth required and came to the Dutches of Berry who tooke hold of him to know what hee was but he would not shew his name The Duke of Orleance running to the other fiue to dâ—scover who they were put one of the Torches his servants held so neere the flax that he set one of the Coates on fire and so each of them set fire on the other so that they were all in a bright flame the fire taking hold of the living Coates their shirts began to scorch their bodies so that they began to bren and to cry out for helpe The fire was so great that none durst come neere them and those that did brent their hands by reason of the heate of the pitch One of them called Manthorillet fled into the Botry and cast himselfe into a vessell of water where they rynsed pots and so saved his life by quenching the fire but yet hee was sore hurt The Countesse oâ— Berry with her long loose Gowne covered the King and so saved him from the fire two of the other were burnt to death in the place the Bastard of Foiz and the Earle of Iovy were carried to their lodgings and there died within two dayes after in great paine and misery Thus was this Comedy turned into a dolefull Tragedy The King though he escaped was much distracted in minde and his servants distressed with griefe at this unhappy accident so that he could not sleepe quiet that night The next day these newes being spred abroad in the City and every man marveling at it some said how God had sent that token for an ensample and that it was wisedome for the King to regard it and to withdraw himselfe from such yong idle wantonnesseâ— which he had used overmuch being a King All Lords and Ladies thorow the Realme of France and elsewhere that heard of this chance had great marvaiâ—e thereof Pope Boniface being at Rome with his Cardinals reioyced at it and said that it was a token sent from God to to the Realme of France which had taken part against him Sure I am it was a just judgement of God to teach
Church even as the holy Canons affirme For what communion hath light with darknesse as the Apostle saith or what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols or what part hath a beleever with an infidel or what concord or agreement is there betweene Christ and Belial Can. 62. Those things that are called Kalends and those that are named winter wishes and that meeting which is made upon the first day of March wee will shall bee wholly taken away out of the Citty of the faithfull as also we wholly forbid and expell the publike dancing of women bringing much hurt and destruction and likewise those dances and mysteries that are made in the name of those who are falsly named Gods among the Graecians or in the name of men and women after the ancient manner farre differing from the life of Christians ordaining that no man shall henceforth bee clothed in womans apparell nor no woman in mans aray Neither may any one put on comicallâ— satyricall or tragicall vizards in Enterludes neither may thâ—y invocate the name of execrable Bacchus when as they presse their grapes in winepresses neither pouring out wine in tubbes may they provoke laughter exercising those things through ignorance or vanity which proceed from the imposture of the Divel Those therefore who hereafter shall attempt any of these things that are written after they shall come to the knowledge of them if they be Clergy men we command them to be deposed and if Lay men to bee excommunicated Can. 65. Those bonefires that are kindled by certaine people on New moones before their shops and houses over which also they use ridiculously and foolishly to leape by a certaine ancient custome we command them from henceforth to cease Whoever therefore shall doe any such thing if he be a Clergy man let him be deposedâ— if a Lay man let him be excommunicated For in the fourth Booke of the Kings it is thus written And Manasses built an altar to all the hoast of heaven in the two courts of the Lords house and made his children to passe through the fire c. and walked in it that he might doe evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to wrath Canâ— 66. From the holy day of Christ our God his resurrection to the new Lords day the faithfull or Christians ought to spend the whole weeke in their Churches rejoycing without intermission in Christ in celebrating that feast with psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs not with dancing stage-playes dice tables or such like revel-rout addicting their mindes to the reading of the holy Scriptures and chearfully and richly enjoying the holy Sacraments For thus wee shall bee exalted with Christ and rise together with him By no meanes therefore on the foresaid dayes let there be any horse-race or any publike shewe or stage-playe made Can 71. Those who are taught civill lawes ought not to use Greeke manners or customes neither ought they to be brought into the theatre or to practise any playes called Cylistrae If any man shall presume to doe the contrary let him be excommunicated Can 100. Let thine eyes behold right things and keep thine heart with diligence is the command of wisdome For the senses of the body doe easily infuse their objects into the soule Therefore wee command that such pictures as dazell the eyes corrupt the minde and stirre up flames of filthy lusts be not henceforth made or printed upon any tearmes And if any shall attempt to doe it let him be deposed Some of these recited Canons as Canon 61 65 100. condemne all Bearehards Bearebaiting Bonefires and filthy pictures which Aristotle himselfe condemnes yet withall they oppugne Stage-playes ex obliquo there being betweene them and Playes so great analogie that the censure of one is the condemnation of the other But the other Canons are so punctuall so expresse against them that there can be no evasion from them The seventeenth Synodicall authority against Stage-playes is Synodus Francica under Pope Zachary Annâ— Dom. 742. which runnes thus Illas venationes et silvaticas vagationes cuÌ„ canibus omnibus servis Dei speaking of Clergie men interdicimus Similiter ut accipitres vel falcones non habeant Decrevimus quoque ut secundum Canones unusquisque Episcopus in sua parochia solicitudinem adhibeat adjuvante Graphione qui defensor Ecclesiae est ut populus Dei Paganias non faciat sed ut omnes spurcitiÌ„as gentilitatis abjiciat et respuat sive prophana sacrificia mortuorum sive sortilegos vel divinos c. sive hostias immolatitias quas stulti homines juxta Ecclesias ritu paganico faciunt sub nomine sanctorum martyrum vel confessoruÌ„ DeuÌ„ et suos sanctos ad iracundiam et vindictae gravitateÌ„ provocantes Sive illos sacrilegos ignes quos Nedfri vocant sive omnes quaecumque sunt PaganoruÌ„ observationes diligenter prohibeant We prohibit those huntings and silvaticall wandrings abroad with bounds to all the servants of God and likewise that they keepe neither hauâ—es nor falcons Wee decree also that according to the Canons every Bishop in his parish shall take care the Graphio or Curate who is defender of the Church assisting him that the people of God make no Pagan feasts or Enterludes but that they reject and abominate all the uncleannesses of gentilisme whether prophane sacrifices of the dead or fortune-tellers or diviners c. or immolated sacrifices which foolish men make near unto Churches after the Pagan manner provoking God and his Saints to wrath and vengeance And that they diligently inhibit those sacrilegious fires which they call Neâ—fri or boneâ—ires and all other observations of the Pagans whatsoever Which Canon is likewise ratified in Synodo Suessionensi sub Childerico Rege about the selfe same yeare wherein this Synode was held The eighteenth Play-oppugning Councell is Synodus Nicaena 2. Anno Dom. 785. or 787. in which there were present 350. or 377. Bishopsâ— as some record which Councell commonly reputed the 7. oecumenicall or universall Councell determines thus of Stage-playes Canon 22. Deo quidem universum dedicare et non proprijs voluntatibus servire res magna est Sive enim editis sive bibitis inquit divinus Apostolus omnia in Dei gloriam facite c. Cuâ—vis ergo homini necesse est comedere uâ— vivat et quibus est vita quidem matrimonij eâ— liberoruÌ„ et laici constitutionis immixtim comedere viros et mulieres est ab omni reprehensione alienum simodo ei qui dat nutrimentuÌ„ gratias agunt non cuÌ„ scenicis quibusdaÌ„ studijs sive sataâ—icis canticis et citharaedicis ac meretricijs vocibus quos prophetica execratio prosequitur sic diceÌ„s Vae qui cuÌ„ cythara et psalterio vinuÌ„ bibunt Domini auteÌ„ operâ— non respiciunt et opera manuiâ— ejus non consideranâ— Et sicubi tales fuerint inter Christianos corrigantur Can 22. Verily to dedicate
surfetting and drunkennesse from drinking of healths from riot from dice from immoderate expences and feasts following the institution of the olde Testament wherein the Ministers of the temple were prohibited wine and strong drinke lest their hearts should be overcome with drunkennesse that so their sence might be alwayes vigorous and thinne And the Apostle saith Be ye not drunken with wine wherin is excesse but be ye filled with the holy Ghost And againe Not in rioting and drunkennesse c. Heretofore so great honesty was required in the Clergy that it was not lawfull for them to bee present at marriage-feasts nor to intermixe themselves in Stage-playes and assemblies where amorous poems were sung or obscene motions of the body expressed either in dances or galliards lest the hearing and sight deputed to sacred mysteries should be polluted with the contagion of filthy spectacles and words What if that ancient Church should behold the taverne-haunting Clergy men of our times who as if they had no houses are tyed to Tavernes both night and day how would she detest this wickednes From henceforth therefore let no Clergy man not onely keepe no taverne or base victualling house but let him not so much as turne aside into tavernesâ— but in case of necessity otherwise canonicall punishments hang over his head who shal attempt to stampe such a brand of infamie upon his order Part 3. c. 26. That Stage-playes are not to bee brought into the Church Heretofore Stage-playes and Mummeries were brought into Churches by a most lewd example so that there needed a canonicall provision by which this most vile abuse might bee abolished which wee rejoyce that now as wee hope it is cast out of our dioces Part 5. cap. 6. Finally let parish priests be farre from all luxurie For Paul will have a parish priest to be sober not given to much wine and using wine rather for necessity than for pleasure Let a Bishops or Ministers house therefore know no riotous feasts let it abominate all drinking of Healths binding men to pledge them by equall cuppes which healthes an ancient English Councell at Oxford Anno 1222. hath long since solemnly condemned under paine of excommunication Let him repute it a most dishonest thing to enter into a taverne unles it be in case of necessity as if he had no house to eate and drinke in Briefly let him avoid all things which either disgrace or diminish his pastoral authority Part 9. c. 9 10. The people also is diligently to be admonished why holy dayes and especially the Lords day which hath beene alwayes famous in the Church from the Apostles times were instituted to wit that all might equally come together to heare the word of the Lord and likewise to heare and receive the holy Sacrament Briefly that they might apply their mindes to God alone and thâ—t they might be spent only in prayers hymnes psalmes and spirituall songs For this is to sanctifie the Sabboth Wherefore wee desire that on these dayes all Playes should be prohibited all victualling houses shut up all riot drunkennesse dishonest Playes dances fraught with frensies wicked discourses filthy songs briefly all luxurie to be avoided For by these things and that which for the most part followes them by blasphemies and perjuries the name of the Lord is profaned and the Sabbath which admonisheth us that wee should cease to doe ill and learne to do good is polluted So that if we beleeve this Councell Stage-playes dancing feasting and drinking are no fit holy-day or Lords-day exercises which should be wholly consecrated to Gods service The 39. is Synodus Heidelsheimensis Anno 1539. which doth thus expresse its resolution in our case Canon 14. Item ut Clericorum maximè beneficiatorum vita sit exemplaris et accepta universis Clericis beneficiatis in sacris et nostra diaecesi constitutis constitutione praesenti districtius inhibemus ne ludis taxillorum aut alijs levitatibus ac choreis hastiludijs torneamentis et alijs spectaculis publicis et prohibitis intersint aut talia exerceant prout poenas condignas in contra facientes facti exigente qualitate authoritate nostra infligendas voluerint evitare c. Vid. Ibidem Can 14. Moreover that the life of Clergy men especially of such who are beneficed may be exemplary and acceptable we strictly inhibit all beneficed Clergy men which are in orders within our diocesse by this present Canon that they be not present at any games at tables or at any other vanities dances tiltings torneies or other publike prohibited spectacles and that they practise not any of these themselves as they will avoid condigne punishments against the offenders the quality of the fact requiring it to be inflicted by our authority The 40. is Concilium Treverense Anno 1549. which in Cap De Moderandis Ferijs decrees as followeth Et si quis sive Clericus sive laicus in praenominatis celebribus festis compotationibus choreis ludis aut id genus lascivijs et levitatibus temerè aut contumaciter sese dederit aut immiscuerit ab Officialibus nostris arbitrariò pro modo delicti etiam brachij secularis auxilio si opus erit invocato puniri mandamus And if any whether a Clerk or lay man in the forenamed eminent festivalls shall rashly or contemptuously give himselfe to drunkennesse dances Playes or such like lasciviousnesse and lightnesse or shall intermixe himselfe with them we command that he be punished by our Officials as they shall thinke fit according to the measure of his offence calling in likewise if neede be the assistance of the secular power Which shewes how unseasonable Dancing Stage-playes and such other sports and pastimes are on Lords-dayes holy-dayes and other Christian festivals set apart onely and wholly for Gods worship and service not for such vanities and Playes as these as our owne Statutes as well as these recited Councels teach us The 41. is Synodus Augustensis Anno 1549. which excludes all Stage-players and Dice-players from the Sacrament Cap. 19. Item ne hoc praecellens Sacramentum aliqua afficiatur injuria et contemptu ex sanctorum Patrum decreto et institutione etiam infames omnes ab ejus perceptione prohibendi sunt Praestigiatores incantatores publicè rei et scurrae et qui ludis vacaÌ„t jure pontificio prohibitis itidemque scortae et â—enones ij inquam omnes ab Altaris Sacramento removendi sunt donec vita sua improba penitus abdicata irrogatam sibi poenitentiae mulctam persolverint Item ijs annumerandi sunt qui alearum lusui perpetuo vacant quibus non est porrigendum venerabile sacramentum donec inde abstineant Which accords well with Concilium Eliberinum Canon 79. Si quis fidelis alea id est tabula luserit placuit eum abstinere et si emendatus cessaverit post annum poterit communione reconciliari And with the 6. generall Councell of Constantinople 1 Can. 50. Nullum
