Imployments would permit the unlawfulnesse the mischievous qualities and effects of Stage-playes themselves and of their penning acting and frequenting endeavoring out of a cordiall desire of your eternall welfare as much as in mee lieth to perswade you to abandon them by ripping up the severall mischiefes and dangers that attend them If any therefore henceforth perish by frequenting Stage-playes after this large discovery of their sin-engendring soule-condemning qualities their sinne their blood shall light upon their owne heads not an mine who have taken all this paines to doe them good All then I shall desire of you in recompence of my labour is but this that as I have acted my part in oppugning so you would now play your parts to in abominating in abandoning Stage-playes without which this Play-refuting Treatise will doe no good but hurt unto your soules by turning your sinnes of ignorance into sinnes of knowledge and rebellion The labour of it hath beene mine alone my desire my prayer is and shall bee that the benefit the comfort of it may be yours the Republikes and the glory Gods the convincing concurrence of whose ever-blessed Spirit so blesse so prosper it to your everlasting weale that your whole spirits soules and bodies may be henceforth preserved blamelesse from all future soule-defiling Enterludes and delights of sinne unto the comming of our Lord Iesui Christâ— before whose dreadful Tribunall we must al ere long be summoned to give an account of all our actions that you may so judge of Stage-playes now as you will determine of them in that great dreadfull Day of Iudgement and in the day of death when you shall not judge amisse And because no dissolute Libertines or licentious Readers through Satans or the worlds delusions should cheat their â—oules of the benefit intended to them by this worke out of a prejudicate opinion that it is overstrict and more then puritanically invective against Players Playes and Theaters to prevent this fond evasion and to put all exclaiming Play-patriots to perpetuall silence pretermitting the memorable omitted authorities of Gulielmus Stuckius Antiquitatum Convivalium lib. 3. cap 20â—21 22 c Tiguri 1597. and of Gulielmus Peraldus Summae Virtutum ac Vitiorum Tom. 2. Lugduni 1585. Tit. De Luxuria c. 3. p. 68. to 77. two excellent learned Discourses against Stage-playes health-drinking and mixt lascivious dancing which I shall commend unto your reading with the Imperiall Edicts of Charles the Great against Stage-playes and Dancing on Lords-dayes and Holy-dayes and all fore-cited Play-condemning Authorities I shall here by way of Conclusion cloze up this whole Discourse with the words of Ioannis Mariana a famous Spanish Iesuit who besides his large and learned Booke De Spectaculis professedly oppugning Stage-playes hath since the publication of that Treatise in his 3. Booke and 16. Chapter De Rege Regum Institutione pag. 341. to 352. dedicated to King Philip the 3. of Spaine and published in the yeere 1598. Cum Privilegio Caesareae Majestatis permissu Superiorum with the speciall prefixed approbations of Stephanus Hoieda Visitor and Petrus De Onna Master Provinciall of the Iesuits of the Province of Toledo in Spaine delivered his positive and deliberate resolution against Players Playes and Play-houses in these ensuing termes which is every way as harsh as rigid and precise as any verdict that either I my selfe or any other fore-quoted Authors have here past against them His words well worthy all Players and Play-haunters consideration are these Publicam ludorum insaniam quae spectacula nominantur seperata disputatione pro virili parte castigavimus multisque Argumentis majorum testimonijs confirmavimus theatri licentiam de qua potissimum laborandum est nihil esse aliud quam oâ—ficinam impudicitiae improbitatis ubi omnis aetatis sexus conditionis homines depravantur simulatisque ludicris actionibus ad vitia vera informantur Admonentur enim quid facere possint inflammantur libidine quae aspectu maxime auribus concitatur puellae presertim juvenes quos intempestive voluptatibus infici grave est atque reipublicae Christianae exitiale malum Quid enim continet scena nisi virginum stupra mores prostituti pudoris faeminarum lenonum artes atque lenarum ancillarum servorum fraudes versibus numerosis ornatis explicata sententiarum luminibus distincta eoque tenacius memoriae adhaerentia quarum rerum ignoratio multò commodiâ—r est Histrionum impudici motus gestus fractaeque in faeminarum modum voces quibus impudicas mulieres imitantur quid aliud nisi ad libidinem inâ—lammant per se ad vitia satis proclives An major ulla corruptela morum excogitari possit Quae enim in scena per imaginem aguntur peracta fabula cum risu commemorantur sine pudore deinde fiunt voluptatis cupiditate animum titillante qui sunt veluti gradus ad suscipiendam pravitatem cum sit facilie à jocis ad seria transitus Rectè enim sapienter Solomon Quasi per risum inquit stultus operatur Scelus turpia enim atque inhonesta factu dictuque dum ridemus approbamus suoque pondere pravitas identidem inpejus trahit Censeo ergo moribus Christianis certissimaÌ„ pestem afferre theatri licentiam nomini Christiano gravissimam ignominiam Censeo Principi eam rem vel maxime curae fore ne aut ipse suo exemplo authoritatem conciliet arti vanissimae si frequenter intersit spectaculis audiatque libenter fabulas praesertim quae ab histrionibus venalibus exhibentur quoad fieri poterit de tota provincia exturbet eam pravitatem Neque concedat mores suorum ea turpitudine depravari Hoc nostrum votum est destinataque sententia Verum populi levitas peccantium multitudo quasi moles quaedam opponitur tum auctoritas eorum qui communi Errori patrocinantur Et est excusatio furoris multitudo insanorum hoc quoque nomine prava nostra natura quod vitijs suis cupiditatibus favet neque facile avelli se sinit ab ijs quae cum voluptate suscipiuntur cujus sumus natura cupidissimi Vsque adeo ut si quis vanitati resistat ei vehementer irascatur populi multitudo Ille siâ— publicus inimicus Augustinus ait cui haec faelicitas displicet quisquis eam auferre vel mutare tentaverit eum libera multitudo avertat ab auribus evertat à sedibus auferat à viventibus Excaecat nimirum prava consuetudo animos quae passim fieri videmus defendere conantur quidem licentiae patroni magni scilicet Theologi quasi juri aequitati consona otio literis abuâ—entes quos redarguere facile erit testimonio authoritate veterum Theologorum in hac re non discrepantium à quibus discedere nostrae aetatis Theologos velle non putamus Has omnes simulatae veritatis praestigias
