openlie committed that I looked when God in iustice would haue presentlie in his wrath haue cōfounded the beholders The Theatre I found to be an appointed place of Bauderie mine owne eares haue heard honest women allured with abhominable speeches Sometime I haue seene two knaues at once importunate vpon one light huswife whereby much quarel hath growen to the disquieting of manie There seruants as it is manifestlie to be prooued haue consented to rob their maisters to supplie the want of their harlots there is the practising with married wiues to traine them from their husbands and places appointed for meeting and conference When I had taken a note of al these abuses sawe that the Theater was become a consultorie house of Satan I concluded with my selfe neuer to imploie my pen to so vile a purpose nor to be an instrument of gathering the wicked togither It maie seeme I am ouer lauish of speech and that which I haue publiqulie expressed ofothers by mine owne knowledge might haue bene dissembled But I haue learned that he who dissembles the euil which he knowes in other men is as giltie before God of the offence as the offenders the selues And the Lord hath expreslie commanded in Exodus that we should not folowe a multitude to do evil neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and overthrowe the truth I cannot therefore but resist such wickedness least I might seeme to maintaine them For he that dissembles vngodlines is a traitor to God Since therefore that the cause is Gods I dare presse forth my selfe to be an Advocate against Satan unto the rooting out of sinne For I am fully resolued in Gods truth to build so strong and fure a fundation against these sellers setters forth of sinne as neither they nor their adherents shal euer be able to ouerthrowe And my trust is that the godile wil ionie with me to the suppressing of those which fight against his worde waging their battel on the Sabboth daie the more conuenientile to destroie the soules of the children of God The cause is generalie to be defended for that the contention of the Aduersaries is about religion and therefore none can be discharged for bare saieng they consent not to the wicked For it is the part of euerie true soldier of lesus Christ with al power to withstand resist such as offer wrong to the maiestie of GOD by hindering the service which we owe unto him We are to be enimies unto the death against those uphiolders of wickedness and neuer to giue ouer the battel in so holie iust a quarel We see the wicked are alwaies readie to maintaine euil causes in these daies the worst men shal find bearers and bolsterers and be supported by those who by iustice are to supress them or at least to reforme their abuses which are intolerable If the wicked lurke together to vphold their lewdenes how much more ought the faithful to ioine themselues together to plucke downe vanitie I knowe my selfe a worme of al other the weakest to medle in these cases yet such is my desire to ouerthrowe their wickednes that I dare inflamed with the holie zeale of Dauid in the quarel of God unprouided both of armor and weapon with one poore sling resist the strength of their hugest Champion and endure the brunt of his fierce assalts doubting not but to finde some that wil stande with me to ouerthrowe the enimies of GOD and to pul downe those flags of defiāce which Satan hath set vp against the preaching of the Gospel to the decaie of the Church Let vs delaie no time deere brethren their doings are abhominable in the sight and eares of God and condemned of the righteous if therefore sentence against their euil workes be not executed speedelie The hartes of the children of men as Ecclesiastes saith wilbe fullie set in them to do euil If there were nothing to moue you it were great cause to stir vp your godlie furie and zeale to discommend plaies vtterlie but their abuses stretching further into the Common-wealth are by sufferance growen so huge that it is hard dealing with them as against foes for they are become priuate freends They are therfore to be delt withal by degrees For it is verie hard to roote out that frō our hartes be it neuer so great an abuse wherof we haue conceaued a good opinion Let therefore the Magistrate but repel them from the libertie of plaieng on the Sabboth daie For that is abuse which is generalie found fault withal allowed of none but those who are altogether destitute of the feare of God and without conscience To plaie on the Sabboth is but a priuiledge of sufferance and might with ease be repelled were it throughlie folowed The warrant which Magistrates haue to forbid plaies is great and passed vnto them by such a Prince whose auctoritie is aboue al auctories of earthlie gouernors God hath giuen vs an expresse commandement that wee should not violate the Sabboth daie and prescribed an order how it should be sanctified namelie in holines by calling into minde the spiritual rest hearing the worde of GOD and cessing from worldlie busines Wherevpon Isaiah the Prophet showing how the sabboth should be obserued saith If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabboth from doing thy wil on mine holie daie cal the Sabboth a delite to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honor him not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne wil nor speaking a vaine worde then shalt thou delite in the Lord and I wil cause thee to mount vpon the hie places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iaakob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Here we see how the Lord requireth that this daie should be obserued and what rest he looketh for at our hands But alas how do we followe the order which the Lord hath set downe Is not the Sabboth of al other daies the most abused which of vs on that daie is not carried whether his affection leades him vnto al dissolutenes of life How often do wee vse on that daie vnreuerend speeches which of vs hath his hart occupied in the feare of God who is not led awaie to the beholding of those spectacles the sight whereof can bring but confusion both to our bodies and soules Are not our eies there carried awaie with the pride of vanitie our eares abused with amorous that is lecherous filthie and abhominable speech Is not our tong which was giuen vs onelie to glorifie God withal is not our tong there imploied to the blaspheming of Gods holie Name or the commendation of that is wicked Are not our hartes through the pleasure of the flesh the delight of the eie and the fond motions of the mind withdrawn from the seruice of the Lord meditation of his goodnes So that albe
vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Euen this did Christ teach vs when he suffered these things for our sakes Wel do we requite his passion who receiuing through his death redemption leade a most filthie life For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto al men hath appeared saith blessed Paule and teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlines and worldlie lustes and that wee should liue soberlie and righteouslie and godlie in this present world looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God and of our Sauior Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from al iniquitie and purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe Zealous of good workes Where be they which doe these things for which the Apostle saith Christ came where be they which flie thedesires of this world where be they which liue godlie righteouslie that looke for the blessed hope by wel doing and leading a pure life show thereby that they looke and long for the kingdome of God where be such Our Lord Iesus Christ came saith he that he might purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes Where is that pure people that peculiar people that good people that people of holines Christ saith the Scripture suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we should folow his steps And we folow the steps of our Sauior in circles and in Theaters we folow the steps of our Sauior as though our Sauior left vs such an ensample whome wee read did weepe but that he laughed we neuer read And both these for our sakes because weeping is a pricking of the hart laughter the corruption of maners Therefore said he VVoe to you that laugh for yee shal waile and weepe and Blessed are ye that weepe now for yee that laugh But it is not enough for vs to laugh and be merrie vnles we reioice with sin and madnes vnles our laughter be tempered with filthines mixed with impietie What error I saie is this naie what foolishnes Can we not dailie be merrie and laugh vnles we make our laughter mirth to be wickednes Or els thinke we simple mirth to be nothing worth and can wee not laugh except wee sinne what a mischiefe is this naie what furie Let vs laugh I praie you yea vnmeasurablie and let vs be merrie yea continualie so we sinne not What foolishnes naie madnes is it to thinke mirth and ioie nothing worth vnles God be iniuried therebie yea iniuried that most hainouslie For in showes there is a certaine Apostasie from the faith and a deadlie declining from our beliefe and the heauenlie sacraments For what is the first professiō of Christians at their baptisme They protest they wil renounce the Diuel and al his workes his pompes and vanities Therefore by our owne confession showes pompes are the workes of the Diuel How then ô Christian dost thou haunt plaies and Theaters after baptisme which thy selfe confessest are the works of the Diuel Once thou didst renounce the Diuel and al his showes wherebie it foloweth that whiles thou goest witting and willinglie vnto common spectacles thou must thinke thou returnest again vnto the Diuel For thou hast renoūced both and didst confesse one of them to be both So that returning vnto one thou wentest back vnto both For thou saiest I renounce the Diuel his pompes showes and workes And what afterward I beleeue thou saiest in God the Father almightie and in Iesus Christ his sonne Therefore before we can beleeue in God the Diuel must be renounced For he beleeueth not in God who renounceth not the Diuel So then he forsaketh God who returnes to the Diuel But the Diuel is in his pompes showes then it foloweth that by returning vnto his pompes wee forsake the faith of Christ. Then hereby al the mysteries of the Beliefe are vnlosed and al which foloweth in the Creede is weakened and tottereth For the building cannot stand if the principal be downe Then tel me ô Christian how canst thou think thy selfe to keepe that which folowes in the Creed when thou hast lost the beginning of the same The