6. Bonaventure in lib. 4. Sententiarum Distinctio 16. Numb 13. and sundry other of the Schoolemen tâ—ere Alexander Fabritius Destructorium Vitiorum pars 3. c. 10. 4. c. 23. The Waldenâ—es History of the Waldenses Albigenses pars 3. l. 2. c. 9. p. 64. 65 66. Bp. Latymer in his Sermons fol. 13. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters pag. 62. to 68. M. Brinsly in his 3. part of the true Watch. chap. 11. Abomination 30. pag. 302. Astexanus De Casibus l. 2. Tit. 53. Alexander Alensis Summa Theologiae pars 4. Quaest. 11. M. 2. Artic. 11. sect 4. Quaest. 8. pag. 392.393 with sundry others complaine who doe likewise all of them unanimously condemne dancing as an unlawfull exercise and pastime especially on Lords-dayes and Holy-dayes which circumstance of time as they all conclude makes dancing unavoydably sinfull and abominable Which I observe the rather to confute the groâ—se mistake of some licentious Libertines who hold dancing on Lords-dayes to be no unlawfull exercise sport or pastime within the pious Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. within which there is no question but dancing is included it being an exercise which all the fore-quoted Councels Fathers and Christian Authors have unanimously condemned as unlawfull especially on the Sabbath or Lords-day as we stile it which our owne Homelies and Canons enioyne us to spend in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private and publike prayers in acknowledging our offences to God and amendment of the same in reconciling our selves charitably to our neighbours where displeasure hath beene in oftentimes receiving the Communion of the Body and Blood of Chriâ—t in visiting of the poore and sicke using all godly and sober conversation informing us withall That God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day they should cease from all weekely and worke day labour to the intent that like as God himselfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour even so Gods obedient people should use the Sunday holylie and rest from their common and daily businesse and also give themselves WHOLLY to heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service But alas quoth the Homely all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldnes of those that will be counted Gods people who passe nothing at all of keeping and hallowing the Sunday And these people are of two sorts The one sort if there be businesse to doe though there be no extreme need they must not spare the Sunday they must ride and iourny on the Sunday c. they must keepe Markets and Faires on the Sunday finally they use all dayes alike Working-dayes and Holy-dayes are all one The other sort is worse For although they will not travell nor labour on the Sunday as they doe on the weeke day yet they will not rest in holinesse as God commandeth but they rest in ungodlinesse and filthinesse prancing in thâ—ir pride pranking and pricking pointing and painting themselves to be gorgeous and gay they rest in excesse and superfluity in gluttony and drunkennesse like Rats and Swine they rest in brawling and rayling in quarrelling and fighting they rest in wantonnesse in toyish talking in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth too evidently appeare that God is more dishonoured and the Devill better served on the Sunday then upon all the daies in the weeke besides And I assure you the beasts which are commanded to rest on the Sunday honour God better then this kinde of people For they offend not God they breake not their holy-dayes Wherefore O ye people of God lay your hands upon your hearts repent and amend this grievous and dangerous wickednesse stand in awe of the Commandement of God himselfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christs Church used and kept from the Apostles time untill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of Almighty God if ye be negligent Dancing therefore on the Lords-day which no godly Christians in the Primitive Church did once use for ought we read is an unlawfull exercise if our Homelies or Canons may be iudges therefore an unlawfull pastime punishable by the Statute of 1. Caroli cap. 1. which intended to suppresse dancing on the Lords-day as well as Beare-bayting Bull-bayting Enterludes and Common Playes which were not so rife so common as dancing when this law was first inacted Finally this dancing as the Waldenses teach doth lead men on to the breach of all the ten Commandements and to sundry inevitable sinnes and mischiefes In all these respects therefore they conclude it to bee evill and unbeseeming Christians Seventhly Dancing as Peter Martyr Viâ—es Agrippa Erasmus Brant Lovell Northbrooke Stubs Gualther and others in their fore-alleaged places testifie is for the most part attended with many amorous smiles lascivious