fooles who make a mocke of sinne or recreate themselves with the iniquities of other men That Play-house laughter then which ariseth from such filthy scurrilous objects must needs be evill discovering nothing but a gracelesse heart delighting onely in ribaldry in uncleanesse whereas all Christians must reioyce in God alone not in the Devill not in sinfull pleasures which are but for a season Secondly it muâ—t needs be sinfull in regard of its excesse it being altogether boundlesse beyond the rules of modesty temperance christianity sobriety by which it should be regulated Theatricall laughter knowes neither bounds nor measure men wholly resigne and let loose the reines of their hearts unto it glutting nay tyring their sides and spirits with it the dissolute profusenesse of it therefore mâ—kes it evill Thirdly the end of Play-house laughâ—â—r is onely to satiate mens flâ—shly lusts with secular iollity and delights of sinne tâ— pamper to arme the rebellious flesh against the Spirit to quench those heauenly ioyes and spirituall comforts which should ravish Christian soules to exile all true repentance all godly sorrow and sound humiliation for sinne which are altogether incompatible with these lascivious smiles to put the evill day farre off from men by stupifying their selfe-condemning consciences and lulling them fast a sleepe in a most desperate carnall security Such is the use the fruite of this Stage-laughter it cannot therefor but be evill Fourthly this laughter is altogether unseemely unseasonable unto Christians Vnseemely because immoderate profuse excessive laughter especially at the sight or hearing of a ribaldrous Stage-play is altogether inconsistent with the gravity modesty and sobriety of a Christian whose affâ—ctions should be more sublime more serious and composed then to be immoderately tickled with meere lascivious vanities or to lash out into excessive cachinnations in the publike view of dissolute gracelesse persons who will be hardned and encouraged in their lascivious courses by their ill example Vnseasonable because this is no place no time no world for Christians to laugh or to be merry in but to bewaile their owne and others sinnes that so they may escape the eternall torments of them at the last Our Saviour whose doctrine no Christian dares controll hath denounced an woe to all those that laugh that live in ease iollity and carnall pleasures now because they shall certainely mourne and suffer eternall toâ—ments for it hereafter informing all his Children whose ioyes are treasured up in heaven against another day that in this world they shall be sure to suffer persecution and affliction to weepe lament and be sorrowfull and that this world onely who have their portion in this life shall now reioyce that is in a carnall worldly manner whereupon he adviseth all his followers to turne their secular laughter into mourning their carnall iollity into weeping and heavinesse For Christians therefore to make this world a paradice of all earthly pleasures to spend their dayes in Epicurisme mirth and iollity glutting themselves with sinfull Spectacles and mirth-provoking Enterludes as alas two many doe to be like Democritus alwayes laughing never weeping unlesse it be sometimes against their wils and then not for their sinnes to be most unlike their blessed Savioâ—r who was oft-times weeping never smiling that we read of Quem flevisse legimus risisse non legimus how can it but be sinfull yea abominable Christ Iesus our patterne our example whose steps we all must follow if ever we expect salvation from him was alwayes mourning never laughing I am sure not at a Stage-play which hee and his condemne as worthy teares not smiles and shall we doe nothing but reioyce The Apostles and Christians in the Primitive Church yea all the Saints of God who went before us were for the most part weepers not laughers deploring among sundry other evils those execrable abominations which Stage-playes did produce And shall we be alwaies laughingâ— nay laughing at these filthy Enterludes which they so much bewailed Is this to imitate Christ or his Apostles to live like Saints like Christians like men redeemed from the world Is this to participate with Christ in his afflictions or to trace the narrow uncouth way that leades to endlâ—sse ioyes O no! this carnall life of iollity prognosticks nothing but a voluptuous heart a Godlesse Christlesse conversation which leades men downe to Hell needs therefore must it be unlawfull unto Christians Fiftly this profuse Theatricall laughter doth give a publike approbation to all the ribaldry and prophanesse that is either personated â—r perpetrated on the Stage and so makes these laughers deepely guilty of it Sixtly it produceth sundry sinfull conâ—equents as cachinnations clamors impudency effeminacy incivility voluptuousnesse loosenesse and lightnesse of spirit impenitency carnall security indisposition to every holy duty especially to godly sorrow for sinne therefore it cannot but be evill Peruse we but the Scriptures we shall finde them much condemning this excessive carnall laughter especially at vaine at sinfull objects as misbeseeming Christians Survey wee the Fathers they are exceeding copious in this subject Witnesse Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. l. 2. c. 5.6 l 3. c. 11. Arnobius Advers Gentes l. 4 pag. 149.150.151 l. 7. pag. 230. to 242. Basil. De Ebrietate Luxu Sermo p. 329.332 236. Nazianzen ad Selucum p. 1063.1064 Sententiae p. 1168. 997. Ambros. Sermo 17. S. Asterij Homil. in Festum Kalendarum Bibl. Patrum Tom 4. p. 706. Hierom. Epist. 8. c. 7. August De Verbis Apostoli Sermo 9. Tom. 10. p. 376. ConfessionuÌ„ l. 2. cap. 9. Enar. in Psal. 51. Tom. 8. pars 1. pag. 605.606 Salvian De Gubernat Dei lib. 6. 7. Theophâ—lact Enar. in Luk. 6. p. 135. Ioannis Climachus De Discretione Gradus c. 31. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 6. pars 2. p. 280. G. Bedae Scintillae Tom. 7. Col. 335. Risus Antiochus Hom. 95. Quod temperandum sit à solutiore immoderato Risu Bibl. Patrum Tom. 7. p. 209. Bernard in Caena Domini Sermo 9. De Gradibus Humilitatis Col. 961. A. De Ordine Vitae Col. 1117. A.B. Olympiodorus Enar. in Ecclesiasten cap. 2. 7. and above all S. Chrysostom Hom. 6.38 69. in Matth. Hom. 17. in Ephesios 15. in Hebraeos 54.14.15 62. ad Pop. Antiochiae To which I might adde Robertus Holkot in Lib. Sapientiae Lectio 172. fol. 133. Revelationes Sanctae Brigiâ—tae l. 2. c. 29. Nicolaus de Clemangis De Novis Celebritatibus non instituendis p. 143. to 150. Thomas Gualesius Lect. 77 in Proverb Solomonis fol. 97. Edit Ascentijs 1510. a notable place Antonius Laurentius De Risu l. 2. Summa Angelica Tit. Risus Rabanus Maurus Com. in Regulam S. Benedicti Oper. Tom. 6. p. 278. E.F. 283. E. 292. d. Alexander Alensis Summa
inuention or product either of God himselfe who is infinitely holy and therefore no Proiector of such vnholy pleasures or of Christians or ciuill Pagans must of necessitie be fathered on the Deuill himselfe who is the common seed-plot of all vncleannesse and prophannesse whatsoeuer But such are Stage-Playes as hereafter I shall prooue at large Therefore they must of necessitie call the Deuill Father and be reputed as his of-springâ— so that the Assumption of my former argument is irrefragable For the Maior That things which had their birth and primary conception from the Deuill himselfe who is all and onely euill must needes bee sinfull pernicious vnseemely and vnlawfull vnto Christians I presume no Christian dares gaine-say it For what honest profitable good or lawfull thing can flow or issue from him who is wholy euill and walkes about in an indefatigable and restlesse manner like a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure Can a bitter Fountaine send foorth sweete and pleasant streames Or can a corrupt Tree bring foorth good and holesome fruite Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse or a good thing out of wickednesse It is past the skill of any Chymicke or artist to effect it Certainely such as the Mother is such is the Daughter that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Now the Deuill is an vncleane a wicked a sinfull and pernicious Spirit there is no good at all within him his inuentions workes and of-spring therefore must resemble him they must be euill vncleane pernicious and abominable like himselfe Men doe not men cannot gather Grapes of Thornes or Figges of Thistles such as the stocke is such must bee the fruite as Scripture Nature Reason and Experience teach vs. Since then the Deuill himselfe is all and onely euill abominable polluted and pernicious I meane in his qualitie as a Deuill not in his â—ntitie as a creature these Stage-Playes which are his proper and