by the selfesame reason argue that our Saviours passion did not relate à parte ante to save those beleevers who died before but only à parte post to redeeme such onely who departed after his incarnation which were blasphemy for to thinke since our Saviour was virtually and in destination though not actually a lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now that the Christian sabbath or Lords day begins at even and so ought to be sanctified from even to even not from morning to morning or from midnight to midnight which ecclesiasticall beginning of dayes we never find in Scripture or in any Ecclesiasticall Writers it is most apparant First because we reade of no other beginning or end of the sabbath in Scripture but this and to make it begin from the very houre or minute of our Saviours resurrection is to make it arbitrary and altogether uncertaine because the very houre and minute of his resurrection is not neither can it certainly be knowne Secondly because the sabbath being nothing else in proper speach but a day of rest it is most naturall and proper it should then begin when as God and man begin their rest and leave off their labour not when as they begin their worke but God began his rest at the end of the sixth day not on the morning or midnight of the seventh day and men begin their rest at evening not at midnight or morning Witnesse Psal. 104.22 23. The Sunne ariseth and man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour unto the evening and Iohn 9.4 I must worke the workes of him that sent me whiles it is called to day the night commeth when no man can worke therefore it is most consonant to reason and nature that it should begin at evening Thirdly this beginning of the Lords day on saturday at even doth best prepare Christians for the sanctification and duties of the Lords day For it makes them put a period to their labours in due time it disburdens them the sooner of their weekday imployments it causeth them to goe to bed sooner to rise earlier and to prepare themselves the better for the duties of the ensuing morning and upon this ground did the Church appoint Vigils and Evening Saturday service in ancient times that Christians laying aside all secular imployments and resorting then unto Gods publike worship might after the manner of the Iews who had their preparatioÌ„ of the sabbath the better prepare themselves for the sacred duties of the Lords day And hence perchance it is that we have seldome any Playes or Masques at Court upon saturday nights Lastly it is infallibly evident by the constant practise of the primitive Church who kept the Lords day onely froÌ„ evening to evening not from morning to morning as is evidenced not onely by the assemblies of the primitive Christians who met together before day-breake upon the Lords day to praise their Lord and Saviour Christ but by sundry Councels Fathers and Imperiall Constitutions To begin with Councels Survey we Concilium Tarraconense Can. 7. Surius Concil Tom. 2. p. 292. Matisconense 2. Can. 2. Ib. p. 683. Toletanum 4. Can. 8. Ib. p. 729. Constantinop 6. Can. 90. Ib. p. 1052. Foro-juliense Can. 13. Surius Tom. 3. p. 266. Turonicum 3. sub Carolo Magno Can. 40. Ib. p. 272. Concilium apud Compendium Apud Alexandr Alesium Summa Theolog. pars 3. Quaest 32. Artic. 2. p. 245. Synodus Francfordiana Anno Dom. 793. cap. 22. Concilium Moguntinum Anno 813. apud Iuonis Decreta pars 4. c. 16. Synodus Galonis et Simonis Legatoris An. 1212. Synodus Andegavensis An. 1282. All these expresly decree Vt dies Dominicus à vespera usque ad vesperam servetur Omnesdies Dominicos à vespera in vesperam omni veneratione decernimus observari et ab omni illicâ—to opere abstinere Nec aliquis à vespera dici Sabbathi usque ad vesperaÌ„ diei Dominicae ad molendina aquarâ— nec ad aliqua alia molere audeat c. So that by the expresse resolution of all these severall Councels whereof one is oecumenicall the Lords day ought to be kept onely from evening to evening and so to begin and end at evening If we peruse the Fathers we shall finde St. Augustine enjoyning Christians to celebrate the Lords day from evening to evening as the Iewes did celebrate their sabbath And that the Lords day and our Christian sabbath begins at evening not at morning or midnight it is the direct and punctuall verdict of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epist. 1. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 3. p. 81. A. to H. Of Theophilus Antiochenus Comment in Evangelia l. 1. Bib. Patr. Tom. 2. p. 153. C D. Of Gregory NysseÌ„ Oratio 1. 2. De Resurrect Christi p. 145 146 151â— 152. Of HieroÌ„ Com. in IonaÌ„ c. 2. ToÌ„ 5. p. 137. E. CoÌ„ in Mat. 12. v. 40. ToÌ„ 6. p. 22 23. of Leo Epist. Decret Epist. 81. c. 1. HRabanus Maurus Homil. De Dominicis Diebus Operum Tom. 5. p. 605. Chrysost. Hom. 5. in Genes Tom. 1. Col 26 B. Hom 82. in Matth Tom 2. Col 559. B. Theophylus Alexandrinus Epist Paschalis 3. Bibl Patrum Tom 4. p 723. G. Cassianus de Incarnatione Domini lib 5 Bibl Patr Tom 5. pars 2. p 81. F G. Anastatius Sianita Anagogicarum Contemplationum Hexaëm l. 2. Bibl Patr Tom 6â— pars 1 p. 634. E. Quaestionum lib Quaest 87. Ibid p 778. Quaest 152 153. Ibid p 794 795. Theophylact. in Matth 12. v 40. 28. v. 1. Anselmus in Matth 12. Tom. 1. p 60 61. in cap 28.1 p 116. Eusebius Gallicanus de Symbolo Hom 2. Bibl Patr Tom 5. parsâ— 1. p 554. G H. Paschatius Rhadbertus in Matth l 12. Bib. Pat Tom 9. pars 2. p 1230. Haymo Halberstattensis Homil. in Die Paschatis p. 7 8. Radulphus Tungrensis De Canonum observantia lib Propositio 23. Bibl Patr Tom 11. p 455. F G. Propositio 15. Ibid p 445. F G. Tom 14. p 242. B. C. Amalarius Fortunatus De Ecclesiasticis Officijs l 1. c 11. Bibl Patr Tom 9. pars 1. p 311. F. Honorius Augustodunensis De Imagine Mundi lib. 1. cap 27. Bibl Patr Tom 12. pars 1. p 947. H. De Antiquo ritu Miss lib 1. c 191. p 1047. F. Christianus Grammaticus Expositio in Matth Bibl Patr Tom 9. pars 1. p 941. D E. Zacharias Chrysopolitanus in unum ex quatuor lib. 4. c. 173. Bibl Patr Tom 12. pars 1. p 203 204. To which I may adde Gregorius 9. Decretal l. 2. Tit. 9. De Ferijs cap. 2. p. 595. Summa Angelica Tit. Dies sect 1. Constitutiones Symonis Islepe Archiepisc. Cantuariensis apud Gulielmum Lindwood Constit. Provinciales l. 2. Tit. de Ferijs fol. 74. B. Ioan. Aton fol 148. a. where he decreeth thus In primis sacruÌ„ diem dominicum ab hora diei Sabbati vespertina
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
labour t is unfit he should play He that hath no working time t is equall he should have no dancing time And yet how many are there now a-dayes who will needs intitle themselves to this time to dance though they professedly disclaime all times to mourne or worke How many are there that worke till they freeze and yet dance till they sweat that cannot worke or pray one houre in a day for sloath and yet can dance nimbly day and night all the weeke long that cannot walke twenty yards to Church on foot without the helpe of a Coach and yet will dance 40. Galliards or Carantoes five hundred paces long These indefatigable dancers who would rather die then worke and not live then live well need onely a time to worke which I wish they may find not a time to dance which they will be sure to gaine since they dance and play away all their time Wherefore since neither Labourers nor Loyterers have any need of dancing they have certainly no title to Salomons time of dancing and so both their dancing and arguments are out of season Since therefore it is infallibly evident by all these premises that our theatricall amorous mixt lascivious dancing is sinfull and unchristian at the least if not Heathenish and Diabolicall The Major of my precedent Syllogisme must be graÌ„ted which I shal here close up with that notable passage of Alexander Fabritius an ancient English though somewhat Popish Author who writes thus of Dancing The entring into the processions of dances hinders men from ingresse into the heavenly procession and those who dance especially upon Holy-dayes offend against all the Sacraments of the Church First against Baptisme in this that they breake the Covenant which they have entred into with God in baptisme where they have promised that they would renounce the Devill and all his Pompes but they enter into the pompous procession of the Devill when they dance For a dance as Gulielmus Parisiensis saith is the Devils procession Secondly dances offend against the Sacrament of Order For Clergie men who have received holy Orders take those orders that they may conveniently celebrate divine services in the Church of God but these vanities make divine Service to be contemned and neglected for those who ought to be present at Mattens and Vespers are oft-times present at these dances Thirdly they offend against the Sacrament of Matrimony for oft-times in dâ—nces by signes of wantonnesse vaine songs and unlawfull confabulations the faith of Matrimony is violated either in consent or worke Fourthly they sinne against the Sacrament of Confirmation for in the Sacrament of confirmation the signe of the Crosse is imprinted on their foreheads as being bought with the passion of Christ but in such dances the signe of the Crosse being cast away they place the signe of the Devill on their heads Fiftly they doe against the Sacrament of Pennance For in the Sacrament of repentance by which they were reconciled unto God they promised that they would never hereafter offend in the like kinde but in such vanities they plainely doe the contrary Sixtly they offend against the Sacrament of the Altar For on easter-Easter-day they receive the Sacrament of the Altar but immediately after they are like to Iudas the Traytor who when he had eaten at the Lords Table out of his owne Dish he went out presently after and tooke a band of Soldiers from the High-Priests and Pharises and came against Iesus as appeareth Iohn the 18. So these transgressing in the foresaid manner come directly against Iesus for when they are in a dance the procession of the Devill they are not with Iesus as himselfe saith Luke 11. he that is not with me is against me As Kings in Antumne and Summer are wont to goe forth to the Warres that they may take that from thâ—ir enemies which they have gained by their labour in Winter so the Devill the enemy of mankinde after Easter yea on Easter-day it selfe we may more truely affirme it on our Christmas and Whitson Holy-dayes gathers together an army of Dancers that he may take from the Sonnes and Servants of Christ who are his enemies their spirituall fruits which they have gathered together in the Lent-time Seventhly they offend against the Sacrament of extreme Vnction by which those who are sicke receive spirituall health but these wretches in their playes and dances doe often lose the healâ—h both of their bodies and their soules After this he compares all women-dancers especially such as are gorgeously attired and set out with costly array with painted faces with false haire shaven off from some dead womans scull with bead-tires of Gold of silver Pearles and precious Stones contrary to the Apostles precept which the Devill who rides upon such women hath set upon their heads as so many crownes of vaniâ—y for those many triumphes over the Sonnes of God which he hath gained by them to those locusts and tâ—at smoke which ascended out of the bottomlesse pit Apocalipse the 9. Advising all men out of Ecclesiasticus the 9. not to keepe company with a woman that is a Dancer not yet to hearken to her voyce lest they chance to perish by her snares and wishing all Christians to renounce all dancing as being thus opposite to all the Sacraments Thus much concerning dancing in probat of my Major in which I have the more inlarged my discourse both in respect of the neere affinity that is betweene Playes and Dancing and in regard of the universality of this lewde infamous exercise which overspreds our owne and other Nations whose commonnesse hath purchased it such credit such applause in this effeminate unchaste lascivious dissolute age wherein we live that most repute it a necessary ornament an essentiall commendable quality or vertue to make vp a Gentleman a Gentlewoman who are deemed incompleate at leastwise rude without it when as all the fore-quoted Councels Fathers Pagans and moderne Christian Authors with infinite others have thus branded censured it especially in the female sex who are now most devoted to it as a Diabolicall infernall effeminate unchristian wicked unchaste immodest heathenish pastime contrary to all Gods Commandements and Sacraments and as the very pomps of Satan which wee renounce in Baptisme which mee thinkes should now at last rectifie our depraved iudgements in this point of Dancing and reforme our lives For the Minor that Stage-playes are commonly attended with mixt effeminate amorous dancing it is most apparant not onely by our owne moderne experience but likewise by the copious testimony of sundry Pagan and Christian Writers of all sorts as namely of Polibius Historiae lib. 4. pag. 340. Of Livy Rom. Hist. lib. 7. sect 3. Of Dionysius Hallicarnasseus Antiqu. Lect. l. 7. sect 9. Of Plutarch Symposiacon lib 9. Quaest. 15. pag. 315.316 317. Of Athenaeus Dipnosophorum lib. 8. c. 12. p. 695. lib. 14. c. 3â— p. 980.981 c. 7. p. 990.
