comfort them to pray with them for them and to advise them what to doe that they may be saved however they reputed theÌ„ no better than hypocrites fooles or distracted furious mad ones before yet they would willingly change lives change soules and consciences with them then wishing with many teares and sighes that they were but such as they This every dayes experience almost testifies therefore Puritans and Precisians even in the true internall conscientiall judgement of every Anti-puritan are the most godly men Fifthly let a drunkard a whoremaster a swearer a ruffian or any other prophane notorious wicked person be truly converted from these their sinnes and unfainedly devoted and united to the Lord so as never to returne unto them more cleaving unseparably unto him both in their hearts and lives or let God worke any such visible notorious happy change in men as to call them out of darknesse into his marvelous light and to translate them from under the power of Satan into the kingdome of his deare Sonne and no sooner shall they be thus strangely altered from bad to good or from good to better but presently they are christened as it were with these two proverbs or reproach and pointed at for Puritans and Precisians as if they were now unworthy for to live because they are thus converted to the Lord. Before people turne religious and gracious they are never pestered with these disdainfull tearmes but no sooner can they begin to looke towards heaven to change their vitious courses and amend their lives but these Mottoes of contempt are cast upon them even because they are growne better than they were before Thus was it long agoe even in Salvian his dayes who thus complaines Statim ut quis melior esse tentaverit deterioris abjectione calcatur Si fuerit sublimis fit despicabilis si fuerit splendidissimus fit vilissimus fi fuerit totus honoris fit totus injuriae ubi enim quis mutaverit vestem mutavit protinus dignitatem Perversa enim sum et in diversum cuncta mutata Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur si malus est quasi bonus honoratur Si honoratior quispiam se religioni applicuerit illico honoratus esse desistit ac per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur Et ideo non sine causa Apostolus clamat Seculum totum in malo positum est et verum est â— merito enim totum in malo esse dicitur ubi boni locum habere non possunt siquidem ita totum iniquitatibus plenum est aâ—t ut mali sint qui sunt aut qui boni sunt malorum persecutione crucientur And thus is it now in our dayes Therefore Puritans and Precisians are undoubtedly the very primest Christians because they are never honoured with these titles till they turne better than they were at first yea better than all those that reproach them by these names of sâ—orne And here we may observe a difference betweene eminency in religion and excellency in all other things besides For let a man be exquisite in any other art or profession whatsoever be it in Phisicke Musicke Law Philosophy or any liberall science or mechanicke trade yea let a man be a zealous forward Papist Iesuite Priest or Votary the more eminent they are in all or any of these the more honoured reverenced frequented admired and beloved are they of all sorts of men because they are but naturall humane excellencies to which corrupt nature and the Divell have no antipathy at all But let any man become a conscionable zealous sincere and forward professor of true religion transcending others in the practicall power of grace or in the inward beauty of holinesse and the more perspicuously eminent he growes in these the more is he commonly hated slaundered persecuted reviled by the tongues of wicked men and the greater Puritan doe they account him because there is grace within him that is diametrally contrary to their corruptions Neither neede we wonder at it for ever since God at first put enmity betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent those who have beene borne after the flesh have persecuted slandered abhorred those who have beene borne after the spirit and those who who are of this world have hated such who are redeemed out of the world there being never as yet in any age any concord or truce betweene Christ and Belial light and darknesse righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse Beleevers and Infidels those who are upright in the way being alwayes an abomination to the wicked for these very reasons onely and no other because they follow the thing that good is and runne not with them into the same excesse of riot because their works are good and theirs who thus revile and hate them evill because their lives are not like other men and their wayes are of another fashion because they are not for wicked mens turnes and they are cleane contrary to their doings upbraiding them with their offending the Law objecting to their infamy the transgressions of their education and abstaining from their wayes as from filthinesse testifying unto them by their holy lives that the workes they doe are evill These and no other were the true originall causes of mens hatred reproach against Christians against Christ and his Apostles heretofore and of mens inveterate rancor and malicious calumnies against Puritans now what ever mens pretences are against it as I have more largely manifested in a precedent Treatise If any thinke this strange that men should be thus persecuted hated reviled nicknamed slandered and contemned even for their grace their holinesse and the very practicall sincere profession of religion let them consider but these few particulars which will give them ample satisfaction in the point First those frequent predictions or premonitions of our Saviour to all the professors of his name That they shall be hated persecuted reviled of all men Nations for his sake that they shall seperate them from their company cast out their names as evill say all maner of evill against theÌ„ falsly for his names sake that in the world they shall have tribulation and that whosoever killeth them shall think he doth God good service Secondly that memorable position of St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.11 12. Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution for through many tribulations and afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of heaven Thirdly the examples of Gods Saints in all ages even from Adam to this present If we looke upon Cain and Abel the two first-borne of the world wee shall beholde gracelesse Cain who was of that wicked one slaying his righteous brother Abel wherfore slew he him S. Iohn resolves the question in these very termes
acknowledged at first by Heathen Emperors States and Writers yea and Iewish Authors both before and after Christ and since that ratified by the concurrent voyce and verdict of the whole Church of God from age to age euen to this present day as the venerable records of all the Fathers the irrefragable Decrees of sundry Councells and the learned Treatises of diuers Moderne Christians both Protestants and Papists doe at large declare a catologue of whose names and workes shall bee presented to you in its proper Scaene Not to enter into any curious diuision or enumeration of such Playes or Enterludes as were vsuall among the Greekes and Romans such as were their Ludi Circenses with Chariots their Ludi Gladiatorij or Sword-Playes their Ludi Compitalitij Florales Gymniâ—i Lupercales Megalenses Cereales Martiales Appollinares Consuales Capitolini Laquearij Retiarij Troiani Plebeij and the like since diuers now of late as well as heretofore haue discribed them to the full in sundry Treatises nor yet to shew you the exact differences betweene Comicall Tragicall Satyricall or Mimicall Enterludes together with their seuerall circumstances inuentions parts or properties delineated likewise by the marginall Authors which differ more in substance then in forme or action in which they neere accord I shall onely informe you of one moderne distinction which some haue pleased for to make of Stage-Playes Of Stage-Playes say they there are two sorts The one popular or publike acted by hired and professed Stage-Players the Playes wee haue now in hand and these they all confesse to be abominable and vnlawfull Pas-times The other Academicall managed onâ—ly by Schollers in priuate Schooles and Colledges at some certaine seasons and these they hold at least wise tollerable if not lawfull so as these sixe prouisoes be obserued First that there bee no Obscenitie Scurrilitie Prophanenesse Amorous Loue-toyes Wantonnesse or Effeminacy mixed with these Playes Secondly that there bee no Womans part no Dalliance no Lustfull nor Lasciuious Complements Clippings or Embracements in them Thirdly that there be no mention or Inuocation of Heathen Gods or Goddesses in them Fourthly that there be no putting on of Womans apparell or any sumptuous or costly attire Fiftly that these Playes produce no prodigall or vnnecessary expence either of money or time Sixtly that they be not ordinarily but very rare and seldome Acted and that for the most part in the Latine tongue for vtterance and learning sake alone not for any gaine of money or vaine-glory If all or any of these conditions faile as what Achademicall Enterludes faile not either in all or most these very scholasticall Spectacles become vnlawfull euen by the most moderate mens confession For the lawfulnesse or Illegitimacy of our Achademicall Stage-Playes I shall discusse it in its proper place in the meane time I shall addresse my selfe vnto the probate of my precedent Conclusion by Reasons by Authorities My Reasons to euince the vnlawfulnesse of Stage-Playes I shall branch into these sixe seuerall Acts. The first is drawne from the Originall Authors and Inuentors of them The second from those Impious endes to which they were destinaâ—ed and ordained at the first The third from their ordinary Stile or subiect matter which no Christian can euer iustifie or excuse The fourth from the persons that Act and parties who frequent them The fift from the very forme and manner of their Action and those seuerall parts and circumstances which attend them The sixt from the pernitious effects and sinfull fruites which vsually if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them My Authorities doe marshall themselues into seuen seuerall Squadrons The first consisting of Scriptures The second of the whole Primitiue Church both vnder the Law and Gospel The third of Councells and Canonicall or Papall Constitutions The fourth of the ancient godly Fathers The fift of Moderne Christian writers of all sorts as well Diuines as others The sixt of Heathen Philosophers Orators Historians and Poets The last of the Acts and Edicts of sundry Christian and Heathen States and Emperours All which accompanied with the irrefragable and plaine defeates of those pretences which giue any colourable iustification to these Theatricall Enterludes will giue no doubt a fatall if not a finall ouerthrow or Catastrophe to Playes and Actors whose dismall Tragoedie doeth now begin ACTVS 1. SCAENA PRIMA THat all popular and common Stage-Playes whether Comicall Tragicall Satyricall Mimicall or mixt of either especially as they are now composed and personated are such sinfull hurtfull and pernicious Recreations as are altogether vnseemely and vnlawfull vnto Christians I shall first of all euidence and prooue it from their originall parents and primary Inuentors which were no other but the very Deuill himselfe or at leastwise Idolatrous and Voluptuous Pagans impregnated with this infernall issue from Hell it selfe from whence I argue in the first place thus That which had its birth and primarie conception from the very Deuill himselfe who is all and onely euill must needes be Sinfull Pernicious and altogether vnseemely yea Vnlawfull vnto Christians But Stage-Playes had their birth and primary conception from the very Deuill himselfe who is all and onely euill Therefore they must needes bee Sinfull Pernicious and altogether vnseemely yea Vnlawfull vnto Christians The Minor which is onely liable to exception I shall easily make good First by the direct and punctuall testimony of sundry Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus Oratio Exhortatoria ad Gentes fol. 8. Tertullian de Spectaculis cap. 5.7.10.24 Clemens Romanus Constitutionum Apostolorum lib. 2. c. 65.66 S. Cyprian De Spectaculis l. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 10. Eucratio Arnobius Disputatioâ— Aduers Gentes l. 7. Lactantius De Vero Cultu c. 20. Cyrill of Hierusol Catech. Mystag 1. S. Chrysostome Hom. 6.7 38. on Mat. S. Augustine De Ciuit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 32. l. 2. c. 6. to 23. Saluian De Gub. Dei lib. 6. pag. 206.207 All excellently learned in all the learning of the Heathen and therefore best able to determine of the Originall of Stage-Playes especially since they liued so neere vnto their birth-day All these I say to whom I might adde Pope Innocent the first Epistolarum Decretalium Epist. 2. ad Victricium cap. 11. which you shall finde in Surius Conciliorum Tom. 1. pag. 529. and in Gratian. Distinctio 51. cap. Praeterea frequenter Ludouicus Viâ—es Comment in Augustinum De Ciu. Dei lib. 1. cap. 32. lib. 2. cap. 6. to 22. Coelius Rhodiginus Antiquarum Lectionum lib. 8. cap. 7. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 59. Ioannes Mariana Doct. Reinolds Gosson with sundry others in their Bookes and Treatises against Stage-Playes doe expressely testifie That all Theatricall Playes or Enterludes had their Originall birth from the very Deuill himselfe who inuented them for his owne honour and worship to detaine men captiue by them in his infernall snares Whence they all condemne them as sinfull hurtfull abominable and vnlawfull pleasures stiling all
jests to recreate mens mindes transforme yoâ—thes into the very habit and order of Strumpets to the great injury and dishonour of their age and sexe a thing which Moses doth much condemne Witnesse Tertullian De Spectaculis lib. c. 10. p. 17. Together with Isiodor Hispalensis Originum lib. 18. cap. 51. In all scenicall arts say they there is plainely the patronage of Bacchus and Venus which are peculiarly proper to the Stage From the gesture and flexure of the body they sacrifice effeminacy to Venus and Bacchus the one of them being effeminate by her sexe the other by his fâ—nx c. Witnesse Saint Cyprian De spectaculis lib. where he writes thus To this vile shamefull deed another equall wickednesse is super-added A man enfeebled in all his joynts resolved into a more than womanish effeminacy whose art it is to speake with his hands and gestures comes forth upon the Stage and for this oneâ— I know not whom neiâ—her man nor woman the whole Citie flocke together that so the fabulous lusts of antiquity may be acted Yea men writes he in another place are unmanned on the Stage all the honour and vigour of their sex is effeminated with the shame the dishonesty of an unsinâ—ed body He who is most womanish and best resembles the female sex gives best content The more criminous the more applauded is he and by how much the more obsene he is the more skilfull is he accounted What cannot he perswade who is such a one c. And in another Epistle of his he writes to Eucratius to Excommunicate a Player who did traine up Boyes for the Stage for that he taught them against the expresse instruction of God himselfe how a male might be effeminated into a female how their sex might be changed by Art that so the divell who defiles Gods workemanship might be pleased by the offences of ae depraved and effeminated body I thinke it will not stand with the Majestie of God nor the discipline of the Gospel that the modestie and honour of the Church should be polluted with such a filthy and infamous contagion For since men are prohibited in the Law to put on a womans garment and such who doe it are adjudged accursed How much more greater a sinne is it not onely to put on womans apparell but likewise to expresse obscene effeminate womanish gestures by the skill or tutorship of an unchaste Art The most unchaste gestures and actions of Stage-players writes Lactantius what else doe they but teach and provoke lust whose enervated bodies effeminated into an womanish pace and habit resemble unchaste women by their dishonest gestures c. One being a Youth writes Saint Chrysostome combes backe his haire and effeminating nature with his visage his apparell his gesture and the like strives to represent the person of a tender virgin which he condemnes as a most abominable effeminate act There is another sort of Actors writes Nazianzen more unhappy then these to wit those who lose the glory of men and by unchaste infections of their membersâ— effeminate their manly nature being both effeminate men and women yea being neither men nor women if we will speake truely For they continue not men and that they should become women they attaine not For what they are by nature that they continue not in regard of manners and that which they wickedly desire to be that they are not by nature By which it commeth to passe that they are certaine riddles of luxurie and intricacies of vices being men among women and women among men Whether doe these things rather deserve applauses aspections and mirth or teares and sighes Verily laughter raignes in these Nature is vitiated and adulterated and a various flame of pleasures is kindled To these I might acumulate the parallell testimony of Athanasius Contra Gentes Oratio p. 10. A. B. of Theophylus Antiochenus ad Autolicum lib. 3. of Tatianuâ— Oratio adversus Graecos Of Minucius Felix Octauius p. 70. 101.223 Of Augustine De Civitate Dei lib. 2. cap. 3. to 14. and lib. 7. c. 24. Of Salvian lib. 6. De Gubernatione Dei. Of Hierom. Epistâ— 2. cap. 6.7 Epist. 9. cap. 5. Epist. 10. c. 4. Epist. 13. c. 2. Epist. 48. c. 2. Epist. 88. cap. 4. Of Eusebius apud Damascenum parallelorum lib. 3. cap. 47. Of Cassiodorus Variarum lib. 1. cap. 27.30 lib. 3. cap. 51. and lib. 7. cap. 16. Of Damascen Parallelorum lib. 3. cap. 47. Of Iohn Salisbury De Nugis Curialium lib. 1. cap. 8. together with the concurrent suffrages of Ludovicus Vives De Causis Corruptâ— Artium lib. 2. p. 82.83 Notae in Augustinum De Civit. Dei lib. 2 cap. 3. to 14. Of Radolphus Gualther Homilie 11. in Nahum 3. p. 214.215 Of Francis Petrarcha De Remedio vtriusque fortunae lib. 1. Diologus 30. Of Agrippa de Vanitate Scientiarum cap. 20 59â—64.71 Of Peter Martyr Locorum Communium Classis 2. cap. 11. sect 62.66 cap. 12. sâ—ct 15.19 and Commentary on Iudges page 310.311 Of Bodine De Republica lib. 6â— cap. â— Of Ioannis Mariana Barnabas Brissonius and Bulengerus De Tâ—eatris spectaculis ludis scenicis of the third Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters page 110 111 112. of Master Northbrooke Master Stubs Master Gosson and Doctor Reinolds in their severall Treatises against Stage-playes Of Bishop Babington Master Perkins Master Dod Master Lakes Master Downeham and sundry other on the seventh Commandement Yea of Plato Cicero Senica Tacitus Iuvenall Marcus Aurelius Plinie and other Pagan Authors who all with one consent not onely testifie but likewise positively condemne the grosse the execrable effeminacy which attends the acting of all Stageplayes which the very Cynicke himselfe would blush for to behold And must not our owne experience beare witnesse of the invirillity of Play-acting May we not daily see our Players metamorphosed into women on the Stage not only by putting on the female robes but likewise the effeminate gestures speeches pace behaviour attire delicacy passions manners arts and wiles of the female sex yea of the most petulant unchaste insinuating Strumpets that either Italy or the world affords What wantonnesse what effeminacy parallell to that which our men-men-women actors in all their feminine yea sometime in their masculine parts expresse upon the Theater was ever the invirility of Nero Heliogabalus or Sardanapalus those Monsters if not shames of Men and Nature was ever the effeminate lewdnesse of Flora or Thais comparable unto that which our artificiall Stage-players trayned up to all lasciviousnesse from their Cradles continually practise on the Stage without blush of face or sorrow of heart not onely in the open view of men but even of that all-eyed God who will one day arraigne them for this their grosse effeminacie And dare wee men wee Christians yet applaud it Pitty is it to consider how many
