The Players Scourge
If any here reply, as some did to Tertullian in this very case: That the Sun shines on a dung-hill, and yet its beams are not defiled by it: so men may look • n Stage-plays and yet not be polluted; for unto the pure all things are pure: And admit there be some obscenity in Stage-plays, yet chaste hearts and ears will not be tainted with it. Auribus enim castis obscan • sermons cum sono defici •• t, nec secretum pudici cordis irr • mpunt: nec • rumpit serm • turpis ex mente nisi se voluntary men's aute corrumpat, quàm recipiat aliquid unde corrumpatur, aut proferat. Turpia quo{que} verba per aures ingressa, quid praevalent, si non fuerint arbitrio mentis admissa? Quando autem praevalent, non ipsam corrumpunt mentem, sed jam corruptam spon • e reperiunt. Pulchrorum quo{que} corporum formae per oculos irrepentes, animum non movent incorruptum; & quando corruptibiliter movent, non corrumpun • sarum, sed ostendunt propria voluntate corruptum ; as Prosper Aquitanicus writes.
To this I answer first, that the Sun is of a pure and celestial nature, uncapable of any defilement whatsoever; its shining therefore on a dunghill can no ways maculate its pure rays, which ofttimes make the dung-heap stink the more. But man's nature as it was capable of pollution at the first, before Adams fall, so it is altogether • ilthy, stinking, and corrupted since, more apt to be inflamed with any lascivious amorous speeches, gestures, Plays and Interludes, then Tinder, Gun-powder, Flax, or Charcole are with the least sparks of fire. Every Son of Lapsed Adam is borne into the world a sinful, unclean, depraved creature, overspred with a universal leprosy of corruption: all the imaginations of his heart are evil, yea only evil, and that continually: yea all his righteousness is but as menstruous rags, and in him there dwells nothing that is good: his very eyes being full of adultery, so that they cannot cease from sin; and his heart most desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, as both Scripture and experience teach us: No wonder then if Stage-plays (which if we believe S. Chrysostom, are far more contagious & filthy th • n any dung, ) defile men's vicious natures, though no stinking dung heap can pollute the shining Sun. We see that the very sight of the forbidden fruit was sufficient to tempt Adam and Eve to sin even before their Natures were depraved: and we know that the casual sight of Bathsheba was sufficient to provoke even regenerate David to an adulterous act: And will not then the premeditated voluntary delightful beholding of an unchaste adulterous Play, much more contaminate a voluptuous, carnal, graceless Play-haunter, who lies rotting in the sink of his most beastly lusts? A very Heathen could inform us thus much: Ad deteriora non tantum pronum iter est, sed etiam praeceps ; that man's nature is not only prone, but precipitate unto evil things: and shall Christians then think themselves, as uncapable of contagion as the shining Sun? God forbid: we may perchance • be such in Heaven hereafter, as neither velle, ne • posse peccare ; but here we cannot be such; For what man among us can say, that he hath made hi • heart clean, and that he is pure from his sin? Certainly if any dare say so, (as some Papists write of their • uper-errogating super-arrogant Saints,) St. John • will tell him that he is a liar, and there is no truth in him. And although unto the pure all things (that is all good, all lawful • , all indifferent things, all meats and drinks, for of them the Apostle speaks) are pure, yet unto the impure (and such for the most part are all Play-haunters) all things (that is all good, all indifferent things, all meats, all drinks and recr •• tions) are unclean ; and so by consequence Stage-plays too; because their very conscience • is defiled. Secondly, whereas it is objected, that evil [ 2] things corrupt not chaste or honest eyes, or ears, or hearts. I answer, that it is true indeed in these three particular cases: First, when as the evils which men [ 1] see or hear are merely casual, not run unto of set purpose upon deliberation. Secondly, when men are [ 2] necessitated to hear and see them, even against their wills: and yet in these two cases they prove ofttimes contagious. Thirdly, when as men see or hear them [ 3] with highest detestation of their lewdness, and strong resolves against them: not with delight or approbation. But thus men see and hear not Stage-plays, to which they purposely and willingly • resort, in which they place their pleasure and delight. Therefore they cannot but corrupt, yea dangerously defile them, because they do not loath but love them over-much. And what so apt to contaminate and deprave men, as that which they best affect?
The last Objection for the seeing of Plays is this: If you debar us from beholding Stage-plays (say some) you will then deprive us of all our mirth, our pleasures, and cause us for to live a melancholy, sad, dumpish lif • , the which we cannot brook: therefore you must still permit us to resort to Plays.
To this I answer first: that it is the condition of all voluptuous carnal persons, to deem themselves much restrained, when as they are inhibited from any one sinful pleasure in which they take delight; as if all their comforts, their contentments, yea their life it self, were utterly lost and gone. Let a Drunkard be but restrained from his Cups and Pot-companions; an Whore-master from his Queanes and Whoredomes, a common Dicer from his unlawful gaming, or a Play-haunter from his Stage-plays, which delight and feed his lusts; they presantly think themselves undo • e, yea quite bereaved of all their pleasures: and all because they place their happiness, their chief delights in these their carnal contentments, which always end in horror. But alas what hard in • urious rest • aine is this, to inhibit them from sin and sinful things, which would certainly plung them into eternal misery, from which the very Laws of God, of nature, of Nations have long since debard them, under the severest penalties? What, are Christians grown now such carnal Epicures, as to think there is no pleasure, mirth or solace but in sin alone, in amorous Pastorals, obscene lascivious speeches, jests, and Interludes, or such lewd notorious abominations as should even pierce all Christian hearts with grief? what, is there no pleasure think we but in that which God prohibits? in that which he and all good men abhor? in that which shuts men out of Heaven, and poasts them on to Hell? Good God, if these be the chief delights of Christians now, which was the vice, the shame of Pagans, of Christians heretofore, why do any such voluptuous carnal Christians hope for Heaven? Are there any lascivious Stage-plays, Spectacles, Songs, or such like sinful vanities there? are there any such lust-fomenting, sin-engendering sports or pastimes in Heaven, as carnalists delight in here on earth? O no, there is no uncleanness, vanity or lasciviousness in that holy place • If men therefore think themselves miserable when they are deprived of these pleasures here, what happiness can they hope to find in Heaven hereafter, where there are no such Interludes, such carnal contentments as they delight in now? If then we may be happy, yea eternally happy in the highest degree without these lust-enraging Interludes hereafter, why should we deem ourselves unfortunate in being restrained from them now? especially since Christ himself informs us, that if any man will come after him, he must deny himself in all his sinful pleasures, and crucify his flesh with the affections and lusts thereof. The Saints and Angels now in Heaven; the Primitive Church and Christians, yea and many Pagans, whiles they were on earth, accounted their lives most comfortable, though they wanted Stage-plays, yea, this was one of their greatest contentments, that they had quite abandoned them: Nay those very Saints of God on earth, who now lead the most comfortable, joyful, happy lives of all men in the world, are such who never come at Stage-plays • and many carnal men there are who live full mer • y, full jolly lives without them. This Objection therefore is but frivolous. Secondly, though men are deprived [ 2] of Stage-plays, of all other unlawful pleasures whatsoever; yet they have choice enough of sundry lawful recreations, and earthly solaces with which to exhilerate their minds; and senses: They have the several prospects of the Sun, the Moon, the Planets, the Stars, the water, the earth, with all the infinite variety of Creatures, of Fishes, Birds, Fowls, Beasts, cre • ping things, Trees, Herbs, Plants, Rootes, Stones, and Mettals that are in them, to delight their eyes: They have the Music of all Birds and singing creatures to please their ears; the incomperably delicate • doriferous sents and perfumes of all H • arbes, all Flowers, Fruits, &c. to refresh their noses • the savory tastes of all edible creatures to content their pallats, so far as the rules of sobriety and temperance will permit: the pleasures that Orchards, Rivers, Gardens, Ponds, Woods, or any such earthly Paradices can afford them: the comfort of Friends, Kindred, Wives, Children, Possessions, wealth, and all other external blessings that God hath bestowed upon them. And what want of pleasures, of contentments can they complain of, who have all these for to delight them, the very meanest whereof are far more pleasant, then the very best of Interludes, then all our Stage-plays put together? Besides, though men are debard from Stage-plays, Dicing, or mix lascivious Dancing, or any other unlawful sports, they have store of honest, of healthful recreations still remaining, with which to refresh themselves; as walking, riding, fishing, fowling, hawking, hunting, ringing, leaping, vauting, wrestling, running, shooting, singing of Psalms and pious Ditties; playing upon musical Instruments, casting of the Barre, tossing the Pike, riding of the great Horse, (an exercise fit for men of quality) running at the ring, with a world of such like laudable, cheap, and harmless exercises; which being used in due season, with moderation, temperance, and all lawful circumstances, will prove more wholesome to their bodies, more profitable & delightful to their souls, then all the Interludes, the unlawful Pastimes in the world. Men need not therefore complain for want of recreations in case they are deprived of Plays, when they have such plenty of far better sports. Thirdly, admit the objection true, that you shall be stripped of all your earthly pleasures in case you are kept from Plays, yet what prejudice should your souls or bodies suffer by it? Carnal worldly pleasures, you know, are no part, no particle of a Christians comfort, he can live a most happy joyful life without them; yea he can hardly live happily or safely with them. Worldly pleasures are full of dangerous soul-entangling snares, which are apt to endanger the very best of Christians. Hence was it, that holy Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hence our Savior pronounceth an woe unto them that laugh now, for they shall weep and lament hereafter ; Hence S. James adviseth men, to turn their laughter into mourning, and their joy into heaviness: And Solomon hereupon instructs men; that it is better to go to the house of mourning, then to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. That sorrow is better then laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better: And that the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart only of fools in the house of mirth: there being nothing more dangerous to men's souls, more opposite to their virtues, then carnal pleasures. This Heathen men long since acknowledged. Voluptas esca malorum quâ nulla capitalior pestis hominibus à natura datur, Nihil altum, nihil magnificum & divinum suscipere possunt, qui suas omnes cogitations abjecerunt in rem tàm humilem at{que} contemptam: writes Cicero. Respuendae sunt voluptates, enervant & effaeminant. Voluptati indulgere initium omnium malorum est. Indurandus ita{que} est animus & blandimentis voluptatum procul abstrahendus. Vna Hannibalem hyberna soluerunt, & indomitum illum nivibus at{que} Alpibus virum enervaverunt fomenta Campaniae. Armis vicit, vitijs victus est, &c. Debellandae ita{que} sunt imprimis voluptates ; is the advice of Seneca. And good reason is there for it.
ACTVS QVINTVS.
THe unlawfulness of penning, acting, and beholding Stage-plays, being thus at large evinced, and those Objections answered, which are most usually opposed in their unjust defense, there is nothing now remaining, but that I should cloze up this whole Treatise with a few words of exhortation to Play-poets, Players, and Play-haunters, whom the love of Stage-plays hath seduced, to their eternal prejudice.
And here I shall first of all beseech all Play-poets, to ponder with themselves; that they are the primary causes of all the sins which Players, Plays or Play-houses do occasion: not any one sin is there that any Actors, Auditors, or Spectators commit by means of acting or beholding these their Stage-plays, but flows originally from them, and shall at last be set on their account: for if there were no Play-house-poets there could be no Plays to see or act, and so by consequence no such accursed fruits of Stage-plays as now are too too frequent in the world, both to the public and men's private hurt. Now tell me I beseech you, what man, what Christian is there who in God's, in men's account would thus be branded for an inventor of evil things ; a public nursery of all sin and wickedness; a man borne only for the common hurt both of himself and others, yea an instrument raised up from Hell it self to draw on thousands to that horrid place of their eternal woe. Quanto autem non nasci melius fuit, quā sic numerari inter publico malo natos? Better had it been for you never to have had a being, to have perished in the womb like an untimely birth: yea happier were it that a millstone had been fastened about your necks and you so drowned in the very depth of the Sea, then that you should thus pull down damnation, eternal damnation on your own and infinite others heads by these your profane ungodly Interludes, which will prove no other at the last but the evidences of your vanity, folly, sin and shame, and without repentance your own and others destruction. O therefore dear Christian Brethren, as you tender your own, the States, the Churches welfare; as you fear, that dreadful reckoning which you must shortly make before the Judgment Seat of Christ, when all your idle, wanton, amorous, profane, ungodly, scurrilous Plays and words, with all the sins they have produced, shall be charged on your souls ; let me now persuade you with many a bitter sigh and tear, to lament your former, and seriously to renounce your future Play-making, as many tr • e penitent Play-poets have done before you, endeavoring to consecrate your much applauded wits, your parts and industry to God's glory, the Churches, the Republics benefit, your own and others spiritual good, which you have formerly devoted to the Devils pomps and service, the Republics prejudice, sins advantage, Religions infamy, and men's common hurt. O consider, consider I beseech you, that as long as you continue Play-poets, you are but the professed agents of the world, the flesh, the Devil, whose pomps, whose lusts and vanities you have long since renounced ; that you do but sacrifice your wits, your parts, your studies, your inventions, your lives to these accursed Masters, who can gratify you with no other wages at the last, but Hell and endless torments ; a poor reward for so hard a service. Do not, O do not then devote your precious time, your flourishing parts of Poetry, Eloquence, Art and Learning to these usurping hellish tyrants, which you should wh • lie dedicate to your God, to whom they are only due: but since you are no longer debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh, nor yet to the world, the Devil, or sin to do them servic • , let God alone henceforth enjoy them, from whom, for whom you did at first receive them. Alas my Brethren when you shall come to die, when terrors of conscience shall seize upon your souls, or when as Christ himself shall sit upon his Throne of Glory for to Judge you, what good, what comfort, (yea what shame and horror ) will all your Play-poems bring to your amazed spirits? then will you wish in earnest, O that we had been so happy as never to have pend, or seen a Stage-play; yea woe be to us that we were ever • o ill employed as to cast away our time, our parts, our studies, our learning upon such heathenish, foolish and unchristian vanities. Alas, one day, one hour in God's Courts, God's service, had been far better to us; then all t • e years of our vain useless lives, which we have spent on Plays and Theaters, which now bring nothing else but a more multiplied treasure of endless miseries and condemnation on our own and others souls, which these our Interludes have drawn on to sundry sins. O that the day had perished wherein we were borne, and the night wherein it was said, there is a man-child conceived! Why died we not from the womb, why did we not give up the ghost when we came out of the belly, before ever we had learnt the art of making Plays? for then should we have lien still and been at rest; then had we been free from all those Play-house sins and tortures which now • urcharge our souls, then had we never drawn such troops of Players, of Play-haunters after us into Hell, whose company cannot mitigate, but infinitely enlarge our endless torments. And then all this over-late repentance will be to little purpose. O then be truly penitent and wise be • imes, before these days of horror and amazement over-whelme you, that so you may have peace and comfort in your latter ends, in that Great, that terrible Day of the Lord Jesus, when all impenitent Play-poets, Players, and Play-haunters faces shall gather blackness, their hearts faint, their spirits languish, their joints tremble, their knees smite one against the other, and their mouths shreeke out unto the Mountains to fall upon them, and unto the Rocks to cover them, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, when he shall come in • laming fire to render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish to every soul of man that doth evil, whether he be Jew or Gentile. Certainly the time will come ere long, when the Sun shall become black as sackcloth, and the Moon a • blood: when the Stars of Heaven shall fall unto the earth even as a Fig tree casteth her untimely fruit when she is shaken with a mighty wind; when th • Heave • s shall depart as a scrowle when it is rolled together, and the Elements melt with fervent heat; when every Mountain and I sland shall be moved out of their places, yea the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up with fire: when the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men, (who now wallow securely in their sinful lusts and pleasures without fear of God or man) and every Bond-man and every Free-man (who lives and dies in sin and vain delights) shall hide themselves in the Dennes and Rocks of the Mountains; yea say to the Mountains and Rocks, fall on us, and cover us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the Great Day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? And then what good, what profit will all the Stage-plays you have penned, seen, or acted, do you? will they appease that sin-revenging Judge, before whose Tribunal you shall then be dragged? Will they any way comfort or support your drooping trembling souls? or any whit asswage your endless, easeless torments? O no! nothing but Christ, nothing but grace and holiness, (which the world, which Plays and Play-poets now deride and laugh at ) will then stand you instead, and shield of all the terrors of that dismal Day. Wherefore (beloved) seeing that all these dreadful Spectacles, and this day of horror draw so nigh, be diligent that ye may be found of God in peace, without spot and blameless; abandoning Play-making, with all such fruitless studies, passing all the time of your sojourning here in fear, endeavoring to be holy in all manner of conversation, even as God is holy; and growing up daily more and more in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come; that so you may lay hold on eternal life, and receive that Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give at that Day to all those who love, and wait for his appearing.