themselves as nigh as they could to the Curtesans to present them Pome-granates to play with their garments and waite on them home when the sport was done In the Play-houses at London it is the fashion of Youthes to goe first into the Yard and to carry their eye thorow every Gallery then like unto Ravens where they spy the Carrion thither they fly and presse as neere to the fairest as they can In stead of Pome-granats they give them Pippins they dally with their Garments to passe the time they minister talke upon all occasions either bring them home to their houses on small acquaintance or slip into Tavernes when the Playes are done He thinketh best of his painted Sheath and taketh himself for a â—olly fellow that is noted of most to be busiest with women in all such places This open corruption is a pricke in the eyes of them that see it and a thorne in the sides of the godly when they heare it This is a poyson to tâ—e beholdâ—rs and a Nursery of idlenesse to the Players Thus far Master Gossâ—r who in his Schoole of Abuse hath much more to this purpose The third of them is Master Iohn Brinsly an eminent worthy Divine who writes thus of Stage-playes But to passe over these also with all other unlawfull flockings and lewde sports upon the Sabbath by euery of which the worke of the Lord is hindred as every one must needs acknowledge What defence can we make for that concourse that is ordinary to those wanton Playes in such places even upon that day In which are the continuall sowings of all Athâ—isme and throwing the very firebraâ—ds of all filthy and noysome lusts into the hearts of poore simple soules the stirring up and blowing the â—oales of concupiscence to kindle and increase the fire thereof to breake out into an â—ideouâ— flâ—me untill it burne downe to Hell Aske but your owne hearts as in the presence of the Lord and you will need no further witnesse And how can it be otherwise how can you take these firebâ—ands of Hell into your bosomes and not be burnt Is not every filthy speech euery whorish gesture such a firebrand cast by Satan into the heart of every wanton beholder as a brand cast into a bundle of Tow or into a barrell of Gun-powder to set all on fire of a sudden Thyâ— proâ—ection is gone whosoever thou art that adventurest hither for thou art out of thy wayes These are not the wayes of the Lord and much lesse upon his Sabbath when thou shouldest be amongst his people and doing his worke where his Angels waite for thee his owne presence expects thee How then shouldest thou possibly escape when thoâ— wilt offer thy heart naked unto these fiery darts of Satan how canst thou thinke to be delivered from that flame in thy soule that fire in the infernall lake that river of brimstone that shall never be consumed nor quencâ—ed when thou wilt desperately cast thy selfe headlong into the middest thereof how can it be but that such must needs bring fagots and firebrands to set in the Gates of our Hierusalem The fourth of them is M. Robert Bolton a reverend learned Minister of our Church now living who writes thus of Stage-playes Lastly let those examine themselves at this marke who offer themselves to these sinfull occasions breeders of many strange and fearefull mischiâ—fes I meane prophane and obscene Playes Pardon me beloved I cannot passe by these abominable Spectacles without particular indignation For I have ever esteemed them since I had any understanding in the wayes of God the Grand â—mpoysoners of Grace ingenuousnesse and all manly resolution Greater plagues and infections to your soules then the contagious pestilence to your bodies The inexpiable staine and dishonor to this famous City The noysome Wormes thâ—t canker and blast the generous and noble Buds of this Land and doe by a slie and bewitching insinuation so empoyson all Seeds of Vertue and so weaken and emasculate all the operations of the soule with a prophane if not an unnaturall dissolutenesse that whereas they are planted in these worthy houses of Law to be fitted and enabled for great and honourable actions for the publike good and thâ— continuance of the glory and happinesse of this Kingdome they licentiously dissolve into wicked vanities and pleasures and all hope of ever doing good either unto God the Church their Country or owne soules melteth as the Winter Ice and floweth away as unprofiâ—able waters These infamous Spectacles are condemned by all kinde of sound learning both divine and humane Distinctions devised for their upholding and defence may gâ—ve some shallow and weake contentment to partiall and sensuall affections possest with preuidice but how shall they be able to satisâ—ie a conscience sensible of all appearance of evill How can they preserve the inclinablenesse of our corrupt nature from the inâ—ection of these SCHOOLES OF LEVVDNESSE AND SINCKâ—S OF ALL SINNE as to omit Divines Councels Fathers Moralists because the point is not directly incident even a Politician calls them Alas are not our wretched corruptions raging and fiery enough being left to themselves dispersed at their naturall liberty but they must be united at these accursed Theaters as in a hollow glasse to set on fire the whole body of our naturall viciousnesse at once and to câ—rage it further with lust fiercenesse and effeminatenesse beyond the compasse of nature Doth any man thinke it possible that the power of saving Grace or the pure Spirit of God can reside in his heart that willingly and with full consent feeds his inward concupiscence with such variety of sinfull vanities and lewd occasions which the Lord himselfe hath pronounced to be an abomination unto him how can any man that ever felt in his heart the love or feare of so dreadfull a Maiesty as the Lord of Heaven and Earth eâ—dure to be present especially with delight and contentment at Oathes Blasthemies Obscenities and the abusing sometimes of the most precious things in the Booke of God whereat we should tremble to most base and scurrill â—ests Certainely every Child of God is of a most noble and heroicke spirit and therefore is most impatient of heâ—ring any wrong indignity or dishonor offered to the Word Name or Glory of his Almighty Father c. Thus this grave reverend Divine in proofe of my Assumption If any man deeme all these or any of the foâ—e-quoted Fathers and Councels over-paâ—tiall in the case of Playes let him then attend unto some Pagan Authors who concurre in iudgement with them Not to recite the fore-mentioned Story of the Syracusian with his Boy and Trull who acting Bacchus and Ariadne as Xenophon relates it enflamed the fleshly lusts of all the Spectators in a strange excessive measure a sufficient expâ—riment to confirme my Minors â—ruth Aristotle himselfe records it That those who behold the motions and actions
with much murther and bloodshed in all ages these have caused the Husband to murther his Wife the Wife to poyson her Husband one Whore-master to murther his Corrivals to the selfe-same Strumpet yea these have caused unnaturall Mothers to murther their owne spuriâ—us Issues to conceale their lâ—wdnesse as Authors as our owne Statutes and experience teach us therefore they must needs be cryingâ— because they are bloody sinnes Fiftenthly they are such sinnes which offer an high indignity to the whole Trinity First to God the Father not onely in taking those bodies that are his which were made for himselfe alone not for fornication and giving them up as profâ—ssed instruments of sinne to lust to lewdnesse to Satan to all uncleanesse but likewise in contaminating oblitterating and casting dirt yea sinne upon his most holy Image stamped on them Secondly to Iesus Christ our Lord in taking those bodies which are his members purchased with his most precious blood that they might be preserved pure and chaste to him and making them the members of an Harlot Thirdly to God the holy Ghost in defiling those bodies which are the Temples of the holy Ghost which is in us who cannot indure any pollution especially in his Temples which should be alwayes holy as he is holy And who is there so desperately wicked that dares thus affront the whole Trinity it selfe by these cursed filthy sinnes Sixteenthly they are sinnes of which men very seldome repent A Whore saith Salomon is a deepe Ditch and a strange woman is a narrow Pit out of which men can hardly recover themselves None that goe into her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of Life And who then would ingage his soule upon such irrecoverable irrepenitable sins as these Seventeenthly these sinnes are the very high-way to Hell the beaten rode to eternall death the end of them is bitter as wormwood sharpe as a two-edged sword Wherefore Salomon exhorts his Sonne to remove his way farre from a strange woman and not to come nigh the doore of her house a place well worthy their observation who feare not for to run to Whore-houses or to cast themselves upon the temptations the enticements of Strumpets as too many doe For her house inclineth unto death and her pathes unto the dead her feet goe downe to death her steps take hold of hell her house is the way to hell going downe to the chambers of death None that goe into her returne againe neither take they hold of the path of Life Eighteenthly they are sinnes against the very bodies and soules of men Against the bodies of men as the Apostle witnesseth Flee fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body that is in defiling it in dishonouring it in impayring it in destroying it Against the soules of men as Salomon testifieth Who so saith he committeth adultery with an woman lacketh understanding he that doeth it destroyeth his owne soule And who would be so inhumanely so atheistically desperate as to destroy both soule and body for ever to enjoy the momentany bitter-sweetnesse of these filthy sinnes Nineteenthly they are sinnes which disable men to performe any holy duty acceptable to God Sinnes into which few fall but such as are abhorred of the Lord and given up to a reprobate sence to worke all wickednesse even with greâ—dinesse Sinnes which devoure to destruction and roote out all a mans increase Sinnes which cause the earth to rise up against men and the fire not blowne to devoâ—re them Sinnes which draw downe the temporall the eternall wrath of God upon the children of disobedience These were the sinnes that destroyed the old worldwith water which consumed the Citties of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven Which caused three and twenty thousand of the Isralites to fall in one day These were the sinnes that caused God in the yeere of our Lord 1583. even in our Citty of London to destroy with â—ire from Heaven two Cittizens the one leaving his Wife the other her owne Husband whiles they were in the very act of adultery on the Lords day their bodies being left dead and halfe burnt up for a Spectacle of Gods avenging Iustice unto others These are the sinnes but adultery and incest morâ— especially which God himselfe hath commanded to be punished with death yea with stoning to death the most vile and shamefulest death of all others Yea these are such sinnes that not onely the Iewes in ancient times but even meere Pagans from the very light of nature did punish with death it selfe Hence Dracâ— enacted that the adulterer taken in adultery might without any danger to the party be lawfully killed The selfe-same Law was enacted by Solon and Plato Hence Romulus among those lawes which he wrote in brasse and placed in the Capitol enacted That the convicted adulteresse should be put to death according as her husband or his friends should thinke meete Which act was afterwards confirmed by the Iulian Law Hence among the Lacedemonians it was lawfull for a man to kill him who was taken in adultery with his wife Hence the Corinthians used to drowne those who prostituted themselves to the lust of others The Vestel Virgins among the Romans bâ—ing convicted of fornication were buried alive In ancient Tiâ—es among the Turkes the adulterer and adulteresse were both stoned to death and at this day they are both most ignominiously punished The Arabians and Tenedians punish adultery with death reputing it a farre greater crime then periury or sacriledge and therefore worthy of a severer punishment The AEthiopians account adultery treason and therefore they make it capitall In Peru whoredome is punished with the death of both parties The Brasilians prosecute adultery with capitall hatred in so much that he whose wife is taken in adultery may lawfully kill her if he please The Indian Bramanes may lawfully poyson their uncâ—aste wives In old Saxony women who were convicted of adultery and ravishers of maides were first hanged and then burned In Sâ—aâ— adultery is death the Fathers of the Malefactors or the next Kinsmen being the Executioners In Palmaria adulterous Priests are punished with cruell death In Hispaniola unchaste Priests are either drowned or burnt Iâ— Bantam Mexico and China adultery is punished with death The Tartars taken in adultery are put to present death for feare of which they live very chaste If then the very judiciall Law of Moses together with these Heathens and Pagan Nations have deemed these sinnes capitall punishing adulterers and adulteresses with death as being the publike enemies of mankinde needs must these sinnes bee execrable yea dangerous unto Christians Twentiethly these sinnes are prejudiciall both to the Church and State
in defileing polluting dishonouring and troubling them with an uncleane degenerated spurious if not accursed ofspring who are no other but the very blemishes shames and infamy of Church of State of nature which all Lawes disinherit who were not to enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to their tenth generation Lastly these sinnes exclude men out of Heaven none that die in the guilt of them shall ever inherite the Kingdome of God or of Christ They cause God to iudge men in a more speciall manner Whoâ—e-mongers and Adultererâ— God will iudge They binde men over to the great Assises at the last day The Lord knoweth how to reserve the uniust unto the day of iudgement to be punished but chieâ—ly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleanesse And if all this bee not enough they plunge mens soules deepe in Hell for all eternity For the abominable and Whore-mâ—ngers and all uncleane persons shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for ever which is the second death Even as Sodome and Gomorra and the Citties about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffring the vengeance of eternall fire for these sinnes of theirs O then consider this all yee incontinent uncleane adulterous persons who forget God who leave the pathes of uprightnesse to walkâ— in the wayes of darkenesse lest he teare you in pieces lest he eternally condemne you to the endlesse flames of Hell for these your flames of lust and there be none to deliver you Since then it is evident by all these premises to the hearts the consciences of all men that adultery fornication uncleanesse are such abominable capitall deepe-dyed pernitious sinnes those Stage-playes which instigate or entise men to them foment men in them must needs bee execrably sinfull yea utterly unlawfull unto Christians so that my Major needs no further proofe For the Minor that Stage-playes are the immediate occasions the fomentations of much actuall adultery whoredome and unclenesse it is most apparantly evident First from their subject matter which being for the most part amorous scurrilous or obscene consisting of adulteries rapes incests whoredomes love-prankes sollicitations to incontinency meretricious ribaldrous songs and iests as I have already proved must needs inflame mens lusts and draw them on to actuall uncleanesse Since evill word which corrupt good manners are but a way a passage unto evill deeds a fire a fewell to adulterous lusts yea the very Chariot of whoredome of uncleanesse as the Fathers stile them Hence is it that Agrippa reputeth amorous Poets lascivious Historians the chiefest Panders in the world yea the very originall Fathers Tutors and chiefe Promoters of baudery and whoredome because their ribaldrous Poems their true their fabulous Histories of the adulteries loves and beastly lewdnesses of Idol-gods or lustfull men are but as so many Lectures to instruct so many allurements to entice so many guides to lead so many argâ—meâ—ts to perswade men to lechery and all actuall uncleanesse whatsoever Hence all ancient all moderne Expositors on the Commandements that ever I have leene have reduced scurrility ribaldry together with all amorous lascivious Poems speeches iests Histories Bookes and Stage-playes to the 7. Commandement as being the fire fewell fâ—mentations occasions of whoredome and adultery Yea hence is it that God himselfe prohibits all â—â—lthy communications all corrupt speeches all foolish talking and iesting which are not convenient together with the very naming of fornication and all uncleanesse as unbecomming Saints because they draw men on to these shamefull workes of darkenesse with which Christian are to have