A SHORTE TREATISE against STAGE-PLAYES Prov. 10.23 It is a sport to a foole to doe mischief Prov. 21.17 He that loues pastime shall be a poore man Ephes 5.11 Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull works of darknesse but rather reproue them Printed in the yeere of our Lord 1625. AN HVMBLE SVPPLICATION TENDRED to the High and Honourable House OF PARLIAMENT Assembled May xviij 1625. WHereas Stage-playes are repugnant to the written Word and Will of Almightie God the onely wise Gouernour righteous Judge of the whole world dangerous to the eternall saluation both of the actours and spectatours breede many inconueniences wheresoeuer they come procure the judgments of God to the whole kingdome for sinne tollerated pourchaseth Gods wrath to the whole nation as appeareth Joshu 22.18 and Salomon sayth Prov. 14.34 Sinne is a reproach to any people and haue beene justly censured and worthily prohibited by statutes made in the late Raigne of famouse Queene Elizabeth and of our Learned and Noble King James May it therefore please this High and Honourable House which is the most honourable Court in all Europe vpon view of this short Treatise following to take once more into consideration this matter of Stage-playes and by some few words added to the former Statutes to restreyne them for euer hereafter A SHORT TREATISE OF STAGE-PLAYES The Preface IN all ages the Prophets haue applied their preachings to the present occasions and the generall concursse of many baptised Christians to Stage-playes euery where in these times haue occasioned the Lords remembrancers which stand continually on their watch-towres both more diligently to examine the nature of Stage-playes which haue had much countenance and some defense to trie whether they be warrantable by the word of God or no and also more earnest prayer to God for his assistance and serious indeavours to disswade Christians from entertayning them Hence proceede these fewe ensuing reasons briefly contracted into a narrow roome that the reader may with facilitie conceaue the force of the arguments and soundly judge of the trueth of them And for better direction to the Reader the whole summe is drawne to these foure heads First the originall beginning of Stage-playes is shewed sect 2. Secondly the end is pointed out for which they were first devised sect 3. Thirdly the generall matter or argument acted in them is opened in few words sect 4. Fourthly the reasons to proue them vnlawfull are rendred sect 5. 1. The originall beginning of Stage-playes Heathen invented playes 2. THe first beginning of playes proceeded from those men which were not in the Church of God When God had appointed man to get his liuing with his labour Gen. 3.19 Iuball the seauenth of Cain his race invented playing Gen. 4.21 on Instruments which as after is a lawfull recreation But the invention of divers sorts of vnlawfull playes is briefly noted by Plinius Histor natur lib 7. cap. 59. by Eusebius de praepar euang lib. 1. cap. 2. and lib. 2. cap. 2. by Arnobius contra gentes lib. 7. by Polydorus Virgilius de rerum invent lib. 3. cap. 13. by Alexander ab Alexandro genialium dierum libr. 6. cap. 19. by Caelius Rhodiginus antiq lib. 8. cap. 7. Whether they grew vp first at Lydia in Asia as saith Herodotus lib. 1. or at Athens in Graecia as Polydorus Virgilius lib. 3. cap. 13. and Volaterranus lib. 29. ca. 11. report it is not materiall Pausanias in Eliacis writeth that Iphitus was admonished by the oracle of Apollo to restore the Olympike games Iosephus Scaliger poëtices lib. 1. cap. 22. c. may satisfie all men that desire to reade more of this point About the beginning of the Persian monarchie The solemn beginning of playes which was almost 500 yeeres afore Christ and about the time of the Iewes returne out of the captivitie of Babylon this miscreant author alwayes of some hurte never of any good to Christian or heathen first came abroade with great solemnitie as it may be gathered by Herodotus Afterwards from those Lydians in Asia or from the Grecians at Athens came playes to Rome in the reigne of Tarquinius Priscus as Eusebius noteth in his Chronologie at the yeare of the world 4602. Alexander ab â—â—â—and lib. 5. c. 16. Hermanus Contractus at the yeare of the world 3341 noteth the same And Titus Livius lib. 7. Pomponius Laetus in Philippo Funccius in his worthie Chronologie at the yeare of the world 3512. and Herodianus lib. 3. witnes how the Romans augmented their playes afterwards The entrance of playes into the Church of the Iewes The first authorised entrance that any such kinde of playes or heathen exercise had into the church of God seemeth to be about 170 yeares before the birth of Christ when that wicked Iesus affecting heathenisme changed his name into Iason and for 150 talents of silver purchased a commission of Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria that he might erect a place for heathen exercises at Ierusalem and traine up the youth of the Iewes in the customes of the Gentiles 1 Maccab. 1.12 Ioseph antiq lib. 12. cap. 6. but more specially 2 Maccab. 