immediate issue must bee so too if not to Pagans inthralled to his bondage and captiuated at his pleasure in his snares yet at least to such as lay any title to the name of Christians who haue vowed in their very Baptisme and first admittance into the Church of Christ to forsake the deuill and all his workes of which these Stage-Playes are well-nigh the chiefe Oderis itaque Christiane quorum Auctores non poteris non odisse needes then must all Christians hate these Stage-Playes whose Author they cannot chuse but hate needes must they repute them euill abominable and pernicious yea altogether such since the genitor and parent of them is wholly onely alwayes such Can any good thing come out of Nazareth was a question that sincere Nathaniel demanded once of Philip when hee brought tidings to him of Christ Can any good thing come out of Hell out of Satan out of that wicked and vncleane infernall Spirit who plots the ruine of mens Soules and nothing else is the demand I make to such who are inamoured with these Stage-Playes Alas what Christian or Pagan heart can so much as once conceiue that the professed enemie of mankinde of God of goodnesse the fountaine of all sinne and wickednesse the very sincke and center of all vncleannesse should be the Author Propagator or Contriuer of any reall good of any thing that furthers the happinesse or well-fare of the sonnes of men Was it euer knowne since the world was framed that this onely Author of all euill was the cause of any good of any inuention that might benefit the Bodies or Soules of men or further their Temporall or Eternall well-fare Oh no the experience of all ages all men all Christians prooues it For though the Deuill may sometimes commend some seeming good vnto vs yet latet anguis in herba there is alwayes poyson in his best and sweetest Potions there is a Soule-intangling snare in all his inuentions a dangerous and ineuitable hooke in all his baites all his workes contriuances and delights what euer glittering out-side or Honie tasts they seeme to haue are but so many trappâ—s and poysons to captiuate and indanger Soules they are all abominable and pernicious like himselfe and so are Stage-Playes too as well as others O then let this conuince them to bee vnlawfull vnseemely and pernicious vanities as the fore-quoted Fathers and Authors in the Minor haue deemed them for this very reason and now at last perswade all Christians all Pagans vnlesse they will sweare homage to the Deuill and renounce the seruice and protection of the Liuing onely God for euer to abominate them as the very product of Satan and the broode of Hell SCAENA SECVNDA BVt admit that the Deuill himselfe were not the immediate forger and parent of these Theatricall Enterludes which no man can disprooue by any Orthodox recordes yet this must needes be granted that Idolatrous Infidels and the deboisest Pagans were the first Actors and Contriâ—ers of them and that by the very Instinct and Tutorship of the Deuill whose instruments they were and this alone doeth brand them for euill and vnlawfull pleasures which Christians may not practise as this second Argument will cleerely euidence That which had its rise its pedigree and being from Idolatrous Infidels and the Deboisest Pagans who were the Deuils agents in this seruice must needes bee sinfull vnlawfull vnseemely and pernicious at least wise vnto Christians But Stage-Playes if wee take them in their very best conception had their rise their pedigree and being from Idolatrous Infidels and the Deboisest Pagans who were the Deuils Factors in this seruice Therefore they must needes be sinfull vnlawfull and pernicious at least wise vnto Christians For the Maior I shall clearely euidence it by Authentique Recordes which though they somewhat vary in the particular persons yet they all concurre in this that Pagans and Infidels were the first contriuers of these Stage-Playes Athenaeus with others informes vs that the Athenians were the primary composers of Comicall Enterludes in imitation of those drunken Husband-men who Sacrificed and made Playes to Bacchus the God of their Vineyards Plutarch relates that Comedies and Tragoedies tooke their Originall from Homer Clemens Alexandrinus records that one Thespis Quintilian that AEschylus was the first who brought Tragoedies to light Who euer he was that first inuented these Playes among the Graecians yet all concurre that the Romans who as it seemes deriued them from the Greekes did first imbrace them vpon this occasion When as there was a great Plague in Rome which could not be aswaged by any Diuine or humane helpes the Romanes to appease the wrath of their enraged Deuill-gods sent into Tuscanie for Stage-Players among whom one Hister being more eminent and expert then the rest as most or the AEtrurian word Hister which signifieth a Play
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
38. 69. in Matth. Hom. 42. in Acta Apost Hom. 15.62 ad Pop. Antiochiâ— Hom. 17. in Epheâ—ios 15. in Hebraeos Augustine De Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 4. to 15. 26. to 30. l. 6. c. 1.6 7.10 l. 8. c. 10. l. 11. c. 8. Salvian De Gubernat Dei l. 6. 7. Cassiodorus Variarum l. 1. Epist. 27â— l. 3. Epist. 51. Ioannis Salisburiensis De Nugis Curialium l. 1. c. 7.8 lib. 8. cap. 6.7 Sanctus Asterius Hom. in â—estum Kalendarum Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 705.706 with others which I pretermit who fully suffragate to my Minors truth For moderne Christian Authors Thomas Gualâ—sius Hom. 77. in Proverb Solomonis pag. 97. who is copious to this purpose M. Northbroâ—ke M. Gosson M. Sâ—ubs D. Reinolds Brissonius and Mariana in their Bookes and severall fore-named Treatises against Stage-playes The 2. 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters Bulengerus De Theatro l. 1. c. 60. 61. De Plausu Sibilo Clamoribus acclamationibus Theatri with sundry others formerly quoted to this purpose pag. 30.31 will sufficiently satisfie any that doubt of my Assumpsions truth Since then it is evident by all these testimonies that Stage-playes do occasion doe abound with such laughter such applauses as I have here evinced to be evill and misbeseeming Saints I may well conclude that Stage-playes even in this regard and in respect of all the fore-going particulars in the precedent Act are utterly unlawfull unto Christians which should cause them wholy to abandon them ACTVS 6 SCENA PRIMA FIftly as Stage-playes are sinfull and so unlawfull unto Christians in all the fore-mentioned regards so likewise are they in respect of severall pernicious effects and dangerous fruits which usually if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them the chiefest of which I shall here enumerate in their order that so you may more evidently discerne the badnesse of them by the sundry evils they occasion The first of these is the prodigall mispence of much precious time which Christians should husband and redeeme to better purposes From whence this 27. Argument against Stage-playes may be composed That which doth alwaies unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much peerelesse time which should be carefully improved and redeemed must certainely be sinfull and so unlawfull unto Christians But this doe Stage-playes as I shall fully manifest Therefore they must certainely be sinfuâ—l and so unlawfull unto Christians The Major all men must subscribe to because God himselfe commands us not prodigally to waste but wisely to redeeme the time and so much the rather because the dayes are evill Our time it is our richest treasure it is that peerelesse portion which God himselfe hath put into our hands that we might improve it to his