Secondly, I shall here beseech all voluntary Actors, [ 2] of academicall or private Interludes, in the name and fear of God, as they tender the glory of their Creator and Redeemer, the peace of their own consciences, the eternal welfare of their souls, or their own credit and repute with men, now seriously to consider the intolerable infamy, sinfulness, shame, and vanity of acting Plays, which not only the Primitive Christians, a • d Protestants, but even Pagans and Papists have condemned. Alas how can you justify or excuse yourselves in the sight of God for this your action, when as you are thus condemned in the eyes of men? or how can you appear before God with comfort in the Day of Judgment, when as you are unable to stand innocent before man's tribunal in these days of grace? Certainly, if for every idle word that men shall speak, (yea and for every idle part or gesture to, which they shall act or use) they must give an account at the day of Judgment ; what a dreadful reckoning must you then expect for all those idle wanton words and gestures which have passed from you whiles you have acted Plays? Repent therefore, repent I say with floods of brinish tears for wha • is past, and never adventure the acting of any academicall Enterlude for time to come. And if any Clergy-men, who have taken ministerial Orders upon them, are guilty of this infamy, this impiety of profaning, of polluting their high & heavenly profession by acting or dancing on any public or private Stage; becoming thereby the worlds, the Devils professed Ministers instead of Christ's, to the intolerable scandal of Religion, the ill example of the Laity, ( who are apt to imitate them in their lewdness ) and their own deserved infamy; Let such disorderly histrionical Divines, consider that of Bernard, Si quis de populo deviat solus perit, Verum Pastoris error multos involuit, & tantis ob est quantis praeest ipse. Verum tu Sacerdos Dei altissimi, cui ex his placere gestis, mundo an Deo? Si mundo, cur Sacerdos? Si Deo, cur qualis populus talis & Sacerdos? Nam si placere vis mundo, quid tibi prodest Sacerdotium? Volens ita{que} placere hominibus, Deo non places. Si non places, non placas. Alas how can any commit the custody of their souls to such who are altogether negligent of their own. Qui sibi nequam, cui bonus? Placet vobis ut illi homini credam animam meam qui perdidit suam? was S. Bernard's question to Pope Innocent ; it may be mine to Patrons and Ordinaries who present or admit such Play-acting or other scandalous Ministers to the cure of souls, which ought to be deprived of all sacred Orders and preferments, as the precedent Councils and Canonists witness. But how ever such Actors chance to escape all human penalties here, let them remember that they shall surely undergo the everlasting censure of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Christ Jesus, hereafter: and let this forever dissuade them from this ungodly practice of personating Stage-plays, which hath been most execrably infamous in all former ages. As for all professed common Actors, I shall here adjure them by the very hopes and joys of Heaven, and the eternal torments of Hell, to abominate, to renounce all future acting, and this their hellish profession, which makes them the very instruments, the arch-agents, the professed bondslaves of the Devil, the public enemies both of Church and State, the authors of their own and others just damnation; excommunicating them both from the Church, the Sacraments, and society of the faithful in this life, and everlastingly excluding them from God's blessed presence in the life to come. You then who are but newly entered into this infernal unchristian course of Play-acting, consider I beseech you, that this your infamous profession is the broad beaten rode to all kind of vice, of wickedness & profaneness; the readiest passage unto Hell it self, in which you cannot finally proceed without the assured loss of Heaven; & a professed apprenticeship to the very Devil, whose pomps, whose service you have long since renounced in your baptism; and therefore cannot now embrace without the highest perjury. O then take pity on your own poor souls before it be too late; before Stage-plays, sin, and Satan have gotten such absolute full possession of you, as utterly to disable you to cast off their yoke: And now I pray say thus unto your souls; Cur ergo tantopere vitam istam desideramus, in qua quanto amplius vivimus tanto plus peccamus? Quanto est vita longior, tanto culpa numerosior. Quotidie nam{que} crescunt mala & subtrahuntur bona. Mi • ime pro certo est bonus qui melior esse non vult: & ubi incipis nolle fieri melior, ibi etiam desinis esse bonus. Alas why will you die, why will you voluntarily cast away your souls forever by this trade of acting Plays, when as you need not hazard them if you will now renounce it? What, is there any profit or pleasure in your own damnation? is there any advantage to be gotten by the Devils service? is there any safe living in the very mouth of Hell it self? Why then should you proceed on in this Diabolical trade? Do your Friends or graceless Paren • s press, or else induce you to it, even against your wills? O give them that pathetical resolute answer which Helyas the Monk once gave unto his Parents. Sime vere ut boni, ut pij Parentes diligitis; si veram si fidelem erga filium pietatem habetis, quid me patri omnium Deo placere satagentem inquietatis, & ab ejus servitio cujus servire regnare est, retrahere attentatis? Vere nunc cognosco, quod inimici hominis domestici ejus. In hoc vobis obedire non debeo, in hoc vos non agnosco parents sed hosts. Si diligeretis me gauderetis uti{que} quiavado admeum at{que} vestrum, immo universorum patrem. Alioquin quid mihi & vobis? Quid à vobis habeo nisi peccatum & miseriam? hoc solum quod gesto corruptibile corpus de vestro me habere fateor & agnosco. Non sufficit vobis quod me in hanc seculi miseriam miserum miseri induxistis, quod in peccato vestro peccatores peccatorem genuistis; quod in peccato natum de peccato nutristis, nisi etiam invidendo mihi misericordiam quam consecutus sum ab eo qui non vult mortem peccatoris, filium insuper gehennae faciatis? O durum patrem! ô saevam matrem! ô parents crudeles & impios! imo non parents sed peremptores, quorum dolor salus pignoris, quorum consolatio mors filij est. Qui me malunt perire cum ijs, quâm regnare sine eis. Qui me rursus ad naufragium unde tandem nudus evasi, rursus ad ignem, unde vix semiustus exivi, rursus adlatrones à quibus semivivus relictus sum, sed miserante Samaritano jàm aliquantulum convalui, revocare conantur, & militem Christi prope jam rapto caelo triumphantem, ab ipso jam introitu gloriae, tanquam canem ad vomitum, tanquam suem ad lutum, ad seculum reducere moliuntur. Mira abusio. Domus ardet; ignis instat à tergo, & fugienti prohibetur egredi, evadenti suadetur regredi? & haec ab his qui in incendio positi sunt & obstinatissima dementia, ac dementissima obstinatione fugere periculum nolunt? Proh furor! Si vos contemnitis mortem vestram, cur etiam appetitis meam? Si inquam negligitis salutem vestram, quid juvat etiam persequi meam? Quare vos non potius sequimini me fugientem, ut non ardeatis? An hoc est vestri cruciatus levamen, si me etiam perimatis, & hoc solumtimetis, ne soli pereatis? Ardens ardentibus quod solatium praestare poterit? Quae inquam consolatio damnatis socios habere suae damnationis, &c? Desinite igitur parents mei, desinite, & vos frustra plorando affligere, & me gratis revocando inquietere. Doth the love of gain or pleasure allure you to it? Alas, what will it profit you to win the whole world (much less a little filthy gain, or foolish carnal momentary delight) and then to lose your souls? Remember therefore your Creator in the days of your youth, by abjuring the Devils service, and betaking yourselves to God's, lest the Devil being your lord and master in your youth, prove your tormentor only in your age. Recedat ita{que} peccandi amor, succedat judicij timor. Nam quamdiu in vobis carnalium re • um vixerit appetitus, spiritalium à vobis sensuum elongabit affectus. Nemo in vas aliquo faetore corruptum balsama pretiosa transfundit; & sicut dixit Dominus: Nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres. Difficile est ut assurgere ad bonum possis, nisi à malo ante diverteris: quamdiu nova delicta adijciuntur, vetera non curantur. Prorsus peccata non redimet, qui peccare non desinit: quia nemo potest duobus dominis servire. In uno animae domicilio iniquitas at{que} justitia, castitas at{que} luxuria simul habitare non possunt. Interdicatur igitur accessus voluptati, at{que} libidini, ut domus munda pateat castitati: excludatur Diabolus cum militia vitiorum, ut Christus cum choro possit intrate virtutum. You who have been ancient Stage-players, and have served many Apprentiships to the Devil in this your infernal profession, O consider, consider seriously I beseech you, the wretched condition wherein now you stand: your parts are almost acted, your last dying Scenes draw on apace, and it will not be long ere you go off the Theater of this world unto your proper place ; and then how miserable will your condition be? You have been the Devils professed agents, his meniall hired servants all your lives, and must you not then expect his wages at your deaths? You have treasured up naught but wrath unto yourselves against the day of wrath, whiles you lived here, precipitating both yourselves and others to destruction; and can you reap ought but wrath and vengeance hereafter if you repent not now? Your very profession hath excommunicated you the Church, the Sacraments, the society of the Saints on earth; and will it not then much more exclude you out of Heaven? O miserabilis humana conditio, & sine Christo vanum omne quod vivimus! was S. Jerome's pathetical ejaculation: and may it not be much more yours, who have lived without Christ in the world, who have renounced his service, and betaken yourselves to the Devils works and pomps against your bapti • mall vow, as if you had covenanted by yourselves and others to serve the Devil, and perform his works, even then when you did at first abjure them: O then bewail with many a bitter tear, with many an heart-piercing sigh; with much shame, much horror, grief and indignation, the loss of all that precious time which you have already consumed in the Devils vassalage • and since God hath forborne you for so many years, out of his tender mercy, O now at last think it enough, yea too too much that you have spent your best, your chiefest days in this unchristian diabolical lewd profession; professing publicly in S. Peters words; The time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, and of the Devil to, we will henceforth live to God alone: If you will now cast of your former hellish trade of life, with shame and detesta • ion; if you will prove new men, new creatures for the time to come; Christ's arms, Christ's wounds, yea and the Church her bosom stand open to receive you, notwithstanding all the lusts and sins of your former ignorance. But if you will yet stop your ears, and harden your hearts against all advice proceeding on still in this your ungodly trade of life, in which you cannot but be wicked, then know you are such as are marked out for Hell; such who are given up to a reprobate sense to work all uncleanness even with greediness, that you all may be damned in the Day of Judgment, for taking pleasure in unrighteousness, and disobeying the truth. As therefore you expect to enter Heaven Gates, or to escape eternal damnation in that great dreadful Day, when you must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, to give a particular account of all those idle, vain and sinful actions gestures, words and thoughts, which have proceeded from you, or been occasioned in others by you all your days ; be sure to give over this wicked trade of Play-acting without anymore delays, which will certainly bring you to destruction, if you renounce it not, as all true penitent Players have done before you. For if the righteous shall scarcely be saved in the Day of Judgment, where shall such ungodly sinners, as you appear? Certainly, you shall not be able to stand in Judgment, or to justify yourselves in this your profession in that sin-confounding soul-appaling Day: but you shall then be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, & from the glory of his power, if the very riches of his grace and mercy will not persuade you to renounce this calling now; Quanto{que} diutius Deus vos expectavit vt emendetis, tanto districtius judicabit si neglexeritis: by how much the longer God hath forborne you here expecting your reap̄tance, the more severely shall he then condemn you.
If any Stage-players here object, that they know not how to live or maintain themselves if they should give over acting.
To this I answer first, that as it is no good argument for Bauds, Panders, Whores, Thieves, Sorcerers, Witches, Cheaters, to persevere in these their wicked courses, because they cannot else maintain themselves; so it is no good Plea for Players. No man must live by any sinful profession; nor yet do evil that good may come of it: therefore you must not maintain yourselves by acting Plays, it being a lewd unchristian infamous occupation. Secondly, there are divers lawful callings and employments by which Players might live in better credit, in a far happier condition then now they do, would they but be industrious: It is therefore Players idleness, their love of vanity & sinful pleasures, not want of other callings, that is the ground of this objection. Thirdly, admit there were no other course of life but this for Players; I dare boldly aver that the charity of Christians is such, as that they would readily supply the wants of all such indigent impotent aged Actors (unable to get their livelihood by any other lawful trade) who out of conscience shall give over Playing. Certainly, the charity of Christians was such in Cyprians days, that they would rather maintain poor penitent Actors with their public alms, then suffer them to perish, or continue acting ; and I doubt not but their charity will be now as large in this particular as it was then. Lastly, admit the objection true; yet it were far better for you to die, to starve, then any ways to live by sin or sinful courses. There is no absolute necessity at all that men should live; but there is this necessity lies on all men, not to sin • yea every pious Christian as is evident by the concurrent examples of all the Martyrs, should rather choose to die the cruellest death, then to commit one act of sin. Better therefore is it for Players to part with their profession for Christ's sake even with the very loss of their lives and goods, (which they must willingly lose for Christ, or else they are not worthy of him,) then to retain their Play-acting, and so lose their Savior, themselves, their very bodies and souls for all eternity, as all unreclaimed, unrepenting Players in all probability ever do. Let Players therefore if they will be merciful to themselves, show mercy rather to their souls, then to their bodies or estates. Talis enim misericordia crudelitate plena est, qua videl • cet ita corpori servitur, ut anima juguletur. Quae enim charitas est, carnem diligere, & spiritum negligere? Quaeve discretio, totum dare corpori & animae nihil? Qualis vero mis •• icordia ancillam reficere & dominam interficere? Nemo pro hujusmodi misericordia sperat se consequi misericordiam sed certissime potius paenam expectet. Yea let them renounce their Play-acting though they perish here, rather then perish eternally hereafter to live by it now.