gestures wanton complements lustfull embracements loose behaviour unchaste kisses meretricious scurrilous Songs and Sonnets effeminate musicke lust-provoking attire obscene discourses ridiculous Love-prankes lewde companions all which are as so many severall strong solicitations to whoredome and uncleanesse and savour onely of sensuallity of raging fleshly lusts which warre against the soule Therefore it s wholly to be abandoned of all good Christians Eightly this Dancing serves to no necessary use no profitable laudable or pious end at all it neither glorifies God nor benefits men in soule in body in estate or reputation it issues onely from the imbred pravity vanity wantonnesse incontinency pride prophanesse or madnesse of mens depraved natures and it serves onely to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof whereas all those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Therefore it must needs be unlawfull unto Christians Ninthly this kinde of dancing as it was never in use among the Pâ—imitiue Christians whose footsteps we should tread in so it is quite out of the road of Christianity and salvation Wee never reade of any Christians that went dancing into Heaven though we read of sundry wicked ones who have gone dancing downe to Hell The way to Heaven is too steepe too narrow for men to dance in and keepe revell rout No way is large or smooth enough for capering Roisters for iumping skipping dancing Dames but that broad beaten pleasant road that leades to Hell The gate of Heaven is to strait the way to blisse to narrow for whole roundes whole troopes of Dancers to march in together Men never went as yet by multitudes much lesse by Morrice-dancing troopes to Heaven Alas there are but few who finde that narrow way they scarce goe two together and those few what are they Not dancers but mourners not laughers but weepers whose tune is Lachrymae whose musicke sighes for sinne who know no other Cinqua-pace but this to Heaven
iudge them to be of the crew of â—he wicked and ungodly The most honest wiâ—e is the soonest assaulted and hath such snares lâ—id to enâ—rap her as if God â—ssâ—st hâ—r not she mâ—stâ—â—eds be â—â—ken When I gave my sâ—lfe fiâ—st to 〈◊〉 the abuse oâ— common â—layes â— found my heart so â— smitten with sâ—rrâ—w sinne â—â—d there so abound and was so opâ—â—ly commiâ—ted that I loâ—ked whâ—n God in iustice would have presently in his wrath hâ—ve confounded the beholders The Theater I found to be an appointed place of Bawderyâ— mine owne eares have heard honest women allured with abominable speeches Sometime I have seene two knaves at once importunate upon one light huswife wherâ—by much quarrell hath growne to the disquieting of many The servants as it is manifestly to be proved have consented to rob their Masteâ—s to supply the want of their Harlots there is the practising of married wiâ—es to traine them from their husbands and places appointed for meeting and conference When I had taken notice of these abuses and saw that the Theater was beâ—ome the Consultory-house of Satan I concluded with my selfe never to implâ—y my pen to so vile a purpose nor to be an instrument of gathering the wicked together It may seeme I am overlavish of speeâ—h and that which I have publikely expressed of others by mine owne knowledge might have beene dissembled But I have learned that he who dissembles the evill that he knowes in other men is as guilty before God of the offence as the offenders themselves And the Lord hath expresly commanded in Exodus that wee should not follow a multitude to doe evill neither agree in a controversie to decline after many and overthrow the truth I cannot therefore but râ—sist such wickednesses lest I might seeme to maintaine them For he that dissembles ungodlinesse is a traytor to God Since therefore that the cause is Gods I dare prâ—sse forth my selfe to be an Advocate against Satan unto the rooting â—ut of sinne Are not our eyes at Playes carryed away with the pride of vanity our â—arâ—s abused with amorous that is lecherous abominable and filthy speech Is not our tongâ—e which is given us onely to glorifie God withall there imployed to the blaspheming of Gods holy Name or the commendation of that is wicked Are not our heartâ— through the pleasure of the flâ—sh the delight of the eye and the fond motions of the minde withdrawne from the service of the Lord and the meditation of his goodnesse No zealous heart but mâ—st needs bleed to see how many Christian soules are there swallâ—wed up in the whirlpoole of Devillish impudency Whosoever shall visit the Chappell of Satan I meane the Theater shall finds there no want of young Ruffians not lacke of Harlots utterly past all shame who presse to the forefront of the Scaffold to the end to shew their impudency and to be as an obiect to all mens eyes Yea such