no fellowship If then obscene adulterous Poems fables Histories Ditties iests or speeches have such an attractive such a depraving power in them to draw men on to actuall lewdnesse much more must Stage-playes wherein the quintessence the confluence of all obscenity is pithily contracted emphatically expressed elegantly adorned rhetorically pronounced be more prevalently powerfull to draw men on to these grosse lecherous sinnes Whence Nilus an ancient Abbot adviseth all such who would avoyd the wounds of lust to abstaine from publike Stage-playes and to keepe themselves from them lest they should fall into their enemies hands and be drawne â—n to actuall lewdnesse Secondly my Minors truth is most evident from the very manner of acting Stage-playes and those whoredomes those adulteries personated in them Hee who shall but seriously consider those amorous smiles and wanton gestures those lascivious complements those lewde adulterous kisses and enbracements those lustfull dalliances those impudent immodest panderly passages those effeminate whorish lust-inflaming sollicitations those severall concurrences combinations conspirations of artificiall studied and more then Brothel-house obscenities those reall lively representations of the acts of venery which attend and set out Stage-playes must needs acknowledge that they are the very Schoolâ—s of bauderâ— the Tutors the occasions of reall whoredomes incests adulteries c. whence they were at the first â—onsecrated to Venus the Goddesse of whoredome and adultery the very Roman Theater being stiled THE TEMPLE OF VENVS as Tertullian writes in which whoredome and adultery were freely practised without controll The 6. Councell of Constantinople Can. 100. the Syâ—odâ— of Augusta Anno 1548. cap. 28. together with Clemens Alexandrinus Oratio Adhort ad Gentes fol. 8.9 Gregory Nyssen in his Vitae Moseos Eâ—arratio p. 503. Theodoret Contra Graecos Infideles lib. 3. De Angelis Deque Dijs ac Daemonibus malis Tom. 2. pag. 362.363 Mapheus Vegius De Liberorum Educatione lib. 1. cap. 15. with sundry moderne Divines in their Expositions on the 7. Commandement condemne all amorous wanton pictures of Courtesans and others which now are too to common as incendiaries to mens unruly lusts which draw them on to actuall lewdnesse Certainely if these livelesse pictures are so apt to ingenerate unchaste affections or to pricke men oâ— to whoredome and adâ—ltery much more will these amorous actions complements kisses and embracements these lively pictures these reall representations of adultery and uncleanesse in our Stage-playes doe it It is storied of Tiberius a monster of more then beastly obscenity that as he adorned his houses with lasciviâ—us pictures the better to excite his lâ—sts a practice much in use with many incontinent persons now of late so he caused others to defile one another before his face ut adspectu deficientes libidines excitaret that by this lewde beastly sight he might stirre up his owne decayed lusts The like I finde recorded of Tamerlan the great Scythian Warrier It is registred likewise of that man-monster Heliogabalus that he commanded Stage-players to commit those adulteries upon the Stage in truth which they formerly personated but in shew to quicken up his lusts to whoredome If then the
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
Playes of the Grecians and hasten unto Theaters desiring to be numbred among those who resorted thither and to be made partakers of filthy that I say not abominable words and spectacles neither doe they heare the Prophet Ieremy saying Lord I have not sate in the assembly of Players or Mockers but I was afraid at the sight of thy hand nor Iob who speakes the like words c. Clemens Alexandrinus in his 3. Booke of the Paedagâ—ge cap. 11. fol. 52.53 complaines That divers after they are departed from the Church laying aside that divine inspiration which was in it assimulate themselves to the company in which they are or rather laying aside the false and counterfeit visour of gravity they are found to be such as they were before unknowne to be and when as they have reverenced that Word which was spoken of God they leave it where they heard it running unto Play-houses the chaire of pestilence and delighting themselves abroade with wicked measures and amorous songs being filled with the noyse of pipes with clapping of hands with drunkennesse with all kinde of filth and dirt But whiles they chaunt and rechaunt this those who before did celebrate and extoll immortality doe at last wickedly sing that most pernicious palinody Let us eate and drindke for to morrow we shall die But they not to morrow but even now already are truely dead to God burying their dead that is interring themselves in death c. A dreadfull speech which I would our Dancers Play-haunters and voluptuous persons would lay neere their hearts Saint Augustine informes us That voluptuous Playes and Spectacles oft-times withdraw men from the Assemblies of the Church and that the whole Citty of Rome did with publike eyes and eares learnâ— those alluring criminous fables and those ignominious deeds which were wickedly and filthily fained of their Idol-gods and more filthily more wickedly committed by them neglecting in the meane time better things Saint Chrysostome in sundry of his Homilies complaines That men did oft-time leave the Church and runne to Playes preferring Stage-play-meetings before the Church Assemblies and chusing rather to see an Harlot or Player in the Theater then the Body and Blood of Christ himselfe in the Church Pope Leo the first laments That Stage-playes and unruly Spectacles were more frequented then the blessed solemnities of the Martyrs Saint Asterius in his Homily against the Feast of the Kalends complaines That many preferring their vaine Stage-playes pleasures and imployments absented themselves from the Church and holy Sermons on Festivals and Holi-dayes and on the Feast of Kalends Alas for griefe writes Cyril Arch-bishop of Alexandria very many among us Christians imitate this madnesse and dishonesty of the Iewes who upon Holi-dayes and solemne Festivals giving themselves over to dishonest Playes to drunkennesse to dancing or other vanities of the world when as they ought to serve God more diligently to frequent the Churches of God more earnestly to be instant in prayers and to be present at Ecclesiasticall duties doe then most of all provoke God with their most dissolute manners Is this O Christians to celebrate an holy day to pamper the belly and to let loose the reines to unlawfull pleasures If worke bee prohibited on Holi-days which must be used for the necessary sustenance of life that so you may the more intirely devote your selves to heavenly things are not those things then much more forbidden which cannot bee committed without sinne and great offenâ—e to God On dayes that are allowed for servile worke every one is intent upon his owne businesse and hee abstaines from drunkennesse pastimes and vanities But on Holi-dayes loe here the true genious picture of our present age men every where runne to the Ale-house to Playes to Enterludes and dances to the very derision of Gods Name and the prevarication of the day where as in truth the sinne is so much the more hainous by how much the more holy the time is in which it is committed Let them therefore repent and labour utterly to extirpate and pull up this tare which the envious man hath sowne in the Field of the Lord. Iohn Damascen out of Eusebius informes us That those who are endued with the feare of God long for the Lords day that so they may pray unto God and be made partakers of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But sluggish lasie persons looke for the Lords day for no other end but that being loosed from their worke they may give themselves over to their vices Now that I lie not the very things themselves doe make it credulous Walke forth upon any other day and thou shalt finde no man idle or playing Goe forth upon the Lords day and thou maiâ—t finde some playing upon and singing to the Harpe others shouting and dancing others sitting and reviling their neighbours others wrestling Doth the Preacher call to the Church all of them grow lasie and make delayes Doe the Harpe or Trumpet sound all of them presently runne as if they were winged We behold the Spectacles of the Church we see the Lord Christ lying on the Table the Ceraphyns singing a thrice holy song the words of the Gospell the presence of the holy Ghost the Prophets ecchoing the Angels singing Alleluia all things spirituall all things worthy salvation all things procuring the Kingdome of Heaven These things heares he that enters into the Church But what seeth he who runnes to Play-houses Diabolicall songs dancing Wenches or that I may speake more truely Girles tossed up and downe with the furies of the Devill A good discription of our dancing females For what doth this Dancerâ—sse She most impudently uncovers her head which Paul hath commanded to be alwayes covered Shee turnes about her necke the wrong way She througheth about her haire hither and thither Even these things verily are done by her whom the Devill hath possessed But the Fidler like a Devill conflicteth with woodden instruments Such verily was the feast of Herod The Daughter of Herodias entred in and danced and cut of the head of Iohn Baptist and obtained the subterraneous places of Hell for her inheritance Therefore those who love Charantoes and Dances have their portion with her Woe unto those who play upon the Harpe on the Lords day or doe any servile worke This day was allotted for the rest of servants and hirelings For this saith he is the day of the Lord let us reioyce and be glad therein c. Salvian is yet more punctuall to our purpose heare but his words for all the other Fathers We preferre saith he pastimes before the Curch of God We despise the Lords Table and honour Theaters Finally besides other things which prove the same this which I now say manifests it to be true For if it fall out as often it doth that at one and the same time an Holi-day be kept and common Playes proclaimed I demand of every mans conscience which
the vices were more then which they did commit then the sacrifices they did offer And trust mee I am of that opinion that the Lord is never so ill served as on the Holi-dayes For then Hell breakes loose Then wee permit Youth to have their swinge and when they are out of the sight of their Masters such government have they of themselves that what by ill company they meete withall and ill examples they learne at Playes I feare me I feare me their hearts are more allienated from virtue in two houres then againe may well be amended in a whole yeere Thus hee yea and thus M. Gosson M. Northbrooke M. Stubs M. Brinsly and others too tedious to transcribe together with the expresse words of the Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. which informes us That the holy keeping of the Lords-day in very many places of this Realme hath beene and now is prophaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people in exercising and frequenting Beare-bayting Bul-bayting Enterludes common Playes and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes neglecting Divine Service both in their owne Parishes and elsewhere All which concurrent testimonies are a suâ—ficient confirmation of this experimentall truth that Stage-playes avocate with-hold and keepe men from Gods worship house ordinances especially on Festivals Holi-dayes and those solemne times which should bee more peculiarly devoted to his service And no wonder that it should be so First because the vulgar people who are commonly inamored with childish pleasures and pompous vanities are exceedingly delighted with Enterludes and Stage-playes as Tully Horace Iuvenal Theodoricus Ovid with sundry others testifie they are as the Apostle speakes Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Gods presence Sacraments Temple Word and service are not so gratefull so delightfull to them as these No wonder therefore if they neglect the one which are but a yoke a wearisomnesse a paine a burthen to them to enjoy the sinfull pleaâ—ures of the other which are suitable to their vaine voluptuous humour Secondly because these Stage-play pleasures are the very chiefest baites the strongest the most prevailing Engins which the Devill hath to with-draw mens hearts from God They were so in former ages as Tertullian Cyprian Chrysostome Lactantius Augustine and Salvian teach us no wonder therefore if they bee so now Thirdly as Stage-playes thus with-draw men from Gods-service so they bring the Word the ordinances the worship Ministers and sincere service of God into contempt and scorne Witnesse Saint Chrysostome who expresly avers it That nothing brings the Oracles and Ordinances of God into so great contempt as the admiration and beholding of Stage-playes Hence Lactantius and Hierom informe us That those who are accustomed to rhetoricall Stage-playes to sweet polished Orations and Poems despise the plaine common phrase and humble stile of the Sâ—riptures as base and sordid seeking after that which may delight their senses Hence Gregory Nazianzen informes us That Stage-playes make men unfit to heare Gods Word and cause them to contemne it And that the Inhabitants of Constantinople who delighted much in Stage-playes accounted the Divine Mysteries and Oracles of God but a meere sport as they reputed their Stage-playes and Cirque-playes implying thereby that Play-haunters for the most part contemne Gods Word his ordinances and all spirituall things as meere toyes and trifles This truth is likewise confirmed by Saint Augustine Salvian with other Fathers and Councels in the two precedent clauses by Rodolphus Gualther one of the eminentest Divines that the reformed Churches have bred who records That Stage-playes and common Actors bring all Religion into contempt and that Plato banished them out of his Common-weale for this reason among others because they would breed a contempt of the Gods By the Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters by M. Gosson Master Northbrooke and M. Stubs in their Treatises against Playes by Master Brinsly in the third part of his True Watch. cap. 11. Abomination 30 pag. 302. and by sundry others too tedious to recite And doth not our owne experience suffragate to this truth Alas who more vilifie Gods ordinances or more slight his Word his Ministers his Servants then Players and Play-haunters who so atheistically irreligious so gracelesse so godlesse so negligent of all holy duties so little acquainted or inamored with Gods Word his worship his service as they Whence is it that men and women are lately growne so cold so heartlesse in religion so remisse so carelesse in all religious duties so regardlesse of Gods Word his Sacraments his service so lukewarme yea so frozen in their love to God his Saints his Ordinâ—nces it is not from their late extraordinary resort to Playes and Play-houses which is now more frequent then in former times For my owne part I can impute it originally to nought else but it Sure I am that religion is no where more scorned and jested at that religious men are never more traduced then on the Stage that there are no such Seminaries of atheisme irreligiousnesse blasphemy idolatry Heathenisme and prophanesse as Playes and Play-houses This the Authors in the precedent Acts doe fully testifie It is more then probable therefore that they are the primary fundamentall causes of this most desperate lewde effect Lastly Stage-playes make all the meanes of grace and salvation all the ordinances of God ineffectuall to mens soules Men heare men read pray receive the Sacraments and come to Church in vaine as long as they continue Actors or Spectators of Stage-playes This all the Fathers Councels moderne Christian Authors with the severall reasons alleaged in the three precedent particulars abundantly evidence revolue them and you shall finde it true Saint Chrysostome is punctuall to this purpose Wee lose saith hee all the labour all the fruit of our fasting whiles wee resort to Stage-playes yea wee reape no benefit at all from the Word of God What profit reape you whiles you goe from hence to the Theater I reprove you the Player corrupts you I apply medicines to your disease hee ministers the fewell and occasion of the diseaseâ— I extinguish the fire of nature hee kindles a flame of lust I build up and hee puls downe Yea hee plainely informes us that neither the Sacrament nor any other of Gods ordinances will doe men any good so long as they resort to Stage-playes Saint Augustine informes us of himselfe That as long as hee delighted in Stage-playes which did nourish irritate and foment his lusts God was not then his life and that his life was not a life but a death For Stage-playes writes hee are the very baites the snares the dens and chaines of the Devill wherewith he takes and reintraps the soules of those whom he hath formerly left Flie therefore Stage-playes O beloved the