Lastly, I shall here exhort all Play-haunters, all Spectators of any public or private Interludes, to ponder all the premised reasons and Authorities against Stage-plays, together with those several soul-condemning wickednesses, sins, yea fearful judgments, in which they frequently involue their Actors and Spectators: to remember, that they are the very Devils snares, his works, his pomps, which they most solemnly renounced in their baptism: that they are the greatest, the most pernicious corruptions both of their Actors, their Spectators minds and manners; the only Canker-worms of their graces, their virtues; the chiefest incendiaries of their carnal lusts • the common occasions of much actual lewdness, sin and wickedness; the principal obstacles of their sincere repentance; the grand empoysoners of their souls ; and if we believe S. Augustine, the mortiferous broad beaten way to Hell it self, and everlasting death, in which whole troops of men run daily on unto destruction. O then let all these, all other fore-alleged flexanimous considerations divorce you now from Stage-plays, from Theaters, which else will separate you from your God; and so engage your hearts, your judgments, your consciences against them, as never to frequent them more upon any occasion or persuasion whatsoever. You have heard and seen at large what Censures, what Verdicts the Primitive Church, both before and under the Law and Gospel; the ancientest Christians, Councils, Fathers; the best Ch • istian, the best Pagan Nations, Emperors, Princes, States, Magistrates, Writers, both ancient and moderne, have constantly, have unanimously passed upon Stage-plays, Theaters, Players, Play-haunters, against whom Tertullian, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Augustine, Salvian, and other Fathers, with sundry moderne Authors, have professedly written ample Volumes: You have seen all ages, all places, all qualities and degrees of men, Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Barbarians, Christians and Pagans, Protestants and Papists, yea Popes and Jesuits to, concurring in their just damnation. Be not, O be not ye therefore wiser, nay worser, then all, then any of these Play-condemning Worthies who have gone before you ; (whose harmonious Play-confounding resolutions agreeable with the Scripture, if Saint Bernard may be credited, must bind you to renounce all Stage-plays, in the very selfsame manner as if God himself had expressly commanded you to abandon them:) frequent not Plays which they abominated; plead not for Interludes which they so seriously, so abundantly condemned: Let not that censure of holy Bernard be verified of you; that you have now not only lost the power of the ancient Christian Religion, but even the very show and outside to: but as you are Christians in name, in profession, so be you such in truth, in practice. And since it was the most notorious character of Christians heretofore, to abominate, to abandon Players, Plays and Play-houses ; let it be your honor, your piety, your practical badge of Christianity to forsake them now: that so imitating the Primitive Play-renouncing Christians in their holiness, you may at last participate with them in their eternal bliss. And so much the rather let me admonish you to withdraw yourselves from Plays and Play-houses, because no ordinance of God can do you any good, or cleanse you from your sins, whiles you resort to Theaters, as I have largely proved: hear but Saint Chrysostom once more to this purpose, where speaking against men's and women's parling, laughing, and gazing about in Churches (which he severely censures) he writes thus. Nunquid theatrica sunt haec quae hîc geruntur? opinor autem quod id Theatris debeamus. Inobedientes enim multos nobis constituunt & ineptos: quae enim hîc extruuntur, illic subvertuntur: & non hoc solum, sed & alias immunditias necesse est Theatri studiosis adhaerere. Et perinde fit ac si quis campum velit purgare, in quem fons lut • fluens, ins • uat; quantum enim purgaris, tantum influit. Hoc & hîc fit, quando enim purgamus à Theatro huc venientes, & immundiciam afferentes, dum illuc iterum abeunt, majorem contrahunt immundiciam, quasi dedita opera sic vivant ut nobis negocium faciant, & iterum veniunt multo luto sordidati, in moribus, in gestibus, in verbis, in risu, i • desidia. Deinde iterum nos fodimus, quasi dedita opera in hoc fodientes, ut puros illos dimissos iterum videamus luto ac caeno inquinari. You then who have been constant Play-haunters besmeared with their filth and dung for divers years together, you who have spent your youth your manhood, your best and chiefest days which you should have dedicated to God, your honest callings, and far better things ; on Plays, on Play-houses, and such lascivious sports, you who have cast away your money, your estates on Players, Plays & Play-houses, (the very factors, pomps and synagogues of the Devil ) wherewith you should have cherished Christ's poor needy members ; You who have been ancient Patriots, Supporters of Actors or their Interludes either by your purses, or your presence, drawing thereby upon your souls the guilt of many a fearful unlamented sin; remember, O remember that it is now more then time for you to cleanse yourselves from these Augaean Stables; with which you have been too long defiled: to renounce these cursed pomps of Satan, which you have too long served; to redeem the short remainder of that most sacred time which you have too prodigally, too sinfully consumed; to take some speedy serious course for the mortifying of those soul-slaying • leshly lusts which you have over-long fomented; for the adorning, the saving of those immortal souls, which you have over-much neglected; for the attoning of that holy God, that blessed Savior that sanctifying Spirit of grace, which you have too highly, too long provoked, crucified, grieved; which you can never do whiles you resort to Stage-plays. And since the world, the flesh, the Devil have had your youth and strength, let God be sure to enjoy your age, whom you have sacrilegiously robbed of all the rest. Alas, all the time that you have already past in Play-haunting, and such delights of sin, hath been but a time of spiritual death, wherein you have been worse then naught in God's account: Ab eo enim tempore censemur ex quo in Christo renascimur, as Saint Jerome truly writes: and what other profit have you reaped from Plays or Play-houses, Nisi quod senes magis onusti peccatorum fasce proficiscimini, as the same Father speaks? O therefore now at last before it be too late, before death hath wounded you, Heaven excluded you, Hell devoured you, repent of all your former Play-haunting with many a sob and tear, abandoning all Plays, all Play-houses for the future; ut sic correcti at{que} in meliu • reformati, qui admirati fuerant prius in Spectaculis insaniam, nunc admirentur in moribus disciplinam. You who are but young and newly entered into this dangerous course of Play-haunting; you of whom I may say as Seneca once did of the Roman gentry; Ostendam nobilissimos juvenes mancipia pantomimorum, remember that holy covenant which you not long since made to God in baptism, to forsake the Devil and all his works, the pomps, the vanities of this wicked world, with all the sinful lusts of the flesh, of which Stage-plays (as the Fathers teach you) are the chief ; O perjure, perjure not yourselves, renounce not your christianity, your faith, your vow, your baptism (by frequenting Plays) in your youth, your child-hood; bequeath not yourselves so soon unto the Devil, after your solemn consecration unto God in Christ ; let not him gain possession of your persons, your service in your youth, that so he may command, and challenge them in your age; Non enim obtin • bis ut desinat si incipere permiseris: ergo intranti resistamus, &c. But as you have given up your souls and bodies as an holy living sacrifice unto God in baptism, to serve him with them in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of your lives; so be ye sure to make good your promise, by remembering, by serving your Creator in the days of your youth, your strength, your health and life, who will then crown you with glory and immortality at your death. Pitty it is to see how many ingenious Youthes and Girls; how many young (that I say not old) Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of birth and quality, (as if they were borne for no other purpose but to consume their youth, their lives in lascivious dalliances, Plays and pastimes, or in pampering, in adorning those idolized living carcases of theirs, which will turn to earth, to dung, to rottenness and worms-meat ere be long, and to condemn, their poor neglected souls) casting by all honest studies, callings, employments, all care of Heaven, of salvation, of their own immortal souls, of that God who made them, that Savior who redeemed them, that Spirit who should sanctify them, and that Common-weal that fosters them; do in this idle age of ours, like those Epicures of old most prodigally, most sinfully riot away the very cream and flower of their years, their days in Play-houses, in Dancing-schools, Taverns, Ale-houses, Dice-houses, Tobacco-shops, Bowling-allies, and such infamous places, upon those life-devouring, time-exhausting Plays and pastimes, (that I say not sins beside,) as is a shame for Pagans, much more for Christians to approve. O that men endued with reason, ennobled with religion; with immortal souls, fit only for the noblest, heavenliest, sublimest and divinest actions, should ever be so desperately besotted as to wast their precious time upon such vain, such childish, base ignoble pleasures, which can no way profit soul or body, Church or State; nor yet advance their temporal, much less their spiritual and eternal good, which they should ever seek. You therefore dear Christian Brethren, who are, who have been peccant in this kind, for God's sake, for Christ's sake, for the holy Ghosts sake, for Religions sake, (which now extremely suffers by this your folly;) for the Church and Common-weals sake, for your own souls sake, which you so much neglect, repent of what is past recalling, and for the future time resolve through God's assistance, never to cast away your time, your money, your estates, your good names, your lives, your salvation, upon these unprofitable spectacles of vanity, lewdness, lasciviousness, or these delights of sin, of which you must necessarily repent and be ashamed, or else be condemned for them at the last; passing all the time of your pilgrimage here in fear, and employing all the remainder of your short inconstant lives, in those honest studies, callings • and pious Christian duties, which have their fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. And because we have now many wanton females of all sorts resorting daily by troops unto our Plays, our Play-houses, to see and to be seen, as they did in Ovid's age; I shall only desire them (if not their Parents and Husbands, to consider; that it hath evermore been the notorious badge of prostituted Strumpets and the lewdest Harlots, to ramble abroad to Plays, to Play-houses; whether no honest, chaste or sober Girls or Women, but only branded Whores, & infamous Adulteresses did usually resort in ancient times: the Theater being then made a common Brothel: And that all ages, all places have constantly suspected the chastity, yea branded the honesty of those females who have been so immodest as to resort to Theaters, to Stage-plays, which either find or make them Harlots; inhibiting all married Wives and Virgins to resort to Plays and Theaters, as I have here amply proved • Since therefore Saint Paul expressly enjoins all women (especially those of the younger sort ) to be sober, chaste, keepers at home, (yea therefore keepers at home, that they may be chaste and sober, as ancient and moderne Commentators gloss it;) that the Word of God be not blasphemed: (where as the dissoluteness of our lascivious, impudent, rattle-pated gadding females now is such, that as if they had purposely studied to appropriate to themselves King Solomon's memorable character of an whorish woman, with an impudent face, a subtle heart and the attire of an Harlot; they are loud and stubborn; their feet abide not in their houses; now they are without, now in the streets, and lie in wait at every corner ; being never well pleased nor contented, but when they are wandering abroad to Plays, to Play-houses, Dancing-matches, Masques, and public Shewes; from which nature it self (if we believe S. Chrysostom hath sequestered all women ; (or to such suspicious places under pretence of business or some idle visits, where they ofttimes leave their modesty, their chastity behind them, to their eternal infamy:) Let me now beseech all female Play-haunters, as they regard this Apostolical precept, which enjoins them, to be sober, chaste, keepers at home ( or good careful House-wives, as some • have rendered it:) adorning themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety: (which now are out of fashion) not with broidered cut or borrowed plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, (the only fashions of our age;) but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works: As they tender their own honesty, fame or reputation both with God and men; the honor of their sex; the praise of that Christian Religion, which they profess, the glory of their God, their Savior, and their souls salvation, to abandon Plays and Play-houses, as most pernicious Pests; where all females, wreck their credits; most, their chastity; some, their fortunes; not a few, their souls: and to say unto them as the Philosopher did unto his wealth which he cast into the Sea, Abite in profundum malae cupiditates; ego vos mergam ne ipse mergar à vobis.
CATASTROPHE.
I Have now dear Christian Readers, through God's assistance, completely finished this my Histrio-Mastix, wherein I have represented both to your view and censures to, (as well as my poor ability, and other interloping Employments would permit,) the unlawfulness, the mischievous qualities and effects of Stage-plays themselves, and of their penning, acting, and frequenting; endeavoring (out of a cordial desire of your eternal welfare ) as much as in me lieth, to persuade you to abandon them; by ripping up the several mischiefs and dangers that attend them. If any therefore henceforth perish by frequenting Stage-plays, after this large discovery of their sin-engendering soul-condemning qualities, their sin, their blood shall light upon their own heads, not an mine, who have taken all this pains to do them good. All then I shall desire of you in recompense of my labor, is but this; that as I have acted my part in oppugning, so you would now play your parts to in abominating, in abandoning, Stage-plays, without which this Play-refuting Treatise, will do no good, but hurt unto your souls, by turning your sins of ignorance, into sins of knowledge and rebellion. The labor of it hath been mine alone; my desire, my prayer is and shall be, that the benefit, the comfort of it may be yours, the Republics, and the glory, God's; the convincing concurrence of whose ever-blessed Spirit, so bless, so prosper it to your everlasting weal, that your whole spirits, souls and bodies, may be henceforth preserved blameless, from all future soul-defiling Interludes and delights of sin, unto the coming of our Lord Iesui Christ • ( before whose dreadful Tribunal we must all ere long be summoned, to give an account of all our actions:) & that you may so judge of Stage-plays now, as you will determine of them in that great dreadful Day of Judgment, and in the day of death, when you shall not judge amiss. And because no dissolute Libertines, or licentious Readers through Satan's or the worlds delusions, should cheat their • oules of the benefit intended to them by this work, out of a prejudicate opinion, that it is overstrict, and more then puritanically invective against Players, Plays and Theaters; to prevent this fond evasion, and to put all exclaiming Play-patriots to perpetual silence, pretermitting the memorable omitted authorities of Gulielmus Stuckius, Antiquitatum Convivalium. lib. 3. cap, 20 • 21, 22, &c Tiguri. 1597. and of Gulielmus Peraldus, Summae Virtutum ac Vitiorum. Tom. 2. Lugduni. 1585. Tit. De Luxuria. c. 3. p. 68. to 77. two excellent learned Discourses against Stage-plays, health-drinking, and mixed lascivious dancing, which I shall commend unto your reading; with the Imperial Edicts of Charles the Great, against Stage-plays and Dancing on Lord's-days, and Holy-days, and all fore-cited Play-condemning Authorities:) I shall here by way of Conclusion, cloze up this whole Discourse, with the words of Ioannis Mariana, a famous Spanish Jesuit ; who besides his large and learned Book, De Spectaculis, professedly oppugning Stage-plays, hath since the publication of that Treatise, in his 3. Book and 16. Chapter De Rege & Regum Institution. pag. 341. to 352. (dedicated to King Philip the 3. of Spain, and published in the year 1598. Cum Privilegio Caesareae Majestatis & permissu Superiorum, with the special prefixed approbations of Stephanus Hoieda, Visitor, and Petrus De Onna, Master Provincial of the Jesuits of the Province of Toledo, in Spain, ) delivered his positive and deliberate resolution against Players, Plays, and Play-houses in these ensuing terms, which is every way as harsh, as rigid and precise as any verdict, that either I myself, or any other fore-quoted Authors have here past against them. His words well worthy all Players and Play-haunters consideration are these.