is their open shamelesse beâ—aviour as every man may perceive by their wanton gestures wherâ—unto they are given yea they seeme there to be like Brothels of the Stewes For often without respect of the place and company which behold them they commit that filthinesse openly which is horrible to be done in secret as if whatsoever they did were warranted for neither reverence iustice nor any thing beside can governe them Alas that Youth should become so devillish and voyd of the feare of God Let Magistrates assure themselves that without speedy redresse all things will grow so farre out of order that they will be past remedy Shamefulnesse and modesty is quite banished from yong men they are utterly shamelesse stubboâ—nâ— and impudent It was well said of Calvin that a man setled in evill will make but a mocke of Religion He preacheth in vaine that preacheth unto the deafe Tell many of these men of the Scripture they will scoffe and turne it into a iest Rebuke them for breaking the Sabbath day they will say you are a man of the Sabbath you are very precise you will allow us nothing you will have nothing but the Word of God you will permit us no recreation but have men like Asses who never rest but when they are eating Seeke to withdraw these fellowes from the Theater unto a Sermon they will say By the Preacher they may be edified but by the Player both edified and delighted So that in them the saying of Saint Paul is â—â—rified where he saith That the wisedome of the flesh is nothing but enmity against God How small heed take they of themselves which suffer their owne wicked affections to withdraw them from God and his Word We need not voluntarily seekâ— our owne destruction For he that is vertuously disposed shall finde lewde persons enow to withdraw him from well-doing by the promise of pleasure and delightfull pastime whereunto we are naturally inclined unto the Schoole-house of Satan and Chappell of ill counsell where he shall see so much iniquity and loosenesse and so grâ—at outrage and scope of sinne that it is a wonder if he returne not either wounded in conscience or changed in life I would wish therefore all Masters not onely to withdraw themselves but their Servants also from such wicked assemblâ—â—sâ— For it is alwayes wisedome to shunne the occasions of evill Youth will be withdrawne by company if they be not restrained of their liberty They need not seeke out for Schoole-masters they can learne evill too fast of themselves and are pregnant enough at home to learne unhappinesse Many of nature honest and tractable have beene altered by these shâ—wes and spectacles and become monsterous Mans minde which of it selfe is proâ—e unto vice is not to be pricked forward unto vice but brideled if it be left unto it selfe it hardly standeth if it be driven forth it runneth headlong Flee farre from Babylon yee that carry the Lords Vessels Forsomuch as you are baptised into Christ it standeth you upon to be holy both of body and minde and to dedicate your selves to his service which ye shall never doe unlesse you withdraw your selves from the inticements of vanity and eschue the occasions of evill which that ye may the better doe you are to fasten your eyes upon God by whom ye are sanctified Let not the examples of the wicked be a president unto us neither let us be drawne away to evill with the multitude Custome shall but make us bold in sinne and the company of scorners make us more impudent of life It is not enough for us to excuse our selves by the doings of other men it will not be taken for an excuse although we could alleage that every man doth as we doe For it is no meanes to acquite us before God to say that others be no better then our selves I would rather wish that the evill conversation of others might be an occasion to draw us backe lest perhaps
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
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
to praise him with cymbals and dances That Salomon writes there is a time to dance and that other Scriptures seeme to allow of dancing as lawfull Therefore it cannot be unlawfull To these I answer first that these Scriptures and examples warrant that kinde of dancing onely which is specified and commended by them not our theatricall our moderne common dancing which differs from it in many materiall circumstances well worth the observation For first these dances which we read of in the Scripture were all single consisting altogether of men or of women onely which kinde of single measures were anciently in use among the Persians and Greecians are yet retained among the Brasilians and others Whereas our moderne dances are for the most part mixt both men and women dancing promiscuously together by selected couples Secondly these dances were no artificiall curious Galliards ligs or Carontoes learned