Ruffians Wooers Epicures Fantastiques Pennie-Fathers Vsurers Scolds Drabbes Ravishers Wantons Bedlams Turkes Infidels and all other desperate wicked persons whatsoever There is scaâ—câ— one Divell in Hell hardly a notorious sinne or sinner upon earth either of moderne or ancient times but hath some part or other in Stage-playes And can they then be lawfull be tollerable unto Christians being consarcinated of such polluted parts and persons as these Doubtlesse he who will but cordially but Christianly survay those filthy Pagan Divel-gods and Goddesses those outragious beastly lusts unparalleld abominations and execrable sinners which have their Acts their Scenes their Parts in Stage-playes must necessarily abandon Playes as all ancient Christians did as pastimes more fit for Devils than for Christians else hee must needs justifie not onely sinne and sinners but even Hell it selfe â— which abounds not with more polluted Deuils and Devill-Idols with more prodigious Monsters of impietie with more stupendious matchlesse villanies than the Stage whose wickednesse oft-times transcends even that of the infernall Lake For there men onely suffer and bewaile with teares the eternall tortures which their sinnes occasion Whereas men in Theaters are so farre from sinne-lamenting sorrow that they even delight themselves with the representations of those wickednesses which the originall Authors of them now deplore in Hell And is not this a desperate matchlesse madnesse for men for Christians to sport themselves with those individuall sinnes upon the Stage which the parties acted in the very bitternesse of their soules are condoling now in Hell To make that their chiefest earthly pleasure which is now the damned acted parties greatest paine and without repentance may prove theirs too To raise up damned soules or Devils out of Hell with all those horrid sinnes that sunke them thither to no other end but this to play them on the Stage for laughter-sake and yet never cordially to consider the dolefull condition of the persons nor seriously to lamenâ— the damnablenesse the eternall punishment of the sinnes thus acted in their sight O that our Playeâ—s our Play-haunters would now seriously consider that the persons whose parts whose sinnes they act and see are even then yeâ—ing in the eternall flames of hell for these particular sinnes of theirs even then whiles they are playing of these sinnes these parts of theirs on the Stage O that they would now remember the sighes the groanes the teares the anguish weeping and gnashing of teeth the cryes and shreekes that these wickednesâ—es cause in Hell whiles they are acting applauding committing and laughing at them in the Play-house And this if there be any Sparke of humanity of Christianitie any feare of God of Sinne of Hell remaining in them would soone embitter the most Sugred Stage-playes to their soules and engage them to detest them unlesse they are marked ouâ— for Hell for such like torments as these now sustaine Certainely he can never have a share in Heaven that makes a mocke a Play a Pastime of the Parts the Sins of those Devils Pagans and flagitious persons who are now in Hell He who can thus make Sinne or Hell or Devils his earthly solace here shall undoubtedly enjoy no other Heaven but Hell hereafter Let the consideration therefore of these parts these persons sustained in our Stage-playes perswade us to renounce them as mis-beseeming Christians to sport themselves withall From whose hearts they should rather draw mournfull teares than foolish laughter SCENA SEXTA THe third thing considerable in the very action of Stage-playes is the apparell in which they are acted which is first of all womanish and effeminate belonging properly to to the femall sex therefore unlawfull yea abominable unto men From whence this twenty one Argument is deducible These Playes wherein men act any womens parts in womans apparell must needs be sinfull yea abominable unto Christians But in all or at least in most Stage-playes whatsoever men act the parts of women in womans apparell Therefore they must needs be sinfull yea abominable vnto Christians The Minor is a notorious experimentall truth which all Players all Play-haunters must acknowledge which sundry Fathers and approved moderne Authâ—rs testifie The Maior is undeniably confirmed by Deuteronomie 22. verse 5. The Woman shall not weare that which pertaineth â—nto a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that doe so are abomination to the Lord thy God God himselfe doth here expresly inhibit men to put on womans apparell because it is an abomination to him therefore it must certainly be unlawfull yea abominable for Players to put on such apparell to act a womans part If any here obiect as some Play-patrons doe that this Scripture extends to those alone who usually clothe themselues in womans array from day to day or to those who put it on with a lewde intenâ— to circumvent or inamor others or to satisfie their lusts in which case the Synode of Augusta inhibits women who put on mans apparell from the Sacrament till they have repented not to such who only weare it now and then to act a womans part or in case of necessity to saue their liues as some haue done To this I answer First that sundry common Actors doe usually once a day at leastwise twice or thrice a weeke attire themselues in womens array to act their female parts yea they make a daily practice of it to put on womens attire it being inseparably incident to their lewde profession therefore they are within the expresse condemnation of this Scripture and their owne most fauourable glosse vpon it as the obiection it selfe doth euidence Secondly the very putting on of womans apparell to act a Play though it be but now and then for an houre or two is directly condemned by this Scripture which prohibits not onely the frequent wearing but the very putting on of womens apparell for the words are not A man shall not ordinarily or frequently put on a womans garment nor yet weare it now and then to a lewde intent as the Obiectors glosse it but Neither shall a man put on a womans garment The originall word Iilbosch which signifieth to put on is the very same as two Worthies of our Church obserue with that of the 1 Sam. 17.38 39. where it is written that SAVL clothed DAVID with his Armor and put an Helmet of brasse upon his head c. If then Dauid in the Scripture phrase were said to put on SAVLS Armor though he put it off immediately because he had it once upon him though for a little space then he who puts on a womans rayment but to act a part though it be but once is doubtlesse a putter on of womens apparell within the very litterall meaning of this Scripture and so a ground delinqvent against God because the very putting on of a womans garment not the frequent or long wearing of
it is the thing this text condemnes as the word put on imports Thirdly the very reason of this precept expressed in the text will take off this evasion The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth unto a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment marke the reason For all that doe so are abomination to the Lord thy God That which makes a man an abomination to the Lord his God must be such a thing as is sinfull and abominable in its owne nature not in its abuse or circumstances onely as the Scriptures and Alexander Alesius testifie If a mans putting on of womans apparell were not simply euill in it selfe the frequent wearing of it or the putting of it on to a sinister intent could not make him an abomination vnto God For the vse of apparell being to clothe and adorne the body if the putting on of it were not vnlawfull the frequent putting on of it being the true vse of it could not bee sinfull and so not abominable there being nothing odious vnto God but sinne and sinfull things Since then this putting on of womans apparell is an abomination to the Lord not onely the frequent wearing of it or the putting of it on to lewde intents but euen the bare putting of it on to act a vicious Play though it be but once must needs be within the verge of this sacred inhibition Fourthly this precept Neither shall a man put on a womans garment as it is a branch of the morall law hauing a relation to the 7. Commandement and to seueral Scriptures in the New Testament concerning modesty and decency in apparell as good Diuines obserue So it is a vniuersall negatiue which by the rules of Theologie bindes all men in all cases in all places both Semper ad Semper alwayes and at all times whatsoeuer therefore a man putting on of womens apparell at any time vpon any occasion yea in case of sauing life as some affirme but especially to act a Bawdes a Sorceresses Whores or any other lewde females part vpon the Stage must vndoubtedly be within the expresse letter of this universall negative text and so an abomination to the Lord. Neither will this poore evasion of acting in womans apparell but now and then take off its guilt For since mens putting on of such aray is here prohibited by a negative precept which bindes at all times as an abomination to the Lord and a thing that is sinfull in its owne nature the rarity of it can no wayes expiate the sinfulnesse that is in it That which is sinfull in it selfe is no where no time lawfull vpon no occasion It is no iustification no excuse at all for a Murtherer an Adulterer Swearer Lier Theefe Drunkard or the like to pleade that he commits these sinnes but seldome upon some special causes because Gods precepts are so stâ—ict that they allow no place no time for any sinne The infrequency the rarenesse then of wearing womans apparell suppose it were as rare vpon the Stage as now it is common addes nothing to its lawfulnesse it still continues an abomination to the Lord. Fiftly admit it were lawful for a man to put on womaÌ„s apparell to saue his life or to avoid some imminent danger as Achilles Euclis William Bp. of Ely with some few others The Tyrrheneans are recorded to haue done though S. Augustine himselfe makes a Quaere of its lawfulnesse euen in case of life and others determine it to be unlawfull it being a negatiue morall precept which admits no qualifications yet it followes not hence that therefore it is lawfull for Mâ—n-actors to put on womens aray to act a Play For doubtlesse if it be abominable in any case or in case of daily use as all acknowledge it must necessarily bee so in case of acting Playes which are but a meere abuse For first Playes themselues at leastwise the personating of the Bawdes Adulteresses Whores or Sorceresses part which sauour of nought else but lewdnesse and effeminacy are euill therefore the very putting on of womans apparell to act such parts cannot be good Secondly Playes and female parts in Playes admit they bee not simply euill yet they are but meere superâ—luous vanities or Abuses as some rightly stile them there is no necessary vse of Playes of womens parts in Playes or of acting female parts in womans apparell For men therefore to put on womans attire contrary to this sacred precept to act a lewde lasciuious womans part out of a meere effeminate vaine lasciuious humour there being no urgent necessity no warrantable occasion so to doe must needs be a great abomination a most apparant violation of this ample precept which being in it selfe exceeding broad as all Gods precepts are must alwayes be taken in its utmost latitude without any humane restrictions of our owne since God himselfe who can onely make exceptions out of his owne generall rules hath left us no evasion from it in his Word Sixtly the concurrent testimony of sundry Councels Fathers moderne Authors do absolutely condemne mens putting on of womans apparell and so è conuerso especially to act a part vpon the Stage as an abominable unnaturall effeminate and dishonest thing Hence the ancient Councell of Eliberis Canon 57. decreed That Maâ—rons or their Husbands should not lend their clothes to set forth any sicular Playes or Shewes and if any did it that they should be excommunicated for three yeeres space If then the very lending of womens apparell to act a Play in were so great a crime as to demerit 3. yeeres excommunication what doth a Players personating of a womans part in such aray deserue The Councell of Gangra in the yeere of our Lord 324. Can. 13. 17. decreed That if any woman under pretence of chastity or piety as was supposed should change her habit and put on mans apparell or clip and poll her haire as our shorne English Viragoes doe of late which God had giuen her as a badge of her subiection she should be anaâ—hematized as a dissolver of the prâ—cept of obedience it being directly contrary to this text of Deuteronomy The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to the man c. and to the 1 Cor. 10.6 15. It is a shame for a woman to be shauen or shorne but if she haue long haire it is a glory unto her for her haire is giuen her for a couering Indeed I finde some precedents of women who haue beene peccant in this kinde As namely some seduced female disciples of Eustatius who polled their heads and clad themselues in mans apparell under a pretext of piety for the redresse of whose enormous mannish courses this very Councell was assembled A Virgin of whom S. Ambrose speakes who clothed her selfe in mans array to save her chastity and so escaped
Laschonia and Axiothea who resorted unto Plato his Schoole in mans attire Empona the renowned wife of Iulius Sabinus who polled her haire and disguised her selfe in mans apparell and so went to Rome the better to conceale her Husband whose life was then indangered Euphrosina a famous Virgin of Alexandria who under a pretence of chastity did cut her haire and put on mans array and so entred into a Monastery where she continued thus disguised for 38. yeeres space The famous Maide of Burgundie in the yeere 1225. who polling her head and apparelling her selfe in masculine garments of purpose to preserue her virginity her Father being desirous to bestow her in mâ—rriage entred into religion in a Monastery of the Friers Minorities where she lived thus metamorphosed into a Monke for divers yeeres Pope Ione that masculine Roman Strumpet of knowne infamy who transforming her selfe into the habit and tonâ—ure of a man repaired in this her disguize unto the Vniversity where she lived many yeeres and at last she aspired into the very Popes unerring Throne by this her masculine habit and tonsure as a man till her unexpected delivery of a base-borne issue in the very middest of her solemne procession discried her to be a woman A notable Damsell of Corinth together with Metania and Marina who under pretext of vowing virginity and preserving their chastity disguised themselues in mans apparell and so entred into Monasteries as professed Monkes the better to satisfie their lusts among those Gotish shavelings Puell de Dieu that notable French Viragâ— who arrayed her selfe like a man and turned a great Commanderâ— in the Wars till at last she was taken prisoner by the English in the field attired and armed like a man for which unnaturall act of hers she was condemned and burnt at Roan The Whore apprehended in Suffolke in King Henry the VIII his Raigne by M. Wharton who being disguised in mans apparell was taken in the company of foure Popish shaveling Priests good Curates who one after another had bestowed their chastity upon her All which for this their mannish immodest attyring themselues in mans accoutrements incur the execration of this text and Councell If then a womans putting on or wearing of mans apparell or the imitation of his tonsure incurres an Anathema by this Councels doome though chastity learning and devotion were pretended for it doth not a mans attâ—ring himselfe in womans vestments of purpose to act an â—ffeminate lascivious amorous Strumpets part upon the Stage much more demerit it since there can be no good pretext at all for it But to come punctually to our purpose The 6. generall Councell of Constantinople Canon 62. expresly prohibits and abandons all daunces and mysteries made in the names of those who were falsly stiled gods among the Graecians or in the name of men or women after the ancient manner farre differing from the life of Christians ordaining that no man should from thence-forth put on a womans garment nor no woman a mans apparell and that â—o man should put on the person or visard of a Comedian a Satyrist or a Trâ—gaedian vnder paine of deposition if a Clergie-man of excommunication if a Laâ—cke This is punctuall Philo a learned Iew records That the law doth study to exercise and confirme mens mindes to fortitude with so great earnestnesse that it also giues precepts what garments must be used expresly prohibiting that the man should not take vnto him womans apparell lest the shadow or footsteps of effeminacy should stamp some blemish on the masculine sex For by following nature he doth alwayes obserue what is seemely euen in the smallest things which might seeme to be below the care of a Law-giver For when he considered that the bodies of men and women were deformed and that both of them had their distinct offices that to the one of them the care of domestique businesses was committed to the other the mannaging of publike affaires and that by nature her selfe they were not both made for the same imployments and that a good minde ought to follow the instructions of nature he thought it fit to determine of these things also to wit of food and rayment and other things of this nature For he would that a man in these things should so demeane himselfe as a man ought to doe especially in apparell which since he carrieth it about with him night and day it ought to be such as may alwayes admonish him both of comlinesse and honesty Sâ— also adorning the woman according to her degree he forbids her to weare a mans garment remouing far both effeminate men and women more manly then is fit Clemens Alexandrinus as he condemnes the putting on of womans apparell as a great iniquity so he demands this question Why the law in this very text of Deuteronomy did inhibit a man to put on a womans garment and he resolves it thus Because the law would have us to be men and not to be effeminate neither in body nor in deâ—ds nor in minde nor in words Which reason doth more especially hold in case of Playes where our Men-women Actors are most effeminate both in apparell body words and workes Tertullian obserues that no kinde of rayment as he could finde was accursed of God but womens apparell worne by men for God saith Cursed is every man who is clad in womans aray Therefore writes hee when as God prescribes in his law that he is accursed who is clothed in womans apparell what will he iudge of the Stage-player Clowne or Foole in the Play who is attired in womans apparell Shall this Crafts-master this cheating Companion thinke you goe unpunished S. Câ—prian writes expresly in his Epistle to Everatius That men in the law are prohibited to put on a womans garment and those who doe it are adiudged accursed how much greater a crime is it then not onely to put on womans apparell but likewise to expresse dishonest effeminate womanish gestures by the tutorship or direction of an unchaste art Which passage he particularly applies to Stage-playes Lactantius among other things taxeth Players for putting on womanish gestures and apparell to act the parts of infamous females hauing an eye no question to this text of Deutronomy Epiphanius Contra Haereses lib. 2. Tom. 2. Haeresis 66. Col. 543. B. informes us That it is a shamefull and dishonest thing for a man to become a woman and to appeare in the forme of a woman And that it is againe a most abominable thing for women to become men as many of haire-clipping moderne impudent Viragoes doe and to weare the apparell of a man Whence he condemnes the Seres for Heretiques among whom the men did vse to nourish and plaite their haire into knots like women as our moderne Love-locke wearers doe sitting all the day idlely at home perfumes with oyntments effeminate and prepared for their wiues whereas
their women on the other side did cut the haire of their heads as our English Man-women monsters doe of late and gird themselues about with a mans girdle both which are condemned by this text of Deuteronomy and by the 1 Cor. 11. v. 3. to 15. which I would our moderne Ruâ—fians and Mad-dames would consider Gregory Nazianzen Oratio 1. ad Eunomianos together with Elias Metropolitan of Crete in his Commentary on that Oration affirme That it is an unnaturall and disorderly thing to see flowers in winter or women clothed in mans or men attired in womens apparell For as Elias comments the first of these disturbes the times the other yeelds an inconvenient forme to nature the ornament both of the man and woman being changed and the order which nature hath prescribed to them being confounded Vpon which ground they both condemne the Cynicke Maximus and his sect for nourishing and wearing their haire long out of a perverse affection as being an effeminate and unnaturall thing S. Hierom writes expresly That he shall eternally perish who being effeminated in womannish feeblenesse doth nourish his haire pollish his skin and trim himselfe by the glasse which is the proper passion and madnesse of women S. Cyprian records That they are in the Devils House and Palace who with womanish haire transfigure themselues into women and disgrace their masculine dignity not without the iniurie of nature Clemens Romanus Constit. Apost l. 1. c. 4. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. l. 2. c. 10.3 l. c. 2.3.11 Philo Iudaeus De vita Contemplativa pag. 1208. De Specialibus Legibus p. 1059. Origen in Iob. lib. 1. Tom. 2. Fol. 18. l. Epiphanius Contra Haereses lib. 3. Tom. 2. Haeresis 80. Col. 894.895 922. A. Iulius Firmicus De Errore Profanarum Religionum cap. 4. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 108. Paulinus Epistola 4. ad Seuerum Augustin De Opere Monachorum lib. c. 31.32 33. Tom. 3. p. 1067. B. Cyrillus Alexandrinus De Spiritualibus Oblationibus lib. 2. Tom. 2. p. 534. E. Isichius in Lovit lib. 4. cap. 13. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 7 p 51. C. lib. 6. c. 19. p. 85. E. Bernard Oratio ad Milites Templi cap. 2. 4. Amalarius Fortunatus De Ecclesiasticis Officijs lib. 3. cap. 2. together with Ambrose Chrysostome Sedulius Primasius Oecumenius Beda Anselme Remigius Theophylact in their Expositions and Commentaries on the 1 Cor. 11.14 15. Doth not nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long haire in which our Ruffians glory it is a shame unto him But if a woman haue long haire Of which our English Ladies who haue cast off God and nature shame and modesty religion and subiection are now ashamed as being out of fashion it is a glory to her for her haire is giuen her for a covering doe copiously censure and condemne the frizling nourishing and wearing of long effeminate haire as an unnaturall womanish irreligious and unmanly practice condemned not onely by the Law of God and nature in the 1 Cor. 11.14 Ezech. 44.20 Levit. 19.27 21.5 Dan. 4.33 Rev. 9.7 8. 1 Tim. 2.9 1 Pet. 3.3 Isay 3.24 which Scriptures I wouâ—d our overgrowne Lock-wearers and frizle-pated men-women would well consider But euen by this text of Deuteronomy which inhibits men to put on a womans garment or attire of which long haire the proper ornament of women as well as womans rayment is a part If then the very nourishing of long effeminate haire be a putting on of womans apparell within this Scriptures sence as the womans cutting of her haire as Good Expositors testifie is a wearing of that which pertaineth to a man to whom the clipping of haire is proper he being in this distinguished from a woman and so an abomination in Gods sight though our men and women in these licentious times beleeue the contrary Much more must a Players putting on of womens apparell gesture speech and manners to act a Play be a putting on of womans apparell and so an abomination to the Lord our God within the very litterall meaning of this text if these fore-quoted Fathers may be iudged S. Ambrose in his Annotations upon Deuteronomy cap. 22. dedicated to Irenaeus Wherein he examines at large the cause why the law should prohibit women to weare a mans garment and men to put on womans apparell will make this point most cleare I shall recite his words at large Thou hast informed me writes he as a sonne that some haue demanded of thee what is the reason that the law should so severely call them uncleane who use the garments of another sex be they men or women For thus it is written The apparell of the man shall not be put upon the woman nâ—ither shall a man be arrayed in a womans garment because every one who shall doe these things is an abomination to the Lord thy God And if thou maist truely discusse it that is incongruous which even nature her selfe abhorreth For why being a man wilt thou not seeme to be that which thou art borne Why dost thou take unto thy selfe a different forme Why dost thou feine thy selfe a woman or thou woman thy selfe to be a man Nature hath clothed every sex with its owne garments Finally there is a diverse use a different colour motion paâ—e an unequall strength a different voice in a man and in a woman Yea likewise in living creatures of another kinde there is one forme of a Lion another of a Lionesse yea another strength another sound one of a Bull another of a Heifer In Deere also so much as the sex doth differ so much doth the forme so as thou maist distinguish them afar off In Birds likewise there may be a proper comparison in regard of apparell betweene them and man For in them the very induments themselues doe by nature distinguish the sex The male Peacockes are beautifull the females are not adorned with so various a beauty of feathers The Phesants also haue a different colour which may distinguish the difference of the sex What difference is there in Poultry How shrill is the crowing of the Cocke a solemne gift to stir up and sing in the severall watches of the night Doe these things change their shapeâ— or habit Why then doe we desire to change And verily the custome of the Grecians hath flowne in among vs that women weare short coates as being shorter then their owne Well be it so now that these may seeme to imitate the nature of the better sex why will men counterfeit the habit of the inferiour sex A lie even in word is dishonest much more in apparell Finally in Temples where there is a counterfeiting of faith there is a counterfeiting of nature For men there to take unto them womans apparell and a womanish behaviour is thought an holy thing Whence the Law saith Because every one who shall doe these things is an abomination to