Kings and great men and not to bee Actors or Spectators of vanity but wholy to lay aside such foolish Masques and Enterludes At Lions in France in the moneth of August in the yeere 1607. whiles the Iesuites were acting a prophane Play of Christs comming to Iudgement at the last day to the disgrace of true Religion the Lord from Heaven continued thunder and lightnings for two houres space together slew twelue of the Actors and Spectators presently and amazed all the rest with great terror and feare To passe from France to Rome Suetonius records that in Iulius Caesar his time there resorted such a multitude of people to Rome to behold his Stage-playes and Spectacles that most of the strangers were forced to lodge in the Villages adioyning in Tents there was oft-times very many people trod and crushed to death at these Playes by reason of the multitude and among them two Senators so tragicall and fatall were these Enterludes Dion Cassius records that in Pompey his time a Theater in Rome built for the acting of Syrian Enterludes was overturned with a sudden tempest to the death and destruction of many persons To passe by the memorable example of Gods avenging Iustice upon the Philistines and their Lords many thousands of them being crushed to death with the fall of their Dagons Temple which Samson pulled downe upon their heads whiles they were there feasting dancing and acting Playes before their Idoll Dagon and beholding Samson playing dancing and making sport before them like a Clowne in a Play they calling him out of the prison to that purpose From whence Arias Montanus well observes that it was the custome of the Philistines and other Idolaters to court their Idols with dances and Stage-playes on their solâ—mne Festivals their temples being built in such a manner that people might conveniently behold the dances and Stage-playes that were acted in them and thereupon hee iustly taxeth Christian Princes for exhibiting Playes and such like impure unchristian spectacles to the people and tolerating them in their Kingdomes they being unsuitable and pernicious unto Christian manners and altogether unlawfull unto Christians as originally consecrated unto Idols the very acting and beholding of them being odious unto God as this his iudgement on the Philistines proves Cornelius Tacitus and Paulus Orosius and out of them sundry others relate that about the eighth yeere of Tiberius his Raigne there were by the iust iudgement of God at least fifty thousand persons slaine and pressed to death at once with the fall of a Theater at Fidena in Italy which Theater was built by one Atilius whiles they were there beholding Sword-playes and such like Theatricall Enterludes the dolefulnesse of which bloody Tragedy and judgement seconded with a devouring fire which almost burnt up that City is at large described by Tacitus Ioannes Aventinus in his excellent Annals hath registred two memorable Examples for our present purpose The first of them hapned at Pisonium a City of Bavaria about the yeere of our Lord 1200. where divers people assembling together from all quarters to behold Enterludes and Cirque-playes above three hundred of them were there slame outright with thunder and hayle from Heaven The latter of them fell out in Rome it selfe upon the 15. day of October in the yeere of our Lord 1450 when Pope Nicholas the first solemnized his famous Iubily with secular Playes at which time fiue hundred and fifty persons comming to Rome to see these secular Enterludes which this Pope brought in contrary to the decrees of the Councell of Constance were drowned washed to death in the River Tiber the Bridge upon which they were being overturned with the waters To these I shall adde one Tragicall Story more which Gregory Nyssen in the life of Gregory the worker of miracles hath registred to posterity The Citizens of Caesarea and well might all the people of that Province accustomed to meet together at Caesarea once a yeere upon a publike solemne Festivall which they dedicated to a certaine Devill-Idol which that Country worshipped at which feast they alwayes celebrated some publike Stage-playes to the honour of this their Idoll and to delight the people It fortuned that the whole Country and City assembled thus together after their wonted manner when Saint Gregory was newly made Minister of that City and being thus assembled they presently flocked to the Theater which being filled with those who first hasted thither those who came after climbed up by troopes upon the Scaffolds that were built about it At last the crowde of the people who were very desirous to behold these Enterludes grew so great that they left no roome at all upon the Stage either for the Players or Musicians to act their parts whereupon the whole multitude cryed out to that Devill whose festivall they then solemnized with one united voyce O Iupiter make us roome Which Saint Gregory over-hearing hee presently sends one who stood by to the Theater to tell the people that that they should forth-with have more roome and ease then they desired No sooner was this message delivered to them lâ—ke a dolefull sentence passed against them but a devouring pestilence suddenly seised upon that great assembly which were there sporting and beholding Playes and presently a lamentation was mingled with their dancing in so much that their pleasures were turned into sorrowes and calamities and funerall dolefull Elegies one upon another were heard thorowoâ—t the City in stead of acclamations and musicke For as soone this pestilent disease had seised upon men opinion and conceit did propagate it the faster it consuming whole houses at once like a fire in so much that flying from their houses to their Temples for succour and recovery their very temples were even filled up with the carcases of such who there fell downe dead of this disease whose extremity was such that all the Cisternes Fountaines and pits of water neere the City were covered with the dead corps of such who resorted to them for to quench their thirst in so much that many went voluntarily to their graves to die there because the living were not sufficient to bury the dead Neither did this pestilence surprise men suddenly but a certaine Ghost or Spirit came first unto these houses over which destruction hovered and then certaine perdition followed after At last when the people came to know the cause of this their sicknesse they renounced their former Idolatrous sacrifices rites and Enterludes and resorting with their whole families to Saint Gregory they intreated him both to instruct them and to pray unto God for them that so they might escape this pestilence By which meanes they all abandoning their Idol-worship were drawne to the profession of Christs Name part of them being led as it were by the hand unto the truth by the disease that was then upon them others of them embracing the faith of Christ
96 Canon of the Councel of Africke here recited to which shall here referre you The tenth is Concilium Agathense in France Anno Domini 506. there being 35 Bishops present at it where this Canon was promulgated Canon 39. Presbyteri Diacones Subdiacones etiam alienarum nuptiarum evitent convivia Neâ— his caetibus immisceantur ubi amatoria cantantur et turpia aut obscaeni motus corporum choreis et saltationibus efferuntur ne auditus et obtutus sacris mysterijs deputati turpium spectaculorum atque verboruÌ„ contagione polluantur Can 39. Presbyters Deacons and Subdeacons ought to avoid the marriage feasts of other persons Neither may they be present in these assemblies where amorous and filthy things are sung or where obscene motions of the body are expressed in rounds or dances lest the hearing and sight deputed unto the holy mysteries should be defiled with the contagion of filthy Spectacles or Stage-playes and words Which Councellâ— as it prohibits Clergy men from beholding Playes or dancing so it also inhibits them from drunkennesse from keeping either haukes or hounds and from all scurrilous mirth or jesting under paine of excommunication and suspension The eleventh is Concilium Arelatense 3. in the yeare of our Saviour 524. subscribed by 15 Bishops where Ludi funebres or funerall Playes which were frequent among the ancient Romanes are thus condemned the reason of which condemnation trencheth upon Stage-playes Laici qui excubias funeris observant cum timore et tremore et reverentia hoc faciant Nullus ibi diabolica carmina presumat cantare nec joca nec saltationes facere quae Pagani docente Diabolo adinvenerunt Quis enim nesciat diabolicum esse et non solùm a Christiana religione alienum sed etiam humanae naturae esse contrarium ibi laetari cantare inebriari et cachinnis ora dissolvi et omni pietate et affectu charitatis postposito quasi de fraterna morte exultare ubi luctus et planctus slebilibus vocibus debuerat resonare pro amissione chari fratris c. Ideo talis inepta laetitia et pestifera cantica ex authoritate interdicta sunt Si quis autem cantare desiderat Kyrie eleison cantet si autem aliter omnino taceat Si autem tacere non vult in crastino à Presbytero taliter coërceatur ut alij timeant Lay men who observe funerall watches let them doe it with feare and trembling and reverence Let no man presume to sing there any diabolicall songs nor to make any Pastimes Playes or dances which the Pagans have invented by the Divels tutorship For who knoweth not that it is diabolicall and not onely farre from Christian religion but even contrary to humane nature to rejoyce to sing to be drunke and to laugh excessively there and laying aside all piety and affection of love as it were to be glad of his brothers death even there where as sorrow and mourning with dolefull sounds ought to be heard for the losse of a deare brother c. Therefore such foolish mirth and pestiferous songs ought to be prohibited by authority And if any man desire to sing let him sing Lord have mercy upon mee but if hee would sing otherwise let him holde his peace But if hee will not be silent let him the next day bee so chastised by the Presbyter that others may feare The twelfth is Concilium Veneticum about the yeare of our Lord 526. consisting of 8 Bishops wherein the forementioned 39 Canon of Concilium Agathense see pag. 578. is verbatim recited and ratified as the 11. Canon of this Councell The thirteenth is Concilium Toletanum 3. in Spaine Anno 617. subscribed by 72 Bishops where I finde this Canon registred which though it principally aimes at dancing and filthy ribâ—ldry songs yet it necessarily condemneth Stage-playes too which consist of scurrilous songs and dancing as I have largely proved in the premises Canon 23. Exterminanda omninò est irreligiosa consuetudo quam vulgus per saâ—ctorum solennitates agere consuevit Populi qui debent officia divina attendere saltationibus et turpious invigilant canâ—icis non solum sibi nocentes sed et religiosorum ossicijs Hoc etenim ut ab omni Hispania depellatur sacerdotum et judicum à concilio sancto curae coÌ„mittitur Can 23. That irreligious custome is altogether to be abandoned which the common people have used upon the festivals of the Saints The people who ought to attend divine offices addict themselves wholly to dancing and filthy songs not onely doing hurt to themselves but to the offices of religious persons That this custome may be driven out of all Spaine it is committed to the care of the Ministers and Iudges by this sacred Councell Which Canon was ratified by the publike Edict of King Reccaredus who punished the breach of it in rich men with the lâ—sse of the moity of their estates and the violation of it in the paorer sort with perpetuall exile The fourteenth is Concilium Antisiodorense in France Anno 614. subscribed by 45 Bishops Abbots and Presbyters wherein there are these severall Canons applicable to our present theame the first of which expresly condemnes the Pagan oâ—iginall of Playes the second the acting of them in Churches which the Papists used the third the acting or beholding of them by Clâ—rgie men Canon 1. Non licet Kalendis Ianuarij vecola aut cervolo facere vel strenas diabolicas observare sed in ipsa die sic omnia officia tribuantur sicut et reliquis diebus Canon 9. Non licet in Ecclesia choros secularium vel puellarum cantica exercere nec convivia praeparare quia scriptum est Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur Canon 40. Non licet Presbytero inter epulas cantare vel saltare Can 1. It is not lawfull in the Kalends of Ianuary to make any bonefires or filthy Playes or to observe any diabolical New-yeares gifts but let all offices be so performed on this day as they are upon other dayes Can. 9. It is not lawfull for Quires of secular men or girles to sing songs or provide banquets in the Church for it is written My house shall bee called an house of prayer Can. 40. It is not lawfull for an Elder to sing or dance at feasts The fifteenth is Capitula Graecarum Synodorum collected by Martin Bishop of Bracara Anno Dom 610. in which we have these two Canons Canon 59. Non licet sacerdotibus vel clericis aliqua spectacula in nuptijs vel in coâ—vivijs spectare sed oporteat antequam ingrediuntur ipsa spectacula surgere et redire inde Canon 73. Non liceat iniquas observationes agere Kalendarum et ocijs vacare gentilibusâ— neque lauro aut viriditate arborum cingere domos Omnis enim haec observatio Paganismi est Can. 59. It is not lawfull for Ministers or Clergy men to beholde
quod divinum officiuÌ„ impediunt et populum reddunt indevotuÌ„ Nos hanc corruptelam sacro approbante Concilio revocantes hujusmodi larvas ludos monstra spectacula figmenta et tumultuationes fieri carmina quoque turpia et sermones illicitos dici tam in Metropolitanis quaÌ„ in Cathedralibus caeterisque nostrae provinciae Ecclesijs dum divina celebrantur praesentiuÌ„ serie omnino prohibemus â—tatuentes nihilominus ut Clerici qui praemissa ludibria et inhonesta figmenta officijs divinis immiscuerint aut immisceri permiserint si in praefatis Metropolitanis seu Cathedralibus Ecclesijs beneficiati extiterint eo ipso per mensâ—m porâ—ionibus suis mulctentur si verò in parochialibus fuerint beneficiati triginta et si beneficiati non fuerint quindeceÌ„ regaliuÌ„ poenam incurrant fabricis EcclesiaruÌ„ et testi Synodali aequaliter applicandam Per hoc tamen honestas repraesentationes et devotas quae populum ad devotioneÌ„ movent tà m in praefatis diebus quaÌ„ in alijs non intendimus prohibere Because in the time wherein by the Decrees of holy Canons the solemnizing of marriages and carnall copulation are prohibited it falls out for the most part that some lay men marrie and use carnall copulation and thereupon make publicke feasts tumults and dances prohibited at marriages by sundry forerecited CouÌ„cels and solemnly celebrate their nuptialls with Stage-players and so for the most part walke unto the Churches Wee desiring to abolish this pernicious custome the holy Councell approving it prohibit such commixtures tumults dances Playes c. to be hereafter made c. So that Stage-plaies Masques Mummeries and dances are altogether unlawfull at Mariages by this Councels verdict All filthinesse is worthily to bee abandoned from the Church But because as well in Metropolitan as in Cathedrall and other Churches of our Diocesse there hath a custome growne that even in the feasts of our Lord Iesus Christs Nativity and of St. Stephen Iohn Innocents and other certain holy dayes yea in the solemnities of new Masses whiles divine things are doing Stageplayes mummeries monsters spectacles as also very many dishonest and various fictions are brought into the Churches as also tumults and filthy songs and scoffing speeches are uttered so that they hinder divine service and make the people undevout Wee repealing this corruption by the approbation of this holy Councell doe by the contents of these presents utterly prohibit these disguised Playes monsters spectacles fictions and tumults to be made and likewise all filthy verses and unlawfull speeches to be uttered as well in Metropolitan as in Cathedrall and other Churches of our province whiles divine things are celebrating ordaining neverthelesse that Clergie men who shall intermixe the foresaid Playes and dishonest figments with divine offices or suffer them to be intermixed if they shall be beneficed in the said Metropolitane or Collegiate Churches shall for this cause and this offence forfeit their pentions for a moneth but if they are beneficed in Parish Churches they shall incurre the penalty of thirty and if they are not beneficed of fifteene royalls to be equally bestowed upon the fabrickes of Churches and the Chapter house But yet by this wee intend not to prohibit honest and devout representations which stirre up the people to devotion either on the foresaid dayes or others Which last clause extends not to authorize any publike or private Stage-playes either on the stage or else where but onely to those representations of our Saviours passion or the Legends and Martyrdomes of such Saints as the Priests did use to personate in their Churches on festivall and solemne dayes Which shewes and representations were afterwards particularly prohibited condemned by the Councels of Millaine