with much paines and practise at a Dancing-Schoole as ours are but simple plaine unartificiall sober motions Thirdly these dances were no ordinary daily recreations practised at every feast or meeting upon every Lords-day Holi-day or vacant time and that upon no other occasion but for mirth or laughter sake to passe away the time or to satiate mens unruly lusts the onely props of dancing as all our moderne dances are But they were publike extraordinary speciall dances taken up by pious Christians to praise the Lord withall after some extraordinary great deliverances from or victories over their enemies which scarce hapned twice in divers ages Whereas our dances are not such Fourthly these dances were not made in any private House or Hall in any Ale-house Taverne or Bower neere adjoyning much lesse at any May-pole Wake or Church-ale at any Play-house Wedding or Dancing-Schoole as ours are but in the open field where the victorious Generall and his Army were to passe whom they went out to meet and welcome home with these their dances which sounded forth his praises in those Psalmes and heavenly Songs which the Scripture hath recorded Fiftly they danced not by couples or in measure as we use to doe but in one intire traine or round Sixtly they did not wantonly leape caper fling or skip about like Does or Bedlams nor mincingly trip it as our lascivious amorous Dancers doe but they used a modest grave and sober motion much like to walking or the grave old measures having timbrels and cymbals in their hands and Psalmes not scurrilous amorous Pastorals in their mouthes wherewith they did unfainedly blesse and praise the Lord for their obtained victories and deliverances and sound forth the Victors praises Seventhly These dances were free from all lascivious dalliances from all amorous gestures gropings kisses complements love-trickes and wanton embracements which abound in all our moderne Dances Lastly these dances were wholy devoted to Gods praise and glory they were a holy religious service done to God proceeding from the thankefulnesse of such hearts as were ravished with Gods more speciall mâ—â—cies Our moderne wanton dances have no such pious ends and circumstances they proceed not from such hearts such occasions such extraordinary favours of God as these they differ from them in all thâ—se severall circuÌ„stances therefore these dances these examples doe no wayes iustifie but condeâ—ne all ours which have no affinity nor cognation with them To the second Objeâ—tion that Salomon saith there is a time to dance I answer first that by dancing in this and the other obiected Scâ—iptures is not meant any corporall dancing or artificiall moving of the feet in measure but either an inward cheerefulnesse of heart and readines of spirit in Gods service or else a spirituall exultation of the soule in the apprehension of some speciall favour of God unto it expressed in an abundant praysing of God in psalmes in hymnes and spirituall songs This and no other is the dancing intended by Salomon and commanded in the Scripture as Olympiâ—dorus Chrysostome Ambrose Glossa Ordinaris Lyra Calvin and sundry others teach us Secondly admit this text be meant of corporall dancing yet it intends no other but religious holy dances in which either men or women praise the Lord with Hymnes and godly Psalmes singing with a grace in their hearts to him who hath given them so great an occasion of much holy ioy it allowes no other dances but such in which the heart is more active then the feet in which Gods glory not carnall iollity is the utmost end It gives no tolleration therefore for our common dances which have neither holinesse for their quallity nor piety for their end Lastly Salomon saith onely that there is a time to dance and this time I am sure is neither Lords-dayes nor any other solemne â—estivals devoted to Gods service as the fore-quoted Councels Fathers and moderne Authors testifie these are not times of dancing but of praying hearing reading meditating and such like holy duties All dancing therefore on such times as these which are now made the chiefest dancing seasons are out of Salomons dispensation Againe the time of working of following our vocations of performing private familie duties of religion the times of sleepe and rest I meane the night which is more often spent in dancing then in praying or any pious duty is none of Salomons times for dancing it being altogether untimely at these seasons Therefore those who spend their working praying reading studying time which God commandes them to râ—deeme in dancing which too many make their worke their life their trade dance out of Salomons time and measure who gives no allowance to their untimely Rounds Againe dancing after a man is tyred out with honest labour is altogether unseasonable sleâ—pe and quiet rest are a