the Lord thy God that is a man who shall put on a womans garment But I suppose that it speakes this not so much of cloathes as of manners or of our customes and actions wherein one act may become a man another a woman Whence also the Apostle saith as an interpreter of the Law Let the woman keepe silence in the Church For it is not permitted to them to speak but to be in subiection as the Law saith But if they will learne any thing they may aske their Husbands at home And to Timothy Let the woman learne in silence with all subjection for I suffer not a woman to teach nor to domineere over her Husband But how unseemely a thing is it for a man to doe womanish workes Therefore also may they bring forth children therefore may they â—ravell of child-birth who crispe their haire like women And yet those are veiled these make war But they may haue an excuse who follow the customes of their Country which yet are barbarous as the Persians as the Goathes as the Armenians Verily nature is greater then our Country What doe we speake of others who adde this to their luxury that they keepe in their service men wearing frizled haire and golden chaines themselues having long beards their servants long shag haire Deservedly chastity is not there kept where a distinction of six is not observed In which the euidences of nature are so many tutorships the Apostle himselfe saying Is it a seemely thing that a woman pray unto God uncovered Doth not nature it selfe teach you that if a man have long haire it is a shame unto him But if a woman have long haire it is a glory to her for her haire is given her for a covering These are the things which thou maist answer to those who inquire of thee Farewell Thus doth this Father descant on this Scripture S. Augustine resolves us That those are rightly accounted infamous and unable to beare witnesse who shew themselves in womans apparell whom I know not whether I should rather call false women or false men Yet we may stile them true Stage-players and true infamous persons without any doubt And withal he informes us that it is a great QuestioÌ„ whether a man may put on womans apparell to deceive an enemy with it for the delivery or safety of his Country because in this he becomes a woman perchance to appeare a truer man And whether a wise man who hath some kinde of assurance that his life will be necessary for the good of men would rather die with cold then clothe himselfe in womans apparell if he can geâ— no other But of this saith he we shall consider more in another place For verily thou seest how much examination it requires to consider how far these things ought to be proceeded in lest men fall into certaine unexcusable uncleannesses And so he leaues the Question undecided Iulius Firmicus Maternus De Errore Profanarum Religionum lib. c. 4. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 108.109 writing of the effeminate Sodomiticall Male-Priests of Venus who clad themselues in womans apparell and were afterwards put to death by Constantine the Great for their unnaturall lewdnesse as Eusebius De Vita Constantini lib. 3. cap. 53. lib. 4. cap. 25. records hath this notable passage The Assyrians who worship the Aire under the name of Venus have verily effeminated this Element being moved I know not with what Veneration Whether because the Aire is interposed betweene the Sea and Heaven doe they worship it with the effeminate voyces of their Priests Tell me is this the cause that they seeke a woman in a man whom the Quire of their Priests cannot otherwise serve vnlesse they effeminate their countenance polish their skin and disgrace their masculine sex with womanish attire c They effeminately adorne their long nourished haire and being clothed in delicate garments they scarce support their head with their wearied necke Afterwards when they have thus estranged themselves from being men ravished with the musicke of Pipes theâ— call upon their Goddesse c. What Monster or what Prodigy is this They deny themselves to be men and yet are such They would be reputed women but the quality of their body confesseth the contrary Consider what deity it is which is thus delighted with the entertainment of an impure body which adheres to unchaste members which is attoned with the filthy pollution of the body Blush O ye wretches at your sottishnesse another God hath made you When your company shall appeare before the Tribunall of God who iudgeth you shall bring nothing along with you which God who hath made you may acknowledge Cast away this error of so great calamity and now at last relinquish the practices of a prophane mind Doe not ye damne that body which God hath given you with the wicked law of the Devill So pathetically inveighed he against mens putting on of womens apparell S. Chrysostome as hee expresly condemnes the putting on of womans array to act a Play a thing too common in his dayes So in his 26. Homil. in Epist. 1. ad Corinthios cap. 11. Tom 4. Col. 453. B.C. where he recites this Text of Deuteronomy and notably censures men for nourishing women for cutting and laying out their haire he hath this excellent speech There are certaine signes given both to a man and woman to him verily of command and principality to her truly of subiection and among these this also that the woman should have her head covered but the man his head uncovered and bare If these therefore are signes both of them sinne when as they confound this good order and the constitution of God and transgresse their limits he in falling downe to the humility and deiection of the woman she in rising up against the man by her apparell and shape For if it be not lawfull for them to interchange their garments neither for a woman to bee clad in a mans Gowne nor for a man to be attired in a womans Gowne or Vaile For he saith Neither shall the ornament of the man be put upon the woman neither shall the man be clad in womans apparell Deut. 22.5 much more are not these things to be changed c. To passe by Damascen Paralellorum lib. 2. cap. 65. together with Beda Expositio in Deuteronom c. 22. Operum Tom. 4. p. 164â— who condemne mens putting on of womens apparell from this Text which they recite that elegant Bishop of Marcelles Salvian doth exceedingly tax the Romanes for permitting men to weare womans apparell not onely in ordinary converse but even upon the Stage Who writes he could beleeve or heare that men should have turned into a womanish patience not onely their use and nature but even their countenance pace habit and all whatsoever is in the sex or in the use of a man all things were so turned upside downe
that whereas nothing ought to be more shameful to men then that they should seeme to have any womanish thing in them there nothing did seeme more dishonest to certaine men then that they should seeme to be men in any thing câ— This therefore is more to be lamented and pittied that this so great a wickednesse did seeme the crime of the whole Common-wealth and the whole dignity of the Roman name was branded with the infamy of this prodigious wickednesse For when men should clothe themselves in womans apparell and become more effeminate then women and cover their heads with feminine attires and this publikely in a Roman City yea in the mostâ— famous and chiefe City there what else was it but the shame of the Roman Empire that in the middest of the Commonweale this most execrable wickednesse should be tolerated without controll Asterius Bishop of Amasea who flourished about the yeere of our Lord 390. in his Homily In Festum Kalendarum Bibl. Patrum Tom. 4. p. 705. C.D. writes thus That in this feast the people did learne the infamous and dishonest arts and studies of Stage-players from whence effeminacy and dissolution of manners did proceed Doth not that valiant man that man of courage who is admirable in his armes and formidable to his enemies degenerate into a woman with his vailed face he le ts his coate hang downe to his ankles he twists a girdle about his brest he puts on womens shoes and after the manner of women he puts a cawle upon his head moreover he carries about a distaffe with wooll and drawes out a thred with his right hand wherewith â—e hath formerly borne a trophie and he extenuateth his spirit and voyce into a shriller and womanish sound These are the profits of this solenmnity these are the commodities and fruits of this dayes publike feast O folly O blindnesse c. So vehement is this godly Bishop against this unmanly practice even in case of Stage-playes which he much condemnesâ— Our learned Country-man Alebâ—vinus writing of the practices of the Pagan Romanes on the Kalends of Ianuary now our New-yeeres day informes us that divers of them did transforme themselves into monstrous shapes and into the habit of wilde beasts Others saith hee changed in a feminine gesture did effeminate their manly countenance neither unworthâ—ly haue not they a manly fortâ—tude who have changed themselves into a womans habit or have put on a womans attire Now because the whole world was replenished with these and other miseries the whole universall Church hath appointed a publike fast to be kept on this day which fast it seemes is now forgotten in as much as the Author of life should put an end to â—hese calamities so doth he stile these effeminate practices To these recited Fathers and Councels I might adde Asteâ—anus De Casibus lib. 2. Titâ—lus 54. Aquinas prima secundae Quaest. 102. Artic. 6. 6m. secunda secundae Quaest. 169. Artic. 2. 3m. Alexander Alensis Theologiae summa pars 2. Quaest. 135. Memb. 2. pag. 617.618 Glossa Ordinaris Lyra Tostatus Pellicanus Cornelius à Lapide Rabanus Maurus Calvin Iunius Dionysius Carthusianus Ferus Osiander Ainsworth on Deut. 22. v. 5. Bishop Babington M. Perkins M. Dod M. Downham M Elton Osmond Lake M. Iohn Brinsly Calvin Bishop Andrewes D. Griffith Williams D. Ames with sundry others upon the 7. Commandement Peter Martyr Locorum Communium Classis 2. cap. 11. sect 68.79 Bullinger Marlorat in 1 Cor. 11.6 Gulielmus Parisiensis De Fide Lâ—gibus cap. 13. Danaeus Ethicae Christianaeâ— l. 2. c. 14. Polanus Syntagma Theologiae lib. 10. cap. 26. p. 665. The rich Cabinet London 1616. p. 116.117 118. Maphaeus Vegius Laudensis De Educatione Liberorum lib. 5. c. 5. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 15. p. 882. E. A short Treatise against Stage-playes by an Anonymous Author tendred to the Parliament Anno 1625. p. 17. W. T. In his Absoloms fall fol. 9. Stephen Gosson his Playes confuted Action 2. The third Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters M. Northbrook his Treatise against Vaine Playes and Enterludes fol. 36. and D. Reinolds in his Overthrow of Stage-playes p. 8. to 20. p. 85. to 103. where this point is largely and learnedly debated All these with infinite others in their Treatises against Stage-playes doe utterly condemne the putting on of womans apparell especially out of wantonnesse to act a Play as a violation of this text of Deuteronomy and an abomination to the Lord our God neither was there ever any one Divine that I haue met with who did contradict this truth therefore we need not doubt or question it but submit unto it without any more disputes Lastly the very reasons alleaged against the putting on of womans apparell on men will evidently evince it to be sinfull to put it on to act a Play For first the very putting on of womans apparell much more to act a lewde lascivious Enterlude is an unnaturall and so a detestable and shamefull act as not onely Ambrose and the fore-quoted Christian Authors but even Seneca and Statius with other Pagans testifie For since nature hath made a difference not onely betweene the sex but even betwixt the habit and apparell of men and women as well among the most barbarous as the civilest Nations in so much that they are visibly distinguished by the diversity of their rayment one from the other it must needs be a violation of the very dictates of nature for a man to clothe himselfe in that apparel which nature and custome have prescribed to another sex as mis-becomming his As nature it selfe doth teach men that it is a shame for them to weare long haire though our moderne Ruffians glory in it because it is naturally proper unto women to whom it is given for a vaile a covering so much more doth it teach men that it is a detestable unnaturall shamefull thing for them to put on womans attire to act a Strumpets part Hence men in womens and women in mens apparell have beene ever odious Witnesse Heliogabalus Sporus Sardanapalus Nero Caligula Suetonij Calig sect 52.54 others together with the Male-priests of Venus the Roman Galli or Cinaedi the passive Sodomites in Florida Gayra and Peru who clothing themselves sometimes not alwayes in womans apparell as did also William Bishop of Ely to his shame are for this recorded to posterity as the very monsters of nature and the shame the scum of men Witnesse the Inkeepers of â—ez at this day who attyring themselves like women shaving their beards and becomming effeminate in their speech are so odious to these very Infidels some base villaines onely excepted who resort vnto them that the better sort of people will not so much as speake to them neither will they suffer them to come within their Temples If men in womens apparel be thus execrable unto
Pagans how much more detestable should they bee to Christians who are taught not onely by the light of nature but of the Gospel too to hate such beastly male-monsters in the shapes of women And as the verdict of human nature condemnes mens degenerating into women so from the very selfesame grounds it deepely ceÌ„sures the aspiring of women above the limits of their female sex their metamorphosis into the shapes of men either in haire or apparell As nature dictates to men that it is a shame for them to weare long haire or womans rayment so it instructeth women that it is a shame a sinne for them to put on mans apparell or to clip or cut their haire their feminine glory as our Viragoes doe because it is given them as a naturall covering to distinguish them from men as the Apostle plainly teacheth in the 1 Cor. 11.5 6 15. the 1 Tim. 2.9 Deut. 22.5 Hence the Councell of Gangra did anathematize those women as infringers of the law of nature and of the precept of subiection who did either cut their haire or clothe themselves in mans apparell though it were under preâ—ence of Religion as Theodora who lived a penitentiary life in mans apparell for her adultery in a Monastery for sundry yeeres together is recorded to have done and as some preposterous Nonnes in Egypt did Hence Gratian Distinctio 30. Summa Angelicâ— Tit. Faemina together with Calvin Bullinger Marlorat Lyra Glossa Ordinaris with sundry others on 1 Cor. 11.5 6. Deut. 22.5 Synodus Turonica Anno 1583. apud Bochellum Decreta Ecclesiae Gallicanae lib. 6. Tit. 9. cap. 1â— whose word I would our man-women English Gallants would consider expresly teach us that even nature herselfe abhors to see a woman shorne or polled that a woman with cut haire is a filthy spectacle and much like a monster and that all repute it a very great absurdity for a woman to walke abrode with shorne haire for this is all one as if she should take vpon her the forme or person of a man to whom short cut haire is proper it being naturall and comly to women to nourish their haire which even God and nature have given them for a covering a token of subiection and a naturall badge to distinguish them from men Yet notwithstanding as our English Russians are metamorphosed into women in their deformed frizled lockes and haire so our English Gentlewomen as if they all intended to tuâ—ne men outright and weare the Breeches or to become Popish Nonnes are now growne so farre past shame past modesty grace and nature as to clip their haire like men with lockes and foretops and to maâ—e this Whorish cut the very guise and fashion of the times to the eternall infamy of their sex their Nation and the great scandall of religion Yea the unnaturall shamelesse Papists bidding as it were professed defiance both to God to nature Moses and S. Paul haue made this a solemne Ceremony at the admission of all their Nonnes into their unholy orders to poll their heads and cut their haire in token that they are now immediately espoused unto Christ and so are freed from all subiection to men or to their husbands as I presume those English women think they are who cut their haire An unnaturall unchristian shamefull practise derived as themselves acknowledge from the Pagan Roman Vestales a fit patterne of imitation for all Popish Nonnes who entring into that idolatrous order did use to poll their heads and consecrate their haire to the Goddesse Lucina hanging it for a monument on a sacred Lote-tree Well let the Romanists and their Nonnes who give a reason for polling their religious Virgins that its a token of their freedome from all subiection to men c. whereas they should rather plead they are men indeed not women and so are not bound to nourish their haire much like the reason of those foolish Ruffianly Friers or Crinitifratres whom S. Augustine reproving for wearing long haire against the Apostles precept 1 Cor. 11.14 to the scandall of religion replied that the Apostle prohibits men onely to weare long haire and they were no men as our effeminate hairy men-monsters hardly are because they had made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdome of Heauen and so were exempted from the Apostles text as the Papists say these Nonnes of theirs are though all other women whaâ—soever are included or let our English shorne Blowses thinke what they will of this vile practise yet sure I am that God that Scripture Nature modesty Religion and all ingenious persons who have any sparkes of nature in them much condemne it as an abominable guise unfit for any but lewd Adulterâ—sses and notorious Whores as many polled Nonnes and shorne-frizled English Maddames are Hence the ancient Germanes and others did use to shame and punish notorious Adulteresses and Whores by shauing off their haire as the most ignominious punishment that could befall them Hence the ancient Roman Emperours did usually punish Adulteresses by cutting their haire and then thrusting them into a Monastery to doe penance there the true originall of this Popish custome And hence the French Synode under Pope Zachery in the yeere 742. decreed That if any Nonnes and holy Virgins did fall into adultery as many did they should be thrice whipped then cast into prison for an whole yeere and have all the haire of their head shaven quite away to make them odious for ever after yet Romanists glory in this their feminine tonsure of their Nonnes Whereas the Councâ—ll of Ariminum under Constantius as if it had beene purposely somoned to convict the Papists of heresie in this very Ceremony of installing Nonnes together with the Councel of Gangra condemned Eustatius for an heretique Quod mulieres comam detondere monuisset for that he had perswaded women out of a pretext of holinesse to cut their haire against the very Lawes of God and nature Now as womens clipping of their haire like men is thus execrable in it selfe because unnaturall so is their putting on of mans apparell or men of theirs especially for merriment To passe by Domâ—a who clad her selfe in mans apparell to avoyd the rage of the Tyrant Maximinian together with that mirror of conjugall fidelity Empona who cut her haire and wore mans apparell lest she should betray her Husband Iulius Sabinus being discovered with whom she lived 9 yeeres in a vault as Tacitus relates with some other women formerly mentioned who have cut their haire and put on mans apparell for learning danger or religion sake whose practise I cannot approve since God and nature both condemne it I shall onely remember two Stories more very pertinent to this purpose The first is of the Argiâ—ae or Graecian women of Argos who driving Cleomenes King of Sparta from their besieged City under