Publicam ludorum insaniam, quae spectacula nominantur, seperata disputatione pro virili parte castigavimus, multis{que} Argumentis & majorum testimonijs confirmavimus, theatri licentiam, de qua potissimum laborandum est, nihil esse aliud ; quam o • ficinam impudicitiae & improbitatis, ubi omnis aetatis, sexus & conditionis homines depravantur: simulatis{que} & ludicris actionibus ad vitia vera informantur. Admonentur enim quid facere possint, & inflammantur libidine, quae aspectu maxim & auribus concitatur: puellae presertim, & juvenes, quos intempestive voluptatibus infici grave est, at{que} reipublicae Christianae exitiale malum. Quid enim continet scena, nisi virginum stupra, & mores prostituti pudoris faeminarum, lenonum arts, at{que} lenarum, ancillarum & servorum frauds, versibus numerosis & ornatis explicata, sententiarum luminibus distincta, eo{que} tenacius memory adhaerentia, quarum rerum ignoratio multo commodi • r est? Histrionum impudici motus & gestus, fractae{que} in faeminarum modum voces, quibus impudicas mulieres imitantur, quid aliud nisi ad libidinem in • lammant, per se ad vitia satis proclives? An major ulla corruptela morum excogitari possit? Quae enim in scena per imaginem aguntur, peracta fabula cum risu commemorantur, sine pudore deinde fiunt, voluptatis cupiditate animum titillante: qui sunt veluti gradus ad suscipiendam pravitatem, cum sit facilie à jocis ad seria transitus. Recte enim & sapienter Solomon, Quasi per risum, inquit, stultus operatur Scelus ; turpia enim, at{que} inhonesta factu dictu{que} dum ridemus, approbamus: suo{que} ponder pravitas identidem inpejus trahit: Censeo ergo, moribus Christianis certissimā pestem afferre theatri licentiam, nomini Christiano gravissimam ignominiam. Censeo Principi eam rem vel maxim curae fore, ne aut ipse suo exemplo authoritatem conciliet arti vanissimae, si frequenter intersit spectaculis, audiat{que} libenter fabulas, praesertim quae ab histrionibus venalibus exhibentur: & quoad fieri poterit, de tota provincia exturbet eam pravitatem. Ne{que} concedat mores suorum ea turpitudine depravari. Hoc nostrum votum est destinata{que} sententia. Verum populi levitas & peccantium multitudo, quasi moles quaedam opponitur; tum auctoritas eorum qui communi Errori patrocinantur. Et est excusatio furoris multitudo insanorum, hoc quo{que} nomine prava nostra natura, quod vitijs suis & cupiditatibus favet, ne{que} facile avelli se sinit ab ijs quae cum voluptate suscipiuntur; cujus sumus natura cupidissimi. Vsque adeo ut si quis vanitati resistat, ei vehementer irascatur populi multitudo. Ille si • publicus inimicus, Augustinus ait, cui haec faelicitas displicet, quisquis eam auferre vel mutare tentaverit, eum libera multitudo, avertat ab auribus, evertat à sedibus, auferat à viventibus. Excaecat nimirum prava consuetudo animos, & quae passim fieri videmus, defendere conantur quidem licentiae patroni, magni scilicet Theologi, quasi juri & aequitati consona, otio & literis abu • entes: quos redarguere facile erit testimonio & authoritate veterum Theologorum, in hac re non discrepantium ; à quibus discedere nostrae aetatis Theologos velle non putamus. Has omnes simulatae veritatis praestigias retegere non erit difficile, multitudinem à furore retinere difficilius erit: nisi publica accesserit authoritas, quorum interest magistratuum. Profecto curandum est, ut ea opinio publice suscipiatur, Theatra sane, quibus obscaena argumenta tractantur; officinam universae improbitatis esse, qui concurrunt eo non secus facere, quam qui ad ganeas, ad furta, ad caedes, ad lupanaria: qui suscepti laboris fructus erit multo maximus. Erunt enim qui pravitate cognita desinant peccare, salutem{que} suam turpi voluptate potiorem habeant, ne{que} prudenter & scientes in mortem ferantur furentes, rapidi, & miserabiles. Illud certe omni cura prestandum, ut haec natio perditorum hominum, penitus à templis exturbet • r: quod Romanorum tempore fuisse aliquando factum, Tacitus, Libro quartodecimo his verbis indicat. Ac ne modica quidem studia plebis exarsere, quia redditi quanquam scaenae pantomimi, certamnibus sacris prohibeantur. Qua ergo front histriones de foro raptos e publicis diversorijs in Templu • Christiani inducent, ut per eos sacra festorum laetitia augeatur? Aut quî conveniat, uti Augustinus contra Romanos antiquos ait; histriones ignominia notare, at{que} in infamiûm numero ponere, per quos divinus cultus honestatur? cur à sacris ordinibus repellantur, quod ecclesiasticae leges sanciunt, quorum opera dies festi & caelestium celebritates illustrantur? Sed obijcis fortasse, eos in templis non in turpibus argumentis versari, sed sacras historias refer; quod utinam verum esset, & non potius ad movendum populi risum, obscaenissima quo{que} actitarent. Et est acerbum negare non posse, quod sit turpe confiteri. S • imus s • pe in sanctissimis templis inter fabuli actus, ch • ri adinstar adulterorum furta, amores tu • pes recitari, ut honestissimus quis{que} ea spectacula vitare debeat, si decori, & pudori consultum velit. Et putabimus tamen quae à modestis hominibus fugiuntur, ea caelestibus esse grata? Ego crediderim potius quasi sordes & religions ludibria, hos omnes ludos à sanctissimistemplis esse exterminandos, ac imprimis publicos histriones, qui cum turpi vita sint, religionem faedare potius sua ipsorum ignominia videntur; & assueti turpibus, in sanctissimis locis odorem, quo imbuti sunt, ore, oculis, & toto corpore exhalant: ac nescio an aliquando fabulam agant, quin verba turpia, vel imprudentibus saepe excidant: & hos tamen contendemus divinis celebritatibus adhibere? Sed fac, (quod nunquam accidisse probabis) histriones severa aliqua lege constrictos, intra modestiae fines contineri posse, ac sacras tantum historias cum dignitate refer; contendo, non minus eum morem cum religions sanctitate pugnare, ne{que} minus dedecus reipub. afferre: Quî enim conveniat ab hominibus turpibus Divorum res gestas referri, eos{que} Francisci, Dominici, Magdalenae, Apostolorum, ipsius etiam Christi personas repraesentare? An non id sit Caelum terrae, aut caeno potius, sacra profanis miscere? Imagines in templis magna honestate depingi cavetur, & impudicam faeminam Mariae aut Catharinae, probosum hominem Augustini, aut Antonij personam sustinere patiamur? Quod Arnobius certe, & antiquior Tertullianus ab antiquis factitatum accusant: ignominiosos homines in scenam sanctissimorum Deorum personas inducere. Nonne violatur Majestas. ( Tertullianus ait) & divinitas constupratur, laudantibus vobis? Quae verba ad nostros mores transferas licet, at{que} in antiquis interpreteris • nostrorum licentiam & turpitudinem accusari. Ita{que} si duorum optio danda esset, mallem ab histrionibus profanas fabulas agi, quam sacras historias: quo • iam cum decore & honestate eos facere non posse persuasum plane habeo, tum ob eorum vilitatem & dedecus, tum ob faedissimos mores, parem{que} actionum levitatem & turpitudinem. Et ipse cogitabam in templis festis{que} Divorum omnia ad pietatera & modestiara comparanda esse, quibus rebus animus excitatur ad religionem & ad rerum divinarum contemplationem, ijs{que} communiter & privatim vacandum esse. Risus, plausus, clamores an id praestens, per se quis{que} considerabit. Sequitur pravitas alia, ne{que} minor superiori, neque minus devitanda. Mulieres excellenti pulchritudine, eximia actionum venustate & gratia inducuntur in Theatrum, quod maximum est incitamentum libidinis, & ad corrumpendos homines potissimum valet. Deus enim (uti Basilius ait libro de virginitate) cum conderet animantes in utrum{que} sexum distinctas, aestrum mutuae cupiditatis inseruit, inter homines maxim, qua se invicem appeterent, majorem multo in viro, quoniam faeminam de ejus latere formatam diligit ut proprium membrum, & ad eam toto impetu rapitur. Sic faemina in se quandam virtutem habet, miram{que} potestatem trahendi ad se virum, non secus a • Magnes, cum ipse non moveatur, ferrum ad se rapit. Contra hanc potissimum cupiditatem pugnare debent, quicun{que} pudicitiae dignitatem consequi student, nunquam interrupto us{que} ad vitae finem certamine: Quod an ii faciant, qui tanto studio ad Theatra concurrunt, pius & modestus lector secum ipse consideret. Enim vero cum histriones studia omnia lucro metiantur, ut multitudinem alliciant, quam non ignorant aspectu mulierum, & auditu maxim capi, omnes frauds suscipiunt, nulla honestatis cura: us{que} eo ut in templa etiam turpes has mulierculas inducant: quod his Annis non semel factitatum est, neque uno loco in Hispania, quod horrescunt audire aures; de quibus rebus egerint pudet, piget{que} dicere. Et Principum munus est resistor levitati multitudinis, & perditorum hominum temeritati. Non ignoramus antiquis temporibus mulieres in scenas fuisse invectas, quas insigni impudentia corpora etiam nudasse, omnem{que} aetatem objecta specie libidinis expugnasse passim at{que} corrupisse, sua quo{que} aetate Chrysostomus multis locis accusat. Nudas quidem in nostra Theatra mulieres prodire non arbitror, tametsi nonnunquam in ipsa action nudari audiebam, certe tenuissimis vestibus indutas prodire, quibus membra omnia figurantur, ac ferme subijcuntur oculis. Mulieris autem aspectu pulchrae & ornatae, preterea ge • tus & verba in molliciem fracta adjungentis, quid potentius esse possit ad illiciendas animas, at{que} in sempiternam mortem impellendas, inflammandas{que} libidine, ego sane non video: vincit officium linguae periculi magnitudo: eo amplius quod haec etiam turpitudo suos patronos habet, non quosuis de populo, sed viros eruditionis & modestiae opinione praestantes. Aiunt enim aut comaedias in universum abdicandas, aut mulieres inducendas in Theatrum, quod majus periculum immineat si pueri substituantur in vest muliebri & ornatu, quo aspectu ad praeposteram & nefariam libidinem populus solicitetur. Nimirum velamen malitiae quaerunt: aliud agunt, aliud agere videri volunt. Hispanorum nationi suspicio criminis imponitur, à quo natura abhorret, (paucos excipio) & nos in provincijs quibus id malum viget, scimus saepe pueros in scenam prodijsse sine periculo; varias{que} personas ut res se dabat cum dignitate, eligantiaque actitasse. Cupiditas autem muliebris sexus latius patet, majoresque multo impetus habet, non solum in corruptissimis hominibus & pravis, quales sunt qui puerorum amoribus indulgent, sed in alijs etiam viris, aliqua probitatis & modestiae laude conspicuis. Mit • o quod faeminae scenicae, quae histriones consectantur & adjuvant, formasunt venali, sive quod tot viris procacibus & otiosis circumseptae, mira • uli instar esset, si pudice viverent: & ex turpi questuplerum{que} raptae, posito amplius in Theatro pudore ad ingenium redeunt. Ita vulgato inter plures corpore omnibus exitium afferunt, juvenes otiosi & perditi (quorum magnus numerus ubi{que} est) eo aspectu concitati feruntur precipites: unde rixae graves, vulnera, & cedes, contemptus parentum & rei familiaris prae amore earum muliercularum. Quae probra, & similia multa alia, qui digna non putat quae omni studio avertantur, ferreus sit & communi hominum caeterorum sensu ration{que} destitutus. Censeo praeterea nullam certam sedem histrionibus extruendam publice, domum aut Theatrum, quam lucri parte locatam unde inopes alantur, aut quod in alias publicas utilitates impendatur; ea enim species obtenditur ab ijs qui contra statuunt. Primum enim facto Theatro occasio manifesta praebetur honesta conditione viris & faeminis inter se libere conveniendi, praesertim domus, aut Theatri magistro venali: nam qui emit magno, venda • necesse est omnem licentiam, quae ab illo flagitare homines perditi poterunt: fiet{que} ex Theatro lupanar multo exitialius quam alia: deinde frequentiores ludi erunt perpetua seed publice designata, quam omnino sit opus. Alliciet loci opportunitas ad ludendum & spectandum, & praefectus cum magno eam sedem conduxerit histriones undi{que} conquiret, nullum{que} diem elabi sine ludo patietur; quin potius diebus noctes continuabit, quanta cum perturbatione reipublicae dicere non est necesse. Quis enim juvenes avellat ab ea vanitate? Opifices & agrestes relicto opere quotidiano concurrent, famuli heros contemnent, faeminae viros & familiam, prae cupiditate spectandi: quod scimus hoc etiam tempore ex parte contingere. Praeterea histrionum numerus extructo certe Theatro per urbes & oppida, immensum augebitur pondus iners atque inutile, cum sint enervati voluptatibus; nam & lucri aviditas multos excitabit, neque nisi magno numero poterunt tam multis Theatris satisfacere. Postremo, num juvenes ex his privilegijs & bacchanalibus, aut strenuos milites, aut bonos senatores fore credimus? descent illi quidem ea inspectione amare, armorum pondus, alias{que} molestias sustinere non poterunt, cum totos dies residere in Theatris consueverint: quo tempore aut aequos calcaribus inci • are & flectere potuissent, aut alia ration vires corporis exercere, aut certe pacis arts commentari. Scimus Romae primum ex lapide Theatrum à Gneio Pompeio fuisse extructum, nam antea scena ad tempus ex materia facta utebantur, tanta ex eo opere populi gratia, ut magni cognomen ex ea fabrica accesserit. Id fuit multitudinis judicium, qua pal • ae instar levissimae in omnes partes circumfertur: nam prudentiorum magnae partis repraehensionem incurrit, unde laudem captabat. Sic docet Tacitus libro quartodecimo, productis etiam in utramque partem probandi & improbandi Theatra argumentis: ut quod in ea temporum faece & morum labe dubitatumest • nobis pro certo lege esse debeat, nequaquam populi Christiani moribus & sanctitati convenire, ut per urbes & appida, certa, perpetua{que} sedes histrionibus detur. Scimus saepa à Censoribus Romae eversa Theatra nihilominus, quasi morum certissimam à lascivia labem: & erit in populo Christiano, hac profession, qui restituenda contendat? Ad haec: Suscepta Christi religione per omnes pene Civitates cadunt Theatra, uti Augustinus ait, caveae turpitudinum & publicae professiones flagitiosorū; & nos ea instauranda contendamus? Vincit rei dignitas orationis facultatem. Neque excuses, nostra Theatra non esse conferenda cum antiquis, neque majestate operis, neque ludorum apparatu • Turpit • dinem loci accusamus, non structurae modum; rivus tenuis, naturam continet fontis unde manat; surcu • us arboris unde excisus est, succum habet. Nam si magno vectigali, sublato Theatro rempub • privari accuses, risum tenere non potero, ne{que} enim tanti lucrum esse debet, ut mores populi & religio negligantur ; neque deerunt aliunde rations, si Theatra repudiemus, ad egenorum inopiam sublevandam. Et mihi qui secus statuunt, magni Pompeij factum imitari velle videntur. Is enim ut reprehensionem evaderet quasi Theatro constituto turpitudinis scholam apperuis • et, Veneris Templo Theatrum quasi appendicem adjunxit, religions sanctitate novam structuram velaturus, nimirum verebatur ne aliquando memory suae censoria ignominia accederet, quasi arcem omnium turpitudinum struxisset ; uti Tertullianus ait: Ergo Pompeij imitatione cum templis, aut hospitijs pauperum theatrum jungatur, quo majus lucrum sit, honestius susceptae improbitatis velamen. Censeo ergo cum multis, fore e republica, si histriones pretio venales penitus removeantur. Omnes enim pecuniae vias norunt, & pecuniae causa omnes turpitudines suscipiunt, instillant{que} alijs; questuaria art exhauriunt iunt pecunias, & veluti sopitis voluptate sensibus latenter extorquent, quas non minori turpitudine insumant, otio & desidia ut torpeant Cives efficiunt, quae omnium vitiorum radix est, vitijs omnibus & fraudibus viam muniunt, libidine maxim, quae auribus & oculis suscipitur. Divinum Cultum minuunt diebus festis, cum vacandum esset rebus divinis, populo ad spectacula attracto, quae pestis omnibus piaculis procuranda videbatur. Quod si non obtinemus, ut ludi scenici penitus amoveantur, & placet nihilominus eam oblectationem populis dare: quod jus & aequitas postulare 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 ne{que} Consilium, ration, modo{que} 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 (u • i antiquis legibus sancitum meminimus) ludi scenici ne exhibeantur, ne temporibus quidem jejunij Christiani: quid enim commercij squalori cum Theatri risu, plausu{que}. A templis & sanctorum qui cum Christo in Caelo regnant, ac omnino divinis celebritatibus amoveantur: ac praesertim ii modi & gestus, quibus turpitudo in memoriam revocatur, & ferme oculis subijcit • r, quae sunt vulnerareligionis nostrae probra, monstra{que} 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 s • minarium vitijs inficiatur, quae gravissima pestis est. A • sint inspectores publice designati, viri pij & prudentes quibus cura sit ut turpitudo omnis amoveatur, & potestas coercendi paena si quis se petulanter gesserit. Deni{que}, populus intelligat, histriones non probari à republica, sed populi oblectationi at{que} importunis precibus dati: quae cum non potest quae • 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 excess of riot and profaneness ) write more against Stage-plays, Play-houses, Players, Play-haunters; or what have I said more against them in this Treatise, then this great Jesuit hath done, and that by public approbation both of his Royal Sovereign, his Visitor and Superior too? And must not Stage-plays then be extremely bad when as pofessed Jesuits so severely censure them? yea, shall not Protestants, nay Papists to, be unexcusably licentious, if they should be more moderate or indulgent unto Plays, 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-plays, when as these loose Jesuits equalize, if not exceed us in their Play-condemning Censures, as this large transcribed passage fully proves. Ye therefore, beloved Readers, seeing ye now know these things before hand, beware lest ye also being led away to Plays, to Theaters, with the error, the example, the importunate solicitations of the wicked ( as many ignorant and unstable nominal Christians have been before you;) fall from your own steadfastness, faith and Christian virtues, into a sink of hellish vices, to your eternal ruin. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will; working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Augustinus de Symbolo ad Catechumenos. l. 4. c. 2.
A TABLE (WITH SOME brief Additions) of the chiefest Passages in this Treatise: p. signifying the Page: f. the Folioes • from pag. 513. to 545. (which exceeded the Printers Computation) m. the marginal notes: if you find f. before any pages from 545. to 568. then look the Folioes which are overcast: if p. then the pages following.
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A
- Abomination, used always for a heinous sin in Scripture. pag. 181.212. Men's wearing of women's, and women's putting on of men's apparel, an Abomination to the Lord. p. 178. to 216.879. to 899.
- Acting of popular or private Interludes, for gain or pleasure, infamous, unlawful, and that as well in Princes, Nobles, Gentlemen, Scholars, Divines, as common Actors. p. 133.134, 137, 140, 841. to 911. p. 571. to 668. Sparsim. accompanied with effeminacic, hypocrisy, and others sins. p. 151. to 250.841. to 911. It occasions divers sins in Actors and Spectators. p. 151. to 250.907. to 911. It helps not men's action or elocution. p. 931. to 939. Objections for acting of Plays answered. p. 84. to 106. & 913. to 943. Children ought not to be trained up nor taught to act. pag. 135.138, 168, 169, 172, 908. Acting of Idols, Devils, evil persons par • s, or evil things, sinful p. 84. to 106.141, 176, 177, 405, 406, 949. See Idols.
- Achilles taxed for putting on women's apparel. p. 182.199, 884.
- Adrian his Temples built for Christ, without Images. pag. 901.
- Adultery an heinous dangerous sin. 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. Book of Matrimony. p. 660. to 670. occasioned, fomented by Plays and Play-houses. p. 227. to 446.498, 662.
- Egyptians, condemned music. p • 287.
- AEtredus, his censure of lascivious Church-music. pag. 279.280. of Plays. pag. 684.
- AEneas Sylvius, his profane 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 Plays 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 Dan • ing. pag. 237.238. of lascivious Church-muficke. pag. 284 • 285. of Popish Stews, and of the incontinency of Monks, Nons, and Popish Clergy men. pag. 213.215, 445, 446, 880, 881. of Plays and Players. pag. 692.869. of wanton Poems. p 385.836, 915.
- Alcibiades, traduced by Eupolis. pag. 121. f. 553. his dislike of Music. p. 287.
- Alcaeus, his modesty. fol. 515.
- Alchuvinus, his censure of Stage-plays, wanton Music, Kalends, New-years gifts, and men's acting of Plays in women's apparel. pag. 197.198, 278, 564, 755, 756. m. his passage for sanctifying the Lord's Day. pag. 630. m.
- Ale-houses, much haunted on Lord's-days and Holy-days. f. 536. Clergy men prohibited to keep, 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-plays 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 Apostasy by resorting to a Play-house. fol. 548.
- Bishop Alley, his censure of Plays and Play-books. p. 9 • 9. to 923.
- Altars, honored and danced about by Pagans. p. 235.236, 758. m. none in the Primitive Church. p. 896. placing of Tapers on them, derived from Saturn his worshippers. pag. 758. m. See Bishop • 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 Cat • chisme. fol. 484. William Wraghton, in his Hunting of the Romish Fox. fol. 12. Bishop Hooper, his Judgment of them. See Hooper.
- Gulielmus Altisiodorensis, his censure of Plays. pag. 68 • .
- S. Ambrose, his censure of Dancing, especially in women. pag. 223.232. m. of Dicing. Epist. Ded. 1. of men's putting on women's apparel. p. 191.192, 193. of men's long and frizled hair. p. 190.193, 209. m. of Images, especially of the Deity. p. 898. m. of Kalends and New years gifts. p. 20.786. of lascivious Songs. p. 266. Of Stage-plays. p. 339.671. of giving money to Players. p. 316.323. How Christ's Nativity ought to be celebrated. p. 774. to 781.
- Ammianus Marcellinus, his censure of Plays and Dicing. p. 465.710.
- Anna • us, his effeminacy. pag. 88 • .
- Anselm, his censure of Plays. pag. 684.846. fol. 545.
- Anthemius, his Edict for sanctifying the Lord's Day, and suppressing Stage-plays. 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 Plays. pag. 710.854, 855.
- Antoninus his censure of Plays and Players. pag. 691.
- Apparel, the end and use of it. p. 207. over costly new-fangled Play-house apparel censured. pag. 19.216. to 220.420, 427, 571, 584, 586, 755, 757, 772, 775, 776, 896. to 904. Men's putting on of women's, and women's of men's apparel (especially to act a Play) unlawful, abominable, unnatural, the occasion of Sodomy and lewdness: proved at large. p. 168. to 172.178. to 276.584, 850, 859. to 889.
- Appearances of evil to be avoided. p. 88.89, to 106, 948, 949.
- Apostles, their Constitutions against Stage-play • 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 Plays 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 Plays, Players, & putting on women's apparel. pag. 179.182, 306, 324. f. 543.689, 887.
- Arabians punish adultery with death. p. 382.
- Arcadius his Edict against Sword-plays. pag. 75.468.
- Architas his modesty. pag. 515.
- Ardalion his strange baptism and conversion. p. 119.
- Ardaburius censured for delighting in Plays. pag. 857. m.
- Arias Montanus his censure of Dancing, Plays and Acting. fol. 558.559. pag. 842.843.
- Aristodemus his effeminate practice and death. pag. • 05.
- Aristophanes his abuse of Socrates. p. 121.730.
- Aristotle his censure of Plays, Players, and wanton pictures. p. 121.366, 367, 448, 449, 484, 586. m. 703.
- Arnobius his censure of Plays and Dancing. p. 222 • 334. of Images in Churches, and of making God's Image. p. 896.897. m.