glory to our owne and others good not sinfully consâ—me it upon lascivious childish Enterludes vanities or delights of sinne which bring nothing but eternall horror to mens soules at last For men for Christians then to cast this unvaluable Pearle of precious time to Swine to disburse this treasure for that which is not bread this money for that which satisfieth not to waste this royall patrimony upon voluptuous spectacles or lewde ridiculous Pastimes to trifle it quite away upon the very vainest vanities as alas too many doe who treasure up nothing but eternall wrath and horror to their soules against the day of wrath how can it but be sinfull Our dayes yea every houre and minute of our lives are Gods not ours they are those precious talents which God hath put into our hands to occupy with them till he come to him must we give up our account for the imployment of them at the last And can we then take Gods time Gods treasure allowed onely to us for his use his service which is abundantly sufficient to engrosse even al our dayes and spend it wholly upon sinne upon Satan upon our owne carnall lusts and pleasures upon lascivious Stage-playes Games and Sports upâ—n Dicing Carding Dancing Drinking Whoring Feasting upon idle Visits Complements and Discourses upon Meretricious Paintings Frizlings Pouldrings Attyrings and the like in which many squonder away their very choicest morning houres more fit for study devotion then such unchristian practises as if we had no God to serve no callings to follow no soules to save no Hell to feare no Heaven to seeke no Iudge to censure us no day of Iudgement to account in how we have spent our time and yet flatter our selves so grosly as to presume we have done full well at least-wise not offended in this profuse mispending of our Masters stocke of time Alas how many millions of pounds how many myriades of Kingdomes nay of Worlds were they but Masters of them would many thousand damned spirits now in torments or voluptuous distressed persons now lying on their death-beds ready to breathe out their soules at every breath into the infernall Tophet give for the moitie the tythe yea the very smallest quantity of that unvaluable time which they have irrecoverably spent on Playes and such like sinfull Pastimes that so they might in time bewaile with brinish teares with dolorous pangs and deepest sighes the losse of all those houres which they have prodigally spent in Play-houses Tavernes and such life-devouring places to prevent or else extenuate the intollerable horror of their eternall paines And shall wee then squander away we care not how those pretious houres which these which wee our selves perchance hereafter though now we value them at so low a price as to play them quite away for nought would willingly repurchase at the dearest rate on vaine lascivious Stage-playes toyes and childish vanities as if we were created only to play and follow sports which Tully and other Pagans quite deny and yet thinke to scape unpunished Those Playes and Pastimes therefore which miserably waste and eate out all our dayes which rob us of our pretious time our chiefe our onely treasure which we should carefully husband to our good Which sacrilegiously defraud our God our Country our Soules our Callings of sundry vacant houres which should be spent upon them must needs be evill and unlawfull unto Christians even in this respect For the Minor that Stage-playes unavoydably produce an intollerable mispence of much pretious time c. it is most apparant if we will but summe up all those dayes those houres which are vainely spent in the composing conning practising acting beholding of every publike or private Stage-play How many golden dayes and houres I might say weekes nay monâ—ths and I had almost said whole yeeres doe most Play-poets spend in contriving penning polishing their new-invented Playes before they ripen them for the Stage When these their Playes are brought unto maturity how many houres evenings halfe-dayes dayes and sometimes weekes are spent
or Players by contributing to their Boxes or resorting to their Theaters for the fore-named reasons Since therefore it is abunndantly evident by the premises that Stage-playes are the occasions of much vaine much sinfull prodigall expence and that the very contributing to Players Boxes of which every common Spectator must be alwayes culpable is not onely apparant prodigality but a Giant-like sinne which brings much danger to mens soules It must needs cause us to abominate to abandon Stage-playes even for this effect which alwayes necessarily attends them SCENA TERTIA. THe third effect or fruit of Stage-playes is the irritation the inflamation the fomentation of divers sinfull lusts of many lewde unchaste adulterous affections both in the Actors and Spectators hearts From whence this 29. Play-oppugning Argument will ebulliate That which doth ordinarily if not alwayes defile the eyes the eares and soules both of the Actors and Spectators by ingendring by exciting meretricious lustfull lewde adulterous desires and affections in their hearts or by instigating by preparing by inducing them to actuall uncleanesse must needs be abominable and unlawfull unto Christians But this doe Stage-playes as I shall here make manifest Therefore they must needs bee abominable and unlawfull unto Christians The Major is irrâ—fragable because all polluting objects all unchaste affections and unruly carnall lusts which are no lesse then adultery then uncleanesse it selfe in Gods account doe not onely contaminate and war against mens soules but likewise deprive them of Gods favour disable them to every holy duty inthrall them unto Satan exclude them out of Heaven and without repentance plunge them into Hell for all eternity Since therefore the Scripture calls upon us to cleanse our selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit to morâ—ifie our carnall lusts and earthly members to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof the fruit of which is eternall death to abstaine from fleshly lusts which war against the soule and to make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Since it expresly informes us that none but Idolaâ—rous Heathen Gentiles in whom the Devill raignes none but unregenerate carnall gracelesse persons who have no part in Christ doe wallow with delight doe foster harbour or take pleasure in such lusts as these And that all who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof because the carnall minde is enmity against God neither is it nor can it be subiect to his law There are none but Whores and Panders or foule incarnate Devils who dare controll my Minors truth which all Christians must subscribe to because they are no longer debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh but sworne Servants and Spouses unto Christ alone to whom they have resigned both their soules and bodies to be at none but his disposall The Minor is notoriously evident not onely by experience but likewise by the concurring suffrages of sundry Fathers Councels and Authors of all sorts Who as they stile Play-houses The Temples of Venery the Schooles of Bawdry the Deâ—s of Lewdnesse the Siâ—kes of Filthinesse and Stage-playes the Lectures of Ribaldry the Meditations of Adultery the Nurseries of Vncleanesse the Fomentations of Lechery the Fuell the Incendiaries of lust and the very Devils Forge or Bellowes to excite and blow up flames of carnall Concupiâ—cence both in the Actors and Spectators hearts a suâ—ficient ratification of our present Assumption So they likewise positively aâ—firme and copiously testifie the truth of this proposition in expresse words Witnesse Clemens