Mogunce and others before and after recorded though the Papists still retaine them to their eternall inâ—amie The 34. is Synodus Senonensis Anno 1524. in which these Canons were enacted Quoniam refrigescente nunc Christicolarum devotione intelleximus ex nimia festorum multiplicatione populum ocio et vaniloquio illis diebus deditum ebrietatibus commessationibus ludis et lascivijs magâ—s quà m rei divinae orationibus et contemplationibus vacare c. Moneant itaque Ecclesiarum rectores suos parochianos ut illis diebus easdem Ecclesias frâ—quentent orationibus insistant Deum et Sanctos quoâ—um solennia aguntur pia mente et devoto affectu venerentur et colant verbum Domini seu praedicationes vigilanter et attentè audiant Cessent his diebus ludi choreae commessationes ebrietates vaniloquia lasciviae ab omni vitio abstineatur c. Which are no fit holy-day exercises and recreations if this Councel erre not Non solum omnem alearum taxillorum et sortis ludum aut interesse dictis interdictum Clericis esse constitutionis Concilij generalis denunciamus prout eisdem autoritate dicti Concilij interdicimus sed et turpes plausus cachinnos risus inconditos larvales et theatrales jocos et tripudia et his similia ludibria nec non omnem alium ludum per quem Ecclesiae honestas inquinari potest praedictis Clericis prohibemus Non immisceantur caetibus ubi amatoria cantantur et turpia ubi obâ—scaeni motus corporis choreis et saltibus efferuntur ne Clerici qui sacris mysterijs deputati sunt turpium spectaculorum atque verborum contagione polluantur Because the devotion of Christians now waxing cold we have understood through the multiplication of holydayes that the people given to idlenesse and vaine discourse doe in these dayes addict themselves more to drunkennesse surfetting Playes and wantonnesse than to divine things prayers and contâ—mplations c. Therâ—fore let the rectors of Churches admonish their Parishioners that on those dayes they frequent their Churches and be instant in prayers that they reverence and worship God and the Saints whose solâ—mnities are observed with a pious minde and devout affection that they vigilantly and attentively heare the word of the Lord and preaching Let Playes dances surfetting drunkennes idle discourses lasciviousnesse cease on these dayes and let there be an abstinence from all vice c. We denounce not onely all Playes of dice tables and lot or to be present at them to be inhibited Clergy men by the constitution of a generall Councell as we forbid them by the authority of the said Councell but wee likewise prohibit the aforesaid Clergy men all unseemely applauses cachinnations uncivill laughter disguised and theatricall Playes and dances with all such ridiculous Enterludes and likewise all other Pastimes by which the honestie of the Church may be defiled They may not mix themselves with such assemblies where amorous and filthy things are sung where obscene motions of the body are expressed in dances and galliards lest Clergy men who are devoted to holy mysteries should bee polluted with the contagion of filthy Spectacles and words Which reason extends as well to the Laity as the Clergie since filthy Spectacles and words
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
inchoandum 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 theÌ„ 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 Lastlyâ— it is evidently resolved by the foregoing Councelsâ— 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-playâ—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 themselveâ— 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 froÌ„ 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 â—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
harboured or beheld them heretofore But likewise the patterns of Constantine Theodosius Leo Anthemius Iustinian Valentinian Valens Gratian Charles the Great Theodoricus Henry the 3. Emperour of that name Philip Augustus King of France our famous Queen Elizabeth her Counsel with our London Magistrates and Vniversities in her raigne who all suppressed inhibited Stage-playes Sword-playes and Actors as unsufferable mischiefes in any Christian State or City To these I might adde Lodovicus the Emperour who by his publike Edicts agreeing verbatim with the the 7. 8. forequoted Canons of Synodus Turonâ—nsis 3. p. 589 590. inhibited all Ministers all Clergy men from Stage-playes hunting hauking c. Together with Charles the 9. and Henry 3. of France who by their solemne Lawes and Edicts prohibited all Stage-playes all dancing on Lords-dayes or other solemne annuall festivals â—nder paine of imprisonâ—ment and other penalties to be inflicted by the Magistrates and our owne most gracious Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES who together with the whole Court of Parliament in the first yeare of his Hignesse Raigne enacted this most pious Play-condemning Law intituled An Act for publishing of divers abuses committed on the Lords day called Sunday Forasmuch as there is nothing more acceptable to God than the true and sincere worship of him according to his holy will and that the holy keeping of the Lords day is a principall part of the true service of God which in very many places of this Realme hath beene and now is profaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people in exercising and frequenting Beare-baiting Bull-baiting ENTERLVDES COMMON PLAYES and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes upon the Lords day And for that many quarrells bloodsheds and other great inconveniences have growne by the resort and concourse of people going out of their owne parishes to such disordered and unlawfull exercises and pastimes neglecting Devine service both in their owne parishes and elsewhere Be it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after 40 dayes next after the end of this Session of Parliament assembled there shall be no meetings assemblies or concourse of people out of their owne parishes on the Lords day within this Realme of England or any the Dominions thereof for any sports or pastimes whatsoever nor any Bull-baiting Beare-baiting ENTERLVDES COMMON PLAYES or other unlawfull exercises or pastimes used by any person or persons within their owne parishes and that every person or persons offending in any the premises shall forfeit for every offence 3 shillings 4 pence the same to be employed and converted to the use of the poore of the Parish where such offences shall be committed And that any one Iustice of the peace of the Countyâ— or the chiefe Officer or Officers of any Citie Borough or Towne Corporate where such offence shall be comitted upon his or their view or confession of the partie or proofe of any one or more witnesse by oath which the said Iustice or chiefe Officer or Officers by vertue of this act shall havâ— authority to minister shall finde any person offending in the premises the said Iustice or chiefe Officer or Officers shall give warrant under his or their hand and seale to the Constables or Church-wardens of the Parish or Parishes where such offence shall bee committed to levie the said penalty so to bee assessed by way of distresse and sale of the goods of every such offendor rendring to the said offendors the overplus of the monie raised of the said goods so to be solde And in default of such distresse that the party offending be seâ— publikely in the stockes by the space of three houres Which Act being to continue unto the end of the first Session of the next ParliameÌ„t only was since recontinued by the Statute of 3. Caroli cap. 4. and so it remaineth still in force So that if it were as diligently executed as it was piously enacted it would suppresse many great abuses both within the letter and intent which is very large that are yet continuing among us to Gods dishonour and good Christians griefe in too many places of our Kingdome which our Iustices our inferiour Magistrates might soone reforme would they but set themselves seriously about it as some here and there have done If then all these Pagan these Christian Nations Republickes Emperors Princes Magistrates have thus abandoned censured suppressed Playes and Players from time to time as most intollerable pernicious eviâ—s in any State or City how can how dare we now to justify theÌ„ as harmelesse coÌ„mendable or usefull recreations What are we wiser are we better than all these Pagan Sages than all these judicious Christian Worthies who have thus abandoned suppressed Playes and Actors out of a long experimentall knowledge of their many vitious lewd effects Or are we ashamed to be like our ancestors in judgement in opinion as wee are in tonsure complement habit and attire in this age of Novelties which likes of nothing that is old or common though such things commonly are the best of all that wee thus undervalue the resolutions of all former ages in this caâ—e of Playes and Players preferring our owne wits and lusts before themâ— O let us ashamed now at last to countenance to pleade for that which the very best the wisest Heathen yea Christian Nations States and Magistrates of all sorts have thus branded and cast out as lewd as vitious as abominable in the very highest degree let us now submit our judgments our practise lusts and foolish fansies to their deliberate mature experimentall censures abominating condemning Playes and Players if not exiling them our Cities coasts and Countrey as all these have done arming our selves with peremptory resolutions against all future Stage-playes with this 52 Play-oppugning Syllogisme with which I shall terminate this Scene That which the ancient Lacedemonians Athenians Graecians Romans Germanes Massilienses Barbarians Gothes and Vandalsâ— the whole Iewish Nation of old divers Christian Countries and Citties since together with many Pagan many Christian Republickes Magistrates Emperours Princes in severall ages and places have censured abandoned rejected suppressed as a most pernicious evill as a very seminary of all vice and wickednesse must certainly be sinfull execrable and altogether unlawfull unto Christians Witnesse Rom. 13.6 c. 13.1 to 8. 1 Pet. 2.13 14. But such is the case and condition of Stage-playes as the premises and Act. 6. Scene 5. c. most plentifully evidence Therefore they must certainly be sinfull execrable and altogether unlawfull unto Christians CHORVS YOV have seene now Courteous Readers 7 severall Squadrons of unanswerable Authorities encountering Stage-playes and Actors and giving them such an onset as I hope will put them with their Patrons quite to route so that they shall never be able to make head againe their forces
but in all the quarters of the world Or as others of them paraphrase it They were made a wonderment a laughing-stocke to uncleane spirits and to the wicked of the world who rejoyced at their miseries their torments being glad to see them drawne to the place of execution called Theatrum a Theatre where the innocent Martyrs for the most part suffered in the view of all the people as our Traytors usually suffer on a Stage or scaffold erected for that purpose both which expositions some good Interpreters have conjoyned yet this no wayes justifies but oppugnes our Stage-playes For first the Apostles did not make themselves a voluntary Spectacle as all Players doe but they were made Spectacles by others Secondly they were no Spectacles of lasciviousnesse vanitie follie mirth or wickednesse as Plaies and Plaiers are but of grace of faith of pietie patience constancy martyrdome and the like which Plaies and Plaiers are not Thirdly they were Spectacles of Gods owne institution they being appointed called destinated to their sufferings by God himselfe whereas Plaies and Actors are Spectacles not of Gods but of the very Divels owne invention and appointment Fourthly they were memorable publike Spectacles of admiration of imitation both to the world to Angels and to men Playes Players and Play-haunters were yet never such Fifthly they were reall not hypocriticall histrionicall personated Spectacles consisting of representations onely as all Playes and Actors are Sixthly they were Spectacles appointed onely unto death not to laughter Spectacles of passion of compassion not of mirth and pleasure Spectacles onely at a stake appointed unto martyrdome not on a stage to stir up laughter Spectacles they were which the very Angels and Saints applauded not condemned which Divels and wicked men derided persecuted not applauded Spectacles which were the crowne the honour not the reproach and infamy of Christianity as Playes and Players are therefore they give no colour no approbation to our Play-house Spectacles with which they have no Analogie but this alone that as the chiefe agents in the Apostles and Martyrs tortures were desperate wicked men envenomed enraged with bitter rancor against all grace all goodnesse even such are the common Actors and Abetters of our theatricall Enterludes All the argument then that our Play-patrons can collect from hence is from the allusion which the Apostle hath to Theatres to Spectacles which being an allusion onely to the spectacle of a Martyr at the stake or of a malefactor at the place of execution as all Expositors accord not to a Play or Enterlude on a Stage subverts their very foundation and takes them off from this their hold in which they had most repose But admit it were an allusion to a Play-house Theatre yet as theeves can never justifie their stealing nor uâ—urers their usurie to be lawfull because the Scripture saith that Christ that the day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night and that he will require his owne with usurie no more can our Play-champions conclude from hence that Stage-playes are warrantable or lawfull among Christians because St. Paul by way of similitude writes thus of himselfe and his fellow-Apostles Wee are made a Theatre or Spectacle to the world unto Angels and to men These two maine Scriptures being thus fully vindicated from our Play-proctors wrestings the other will fall away of themselves there being no analogie at all betweene a race and a Stage-play an horse or chariot for warre and a Comedie for sport I shall therefore answer them all together in St. Cyprians words In this place I may say that it had beene better for these Objectors never to have knowne the Scriptures than thus to reade and wrest them For these words and examples which are laid downe as exhortations to evangelicall vertue are translated into apologies for vice For these things are written not that they should be gazed upon but that a more earnest vehemency should be stirred up in our minds in profitable things whiles there is so great a diligence in Ethnickes in unprofitable things It is an argument therefore of exciting vertue not a permission or libertie of beholding the Gentiles error that by this the minde may be more enflamed to evangelicall vertue by divine rewards when as men must passe through the miserie of all toyles and griefes before they can come to terrene emoluments That Elias is the horseman or charioter of Israel it yeelds no patronage to the beholding of Cirque-playes for he never ranne in any Circus That David danced in the sight of God it no wayes availes nor justifieth the sitting of faithfull Christians in the Theatre for by distorting none of his members with obscene motions hee hath ended the dance and put a period to the Play of Graecian lust His Lute his trumpets flutes and harpes have resounded Gods praises not an Idols It is not therefore hence determined that unlawfull things may be looked on those lawfull things by the Divels cunning being now changed from holy into unholy things Let shame therefore instruct or restraine these men although the holy Scriptures cannot doe it For is it not a shame is it not a shame I say for faithfull men who challenge to themselves the name of Christians to justifie the vaine superstitions of the Gentiles intermixed with their Stage-playes out of the sacred Scriptures and to give authority to Idolatry For when that which is done by Ethnickes to the honour of any Idol is frequented by Christians in a Stage-play both heathen idolatry is maintained and in contumely of God true religion is trod under foote This is St. Cyprians answer to the objected Scriptures and with it I rest SCENA SECVNDA THe second Objection in defence of Playes is this That they are innoxious pleasant honest laudable recreations which the ancient Greekes and Romans not onely tollerated but applauded therefore they are tollerable among Christians Not no answer this objection with that exclamation of Volateranus in this very case of Playes Sed quid nunc de faece hujus saeculi dicam quum virtutem ac gloriam veterum imitari nullo pacto valeamus vitia tamen omni studio imitamur Iam scena ubique renovata est ubique comâ—dias spectaâ— uterque sexus quodque longe impudentius ipsi Sacerdotes et praesules quorum erat officium omnino prohibere Multo igitur severiores in hac parte Graeci qui omnes suos comicos jamdiu aboluerunt propter unum Aristophanem quamvis moribus miâ—ime officeret I answer first that Playes are no harmelesse honest or laudable recreations as all the premised Authorities and this whole treatise prove at large this objection therefore is but a begging of the cause in question Secondly I answer that although some Pagan Greekes and Romanes approved Stage-playes at the first in lewd and dissolute times yet at last after long experience of