- Ast • rius his verdict against Dancing, Stage-plays, Mummers, Kalends, New-years gifts, Stage-plays, and men's acting in women's apparel. pag. 197.316, 317. fol. 533.
- Ateas his censure of Music. p. 287.
- Athanasius, what singing he ordained in Churches. p. 283.284. his testimonies of George the Arian. pag. 671.672. of the ill effects of acting Pagan Idols vices. p. 95. against Images. p. 900. m.
- Atheism, occasioned and fomented by Stage plays. f. 550.551. & p. 363.
- Athe • agoras his censure of Sword-plays and Stage-plays. p. 558 • 669.
- Athaeneus, his censure of Dancing, Dancers, Players, Plays, long hair, effeminacy, lascivious Music, &c. p. 249.250, 288, 209. m. 704.883.
- Athenians first inventors of Stage-plays. p. 17. their prodigality on them and hurt by them. p. 312. fol. 562. p. 709.710. Abandoned Plays 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. 898 • m. of New-years gifts and Heath-drinking. pag. 20.22, 756. Of Stage-plays • 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 men's acting in women's apparel & long hair. p. 193.194.189.202. See Enar. in Ps. 32. p. 244. his repentance for resorting to Plays before his cōversion. f. 568. his opiniō of the beginning of the Lord's Day. p. 643. of giving money to Stage-players. p. 324.325, 873.
- Augustus his proceedings and Laws against Plays, Actors, and Dancing. p. 459.460, 707, 708, 861.
- M. Aurelius his laws and cens • res against Plays and Players, whom he banished into Hellespont. p. 318.319, 463, 464, 137, 138.
- Axiothea her resort to Plato his School in man's apparel taxed. p. 184.
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B
- Bishop Babington his censure of Stage-plays. 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, Plays & Play-houses dedicated to his worship. p. 17.22, 168, 510, 511. not to be invocated. p. 584.
- Baptism in jest upon the Stage turned into earnest. p. 118.119. Stage-plays and Dancing the very Pompes of the Devil which we 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 baptism to be performed and most seriously considered, p. 53. to 61. a great preservative against sin if oft remembered. p. 563.564.
- Baronius his censure of Stage-plays. 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 Music. p. 266.273, 276, 277, 278, 308. of Stage-plays, and Play-poets. p. 308.337, 679, 680, 915. of men's effeminate long hair. p. 211. m.
- Ba • tologies in prayer prohibited. p. 19.
- Thomas Beacon his censure of Dancing, Dicing, and Stage-plays. pag. 626. m. 693. of lascivious Church-Music. p. 282. to 28 • .
- Bellarmine his censure of Plays. fol. 538. pag. 696.697.
- Bear-baiting censured and prohibited. p. 583. & fol. 556.
- S. Bernard against Stage-plays, Dicing, long hair, and ribaldrie Songs. p. 350.560.684. against Images, &c. p. 902.903, 904. his praise of the Scriptures fullness. p. 928.
- B • za his recantation of his lascivious Poems. p. 840.
- Bishops children prohibited to behold, act, or set forth Stage-plays, p. 574.591, 653. ought to suppress Plays, Dancing, & Play-haunters. p. 150. ought to invite the poor to their tables, and to have some part of the Scripture read at meals, and then to discourse of it p. 591.653. See Gratian. Distinct. 44. not to wear costly apparel. p. 621 • must not play at Dice, nor behold Dice-players, nor keep any Dicers or idle persons in their houses. p. 657. to 661.666. Bishops parts not to be acted on the Stage. p. 596.601. ought not to read Heathen or profane Authors. pag. 78.79, 915, 916, 925, 926, &c. ought to preach constantly once a day in BB. Hoopers opinion. fol. 521. p. 629. See Ministers.
- Petrus Blesensis hi • character of an Officiall. f • 537. m. his censure of Players. and such who harbor them. pag. 556.684, 737.
- Bodine his censure of Stage-plays. pag. 483.484.
- M. Bolton his verdict of Stage-plays pag. 16 364, 365.
- Bonefix • s condemned by Councils and Fathers. p. 21.22, 580, 583, 585, 587, 588, 770, 772, 773, f • 535,
- Books of Paganism and Pagan Idols prohibited to be read. p. 78.79, 915, to 928. Profane, lascivious, amorous Play-books, Poems, Histories, and Arcadi • es unlawful to be pen • d, printed, read, especially of children and youthes. pag. 103. m. 108. m. 307.453, 454, 831.913. to 929. Magicke, and lascivious Books ought to be burnt. p. 916.717, 919, 920, 922.
- Bowing to and before Altars, derived from Pagans. p. 236, See my Lame Giles his Haltings. p. 36. to 39. & the Appendix to it. p. 15.16. Bowing and kneeling down to Images, is Idolatry. p. 896. to 904. m Exod. 20.5. c. 23.24 Levite. 26.1. Num. 25.2. Deut. 5.8, 9. Josh. 23.7, 16. Judge. 2.12, 17, 19, 1 King. 19.18 2 King. 5.18. c. 17.35. 2 Chron. 25.14. Dan. 3.5, 6, 28. Rom. 11.4. Therefore bowing and cringing to Altars ( a thing never used by the I • wes or Primitive Church and Christians, but only by the Papists, who decree thus : Summa reverentia & honor maxim{us} sanctis Altaribus exhibeatur, & maxim • ubi sacrosanctum corpus Domini res • rvatur & Missa celebratur. Bochellus Decret. Eccles. Gal. l. 4. Tit. 1. c. 81. p 558.) must be Idolatry too. If any reply; that they bow and kneel not unto Images, Altars, or Communion Tables, but before th • m: I answer, that as bowing, kneeling, praying, and worshipping before God; is the same in Scripture phrase with bowing, kneeling • praying unto God, and worshipping of God: as is evident by De • t. 26 • 6. 1 Sam. 1.12, 15, 19. 2 Chron. 20.18 • Psal. 2 • .7. Psal. 72.9 Ps. 86 • 9: Ps. 95.6. Ps. 96.9, 15. Psal. 98.6, 9. Isaiah 66.23. Rev. 3.9. c. 4.10. • . 5.8. cap 7.11. c. 15.4. compared with Isaiah 45.23. c. 49.23. c • 60.14. Rom • 14.11. Gen. 24.26.48. c. 47.31. Heb. 11.21. Exod. 4.31 • c. 12.27. c. 34.8. 1 Chron • 29.20. 2 Chron. 7.3. c. 29.29, 30. Nehem. 8.6. P • . 72.9. And as bowing, kneeling, or fall • ng d • wne before m • n, is all on • with bowing, kneeling, and fall • ng down to men: witness Gen. 49.8. 1 Sam. 25.23. 2 Sam 14.33. cap. 24.20. 1 King. 1.16, 23. 2 King. 2.15. Prov. 14.9. compared with Genes. 27.29. Exod. 11.8. 1 King. 2.9. 1 Chron 21.21. So bowing, kneeling, and falling down before Images, Altars, or Communion-Tables, is the very same in God's own language and repute, with bowing, kneeling, and falling down unto them: as the 2 Chron 25.14. L • k. 4.7. Dan. 3, 3.5, 6. paralleled with Exo. 20.5. Levite. 26.1. Matth. 11.9 • and the fore alleged Scriptures infallibly demonstrate, and the Homily against the peril of idolatry. p. 44. to 75 with William Wraghton his Rep • y to the Rescuer of the Romish Fox, and the Authors here quoted. p. 902.903. abundantly prove: Needs th • refore must it be most gross Idolatry, as our own Homilies and Writers teach us.
- Thomas Bradwardine his passage against Stage-plays. p. 689.
- Bram • nes, Brazilians, & those of Bantam punish adultery with death. p. 382.383.
- Bribe-takers act their parts in Hell. p. 13.
- M. Brinsley his censure of Stage-plays. p. • 63.364. f • 550.
- Brownists censured. p. 38.
- Bucer his opinion of academical and popular Plays. p. 7.692. for two Sermons every Lord's Day. p. 629 m.
- Brissoniu • his censure of Stage plays. p. 695.
- C. Bulengerius his censure of, and Book against Stage • plays • p. 320.358, 696, 697
- John de Burgo • his verdict • of Players, Plays and Dancing. p. 238.239, 689, 844. m. 846.847.
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- C. Caligula censured for favoring Players, for acting and frequenting Stage-plays, putting on wom • ns apparel, and drinking his Horses health. pag. 200.249, 462, 708, 709, 736, 741, 848 849. slain at a Play. f. 554. p. 849.
- Calvin his censure of Plays and Players. p. 692.907. of Dancing. p. 226.240.
- Candlemas, and the burning of Tapers on it derived from the Pagan Februalia. p. 758.760.
- Canticles, anciently prohibited to be read of children and carnal persons p. 914.915.
- Cappadocia, its extent and division. p 678.679. its praises. p. 675.
- Cappadocians, not always infamous. pag. 674. to 677.
- Cappadox, not a proverbial but a national title. p. 674. to 678.
- Carinus censured for favoring Players, and lewd persons. f. 547. p. 710.857.
- Cassiodorus his censure of Plays and Players. p. 470.471, 478, 682, 683.
- Cirque-plays censured and condemned by Fathers and Emperors. pag. 470. 556, 685, 340, 729. fol. 519, 523, 524, 525.
- Catiline his conditions, pag. 133.149.
- Cato, how much feared of the Romans. f. 529. his gravity. p. 740.
- Catullus censured, pag. 916.
- Censors appointed to correct Plays and Players. p 38.478, 472.
- Charles the Great his censure and Edicts against Stage-plays, Dancing, and ribaldry Songs on Lord's-days and Holy-days, p. 271.715.996. See the places of Bochellus quoted in the margent: against Images. p. 900.
- Charles the 6. of France his danger at a Masque. f. 557.558.
- Charles the 9. of France, his Edicts against Plays and Dancing on Lord's-days and Holy-days. p. 715.
- King Charles his pious Statute for suppressing all Plays, and Interludes, and unlawful pastimes on the Lord's-day. p. 241.243, 495, 715, 716, 717. Dancing upon Lord's-days punishable by this Statute. Ibidem.
- Charondas his law against Cowards pag. 584 • m. 883.
- Children to be kept from Plays. p. 366.367. See Parents.
- Christ wept oft, but never laughed. pag. 294.402, 403. fol. 526. accused of sedition & rebellion. p. 822.823. counted a Deceiver. p. 816. a Puritan, pag. 799.800, 801. his Nativity how to be celebrated. p. 48.225, 526, 743, to 783 for what end he died and suffered, and was incarnate. p. 26.526, 749. to 752 • the only pattern of our imitation. f. 526. p. 732. dishonored and offended with Stage-plays • p. 44.48. f. 525.526. p. 743. to 750. His passion ought not to be acted, and yet Papists and profane Jesuits 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 excel Pagans in grace and virtue. p. 57.98, 99, 4 • 5, 454, 455, 711, to 713. what they are and ought to be. p. 56.57, 63, 425, persecuted and hated for their goodness and because they are Christians. p. 799. to 826 nick-named pag. 824. accused of faction, rebellion, and hypocrisy. pag. 816. to 828. must not follow Pagan customs. p. 17. to 28. 32, 33, 47, 578, 580, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 751. to 762. not to read Plays and wanton Books: but the Scriptures and good Books. p. 913. to 924. the Primitive Christians condemned Stage-plays, and excommunicated Players and Play-haunters. p. 2.3 • 4, 49. to 53. 325. to 355.545. to 705. and passim. Ill Christians worse then Pagans. p. 454.455, 711. to 713. 798 • exceedingly dishonor Christ, and scandalize religion. pag. 744. to 749.
- Christmas disorders censured at large • p. 48 225, 743, to 783.600. to 635. See. Haddon Cont. Osoriū. 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-days.
- Christmas Lord's of Misrule, whence derived. p. 767.
- Chrysologus, his censure of Dancing • pag. 224. m.f. 526.
- Chrysostom, his censure of dancing, especially at ma • riages. p. 222.223, 228. m. 555. See Marriage. of Dice-play. Epist. Dedicit. 1. p. 423. of lascivious Songs and Music. p. 263.267, 268, 269, 412, 413, 420. See Homil. 20. ad Ephes. & Hom. 12. ad Collos. of gaudy apparel and Stage-attires. p. 219.420. of excessive laughter. p. 290. to 296.403, 404. of • ffeminacy pag. 169. of men's long hair, womens cutting their hair, & men's putting on of women's apparel. pag. 169.195, 196, 426. Of Stage-plays, 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. 12 • in Collos. & 20. in Ephes.
- Churches, no Plays, Dances, scurrilous Songs or Pastimes to be suffered in them, nor yet in Church-yards. p. 581.600. to 660. Sp • rsim. 995.999, 947. Gazers in i • censured. p. 418.999. no Images, Crucifixes, or Saints Pictures to be suffered in thē. p. 894. to 905. not to be overcuriously or vainly adorned. p. 902.903. the Primitive Church excommunicated Players & Play-haunters, & condemned Stage-plays, and dancing. p. 134.543. to 690. See Plays.
- Clemangis his censure of Dancing, Dicing, Plays, and Players, and of the abuses on Lord's-days and Holidayes. f. 535.536, 5 • 7. p. 690.691. of Popish Non • and their gross incontinency. p. 880. m.
- Clemens Alexandrinus his censure of lascivious kisses and dancing. p. 166. m. 222. of men's acting in women's apparel and wearing long hair p. 167.187 189. of lascivious apparel. p. 218. of Images, especially of God the Father. p. 896.897. m. of excessive laughter. p. 392. s • urrilous Songs. p. 266. effeminate Music. pag. 275. of Stage-plays, and Theaters, p. 67. m. 329. 344, 472, 532, 609.
- Clemens Romanus his censure of men's long and frizled hair. p. 189. m. of Players, Plays, 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 favoring Players and Gladiators, for Sodomy and putting on women's apparel, &c. fol. 555.721, 852, 853, 894, 882. his murder. f. 555. p. 854.
- Company of • vill persons to be eschued. p. 144, 148. to 153. f. 547.548. a dangerous snare, apt to draw men to Plays and sundry sins. pag. 143. to 152.416, 417. f. 547.548, 549. got by frequenting Plays. f. 547.548, 549, 598. See Master Boltons walking with God. p. 73, &c.
- Constantine the Great an Englishman borne: a suppressor of Stage-plays, of Sword-plays. p. 75.467. and of Images. p. 900.
- Constantius his Edict against Sword-plays. p. 468.
- Councils: 55. against Stage-plays. pag. 570. to 668. against Dancing, Dicing, Health-drinking, Bear-baiting, Bonefires, New • years gifts, lascivious Pictures, Songs and Music • profaning of Lord's-days, Holi-days, Churches, Pagan customs, haunting of Ale-houses and Taverns, Clergymens seeing and acting of Plays, 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 several Titles. General Councils bind in point of manners. Ibidem. For s • nctifying the Lord's Day. p. 242. m. 570. to 660.
- Crab his Councils against Stage-plays. p. 571. to 660.
- Crossing of the face when men go to Plays, shuts in the Devil. p. 342.
- Crowns of Laurel not to be worn of Christians. p. 20.36.
- Cyprian his censure of Men's long hair. p. 189 of men's acting in women's apparel. p. 168, 169, 187, 188. of lascivious apparel. p. 217, of Images. p. 897. his Books against Stage-plays, and censure of Players, Plays, 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.
- Cyr • llus Alexandrinus, his censure of making God's Image. p. 898. of Dancing & Stage-plays, especially on Lord's-days and Holi-days. pag. 278.279, 533, 534, 682, of wanton Music. p. 278.279.
- Cyrillus Hierusolomitanus, his censure of Stage-plays, as the Devils pomps, &c. which we renounce in baptism. pag. 49.339, 562, 565.
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- Damascene his censure of Plays & Dancing, specially on the Lord's Day. pag. 260.349. f. 533.544. p. 683. of making the Picture of God. p. 899 m.
- Damnation, oft occasioned by Stage-plays. f. 565. to 569. p. 910. oft to be 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 baptism. p. 225.228, 229, 232, 236, 238 • 257, 562, 565. an occasion of the breach of all the 10. Commandments. p. 231.232. an offense 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-plays. 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 lewd lascivious women & strumpets. pag. 232.236, 237, 238, 240, 245, 248, 249.250.258. The Devil danceth in dancing women. p. 228.229, 232, 257, 258, 260. effeminate, mixed, lascivious dancing condemned by Scriptures, Councils, Fathers, Pagan and moderne Christian Authors of all sorts, as an occasion of much sin and lewdness, &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 Lord's-days, and Holi-days as a sinful, unse • mely, and unlawful pastime, by Councils, Fathers, Imperial and Canonical Constitutions, Christian Writers of all sorrs by our own 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, • 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 Clergy-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. Patrū. Tom. 4. p 910. D Greg. Nyssen de Resurrect Christi. Oratio. 3. p. 160 • Valeri • 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 St • cki • s Antiqu. Convivalium. l. 3. cap • 21.22. Zeghedini Lo • 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 Hebr • 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 ca • henatus cujus centrum est Diabolus. with sundry others here omitted, against Dancing.
- David his Royal resolution. p. 737. censured for feining himself mad. p. 894. 160. his dancing before the Ark no justification of our lascivious dancing. p. 552. to 555.729, 773, 729.