the conduct of Telesilla the most of the Argivi being slaine before the siege in remembrance of this their victory ordained a feast on the seventh day of the fourth moneth wherein they exercised their Hibristica sacra or contumelious solemnities in which they clothed women in mans apparell and men with womens haire-laces veiles and head attires inverting the very course of nature both in the male and female sex And withall that they might seeme to contemne and disgrace their Husbands they inacted this law which our English shorne Viragoes might doe well to put in practice that all married women should put on beards when ever they should lie with their Husbands which puts me in minde not onely of bearded Venus to whom men sacrificed in womens and women in mens apparell as Macrobius hath recorded whom they pictured like a man from the girdle upward and like a woman onely from the girdle downwards because they deemed her both a man and a woman a lively emblem of our halfe-men-women monsters but likewise of the Winnili or Lombards wives who going to Goddanus with their Husbands to desire of him the victory against the Vandals with their haire hanging loose below their cheekes in forme of a beard Goddanus demandedâ— Qui sunt isti Longobardi from whence they were after called Lombards quasi Long-beards as some or as other Historians have recorded because their Husbands to increase the number of their Army at their first eruption that so they might be more terrible to their enemies did untie their wives long haire and fashion it to their faces like a beard deceiving their enemies with this Stratagem which if our English polled females who may do well to make them beards of the haire they have shorne from their Lockes and Foretops will but imitate they may then seeme bearded men in earnest and fall to wearing breeches to as they have lately taken up mens Tonsure Lockes and Dublets if not more and so bee like these mannish Argivae ouer-ruling nature and their Husbands both at once The second History is that of Aristodemus the Tyrant surnamed effeminate because he wore long womanish haire for which the very Barbarians did condemne him This unnaturall Tyrant endevoring to effeminate the Cumaeans commanded and taught their Youths to nourish theiâ— haire like women to colour it yellow to curle and embroyder it and binde it up in phillets and to weare painted and embroydered Gownes and garments untill they were past 20. yeeres of age And withall he compelled their women to cut their haire round and to put on mâ—ns apparell Which invertion of the course of nature in both sexes condemned by Plutarch as a tyranny beyond all his other wickednesses did make him so execrably odious to the Cumaeans that they rose up with one accord against him and slew him together with all his posterity as detestable and worthy ruine both with God and man It is evident then by all these premises that the putting on of womans apparel and so è converso is an unnaturall and so a shamefull an abominable act therefore to put it on to act a Play must needs bee such Secondly as it is an unnaturall so likewise it is an effeminate act to put on womans apparell especially to play a womans part This all the fore-quoted Authors together with Act 5. Scene 3. abundantly testifie This Plutarch and Dionysius Hallicarnasseus in the now recited History of Aristodemus the Cumaean Tyrant together with Orosius Suetonius Philo Iudaevs Diodorus Siculus Athenaeus Iustin Lampridius Iuvenal Eusebius Purchas and the fore-quoted Historians who condemne Sardanapolus Heliogabalus Nero Sporus the Mâ—le-priests of Venus the Roman Galli Cinaedi and others formerly mentioned for so many Monsters of unparalled effeminacy for putting on womans attire together with the very grounds of common reason fully evidence For what higher streine of invirility can any Christian name then for a man to put on a womans rayment gesture countenance and behaviour to act a Whores a Bawdes or some other lewd lascivious females part If this bee not effeminacy in the suparlative degree I know not yet what effeminacy meanes But if it be effeminate as all must grant then it must needs be sinfull yea abominable since effeminacy is both an odious and a condemning sinne as both Scriptures and Fathers doe proclaime it Thirdly a mans putting on of womans apparell be it to act a Play is a dishonest immodest and unseemely thing which becomes not Christians or religion it is a thing of ill not good report a thing not honest but vile and filthy in the sight of all men as the fore-alleaged Authors and Act 5. Scene 3. together with every ingenious mans conscience and experience testifie Therefore it must needs be sinfull as the recited Fathers and Marginall Texts of Scripture will more fully evidence Fourthly a mans clothing himselfe in Maides attire is not onely an imitation of effeminate idolatrous Priests and Pagans who arrayed themselves in womans apparell when they sacrificed to their Idols and their Venus and celebrated Playes unto them which as Lyra Aquinas and Alensis well observe was one chiefe reason why this Text of Deuteronomy prohibits mens putting on of womens apparell as an abomination to the Lord but a manifest approbation and revivall of this their idolatrous practice Therefore it must certainly be abominable and within the very scope and letter of this inviolable Scripture even in this regard Fiftly this putting on of womans rayment is a meere abuse of it The end why God ordained apparell at the first was onely to cover nakednesse to fence the body against cold winde raine and other annoyances to put men in minde of their penury their mortality their spirituall clothing from Heaven and the like and to distinguish one Sex one Nation one dignity office calling profession from another Now a mans attyring himselfe in womans array as it serves for neither of these good ends for which garments were at first ordained which proves it a meere abuse so it perverts one principall use of garments to difference men from women by confounding interchanging transforming these two sexes for the present as long as the Play or part doth last If therefore mens ordinary wearing of womens garments if the putâ—ing of them on in any other place but in a Play-house or the wearing of them in the streets for an houre or two and that but seldome be within â—he malediction of this text or an unlawfull thing as our very Antagonists in this case of Playes confesse because it transformes the male in outward appearance into the more ignoble female sex and nullifies that externall difference betweene them which it ought to make Then questionlesse mens arraying themselves in womans vestments to act a part in Masques in Playes or other Enterludes must needs
be much more abominable within the meaning of this Scripture because it not onely inverts these Sexes which God and nature have distinguished but also abuseth apparell not to any good or necessary purpose which is evill but to an unnecessary lewde lascivious end from whence no good at all proceeds Lastly this putting on of womans array especially to act a lascivious amorous whorish Love-sicke Play upon the Stage must needs be sinfull yea abominable because it not onely excites many adulterous filthy lusts both in the Actors and Spectators and drawes them on both to contemplative and actuall lewdnesse as the marginall Authors testifie which is evill but likewise instigates them to selfe-pollution a sinne for which Onan was destroyed and to that unnaturall Sodomiticall sinne of uncleanesse to which the reprobate Gentiles were given over a sinne not once to be named much lesse then practised among Christians which is worse This the detestable examples of Heliogabalus Sardanapalus Nero Sporus the Male-Priests of Venus with the passive beastly Sodomites in Florida Gayra and Peru evidence who went clad in womans apparell the better to elliciate countenance act and colour their unnaturall execrable uncleanesse which I abhor to thinke off This the usuall practise of other ancient Incubi who clothed their Galli Succubi Ganymedes and Cynadi in womans attire whose virilities they did oft-times dissect to make them more effeminate transforming them as neere as might be into women both in apparell gesture speech behauiour And more especially in long unshorne womannish frizled lust-provoking haire and Love-lockes growne now too much in fashion with comly Pages Youthes and lewd effeminate ruffianly persons as they were with these unnaturall Pagans I dare not write to amorous beastly purposes to which they are strong allectives of which they were ancient Symptomes as sundry profane and Christian Writers testifie Which should cause all chaste ingenious Christians for ever to detest them the better to avoyd the sâ—ares the badges the suspicions of incontinency and this most filthy sinne the more to extenuate this their unnaturall wickednesse or rather the more freely to embolden to allure and provoke them to the undaunted uâ—lamented practise of it by reducing it as neere to naturall lewdnesse as they could devise since few of them were so prodigiously impudent so unmeasurably outragious at the first as desperately to rush upon this unnaturall filthinesse in its suparlative native vilenesse without some extenuating varnishes cast into it to charme their consciences and inflame their lusts Yea this the execrable Precedents of ancient of moderne Play-poets and Players witnesse who have beene deepely plunged in this abominable wickednesse which my Inke is not blacke enough to discypher Witnesse the example of Sophocles that famous Greeke Tragaedian whom Athenaeus Dipnos lib. 13. cap. 27. Plutarch in his Amatorius Suidas in the word Sophocles Caelius Rhodiginus Antiqu. Lect. lib. 15 cap. 9.10 Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum c. 63.64 have stigmatized for this sinne Witnes Saint Cyprian who writes thus of the womanish Pantomimes and Players in his times Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 2. Donato Libidinibus insanis in viros viri proruunt c. See Act 4. Scene 1. Witnes Saint Chrysost. Hom. 12. in Epist. 1. ad Corinth Theatra congregant meretricum choros illic inducentes pueros patâ—icos qui iniuria ipsam naturam afficiunt Quid ergo illos inducis cynaedos exoletos c. Yea witnes Caliguâ—a Suetonij Calig sect 55. with M. Stubs his Anatomy of Abuses p. 105. where he aâ—firmes â—hat Players and Play-haunters in their secret conclaves plaâ— the Sodomites together with some moderne examples of such who have beene desperately enamored with Players Boyes thus clad in womans apparell so farre as to sollicite them by words by Letters even actually to abuse them All which give dolefull testimony to this experimental reason which should make this very putting on of womans apparell on Boyes to act a Play for ever execrable to all chast Christian hearts Hence is it that sundry learned Divines annex this text of Deuteronomy to the 7. Commandement as a morrall precept sounded upon the very Law of nature because mens putting on of womans rayment is a temptation an inducement not onely to adultery but to the beastly sinne of Sodome which saith Lactantius is most properly called adultery because it is unnaturall Yea hence as some have truely observed those women who put on mens and men who put on womens apparel are said in this text not onely to be abominable but even to be an abomination in the abstract to the Lord their God because it is an occasion off a violent provocation to that monstrous unparalleld sinne of Sodomy Cuius defecit interpretatio erubuit ratio conticuit oratio which the following chapter with severall other Scriptures expresly stile an abomination to the Lord our God Since then it is abundantly evident by all these premises and I suppose by many Players and Play-haunters particular experience that mens putting on of womans apparell especially to act a Whores a Baudes or Sweet-hearts womanish wanton part upon the Stage where all the sollicitations and inescating allectives to uncleannesse doe accompany it is a preparative an incendiary not only to sundry noysome lusts to speculative to practicall adultery whoredome and the like but even to the most abominable unnaturall sinne of Sodom to which mens imbred corruption as good Authors testifie is over-prone as the detestable examples of the flagitious Sodomites Canaanites Iewes Gentiles Corinthians Italians Turkes Perâ—ians Grecians Tartars Chinoyes Celâ—ae Peguans Floridians ancient Romans Moores in Barbary Gayrians Peruâ—ians Iupiter and his Ganymedes the ancient Priests of Venus Sardanapalus Nero and his Sporus Heâ—â—ogabalus and many others yea the frequent Sodomiticall wickednesses of sundry unholy-Popes Cardinals Popish Bishops Abbots Priests Friers Monkes such are the unchast fruits of their vowed and much-admired chastity together with the frequent inhibiâ—ions Lawes Edicts against this prodigious villany in Scriptures Councels Heathen States and in our English Statutes which have made it capitall as a late example of a memorable act of iustice on an English Peere can witnes doe more then testifie it cannot but bee inexcusably sinfull both in the eyes of God who litterally prohibits it and in the sight of naturall much more of Christian men who cannot but detest it And so by consequence the Playes themselves which are acted in such apparell as all our Masques and Stage-playes for the most part are must questionlesse bee sinnefull yea abominable as mens putting on of womans apparell is Thus al the fore-alleaged Councels Fathers Authors do from hence conclude so must I from all the
premises If any now object that it is farre better farre more commendable for Boyes to act in womans attire then to bring women-Actors on the Stage to personate female parts a practice much in use in former times among the Greekes and Romans who had their Mimae their Sceniâ—ae mulieres or women-Actors who were all notorious impudent prostituted Strumpets especially iâ— their Floralian Enterludes as they have now their female-Players in Italy and other forraigne parts and as they had such French-women Actors in a Play not long since perâ—onated in Blacke-friers Play-house to which there was great resort I anâ—wer first that the very ground of this objection is false unlesse the objectors can manifest it to bee a greater abomination a more detestable damning sinne for a woman to act a females part upon the Stage then for a Boy to put on a womans apparell person and behaviour to act a feminine part which the Scrâ—pture expresly prohibits as an abomination to the Lord our God or unlesse they can prove an irritation an inducement to Sodomy to selfe-pollution in thought at least if not in act a lesser sinne a more tollerable evill then mannish impudency or a temptation to whoredome and adultery which none can evidence Secondly admit men-Actors in womens attire are not altogether so bad so discommendable as women Stage-players yet since both of them are â—vill yea extremely vitious neither of them necessary both superfluous as all Playes and Players aâ—e the superabundant sinfulnesse of the one can neither iustifie tâ—â— lawfulnesse nor extenuate the wickednesse of the other It is no good argument to say Adultery is worse then simple Fornication Sodomy with such other unnaturall wickednesses are farre more abominable then adultery therefore fornication and adultery are lawfull and may still be tollerated as they are in bâ—â—stly Rome the very Sinke the Stewes and Nursery of all such uncleannesse which should cause all Christians to detest this Whore together with her head her Pope her supreme Pander because the transcendent badnesse of the one doth neither expiate nor extenuate the sinfulnesse of the other Yet this is the present objection in effectâ— Female-Actors are worse then male-Actors arrayed in womans apparell therefore they are tolerable if not lawfull Whereas this should rather bee the conclusion with which I will close up this Scene both of them are abominable both intollerable neither of them laudable or necessary therefore both of them to bee abandoned neither of them to be henceforth tollerated among Christians SCENA SEPTIMA SEcondly as Stage-playes are thus unlawfull in regard of the womannishnesse so likewise are they in respect of the costly gawdinesse the immodest lasciviousnesse the fantastiquâ— strangenesse the meretricious effeminate lust-provoking fashions of that apparell wherein they are commonly acted and frequented from whence I shall deduce this 22. Argument against Stage-playes Those Playes which are usually acted and frequented in over-costly effeminate strange meretricious lust-exciting apparell are questionlesse unseemely yea unlawfull unto Christians But our ordinary Theatricall Enterludes are for the most part acted and frequented in such apparell Therefore they are questionlesse unseemely yea unlawfull unto Christians The Major is warranted not onely by Deut. 22.5 Isay 3.16 to 24. Zeph. 1.8 2 King 9.30 Prov. 7.10 Ier. 4.30 Ezech. 23.40 41. Luk. 7.25 1 Tim. 2.4 10. 1 Pet. 3.3 which condemne all such apparell as unbeseeming Christians But likewise by Tertullian De Habitu Muliebri De Cultu Faeminarum lib. Philo Iudaeus De Fortitudine lib. pag. 1005.1006 De Mercede Meretricis non accipienda in â—acrarium lib p. 1161.1162 By Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. lib. 2. c. 10.12 lib. 3. cap. 1. to 9.11 By Cyprian De Habitu Virginum lib. By Ambros. De Instit. Virginis De Virginibus lib. 3. By Basil. Ascetica cap. 12. Comment in Esay c. 3. By Nazienzen Oratio 27. p. 460. Adversus Mulieres ambitiosius sese ornantes p. 992 c. which I would our plaistered pompous Iezebâ—ls would peruse By Cyrillus Alexandrinus in Hesaiam lib. 1. c. 3. By Hierom. Epist. 7. c. 3. Epist. 8. c. 5.10 Epist. 10. c. 2.3 Epist. 16. c. 2. Epist. 23. Adversus Iovinianum c 9. By Chrysostome Hom. 31. in Matth. Hom. 8. in 1 Tim. 2. By Augustine De Doctrina Christiana l. 4. c. 21. Epist. 73. By Fulgentius Epist. 3. ad Probam By Bernard De Modo Vivendi Sermo 9. By Primasius Ambrose Sedulius Remigius Theodoret Deda Haymo Rabanus Maurus Theophylact Oecumenius Anselme Glossa Ordinaris Lyra Master Iohn Calvin Marlorat Aretius Danaeus Mayer Byfield and most other Commentators on the 1 Tim. 2.9 and on the 1 Pet. 3.3 By Alexander Alensis Theologiae SuÌ„ma pars 4. Quaest. 11. Artic. 2. sect 4. Alexander Fabritius Destructorium vitiorum pars 6. c. 2. P. Q. Alvarus Pelagius De Planctu Ecslesiae lib. 2. Artic. 76. fol. 250. Lydij Waldensia pars 2. pag. 358. AEneas Sylvius Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 166. Ioannes Fredericus De Luxu Vestium lib. By. Bishop Hooper Bishop Babingtonâ— Master Calvin Perkins Dod Downbam Brinsly Lake Elton Williams on the 7. Commandement and sundry other Diuines in their Treatises of Apparell Pride and Luxury and in their Expositions on Isay 3 and the fore-quoted Scriptures who absolutely censure the very â—se and wearing of such apparell much more the ordinary abuse of it in lasciuious Enterludes as being the incendiary of lust the fomentation of pride the occasion of adultery the badge of incontinency concluding it to be altogether unlawfull for chast for sober Christians and fit for none but Strumpets who are commonly most compt in their attires most gawdy and new-fangled in their clothes Whence they applaud the Lacedemonians law that none but common prostituted Strumpets should weare any costly or glorious apparell the better to deter all chaste and sober persons from it A law which would well befit our Nation our times which Proteus-like are alwayes changing shape and fashion and like the Moone appeare from day to day in different formes The Minor is evident by experience which findes an whole Wardrobe of all gawdy pompous vestments a confluence of all whorish immodest lust-provoking attires a strange variety of all effeminate lewde fantastique outlandish apish fashions or disguises rather at the Play-house sufficient to excite a very hell of noysome lusts in the most mortified Actors and Spectators bowels To this we may adde the verdict of the Fathers who censured the Playes in their times even from the quality of the apparell in which they were acted Witnes Clemens Alexandrinus who as he reiects all costly immodest apparell as fit for no place but the Stewes or Sâ—age so he condemnes not only Playes themselves but even the delicacy the effeminacy the costlinesse and lustâ—ulnesse of that apparell wherein they were acted Witnes Tertullian who writes
as sinfull hurtfull unlawfull to all chaste all sober Christians as the reasons they alleage against it will more plainely evidence For first say they as there is no allowance no approved example of any such dancing in the Scriptures the Primitive Church the Fathers or in the lives and practice of the Saints of God in former ages who as appeares by the fore-quoted Councels and Fathers have alwayes censured and exploded Dancing so the 7. Commandement as all the now recited Expositors of it ioyntly suffragate together with Exod. 32.18 19. Iudg. 21.21 23. 1 Sam. 30.16 Iob. 21.11 12. c. 31. Isa. 3.16 c. 5.12 c. 13.21 Ier. 31.13 Zeph. 1.9 Eccles. 9.4 8 9. Math. 14.6.7 Mark 6.12 Rom. 13.12 13. 1 Cor. 6.9 10â— 11. c. 10.7 3â— 32. Gal. 5.19 21. Ephes. 2.2 3. c. 4.17 18 19. c. 5.3 4 11. Phil 4.5 8. Hebr. 11.24 25. Iam. 1.13 14 15 27. c. 4.9 c. 5 13â— Col. 2.20 21 22. c. 3.5 6 17. 1 Thes. 5.15 22 23. 1 Tim. 2.9 c. 5â—6 13â— 2 Tim. 3.5 6. Tit. 2.4 5 6. c. 3.3 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16 17 18. c. 2.9 11 12. c. 3.16 c. 4.2 3 4. 2 Pet. 2.13 14 18 19. 1 Ioh. 2.6 15 16 17. Iude 3.7 12 13 16 23. Revel 18.7 doe either absolutely in expresse tearmes or else by way of necessary consequence condemne such dancing as Idolatrous Heathenish carnall worldy sensuall and misbeseeming Christians Secondly the very Devill himselfe write they who danced in the Daughter of Herodias Math. 14.6.7 as Chrysostome Fulgentius Theophylact. and others write was the originall Author of this dancing the onely instrument who excites men to it the onely person that is present at it that is honored pleased and delighted with it he being ever more present and president where such dancing is as Chrysostome Basil with the other Marginall Authors have plentifully recorded The Waldenses and Albigenses in their Censure of Dancing have unanimoâ—sly professed and published this truth to all the World whose words because they are notable and punctuall to this purpose I shall here transcribe at large quoting some sayings of the Fathers in the Margent to backe and evidence what they write A Dance as I finde their words in their Treatise against Dancing is the Devils procession and be that entreth into a Dance entreth into his possession The Devill is the guide the middle and end of the Dance As many paces as a man maketh in Dancing so many paces doth he make to Hell A man sinneth in Dancing divers wayes as in his pace for all his steps are numbred in his touch in his ornaments in his hearing sight speech and other vanities And therefore we will prove first by the Scripture and afterwards by divers other Reasons how wicked a thing it is to Dance The first testimony we will produce is that we reade in the Gospell Marke 6. It pleased Herod so well that it cost Iohn Baptist his life The second is in Exodus 32. When Moses comming neere to the Congregation saw the Calfe he cast the Tables from him and brake them at the foote of the Mountaine and afterwardsâ— it cost three and twenty thousand their lives Besides the ornaments which women weare are as crownes for many victories which the Devill hath gotten against the Children of God For the Devill hath not onely one sword in the Dance but as many as there are beautifull and well-adorned persons in the Dance For the words of a woman are a glittering sword And therefore that place is much to be feared wherein the enemy hath so many swords since that one onely sword of his may be feared Againe the Devill in this place strikes with a sharpned sword for the women come not willingly to the Dance if they be not painted and adorned the which painting and ornament is as a Grindstone upon which the Devill sharpneth his sword They that decke and adorne their Daughters are like those who put dry wood to the fire to the end it may burne the better for such women kindle the fire of luxury in the hearts of men as Samsons Foxes fired the Philistins corne so these women have fire in their faces in their gestures and actions their glances and wanton words by which they consume the goods of men Againe the Devill in the Dance useth the strongest armor that he hath for his most powerfull armes are women which is made plaine unto us in that the Devill made choyce of the woman to decâ—â—ve the first man So did Balaam that the Children of Israel might be reiected By a woman he made Samson David and Salomon to sinne The Devill tempteth men by women three manner of wayes that is to say by the touch by the eye by the eare By these three meanes he tempteth foolish men to Dancings by touching their hands beholding their beauty hearing their songs and musicke Againe they that dance breake that promise and agreement which they have made to God in Baptisme when their God-fathers promise for them that they shall renounce the Devill and all his pompe for dancing is the pompe of the Devill and he that danceth maintaineth his pompe and singeth his Masse For the woman that singeth in the dance is the Prioresse of the Devill and those that aâ—swer are Clerkes and the beholders are the Parishioners and the musicke are the Bells and the Fidlers the Ministers of the Devill For as when Hogs are strayed if the Hog heard call one all assemble themselves together So the Devill causeth one woman to sing in the dance or to play on some instrument and presently all the Dancers gather together Againe in a dance a man breakes the ten Commandemenâ—s of God As first thoâ— shalt have to other gods but me c. For in dancing a man serves that person whom he most dâ—sires to serve and therefore saith S. Hierom Every mans god is that he serves and loves best He sinnes against the second Commandement when he make an Idoll of that he loves Against the third in that oathes are frequent amongst Dancers Against the fourth for by dancing the Sabbath day is prophaned Against the fift forâ— in the dance the Parents are oft-times dishoâ—ored when many bargaines are made without their counsell Against â—hâ—â—ixt A man kils in dancing for every one that standeth to please another he kils the soule as oft as he perswadeth unto lust Against the seventh forâ— the party that danceth be he male or female committeth adultery with the party they lust after For he that looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath already committed adultery in his heart Against the eight Commandement a man sinnes in dancing when he with-draweth the heart of another from God Against the ninth whâ—n in dancing he speakes falsly against the truthâ— Against the tenth when women affect the ornaments of others and men covet the