4.7 c. Which exercise though it was not to play on the stage but for activitie of their bodies yet it may here be observed as an entrance to other heathen customes and as that which maketh way to bring in Stage-playes afterwards Then Herode the greate increased heathenish playes and exercises greatly in his dayes building one theater at Ierusalem Ioseph antiq lib. 15. cap. 10. or 11. and an other at Caesarea Stratonis Ioseph antiq lib. 15. cap. 13. and lib. 16. cap. 9. The horrible sinnes of the Iewes cutte them off shortly after from being the Church of God and therefore no more can be sayd of their heathenish exercises Their entrance into the christian church How or when Playes came into the Christian Church and who first gaue them intertainment is more incident to this present purpose and fitter testimonie to giue evidence hereafter either for them or against them When the Roman Emperours delighted too much in all kind of playes and when christian religion grew mightily under them in Europe especially christians imbraceing the Gospel could not be altogether ignorant of these stage-playes but sometimes some christians resorted to these playes as by the complaints and invectiues of some ancient fathers against them it doth appeare And though secretly by such meanes playes through satans subtilties approached neare to the church doore yet all this while neither the Emperours power thrust them upon the Church nor the reverend Fathers and faithfull Pastours of those times gaue way to such open wickednes by theire silence But when that great scarlet coloured whore of Babylon with her golden cup of abhominations in her hand which hath a name written in her forehead a mysterie great Babilon the mother of whoredomes and which reigneth over the kings of the earth was set in Peters chaire at Rome as the Papists
say then did the king of the Locusts called Abaddon and Apollyon hauing the key of the bottomeles pitt with full power for such a purpose sette the church doore wide open for sundrie sportes and playes to enter freely into the house of God as Platina reporteth Paulus II. did And that not onely in their great solemnities and festivals which were spent commonly in bellie cheare and Playes as Peucerus writeth of Vrbanus IIII. much after the fashion of the Israelites sitting downe to eate and drinke and rising up to play but specially in their rich Iubilies first begunne in the Christian church by Bonifacius VIII in the yeare of Christ 1300. and afterwards continued and hastened by his successors Of which Sports and Playes Aventinus annal Bojor lib. 7. speaking of Clemens VI. and Bale in the life of Iulius III. doe write And thus much shall suffice for the beginning of Playes among the Lydians of Asia and among the Grecians and Romans in Europe as also for their entrance into the Christian church first secretly by the malice of Satan stealing some Christians affections to such vanities then openly by the power of that Abaddon of Rome who besotted mens senses with such fooleries that he might robbe their purses in his rich Iubilies II. The ende for which Playes were devised 3. THe finall cause or ende for which the Heathen first devised Playes was to pacifie their angrie gods and so remoue some present calamitie which vexed them The Lydians sought by Playes to remedie a greate famine that was among them as Herodotus witnesseth in Clio. The Athenians renewed their Playes about the latter ende of the Persian Monarchie in the dayes of Euthydemus their governour thereby thinking to remoue a grievous pestilence as sayth Diodorus Siculus lib. 12. Also Livius lib. 7. and Paulus Orosius libr. 3. cap. 4. write that the heathen Romans sore afflicted about the same time with pestilence by the advise of their idoll priests set forth their Stage-playes to turne away that affliction thinking their Playes would please their gods But Dionysius Halicarnasseus li. 7. Arnobius lib. 7. contra gentes Pausanias in Corinthiacis Augustinus de civitate dei lib. 2. cap. 13. lib. 3. cap. 18. lib. 4. cap. I. cap. 26. Polydorus Virgil. de inventione rerum lib. 3. cap. 13. and Volaterranus lib. 29. cap. II. write so plainly and fully of this matter that the reading of any one of them may satisfie the sober minded and giue them to understand that as Christians by direction out of Gods word use prayer and fasting to turne away the Lords provoked anger so heathens instructed by the Divell their master thought to remoue their afflictions by Playes But the Popes of Rome solemnised their Festivals and Iubilies with all sortes of Playes and Sportes for recreation and to delite the people with such fooleries III. The argument of Stage-playes 4. WHereas Stage playes ordinarily goe under the name either of Tragedies or els of comedies we are to understand that the argument or matter acted in tragedies is murther treason rebellion and such like and in comedies is bauderie cosenage and meere knaverie Objection But here some men eyther meerly ignorant as the most religious and learned are ignorant of many things Bucerus de regno Christi lib. 2 ca. 54 for we know but in part I Cor. 13.9 