- Day of Judgment at hand, and ever to be meditated on • p. 56.59.976. to 979.
- Dice-play, and Dice-houses censured, condemned, by Councils, Fathers, all sorts of Writers both Christian and Pagan, by Mahomet in his Alcoran, by Imperial Edicts, and Princes Laws, and by the Statutes of ou • Kingdom Epistle Dedicatory. 1.2. p. 471.492, 494, 495, 618, 626, 627, 655 to 666.693, 700, 795. Ministers and Clergy-men prohibited to play at Dice or Tables, to stand by or look 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.
- Did • cus de Tapia, his censure of Players, Plays, and Theaters. pag. 481.482, 483, 766.
- Diodorus Siculus his testimony of the original of Plays: & censure of them. p. 510.704.
- Diogenes Cinnic • s his censure of Music. p. 287.
- Diogenes La • rti • s his censure of Stage-plays. p. 707.
- Dion Cassius, his censure of Dancing, Plays, & Caligula his acting of them. p. 707. to 710.
- Dionysius Halicarnasseus his censure of Plays, their original and use. p. 704.
- Devils and Devil-Idols the inventors, the fomenters of Stage-plays, and Dancing which were appropriated to their solemn honor and worship, their Festivals being spent in Plays and Dancing, which they exacted from their worshippers. p. 9. to 50.96, 131, 164, 165, 177, • 25, 228, 229, • 32, 236, 238, 257, 403, 404, 430, 47 • , 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-plays in Hell every Lord's-day night. p. 12.13. The inventors of no good things, and the enemies of mankind. pag. 9.14, 15, 16, &c. Claime Plays, Play-haunters, and Play-houses as their own. p. 10.11, 483. f. 523, 524, 555. honored ofttimes instead of Christ. p. 744.745, 759. The only gainers by Stage-plays. p. 44. to 48.
- Divinations and charms unlawful. pag. 20.21, 583.
- Divorce ; women who resort to Plays & Play-houses, may be divorced from their Husbands by the ancient Romans and Justinian his Law • . p. 391.661, 662.
- S. Dominic, a story of his going to Hell. p. 12, 13.
- Domitian banished Players and suppressed Plays. p. 461.714.
- Domna censured for putting on man's apparel. p. 204.
- Drunkenness, occasioned by Stage-plays p. 508. to 512.731, 732. a great and scandalous sin, especially in Clergy men. p. 508.509, 591. to 636. Sparsim. 780. m.
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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 Lord's Day, &c p. 781. his Comedy, De Meretrice Babilonica. p. 834.
- Effeminacy, a great sin. p. 167.206. fol. 546.547. a neces • ary concomitant of Play-acting and a fruit of Plays. pag. 167. to 214.420.422, 458. f. 540, 547, 548, 874. to 895.949. in hair, apparel, speech or gestures much condemned. Ibidem.
- Queen ELIZABETH, and her Counsel suppressed Plays, Play-houses, and Dice-houses. p. 491.492. her Injunctions against Images & Pictures in Churches, which she caused to be demolished & taken out of Churches. pag. 902.903. m. her Statutes against Plays and Players. p. 495.
- Engl • sh Laws, Statutes, Magistrates, Universities, Writers, against Dicing, Mummers, Players, Dancing, Stage-plays, lascivious Songs and Music, Play-books, &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 Lord's Day. pag. 241.242, 243, 715, 716, 717, 781.
- Ephori. pag. 288.922.
- Ephorus his censure of Music. p. 287.
- Epicarmus punished for his wanton Verses. p. 921.
- Epiphanius his censure of Stage-plays, wanton Music, men's wearing of women's apparel, long hair, and women's cutting their hair. pag. 188.279, 556, 680. of Images in Churches • p. 899. m.
- Erasmus his censure of wanton Church-singing. p. 285.
- Esau and Jacob a tipe of the Reprobate and Elect. p. 347.
- Euclid censured for putting on women's apparel. p. 182.
- Eu • hrosina and Empona censured for cutting their hair, and putting on man's apparel. p. 184.204.
- Eupolis the Poet drowned by Alcc • iad •• . p. 121. f. 553.
- Eus • bius his censure of Stage-plays, Dancing and wanton Music, especially on Lord's-days. p. 164.260. fol. 533.534. • . 279.670. of making the Image of God. p. 899. m.
- Euripides his death. f. 553.
- Eustatius condemned for an Heretic, for persuading women to cut their hair and put on man's apparel under pretence of devotion. p. 203, 204 184.
- Examples of God's fearful Judgments 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, 8 • 9, 830, 974. to 995.
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F
- Fa • 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 customs. pag. 20. to 37. Health-drinking. p. 26.597, 598, 609, 614, 615. Men's long hair and Periwigs. p 188. to 191.209, 210. lascivious Songs and Music. p. 261. to 285. fan • astique and gaudy apparel and fashions. p. 217.218, 890. to 904. Images in Churches, and the making of God's Image. pag. 894. to 904. Stage-plays. p. 66 67, 309. to 355.392. to 432.668. to 688. Sword-plays. p. 74.75, 347, 467, 468, Reading of Play-books and profane Authors. p. 78.79, 915. to 928. New-years gifts. p. 20 • 36, 197, 198, 429, 430, 755, 756. See all these Titles. Their concurring resolutions to be submitted to. p. 685.686, 687, 718, 719, 720. Puritans. p. 222. 798. to 802.
- Feastivals of Pagans spent in Plays, in dancing and excess. pag. 225.233. to 237.251, 751. to 761.771, 779. See Dancing: to be abandon • d by all Christians pag. 20.21, 575, 576, 584, 751. to 761. turned into Christian Holi-days, and so brought in Heathenish abuses. pag. 751. to 761. S • e Holi-da • es.
- F • asts of the Primitive Christians described p. 768. to 780.
- Few saved. p. 244.787, 788. See D. C • etwin his strait way and narrow gate.
- Julius Firmicus, against men's long hair and putting on of women's apparel: and Stage-plays. p. 194.195, 670.
- Floralian Interludes acted by Whores obscene and invective. p. 122.163, 214. fol. 529.
- Fornication a heinous sin. pag. 375. to 3 • 0. men prone unto it. p. 372.373. occasioned and fomented by Stage-plays. pag. 327. to 446.144, 145, 146, 432, 433, 498, 662. See whores and whoredom. Not to be acted among Christians. p. 63. to 72.89. to 94.
- A • dreas Frisi • s his censure of Dancing, Dicing, Plays and scurrill Songs. pag. 693.
-
G
- Gallienus censured, yea slain for favoring Players, acting and frequenting Plays. p. 465. f. 555. p. 739.856.
- Gallus the Poet censured. p. 454.
- Gelliu • his censure of Stage-plays. p. 452.
- George the Arian, a Cappadocian borne. p. 671. to 679.
- George the Martyr made Symbolical by Melanchthon and others. p. 676.677.
- Gerardas his saying. p. 920.
- Ger • anes punish adultery with death. p. 382. used to poll th • ir wives taken in adultery & so • urne thē packing. p. 203 condemned Stage-plays & kept their wives from them. p. 434 457, 458, 713.
- Gerson his censure of lascivious Poems, Plays and dancing. p 690.538.922.
- Gestur • s of Ministers and others ought to be grave. p. 934.935.
- Gluverius his censure of Stage-plays. p. 457.458.
- God's Image or Picture cannot, ought not to be made; a great impiety to make it p. 894. to 904. his Commandments not to be broken in • est pag. 84. to 88. he abhors Stage-plays 130, 131. fol. 525, 526.
- Gorgias his censure of Stage-plays. pag. 449.703.
- Gosson a penitent Play-poet, his censure & Books against Stage-plays. p. 140.360, 36 • , 362, 436, 437, 486, 489.
- I.G. his refutation of the Apology for Actors, and his censure of Plays. p. 141.142, 146, 487, 491, 698, 700, 795, 796.
- Goths and Vandals rejected Stage-plays p. 457. f. 527 • p. 713.
- Gratian the Emperor his Edict against Players, and Plays. p. 468.813.
- Gratian the Canonist, his censure of Players and Plays. pag. 684.846. of New-years gifts. p. 796. of Health-drinking. p. 596.
- Grecians, the original inventers of Plays p. 17.509. admired Plays and Players at first, but abandoned and made them infamous at last. pag. 455.704, 730, 731, 738, 843, 844. Their manners, customs, and Plays prohibited Christians. p. 21.22, 549, 586, 650, 651, 652.
- Gregory the Great, turned Pagan Festivals • nto Christian. p. 759.760. his censure of Plays and Pagan Authors. p. 78.79, 683, 848.
- Gregory Nazianz • n, his censure of Dancing p. 225.279, 637. m. 771.772, 773. • ace-painting. p. 217.890, 893. men's long and frizled hai • e. pag 189. men's putting on of women's • pparell. pag. 169.170, 188, 189. lascivious attyres. p. 217.896. Players and Stage-plays. p. 136.163, 164, 169, 315, 338, • 39, 473, fol. 527.680. how Christ's Nativity must be solemnized. pag. 771. 772, 773.
- Gregory Nyssen, his censure of Dancing, lascivious pictures, and Stage plays. p 337.338, 527. fol. 559.560 pag. 680. of Images and God's Picture. pag. 898.
- Gregory the worker of Miracles, his hatred of Plays caused a sudden pestilence among Players and Play-haunters. f. 559.560.
- Th. Gualensis his censure of Plays and laughter. p. 296.301, 689.
- Gualther his censure of Dancing, Players, Iesters, Plays, and Play-haunters, p. 45. m. 226.320, 479, 480, 481, 692, 737, 739.
- Guevara his censure of Stage-plays and Actors. p. 461.462, 696, 731.
- Gulielmus Parisiensis his censure of Stage-plays and Dancing. p. 688. his passage and reasons against men's putting on of women's apparel, or women of men's. p. 884.885, 886.
- Gunda her punishment for cutting her hair, and putting on man's apparel. p. 800.
-
H
- Haire, women's cutting and frizling of their hair condemned by Deut. 22.5. 2 King. 9.30. Isaiah 3.18, 20, 22, 24. 1 Cor. 11.5, 6, 14, 15. 1 Tim. 29. Ti • . 2.2, 3, 4, 5. 1 Pet. 3.3, 4, 5. Rom. 1.26. Zeph. • .8. Prov. 7.10, 13. Rev. 17.4. c. • .8. by Councils, Fathers, and Christian Writers of all sorts as an unnatural, impudent whorish practice. pag. 184. to 206.217. m. f. 514, 799.805.879. to 890. Sparsim. 994. See Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtu • um ac Vitiorum. Tom. 2. Tit. de Superbia. c. 14. accordingly. Examples of women who have cut their hair, censured. Ibidem. Whores and Adulteresses punished heretofore by cutting their hair, which our women now make a fashion. p. 202.203, 204. Popish Nons cutting of their hair when they are admitted into Nonneries derived from the ancient punishment of Harlots, and Eustatius his Disciples. p. 202.203, 204. condemned. Ibidem. Men's wearing of long, false, curled hair & lovelockes, condemned 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 Councils, Fathers, and other Writers, as an effeminate unnatural amorous practice, an incitation of lust, an occasion of Sodomy, and a practice 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 Absolom's fall, wherein every Christian may as in a Mirror behold the vile and abominable abuse of curled long hair so much now used in this our Realm pag. 8.9, 10, 17, 1 • , 19. Arch-bishop Abbot his 18. Lecture upon Jonah. sect. 11. p. 570.571. Augustine. E • ar. in Psal. 32. Tom. 8. pars 1. pag. 24 • . M. Edward Rainolds his sinfulness of sin. p. 135. Quintil. Instit. l. 1. c. 15. agai • st men's long compt hair.
- Hauking, Hunting, yea keeping of Haukes and Hounds prohibited Clergy men by sundry Canons and Councils. p. 587. to 668. Sparsim.
- Haymo his censure of Stage-plays and Actors. p. 349.863. of making God's Image. p. 900. m.
- Health-drinking, prohibited, condemned by Councils, Fathers, and others. pag. 22.596, 597, 598, 609, 614, 615, 656, 772, 780. m. 782.790. See my Healths sickne • se, with the Authors th • re quoted. H • abanus Maur • s Com. in Titum. c. 1. Tom. 5. pag. 502. E. Homil. in Dominicis diebus. Tom. 5. Op. p. 605. D. Johannes Sarisberiensis, De Nugis Curialium. l. 8. c. 6. Iuo Carnotensis. Decret. pars 6. c. 252 Master Gualther Hom. 9. in Haba • . p. 229.230. Innocentius 3. Operum Tom. 1. p 470. Gulielmus Stuckins Antiqu. Convivalium. lib. 3. throughout. Hostiensis Summa. l. 1. Tit. de Tempore ordinat. f. 51. John. 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. John White his Sermon at Paul's Cross. March 24. 1615. sect. 16. Nathaniel Col • his preservative against sin. p. 380. M. Heildersham his 12. Lecture upon John the 4. verse. 20. pag. 130. Barnaby Rich his Irish Hubbub. London 161 • . p. 24.25. M. Edward Reynolds his sinfulness of sin. 1631. p. 125. who expressly condemn the drinking and pledging of Healths, especially in Clergy-men, who ought by the Canon Law to be deprived for it.
- Heaven, no Stage-plays there. pag. 964.965.
- Hecataeus Abderita his testimony of the Jews wanting Images. p. 894.
- H • lena Constantine the Great his Mother, an English woman. p. 467.
- Heliodorus deprived of his Bi • hopprick • for his amorous Books. p. 916.
- Helioga • alus censured. p. 278.710, 856.
- Henry the 3. the Emperor rejected Plays and Players. p. 471.
- Henry the 4. of England his Statute against Rimers and Minstrels. p. 493.
- Henry the 8. his Statute against Mumm • rs, Vizards and Dice-play. p. 493.494. his expenses upon Plays and Masques. p. 320. his Commissions for aboli • hing Images in Churches. pag. 903. m.
- Hen • y the 3. of France his Edicts against Stage-plays and dancing on Lord's-days and Holi-days p. 715.
- Hercules censured for putting on woman's apparel. pag. 888.
- Herod Agrippa smitten in the Theater by an Angel, and so died. 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 Jews, who thereupon conspire his death. p. 486. f. 552.553. p. 555 •
- Herodian his censure of Plays and Dancing. p. 710.851.852, 853, 854, 855.
- Herodias, her dancing taxed: the Devil danced in her. p. 228.229. m. 232. m. 260.773. f. 534.
- Hi • ro punished Epica • mus for his wanton Verses. p. 921.
- Jerome his censure of men's long and curled hair. p. 188.340. of lascivious Music and Songs. p. 275.276, 340. of Images, specially of God. p. 898. m. of Players and Stage-plays. pag. 340. 680. of Dancing. p. 223. of reading Poets and profane 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.
- Hilary his censure of Stage-plays, pag. 339.670. of making God's Image. p. 900. m.
- Histories sophisticated by Players and Play-poets. p. 940.941.
- Hol • ot his censure of Stage-plays and Dancing. p. 229. m. 256.689.
- Holi-days, 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 profaned with dancing, dicing, drunkenness and profane pastimes. p. 222.232. to 250. Sparsim. 271.363. fo. 530. to 541.575. to 666.743. to 783.933. Dancing and Stage-plays prohibited on Holi-days by Councils, 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.
- Ho • inesse becometh Christians. pag. 63. 64, 528.
- Homilies of our Church against Images in Churches, &c. p. 286.901.902, 903.
- Honorius Augustodunensis censure of Stage-plays. pag. 505. m. 684. of Playerly Mass-priests. p. 113.114.
- Honorius the Emperor suppressed Sword-plays, p. 75.468.