far off but walkes by them lives with feare oft-times falls into them For he who curiously beholds the beauties of others although he commits not adultery yet he hath lusted and according to Christs sentence he is made an adulterer and oft-times from concupiscence it selfe he is really carried into the very sinne Let us therefore withdraw our selves farre from sinnes Wilt thou be modest not onely shun thou adultery but even a wanton looke Wilt thou be farre from filthy words thou must not onely avoyd dishonest speeches but even dissolute laughter and all concupiscence c. Much more then wanton Playes and wicked Play-houses In his 17. Homily to the people of Antioch hee thus discourseth But doe those things which the King hath done make thee sorrowfull Verily neither are those things grievous but they have even brought much profit For tell me what troublesome thing is done that he hath stopped the Play-house that he hath made the Circus inaccessible that he hath excluded and overturned those fountaines of wickednesse Would to God it might not be granted that these should be ever opened againe Hence the workes of wickednesse have budded forth in the Citty hence are those who carry a crime in their very manners selling their voyces unto Dancers betraying their owne salvation for three farthings and confounding all things c. But now our Citty seemes to be like a beautifull a faire and modest woman Feare makes her more meeke and honest and hath freed her from those wicked ones who have adventured to commit these horrible wickednesses Let us not therefore lament with womannish sorrow for I have heard many saying in the Market place Woe unto thee Antioch what is done unto thee How art thou deprived of honor And when I had heard it I derided the childish minde of those who spake such things For we ought not to say these things now but when thou shalt see Dancers Players Drinkers Blaspemers Swearers Forswearers Lyers then use these words Woe unto thee Citty what is done unto thee It appeares then by this excellent discourse that Play-houses are the Seminaries of all vice and mischiefe and that those Citties are truely miserable wherein they are but tolerated To passe by his 19. Homily to the people of Antioch where he commends the condition of the Country husband-men because they had no spectacles of iniquity no Horse-combates nor whorish women c. where he withall describes the paines which Tumblers Players and Dancers upon the Rope did take to make themselves expert in their professions with halfe which labour men might overcome their customary sinne of swearing In his 21. Homily to the same people of Antioch How absurd a thing is it writes hee after that mysticall voyce brought downe out of Heaven by a Cherubin to defile the eares with whorish songs and effeminate melodies Yea how is it not worthy of extreame punishment to behold Harlots and to practice adultery with the same eyes with which thou beholdest the secret and dreadfull mysteries and to returne againe to those pompes of the Devill which thou hast renounced in thy baptisme Now these pompes of Satan which thou renouncest are Theaters and Cirque-playes And in his 23. Homily to the Antiochians he hath this excellent discourse worthy of most serious observation Beloved externall dignities are fitly manifested by extrinsecall signes that are put about them but oures oft to be knowne by the soule For a Christian ought not to be seene onely by his office but likewise by his newnesse of life It is fit a believer should shine forth not onely by those things which he hath received from God but also by those things which he himselfe performes and to be manifested on all hands by his gesture by his countenance by his habit by his voyce Now I have spoken these things not that we should dispose of our selves to ostentation but to the profit of the beholders But now from whence shall I know thee to be a Christ I finde thee on every side conspicuous by the contraries For if I would learne who thou art either from the place I see thee abiding in Câ—rques in Theaters and in iniquities in the councels of wicked ones and in the conventicles of desperate hopelesse men Or from the forme of thy countenance I see thee alwayes laughing excessively and dissolute like a reclusâ— Harlot and vile withall Or from thy clothes I see thee no better apparelled then those who are conversant in the Play-house Or from thy followers thou leadest about Parasites and Flatterers Or from thy words I heare thee speaking nothing that is savory or necessary or conferring to a Christian life Or from thy table hence a greater accusation will appeare From whence then I pray shall I know thee to be a Christian all thy words and deeds professing the contrary But why doe I say a Christian For thou art not so much as a man if I can plainely discerne For when as thoâ— kickest like an Asse and playest the wanton as a Bull and neighest after Women like an Horse and pamperest thy belly like a Beare and fattest thy flesh as a Mule and retainest evill in thy memory like a Camell and moreover ravenest as a Wolfe and art angry as a Serpent and smitest like a Scorpion and art crafty like a Fox and keepest the poyson of wickednesse as an Aspe or Viper and impugnest thy Brethren as that wicked Devill How shall I be able to number thee among men when I shall behold in thee the signes of such a nature For seeking after the difference of a Catechumenish and a Believer I am afraid that I shall not finde the difference no not of a man and a beast For what shall I call thee A beast but beasts are held onely with one of these vices but thou carrying about all of them together proceedest on to a greater beastlinesse then they Or shall I stile thee a Devill but the Devill serves not the tyranny of the belly neither doth he love mony Since then thou hast greater imperfâ—ctions then Men and Devils how shall we call thee a man But and if it be not lawfull to call thee a man how I pray shall we salute thee as a Believer And that which is worse neither being so evilly disposed doest thou thinke of the deformity of thy soule nor yet consider its filthinesse but sitting in a Barbers shop and triming thy haire taking a glasse thou diligently examinest the composition of every haire and advisest with those that stand by and with the Barber himselfe whether he hath ordered those haires well that are about thy forehead And when as thou art for the most part an old maâ— thou art not aâ—hamed to wax â—ad with youthfull vanities But we behold not not onely the deformity of our soules but we doe not so much as any whit at all consider that beastly shape that Sylla or Chymaera according to
everlasting farewell to them that so wee may avoyd these severall cursed fruits and dangerous conâ—equences which they alwayes constantly produce together with all these imminent plagues and judgements which now without your speedy repentance they are likely to pull downe on us both to our temporall and eternall ruine ACTVS 7. SCENA PRIMA HAving thus at large related the various grounds and reasons of the unlawfulnesse of Stage-playes in such a perspicuous manner as I hope will satisfie the judgement the conscience of every impartiall Reader I come now to a particular summary enumeration of those Authorities that concurre together with me in condemning Playes and Enterludes which I shall marshall into seven distinct Squadrons The first Squadron consists of such texts of holy Scripture as are produced by the Fathers and latter Writers against Stage-playes some of them oppugning them in one kinde some in another If we survey the originall Authours Patriots Frequenters Actors together with the primary use of these theatricall Enterludes which were at first invented acted fostered frequented by Divel-Idols Pagans Idolaters lascivious dissolute gracelesse persons and devoted wholly to Idolatry Idols Divels and the lusts of carnall wicked worldly men wee shall finde these severall Scriptures that oppugne them condemne them viz. Levit 18.30 Deutr 7.2.3 4 16 25 26. c 12.3 29 30. c 20.16 17 18. Iosh 7.12 c 11.12 Iudges 2.2 Numb 33.52 Psal 16.4 Ier 10 1 2 3. Acts 15.20.29 Rom 12.2 c 13.12 13 14. 1 Cor 8.1 to 11. c 10.7 20 21. 2 Cor 6.14 15 16. Ephes 2.2 3. c 4.17 to 25. c 5.3 4 11. Col 2 8 20 21 22. Titus 2.13 14. c 3.3 1 Pet 4.2 3. 1.14 15 18. Iam 1.21 26 27. c 4.7 8 9 10. c 5.1 5. 2 Pet 2.7 8 10 13 14 19 20 22. 1 Ioh 2.15 16. c 3.8 c 5.21 Iude 4.7 8 12 13 16 18 23. Rev 2.20 c 21.8 27 c 22.11.15 All which though they condemne not Stage-plaâ—es in precise tearmes which no Canonicall Scripture doth yet they positively prohibit and censure them under the names of Idolatry things consecrated unto Idols the Cup and Table of Divels the monuments reliques ceremonies customes rites delights of Idols and Idolaters the way and fashion of the Heathen the will of the Gentiles the things the course and custome of the world carnall worldly lusts and pleasures the lusts of our former ignorance and our vaine conversation received by tradition from our Fathers revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries the rudiments traditions ordinances sports and customes of the world of worldly sensuall men the workes the will the lusts of the Divell c. under which these Stage-playes are as really as absolutely comprised as any part is under the whole or any Species under its proper Genus Hence Saint Cyprian peremptorily concludes That the Scripture hath everlastingly condemned all sorts of Spectacles and Stage-playes even then when it tooke away Idolatry the Mother of all playes from whence all these monsters of vanity of lewdnesse have proceeded Which assertion of his is seconded by Tertullian Lactantius Cyrill of Ierusalem Chrysostome Augustine Salvian with others of ancient and moderne times who doome all Stage-playes from these very Scriptures If wee consider the nature the materialls the circumstances the concomitants the effects the fruites and ends of Stage-playes together with the manner the circumstances of their Action the quality of the persons that act or else frequent them all which I have at large displayed in the foregoing Acts where their obscenity vanity effeminacy lasciviousnesse prodigalityâ— and lewd pernicious consequences are laid open to the full wee shall soone discover that not onely the seventh comâ—andement as most moderne Expositors of it witnesse but even Exod. 32.6.19 c. 23.13 Deutr. 22.5 Iosh. 23.7 Iob 21.11 12 13. Numb 15.39 Psal. 16.4 Psal. 101.3 to the end Psal. 1.1 Psal. 24.3 4. Isay 3.16 17. cap. 5.12 cap. 33.15 16. cap. 55.2 7. cap. 58.3 Hosea 2.17 Ecclesiastes 2.2 cap. 7.4 5 6. c. 11.9 Prov. 12.11 c. 14.9 c. 21.17 Amos 6.1 to 11. Zech. 13.2 Matth. 12.36 37. Rom. 13.12 13 14. 1 Cor. 5.7 to 12. c. 6.8 9. Gal. 5.16 to 26. Ephes. 2.2 3 4. c. 4.29 31. c. 5.1 to 18. Luke 1.74 75. 2 Cor. 12.21 Phil. 3.17 18 19 20. Col. 3.1 to 11. c. 4.5 6. 1 Thes. 5.15 to 24. 2 Thes. 3.6 11 14. 1 Tim. 4.7 c. 5.6 2 Tim. 3.4 Hebr. 11.25 1 Pet. 1.13 14 18. c. 2.11 12. Gal. 6.8.14 1 Ioh. 2.5 15 16 17 with infinite other Scriptures condemne all Stage-playes in regard of their subject matter circumstances fruites and manner of Action c. as I have more particularly demonstrated in the precedent Scenes Hence Tertullian positively informes us That the Scripture hath interdicted all Playes and Enterludes under the prohibitions of lewdnesse and lasciviousnesse and that those texts of Scripture which condemne all worldly concupiscence all idle words all scurrility all foolish filthy talking and jecting all standing in the way of sinners and sitting in the seate of the scornefull together with hypocrisie and dissimulation the making of any Idols image or likenesse and the putting on of womens apparell by men doe expresly inhibit and condemne both Playes themselves resort to Play-houses and the very acting and beholding of all theatricall Enterludes If we peruse St. Hilary St. Ambrose Chrysostome Cyril of Ierusalem St Augustine and others wee shall finde them encountring Stage-playes with that of Psalme 119. v. â—7 Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy word If we reflect on Clemens Alexandrinus Lactantius Nazianzen Basil Hierom Salvian Thomas Gualesius Gualther Petrarcha Holkot Bishop Babington Mr. Northbrooke Dr. Reinolds Mr. Stubs and all the rest which I have formerly quoted in the 1 2 3 4 and 5 Scenes of the foregoing Act we shall see them battering downe Playes and Play-houses with the seventh commandement Ephes. 5.3 4. Deutr. 22.5 Prov. 14.9 c. 21.17 Eccles. 2.2 c. 7â— 3 4 5. Rom. 13.13 14 15. 1 Thes. 5.22 1 Ioh. 2.14 15 and all the forequoted Scriptures which if all their judgements may be credited doe either directly or by way of consequence conclude all Stage-playes to be sinfull yea utterly unlawfull unto Christians If we adde Apochryphall Scriptures unto these Canonicall we shall finde such expresse authoritie against Stage-playes as must needes put all their Patriots their Actors and Spectators to eternall silence For in the first Booke of the Maccabees c. 1. v. 11 12 13 14 we reade thus That in the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes there went out of Israel wicked men who perswaded many saying Let us goe and make a covenant with the Heathen that are round about us for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow so this device pleased them well Then certaine of the people
Ministers Magistrates Gentlemen Citizens and others yea thâ— robes of Emperours Princes Nobles Bishops Iudges and those whose parts they act which are no waies suitable to their condition or profession I shall onely pitch upon this one particular abuse of mens acting female parts in womens apparell and haire in Enterludes Vbi alius soccis obauratis indutus serica veste mundoque pretioso adtextis capite crinibus incessu perfluo faeminam mentitur as Apuleius expresseth it Which practise is diametrally contrary to Deut. 22.5 The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that doe so are â—n abomination to the Lord thy God Which Scripture as it condemnes womens cutting of their haire like men as HRabanus Maurus Nicholaus de Lyra Hugo Cardinalis Iunius and sundry other forequoted Expositors on this text affirme who couple it with the 1 Cor. 11.4 to 16. together with their cloathing of themselves in mans array a mannish whorish practise of which Pope Ione a notable strumpet Theodora a Roman Matron who waited on Stephanio the Player in cut haire and mans apparell as his Page Tecla a famous Virgin Quae pro Paulo quaerendo tonsuram virilem habitum suscepit even against S. Pauls professed doctrine 1 Cor. 11.5 6 15. and so repaired thus disguised to his lodging to bee instructed by him Eugenia a female Romish Saint who did cut her haire and cloath her selfe in mans apparell and so went disguized to the Monastery of Saint Helenus the Bishop whether no woman might have excesse where shee entred into Religion and lived many yeeres in mans apparell like a Monke and was at last elected Abbot of that Monastery which office she managed with great humility like a man as all reputed her Marina and Eufrosina who polled their heads and put on mans apparell and then entred into Monasteries where they lived and died professed monkish Votaries or rather disguised prostituted Strumpets to their chast fellow Monkes as sundry others have done of latter times Gundo an infamous Virago Quae comam capitis inscidit contra Dei iura virilia sumpsit indumenta armisque accincta baculoque innixa and thus attyred resorted to the Monastery of S. Karilephus who avoyded the sight of all women But no sooner was she entred into the inward parts of the Abbathie but she was presently strucke blinde in both her eyes and possessed with a Devill vomiting up blood in a horrid manner for this her unnaturall bold attempt with divers other Romish female Votaries who have polled their heads and entred into Monasteries as professed Monkes in mans apparell the better to satiate their owne and other unchaste Monkes lusts have beene notoriously guilty Witnesse Cornelius Agrippa who writes thus of these chaste Virgin Nonnes and Monkes Quin plurimae monialium vestarum beguinarum domus privatae quaedam meretriculorum fornices sunt quas etiam monachâ—s religiosos ne diffametur eorum castitas nonnunquam sub monachali cuculla ac virili veste in monasterijs aluisse scimus c. Habent enim sacerdotes monachi fraterculi moniales quas vocant sorores specialem lenociniorum praerogativam quum illis religionis praetextu liberum sit quocunque pervolare quibuscunque quantum quoties libet subspecie visitationis consolationis aut confessionis secreto sine testibus loqui tam pie personata sunt eorum lenocinia sunt ex illis quibus pecuniam tetâ—gisse piaculum est nihilillos movent verba Pauli dicentis Bonum est mulierem non tangere quas illi non rarò impudicis contrectant manibus clanculum consâ—uunt ad lupanaria stuprant virgines sacras vitiant viduas hospitum suorum adulterantes uxores nonnunquam etiam quod ego scio vidi Iliaci instar praedonis abducunt Platonica lege cum popularibus suis communes prostituunt quarum animas lucraridebent Deo illarum corpora sacrificant Diabolo aliaque his multo sceleratiora quae nefas est eloqui insana libidine perpetrant interim castitatis voto abunde satisfacientes si libidinem si luxuriam si fornicationem si adulteria si incestum verbis acerrime incessent detestenturqueâ— de virtute locuti clunes agitent Sed flagitioâ—issimi lenones scelestissimaeque lenae saepe sub illis religionum pellibus delitescunt Tales habent aulicae dominae plerumque sacrorum suorum mystas aulicarum nuptiarum scortationumque consultores Which passage seconded by divers other Popish and Protestant Authors I wish our Romish Catholikes who glory of the chastity of these their goatish Votaries would consider So it likewise reprehends mens nourishing of their haire like women and their putting on of womens attire though it be but now and then as an abomination to the Lord And no wonder that â—he putting on of womans apparell and the wearing of long haire should make men abominable unto God himselfe since it was an abomination even among Heathen men Witnesse not onely the forequoted examples of Heliogabalus Sardanapalus Nero Sporus Caius Caligula and others together with Commodus and Annarus the effeminate governor of Babilon all great Sodomites and Adulterers whose going clad sometimes in womans apparell for none of them went constantly in that array some of them onely once or twice hath made them for ever execrable to all posterity insomuch that AElius Lampridius writes of Commodus qui clava non solum leones in veste muliebri sed etiam multos homines afflixit Quod tantae impudentiae fuit ut cum muliebri veste in Amphitheatro Theatro sedens publicè saepissime biberit And what accursed fruits this effeminacy of his produced the same Author witnesseth Nec irruentium in se iuvenum carebat infamia omni parte corporis atque ore in sexum utrumque pollutus It is storied of Ortyges the Tyrant of Erythre and his companions Qui legibus solutis res administrabant civitatis that they grew to that height of effeminacy Quod per hyemem muliebribus calceis induti ambulabant comas nutriebant nodique capillorum erant studiosi let our Ruffianly Love-locke wearers marke it caput purpureis cotoneisque diadematibus convolventes Habebant etiam mundum muliebrem totum aureum sicut habere faeminae consueverunt which made them so abominable to the people that Hippotes the brother of Cnopus invaded them with an army and slue them The Samians are taxed for effeminacy by Duris and Athenaeus Quod circa brachia ornatum muliebrem gestare consueverant atque cum Iunonium celebrarent comas pexas habentes atque in tergum reiectas incedebant Sic illi pexi Iunonis templa petebant Aurea Caesarèam contortam vincula nectunt and the Sybarites are taxed for the selfesame crime Quod est