Alexandrinus who informes us that Comedies and amorous moderne Poems teach men adultery that they defile mens eares with incests and fornications therefore he tells the Gentiles that not onely the use the sight and hearing but likewise the very memory of Stage-playes yea of the fabulous Poems pictures and representations of their unchaâ—te libidinous Idol-gods ought utterly to be abolished because their eares had committed whoredome their eyes had played the harlots with them and which is more strange that their very sight had committed adultery before any actuall embracement by reason of these obscene Picturesâ— and filthy Enterludes Hence he instructeth Christians that his Paedagoge must not lead them unto Playes or Theaters which may not be unfitly called the Chaire of Pestilence because these Conventicles where men and women meete promisâ—uously together to behold one another are the occasion of lewdnesse here they give or plot wicked counsell For while their eyes are lasciviously occupied their lusts waxe warme and their eyes being accustomed to glance more impudently on those who sit next them having liberty and leisure granted to them intend their lusts These Spectacles therefore saith he which are fraught with wickednesse with obscene and vaine speeches with the representations of filthy deeds with impudent and unchaste discourses which provoke laughter the Idaeaes of which men carry away with them to their houses there more deepely imprint them in their mindes are utterly to he prohibited Witnesse Tertullian who records that Tragedies and Comedies are the augmenters of villanies and lusts being both cruell and lascivious impious and prodigall That they defile mens eyes and eares with uncleanesse and blow up the sparkles of their Lusts. Hence he stiles the Play-house the Chappell of Venery the House of Lechery the Consistory of Incontinency Hence he informes us that all the Christians in the Primitive Church had utterly relinquished the uncleanesse of the Theater Hence he comforts the close imprisoned Martyrs of his time with this consideration that by meanes of their imprisonment their eyes were kept from the sight of Theaters the places of publike lust and lechery Neither were their eares oâ—fended with the clamors or uncleanesse of Stage-players And hence hee doubles this Assertion That Stage-playes are absolutely prohibited by the inhibition of incontinency Witnesse Origen who instructeth us that Christians must not lift up their eyes to Stage-playes the pleasurable delights of polluted eyes as he there stiles them lest their lusts should be inflamed by them What then writes he in another place shall we say of these who with the troopes of the Gentiles make haste to Stage-playes and defile their eyes and eares with unchaste words and motions It is not our part â—o passe sentence upon such for they themselves may perceive and see what part they have chosen to themselves Thou therefore who hearest these things Be ye holy for I am holy Wisely understand what is spoken seperate thy selfe from terrene actions seperate thy selfe from the lusts of the world and from the contagion of every sinne Witnesse Saint Cyprian who stiles Theaters b The Stewes of publike chastity and Mastership of obscaenity which teach those sinnes in publike that men may more usually commit them in private What doth a
and the eyes with shewes and the eares with hearing are there polluted all which are so bad that no man can well report or declare them with honesty For who without passing the bounds of modesty can utter those imitations of dishonest things those filthy spectacles those lewde motions those obscene gestures that are used there the extraordinary sinfulnesse of which may be gathered even from this that it is unlawfull for to name them For sâ—me sinnes though most hainous may well and honestly both be named and blamed too as murther theft adultery sacriledge and such like onely the impurities of Theaters are such as may not honestly be no not so much as blamed Such new matter ariseth against the reprover in finding fault with their most horrible filthinesse that albeit he be a most perfect honest man that would speake against it yet can he not so doe and keepe his honesty Againe all other evils pollute the doers onely not the beholders or the hearers for a man may heare a blasphemer and not be partaker of his sacriledge in as much as be dissenteth from him in minde And if one come while a robbery is doing he is not actually guilty of it because he abhors the fact Onely the filthinesse of Playes and Spectacles is such as makes the Actors and Spectators guilty alike For whiles they gladly looke on and so approve them by beholding them they all become Actors of them by sight and assent so as that of the Apostle may be properly applyed to them How that not onely those who commit such things are worthy of death but they also who favor those that doe them So that in these representations of whoredome all the people doe altogether in minde play the Harlots And such as happily come chaste to Stage-playes returne adulterers from the Theater For they play the fornicators not then onely when they goe away but also when they come to Playes For as soone as one lusteth after a filthy thing whiles he hasteneth to that which is uncleane he becommeth uncleane And so hee proceeds It is therefore abundantly evident by the concurrent punctuall testimonies of these 30. Fathers whose words I have here transcribed to whom I might have added Clemens Romanus Irenaeus Epiphanius Philo Iudaeus Cyrillus Alexandriâ—us Theodoret Beda Alchuvinus Anexagoras Olympiodorus Orosius Iulius Firmicus Grattan with others whom I shall quote hereafter in their more proper Scenes That Stage-playes pollute the eyes the eares the mindes both of their Actors and Spectators by ingendring unchaste adulterous lewde affections in their hearts by their obscene words and lascivious gestures That they irritate inflame foment those beastly carnall lusts which draw them on to actuall uncleanesse to their eternall ruine and so by necessary consequence that they are utterly unlawfull for Christians to act to see to heare or resort to even in this regard as they all from hence conclude And dare any Play-patron then reject these grave Authorities in iustifying in frequenting Stage-playes as innoxious honest chaste or usefull recreations after all these Fathers censures If any Stage-frequentingâ— Play-adoring Christian bee so incredulous as not to give credit to these alleaged Fathers let him then listen to some Councels some moderne Christian Authors some ancient Pagans who averre the selfesame truth whose ioynt concurrent Authorities he cannot deny If wee cast our eyes upon Councels we shall finde these severall Councels in severall Countries and ages to wit Concilium Laodicenum Can. 54. Eliberinum Can. 62.67 Arelatense 1. Can. 4.5 2. Can. 20. Carthaginense 3. Can. 11. 35. Carthaginense 4. Can. 86. 88. Aphricanum Can. 27.28 30. Agathense Can. 39. in Sâ—rius but 28. in Carranza Veneâ—icâ—m Can. 11. Constantinopolitanum 6. in Trullo Can. 24 51 62.66 71. Turonense 3. Can. 7.8 Cabilonense 2. Can. 9. Moguntinum Anno Dom. 813. Can. 10.14 Rhemense Anno. 813. Can. 17. Synodus Francica sub Zacharia Papa Anno Dom. 742. Aquisgranense Concilium sub Ludovico Pio. Canon 83.100 145. Concil Parisiense 1. Can. 28. Moguntinum sub Rabano Archiepiscopo Can. 13. Synodus 8. Oecumenica Can. 16. Capitula Graecarum Synodorum Can. 59. Concilium Lateranense 1. Can. 16. Concil Basiliense Sessio 21. Appendix â—â—usdeâ— Concilij Concil Senonense Can. 25. Nicaenum 2. Can. 22. Mediolanense 1. De Mimis Circulatoribus cap. Concil Carolo Magnum Can. 5. Coloniense Anno. 1536. pars 2. cap. 25. pars 3. cap. 26. pars 9. cap. 10. Synodus Augustensis Can. 19. Concil Coloniense sub Adolpho Anno. 1549. Can. 17. Synodus Moguntina Anno. 1549. sub Sebastiano cap. 61. 