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
colit peccat quoniam homini mortuo defert divinitatis obsequium Inde est quod ait Apostolus Dies observatis et menses et tempora et annos timeo ne sine causa laboravero in vobis Observavit enim diem et mensem qui his diebus aut jejunavit aut ad Ecclesiam non processit Observavit diem qui hesterno die non processit ad Ecclesiam processit ad campum Ergo Fratres omni studio Gentilium festivitatem et fâ—rias declinemus ut quando illi epulantur et laetâ— sunt tunc nos simus sobrij aâ—que jejuni quo intelligant laetitiam suam nostra abstinentia condemnari Illi habeant mare in theatro nos habeamus portum in Christo. If then our Saviours Nativitie ought thus to be celebrated by us if all drunkennesse epicurisme health-quaffing dancing dicing Enterludes Playes lascivioâ—snesse pride and pagan customes must now be laid aside if all kinde of sinne and wickednesse whatsoever must now be banished our bodies soules and houses if our soules must now especially be cleansed by repentance from all their spirituall filâ—hinesse adorned beautified with every Christian grace and made such holy spirituall Temples that Christ the King of glory may come and dwell within them if nought but holinesse temperance sobriety and devotion must now be found within us yea if fasting and abstinence must now be practised as all these Fathers teach us let us now at last for very shame abandon all those bacchanalian infernall Christmas disorders Enterludes sports and pastimes which now overspread the world as diametrally contrary not onely to Christians but to our Saviours Nativitie which they most desperately dishonour and prophane And if there be any such deboist ones left among us as alas there are too too many every where who will still support and pleade for these abominable Christmas excesses not onely in despite of God of Christ of Angels Fathers Councels and godly Christians who condemne theÌ„ but even of our owne pious Statute viz. 5. 6. Ed. 6. cap. 3. Which expresly enjoynes menâ— even in the Christmas holy-holy-dayes as well as others to cease from all other kinde of labour and to apply themselves ONELY AND WHOLLY to laâ—d and praise the Lord to resort and heare Gods word to come to the holy Communion to heare to learne and to remember almighty Gods great benefits his manifold mereies his inestimable gracious goodnesse so plentifully powred upon all his creatures and that of his infinite and unspeakable goodnesse without any mans desert and in remembrance hereof to render him most high and hearty thankes with prayers and supplications for the reliefe of all their daily necessities because these holy-dayes are separated from all prophane uses and sanctified and hallowed dedicated and appointed noâ— to any Saint or creature but onely unto God and his true worship Which Statute excludes all Stage-plaies Masques dancing dicing and such other Christmas outrages from this sacred festivall it being separated from all prophane uses and onely and wholly devoted to Gods worship and the forenamed duties of religion which are inconsistent with them If there be any such I say as these within our Church I only wish them banished into Nelewki in Moscovia every Christmas where if we beleeve Guagninus all Moschovites are prohibited to health to be drunke or to keepe revel-rout except onely in the Christmas Easter Whitsontide and certaine other solemne feasts of Saints especially of St. Nicholas their Patron and the festivities of the Virgin Mary Peter and Iohn on which like men let out of prison they honour Bacchus more than God or these their Saints healthing and quaffing downe sundry sorts of liquors so long till they are as drunke as swine and then they fall to roaring shouting quarrelling abusing and from thence to wounding stabbing and murthering one another Insomuch that if this drunkennesse and disorder were permitted every day they would utterly destroy one another with mutuall slaughters This is the Moschovites Christmas-keeping who have liberty granted them to be drunke all Christmas yea these are their drunken fatall ends which if our Christmas roaring boyes affect they may doe well to keepe their Christmas commons with these beastly drunken swine where strangers have libertie to be drunke to carouze health even all Christmas at all times else But let all who have any sparkes of sobriety temperance or grace within them abominate these unchristian Christmas extravagancies passing all the time of their sojourning here in feare concluding with that speech of holy Peter The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles and to have walked in lasciviousnesse lusts excesse of wine and riot revellings banquettings abominable idolatries bacchanalian Christmas pastimeâ— and disorders And thereupon resolving to purge out all this old leaven of dancing dicing healthing Playes and riot that so they may be a new lumpe because Christ their Passeover is now sacrificed for them casting away all these workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light walking honestly as in the day especially in the dayes of Christs Nativitie not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnes strife and envying no nor yet in dancing dicing carding Stageplayes MuÌ„meries Masques and such like heathenish practises which are altogether unsuitable for Christians especially at such sacred times as these as sundry forequoted Councels have resolved but putting on the Lord Iesus Christ who about this time put on our nature as wee must now put on his grace his holinesse and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof So shall wee celebrate our Saviours Nativity and all other Christian Festivals with which Stage-playes are altogether inconsistent both to our Saviours honour our owne present comfort and our eternall future joy For the third part of the Objection that Stage-playes are necessary to recreate and delight the people I answer first that there are many other farre better easier and cheaper recreations void of all offence with which the people may seasonably delight themselves therefore they neede not these lewd superfluous costly Enterludes to sport themselves withall Secondly wee see that people live best of all without them There are many Nations in the world who never knew what Stage-playes meant yea there are sundry shires and Citties in our Kingdome where Players who for the most part harbour about London where they have only constant standing Play-houses never come to make them sport and yet they never complaine for want of pleasures or these unnecessary Stage-delights The most the best of men live happily live comfortably without them yea farre more pleasantly than those who most frequent them Therefore they are no such necessary pastimes but that they may well be spared Thirdly there are none so much addicted to Stage-playes but when they goe unto places where they cannot
performe 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 suâ—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 â—uch among us which walke among you disorderly not working at all but are buste-bodies Now them that are such weâ— command and exhort by our Lord Iesus that with quieâ—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 Psalmesâ— and Hymnes and spirituall Songs to Godâ— 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 exiguoâ— 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 quà m 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
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
ought to be deprived of all sacred Orders and preferments as the precedent Councels and Canonists witnesse But how ever such Actors chance to escape all humane penalties here let them remember that they shall surely undergoe the everlasting censure of the Great Shepheard of the Sheep Christ Iesus hereafter and let this for ever disswade them from this ungodly practise of personating Stage-playes which hath beene most execrably infamous in all former ages As for all professed common Actors I shall here adjure them by the very hopes and joyes of Heaven and the eternall torments of Hell to abominate to renounce all future acting and this their hellish profession which makes them the very instruments the arch-agents the professed bondslaves of the Devill the publike enemies both of Church and State the authors of their owne and others just damnation excommunicating them both from the Church the Sacraments and society of the faithfull in this life and everlastingly excluding them from Gods blessed presence in the life to come You then who are but newly entred into this infernall unchristian course of Play-acting consider I beseech you that this your infamous profession is the broad beaten rode to all kinde of vice of wickednesse prophanesse the readiest passage unto Hell it selfe in which you cannot finally proceed without the assured losse of Heaven a professed apprentiship to the very Devill whose pompes whose service you have long since renounced in your baptisme and therefore cannot now embrace without the highest perjury O then take pitty on your owne poore soules before it be too late before Stage-playes sinne and Satan have gotten such absolute full possession of you as utterly to disable you to cast off their yoake And now I pray say thus unto your soules Cur ergo tantopere vitam istam desideramus in qua quanto amplius vivimus tanto plus peccamus Quanto est vita longior tanto culpa numerosior Quotidie namque crescunt mala subtrahuntur bona Miâ—ime pro certo est bonus qui melior esse non vult ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi etiam desinis esse bonus Alas why will you die why will you voluntarily cast away your soules for ever by this trade of acting Playes when as you need not hazard them if you will now renounce it What is there any profit or pleasure in your owne damnation is there any advantage to be gotten by the Devils service is there any safe living in the very mouth of Hell it selfe Why then should you proceed on in this Diabolicall trade Doe your Friends or gracelesse Parenâ—s presse or else induce you to it even against your wills O give them that pathetical resolute answer which Helyas the Monke once gave unto his Parents Sime vere ut boni ut pij Parentes diligitis si veram si fidelem erga filium pietatem habetis quid me patri omnium Deo placere satagentem inquietatis ab ejus servitio cujus servire regnare est retrahere attentatis Vere nunc cognosco quod inimici hominis domestici ejus In hoc vobis obedire non debeo in hoc vos non agnosco parentes sed hostes Si diligeretis me gauderetis utique quiavado admeum atque vestrum immo universorum patrem Alioquin quid mihi vobis Quid à vobis habeo nisi peccatum miseriam hoc solum quod gesto corruptibile corpus de vestro me habere fateor agnosco Non sufficit vobis quod me in hanc seculi miseriam miserum miseri induxistis quod in peccato vestro peccatores peccatorem genuistis quod in peccato natum de peccato nutristis nisi etiam invidendo mihi misericordiam quam consecutus sum ab eo qui non vult mortem peccatoris filium insuper gehennae faciatis O durum patrem ô saevam matrem ô parentes crudeles impios imo non parentes sed peremptores quorum dolor salus pignoris quorum consolatio mors filij est Qui me malunt perire cum ijs quâm regnare sine eis Qui me rursus ad naufragium unde tandem nudus evasi rursus ad ignem unde vix semiustus exivi rursus adlatrones à quibus semivivus relictus sum sed miserante Samaritano jà m aliquantulum convalui revocare conantur militem Christi prope jam rapto caelo triumphantem ab ipso jam introitu gloriae tanquam canem ad vomitum tanquam suem ad lutum ad seculum reducere moliuntur Mira abusio Domus ardet ignis instat à tergo fugienti prohibetur egredi evadenti suadetur regredi haec ab his qui in incendio positi sunt obstinatissima dementia ac dementissima obstinatione fugere periculum nolunt Proh furor Si vos contemnitis mortem vestram cur etiam appetitis meam Si inquam negligitis salutem vestram quid juvat etiam persequi meam Quare vos non potius sequimini me fugientem ut non ardeatis An hoc est vestri cruciatus levamen si me etiam perimatis hoc solumtimetis ne soli pereatis Ardens ardentibus quod solatium praestare poterit Quae inquam consolatio damnatis socios habere suae damnationis c Desinite igitur parentes mei desinite vos frustra plorando affligere me gratis revocando inquietere Doth the love of gaine or pleasure allure you to it Alas what will it profit you to win the whole world much lesse a little filthy gaine or foolish carnall momentany delight and then to lose your soules Remember therefore your Creator in the dayes of your youth by abjuring the Devils service and betaking your selves to Gods lest the Devill being your lord and master in your youth prove your tormentor onely in your age Recedat itaque peccandi amor succedat judicij timor Nam quamdiu in vobis carnalium reâ—um vixerit appetitus spiritalium à vobis sensuum elongabit affectus Nemo in vas aliquo faetore corruptum balsama pretiosa transfundit sicut dixit Dominus Nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres Difficile est ut assurgere ad bonum possis nisi à malo ante diverteris quamdiu nova delicta adijciuntur vetera non curantur Prorsus peccata non redimet qui peccare non desinit quia nemo potest duobus dominis servire In uno animae domicilio iniquitas atque justitia castitas atque luxuria simul habitare non possunt Interdicatur igitur accessus voluptati atque libidini ut domus munda pateat castitati excludatur Diabolus cum militia vitiorum ut Christus cum choro possit intrate virtutum You who have beene ancient Stage-players and have served many Apprentiships to the Devill in this your infernall profession O consider consider seriously I beseech you the wretched condition wherein now you stand your parts are almost acted
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
ordinat f. 51. Ioan. Langhecrucius de Vita Honestate Ecclesiasticorum l. 2. c. 11. p. 250. c. 12. p. 254.255 Gratian Distinct. 44. Polydor Virgil. de Invent. rerum l. 3. c. 5. p. 215. D. Iohn White his Sermon at Pauls Crosse. March 24. 1615. sect 16. Nathaniel Colâ— his preservative against sinne p. 380. M. Heildersham his 12. Lecture upon Iohn the 4. vers 20. pag. 130. Barnaby Rich his Irish Hubbub London 161â— p. 24.25 M. Edward Raynolds his sinfulnesse of sinne 1631. p. 125. who expresly condemne the drinking and pledging of Healths especially in Clergie-men who ought by the Canon Law to be deprived for it Heaven no Stage-playes there pag. 964.965 Hecataeus Abderita his testimony of the Iewes wanting Images p. 894. Hâ—lena Constantine the Great his Mother an English woman p. 467. Heliodorus deprived of his Biâ—hopprickâ— for his amorous Bookes p. 916. Heliogaâ—alus censured p. 278.710 856. Henry the 3. the Emperor rejected Playes and Players p. 471. Henry the 4. of England his Statute against Rimers and Minstrels p. 493. Henry the 8. his Statute against Mummâ—rs Vizards and Dice-play p. 493.494 his expences upon Playes and Masques p. 320. his Commissions for aboliâ—hing Images in Churches pag. 903. m. Henâ—y the 3. of France his Edicts against Stage-playes and dancing on Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes p. 715. Hercules censured for putting on womans apparell pag. 888. Herod Agrippa smitten in the Theater by an Angell and so dyed fol. 554.555 See Freculphi Chronicon Tom. 2. l. 1. c. 14. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 9. p. 408. Herod the Great the first erecter of a Theater among the Iewes who thereupon conspire his death p. 486. f. 552.553 p. 555â— Herodian his censure of Playes and Dancing p. 710.851.852 853 854 855. Herodias her dancing taxed the Devill danced in her p. 228.229 m. 232. m. 260.773 f. 534. Hiâ—ro punished Epicaâ—mus for his wanton Verses p. 921. Hierom his censure of mens long and curled haire p. 188.340 of lascivious Musicke and Songs p. 275.276 340. of Images specially of God p. 898. m. of Players and Stage-playes pag. 340. 680. of Dancing p. 223. of reading Poets and prophane Authors p. 78.79 114 115 917 918 925 926 927. his trance p. 925.926 for Laymens reading the Scripture p. 928. m. how Ministers ought to preach p. 936.937 Hilarie his censure of Stage-playes pag. 339.670 of making Gods Image p. 900. m. Histories sophisticated by Players and Play-poets p. 940.941 Holâ—ot his censure of Stage-playes and Dancing p. 229. m. 256.689 Holi-dayes how to be spent and solemnized p. 240. to 244. f. 537.538 c. 575 585 586 605. to 686. Sparsim 743. to 783. exceedingly prophaned with dancing dicing drunkennesse and prophane pastimes p. 222.232 to 250. Sparsim 271.363 fo 530. to 541.575 to 666.743 to 783.933 Dancing and Stage-playes prohibited on Holi-dayes by Councels Fathers and all Writers Ibidem See Dancing p. 913. Augmented by Papists who have turned Pagan Festivals into Christian. p. 751. to 761. See Haddon Cont. Osorium l. 3. f. 262.263 264. Abridged by Trajan f. 539. Hoâ—inesse becommeth Christians pag. 63. 