etiam apud cos consuetudo ut pueri ad impuberem usque etatem purpuram capillorumque nodos auro revinctos gestant Pausanias writes of Leusippus who went clad in womans apparell and wore long effeminate haire like a woman consecrated to Alpheus the better to circumvent the chastity of a Virgin whom he loved that he was slaine by Daphne and her Nymphes who discovered him to be a male in womans attire as he was bathing among them so detestable was this his lewdnes to them Yea such was the detestation of this effeminate unnaturall odious practise of mens putting on womens apparell even among Ethnickes that the Lycians when they chanced to mourne did usually put on a womans garment ut deformitate cultus commotâ— maturius stultum proijcere maerorem velint that the very deformity and infamy of that array might move them the sooner to cast of their foolish sorrow and Charondas the famous Lawgiver as Diodorus Siculus informes us is much applaudâ—d for enacting this law among the Thurians that whereas other Lawmakers made it capitall for any man to forsake his colours in the warres or to refuse to beare armes for the defence of his Country he conâ—raâ—iwise eâ—acted that such men as these should sit three dayes togeâ—her in the market place clothed in womans apparell Which Constitution saith Diodorus as it exceeds the lawes of other places in mildnesse so it doth secretly deterre such cowardly persons from their effeminate câ—wardâ—ce probri magnitudine with the greatnesse of the reproachfull shame Siquidem mortâ—m oppetere longè praestat quà m tantum ignominiae dedecus in patriâ experiri For it is farre better for a man to be slaine then to undergoe so great an ignominy and shame in his owne Country The wearing of womans apparell even for a little space in these Pagans judgements being so shameful so execrable a thing that a man were better to bee put to death then to pâ—t on such array with which Ascanius doth thus upbraide the Troianes Vobis picta croco fulgenti murice vestes Desidiae cordi iuvat indulgere choreis Et tunicae manicas habent ridimicula mitrae O verè Phrygiae neque enim Phryges ite per alta Dyndama ubi assuetis biforum dat tibia cantum Tympana vos buxusque vocat Berecynthia matris Ideae sinite arma viris cedite ferro Nothing being more abominable even among Heathens then effeminacy in long compt frizled haire and womanish apparell as these examples and Maffaeus Vegius De Educatione Puerorum lib. 5. cap. 4. and Act 5. Scene 6. abundantly testifie on which you may reflect If then the putting on of womans apparell were so abominable to Pagans no marvell is it if this text of Deuteronomy stiles it an abomination to the Lord our God the grounds and reasons of which as I have at large insisted on before so I shall briefly touch upon them now in Gulielmus Parisiensis his words Causae vero prohibitionis ne vir utatur veste faeminea vel è converso multae fuere Primò fuit congruentia ipsius naturae videlicet ut quod natura sexu discreverat discerneret vestitus Secundo ut oportunitas auferretur-turpitudinum latibulis posset eâ—â—â— intrare vir ad mulierem sub habitu muliebri è converso mulier sub habitu virili as the examples of Achilles who by putting on womans apparell desâ—â—ured Deidamia King Lycomedes Daughter of Clodius who by this wile abused Pompeia Iulius Caesars wife and of Leucippus who by this stratagem sought to ravish Daphne with other examples of women clad in mans apparell to satiate the lusts of others witnesse Ablata est igitur per hanc discretionem vestitus multa opportunitas slagity Terâ—io exterminatio sacrorum Martis Veneris in sacris n. Martis non solum virili vestitu vestiebantur mulieres sed etiam armabantur ut in ipsis vestimentis bâ—llicis id est armis ipsum tanquam Deum belli victoriae datorem colerent Et Cocogrecus in libro maledicto quem scripsit de stationibus ad cultum Veneris inter alia sacrilega Deo odibilia praecepit ut qui nefandum illum ritum exercct coronam faemineam habeat in capite suo Eodem modo in sacris Veneris viri effaeminabantur videlâ— cet in vestibus muliebribus sacra Veneris exercentes propter huiusmodi sacrilegos ritus Veneri se placere credentes atque quaerentes Quarta causa est ut occasio magna provocationi libidinis auferretur magna enim est provocatio libidinis viris vestitus muliebris è converso how much more then when amorous wanton parts are acted in it hoc est quoniam vestis muliebris viro circundata vehementerrefricat memoriam commovet imaginationem mulieris è converso alibi autem didicistis quia imaginatio rei desiderabilis commovet desiderium Quinta causa ut auferretur occasio maleficij quibus gentes illae refertissimae erant in ijs nutritae Consueverant n. malefici maleficae in vestibus aut de vestibus libidinis maleficia exercere hoc nos in eorum libris saepe legimus Vt ergo occasio huiusmodi tolleretur ià m voluit Deus hanc confutationem vestitus esse in viris mulieribus Sexta causa ut tolleretur error periculosus superstitiosa credulitas quâ trahi possent ad idololatriam quibus credebant decepti applicatione vestium muliebrium maxime in sacris Veneris coniungi sibi ac conciliari amore fortissimo corda mulierum propter quas hoc facerent vel quae postea huiusmodi vestibus uterentur similiter deceptae mulieres idipsum credebant de viris virilibus vestimentis Voluit ergo Deus hunc superstitiosum errorem auferri de cordibus eorum per ablationem abusionis istius ne per illum tandem traherentur ad cultum Veneris Vpon all which severall reasons but especially the 1.2 4. 5. Iuo Carnotensis Decret pars 11. cap. 64.83 pars 7. cap. 78.80 81. Rupertus in Deut. lib. 1. c. 13. fol. 221. Ioannis Wolphius in Deut. lib. 3. Sermo 52. fol. 114. Dionysius Carthusianus in Deut. 22. fol. 479. Hugo Cardinalis in Deut. 22. Petrus Bertorius Tropologiarum lib. 5. in Deut. cap. 22. fol. 47. Conradus Pellicanus in Deut. 22. v. 5. Lucas Osiander in Deut. 22. vers 5. Tostatus Abulensis in Deut. 22. Quaest. 2. Tom. 3. pars 2. p. 199. B.C. Procopius Leonardus Marius Cornelius à Lapide in Deut. 22. vers 5. Erasmus Marbachius Comment in Deut. 22. pag. 217.218 Ioannis Mariana Scholia in Deut. 22. vers 5. p. 99. Paulus Fagius Annotationes Paraph. Onkeli Chald. in Deut. Franciscus Iunius Analysis in Deut. 22. v. 5. Operum Genevae 1613. Tom. 5. Col. 572.573 who makes this text of Deuteronomy a Precept of honesty not founded in the Ceremoniall or Politicall law
but in the very law of nature as doe all other Orthodox Writers together with Maphaeus Vegius De Educatione Puerorum lib. 5. c. 4. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 15. pag. 882. Angelus De Clavasio Summa Angelica Tit. Ornatus sect 5. Iacobus De Graffijs Descitionum Aurearum pars 2. l. 3. c. 26. sect 5. Hyperius De Ferijs Bacchanalibus lib. Ioannis Langhecrucius De Vita Honestate Ecclesiasticorum lib. 2. cap. 21.22 pag. 319.321 I. G. his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors pag. 16. with sundry other forequoted Fathers Councels and other Authors have absolutely condemned even from this very text not onely mens constant wearing but likewise their very putting on of womans apparell especially to act an effeminate amorous womans part upon the Stage as an abominable unnaturall shamefull dishonest unchaste unmanly wicked act which God and nature both detest for the precedent reasons Yea so universally exeorable hath this practise beene in all ages that the â— Councell of Bracara Anno Dom. 610. as Iuo Carnotensis informes us enacted this particular Canon against mens acting of Playes in womens or womens acting or masquing in mens apparell Si quis balationes ante Ecclesias sanctorum seu qui faciem suam transmutaverit in habitu muliebri mulier in habitu viri emendatione pollicita tribuâ— annis paeniteat and Baptista Trovomala discussing this very question Whether it be a mortall sinne for a woman to put on mans or for a man to weare womans apparell to act a Masque or Play maketh this reply Respondent omnes praedicatores totus mundus quod sic all Preachers and the whole world doe answer that it is and for this saith he they alleage Gratian Distinctio 30. cap. Si qua mulier and Deut. 22.5 The reason why it is a mortall sinne is rendred by Angelus De Clavasio because it is contrary to this text of Deut. 22.5 and inconvenient for the persons who put it on and by Alexander Alensis and Aquinas because it is directly contrary to the decency and virility of nature and likewise to this text of Deuteronomy Nec pertinet ad honestatem viri veste muliebri indui utrique enim sexui diversa indumenta natura dedit Habet enim sexus institutam speciem habitus writes Isiodor Hispalensis ut in viris tonsi capilli in mulieribus redundantia crinium quod maxime virginibus insigne est quarum ornatus ipse proprie sic est ut concumulatus in verticem ipsam capitis sui arcem ambitu criniuÌ„ contegat If then all these severall Authors and Councels together with Vincentius Belsensis Speculum Historiale lib. 11. cap. 73. lib. 21. cap. 44. with others fore-alleaged if all Preachers and the whole world it selfe or if our owne worthy Doctor Rainolds who hath largely and learnedly debated this particular point in his Overthrow of Stage-playes pag. 9. to 15. 82. to 106. c. may be judges the very putting on of womans apparell by Players or their Boyes to act a Play and so è converso is a most execrable abomination to the Lord our God prohibited by this text of Deuteronomy Neither will the shortnesse of the time excuse the fact For as Nero was truely said to weare his suits and to put on his apparell though he never more one garment twice changing his raiment every day as Historians relate so he who puts on a womans attyre for a day an houre or two or any lesser space to act a womans part be it but once in all his life is a putter on of womans apparell within the very words and meaning of this textâ— which principally provides as the fore-alleaged reasons Authors and examples witnesse against such temporary occasionall wearing and puâ—ting on of womans apparell which oft-times happens rather then against the daily constant wearing of it which few have beene so unnaturall as to use What Tertullian therefore writes of Hercules attyred by his Mother in womans apparell to satiate his lusts Naturam itaque concussit Larissaeus heros in virginem mutando c. Feras in puero matris sollicitudinem patiens certe iam ustriculas certe virum alicuius clanculo functus adhuc sustinet stolam fundere comam struere cutem fingere speculum consulere collum demulcere aurem quoque foratu effaeminatus Ecce itaque mutatio monstrum equidem geminum de viro faemina mox de faemina vir quando neque veritas negari debuisset neque fallacia confiteri Vterque habitus mutandi malus alter adversus naturam alter contra salutem Turpius adhuc libido virum cultu transfiguravit quà m aliqua maternaformido tamet si adoratur à vobis qui erubescendus est Scytalo sagittipelliger ille qui totam epitheti sui sortem cum muliebri cultu compensavit Tantum Lydiae clanculariae licuit ut Hercules in Omphale Omphale in Hercule prostitueretur c. The same may I say of women who impudently cut their haire or put on mens or men who effeminately nourish their haire or put on womans apparell to act any mummery Masque or Stage-play or for any such like ends that they sinne against nature their sex their owne salvation making themselves not onely double monsters but even an abomination to the Lord their God as all the premises witnesse And what Christian what Mummer Masquer or Actor is there so desperately prodigall of his owne salvation as thus to become an Anathema Maranatha a perpetuall unsufferable abomination to his God by putting on such apparell for an houre to act a Matrons perchance a Strumpeâ—s part which may make him miserable for all eternity As therefore this putting on of womans apparell is an abomination unto God so let it be an execrable and accursed thing to us and since there iâ— so much ingenuity left in most men rather to goe could and naked yea to expose their lives to hazard then thus unnaturally to cloath their nakednesse or to walke abroad in womans vestments let there not bee henceforth so much impudency in any Actors Mummers Masquers as to appeare publikely in feminine habits or attires on the Stage rather then to foregoe their lascivious sinfull Playes and Enterludes which if S. Augustine or others may be credited are the very broad way which leades men downe to Hell and endlesse death in which many multitudes daily walke and sport themselves I shall therefore close up this particular which D. Rainolds hath at large discussed and I my selfe more copiously insisted on in the foregoing part with the Commentary of Erasmus Marbachius on this text of Deuteronomy Distinxit Deus in creatione virum à muliere ut forma corporis ita quoque officio hanc distinctionem vult Deus conservari neutrum sexum habitu vestitu in alium se transformare nec quae alterius sunt usurpare Mulieris est suo
videtur impetrare certe cupimus ut delectus aliquis sit neque promiscue licentia quidvis agendi histrionibus concedatur sed legibus certis circumscribantur finibus quos nemo impune transgrediatur Tametsi nullis legibus putabam furorem hunc satis frenari prudenter quidam O here inquit quae res nec modum habet neque Consilium ratione modoque tractari non vult Sequamur tamen Platonis institutum qui poetarum Carminibus examinandis praefici sanxit viros prudentes non minores quinquaginta annis eorum judicio quaecunque agendae erunt fabulae examinentur ipsi etiam intermedij actus quibus major turpitudo inesse solet mulieres in Theatra inducere nefas esto Theatrum nusquam publice constituatur Diebus festis uâ—i antiquis legibus sancitum meminimus ludi scenici ne exhibeantur ne temporibus quidem jejunij Christiani quid enim commercij squalori cum Theatri risu plausuque A templis sanctorum qui cum Christo in Caelo regnant ac omnino divinis celebritatibus amoveantur ac praesertim ij modi gestus quibus turpitudo in memoriam revocatur ferme oculis subijcitâ—r quae sunt vulnerareligionis nostrae probra monstraque immania Hispanorum nationis dedecora adeo faeda ut stilus contrectare vereatur suoque se faetore tueri hoc genus mali videatur Postremo quoad fieri poterit minori aetate pueri puellae arceantur ab ijs spectaculis ne à teneris reipublicae sâ—minarium vitijs inficiatur quae gravissima pestis est Aâ—sint inspectores publice designati viri pij prudentes quibus cura sit ut turpitudo omnis amoveatur potestas coercendi paena si quis se petulanter gesserit Denique populus intelligat histriones non probari à republica sed populi oblectationi atque importunis precibus dati quae cum non potest quae â—unt meliora obtinere solet aliquando minora mala tolerare populi levitati aliquid concedere What could any Puritan or Precisian as the world now stiles all such who run not with them into the same excesse of riot and prophanesse write more against Stage-playes Play-houses Players Play-haunters or what have I said more against them in this Treatise then this great Iesuit hath done and that by publike approbation both of his Royall Soveraigne his Visitor and Superior too And must not Stage-playes then be extremely bad when as pofessed Iesuits so severely censure them yea shall not Protestants nay Papists to be unexcusably licentious if they should be more moderate or indulgent unto Playes then they Let no Player or Play-haunter no voluptuous libertine therefore henceforth quarrel either with me or others as being too puritanically rigid against Stage-playes when as these loose Iesuits equalize if not exceed us in their Play-condemning Censures as this large transcribed passage fully proves Yee therefore beloved Readers seeing yee now know these things before hand beware lest ye also being led away to Playes to Theaters with the error the example the importunate sollicitations of the wicked as many ignorant and unstable nominall Christians have beene before you fall from your owne stedfastnesse faith and Christian vertues into a sinke of hellish vices to your eternall ruine Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheepe through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Augustinus de Symbolo ad Catechumenos l. 4. c. 2. Quisquis contempto Deo sequeris mundum ipse te deserit mundus Sequere adhuc quantuÌ„ potes fugitivum si potes apprehendere eum tene eum sed video non potes fallis te Illen labiles motus suos torrentis ictu percurrens dum te videt inhaerentem sibi tenentem se ad hoc te rapit non ut salvet sed ut perdat te Quid n. cuÌ„ pompis Diaboli amator Christi Noli te fallere odit n. tales Deus nec inter suos deputat professores quos cernit viae suae desertores Ecce ruinosus est mundus eccetantis calamitatibus replevit Dominus mundum ecce amarus est mundus sic amatur quid faceremus si dulcis esset O munde immunde teneri vis periens quid faceres si maneres Quem non deciperes dulcis si amarus alimenta mentiris Vultis dilectissimi non inhaerere mundo eligite amare creatorâ—m mundi renunciate pompis mundanis quibus Princeps est Diabolus cum Angelis suis. FINIS A TABLE VVITH SOME briefe Additions of the chiefest Passages in this Treatise p. signifying the Page f. the Folioesâ— from pag. 513. to 545. which exceeded the Printers Computation m. the marginall notes if you finde f. before any pages from 545. to 568. then looke the Folioes which are overcast if p. then the pages following A Abomination used alwayes for a heinous sinne in Scripture pag. 181.212 Mens wearing of womens and womens putting on of mens apparell an Abomination to the Lord. p. 178. to 216.879 to 899. Acting of popular or private Enterludes for gaine or pleasure infamous unlawfull and that as well in Princes Nobles Gentlemen Schollers Divines as common Actors p. 133.134 137 140 841. to 911. p. 571. to 668. Sparsim accompanied with effeminacic hypocrisie and others sinnes p. 151. to 250.841 to 911. It occasions divers sins in Actors and Spectators p. 151. to 250.907 to 911. It helpes not mens action or elocution p. 931. to 939. Objections for acting of Playes answered p. 84. to 106. 913. to 943. Children ought not to bee trained up nor taught to act pag. 135.138 168 169 172 908. Acting of Idols Devils evill persons parâ—s or evill things sinfull p. 84. to 106.141 176 177 405 406 949. See Idols Achilles taxed for putting on womens apparell p. 182.199 884. Adrian his Temples built for Christ without Images pag. 901. Adultery an hainous dangerous sinne pag. 376. to 384. punished with death in divers places p. 382.383 See the Homily against Adultery part 3. pag. 86.87 and Thomas Beacon his 3. Booke of Matrimony p. 660. to 670. occasioned fomented by Playes and Play-houses p. 227. to 446.498 662. AEgyptians condemned musicke pâ— 287. AEtredus his censure of lascivious Church-musicke pag. 279.280 of Playes pag. 684. AEneas Sylvius his prophane Play and life p. 112.113 765. his recantation of his amorous Poems pag. 840.918 his censure of wanton Poets p. 917.918 of Playes and Players pag. 691.737 m. AEschylus one of the first inventors of Tragedies pag. 17. f. 552. his strange and sudden death fol. 552.553 AEthiopians punished adultery with death pag. 382. Agefilaus his answer to Callipides p. 741.742 C. Agrippa his censure of Danâ—ing pag. 237.238 of
lascivious Church-muficke pag. 284â—285 of Popish Stewes and of the incontinency of Monkes Nons and Popish Clergie men pag. 213.215 445 446 880 881. of Playes and Players pag. 692.869 of wanton Poems p 385.836 915. Alcibiades traduced by Eupolis pag. 121. f. 553. his dislike of Musicke p. 287. Alcaeus his modestie fol. 515. Alchuvinus his censure of Stage-playes wanton Musicke Kalends New-yeeres gifts and mens acting of Playes in womens apparell pag. 197.198 278 564 755 756. m. his passage for sanctifying the Lords Day pag. 630. m. Ale-houses much haunted on Lords-dayes and Holy-dayes f. 536. Clergie men prohibited to keepe or haunt them p. 591. to 637.655 666 667. Alexander Fabritius his censure of Dancing Dancing-women and their attires p. 238.256 257 258. Of Dice-play Epistle Dedicatory 1. p. 626. m. of Stage-playes p. 434.435 Alexander Severus his Temple for Christ. p. 901. m. withdrew Players peusions pag. 313. Alipius a memorable story of his fall and Apostasie by resorting to a Play-house fol. 548. Bishop Alley his censure of Playes and Play-bookes p. 9â—9 to 923. Altars honoured and danced about by Pagans p. 235.236 758. m. none in the Primitive Church p. 896. placing of Tapers on them derived from Saturne his worshippers pag. 758. m. See Bishop â—ewels censure of Altars of their standing at the East end of the Church in his Answer to M. Hardings Preface p. 6. in his Reply to Harding Artic. 3. Devis 27. pag. 195.196 Artic. 13. Devis 6. p. 488. Thomas Beacon in his Catâ—chisme fol. 484. William Wraghton in his Hunting of the Romish Fox fol. 12. Bishop Hooper his Iudgement of them See Hooper Gulielmus Altisiodorensis his censure of Playes pag. 68â— S. Ambrose his censure of Dancing especially in women pag. 223.232 m. of Dicing Epist. Ded. 1. of mens putting on womens apparell p. 191.192 193. of mens long and frizled haire p. 190.193 209. m. of Images especially of the Deity p. 898. m. of Kalends and New yeeres gifts p. 20.786 of lascivious Songs p. 266. Of Stage-playes p. 339.671 of giving money to Players p. 316.323 How Christs Nativity ought to be celebrated p. 774. to 781. Ammianus Marcellinus his censure of Playes and Dicing p. 465.710 Annaâ—us his effeminacy pag. 88â— Anselme his censure of Playes pag. 684.846 fol. 545. Anthemius his Edict for sanctifying the Lords Day and suppressing Stage-playes pag. 469.470 against Images pag. 900. Antioch its preeminence before Rome p. 410.424 Antiochus the mad taxed for his Dancing Masquing Play-haunting pag. 249.250 857. Antiphanes the Comedian his death fol. 553. Antoninus the Emperor censured for his Dancing and delight in Playes pag. 710.854 855. Antoninus his censure of Playes and Players pag. 691. Apparell the end and use of it p. 207. over costly new-fangled Play-house apparell censured pag. 19.216 to 220.420 427 571 584 586 755 757 772 775 776 896. to 904. Mens putting on of womens and womens of mens apparell especially to act a Play unlawfull abominable unnaturall the occasion of Sodomie and lewdnesse proved at large p. 168. to 172.178 to 276.584 850 859. to 889. Appearances of evill to be avoyded p. 88.89 to 106 948 949. Apostles their Constitutions against Stage-playeâ— and Actors p. 550.649 to 652. slandered and persecuted as Seditious persons p. 813.833 Puritans as the world now judgeth pag. 799.800 801. Applauses of Playes and Players censured p. 297.298 299. See Chrysost. Hom. 30. in Act. Apostol Tom. 3. Col. 549.550 against Stage-applauses and the heming and applauding of Preachers in their Sermons Aquinas his censure of Playes Players putting on womens apparell pag. 179.182 306 324. f. 543.689 887. Arabians punish adultery with death p. 382. Arcadius his Edict against Sword-playes pag. 75.468 Architas his modesty pag. 515. Ardalion his strange baptisme and conversion p. 119. Ardaburius censured for delighting in Playes pag. 857. m. Arias Montanus his censure of Dancing Playes and Acting fol. 558.559 pag. 842.843 Aristodemus his effeminate practise and death pag. â—05 Aristophanes his abuse of Socrates p. 121.730 Aristotle his censure of Playes Players and wanton pictures p. 121.366 367 448 449 484 586. m. 703. Arnobius his censure of Playes and Dancing p. 222â— 334. of Images in Churches and of making Gods Image p. 896.897 m. Astâ—rius his verdict against Dancing Stage-playes Mummers Kalends New-yeeres gifts Stage-playes and mens acting in womens apparell pag. 197.316 317. fol. 533. Ateas his censure of Musicke p. 287. Athanasius what singing he ordained in Churches p. 283.284 his testimonies of George the Arrian pag. 671.672 of the ill effects of acting Pagan Idols vices p. 95. against Images p. 900. m. Atheisme occasioned and fomented by Stage playes f. 550.551 p. 363. Atheâ—agoras his censure of Sword-playes and Stage-playes p. 558â—669 Athaeneus his censure of Dancing Dancers Players Playes long haire effeminacy lascivious Musicke c. p. 249.250 288 209. m. 704.883 Athenians first inventors of Stage-playes p. 17. their prodigality on them and hurt by them p. 312. fol. 562. p. 709.710 Abandoned Playes and Play-Poets at last p. 457.730 921 839. S. Augustine his censure of Dancing and amorous Songs p. 223 270 271. of Images specially of God p. 898â— m. of New-yeeres gifts and Heath-drinking pag. 20.22 756. Of Stage-playesâ— Players Theaters Play-haunting Epistle Ded. 2. p. 49.50 164 165 313 316 324.325 341 to 349 474 475 476 fo 524 525 532 541 542 560 681 843 844 971 987. of mens acting in womens apparell long haire p. 193.194.189.202 See Enar. in Ps. 32. p. 244. his repentance for resorting to Playes before his coÌ„version f. 568. his opinioÌ„ of the beginning of the Lords Day p. 643. of giving mony to Stage-players p. 324.325 873. Augustus his proceedings and Lawes against Playes Actors and Dancing p. 459.460 707 708 861. M. Aurelius his lawes and censâ—res against Playes and Players whom he banished into Hellespont p. 318.319 463 464 137 138. Axiothea her resort to Plato his Schoole in mans apparell taxed p. 184. B Bishop Babington his censure of Stage-playes p. 359.360 Bacchanalia how celebrated by Pagans p. 744.745 751. to 760. Imitated by Christians f. 536. p. 743. to 749.757 to 765. Bacchus Players Playes Play-houses dedicated to his worship p. 17.22 168 510 511. not to be invocated p. 584. Baptisme in jest upon the Stage turned into earnest p. 118.119 Stage-playes and Dancing the uery Pompes of the Devill which wee renounce in baptismo p. 3.15 25 42. to 61.129 230 236 257 425 430.522 523 524 528 560. to 567 658 684 704 829 836 837 911 990. Our vow in baptisme to be performed and most seriously considered p. 53. to 61. a great preservative against sin if oft remembred p. 563.564 Baronius his censure of Stage-playes p. 566.567 696. S. Basil his censure of Dancing p. 223.224 225. m. 277.278 of Health-drinking p. 22. of lascivious Songs and Musicke p. 266.273 276 277 278 308. of Stage-playes and Play-poets p. 308.337 679 680 915. of mens effeminate long haire p. 211. m.