75. together with Concilium Lingonense Anno. 1404. Senonense Anno. 1524. Carnotense Anno. 1526. Burdigense 1582. Bituriense 1584. Turonicum 1583. cap. 23. Senonense 1585. cap. 13. wee shall finde I say these 37. severall Councels together with sundry other Canonicall Constitutions prohibiting not onely Players under the penalty of excommunication from acting but even all other Christianâ— especially Clergy-men under the selfesame penalty from hearing seeing and frequenting Stage-playes as for sundry other reasons so especially for this because Stage-playes would contaminate their eyes their eares their mindes their hearts effeminate yea deprave their spirits exasperate and foment their lusts indispose them disable them to the religious performance of every holy duty and usher in by their eyes and eares the whole troope of vices into their soules An irrefragable confirmation of our present Assumption If we survey againe those moderne Christian Authors who have written against Stage-playes we shall finde them all concurring with us in this truthâ— I shall onely recite some few of them by which you may easily conjecture of the rest Cirques and Theaters writes Francis Petrarcha are the two places which have beene knowne to be alwayes most opposite to good manners whether if any bad man goe he will returne much worse For this iourny pray observe it is altogether unknowne to good men who if they ignorantly chance to goe unto them by any accident are sure not to want defilement Stage-playes which thou willingly beholdest are such things as can neither be honestly acted nor honestly seene neither is it easie to tell whether the Actor or the Spectator be more infamous or whether the Stage be more filthy then the Scaffold unlesse it be that poverty oftâ— times drawes mâ—n into the oneâ— but vaâ—ity alwayes into the other Nâ—ither is there a greater coâ—sumption of Patrimonies at Stage-playes then of manners where lust is learned humanity forgotten What you might expect from Stage-playes even from the very beginning the first of your Kings Romulus may give you a guesse who by these circumvented that riged rough unpleasant chastity of the Sabinâ— Virgins albeit the honor of matrimony hath in some sort covered that offence But to how many since this have Stage-playes beene the way not to wedlocke but to
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 of
dreadfull mysteries are administred with the selfe-same eyes that thou diddest behold the bed on the Stage where the detestable fables of adultery are acted whiles with the same eares thou hearest an adulterer speaking obscenely and a Prophet and an Apostle leading thee into the mysteries of the Scripture whiles with the same heart thou receivest deadly poyson and this holy and dreadfull Sacrament Are not these Playes the subversion of life the corruption the destruction of marriages the cause of warres of fightings and brawles in houses For when thou shalt returne home from these Stage-playes more dissolute effeminate and wanton being made an enemy of all chastity the sight of thy wife will be lesse pleasing to thee let her be what she will For being inflamed with that concupiscence which thou hast drunke in at Stage-playes and being taken with that new sight which hath besotted thee thou despisest thy sober modest wife who is contented with ordinary diet and upbraidest her with innumerable reproches not because thou findest any thing blame-worthy in her but because thou blushest to confesse thy disease because thou art ashamed to discover that wound with which thou hast returned home maimed from Stage-playes Thou framest other excuses seeking uniust occasions of displeasure loathing all those things that are to be done at home gaping after that wicked and uncleane concupiscence from which thou hast received an wounde and whiles thou carriest in thine eares a ringing sound of a voyce and with these the face the motion briefly all those images of whorish lust thou beholdest nothing of that thou hast at â—ome with pleasure And what doe I speake of a wife or family when as afterwards thou wilt be lesse willing to visit the very Church it selfe when as thou wilt heare a Sermon of chastity and of modesty with irkesomnesse Neither are these things which are now spoken to thee for instruction but for accusation and they will bring thee by little and little to despaire yea at last thou wilt suddenly sever thy selfe from the discipline administred for the publike good of all Wherefore I intreat you all that you would avoyd the wicked commemorations in Stage-playes your selves and likewise draw backe others from them who have beene led unto them For what-ever is there done is not delight or recreation but destruction but torment but punishment What good doth this temporary pleasure doe whiles everlasting torment issuâ—s from it and whiles being pricked night and day with concupiscence thou art troublesome and hatefull unto all Wherefore rouse up thy selfe and consider what a one thou art made returning from the Church againe what a one thou art comming from Stage-playes and compare these dayes with those if thou wilt doe thus there will be no need of my speech For it will be sufficient to have compared this day with that to shew what great profit comes from the one side and how great hurt from â—he other These things I thought good to speake to your charity at this time neither will I ever cease to speake For so we shall both admonish those who are obnoxious to this disease and we shall confirme those who are now whole for this oration will be profitable to both to the one that they may desist to the other that they may not fall into it So in his first Homily upon the 50. Psalme he is very punctuall to our purpose David writes he as he was walking upon the top of his Palace after dinner saw a woman washing her selfe and the woman was very faire and beautifull to looke upon He saw her I say and he is wounded in his eye and receiveth a dart Let curious persons heare this who contemplate the beauty of others Let those heare this who are possessed with the unruly delight or desire of Stage-playes Who say we doe in truth behold them but without detriment What heare I David is hurt and art not thou hurt He is wounded and can I trust to thâ— strength He who had so great a measure of the spirit received a dart and doest thou deny that thou art pierced And yet he beheld not an harlot but an honest chaste woman and that not in the Theater but at home but thou beholdest an harlot in the Play-house where even the very place it selfe makes the soule liable to punishment neither doest thou onely see but thou likewise hearest dishonest words and meritricious obscene songs and thy minde is wounded on every side to wit by the sight with those things which thou seest by the eare with those things which thou hearest by the smell with those things which thou smâ—llest And when as there are so many precipices so many corruptions how can I believe thee to be free from the bitingâ— of wild beasts Art thou a stone art thou iron Thou art a man subiect to the common fraâ—lty of nature Doest thou behold the fire and yet art not burned Whether is this agreeable to reason Put a candle into straw and then dare thou to deny that the straw will be burnt That verily which stubble is even that is our nature Let our Play-haunters then consider this and give this godly Father an answer to these his pithy interrogations The