members without an head be nothing worth to their beginning al things haue respect which once being decaied euerie thing goes to wracke For the roote being gone either nothing remaines or if there do it serues to smal profit for without an head nothing can stand He therefore that thinkes it a light offence to see plaies let him consider al what we haue said and he shal see that in plaies there is destruction and no pleasure And what els is it but to fal into destruction to forgo the beginning of life For where the fundacion of the Beliefe is ouerthrown life it selfe is destroied Then againe we must needs returne vnto that which we haue often said what such thing among the barbarous where be anie stages among them or Theaters where is the sinne of manie sinnes that is the destruction of our hope and saluation which notwithstāding if they being Pagans did vse they should erre with lesse offence of God because albe such doing were a defiling of the sight yet were it not a breaking of the sacrament But now what can we saie for our selues we hold the beleefe we ouerthrowe the beleefe wee confesse the dutie of saluation and also denie the same And therefore where is our Christianitie who as it seemeth hereunto are baptized that afterward more hainously we might offend we prefer pastimes before the Church we despise the Lordes table and honor Theaters at a worde we loue al things reuerence al things God alone seemeth vile to vs in comparison of other things Finalie among the rest which proue the same this which I now saie doth showe it to be true For if it fal out as often it doth that at one the same time an holie daie be kept and common plaies proclamed I demaund whether do men flock most to the court of God or to the den of plaies to the temple or to Theaters And what do men heare most willinglie the saiengs of the Euangelists or the toies of plaiers the wordes of life or the wordes of death the wordes of Christ or the words of a foole in a plaie doubtles we loue that best which we prefer For if the Church keepe anie feast on that daie when deadlie pastime is showen men such as say they are Christians either come not at al vnto Church or if not thinking of plaies they come and heare in the same plaies to bee abroad they leaue the Church The temple is despised to run vnto Theaters the Church is emptied the yeard is filled wee leaue the sacrament to feede our adulterous eies with the impure whorish sight of most filthie pastime But forsooth we whom prosperitie doth mar must do something in the beginning And therfore ful rightlie saith the Lord God vnto
heads and acknowleging his infinite maiestie How is it that we can heare without stopping our eares so manie counterfet othes vttered of plaiers which as light as they seeme in our eies are great reproches and iniuries to the Maiestie of GOD. Wherevnto yee are accessarie inasmuch as yee can vouchsafe to heare them without scruple of cōscience But it appeareth yee haue litle conscience and therefore be so litle moued Others there be which flatter themselues in euil accōpting that pretious which is most prophane They wil stand in contention and defend the cause of the wicked yea they haue prepared argumēts against Gods children so smal power haue they to withstand the fancies which the diuel putteth into their heads Wel let these men make their arguments as sure as they can though they haue an hundred replies in the defence of the wicked yea and such as maie seeme to carie good likelihood for the maintenance of their cause yet shal they be as nothing but fal to the earth when the iudge of the cause shal argue against them What shal I saie wickednes so encreaseth and groweth more and more to ripenes when men giue it scope seeke not to redresse it in conuenient time When the wicked are suffered and not repressed we must needs saie the Magistrate is a cause of such misbehauior Sixe score yeeres before the floud the world did so exceede in voluptuousnes and pleasure as if the Lord had left to take the charge of men but whilest they liued so at pleasure ease their arrainement was preparing in heauen when their sinne was ripe the Lord pronounced iudgement against those wicked liuers rained from heauen made a general submersion of the whole worlde I cannot otherwise think but that the wrath of God hanges ouer vs and that our arrainment is alredie drawen we lacke but our iudgment which can pronounce nothing but death and damnation the sinnes of al men are so greeuous If we would consider the shortnes of our life which with the turning of an hande maie be cut off we could not be so careles of our selues But the pleasures of this life so beguile vs drawe vs from the cōsideration of our estate that we are vtterlie vnmindful of our duties and forgetful of God and his worde But let vs not thinke that God in sparing vs of his mercie doth giue libertie for to sinne as though we might do wickedlie because we are vnpunished Oh let vs not delaie our amendment til he smite but rather with the repenting Niniuites aduisedlie preuent his iudgements otherwise when we shal saie like reprobates Peace and salfetie then shal come vpon vs sudden destruction Alas that we should so vnmeasurablie folowe those vanities which God condemneth Those pleasures of the stage what are they but the drifts of Satan which