64 528. Homilies of our Church against Images in Churches c. p. 286.901.902 903. Honorius Augustodunensis censure of Stage-playes pag. 505. m. 684. of Playerly Masse-priests p. 113.114 Honorius the Emperour suppressed Sword-playes p. 75.468 Bishop Hooper preached twice every day of the weeke would have Bishops to preach once every day would have two Sermons every Lords Day his censure of those who complaine of two much preaching f. 531. a professed Anti-Arminian f. 532. condemned Dice-play Epist. Ded. 1. yea Altars too of which he writes thus in his 3. Sermon upon Ionah before King Edward 6. An. 1551. p. 81. If questioâ— now be asked in there then no Sacrifices left to bâ— done of Christian people yea truely â—ut none other then such as ought to be done without Altars and they be of 3. sorts The first is the sacrifices of thankes-giving Psal. 51. 17 19. Amos 4.5 Heb 13.15 Hos. 14 2. The 2. is benevolence and liberality to the poore Mich. 6.8 1 Cor. 16.1 2 2 Cor. 8.19 Hebr. 13.16 The third kinde of sacrifice is the mortifying of our owne bodies and to dye from sinne Rom. 12.1 Matth. â—1 Luk. 14. If we study not daily to offer these sacrifices to God we be no Christian men Seeing Christian men have no other sacrifices then these which may and ought to be done without Altars there should among Christians be no Altars And therefore is was not without the great wisedome knowledge of God that Christ his Apostles and the Primitive Church lacked Altars for they knew that the use of Altars then was taken away It were well then that it might please the Magistrates to turne the Altars into Tables according to the first institution of Christ to take away the false perswasion of the people they have of sacrifices to be done upon the Altars For as long as the Altars remaine both the ignorant people and the ignorant and evill perswaded Priest will dreame alwayâ—s of saâ—rifice Therefore were it best that the Magistrates remove all the monuments and tokens of Idolatry and superstition Then should the true Religion of God sooner take place c. Sermon 8. f. 150. A great shame it is for a Noble King Emperor or Magistrate contrary to Gods Word to detaine or keepe from the Devill or his ministers any of their goods or treasure as the Candles Images Crosses Vestmâ—â—â—s Altars for if they be kept in the Church as things indâ—ffeâ—ent at lengtâ— they wâ—ll be maintained as things necessary And doe not wee see his words prove true Against the making of Gods Image and sâ—ffring or erecting Imâ—ges in Churches pag 902. m. of which hee writes thus in hisâ— Declaration of the second Commandement London 1588. fol. 29. to 32. This Commandement â—ath 3. parts The first taketh from us all liberty and licence that we in no case represent or manifest the God invisible incomprehensible with any Figurâ— or Image or represent him unto our sences that cannot be comprehended by the wit of man nor Angell The sâ—cond part forbiddeth to honour any Image The third part sheweth us that it is no need to present God to us by any Image Moses giveth â— reason of the first part why no Image should be made Deut. 4.15 Remember saith 〈◊〉 to the people that the Lord spake to thee in the vale of Oreb thou â—eardest a voyce but sawest no manner of siâ—ilitude but onely a voyce beâ—rdest thou Esay c. 40.18 449 c. diligentâ—y sheweth what an absurdity and undecent thing it is to prophâ—re the Majestie of God incomâ—rehâ—nsible with a little blocke or stone a spirit with an Image The like doth Paul in the 17. oâ— thâ— Acts. The text therefore forbiddeth all mannâ—r of Images that are made to expresse or represent Almighty God The second parâ— forbiddeth to honor any Image made The first word honour signifieth
him that is a Pretor ought to refraine from lucre of money but also thâ— eyes to bee continent from wanton lookes The Athenians provided very well for the integrity of their Iudges that it should not be lawfull for any of the Areopagites to write any Comedy or Play and Epicharmus suffred punishment at the hands of Hiero for the rehearsall of certaine unchaste verses But I speake it with sorrow of heart to our vicious Ballad-makers and indictors of lewde Songs and Playes no revengment but rewards are largely payd and given Gerardas a very ancient man of Lacedemonia being demanded of his Hoste what paine adulterers suffred at Sparta made this answer O mine Hoste there is no adulterer among us neither can there be prey marke the reason For this was the manner among them that they were never present â—t any Comedy nor any other Playes fearing lest they should heare and see those things which were repugnant to their lawes But to revert to our purpose Wanton Bookes can bee no other thing but the fruits of wanton men who although they write any one good sentence in their Workes yet for the unworâ—hinesse of the person the sentence is rejected The Senâ—te of Lacedemonia would have refused a very worthy and apt saying of one Demosthenes for the unworthinesse of the Author if certaine men of authority called among them Ephori had not come betweene and caused another of the Senators to have pronounced the sentence againe as his owne saying Plutarch writeth that there was a law among the Grecians that even the good Bookes of ill men should be destroyed that the memory of the Authors also should thereby utterly be blotted out and cleane put away Gerson sometimes Chancellor of Paris speaking of a certaine Booke made by Ioannes Meldinensis the title whereof is the Romant of the Rose writeth of that Booke two things First he saith if I had the Romant of the Rose and that there were but one of them to bee had and might have for it 500. Crownes I would rather burne it then sell it Againe saith he if I did understand that Ioannes Meldinensis did not repent with true sorrow of minde for the making and setting forth of this Booke I would pray no more for him then I would for Iudas Iscariot of whose damnation I am most certaine And they also which reading this Booke doe apply it unto wicked and wanton manners are the Authors of his great paine and punishment The like Ioannes Raulius said of the Booke and Fables of one Operius Danus that hee was a most damned man unlesse he repented and acknowledged his fault for the setting forth of that Booke I would God they heard these things whom it delighteth to write or read such shamelesse and lascivious workes Let them remember the saying of Saint Paul A man shall reape that which hee hath sowen Chrysostome a great enhaunser of Pauls prayses writeth that so long shall the rewards of Paul rise more and more how long there shall remaine such which shall either by his life or doctrine be bronght unto the Lord God The same may we say of all such who while they lived have sowne ill seed either by doing saying writing or reading that unlesse they repented the more persons that are made ill by them the more sharpe and greater growth their paine as Saint Augustine wrote of Arrius God save every Christian heart from either the delighting or reading of such miserable monuments Thus concludes this reverend Bishop and so shall I this first reply Secondly admit it be lawfull to read Playes or Comedies now and then for recreation sake yet the frequent constant reading of Play-bookes of other prophane lascivious amorous Poems Histories and discourses which many now make their daily study to read more Playes then Sermons then Bookes of piety and devotion then Bookes or Chapters of the Bible then Authors that should enable men in their callings or fit them for the publike good must needs be sinfull as all the forequoted authorities witnesse because it avocates mens mindes from better and more sacred studies on which they should spend their time and fraughts them onely with empty words and vanities which corrupt them for the present and binde them over to damnation for the future The Scripture we know commands men not to delight in vanity in old wives tales in fabulous poeticall discourses or other empty studies which tend not to our spirituall gooâ—â— Not to lay out our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which satisfieth not but to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Yea it commands men to be fruitfull and abundant in all good workesâ— to be holy in all manner of conversation to be alwayes doing and receiving good and finishing that worke which God hath given them to doe growing every day more and more in grace and in the knowledge of God and Christ laying up a good foundation against the time to come and perfecting holinesse in the feare of God giving all diligence to makâ— their calling and election sure doing all they doe to the praise and glory of God Now the ordinary reading of Comedies Tragedies Arcadiaes Amorous Histories Poets and other prophane Discourses is altogether inconsistent with all and every of these sacred Precepts therefore it cannot bee lawfull Besides the Scripture commands men even wholy to abandon all idle words all vaine unprofitable discourses thoughtâ— and actions If then it gives us no liberty so much as to thinke a vaine thought or to utter an idle word certainely it alots us no vacant time for the reading of such vaine wanton Playes or Bookes Againe God enjoynes us that our speech should be alwayâ—s profitable and gracious seasoned with salt that so it may administer grace to the hearers and build them up in their most holy faith Therefore our writings our studies our reading must not be unedifying amorous and prophane which ought to be as holy as serious and profitable as our discoâ—rses Moreover it is the expresse precept of the Apostle Paul whom many prophane ones will here taxe of Puritanisme Eph. 4.29 c. 5.3 4. But fornication and all uncleanesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named among you as becommeth Saints neither filtâ—inesse nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient c. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to edifie profitably that it may miniâ—ter grace to the hearers c. And may wee then read or write these sinnes and vices which we ought not to name or study or peruse such wanton Playes and Pamplets which can administer nought but gracelesnesse lust prophanesse to the Readers Lastly wee are commanded to search the Scriptures daily to meditate in the Law of God day and night and to read therein all the dayes of
our lives that we may learne to feare the Lord and to keepe and doe all the workes and Statutes of his Law which was King Davids study all the day long yea in the night season to And because no time should bee left for any vaine studies or discourses we are further enjoyned to have the Word of God alwayes in our hearts to teach it diligently to our children and to talke of it when we are sitting in our houses and when wee are walking by the way when we lye downe and when we rise up Which for any man now conscionably to performe is no lesse then arrant Puritanisme in the worlds account If then we believe these sacred precepts to which I might adde two more Pray continually Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce to bee the Word of God and so to binde us to obedience there are certainely no vacant times alotted unto Christians to read any idle Books or Play-house Pamphlets which are altogether incompatible with these precepts and the serious pious study of the sacred Scripture as S. Hierom writes Quae enim quoth he coÌ„municatio luci ad tenebras â—ui consensus Christo cum Belial quid facit cum Psalterio Horatius cum Evangelijs Maro cum Apostolis Cicero Et licet omnia munda mundis nihil reijciendâ—m quod cum graâ—iarum actione percipitur tamen simul non debemus bibere calicem Christi calicem Daemoniorum as he there proves by his owne example which I would wish all such as make prophane Playes and human Authors their chiefest studies even seriously to consider For saith he when ever I fell to read the Prophets after I had beene reading Tully and Plautus Sermo horrebat incultus their uncompt stile became irkesome to me quia lumen caecis oculis non videbam non oculorum putabam culpam eâ—se sed solis Whiles the old Serpent did thus delude me a strong feaver shed into my bones invaded my weake body and brought me even to deaths doore at which time I was suddenly rapt in â—pirit unto the Tribunall of a Iudge where there was such a great and glorious light as cast me downe upon my face that I durst not looke up And being then demanded what I was I answered I am a Christian whereupon the Iudge replyed thou lyest Ciceronianus es non Christianus thou art a Ciceronian not a Christian for where thy treasure is there also is thy heart whereupon I grew speechlesse and being beaten by the Iudges command and tortured with the fire of conscience I began to cry out and say Lord have mercy upon me Whereupon those who stood by falling down at the Iudges feet intreated that he would give pardon to my youth and give place of repentance to my error exactâ—rus deinde cruciatum si gentilium litterarum librâ—s aliqâ—ando legissâ—m I being then in so great a strait that I could be content to promise greater things began to sweare and protest by his Name saying Domine si unquam habuero â—odices seculares si legero te negavi And being dismissed upon this my oath I returned to my selfe againe and opened my eyes drenched with such a showre of teares that the very extremity of my griefe would even cause the incredulous to believe this trâ—nce which was no slumbeâ— or vaine dreame but a thing really actedâ— my very shoulders being blacke and blue with stripes the paine of which remained after I awaked Since which time saith he Fateor me tanto dehinc studio divina legisse quanto non ante mortalia legâ—ram And from hence this Father exhorts all Christians to give over the reading of all prophane Bookes all wanton Poems which in his 146. Epistle to Damasus hee most aptly compares to the Huskes with which the Prodigall in the Gospell was fed where hee writes thus fitly to our purpose Possumus aliter siliquas interpraetari Daemonum cibus est carmina poetarum saecularis sapientia rhetoricorum pompa verborum Haec sua omnes suavitate delectant dum aures versibus dulci modulatione currentibus capiuntur animam quoque penetrant pectoris interna devinciunt Verum ubi cum summo studio fuâ—rint labore perlectâ— nihil aliud nisi inanem sonum sermonum strepitum suis lectoribus tribuunt nulla ibi saturitas veritatis nulla reâ—ectio justitiae reperitur studiosi â—arum in fame veri in virtutum penuria perseverant Vnde Apostolus prohibet ne in Idolio quis recumbat c. Nonne tibi videtur sub alijs verbis diâ—ere ne legas Philosopâ—os Oratoâ—es Poetas nec in illorum leâ—tione requiescas Nec nobis blandiamur si in eis quae sunt scripta non credimus cum aliorum conscientia vulneretur putemur probare quae dum legimus non reprâ—bamus Absit ut de ore Christiano sonet Iuppiter omnipotenâ— me Hercule me Castor caetera magis portenta quam numina At nunc etiam Sacerdotes Dei and is not as trâ—e of our times omissis Evangelijs Prophetis videmus Comaedias legere amatoria Bucolicorum versâ—um verba canere tenâ—re Virgilium id quod in pueris necessitatis est crimen in se faâ—ere voluptatis Cavendum igitur si captivam velimus habere uxorem ne in idolio recumbamus aut si certè fuerimus ejus amore decepti mundemus eam omni sordium errore purgemus ne scandalum patiatur frater pro quo Christus mortuus cum in ore Christiani carmina in idolorum laudem composita audierit personare Since therefore all these idle Play-bookes and such like amorous Pastorals are but empty huskes which yeeld no nourishment but to Swine or such as wallow in their beastly lusts and carnall pleasures since they are incompatible with the pious study and diligent reading of Gods sacred Word the gold the hony the milke the marrow the heavenly Manna feast and sweatest nourishment of our soules with the serious hearing reading meditation thoughts and study whereof we should alwayes constantly feed refresh rejoyce and feast our spirits which commonly starve and pine away whiles we are too much taken up with other studies or imployments especially with Playes and idle amorous Pamphlets the very reading of which S. Augustine repented and condemned let us hencefore lay aside such unprofitable unchristian studies betaking our selves wholly at leastwise principally to Gods sacred Word which is onely able to make us wise unto salvation and to nourish our soules unto eternall life since Christianity is our general profession let not Paganisme scurrility prophanes wantonnes amorousnesse Playes or lewde Poeticall Figments or Histories but Gods Word alone which as SuÌ„mula Raymundi saith transcends all other Bookes Sciences be our chiefest study at all such vacant times as are not occupied in our lawfull callings or other pious duties I shal therfore cloze up this 2. reply