like passage wee finde in this 17. Homely upon the 5. of Mathew upon these words If thy right eye offend thee plucke it out c. Let those writes he heare these words who so often hasten to the Theater and doe there almost daily defile themselves with the filthinesse of adultery For if the Law command even him who is bound unto thee by familiarity if he scandalize thee to be cut off and cast away with what satisfaction now at last can they be defended who by their conversation and stay at Play-houses doe daily get the acquaintance of those lewde ones who were not formerly knowne to them also administer a thousand occasions of destruction to themselves Againe in his Homily upon the 118. alias the 119. Psalme vers 151.152 hee writes thus Let none account his life vile let none cleave fast to vanity We cannot serve two Masters he serves two masters who goes to Church one day and to Stage-playes another day Such a one hath two coates he is farre from that Coate which cannot be devided far from the Wedding garment because that is a Wedding garment which hath no spot For he who goes one day to the Church another day to Playes weares a defiled garment Every Servant standing with a blemish at his Masters Table is cast out and chastised with stripes keepe your garment pure as you received it in baptisme Let no man defile iâ— with his manners let no man rend so beautifull a vestment with the wickednesse of his heart You have received such a Garment in baptisme as the Angels had who attended the Lord in his Sepulcher whose raâ—ment was as white as snow Aâ—d you have received such a gift of graceâ— keepe
and vanities of Satan and the humility of our super-celestiall Saviour that men might serve and follow them both together Now Stage-playes are the very Devils owne peculiar pompes Play-houses his Synagogues Players his professed Masse-â—riests and Choristers Play-haunters his devoted servants as himselfe professeth and Origen with others largely prove Those therefore who thus serve the Devill in Playes and Play-houses its impossible for them to serve the Lord sincerely in prayers and Churches Thirdly No man can drinke the Cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils nor yet partake of the Lords Table and of the table of Devils But Stage-playes are the cup and table of Devils the very Devils meate his drinke those dishes and repasts wherewith he was solemnely feasted by his idolatrous worshippers in his owne Idoll-temples It is not possible therefore for any Christian to feed his eyes his eares with these diabolicall banqvets and yet worthily to participate of Christs Body and Blood the spirituall Sweet-meates of a Christian soule Fourthly the very acting and beholding of Stage-playes drawes downe a selfe-condemning guiltinesse and so by consequent a certaine secret terror of appearing in Gods presence on mens soules There is scarce a man of any grace or ingenuity but would even blush and feare to be deâ—rehended by any good man at a Play-house Yea the very Heathen Romanes stood so much in awe of Cato his vice-condemning presence that they durst not call for their â—loralian Enterludes whiles he was neere the Theater And will not the consideration of Gods all-seeing presence thinke yee strike much more feare into the hearts and consciences of such who are deprehended by him at lewde lascivious Stage-playes then any Christians any Catoes eye or face could strike into these Heathen Romans which have no such soule-confounding Majestie in them as is in the very smallest frowne of God If therefore those who resort to Stage-playes by reason of their selfe-convincing consciences can never approach with boldnesse to Gods Throne of Grace its certaine they cannot serve or worship him as they ought Fiftly hee who perjures himselfe in the highest degree breaking that very origall covenant which he made to God at firâ—t in Baptisme and afterward ratified at every receiving of the Sacrament can never questionlesse serve the Lord in any acceptable pious manner the performance of this vow and covenant at least-wise in the desire the endeavour of his soule being that alone which makes him a Christian and so a man capable of serving God But he who acts or resorts to Stage-playes violates that very originall covenant which he made to God at first in baptisme and aâ—terwards reconfirmed at every receiving of the Sacrament as I have else-where largely proved therefore he can never serve the Lord in any acceptable or gracious manner according to his will And alas what Christian is there who would frequent or harbour any such sinfull pleasures as will quite disable him to serve his God to please his blessed Saviour who hath bought him even at the dearest rate What contentment can a man take in any thing in all the riches honours pleasures contentments of this world whiles his soule can draw no comfort no heavenly refreshment from his God Better can the inferiour world subsist without the light and influence of the Sunne or the body of a man without the heart then the soule of any Christian without the satisfactory soule-inlivening presence of his God his Saviour which is never found but in those broken humble spirits who seâ—ve him in syncerity and tremble at his Word As therefore we ever desire to please to serve our blessed God according to his will or to enjoy the heart-ravishing consolations of his most blisfull presence let us presently abandon Stage-playes which as they hinder us in the service so they utterly deprive us of the face and favour of our God which are able to make us more then happy in the middest of all our deepest miseries The pleasures the refreshments that men reape from Stage-playes as they shut out better contents so they abide no longer then the Playes are acting and sometimes scarce so long and then they oft-times leave a sting behinde them which gaules and prickes the soule for ever after If then that love of Christ which constrained holy Paul to bid adue to all carnall pleasures will not enforce us to say thus to Stage-playes as David sometimes did to his lewde companions Depart from me yee wicked yee workers yee producers of iniquity for I will keepe the CoÌ„mandements of my God yet let the comfort that Gods service wil bring unto our soules and this consideration joyned with it that we cannot serve God with any sâ—ncerity of heart as long as we delight in cursed Stage-playes now at last enforce us to bid this farewell to them that so we may be enabled to please that holy blessed God who created redeemed us at first and hath evermore preserved us since that we might doe him service Secondly as Stage-playes indispose men to so they likewise withdraw and keep them from Gods service especially on Lords-dayes Holy-dayes and solemne Festivals which should be wholy and onely consecrated to his more speciall worship and spent in duties of devotion in lawding and blessing him for his more speciall favourâ— And doth not our owne experience beare witnesse to this truth Are not our Play-houses oft-times more crowded more coached and frequented then many of our Churches and are they not full oft-times when our Churches are but empty Are there not many hundreds serving the Devill daily in our Theaters even then when as they should be serving God in his Temples Doe not more commonly resort to Playes then Lectures which is ill yea doe not too too many neglect to come to Sermons that they may runne to Stage-playes which is worse Indeed our Church of England out of the great respect it yeelds to Preaching and the absolute necessity of it to salvation enioynes God-fathers and God-mothers to call upon their God-children to heare Sermons which some prophane ones now begin to loath and speake against as if we had too much preaching that so they may the better forsake the Devill and all his workes mortifie all their unholy corrupt affections and daily proceed in all vertue and godlinesse of living Yea the Saints of God in ancient times were quickning and calling upon one another in this manner O coâ—e let us sing unto the Lord let us make a ioyfull noyse unto the Rockâ— of our Salvation Let us come bâ—fore his presence with Thankesgiving and make a ioyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes c. O come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker O sing unto the Lord a new Song sing unto the Lord all the earth Sing unto the Lord blesse his Name shew forth his