wearied mans best his fittest recreations They that worke hard all day had more need to rest then dance all night And yet how many are there who after an hard iourny or a toylsome dayes worke will take more paines at night in dancing then they did in labouring all the day time because they are quite tyred out with working they will yet tire themselves once againe in dancing and so disable themselves the more for the workes and duties of the ensuing day whereas every recreation should helpe not hinder men in their callings Hard workers therefore have little time at least but little need or reason to turne Dancers For others who can finde either little or no time at all to worke which is the epidemicall deplorable gentile fashion of our lazy age I am sure Salomon hath bounded them out no time to dance Eccles. 3. hath set downe 24. severall times at least for severall workes and but one if that for dancing Those therefore who exempt themselves from these times of working can make no title to this dancing season He that will not
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
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
Iewes were commanded to abandon all monuments rites and reliques of Idols and Idolatry all customes fashions vanities exercises and pastimes of the Heathen round about them whose wayes and customes they were not for to learne much lesse to practise Now Stage-playes were the very monuments rites and reliques of Idolatry of Pagan Divell-Idols the customes fashions vanities exercises wayes and pastimes of the Heathen Greekes and Romanes who bordered on them and subdued them as Iosephus Iudaeusâ— the Bookes of Maccabees and others witnesse therefore the Iewish Church must of necessitie condemn them never practise them Thirdly because the Authour of the Bookes of Macabees informes us that wicked Iason and his profane confederates were the first that brought in these Playes and Grecian Exercises among the Iewes who never practised them before which Playes though divers of the Priests and people embraced apostatizing wholly from their religion and Gods worship yet the Iewish Church with all those Iewes who clave close to their religion did vtterly abandon and condemne them as directly contrary to the holy covenant and Law of God Fourthly Iosephus that famous Iewish Historian as hee condemneth Iason for this fact of his so hee informes us likewise that when as Herod would have introduced Stage-playes Sword-playes and such like Roman Spectacles into Ierusalem where he had built a stately Theatre and Amphithâ—atre for the exercise of those theatricall Enterludes of purpose as it seemed to draw the Iewes to Paganisme and overturne their ancient discipline to which end he likewise erected another Theatre at Caesarea Stratonis the whole Iewish Nation and the gravest wisest men among them were much offended with it and thereupon withstood these Playes of his as being contrary to their lawes their received discipline and customes pernicious to their manners prejudicial to their Republike opposite to their Religion and offensive to theiâ— God Which Playes when Herod resolved to bring in by force whether the Iewes would or no there were cerâ—aineâ— Iewes confederated together to murther him in the Theatre it selfe out of the detestation which they bure to Playes of purpose to prevent those mischievous consequâ—ncies which these Staâ—e-playes would occasion both to their religion discipline state and Country manners which they were bound in honour yea in conscience to maintaine though it were with the hazard of their lives Fifthly Philo a very learned Iew who flourished in the Apostles times under Caius the Emperour a man whom Iosephus Eusebius Hierom Augustine and others highlie magnifie as he expresly condemnes Stage-playes as voluptuous petulant nugatory vaine and hurtfull Pastimes in which many thousands of wretched people did miserably spend their time nay waste their lives neglecting in the meane while both the publike and their owne private affaires So he records withall That Moses thought it meete that all his Citizens following the law of nature should celebrate the seventh day being the birth-day of the world in rest and festivall recreations laying aside all workes all gainfull callings and secular imployments that so they might wholly apply themselves not to sports and pleasures as some doe nor yet tâ— the ridiculous sights of Stage-playes and dances which the unruly vulgar loves excessively captivating their very soule by the two chiefest sences sight and hearingâ— which of it selfe is free and soveraigne but that they might solely addict themselves to true phylosophy and to Gods worship and service And withall he certifieth us That the Iewes in their solemne feasts and meetings abandoned all drunkennesse voluptuousnesse effeminacy