- Bishop Hooper preached twice every day of the week; would have Bishops to preach once every day, would have two Sermons every Lord's Day. his censure of those who complain 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 Jonah, before King Edward 6. An. 1551. p. 81. If questio • now be asked, in there then no Sacrifices left to b • done of Christian people? yea truly • ut none other then such as ought to be done without Altars: and they be of 3. sorts: The first is the sacrifices of thanks-giving. Psal. 51. 17, 19. Amos 4.5. Heb, 13.15. Hos. 14 2. The 2. is benevolence and liberality to the poor, Mich. 6.8. 1 Cor. 16.1, 2, 2 Cor. 8.19. Hebr. 13.16. The third kind of sacrifice is the mortifying of our own bodies, and to die from sin. Rom. 12.1. Matth. • 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 wisdom & 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 turn the Altars into Tables, according to the first institution of Christ, to take away the false persuasion of the people they have of sacrifices to be done upon the Altars. For as long as the Altars remain, both the ignorant people, and the ignorant and evil persuaded Priest will dream always • s of sa • 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 God's Word to detain or keep from the Devil or his ministers, any of their goods or treasure, as the Candles, Images, Crosses, Vestm ••• s, Altars; for if they be kept in the Church as things ind • ffe • ent, at lengt • they w • ll be maintained as things necessary. And do not we see his words prove true? Against the making of God's Image and s • ffring or erecting Im • ges in Churches. pag 902. m. of which he writes thus in his • Declaration of the second Commandment. London 1588. fol. 29. to 32. This Commandment • ath 3. parts: The first taketh from us all liberty and license, that we in no case represent or manifest the God invisible & incomprehensible with any Figur • or Image, or represent him unto our senses that cannot be comprehended by the wit of man nor Angel. The s • cond part forbiddeth to honor any Image. The third part showeth us, that it is no need to present God to us by any Image. Moses giveth • 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 • eardest a voice, but sawest no manner of si • ilitude, but only a voice be • rdest thou. Isaiah c. 40.18. & 449 &c. diligent • y showeth what an absurdity and undecent thing it is to proph • re the Majesty of God incom • reh • nsible with a little block or stone; a spirit, with an Image. The like doth Paul in the 17. o • th • Acts. The text therefore forbiddeth all mann • r of Images that are made to express or represent Almighty God. The second par • forbiddeth to honor any Image made: The first word honor signifieth, to bow head, leg, knee, or any part of the body unto them, as all those do • (pray mark it) that say with good conscience they may be suffered in the Church of Christ, &c. Seeing th • n there is no Cōmandement in any of both Testaments, to have Images, but as you see the contrary; and also the universal Catholic and holy Church never used Images, as the writings of the Apostles and Prophets testify, it is but an Ethnike v • rity and Gentile Idolatry, to say God and his Saints be honored in them, when as all Histories testifi • , that in manner • or th • space of 500. years after Christ's Ascension, when the doctrine of the Gospel was most sincerely preached, was 〈◊〉 Image used, &c. Therefore S. John • biddeth us not only beware of honoring of Images, but of the Images themselves. Thou shalt find the original of Images in no place of God's Word, but in the writings of the Gentiles and Infidels, or in such that more followed their own opinion and superstitious imaginations, than the authority of God's Word. Herodorus saith, that the Egyptians were the first that made Images to represent their gods. And as the Gentiles • ashioned their gods with what figures they lusted, so do the Christians. To declare God to be strong they made • im in the form of a Lion, to be vigilant & diligent, in the form of a Dog, &c. So do they that would be accounted Christians, paint God and his Saints, with such pictures as they imagine in their fantasies. God, like an old man w • th a • orie head, as • hough his youth were past, which hath neither beginning nor ending &c. No difference at all bet • eene a Christian man and Gentile in this Idolatry, saving only the name. For they thought not their Images to be God, but supposed that their God's would be honored that ways, as the Christians do. I write these things rather in contempt and hatred of this abominable Idolatry then to learn any Eng • ishman the truth, &c. The third part declareth, that it is no n • ed to show God unto us by Images, and proveth the same with 3. reasons. First, I am the Lord thy God, that loveth thee, helpeth thee, defendeth thee, is present with thee: be • ieve and love m • , so shalt thou have no need to seek me and my favorable presence in any Image. The second reason: I am a jealous God and cannot suffer thee to love anything but in me and for me. I cannot suffer to be otherwise honored than I have taught in my Tables and Testament The 3. reason is, that God revengeth the profanation of his Divine Majesty, if it be trans • ribed to any creature or Image, and that not only in him that committeth the Idolatry, but also in his posterity in the third and fourth generation, if they follow their Fathers Idolatry. Then to avoid the ire of God and to obtain his favor, we must use no Image to honor him with all. God's Laws expulseth and putteth Images out of the Church, then no man's laws should bring them in. All which he thus seconds in his brief and clear Confession of the Christian Faith in an 10 • . Articles, according to the Order of the Creed of the Apostles. London 1581. Artic. 79. & 87. I believe (write • he) that to the Magistrate it doth appertain, not only to have regard unto the Common-wealth, but also unto Ecclesiastical matters, to take away and to overthrow all Idolatry and false serving of God, and to advance the Kingdom of Christ, to cause the Word of the Gospel everywhere to be preached, and the same to maintain unto death: to chasten also and to punish the false pro • hets which lead the poor people after Idols and strange gods, &c. I believe also that the beginning of all Idolatry was the finding out and invention of Images, which a • so were made to the great offense of the souls of men, and are as snares and traps for the feet of the ignorant to make them to • all. Therefore they ought not to be honored, served, worshipped, neither to be suffered in the Temples or Churches, where Christian people do meet together, to hear and understand the Word of God, b • t rather th • same ought utterly to be taken away and thrown down, according to the effect of the 2. Comma • dement of God: and that ought to be done • y the common authority of the Magistrate, and not by the private authority of every particular man For the wood of the Gallows whereby justice is done, is blessed of God, but the Image made by man's hand is accursed of the Lord, and so is he that made it. And therefore we ought to beware of Images above all things. This was this Godly Martyrs faith concerning Images: this was the faith and doctrine of all our pious Martyrs and Prelates in King Henry the 8. King Edward the 6. Queen Mary's, and Queen Elizabeth's Raignes: this is the authorized doctrine both of the Articles and Homilies of our Church which every English Minister now subscribes to, and is enjoined for to teach the people as the undoubted truth: Yea this was one of the Articles propounded by Doctor Chambers, to which the reverend Bishop, Jewel, and all other young Protestant Students in both our Universities subscribed, in Edward the 6. and Queen Mary's Rain, Imagines & simulachra non esse in Templis habenda; • osque gloriam Dei imminuere qui vel fuderint vel fabricati fu • rint vel finxerint, vel pinxerint, vel fabricanda & facienda locarint: as Doctor Humfries De Vita & Morte Iuelli. pag. 43. informs us: which I wish our moderne Innovators and Patrons of Images would remember.
- Horace his censure of Plays & Players. p. 370.452, 711, 834.
- Hybristica sacra, how solemnized. p. 204.
- Hylas the Player whipped. p. 459.
- Hypocrisy, a necessary concomit • nt of acting Plays, and a damnable sin. pag. 156. to 161. 876. 877. Christ, his Apostles, the primitive and moderne Christians unjustly taxed of it. p. 816. to 821.
- Hypocrites and Players, the same. p. 158. 159. 876.
- Hypolitus his censure of Stage-plays, and lascivious Songs. f. 565.566.
-
I
- King James his Statute against profaning Scripture and God's Name in Plays. p. 109.110. his Statutes make Players Rogues, and Plays unlawful pastimes. pag. 495.496. expressly condemned the making of God the Fathers Image or Picture. p. 901.
- Jason, the first introducer of Heathenish Plays among the Jews. p. 548.549, 550, 552, 553.
- Ianus the author of New-years gifts, &c. See Kalends and New-years gifts.
- Idleness a dangerous mischievous sin occasioned, fomented by Stage-plays. p. 141.471, 501, to 504.909, 947, 951. to 956.480, 1002.
- Idols and Devils parts and stories unlawful to be acted; their Images, shapes and representations not to be made. p. 75. to 106.141, 176, 177, f. 550.551 552. pag. 547.865, 866, 890. to 904. The mentioning of their names and imprecations, adjurations, or exclamations by them, unlawful. p. 32.33, 36, 77. to 89.891, 925. Things originally consecrated to them unlawful. pag. 28. to 42.81. to 90. Stage-plays invented by, and consecrated unto Idols, and Devil-gods, who were courted with them in their Festivals. See Devils, Dancing, and Festivals. pag. 478.479, 482. fol. 558.559, p. 731, 732, 735.
- Idolatry a grand sin; to which men are naturally prone. p. 27.58, 59, 80, 81, 82, 83. the mother of Stage-plays. p. 28. to 40.58, 59. f. 522.558, 559. pag. 546.547. The acting of an Idols part, or making his representatiō Idolatry. p. 89.90, 865, 866, 891, 892. The ve • y relics and shadows of it • o be avoided. p. 27.58, 59, 80, 81, 652, 891, 892. occasioned by Stage-plays and Play-poets p. 80.81.84, fol. 550.551, 55 • . p. 650.651, 652.
- Jesuits act Christ's passion, &c. instead of preaching it p. 116.117, 765, 766, 767, 999. God's Judgment upon them for a profane Play. f. 558. Some of them have condemned Stage-plays. pag. 996.997, &c.
- Jews, condemned and rejected Stage-plays, and Idols shapes and vizards. pag. 466.552. to 556.714, 718, 723, 894, 981. had no Images in their Temples, and condemned the ve • y art of Imagery. p. 894. to 902. kept their Sabbath from Evening to Evening. p. 639.642.
- Ignatius the Martyr, condemned Dancing on the Lord's Day. p. 222.231. m.
- Ignatius Loyola, prohibited Terence to be read in Schools. p. 917.
- Images and Pictures of God the Father, Son and holy Ghost unlawful to be made, or set up in Churches. pag. 286.894. to 904. See Hooper. Images in Churches condemned by Fathers, Councils, Emperors, Protestant Churches and Writers, and by our own English Statutes, Articles, Injunctions, Homilies, Canons, ancient Bishops and Writers, Ibidem. See Bishop Ie • else Reply to M. Harding. Artic. 14. p. 496. to 517. Rodericke Mors his complaint to the Parliament in King Henry the 8. days. cap. 19.24 • D. John Ponet BB. of Winchester, his Apology or Answer to Martyn. 1555. c • p. 6.7. pag. 74.84, 85. Archb shop Vshers An • wer to the Jesuits Challenge. pag. 495. to 514. Edit. ult. & a short Description of Antichrist. 1555. pag. 26. Demolished at Zurich, and Basil, and here in England by Henry the 8. Edward the 6. and Queen Elizabeth. p. 903. m. Images condemned by the Persians, Syrians, Scythians, and Lybians of old. Origen. Cont. Celsum. lib. 7. fol. 96. none suffered in the Temples and Synagogues of the Jews, Turks, Sarazens, Mores, Moschovites, or barbarous Heathen Nations of Asia, Africa and Europe now. Haddon. Cont. Osorium. lib. 3. f. 254. condemned by Ma • omet in his Alcoran. Edit. Lat. Bibliandri. 1550. p. 19.105, 126, 144, 152. & shall Christians, shall Protestants suffer, applaud, erect them, when as these condemn them? See Thomas Waldensis. Tom. 3. Tit. 19. De Religiosorum domibus. cap. 150. to 162.
- Imitation of Pagans and their customs unlawful. p. 18. to 23.730. to 734. See Pagans.
- Impudency a dangerous sin occasioned by Stage-plays. p. 441.512. to 516.
- Infamous to act Plays. See Acting, Players. p. 412.429, 841. to 860.
- Intention of Play-haunters. p. 943. to 947.
- Inventions of Pagans, how far lawful and unlawful. p. 16. to 42.
- Josephus his censure of Stage-plays and Theaters p 466.467, 553, 554, &c. of Images. p. 894.895.
- Isiodo • Hispa • e • sis, his censure of Dice-play • Epist. Dedic. 1. of Stage-plays and Theaters. p. 349. f. 524.525. pag. 562.583, 757, 758. m. of New-years gifts. p. 757.758. m. of reading profane Writers p. 78.79, 915, 916.
- Isiodor Pelufiota his censure of Plays and Players. p 477.795. of reciting human Authors in Sermons. pag. 937 938.
- Isocrates his censure of Plays and Players. p. 121.450, 703.
- Iren • eus his censure of Players & Plays. p. 158. m. 669.
- Judgments of God upon Play-poets, Players, Play-haunters • f. 550.552. to 565.
- Julian the Apostate his Edi • t against Ministers resort to Plays or Alehouses. p. 461.665.
- Julius Messalla his expense on Plays. p. 315.322.
- Iuo Carnotensis his censure of Plays, Players, acting in women's apparel, &c. 665.684, 846, 886, 906.
- Junius Mauricus his censure of Plays. p. 458.
- Justinian his Edicts against Dicing, Players, Sword-plays, Stage-plays, which he stiles the Devils pomps. p. 469.562, 563, 656. to 663. his law for divorcing of Play-haunting wives. p. 391.661, 662.
- Justin Martyr his censure of Images. pag. 896. of lascivious Music. p. 275.
- Justin the Historian his censure of Plays and Dancing. p. 709.710.
- Juvenal his censure of Players, Plays, Play-haunters and Dancers. pag. 249. 250, 319, 370, 452, 843, 852. m. 859. 860.
-
K
- Kalends, their observation, especially of the first of January, prohibited. p. 19. to 23.197, 198, 429, 430, 580, 581, 583, 755, 756, 780, 752.
- Kings most honored when God is best served by their subjects. p. 644. have suppressed Plays and Dicing, and exiled Players. p 455. to 472.656. to 665.703. to 713.725, 870. infamous for them to act or frequent Plays, or favor Players. pag. 250.451, 428, 429, 459, to 47 • . f. 557.558. p. 707. to 711.734. to 744.848. to 858.897. A good King and bad Counselors, worse then an ill King and good Counselors. p, 153. what makes Kings evil. f. 547. Their life ought to be exemplary. p. 734.735, 741.
- Kissing in Dances and Plays dangerous p. 166.243, 386.
- Knights prohibited to act, to dance, or come upon the Stage. p 459.860, 861, 862.
-
L
- Laberius, his censure of his Play-acting. p. 860.861.
- Lacedemonians prohibited Stage-plays, and lascivious Music. p. 121.122, 288 455, 713, 921, 839.
- L • ctantius his censure of Images. p. 896.897, 898 • m. of acting in women's apparel. p. • 88. of Stage-plays and Actors. p. 169.180, 334, 335, 336, 473.670.
- John. Langhe • rucius his censure of Health-drinking, Stage plays, acting of Academical Interludes, and acting in women's apparel • p. 596.597, m. 695. 864, 865, 866.
- Lasciviousnesse condemned: a necessary concomitant and effect of Plays, and Play-acting. p. 161 to 178.332. to 446.
- Bishop Latimer his censure of Dice-play. Epist. Dedic. 1. of dancing and profaning Lord's-days. f. 535. of Images. p. 902. accused of sedition. pag. 8 • 5.
- Laughter, profane, profuse, excessive, censured. p. 290. to 298.123, 403, 404. Christ never laughed. 294.403, 404. this life no time of laughter but of • ears. p. 293.294, 404. See Chrysost. Hom. 12. in Collos. 4. an excellent discourse to this purpose: occasioned by Plays. p. 175.290. to 304.403, 404.
- Laurell, Christians prohibited to dress their houses with it. p. 21.581, 756, m. 770.771, 772. See Tertul. de Corona militis. lib. c. 11.12.
- Laymen enjoined by Councils, Fathers, and God himself to read the Scriptures diligently. Epist. Dedicat. • . pag. 585.924. to 932. are spiritual Priests • and ought to be as holy as the Clergy. p. 410.647, 648.
- Leo the Emperor his Edict for the sanctifying of the Lord's Day and suppression of Stage-plays p. 469.470.
- Lewis the 9. of France his Edict against Players, Play-houses, and Dice-houses. p. 870.
- Leucippus, his effeminacy in hair and apparel censured. p. 883.885.
- Livy his censure of Stage-plays. p. 449.450. f. 560. p. 705.
- Lodovicus the Emperor his Edict against Clergy-men's resort to Plays, &c. p. 715.
- Lodovicus Arch-bishop of Magdeburge, his death, f. 557.
- Lodovicus Vives, his censure of Players, Plays, Play-books, Dancing, and Popish Interludes. pag. 114.115, 134, 226. fol. 554. pag. 691.916.
- London Magistrates suppressed Plays, Play-houses and Dice-houses. p. 491.492.
- Lord's Day, (exceedingly profaned by Stage plays, Masques and Dances, which are prohibited on it by Councils, Fathers, Imperial Laws, our own English Statutes, Homilies, Injunctions, and sundry other Writers,) how it ought to be spent and sanctified p. 13.22, 240. to 24 • .271, 363, 468, 469, 470, 491, 530. to 541.489, 554, 556, 575, 576, 615. to 663. Sparsim. 715.716, 913, 946. See Dancing, Holi-days. & Thomas Waldensis. Tom. 3. Tit. 17. cap. 140.141, 142 Plays, Masques and Dancing unlawful on it, Ibidem. & p. 575.576, 996. and on Lord's Day and Saturday nights. pag. 12.13, 40, 645, 646. It begins at evening, not at morning or midnight; proved at large by Councils, Fathers, and others. p. 638. to 646. Hence Iuo carnotensis. Decret pars 6. cap. 71. Gratian Distinct. 75. and all Canonists on this place of his, upon the words of Pope Leo Epist 81. cap. 1. conclude thus, that the Lord's Day begins at Evening: Non passim (say they) di • bus omnibus sacerdotalis vel levitica ordinatio celebretur, sed post diem Sabbati ejus{que} noctis quae in prima Sabbati luc • s • it, exordia consecrandi deligantur. Quod ejusdem observantae eritsi mane ipso Dominico die continuato Sabbati jej • nio celebretur, à quo tempore praecedentis noctis initia non recedunt. Quod ad diem resurrectionis (sicut etiam in Pascha domini declaratur) pertinere non est dubium, &c. His qui consecrandi sunt nunquam benedictio nis in die Dominicae resurrectionis tribuatur, cui à vespere Sabbati initium constat ascribi. Dies Dominica initium habet à vespere Sabbati; & vespera praecedentis noctis trahitur ad diem sequentem, ut sive de vesp • re in Sabbato, sive de mane in Domini • o ordines conferantur semper in die Dominico videantur conferri. Hence also Hostiensis. Sum. lib. 2. Tit. de Ferijs. fol. 149 Baptista Trovomala in his Summa Rosella Tit. Feriae sect. 4.5. Summa Angelica. Tit. Dies sect. 1. Lindwood Constit. provin • lib. 2. Tit de Ferijs. • ol. 74. with all other Canonis • s Tit de Ferijs, & Ioannis de Burgo Pupilia oculi pars 9. cap. 6. De Ferijs. D • E. lay down this for an infallible maxim. Quod abstinendū est à servilibus operibus omni die Dominica abhora vespertina diei Sabbati inchoando, non ipsam horam praeveniendo. Quod feriationem tenere debemus à vespera in vesperam. Quod debemus festum incipere, quantum ad feriationem à vespera in vesperam; scilicet ab ultima parte diei praecedentis seu vigiliae. Quod dies diversis modis incipit & desinit: nam quoad celebrationem divinarum, consideratur de vespera in vesperam: quoad judicia, de mane in vesperam, & sic de luce in lucem: sed quoad contractus, de media nocte in mediam noctem : And this hath been the received resolution of all former ages, which should over-b • llance all new opinions. See Polydor Virgil. De Invent. Rerum. lib. 2. cap. 6. for the beginning and ending of days.