he vseth to blind our eies withal the more easilie to carie vs from the obedience of GOD Such knacks from time to time he hath set vp and men haue willinglie folowed that which they haue liked of and which the pleasure of the flesh hath drawen them vnto Yea now adaies we see manie that onlie seeke after those vaine delights counting no time wel spent but that they consume in beholding of gaudes And albe these pastimes were not as they are to be condemned simplie of their owne nature yet because they are so abused they are abhominable For the foole no sooner showeth himselfe in his colors to make men merrie but straight-waie lightlie there foloweth some vanitie not onlie superfluous but beastlie and wicked Yet are we so caried awaie with his vnseemelie gesture and vnreuerend scorning that wee seeme onelie to be delighted in him and are not content to sport our selues with modest mirth as the matter giues occasion vnles it be intermixed with knauerie dronken merie-ments craftie coosenings vndecent iuglings clownish conceites such other cursed mirth as is both odious in the sight of God offensiue to honest eares being forbidden by S. Paule in his epistle vnto the Ephesians where he willeth vs expreslie that Neither filthines neither foolish talking nor iesting which are things not comelie should be once named among vs. Al which things wee now count but light sinnes so blinde we are and so far past our selues the knowledge of God No zelous hart but must needs bleed to see how manie Christian soules are there swalowed vp in the whirle-poole of diuelish impudencie Whosoeuer shal visit the chappel of Satan I meane the Theater shal finde there no want of yong ruffins nor lacke of harlots vtterlie past al shame who presse to the fore-frunt of the scaffoldes to the end to showe their impudencie and to be as an obiect to al mens eies Yea such is their open shameles behauior as euerie man maie perceaue by their wanton gestures wherevnto they are giuen yea they seeme there to be like brothels of the stewes For often without respect of the place and companie which behold them they commit that filthines openlie which is horrible to be done in secret as if whatsoeuer they did were warranted For neither reuerence iustice nor anie thing beside can gouerne them Alas that youth should become so diuelish and voide of the feare of God Let Magistrates assure themselues that without speedie redresse al things wil growe so far out of order as they wilbe past remedie Shamefastnes modestie is quite banished from yong men they are vtterlie shameles stubborne and impudent It was wel said of Caluine that a man setled in euil wil make but a scofof religion He preacheth in vaine that preacheth vnto the deafe Tel manie of these men of the Scripture they wil scof and turne it vnto a iest Rebuke them for breaking the Sabboth day they wil saie you are a man of the Sabboth you are verie precise you wil allowe vs nothing you wil haue nothing but the worde of God you wil permit vs no recreation but haue men like Asses who neuer rest but when they are eating Seeke to withdrawe these felowes from the Theater vnto the sermon they wil saie By the preacher they maie be edified but by the plaier both edified and delighted So that in them the saieng of S. Paule is verified where he saith that The wisedome of the flesh is nothing but enimitie against GOD. How smal heede take they of thēfelues which suffer their owne wicked affections to withdrawe them from God and his worde We neede not voluntarilie seeke our owne destruction For he that is virtuouslie disposed shal finde lewde persons enough to withdrawe him from wel doing by the promise of pleasure and delightful pastime wherevnto we are naturalie inclined vnto the Schoole-house of Satan and chappel of il counsel where he shal see so much iniquitie loasenes and so great outrage and scope of sinne that it is a wonder if he returne not either wounded in conscience or
which might haue force to renew her husbandes wonted goodwil towardes her but it had such a virtue in the operation as it wel nigh brought him his bane for his memorie therby was gone so that if God had not dealt miraculouslie with him by reuealing it it had cost him his life The like we read of Lucullus and Lucretius who by drinking such amorous confections lost first their wits afterward their liues The deuise of carrieng and recarrieng letters by landresses practising with pedlers to transport their tokens by colorable meanes to sel their marchandise and other kind of policies to beguile fathers of their children husbands of their wiues gardens of their wardes and maisters of their seruants is it not aptlie taught in the Schoole of abuse But hush no more I am sorie this schoole is not pluckt downe by the Magistrate and the schoole-masters banished this citie Thus much I wil tel them if they suffer these brothel houses to continue or do in anie wise allowe them the Lord wil saie vnto them as the Psalmist saith If thou sawest a theefe thou wentest with him and haddest thy part with adulterers thou hast done these things and because I haue held my peace thou hast beleeued wicked man that I am like vnto thee but I wil accuse thee c. The reuerend word of God histories of the Bible set forth on the stage by these blasphemous plaiers are so corrupted with