and excesse together with all Stage-players Fidlersâ— Tumblers Iesters which the Graecians used in their festivals who did onely exhilerate mens mindes with scurrilous sports and iests using no other mirth or musicke but Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs wherein they sounded out Gods praises All which sufficiently manifests that the whole Church of the Iewes condemned Stage-playes Sixthly St. Chrysostome in his 56. Homily upon Genesis discoursing of the marriage of Iacob to Labans daughter even being before the Law was given informes us That the Saints of God in those times had no Musitians no diabolicall dancing at their marriages that they sent for no Players from the Play-house to their houses to corrupt the chastity of the married Virgin with their unseasonable expence and to make her more impudent and incontinent ever after a custome too frequent in his and our times which this godly Father much condemnes Seventhly Origen who much inveighes against Playes against Players and Play-haunters as the very broode and bondslaves of the Divell who have no part at all in Christ or in his Church records That Moâ—es tooke away all such things as conduced not to the benefit of mankinde embracing and cherishing those things onely which might be vsefull and profitable unto all men whence he permitted and instituted no such Playes and gymnicall Exercises as the Gentiles used in which naked men wrestled together or contended with one another on horsebacke or in which women were prostituted to the lusts of all men that so they might delude nature by their lewdnesse But this verily was principally intended among the Iewes that from their very cradles they might learne to transcend all nature to overcome what ever was sensible and to beleeve that God resided not in any part of sensible nature whom they did seeke onely in things above and without all bodies Lastly Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bathe about the yeare of our Lord 1160. speaking of that holy man Iob informes us That he nourished no lyons beares or apes that no Stage-players no singers of fables and vaine idle toyes resorted to him that he gave not himselfe to the pleasures and vanities of this life upon which many spend their estates but that hee bestowed his revenues in the charitable relieving of the poore All which being laid together is an undeniable proofe that the whole primitive Church and Saints of God both before and under the Law did utterly abandon and condemne all Stage-playes Players and such other Spectacles as sinfull and pernicious not giving the least allowance to them And shall we Christians under the Gospell be worse than these were under the Law and so make our condemnation farre more terrible our sinne more out of measure sinfull God forbid That the whole primitive Church under the Gospell hath reprobated abandoned and condemned Stage-playes is more than evident First by the expresse testimonie of Epiphanius Bishop of Constans in Cyprus a learned ancient Father who in his Compendiary Summe of the faith and doctrine of the Catholike and Apostolike Church informes us in positive termes That the Catholike and Apostolicall Church doth reprobate and forbid all Theatres Stage-playes Cirque-playes and such like heathenish spectacles An evidence so full so pregnant that we need no other Secondly by the suffrage of Tertullianâ— who in his Apologie for the Christians against
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
point of Christianity to mispend all this eating drinking and rising up to play whole dayes and nights together Those who are civill at other seasons will be now deboist and such who were but soberly dissolute before if I may so speak will be now stark mad forgetting not onely their Saviour but themselves Those who repute it a shame to be unruly disorderly any other part of the yeare thinke it an honour to be outragiously disordered and distempered now turning day into night and night into day against the course of nature like Seneca his Antipodes setting no bounds to any lust That which is not tollerable at other times seemes laudable unto most men now that which were it done at any other season could not but be condemned as an execrable sinne becomes now a vertue at least a veniall crime In a word those who make a kinde of conscience of drinking amarous dancing healthing dicing idlenesse Stage-playes and of every sinne at other timesâ— deeme it a part of their piety to make no bones of these of any deboistnesse or prophanesse now those who are constant in religious familie-duties now discontinue them those who remembred their Saviour and sinnes before now quiâ—e forget them those who seemed Saints before turne Divels incarnate now those who were reasonable men before are metamorphosed into beasts or monsters now those