743. to 750. His passion ought not to be acted and yet Papists and prophane Iesuits play it p. 108. to 119 624 636 763 764 765 766 929. Why he redeemed us p. 26.27 749 450. Christians must imitate follow Christ alone p. 98.99 526 732. must excell Pagans in grace and vertue p. 57.98 99 4â—5 454 455 711 to 713. what they are and ought to be p. 56.57 63 425 persecuted and hated for their goodnesse and because they are Christians p. 799. to 826 nick-named pag. 824. accused of faction rebellion and hypocrisie pag. 816. to 828. must not follow Pagan customes p. 17. to 28. 32 33 47 578 580 582 583 584 585 586 587 751. to 762. not to read Playes and wanton Bookes but the Scriptures and good Bookes p. 913. to 924. the Primitive Christians condemned Stage-playes and excommunicated Players and Play-haunters p. 2 3â— 4 49. to 53. 325. to 355.545 to 705. and passim Ill Christians worse then Pagans p. 454.455 711. to 713. 798â— exceedingly dishonour Christ and scandalize religion pag. 744. to 749. Christmas disorders censured at largeâ— p. 48 225 743 to 783.600 to 635. See Haddon Cont. OsoriuÌ„ l. 3. f. 203. derived from Papists Pagans Saturnalia p. 600. to 635. Sparsim 751. to 769. Christmas how to be celebrated p. 48. 225 226 526 576 585 586 600. to 635. Sparsim 743. to 783. See Holi-dayes Christmas Lords of Misrule whence derived p. 767. Chrysologus his censure of Dancingâ— pag. 224. m.f. 526. Chrysostome his censure of dancing especially at maâ—riages p. 222.223 228. m. 555. See Marriage of Dice-play Epist. Dedicit 1. p. 423. of lascivious Songs and Musicke p. 263.267 268 269 412 413 420. See Homil. 20. ad Ephes. Hom. 12. ad Collos. of gawdy apparell and Stage-attires p. 219.420 of excessive laughter p. 290. to 296.403 404. of â—ffeminacy pag. 169. of mens long haire womeÌ„s cutting their haire mens putting on of womens apparell pag. 169.195 196 426. Of Stage-playes Players Play-haunters and Play-houses p. 50.66 156 164 169 392 to 432 474.552 563 566 680 681 738 988 989. See Hom. 12â— in Collos. 20. in Ephes. Churches no Playes Dances scurrilous Songs or Pastimes to bee suffred in them nor yet in Church-yards p. 581.600 to 660. Spâ—rsim 995.999 947. Gazers in iâ— censured p. 418.999 no Images Crucifixes or Saints Pictures to be suffred in theÌ„ p. 894. to 905. not to be overcuriously or vainly adorned p. 902.903 the Primitive Church excommunicated Players Play-haunters condemned Stage-playes and dancing p. 134.543 to 690. See Playes Clemangis his censure of Dancing Dicing Playes and Players and of the abuses on Lords-dayes and Holidayes f. 535.536 5â— 7. p. 690.691 of Popish Nonâ— and their grosse incontinency p. 880. m. Clemens Alexandrinus his censure of lascivious kisses and dancing p. 166. m. 222. of mens acting in womens apparell and wearing long haire p. 167.187 189. of lascivious apparell p. 218. of Images especially of God the Father p. 896.897 m. of excessive laughter p. 392. sâ—urrilous Songs p. 266. effeminate Musicke pag. 275. of Stage-playes and Theaters p. 67. m. 329. 344 472 532 609. Clemens Romanus his censure of mens long and frizled haire p. 189. m. of Players Playes and Play-haunters p. 49. f. 532. p. 649. to 652. his command and exhortation to Lay-men to read the Scriptures p. 927. Commodus censured for acting the Player and Gladiator for favouring Players and Gladiators for Sodomie and putting on womens apparell c. fol. 555.721 852 853 894 882. his murther f. 555. p. 854. Company of â—vill persons to be eschued p. 144 148. to 153. f. 547.548 a dangerous snare apt to draw men to Playes and sundry sinnes pag. 143. to 152.416 417. f. 547.548 549. got by frequenting Playes f. 547.548 549 598. See Master Boltons walking with God p. 73 c. Constantine the Great an Englishman borne a suppressor of Stage-playes of Sword-playes p. 75.467 and of Images p. 900. Constantius his Edict against Sword-playes p. 468. Councels 55. against Stage-playes pag. 570. to 668. against Dancing Dicing Health-drinking Beare-bayting Bonefires Newâ—yeeres gifts lascivious Pictures Songs and Musickeâ— prophaning of Lords-dayes Holi-dayes Churches Pagan customes haunting of Ale-houses and Tavernes Clergy-mens seeing and acting of Playes Dancing Dicing Non-residency c. p. 570. to 668 p. 150. m. 221.222 240 265 286 287 354 756 915 917 c. See these severall Titles Generall Councels binde in point of manners Ibidem For sâ—nctifying the Lords Day p. 242. m. 570. to 660. Crab his Councels against Stage-playes p. 571. to 660. Crossing of the face when men goe to Playes shuts in the Devill p. 342. Crownes of Lawrell not to be worne of Christians p. 20.36 Cyprian his censure of Mens long haire p. 189 of mens acting in womens apparell p. 168 169 187 188. of lascivious apparell p. 217 of Images p. 897. his Bookes against Stage-playes and censure of Players Playes Play-haunting and Theaters c. pag. 135.136 168 169 187 188 331 332 333 334 473 523 546 558 562 670 392 722 728 729. Cyrâ—llus Alexandrinus his censure of making Gods Image p. 898. of Dancing Stage-playes especially on Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes pag. 278.279 533 534 682 of wanton Musicke p. 278.279 Cyrillus Hierusolomitanus his censure of Stage-playes as the Devils pomps c. which we renounce in baptisme pag. 49.339 562 565. D Damascen his censure of Playes Dancing specially on the Lords Day pag. 260.349 f. 533.544 p. 683. of making the Picture of God p. 899 m. Damnation oft occasioned by Stage-playes f. 565. to 569. p. 910. oft to bee thought on Ibidem Dancing at marriages condemned p. 20. 22 36 222 278 555 573 602 603. See Marriage the Devils procession and invention p. 228.229 232 one of the Devils pomps which we renounce in baptisme p. 225.228 229 232 236 238â— 257 562 565. an occasion of the breach of all the 10. CoÌ„mandements p. 231.232 an offence against all the Sacraments p. 257.258 derived from Pagans who spent their Festivals in dancing and courted their Idols with it p. 225.233 234 235 236 251 575 576 584 704 751. to 763 771 779. Infamous among Pagans and condemned by them pag. 245. to 252. 709. to 711.849 to 864.884 854 855 801. a concomitant of Stage-playes p. 220.221 259 260. condemned by the Waldenses and French Protestants p. 226. to 233.636 637. Christians ought not to teach their Children especially their Daughters to dance p. 232.233 236 636 637. Delight skil in Dancing a badge of lewde lascivious women strumpets pag. 232.236 237 238 240 245 248 249.250.258 The Devill danceth in dancing women p. 228.229 232 257 258 260. effeminate mixt lascivious dancing condemned by Scriptures Councels Fathers Pagan and moderne Christian Authors of all sorts as an occasion of much sin and lewdnes c. p. 22.56 220. to 262.271 272. f. 534.575 576 599 584 600.636 637 652 666 693 799 698 704 to 711.729 765 770 771 772 479.
Prohibited and condemned upon Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes as a sinfull unseâ—mely and unlawfull pastime by Councels Fathers Imperiall and Canonicall Constitutions Christian Writers of all sorrs by our owne English Canons and Homilies and by the Statutes of 1. Car. c. 1. 5 6. E. 6. c. 3. p. 231. m. 220.222 240. to 245. 257 258 260 â—71 272 530. to 540. p. 575 576 580 605. to 609.615 620 621 622 625 627. to 636.664 715 716 717 770 771 to 779 780 781 913 693 419. All Clergie-men prohibited to dance or to behold others dancing or to reward or encourage Dancers p. 573. to 678. Sparsim See Prudentius contr Symmachum lib. 1. Bibl. PatruÌ„ Tom. 4. p 910. D Greg. Nyssen de Resurrect Christi Oratio 3. p. 160â— Valeriâ—n Hom. 1. De bono pudicitiae Bibl. Patrum Tom. 5. pars 3. p. 477. C. D. Arias Montanus in lib. Iudicum c. 16. p. 568. to 573. Ioannis Munster De Saltationibus lib. Gulielmus Stâ—ckiâ—s Antiqu. Convivalium l. 3. capâ— 21.22 Zeghedini Loâ—i Communes Tit. Chorea Saltatio Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtutum ac Vitiorum Tom. 2. Tit. De Luxuria c. 3. p. 68. M. Deering his 10. Lecture on the Hebrâ—wes Francis Salis his Introduction to a devout life part 3. c. 32.33 p. 648.649 Vincentius Beluacensis Speculum Morale l. 3. pars 9. Distinct. 6. p. 251.252 Summula Raymundi fol. 93. where a Dance is thus defined Chorea est circulus caâ—henatus cujus centrum est Diabolus with sundry others here omitted against Dancing David his Royall resolution p. 737. censured for feining himselfe mad p. 894. 160. his dancing before the Arke no justification of our lascivious dancing p. 552. to 555.729 773 729. Day of Iudgement at hand and ever to be meditated onâ— p. 56.59.976 to 979. Dice-play and Dice-houses censured condemned by Councels Fathers all sorts of Writers both Christian and Pagan by Mahomet in his Alcoran by Imperiall Edicts and Princes Lawes and by the Statutes of ouâ— Kingdome Epistle Dedicatory 1.2 p. 471.492 494 495 618 626 627 655 to 666.693 700 795. Ministers and Clergie-men prohibited to play at Dice or Tables to stand by or looke upon Dicers or to suffer any Dicing Carding or Gaming in their houses p. 573. to 668. Sparsim Dicers excommunicated and kept from the Sacrament in the Primitive Church p. 618.926 Didâ—cus de Tapia his censure of Players Playes and Theaters pag. 481.482 483 766. Diodorus Siculus his testimony of the originall of Playes censure of them p. 510.704 Diogenes Cinnicâ—s his censure of Musicke p. 287. Diogenes Laâ—rtiâ—s his censure of Stage-playes p. 707. Dion Cassius his censure of Dancing Playes Caligula his acting of them p. 707. to 710. Dionysius Halicarnasseus his censure of Playes their originall and use p. 704. Devils and Devill-Idols the inventors the fomenters of Stage-playes and Dancing which were appropriated to their solemne honour and worship their Festivals being spent in Playes and Dancing which they exacted from their worshippers p. 9. to 50.96 131 164 165 177 â—25 228 229 â—32 236 238 257 403 404 430 47â— 479 509 510 522 523 524 550 551 561 to 567 576 584 658 684 692 704 726 to 734 751 to 763 766 772 773 779 780 786 793. have Stage-playes in Hell every Lords-day night p. 12.13 The inventors of no good things and the enemies of mankinde pag. 9.14 15 16 c. Claime Playes Play-haunters and Play-houses as their owne p. 10.11 483. f. 523 524 555. honoured oft-times in stead of Christ. p. 744.745 759. The onely gainers by Stage-playes p. 44. to 48. Divinations and charmes unlawfull pag. 20.21 583. Divorce women who resort to Playes Play-houses may be divorced from their Husbands by the ancient Romanes and Iustinian his Laweâ— p. 391.661 662. S. Dominicke a story of his going to Hell p. 12 13. Domitian banished Players and suppressed Playes p. 461.714 Domna censured for putting on mans apparell p. 204. Drunkennesse occasioned by Stage-playes p. 508. to 512.731 732. a great and scandalous sinne especially in Clergy men p. 508.509 591. to 636. Sparsim 780. m. E Edgar his excellent Oration to his Prelates p. 762. Edricke his censure p. 133. Edward the 6. his Statutes and Commission for abolishing Images and Saints pictures out of Churches p. 902.903 m. For sanctifying the Lords Day c p. 781. his Comedy De Meretrice Babilonica p. 834. Effeminacy a great sinne p. 167.206 fol. 546.547 a necesâ—ary concomitant of Play-acting and a fruit of Playes pag. 167. to 214.420.422 458. f. 540 547 548 874. to 895.949 in haire apparell speech or gestures much condemned Ibidem Queene ELIZABETH and her Counsell suppressed Playes Play-houses and Dice-houses p. 491.492 her Injunctions against Images Pictures in Churches which she caused to bee demolished taken out of Churches pag. 902.903 m. her Statutes against Playes and Players p. 495. Englâ—sh Lawes Statutes Magistrates Vniversities Writers against Dicing Mummers Players Dancing Stage-playes lascivious Songs and Musicke Play-bookes c. p. 109.110 227 261 273 279. to 288.358 to 366.434 to 445.485 to 497. f. 517 518 519. p. 698.699 700 715 716 717 793 794 919. to 924. against Images in Churches p. 901.902 903. m. Epist. Ded. 1. For the sanctification of the Lords Day pag. 241.242 243 715 716 717 781. Ephori pag. 288.922 Ephorus his censure of Musicke p. 287. Epicarmus punished for his wanton Verses p. 921. Epiphanius his censure of Stage-playes wanton Musicke mens wearing of womens apparell long haire and womens cutting their haire pag. 188.279 556 680. of Images in Churchesâ— p. 899. m. Erasmus his censure of wanton Church-singing p. 285. Esau and Iacob a tipe of the Reprobate and Elect. p. 347. Euclid censured for putting on womens apparell p. 182. Euâ—hrosina and Empona censured for cutting their haire and putting on mans apparell p. 184.204 Eupolis the Poet drowned by Alccâ—iadâ—â— p. 121. f. 553. Eusâ—bius his censure of Stage-playes Dancing and wanton Musicke especially on Lords-dayes p. 164.260 fol. 533.534 â— 279.670 of making the Image of God p. 899. m. Euripides his death f. 553. Eustatius condemned for an Heretique for perswading women to cut their haire and put on mans apparell under pretence of devotion p. 203 204 184. Examples of Gods fearefull Iudgements upon Play-poets Players and Play-haunters f. 553. to 565. Exhortations to Play-poets Players Play-haunters p. 53. to 62. f. 567.568 pag. 566. to 569 686 687 701 711 712 717 718 8â—9 830 974. to 995. F Faâ—e-painting condemned p. 159 160 505 394 229 890 799 780 854 893. See Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtutum ac Vitiorù Tom. 2. De Superbia c. 14. Fathers against Dancing p. 22.36 221. to 230. Dicing Epistle Dedicatory 1. Heathenish customes pag. 20. to 37. Health-drinking p. 26.597 598 609 614 615. Mens long haire and Periwigs p 188. to 191.209 210. lascivious Songs and Musicke p. 261. to 285. fanâ—astique and gawdy apparell and fashions p. 217.218 890. to 904. Images in
Churches and the making of Gods Image pag. 894. to 904. Stage-playes p. 66 67 309. to 355.392 to 432.668 to 688. Sword-playes p. 74.75 347 467 468 Reading of Play-bookes and prophane Authors p. 78.79 915. to 928. New-yeeres gifts p. 20â—36 197 198 429 430 755 756. See all these Titles Their concurring resolutions to bee submitted to p. 685.686 687 718 719 720. Puritans p. 222. 798. to 802. Feastivals of Pagans spent in Playes in dancing and excesse pag. 225.233 to 237.251 751. to 761.771 779. See Dancing to bee abandonâ—d by all Christians pag. 20.21 575 576 584 751. to 761. turned into Christian Holi-dayes and so brought in Heathenish abuses pag. 751. to 761. Sâ—e Holi-daâ—es Fâ—asts of the Primitive Christians described p. 768. to 780. Few saved p. 244.787 788. See D. Câ—etwin his strait way and narrow gate Iulius Firmicus against mens long haire and putting on of womens apparell and Stage-playes p. 194.195 670. Floralian Enterludes acted by Whores obscene and invective p. 122.163 214. fol. 529. Fornication a hainous sinne pag. 375. to 3â—0 men prone unto it p. 372.373 occasioned and fomented by Stage-playes pag. 327. to 446.144 145 146 432 433 498 662. See whores and whoredome Not to be acted among Christians p. 63. to 72.89 to 94. Aâ—dreas Frisiâ—s his censure of Dancing Dicing Playes and scurrill Songs pag. 693. G Gallienus censured yea slaine for favouring Players acting and frequenting Playes p. 465. f. 555. p. 739.856 Gallus the Poet censured p. 454. Gelliuâ— his censure of Stage-playes p. 452. George the Arrian a Cappadocian borne p. 671. to 679. George the Martyr made Symbolicall by Melancton and others p. 676.677 Gerardas his saying p. 920. Gerâ—anes punish adultery with death p. 382. used to poll thâ—ir wives taken in adultery so â—urne theÌ„ packing p. 203 condemned Stage-playes kept their wives from them p. 434 457 458 713. Gerson his censure of lascivious Poems Playes and dancing p 690.538.922 Gesturâ—s of Ministers and others ought to be grave p. 934.935 Gluverius his censure of Stage-playes p. 457.458 Gods Image or Picture cannot ought not to be made a great impiety to make it p. 894. to 904. his Commandements not to be broken in â—est pag. 84. to 88. he abhorres Stage-playes 130 131. fol. 525 526. Gorgias his censure of Stage-playes pag. 449.703 Gosson a penitent Play-poet his censure Books against Stage-playes p. 140.360 36â— 362 436 437 486 489. I.G. his refutation of the Apologie for Actors and his censure of Playes p. 141.142 146 487 491 698 700 795 796. Gothes and Vandals rejected Stage-playes p. 457. f. 527â— p. 713. Gratian the Emperour his Edict against Players and Playes p. 468.813 Gratian the Canonist his censure of Players and Playes pag. 684.846 of New-yeeres gifts p. 796. of Health-drinking p. 596. Grecians the originall inventers of Playes p. 17.509 admired Playes and Players at first but abandoned and made them infamous at last pag. 455.704 730 731 738 843 844. Their manners customes and Playes prohibited Christians p. 21.22 549 586 650 651 652. Gregory the Great turned Pagan Festivals â—nto Christian. p. 759.760 his censure of Playes and Pagan Authors p. 78.79 683 848. Gregory Nazianzâ—n his censure of Dancing p. 225.279 637. m. 771.772 773. â—ace-painting p. 217.890 893. mens long and frizled haiâ—e pag 189. mens putting on of womens â—pparell pag. 169.170 188 189. lascivious attyres p. 217.896 Players and Stage-playes p. 136.163 164 169 315 338 â—39 473 fol. 527.680 how Christs Nativity must bee solemnized pag. 771. 772 773. Gregory Nyssen his censure of Dancing lascivious pictures and Stage playes p 337.338 527. fol. 559.560 pag. 680. of Images and Gods Picture pag. 898. Gregory the worker of Miracles his hatred of Playes caused a sudden pestilence among Players and Play-haunters f. 559.560 Th. Gualensis his censure of Playes and laughter p. 296.301 689. Gualther his censure of Dancing Players Iesters Playes and Play-haunters p. 45. m. 226.320 479 480 481 692 737 739. Guevara his censure of Stage-playes and Actors p. 461.462 696 731. Gulielmus Parisiensis his censure of Stage-playes and Dancing p. 688. his passage and reasons against mens putting on of womens apparell or women of mens p. 884.885 886. Gunda her punishment for cutting her haire and putting on mans apparell p. 800. H Haire womens cutting and frizling of their haire condemned by Deut. 22.5 2 King 9.30 Isay 3.18 20 22 24. 1 Cor. 11.5 6 14 15. 1 Tim. 29. Tiâ— 2.2 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. Rom. 1.26 Zeph. â— 8 Prov. 7.10 13. Rev. 17.4 c. â— 8 by Councels Fathers and Christian Writers of all sorts as an unnaturall impudent whorish practise pag. 184. to 206.217 m. f. 514 799.805.879 to 890. Sparsim 994. See Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtuâ—um ac Vitiorum Tom. 2. Tit. de Superbia c. 14. accordingly Examples of women who have cut their haire censured Ibidem Whores and Adulteresses punished heretofore by cutting their haire which our women now make a fashion p. 202.203 204. Popish Nons cutting of their haire when they are admitted into Nonneries derived from the ancient punishment of Harlots and Eustatius his Disciples p. 202.203 204. condemned Ibidem Mens wearing of long false curled haire lovelockes condeÌ„ned by Deut. 22.5 Ezech. 44.20 Dan. 4.33 1 Cor. 11.14 15. Rev. 9.8 Num. 6.5 Ier. 7.29 Psal. 68.21 compared together by Councels Fathers and other Writers as an effeminate unnaturall amorous practise an incitation of lust an occasion of Sodomy and a practise of ancient Ganymedes and Sodomites p. 186. to 203.209 210 211.426 560 799 873 to 890.893 Ep. Ded. 2. 3. To the Reader See Guli Peraldus qua supra M. Bolton his comfortable directions for walking with God p. 195.200 W. T. his Absoloms fall wherein every Christian may as in a Mirror behold the vile and abominable abuse of curled long haire so much now used in this our Realme pag. 8.9 10 17 1â— 19. Arch-bishop Abbot his 18. Lecture upon Ionah sect 11. p. 570.571 Augustin Eâ—ar in Psal. 32. Tom. 8. pars 1. pag. 24â— M. Edward Rainolds his sinfulnesse of sinne p. 135. Quintil. Instit. l. 1. c. 15. agaiâ—st mens long compt haire Hauking Hunting yea keeping of Haukes and Hounds prohibited Clergie men by sundry Canons and Councels p. 587. to 668. Sparsim Haymo his censure of Stage-playes and Actors p. 349.863 of making Gods Image p. 900. m. Health-drinking prohibited condemned by Councels Fathers and others pag. 22.596 597 598 609 614 615 656 772 780. m. 782.790 See my Healths sickneâ—se with the Authors thâ—re quoted Hâ—abanus Maurâ—s Com. in Titum c. 1. Tom. 5. pag. 502. E. Homil. in Dominicis diebus Tom. 5. Op. p. 605. D. Iohannis Sarisberiensis De Nugis Curialium l. 8. c. 6. Iuo Carnotensis Decret pars 6. c. 252 Master Gualther Hom. 9. in Habaâ— p. 229.230 Innocentius 3. Operum Tom. 1. p 470. Gulielmus Stuckins Antiqu Convivalium lib. 3. thorowout Hostiensis Summa l. 1. Tit. de Tempore ordinat f.