their gestures of scurrilitie and so interlaced with vncleane and whorish speeches that it is not possible to drawe anie profite out of the doctrine of their spiritual moralities For that they exhibite vnder laughing that which ought to be taught and receiued reuerendlie So that their auditorie maie returne madde merie in minde but none comes awaie reformed in manners And of al abuses this is most vndecent and intollerable to suffer holie things to be handled by men so prophane and defiled by interpositiō of dissolute words The writers of our time are so led awaie with vaineglorie that their onlie endeuor is to pleasure the humor of men rather with vanitie to content their mindes than to profit them with good ensample The notablest lier is become the best Poet he that can make the most notorious lie and disguise falshood in such sort that he maie passe vnperceaued is held the best writer For the strangest Comedie brings greatest delectation and pleasure Our nature is led awaie with vanitie which the auctor perceauing frames himself with nouelties and strange trifles to content the vaine humors of his rude auditors faining countries neuer heard of monsters and prodigious creatures that are not as of the Arimaspie of the Grips the Pigmeies the Cranes other such notorious lies And if they write of histories that are knowen as the life of Pompeie the martial affaires of Caesar and other worthies they giue them a newe face and turne them out like counterfeites to showe themselues on the stage It was therefore aptlie applied of him who likened the writers of our daies vnto Tailors who hauing their sheers in their hand can alter the facion of anie thing into another forme with a new face make that seeme new which is old The shreds of whose curiositie our Historians haue now stolen from them being by practise become as cunning as the Tailor to set a new vpper bodie to an old coate and a patch of their owne to a peece of anothers So that yee shal find in al their writings three differences manie things good manie things indifferent and manie strake naught but by reason that thing which is good is applied vnto il purpose mixed with euil the good hath changed propertie and is become of the nature of the bad Otherwise goodnes badnes being two cōtraries cannot be made to agree together And therefore there can be no difference of choice but al must be euil because it is generallie il applied and by altering propertie hath changed his nature Yet neuertheles that it keepeth his virtue of being good and reduced to his proper substance I do not denie but that writers inal their workes maie be pleasant so far forth as they be profitable and swarue not from honestie and therein deserue commendation But what praise maie they deserue who set forth those works which are vaine and naught and conteine in them no matter of good example who write of those things which may corrupt the life of men thereby making them worse by ten to one than they were before they heard them What doe they leaue behind them monumentes of wanton wicked life and doting things for men of these latter daies O Lord how do those wanton wordes of theirs intice vnto wicked life and with a poisoned baite allure men to sinne Their wanton speeches do pearse our secret thoughts and moue vs thereby vnto mischiefe and prouoke our members to vncleannes But some perhaps wil saie The Noble man delighteth in such things whose humors must be contented partlie for feare partlie for commoditie and if they write matters pleasant they are best preferred in court among the cunning heads Cunning heads whose wits are neuer wel exercised but in the practise of such exploits But are those things to be suffered and praised because they please the rich and content the Noble man that alwaies liues in ease not so A two legged Asse maie be clothed in gold a man of honor maie be corrupt of iudgement though by his auctoritie he maie seeme wiser than Socrates whome Phoebus for wisedome iudged to beare the bel Those goodlie persons if they be voide of virtue maie wel be counted like faire clothes ouer a foule wal big bladers ful of wind yet of no waight Where wealth is abundant pleasure is present pleasure bringeth folie into estimation and thereby the light of reason is vtterlie extinguished Who writeth for reward neither regardeth virtue nor truth but runs vnto falshood because he flattereth for commoditie Neede and flatterie are two brothers and the eldest seruitors in the Court they were both scholers vnto Aristippus and learned both of them to applie themselues to the time their matter to the disposition No maruel then though none can please Dionysius but Aristippus nor anie the courtier but the flatterer The rich that followeth the pleasures of this life maie not abide to be reformed or to be drawen away from his desires be they neuer so wicked and vnseemelie Talke to him of amendement he wil saie he is not dieng He that reprehends him is a Preacher he that sooths him is a Saint Who meddels with nettles cannot passe vnstinged and he that deales with men of auctoritie otherwise than maie like them cannot scape from his danger without hurt I maie not staie longer on this point As I haue had a saieng to these versi-fieng Plaie-makers so must I likewise deale with shameles inactors When I see by them