or els perversly irreligious will say that sometimes the sacred Scripture is or may be acted by players on the stage and thereby a man may learne more then at a sermon Answer But for better information of the ignorant and more forcible confutation of the perverse and profane a threefold answer may be giuen answer I First concerning those persons that so greatly desire to learne religion at Stage-playes let them examine their owne consciences by their workes which are manifest before God and men and consider themselues in these fiue points 1. They seldome come to the Church to learne religion according to Gods ordinance though God command them so to doe Deut. 12 5. But ye shall seeke the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell and thither thou shalt come c. though God intreate them so to doe Prov. 1.20 Wisedome cryeth without shee uttereth her voyce in the streets c. as also cerning good and necessarie matters As for hawking hunting fishing fouling and such like they are rather to be counted honest and lawfull callings wherein men may get their living with their labour then recreations except it be by change of labour as in other lawfull callings Confutation And now to come to confutation of the objection it seemeth that Stage-playes cannot be counted in the number of recreations and that for these three reasons First they are not worhie to be compared to any of the former lawfull recreations Secondly they serue not the ende of recreations which is to refresh the wearie but not to make men delight in sinne Thirdly the most persons that ordinarily resorte to them are verie idle persons that should rather be set to some honest labour then so unprofitably to mispend their time to their owne hurte The originall beginning then is sufficient to perswade the faythfull to renounce Stage-playes and say unto them Gette thee hence Esai 30.22 The second reason Reason 2 6. THE second reason may be taken from the matter or argument which is acted upon the Stage which is eyther murther and mischief in tragedies or bauderie and cosonage in comedies as was observed before sect 4. And the reason may be contrived thus It is not lawfull for Christians to sporte themselues eyther with the dreadfull judgments of God or with the abhominable sinnes of men But in Stage-playes there are acted sometimes the fearefull judgments of God as in tragedies and sometimes the vile and hatefull sinnes of men as in comedies And therefore it is full of horrour seriously to thinke upon them and much more to be eyther actor to shew them or beholder and hearer to laugh at them or delite in them Ham derided his Fathers nakednes Gen. 9 22. but he was accursed for it Curses are denounced in Gods Law against all sinners Deut. 27 26. And they that make a sport of sinne cannot avoyd Gods curse no more then they that feasted when they should haue fasted Esay 22 14. Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till ye dye sayth the Lord of Hoastes The third reason Reason 3 7. THE third reason is taken from the Stage-players and from such their vices as properly belong to them as they are Stage-players And four of their vices may perswade all men that their playes are unlawfull First they being men change their apparel and put on womans apparell without which exchange they cannot act some partes in their Playes which thing the Lord forbiddeth Deut. 22.5 The woman shall not weare that which perteyneth to the man neyther shall a man put
on womans rayment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God For this change of apparell maketh the man effeminate and the woman manish as some can testifie if they would some haue confessed and the Heathen know Cyprianus lib. 2. epist 2. speaking of this change of apparell in Stage-playes sayth thus evirantur mares men loose their manhood c. Charondas made a law to the inhabitants of Thuria which is a citie in Greece described by Pausanias in Messenicis and by Strabo lib. 8. that if any man refused to goe to warres or being in the field cast downe his weapons and ranne away he should stand three dayes in the open market in womans apparell which argued effeminatenes in him as if formerly he had used it Diodor. lib. 12. Secondly they never come on the Stage in theire owne name but some in the name and person of a divell others of a foole others of a bawde others of a tyrant others of other men which beseemeth not a Christian neither proceedeth it of God nor is approved of God but is contrarie to Christian profession Tit. 2.12 Thirdly they sweare by the living God which is contrarie to the Law of God Exod. 20.7 or by heathen idols which is forbidden Exod. 23.13 or by both which is reproved Amos 8.14 Zephan 1.5 Fourthly they teach their hearers and beholders much sinne in the acting of their Playes as to sweare curse lye flatter cosen steale to play the bawde and the harlot with very many such other lewde lessons The fourth Reason Reason 4 8. THE fourth reason ariseth from the consideration of the hearers and beholders who being baptised into the name of Christ are brought into danger of gods wrath and their