- Lovelockes, bushes of vanity whereby the Devil leads and holds men captive. Epistle to the Reader: provocations to lust and unnatural lewdness, in use among Sodomites and Pagans of old, • nd none else. p. 188. to 195.209, 210, 211, 882, 883, 888. See Haire.
- Lucas Tudensis against making the picture of the Trinity. p. 900 m.
- Luxury a dangerous sin, occasioned by Stage-plays. p • 508. to 513.
- Lycurgus prohibited Plays. p. 455.
- Lyd • ans effeminated by Music, Dancing, Plays, and idleness. p. 288.
- Lyes, condemned: frequent in Plays. p. 106.107, 108, 837, 838.
- Lysima • hus his Court censured. p. 856.
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M
- Macarius AEgyptius his censure of Plays and Players. p. 45. m. f. 556. p. 670.
- Macrobius his censure of Dancing and Play-acting. p. 245.246, 129, 704, 860, 861. his testimony of the Saturnalian Feasts. p 751.752.
- Macro his advice to Caligula. p. 741.
- Magicke Books censured p. 917.
- Magistrates ought to suppress Players, Plays, and Play-houses, and have anciently done so. p. 448. to 495.787.
- Mahomet his censure of Dice-play. p 665.
- Manners and minds of people corrupted by Plays. p. 329. to 501.
- Marriages ; Dancing and Plays at them prohibited, condemned by Fathers and Councils. See Dancing: & Saint Chrysostom. Hom. 12. in Colos. 2. Tom. 4. Col. 1210. to 1214. Hom. 20. in Ephes. 5. Tom. 4. Col. 1009. where he writes thus. In matrimonio omnia oportet esse plena temperantia & modestia, gravitate & ho • esta •• . Contrarium autem video, saltantes tanquam camelos, tanquam mulos. Quid facis ô homo? quid ludibria illa, quid monstra in • ucis? Omnino turpe est & indecorū, viros molles & saltantes & omnem pompam Satanicam domum introducore. Quando unguentum componitis nihil male olens sinitis appropinquare. Matrimonium est unguentum; cur caeni faetorem inducis in compositionem unguenti? Quid dicis? s • ltar virgo, & nō eam pudet suae aequalis? oport •• enim ipsam hac • sse honestiorem & graviorem, ex ulna enim egressa est, non ex palaestra, &c. Ne transuehas & in pompam ducas virginitatem. An non sunt haec probrum & dedecus? Sunt. Probrum enim & dedocus est se indecore gerere etiamsi sit Regis filia, etiamsi serva si • virgo, &c. The • rum enim non est matrimonium, est mysterium, seu sacramentum, & rei magnae typus. Sacramentum inquit, hoc magnum est, ego au • em dico in Christo & Ecclesia. Ecclesiae est typus & Christi, & saltatri • es introducis? Si ergo, inquis, n • ̄que v • rgines saltant, neque quae nupserunt, quis saltabit? Nullus. Saltationis enim quaenam est necessitas? In mysterijs Graecorum sunt saltationes: in nostris autem, silentium, honesta gravitas, pudor & modestia. Magnum peragitur mysterium, foras meretrices saltatrices, foras prophani, &c. Haec vobis non temere dicta sunt, sed ut vos nec nuptijs, nec saltationibus, nec choris adsitis Satanicis. Vide enim quid invenerit Diabolus. Nam quoniam a scena & ijs quae illic sunt turpia & indecora, ipsa natura abduxit mulieres, quae sunt theatri abduxit in gynaecium, molles inquam, se • pathicos & meretrices. Hanc pestem invexit lex nuptialis, imo vero non lex nuptialis, absit, sed lex nostrae mollitiei. Quid ergo dico oportere? Omnia tu • pia cantica quae sunt Satanica, inhonestas cantilenas, immundorū juvenum circuitiones auferre à matrimonio,, & haec poterant castigare sponsam & modestam reddere; statim n. apud se considerabit, Papae; qualis est hi • vir! est philosophus; hanc vitam nihili ducit, ad procreandos liberos & educandos me domi duxit, & ad domum custodier d • m. Ex his ipsis ostendit mentem suam, nullo horum delecta • i, ne{que} unquam concessurum ut siant saltationes & can • ntur impudica cantica. Sed haec sponsae sunt injucunda ad primum us{que} & secundum diem, non autem deinceps; sed & maxima • • apiet voluptatem se ab omni suspicione liberans. Nam qui neque tibias neque saltantes, nequ • fractos • antus sustinuerit, idque 〈◊〉 nuptiarum, vix ipse in animum induxerit ut turpe aliquid unquam aut faciat aut dicat. Sed videntur res quidem in • ifferens quae fiunt circa matrimonium. Sunt autem causae magnorum malorum. Omnia sunt plena iniqui • ate. Turpitudo & stultiloquium & scurrile verbum, inquit, exore vestro non exeat. Omnia autem illa sunt turpitudo, & stultiloquium & scurrilitas, non leviter, sed cum intention. Ars enim est hoc, & magnam affert laudem ijs qui eam exercent. Ars facta sunt peccata. Non leviter & tom • re ea tractamus sed adhibito studio & scientia, & de caetero Diabolus est harum rerum Dux & Imperator. Vbi n. ebrietas & lascivia, ubi lermo obscaenus & saltatio, ade • t Diabolus sua afferens. Cum his convivans dic quaeso, Christi mysterium peragis, & Diabolum invocas? Me forte existimatis gravem & importunū. Nam hoc quos{que} est multae perversitatis, quod qui increpat ludibrio habetur tanquam austerus. Nonne auditis Paulum dicentem. Quicquid faciatis sive comedatis, sive bibatis, sive aliquid faciatis, omnia ad gloriam Dei facite? Vos autem ad maledicentiam & ignominiam. Non auditis Prophetam dicentem. Servite domino in timore, & exultate ei in tremore? Vos autem diffundimini & luxu diffluitis. An non vero licet etiam tuto laetari? Vis audire pulchros modos? Maxim quidem ne oporteret quidem. Sed me dimitto, & me tibi accommodo. Si velis, non audias Satanicos modos, sed spirituales. Vis videre saltantes? Vide chorum Angelorum. Et quomodo fieri potest ut videam? Si haec abegeris, veniet Christus quoque ad has nuptias. Si adsit autem Christus, adest etiam chorus Angelorum. Si velis, nunc quoque faciet miracula sicut & tunc. Faciet nunc quoque aquam vinum & multo admirabilius. Diffluentem & dissolutam convertet laetitiam & cupiditatem, & transferet ad spiritualem. Hoc est ex aqua vinum f • cere. Vbi sunt Tibicines (pray mark it) nequaquam est Christus. Sed & si fuerit ingressus, eos primum eijcit, & tunc facit miracula. Quando itaque es facturus nuptias ne domos obeas, specula & ve • tes commodato accipiens; res n. non fit ad ostentationem, neque filiam adducis ad pompam: sod ijs quae in ea sunt domum exhiler • ns, voco vicinos, amicos & cognatos. Quos nosti quidem bonos & probos, eos voca, & ut ijs quae adsunt contenti sint admone. Ex ijs qui sunt ex Orchestra, adsit nullus. Illic n. est sumptus vacuus & indecorus. Ante alios omnes voca Christum. Orna sponsum non aureis ornamentis, sed mansuetudine & pudore & consuetis vestibus. Pro quovis mundo aureo & implicaturis & intexturis, induens pudorem & verecundiam, & quod illa non quaerat. Nullus sit tumultus, nulla perturbatio. Vocetur sponsus, accipiat virginem. Prandia & caenae non sint plena ebrietatis, sed satietate cum voluptate. Videamus quam multa ex hoc sunt bona, quando viderim{us}, ex ijs quae nunc fiunt nuptijs, si nuptiae & non potius pompae sunt dicendae, quot mala? Illic enim Christus, hic Satanas. Illic tristitia, hîc cura. Illic voluptas, hîc dolor. Illic sumptus, hic nihil tale. Illic probrum & dedecus, hîc modestia. Illic invidia, hîc nulla plane est invidia: Illic ebrietas, hîc salus, hîc temperantia. Haec autem omnia cogitantes, hactenus malum sistamus, ac cohibeamus, ut Deo placeamus, & digni habeamur qui consequamur bona quae sunt promissa ijs qui ipsum diligunt, gratia & benignitate Domini nostri Jesus Christi. The whole Homilies are worth the reading, but thus much only I thought good to insert to control the marriage disorders of our lascivious age.
- Marbachius his censure of Vizards, disguises, wanton apparel, and acting in women's apparel. p. 889.890.
- Mariana the Jesuit his Book against, and censure of Stage-plays, Players, and Theaters. p. 695.996. to 1000.
- Marius his censure of Dicers, of Players. p. 450.
- Martial his Poems censured. p. 792.916, 917.
- Mass turned into a Stage-play, and priests ofttimes into Actors. p. 112. to 116.573. to 668. Sparsim • pag. 762. to 767.877, 935, 999. Sacrilegious unto Christ and his merits. p. 759.
- Massilienses prohibited and condemned Plays and idleness. p. 65.445, 446, 480, 713, 920, 839.
- May-games, and May-poles derived from the ancient prohibited Heathen Majumae. p. 253. m. 807. m. & from the Floralian Feasts and Interludes of the Pagan Romans, which were solemnized on the first of May. See Ovid Fastorum. lib. 4. pag. 81. Mille venit varijs florum dea nexa coronis. Scena joci morem liberioris habet. Exit & in Majas Festū Florale Kalendas. & lib. 5. pag. 86. t • 92. Mater ades florum ludis celebranda jocosis Incipis Aprili, transis in tempora Maij: Alter te fugiens, cùm venit, alter habet. Cum tua sint, cedantque tibi confinia mensùm, Convenit in laudes ill vel ill tuas. Circus in hunc exit clamata{que} palma Theatris, &c. Dic Dea, respondi, ludorum quae sit origo. &c. Convenêre Patres: & si been floreat annus. Numinibus nostris annua festa vovent. Annuimus votis, Consul nunc consule ludos. Posthumio Lenas persoluêre mihi. Quaerere conabar quare l • scivia major, His foret in ludis liberiorque jocus; Sed mihi succurrit numen non esse severum, Aptaque delicijs munera ferre Deem. Tempora sutilibus cinguntur tota coronis, Et latet injecta splendida mensa rosa. Ebrius incinctis philyra conviva capillis, Saltat, & imprudens utitur art meri • Ebrius ad durum formosae limen amicae Cantat: habens unctae mollia • erta comae. Nulla coronata peraguntur seria front: Nec liquidae vinctis flour bibuntur aquae, &c. Bacchus amat flores; Baccho placuis • e coronam Ex Ariadnaeo sidere nosse potes. Scena lenis decet hanc: non est, mihi credit, non est, Illa cothurnatas inter habenda Deas. Turba quidem cur hos celebret meretricia ludos, Non est de tetricis, non est de magna professis, Vult sua plebeio sacra patêre choro, &c. See Alexander ab Alexand. Genial. Dierum lib. 6. cap. 8. Godwin, his Roman Antiquities lib. 2. sect. 2. cap. 3 pag. 87. Polydor Virgil, de Invent. Rerum. lib. 4. c. 14. Bulengerus De Theatro. lib. 1. cap. 50. pag. 296. to the like purpose. He who shall but seriously consider this manner of celebrating these Floralian Festivals, and parallel them with our May-games; will soon conclude as Polydor Virgil doth in express terms ( De Invent. Rerum. lib 5. cap. 2) that our May-games, Maying, and May-pole • (adorned commonly with Flowrie Garlands) had their original from these Floralian Feastivals, or the Heathen Majumae; and that therefore Christians ought wholly to abandon them, as they are expressly enjoined both by Imperial Edicts, Councils and Fathers. See here, p. 807. m. 575.576, 581, 583, 584, 587, 755, 756. m. ( Pope Martyns Decree) pag. 750, 770, 780, 20, 21, 22, 23. Tertullian De Corona Militis lib. Polydor Virgil. De Invent. Rerum. lib. 5. cap. 2. M. Stubs his Anatomy of Abuses. p 109.110. (who particularly condemn both May-games and May-poles:) and Francis de Croy his first Conformity • cap. 19.20. accordingly.
- Menander the Com • dian his death • fol. 553.
- Ministers and Clergy-men, prohibited to Dance, Card or Dice, or to behold Dancers, Carders, Dicers, in public or private, or to suffer them in their houses, to act or behold either public or private Interludes: to play at any dishonest or unlawful games: to disguise themselves: to Hauke, Hunt, or to keep Haukes or Hounds: to haunt or keep Taverns or Alehouses, or to enter into them but only in case of necessity when they travel: to begin or pledge any Healths; to frequent or make any riotous Feasts; or to wear costly apparel. p. 150.469, 739.933. to 938.979, 980. fol. 528. pag. 573. to 668. Sparsim. See Vincent • Speculum. Hist. lib. 27. cap. 39. 40.47, Summa Angelica Clericus. 11. & all Canonists. De Vita & Honestate Clericorum : conclude the like. Ought to suppress and dissuade others from Dancing, Dicing, Health-drinking, or resort to Plays. Ibidem. Scurrilous Iesting, Dancing, Dicing, Play-acting, or Play-haunting Ministers to be suspended and deprived. Ibidem. Their duties. Ibidem. Ought not to meddle with secular affairs; not to bear secular offices. Ibidem. Ought to be resident on their Cures, and to preach twice a day. fol. 531. pag. 639.623, 624. Ought to be grave in their gestures and speeches, nor Player-like. p. 933. to 938. Ought not to read lascivious Poems, or profane Authors, not to stuff their Sermons with them, p. 70.79, 915. to 939. No Players or Actors of Plays to be made Ministers, or to take Orders, f. 528. p. 846.847, 934, 935.
- Minucius Felix, his censure of Plays and Players, p. 336.337, 558, 670. of Images. p. 896.897.
- Modestie and shamefastness banished by Plays. fol. 512. to 516. their praise. Ibidem.
- Molanus his justification of profane sacrilegious Popish Interludes. p. 763. 764, 765.
- Monks many of thē Sodomites, Whoremasters, Epicures. pag. 213.760, 761, 762, 880, 881. See Vincentij Speculum. Hist. lib. 27. c. 29. to 58. lib. 28. cap. 6. to 19. cap. 90. to 101. Women-Monks. pag. 184.185, 201, 202, 203, 204, 880, 881.
- Morice-dances censured. p. 20. See Dances and May-games.
- Muscovites how they keep their Christmas. pag. 782.
- Moses prohibited Plays and Interludes. why. pag. 555.
- Mourning for other men's sins, a duty. p. 291. to 295. This life a life of mour • Ibid. & p. 967. to 973. See Chrysost. Hom. 12. in Colos. accordingly.
- Multitude no argument of goodness. pag. 787.788, 442.
- Mummeries and Mummers condemned. p. 493.494. fol. 51 • .891. to 904.
- Murthers occasioned oft by Plays. fol. 516. to 520.
- Music, lawful, useful. p. 274. lascivious effeminate Music, unlawful. p. 273. to 290.394.395. See Vincentij Speculū. Hist. lib. 29. cap. 144. M. Northbrooke his Treatise against vain Plays, &c. fol. 39.40, 41. Agrippa De V • nitate Scient. cap. 64. M. Stubs his An • tomy of Abuses. p. 128.129, 130, &c. Church-music ought to be grave, serious, pious, not quaint, delicate, or lascivious; which abuses of it are censured. p. 276 to 288. & Reformatio Legu •• Ecclesiast. ex Authoritate Regis. Hen. • . & Edw. 6. Lo • di • i 1571. Tit. De Divin • s Offi ••• . c. 5. • . 43. grounded on, and authorized by the Statutes of 25. H •• ry 8. c. 19.27. H ••• y S. c. 15. &. 3. & 4. Edward 6. c. 11. which proscribos this rule in 〈…〉 . In divinis 〈◊〉 recitandis & Psalms 〈◊〉 , ministri & clerici diligent • r Do c • gitare • ebent, non solum • se Doum la • dari oportere, sed alios etiam hortatu & exemplo & observatione illorum, ad cundem cultu • adducendos esse. Qua propter partite voces & distinct pronuncient, & cantus sit illorum clarus & aptus, ut ad auditorum omnis fensum, & intelligentiam perveniant. Ita{que} vibratam i