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 and
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 with
many doe without offence under pretence of recreation The Scripture therefore is expresse that we must not make a sport or mocke of sinne it being the object onely of our godly sorrow and deepest griefe not of our carnall joy that we may not recreate our selves with scurrility ribaldry lascivious prophane or amorous Enterludes but onely with good and lawfull things which are no wayes scandalous or of ill report therefore we may not make Playes the object of our Recreation which were ever infamous and unlawfull too Sixtly I answer that mens pretence of going to Stage-playes meerely for their honest recreation is but a false surmise which will be most apparant if we shall truely weight what it is to doe a thing onely for honest Recreation and what necessary ingredients and circumstances all lawfull recreations must have Every honest lawfull Recreation must have these conditions First the object the subject of it must be lawfull Christian and commendable not sinfull not infamous or prohibited by the Magistrate Secondly it must be bounded with due circumstances of place and persons both of them must be honest of good report in which all Stage-playes especially in Play-houses are defective Thirdly it must have all these circumstances of time First It must not bee on Lords-dayes on times devoted to Gods more speciall service on times either of publike or private fasting and solemne humiliations nor yet in times designed for our honest studies callings or any necessary publike inployments Secondly it must not be in the night season when men by Gods appointment and the ordinary course of nature ought to take their rest to enable them the better to the duties of the ensuing day and so much the rather because such night-recreations are occasions if not provocations unto workes of darkenesse Thirdly it must be onely at such times when we stand in need of recreations to refresh our bodies or spirits It must bee alwayes either after sicknesses or naturall infirmities or distempers of body or minde to recover strength health and vigor or else after honest labours studies and imployments in our lawfull callings to repaire the decayes to refresh the wearinesse of our bodies or to whet the blunted edge of our over-wearied mindes Fourthly It must bee rare and seldome not quotidian Fiftly the recreation must not be overlong not time-consuming it must be onely as a baite to a traviler a whetting to a Mower or Carpenter or as an howres sleepe in the day time to a wearied man we must not spend whole weekes whole dayes halfe dayes or nights on recreations as now too many doe abundance of idlenesse in this kinde being one of Sodomes hainous sinnes Fourthly they must not be over-costly or expensive but cheape and obvious with as little expence as may bee Fiftly they must bee such as are suitable to mens callings ages places sexes conditions tempers of body c. that being not lawfull or convenient in these regards to one which yet are and may bee commendable in or suitable to another The recreations of Princes being not meet for Peasants and so â— converso nor all the pastimes of the Laitie agreeable to the Clergie Sixtly they must be all directed to a lawfull end even to the strengthning quickning and refreshing both of our bodies and spirits that so we may goe on with greater cheerefulnesse in the duties of our callings and in the worship and service of God whose glory must bee the utmost ayme of all our recreations If our recreations faile in all or any of these circumstances or if wee use prophane Playes or sports in Churches in other sacred places devoted to Gods service they presently cease to be lawfull or honest and so prove sinfull pleasures Now Stage-playes those who resort unto them under the pretence of recreation are defective or peccant in all or many of these partiâ—ulars Therefore they are not used not frequented onely for honest recreation â—ake Lastly admit men goe to Stage-playes onely to recreate their mindes and to refresh their spirits I answer that this is so farre frow justifying or extenuating that it doth highly aggravate the execrable vitiousnesse of this their action and proclaime them sinners in an high degree For what men or women are there who can make a play a sport a recreation of sinne and sinfull things of ribaldry prophane and scurrill Iests Adulteries Rapes Incests Blasphemies and such other notorious abominations that are usually acted on the Stage which vex every righteous soule from day to day and grieves it to the heart but such who are voyd of grace of sin-abhorring vice-lamenting repentance and wholy enthralled to the love the service of these sinfull lusts and pleasures which will plunge them over head and eares into eternall torments at the laâ—t this being one of the highest degrees of lewdnesse for men to take joy and pleasure even in sinfull things If any here reply in the second place that they delight not in the scurrilous sinfull passages speeches gestures representations or parts in Stage-playes which they altogether abhor but only in the action in those honest Spectacles and discourses which no man can condemne To this I answer first That commonly the more obscene and scurrilous the Play the more lascivious the Players action is the more it exhilerates and delights the Auditors the Spectators no Playes no Actors giving lesse content then those that are most free from lascivious amorous prophane effeminate jests and gestures as experience and the premises witnesse This very suggestion therefore is untrue Secondly those whâ— delight in the appearances of evill in the lively representations of sinne or sinfull things can never cordially abhorre the evils the sinnes themselves for he that truly loathes a Man a Toade a Devill a Serpent and so by consequent a sinne will abhorre their very pictures and resemblances Hence is it that a Christian who detests all sinne hates the very thoughts and imaginations and absteines from all the appearances of it too Since therefore Play-haunters delight thus in the representations of whoredome adultery and such like execrable crimes needs must they take pleasure in the sinnes themselves For if men did cordially detest these sinnes as they pretend the nearer the representations came unto the sinnes as they oft-times come too neere in Stage-playes even to the actuall commission of the very abominations acted the more they would abhorre them by reason of that neere similitude they beare unto the sinnes but the more lively the resemblances of these Stage-lewdnesses are the greater vicinity they have unto the sins themselves the more they are applauded admired actor â—o peritior quo turpior judicatur therefore they doe not hate but love these sins themselves what ever they pretend Thirdly that which most Play-haunters deeme nothing else but the