who were formerly good at least in outward shew doe now turne bad and all who were bad before prove now tenâ—times worse all under this pretence of solemnizing Christs Nativitie as if he were delighted onely with their sins Thus doe we even crucifie our blessed Saviour in his very cradle and like that v Tyrant Herod seeke to take away his life as soone as he is born whiles we thus impiously celebrate prophane his birth eveÌ„ pierce him through with these grosse disorders which are now too frequent among many Christians Should Turkes Indels behold our BacchanaliaÌ„ Christmas extravagancies would they not thinke our Saviour to be a glutton an Epicure a wine-bibber a Divell a friend of publicanes and sinners as the Iewes once stiled him yea a very Bacchusâ— a God of all dissolutenesse drunkennesse and disorder since his Nativitie is thus solemnized by his followers who are never so dissolutely so exorbitantly deboist in all kindes as in this his festivall Would they not take up that speech in Salvian Ecce quales sunt qui Christum colunt falsum plane illud est quod aiunt se bona discere quod jactant se sanctae legis praecepta retinere Si enim bona discerent boni essent Talis profecto secta est quales et sectatores hoc sunt absque dubio quod docentur Apparet itaque Prophetas quos habent impuritatem docere et Apostolos quos legunt nefaria sensisse et Evangelia quibus imbuuntur haec quae ipsi faciunt praedicare Postremo sancta à Christianis fierent si Christus sancta docuisset AEstimari itaque de cultoribus suis potest ille qui colitur Quomodo enim bonus magister est cujus tam malos videmus esse discipulos Ex ipso enim Christiani sunt ipsum audiunt ipsum legunt promptum est omnibus Christi intelligere doctrinam Vide Christianos quid agant et evidenter potest de ipso Christo sciri quid doceat Would they not condemne our God our Saviour our religion and loath both thâ—m and us qui ita agimus ac vivimus ut hoc ipsum quod Christianus populus esse dicitur opprobrium Christi esse videatur as the same Father speakes O inaestimabile facinus et prodigiosum Quid non ausae sint improbae mentes in the Christmas season Armant se ad peccandum per Christi nomen auctorem quodammodo sui sceleâ—is Deum faciunt et cum interdictor ac vindex malorum omnium Christus sit dicunt se scelus quod agunt agere pro Christo. Such are our gracelesse unchristian Christmas lives who when as our Saviour daily cries unto us Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven we on the contrary live so in the Christmas season that I speake not of other times that the sonnes of men that Infidels and Pagans may openly behold our evill workes and blasphemâ— ouâ— Fatherâ— our most blessed Saviour who is now grieving in heaven whiles we are thus dishonouring his Nativitie here on earth And should not our hearts then smiâ—e us should not shame confound us all for this our heinous sinne for this our indignity to our blessed Lord and Saviour who never findes worse entertainmenâ— in the world than in the feast of his Nativity when he expects the best O let us now at length remember that our holy Saviour was borne into the world for this very purpose to redeeme and call us from not to those sinnes and sinfull pleasures to destroy out of us not to erect within us those very workes and pompes of Satan which now we more especially practise at his sacred birthtide as if he were borne to no other purpose but to set hell loose to give a liberty to all kinde of wickednesse and to prove a meere broker for such a one men then make him to the very Divell Did we but seriously consider and beleeve that our Saviour Christ was for this end borne into the world that hee might purifie and wash â—s both from the guilt and power of all our sinnes in his most precious blood that hee might sanctifie and cleanse us with the washing of water by the word from all iniquitie and present us to himselfe a glorious Church without any spot or wrinkle that he might teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present evill world expecting every day his second comming that he might quite destroy out of us the workes of the Divell purge us from all iniquitie and purifie us unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes that wee being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation that we should henceforth cease from sinne and no longer live the rest of our time in the lusts of the flesh to the will of men but to the will of God that we might be holy in all manner of conversation and godlinesse even as hee is holy especially at holy sâ—asons that wee should not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose againe that whether we live we might live unto him or whether we die we might die unto him and that living and dying we might be his glorifying him both in our soules and bodies which are