51. Ioan. Langhecrucius de Vita Honestate Ecclesiasticorum l. 2. c. 11. p. 250. c. 12. p. 254.255 Gratian Distinct. 44. Polydor Virgil. de Invent. rerum l. 3. c. 5. p. 215. D. Iohn White his Sermon at Pauls Crosse. March 24. 1615. sect 16. Nathaniel Colâ— his preservative against sinne p. 380. M. Heildersham his 12. Lecture upon Iohn the 4. vers 20. pag. 130. Barnaby Rich his Irish Hubbub London 161â— p. 24.25 M. Edward Raynolds his sinfulnesse of sinne 1631. p. 125. who expresly condemne the drinking and pledging of Healths especially in Clergie-men who ought by the Canon Law to be deprived for it Heaven no Stage-playes there pag. 964.965 Hecataeus Abderita his testimony of the Iewes wanting Images p. 894. Hâ—lena Constantine the Great his Mother an English woman p. 467. Heliodorus deprived of his Biâ—hopprickâ— for his amorous Bookes p. 916. Heliogaâ—alus censured p. 278.710 856. Henry the 3. the Emperor rejected Playes and Players p. 471. Henry the 4. of England his Statute against Rimers and Minstrels p. 493. Henry the 8. his Statute against Mummâ—rs Vizards and Dice-play p. 493.494 his expences upon Playes and Masques p. 320. his Commissions for aboliâ—hing Images in Churches pag. 903. m. Henâ—y the 3. of France his Edicts against Stage-playes and dancing on Lords-dayes and Holi-dayes p. 715. Hercules censured for putting on womans apparell pag. 888. Herod Agrippa smitten in the Theater by an Angell and so dyed fol. 554.555 See Freculphi Chronicon Tom. 2. l. 1. c. 14. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 9. p. 408. Herod the Great the first erecter of a Theater among the Iewes who thereupon conspire his death p. 486. f. 552.553 p. 555â— Herodian his censure of Playes and Dancing p. 710.851.852 853 854 855. Herodias her dancing taxed the Devill danced in her p. 228.229 m. 232. m. 260.773 f. 534. Hiâ—ro punished Epicaâ—mus for his wanton Verses p. 921. Hierom his censure of mens long and curled haire p. 188.340 of lascivious Musicke and Songs p. 275.276 340. of Images specially of God p. 898. m. of Players and Stage-playes pag. 340. 680. of Dancing p. 223. of reading Poets and prophane Authors p. 78.79 114 115 917 918 925 926 927. his trance p. 925.926 for Laymens reading the Scripture p. 928. m. how Ministers ought to preach p. 936.937 Hilarie his censure of Stage-playes pag. 339.670 of making Gods Image p. 900. m. Histories sophisticated by Players and Play-poets p. 940.941 Holâ—ot his censure of Stage-playes and Dancing p. 229. m. 256.689 Holi-dayes how to be spent and solemnized p. 240. to 244. f. 537.538 c. 575 585 586 605. to 686. Sparsim 743. to 783. exceedingly prophaned with dancing dicing drunkennesse and prophane pastimes p. 222.232 to 250. Sparsim 271.363 fo 530. to 541.575 to 666.743 to 783.933 Dancing and Stage-playes prohibited on Holi-dayes by Councels Fathers and all Writers Ibidem See Dancing p. 913. Augmented by Papists who have turned Pagan Festivals into Christian. p. 751. to 761. See Haddon Cont. Osorium l. 3. f. 262.263 264. Abridged by Trajan f. 539. Hoâ—inesse becommeth Christians pag. 63. 64 528. Homilies of our Church against Images in Churches c. p. 286.901.902 903. Honorius Augustodunensis censure of Stage-playes pag. 505. m. 684. of Playerly Masse-priests p. 113.114 Honorius the Emperour suppressed Sword-playes p. 75.468 Bishop Hooper preached twice every day of the weeke would have Bishops to preach once every day would have two Sermons every Lords Day his censure of those who complaine of two much preaching f. 531. a professed Anti-Arminian f. 532. condemned Dice-play Epist. Ded. 1. yea Altars too of which he writes thus in his 3. Sermon upon Ionah before King Edward 6. An. 1551. p. 81. If questioâ— now be asked in there then no Sacrifices left to bâ— done of Christian people yea truely â—ut none other then such as ought to be done without Altars and they be of 3. sorts The first is the sacrifices of thankes-giving Psal. 51. 17 19. Amos 4.5 Heb 13.15 Hos. 14 2. The 2. is benevolence and liberality to the poore Mich. 6.8 1 Cor. 16.1 2 2 Cor. 8.19 Hebr. 13.16 The third kinde of sacrifice is the mortifying of our owne bodies and to dye from sinne Rom. 12.1 Matth. â—1 Luk. 14. If we study not daily to offer these sacrifices to God we be no Christian men Seeing Christian men have no other sacrifices then these which may and ought to be done without Altars there should among Christians be no Altars And therefore is was not without the great wisedome knowledge of God that Christ his Apostles and the Primitive Church lacked Altars for they knew that the use of Altars then was taken away It were well then that it might please the Magistrates to turne the Altars into Tables according to the first institution of Christ to take away the false perswasion of the people they have of sacrifices to be done upon the Altars For as long as the Altars remaine both the ignorant people and the ignorant and evill perswaded Priest will dreame alwayâ—s of saâ—rifice Therefore were it best that the Magistrates remove all the monuments and tokens of Idolatry and superstition Then should the true Religion of God sooner take place c. Sermon 8. f. 150. A great shame it is for a Noble King Emperor or Magistrate contrary to Gods Word to detaine or keepe from the Devill or his ministers any of their goods or treasure as the Candles Images Crosses Vestmâ—â—â—s Altars for if they be kept in the Church as things indâ—ffeâ—ent at lengtâ— they wâ—ll be maintained as things necessary And doe not wee see his words prove true Against the making of Gods Image and sâ—ffring or erecting Imâ—ges in Churches pag 902. m. of which hee writes thus in hisâ— Declaration of the second Commandement London 1588. fol. 29. to 32. This Commandement â—ath 3. parts The first taketh from us all liberty and licence that we in no case represent or manifest the God invisible incomprehensible with any Figurâ— or Image or represent him unto our sences that cannot be comprehended by the wit of man nor Angell The sâ—cond part forbiddeth to honour any Image The third part sheweth us that it is no need to present God to us by any Image Moses giveth â— reason of the first part why no Image should be made Deut. 4.15 Remember saith 〈◊〉 to the people that the Lord spake to thee in the vale of Oreb thou â—eardest a voyce but sawest no manner of siâ—ilitude but onely a voyce beâ—rdest thou Esay c. 40.18 449 c. diligentâ—y sheweth what an absurdity and undecent thing it is to prophâ—re the Majestie of God incomâ—rehâ—nsible with a little blocke or stone a spirit with an Image The like doth Paul in the 17. oâ— thâ— Acts. The text therefore forbiddeth all mannâ—r of Images that are made to expresse or represent Almighty God The second parâ— forbiddeth to honor any Image made The first word honour signifieth to bow
subditus offert vicario pauperi sibi spiritualia seminanti accipietur à patrono male vivente Et si quò ad forum contensiosum jus ibiâ— videatur habere tamen quoad judicium sacâ—ae Scripturae ipse raptor est usurpans sibi alterum eorum quae à Deo conjuncta sunt sine reliquo id est mercedem sine Iabore immo etiam homicida reputatur respectu mercenarij quem defraudat respectu pauperum subditorum quorum sudorem comedit De primò legitur Ecclesiast 33. Qui effundit sanguinem qui fraudem facit mercenario fratres sunt De secundo â—egitur ibidem Qui aufert in sudore panem quasi qui occidit proximum suum Vltimò dicemus quod illi qui vicarium ponunt qui sola cupiditate lucri serviunt non amore Dei talem amorem faciunt matri suae ecclesiae qualem amorem aliquis faceret matri suae carnali si pedem verum ei auferret loco ejus pedem ligneum subâ—â—itueret Pes ligneus non vivit neque corpori adhaeret Siâ— vicarius qui charitatem non habet non est membrum vivum vita spirituali nec adhaeret corpori ecclesiae Sola n. charitate vivit quis adhaeret caeteris membris Ecclesiae See much more to this pâ—rpose in that pithyâ— Discourse Nonnes many of them notorious Whores and Bawdes who have clad themselves in mans apparell shorne their haire and entred into religion in Monâ—staries as Monkes to satiate these their holy Votaries lusts pag. 184.185 201 202 203 204 879.880 881 885. See William Wraghton his Hunting of the Romish Fox fol. 24. and Iohn Bale his Acts of English Votaries Cambdeni Britta Glocester-shire Barkly Castle Their haire shaven off when they enter into Orders pag. 201.202 203 204. Yet Ioannes de Wankel Clementinarum Constit. Tit. de Statu Monachorum f. 64. propounds this question An moniales possint nutrire comam aut debeant sibi crines praescindere Hostiensis Sum. lib. 1. Tit. de Tempore ordinationis c. concludes Quod mulieribus ordines non sunt conferendi quia nec tonsurari debent nec mulieris coma amputanda est quoting Gratian Distinct. 30. to warrant it See Summa Angelica Faemina sect 1. Sum Rosella Faemina 2. accordingly Master Northbrooke his Treatise against and censure of Dancing Dicing Stage-playes and Actors p. 485.698.626 m. â—227 O Oathes of the Gentiles or by Pagan-Idols unlawfull pag. 21.22 81. to 89. fol. 551. Objections in defence of Stage-playes of acting penning and beholding them answered pag. 34. to 42.96 to 106.124 to 127.721 to 828.913 to 975. in defence of lascivious mixt Dancing answered p. 252. to 257. Obscenity and scurrility condemned which abound in Stageâ—playesâ— p. 62. to 72.160 to 168.262 264 265 382 385 423 914. to 930.593 594. Occasions of sinne to be eschued pag. 423.424 911. Ochin his Tragedie of Free-will p. 834. Odo Parisiensis his Decretals against Clergie-mens Dicing and resort to Playes pag. 654.655 Officiall characterized f. 537. See Vincentij Speculum Hist. lib. 29. cap. 128. Ofilius Hilarus the Player his death fol. 553. Olaus Magnus his censure of Players Iesters Playes lascivious Pictures and such who favour Players p. 739.740 741. Olympiodorus his censure of Playes and Play-haunting fol. 524. Operius Danus his wanton Bookes censured p. 922. Opmeerus his verdict of Stage-playes pag. 481. Oratorie not helped or acquired by acting Playes p. 931. to 938. Organs by whom brought first into Churches p. 260.283 285 286 287. See William Wraghton his Hunting of the Romish Fox and his Answer to the Rescuer fol. 12.59 125 126. Origen his censure of Altars and Images p. 896.897 of Stage-playes Actors and Play-haunters fol. 528. m. 330.331 555 669 670. Orosius his doome of Stage-playes p. 476. fol. 560. p. 682. Ortyges his effeminacy and death pag 882.883 Osorius his censure of wanton Bookes and Poems p. 916. m. Ovid his exile for his amorous Bookes pag. 369.921 See Thomas Beacon his Booke of Matrimony pars 4. fol 662. his censure of Playes Play-houses Play-poets and the resorters to them and of wanton Dancing Songs and Musicke p. 249.272 288 369 370 452 453 454 921. his description of Pagan Feastivals p. 233.753 754. Oxford the Vniversitiâ—s Edict against Stage-playes p. 490.491 941 942. P Pagans the originall inventors and frequenters of Stage-playes pag. 16. to 40.731 732. See Stage-playes their customes and ceremonies to be avoyded Ibidem p. 236.545 546 552 555 561 575 578 580. to 588.650 651 652 658 730. to 734.743 to 781. Sparsim No paternes for Christians who must excell them p. 96. to 100.111 to 228.730 to 734. Some inventions of theirs lawfull others not p. 18. to 29. Their vertues counterfeit and shining sinnes pag. 96. to 100. spent their Feastivals and honored their Idols with Playes and Dances See Dances Feastivals and Idols Many yea al the best of them condemned Stage-playes and made Players infamous See Players and Stage-playes Paganisme men prone unto it pag. 27.28 Rich. Panpolitanus his censure of Playes and Play-haunters p. 690. Papists much addicted to Playes many of our Players being such p. 12.142 560. to 568. Sparsim 762. to 766. Act the passion and story of our Saviour the Legends of their Saints c. both on the Stage and in Churches which many of them condemne many of their Priests Players p. 108. to 119.580 to 668. Sparsim 762. to 766 9â—9 999 1000. See Popes Monkes Nons. Parents ought not to traine up or encourage their children to act to dance or behold Stage-playes See Acting and Dancing pag. 335.336 339 340 342 343 350 3â—3 364 306 367 369 370 373 37â— 391 392 437 439 441 44â— 447 to 491. Sparsim 574.999 to 1005. S. Paul his Constituâ—ions against Playes and Players p. 550 55â— 652. would not have a lodging in Rome neere the Play-house and why fol. 545. See HRabanus Maurus Comment in Epist. Pauli lib. 26. Operum Tom. 5. pag. 537. D. Thomas Waldensis Tom. 3. Tit. 19. De Religiosorum Domibus cap. 149. fol. 268. Hierom. Comment in Philemon Tom. 6. pag. 216. E. Iacobus Pamelius Comment in Epist. Pauli ad Philem. apud HRabanum Maurum Operum Tom. 5. p. 166. G. and most ancient many moderne Protestant and Popish Authors on the Epistle to Philemon accordingly Pauls Church in London originally consecrated to Diana p. 38. Peace becomes Christians who must bee peaceable p. 73.74 120. Pericles his grave saying p. 921. Petrarcha his censure of Playes and Dancing p. 237.238 355 356 357. Philipides the â—omedian his sudden death fol. 553. Philip Augustus his dislike and censure of Playes and Players p. 471.484 715. Philip of Macâ—don slaine at a Play f. 554. censured for acting and dancing pag. 857. Philo Iudaeus his prayse p. 554.668 his censure of Stage-playes Dancing mens putting on of womens apparell and wearing Periwigs or long effeminate frizled haire p. 168.186 209. m. 222.307 308 554 637. m. 668.669 of Images in
censure of Playesâ— p. 349.682 his opinion for plaine and profitable preaching p. 937.938 Prudentius his censure of Playes p. 680.720 fol. 561. Psalmes ought to bee sung at Christian Feasts not filthy songs pag. 48.264 554 555 766. to 780.642 m. Ptolomie censured for dancing playing and acting p. 710. Puel de Dieu her mannish practice and execution p. 185.284 285. Puritans condemners of Stage-playes and other corruptions stiled soâ— p. 3.4 5â—567 568 569 797. to 828.1005 The very best and holiest Christians called so even for their grace and goodnesse Ibidem fol. 542. Christ. his Prophets Apostles the Fathers and Primitive Christians Puritans as men now judge p. 797. to 828. hated and condemned onely for their grace yea holinesse of life Ibidem accused of hypocrisie and sedition and why so pag. 816. to 828. Puritan an honourable nickname of christianity and grace p. 827. Q Quarrels tumults occasioned by Stage-playes p. 516.517 518. Quiroga his Index Expurgatorius expunging a passage of Lodovicus Vives against Popish Enterludes p. 115. Quintilian his censure of Playes c. pag. 705 706 966 m. of the ill education of youth Ibidem of Seneca p. 842. against childrens or mens acting of Playes to make them Orators p. 933. R HRabanus Maurus his censure of Players Playes Dancing New-yeeres gifts Health-drinking and acting in womens apparell p. 198. fol. 524. p. 562. 683 756 780. m. his judgement of the beginning and sanctifying of the Lords Day p. 645. m. D. Rainolds his Overthrow and censure of Stage-playes both popular and academicall of Dancing and mens acting in womens apparell p. 198.199 227 309 320 358 487 698 887. of Images in Churches pag. 900.903 Vindicated against a late Opposer p. 671. to 680. Rare things most admired p. 742.743 Rayling and Satyrs especially against goodnesse and good men frequent in Stage-playes p. 120. to 127.814 815. condemned Ibidem Raymundi Summula its prayse of the Scripture pag. 927. against giving to Players p. 873. Reading See Bookes and Scriptures Some things lawfull to be read and yet unlawfull to be penned or acted p 928. to 931. Recreations when why and how to bee used what circumstances requisite to make them lawfull p. 945. to 948. See Master Bolton his generall Directions for our walking with God p. 154 to 181. Great variety of honest Recreations besides Stage-playes p. 40.417.965 to 970. Repetition of Sermons commended commanded by Scriptures and Fathers p. 432.800 801. See Chrysost. Hom. 20â— in Epâ—es 5. Tom. 4 Col. 1010. C. Sint praeces vobis communes unusquisque eaâ— ad ecclesiam eorum quae illic dicuntur leguntur maritus ab vxore partem domi exigat illa à marito Si sanctum quemquam inveneris qui possit domuâ— vestrae benedicere pedum ingressu valeat universam inferre Dei benedictionem â—um voca Thus he See 1 Cor. 14.35 Domi inquit à suis maritis discant Hoc autem illas ornatas reddit viros attentiores facit ut qui debeant quae in Ecclesia audiverunt uxoribus ea interrogantibus recitare ac veluti apud eas deponere Theophylact. Enar. in 1 Cor. 14. pag. 427. See Primasius in 1 Cor. 14. and most moderne Protestant Commentators accordingly Reprehention of sinnes and vices how when where and by whom to bee made p. 124. to 127. not to be done by Players Ibidem Râ—publike much prejudiced by Playes and Actors which ought not to be tolerated in it p. 45.445 to 501 997. to 1006. Restitution to bee made by Players and Gamesters p. 46.906 Romanes ancâ—ently condemned suppressedâ— Playes and Theaters and made Players infamous p. 456.714 843 844 737 998 9â—9 Rome Christian the same with Pagan p. 757. to 765. It s beastines p. 215.767 Roscius the Actor his skill p. 932. Tullâ— his censure of his acting p. 848. f. 525. Ruscians much given to Dancing p. 602â— 603. S Sabbâ—th See Lords Day examples of Gods vengeance upon the prophaners of it f. 556.557 Sabine Virgiâ—s ravished at a Play pag. 30.452 453. Salust his censure of Playes and Dancingâ— p. 245 704â— Salvian his censure of Stage playes Epistle to the Reader p. 51.52 105 313 314 351 352 477. f. 525.526 527. p. 682. Samians taxed for their effeminacy and long compt haire p. 883. Iohn Saresberiâ— against lascivious Musicke Playes Players and Dice-play p 281.282 318 350 351 684. Saturnalia when and how celebrated p. 751. to 766. the ground and patterne of disorderly Christmasses Ibidem Scipio Africanus his censure of Dancing p. 245.246 Scipio Nassica his censure his suppression of Playes and Theaters p. 458.475 561 714. Scriptures against Dancing p. 228. Pagan customes and names of Pagan-Idols p. 18.19 77. Stage-playes p. 545. to 551.723 724. against effeminacy adultery fornication idlenesse prodigality drunkennesse mens long haire womens curling and cutting their haire mens acting in womens apparell lasciviouâ— attire fashions apparell lying hypocrisie vanity c. See â—hese Titles Ought diligently to bee read as well of Laymen as Clergie-men Epist. Ded. 2. f. 521. pag. 585.586 913. to 940.591.760 772. To be read at meales at Bishops and Ministers Tables p. 591.653 769 772 773. Not to be abused or used in Stage-playes Iests Libels c. f. 405. p. 110. to 116.929 f. 553.763 764 765. Their excellency and all-sufficiency p 927.928 Sedition occasioned by Stage-playes pag. 136. fol. 516.517 518. Christ his Prophets Apostles and Christians in all ages accused of it though most unjustly p. 821. to 8â—8 See 5. R. 2. c. 5.2 H. 4. c. 15.2 H. 5. c. 7.1 2. Phil. Mary c. 6. Haddon Contr. Osorium l. 2. f. 212. where we shal finde Witcliffe Luther the ancieâ—t English Protestants whom they nicknamed Laâ—lards accused of Sedition Occasioned for want of preaching not by preaching f. 531. Semproniâ— taxed for her dancing p. 245. Sempronius Sophus divorced his wife for resorting to Playes without his leave p. 39â— 662 Seneca his censure of Stage-playes p. â—68 369 449 4â—7 484 703. of dancing lascivious songs and musicke of mens compâ— long frizled haire p. 24â— 249 of mens putting on womens apparell p. 199. of night disorders p. 746.747 m. of the ancieÌ„â— Sâ—turnaliaâ— p. 752 7â—3 of making Gods Image p. 895. m. Sermons twice euery Lords-day and solemne Holi-day enjoyned by BB. Hooper Martyn â—ucer a Popish Councell f. 531. p. 629. by 5â— 6. E. 6. c. â— 3 â— Eliz. c. 2.25 â—liz cap. 3.1 Iaâ— c. 4. which joyne divine Service and Sermons together on Sundayes Holi-dayes because on such dayes one of them should be as frequent as the other men ought to heare them both alike See 5. â— 2. c. 5. Ought to be plain edifying not fraughtwith Poets Histories flashes of wit c. but with Scripture profe and phrases p. 935. to 939. God-fathers enjoyned by our Church to call upon their Godâ—children to heare Sermons fol. 530. Shaving of Priests crownes and beards in use with Papists an Heathenish custome p. 23.24