owne condemnation in as much as they are partakers of the sinnes of the Players and of the Playes in approving them And whatsoever brings men into these dangers must needs be evill And besides the approbation which maketh them guiltie they learne sinne for as sayth Cyprianus lib. 2. epist 2. adulterium discitur dum videtur they learne to commit adulterie when they heare and behold such immodest and unchaste words and gestures upon the stage And many goe honest thither which returne home dishonest Iob made a covenant with his eyes that he would not looke on a maide Iob 31.1 David desired God to turne away his eyes from regarding vanitie Psal 119.37 The fift Reason Reason 5 9. THE fift reason may be taken from consideration of these eight fruits or effects which follow Stage-playes First the Stage-players get their living by an ungodly unlawfull trade never approved by God when they shall stand at the barre of Gods judgement they shall be speachles and cast into utter darkenes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth except they repent and forsake their wicked trade betimes whiles the Lord granteth space to repentance Secondly the hearers receaue much hurte by them as was noted in the fourth reason and if it be true which is reported whoredome is sometimes committed at that place and at that time Thirdly the better sort of men which are governours of families receaue domage when some of their families resorte to Stage-playes for sometimes their goods are stollen to mainteine Lewdnes sometimes their daughters or maide-servants are defiled or stollen away and maried without their governours consent or privitie Fourthly the word of God and the ministers thereof are now and then taxed and taunted Fiftly the Lord himselfe is there blaspheamed ordinarily Sixtly the poore in the church of Christ are hindred from some reliefe dist 86 c. 8 which otherwise they might haue for the prodigalitie lavished upon Stage-players restrayneth the liberalitie that might and ought to be bestowed upon the poore Seauenthly there is losse of pretious time which should be spent in Gods service by those that are hired to be diligent labourers in his vineyard and not be wickedly mispent in such sinfull sportes seeing everie one both young and olde must giue account to God of his labours and of his time spent in this life The Holy Ghost sayth Ephes 5.16 Redeeme the time for the dayes are evill but some men say Let us haue pastime that is any sinfull course whereby we may passe away mis-spend the short time which we haue in this life that the day of death judgment and condemnation may come speedily upon us before we repent and before we consecrate our selues wholly to God Peter sayth It is sufficient for us that we haue spent the time past of this life after the lustes of the Gentiles walking in wantonnes lustes drunkennes in gluttonie drinkings and abominable idolatries 1 Pet. 4.3 And if any be otherwise minded the Lord in his time will either convert or confound him Eightly whereas the life of a Christian effectually called should be spent continually in fighting against all kinde of sinne in crucifying the old man and in renewing the inner man dayly these Stage-playes quench the spirit and destroy the new man as also on the other part they foster cherish and mainteyne the old man as all those that haue the spirit of Christ know and feele But if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8.9 The sixth Reason 10. Reason 6 THE sixt reason may be taken from the opinion and judgment of all sortes and states of men by whom these Stage-playes haue been disalowed Orthodoxal Protestants First all orthodoxall Protestants of all ages and times which maintayned the generall doctrine of the Catholike church haue censured Stage-playes as unlawfull from age to age hitherto To reporte and repeate their severall judgements out of their owne writings or out of histories is more then I can performe it would make a greate volume it would be tedious to reade and perhaps not so necessarie Wherefore it seemeth rather convenient to call a greate number of them together out of all the places of their dwellings and as it were out of all the world that they all may be heard to speake altogether with one consent and voyce But because it would be a verie tedious and troublesome thing for so many so reverend and so old aged Fathers to travell so farre it is more convenient and reasonable to spare their labours so much as may be and call them together at three severall times and in three severall places of their habitations that is to call those of Asia to meete together in Asia those of Africa in Africa and those of Europe in Europe Asia In Asia about two and twentie of the most reverend Fathers of those times met together in Laodicea somewhat more then 300 yeres after Christ and holding a councill there decreed cap. 54. that none of the Cleargie should be present at Stage-playes And the Centuriators of Magdeburg haue inserted this whole Councill in their laborious and worthie historie Cent. 4. cap. 9. col 834. Afrike In Africa more then 400 years after