The Players Scourge
If any here object in defense of amorous mixed lascivious dancing, (I speak not of grave single, chaste, and sober measures men with men) which is now so much [ 1] in use and high esteem. First, that there are many laudable examples of dancing in the Scripture: as that of Miriam and the Isralitish women after the drowning of the Egyptians, and their miraculous deliverance from them: that of Iepthaes Daughters of the Isralitish women after the slaughter of Goliath and the Philistines: and that of David, who danced before the Ark with all his might. Secondly, that God commands us, to praise him with cymbals and dances: That Solomon writes; there is a time to dance; and that other Scriptures seem to allow of dancing as lawful. Therefore it cannot be unlawful.
To these, I answer first; that these Scriptures and examples warrant that kind of dancing only which is specified, and commended by them; not our theatrical, our moderne common dancing, which differs from it in many material circumstances, well worth the observation. For first, these dances which we read of in the Scripture, were all single, consisting altogether of men, or of women only: (which kind of single measures were anciently in use among the Persians and Greecians, & are yet retained among the Brazilians and others. ) Whereas our moderne dances are for the most part mixed, both men and women dancing promiscuously together by selected couples. Secondly, these dances were no artificial curious Galliards, ligs, or Carontoes, learned with much pains and practice at a Dancing-School, as ours are: but simple, plain, unartificiall sober motions. Thirdly, these dances were no ordinary daily recreations, practiced at every feast or meeting, upon every Lord's-day, Holi-day, or vacant time; and that upon no other occasion, but for mirth or laughter sake, to pass away the time, or to satiate men's unruly lusts, ( the only props of dancing ;) as all our moderne dances are. But they were public extraordinary special dances, taken up by pious Christians to praise the Lord withal, after some extraordinary great deliverances from, or victories over their enemies, which scarce happened twice in divers ages: Whereas our dances are not such. Fourthly, these dances were not made in any private House, or Hall; in any Ale-house, Tavern, or Bower near adjoining; much less at any May-pole, Wake, or Church-ale ; at any Play-house, Wedding, or Dancing-School, as ours are: but in the open field, where the victorious General and his Army were to pass ; whom they went out to meet and welcome home with these their dances, which sounded forth his praises in those Psalms and heavenly Songs, which the Scripture hath recorded. Fifthly, they danced not by couples or in measure as we use to do, but in one entire train or round. Sixthly, they did not wantonly leap, caper, fling or skip about like Does or Bedlams; nor mincingly trip it, as our lascivious amorous Dancers do: but they used a modest grave and sober motion, much like to walking or the grave old measures; having timbrels and cymbals in their hands, and Psalms (not scurrilous amorous Pastorals) in their mouths, wherewith they did unfeignedly bless and praise the Lord for their obtained victories and deliverances, and sound forth the Victors praises. Seventhly, These dances were free from all lascivious dalliances, from all amorous gestures, gropings, kisses, complements, love-tricks, and wanton embracements; which abound in all our moderne Dances. Lastly, these dances were wholly devoted to God's praise and glory; they were a holy religious service done to God, proceeding from the thankfulness of such hearts, as were ravished with God's more special m •• cies: Our moderne wanton dances have no such pious ends and circumstances, they proceed not from such hearts, such occasions, such extraordinary favors of God as these: they differ from them in all th • se several circumstances: therefore these dances, these examples do no ways justify, but conde • ne all ours, which have no affinity nor cognation with them.
To the second Obje • tion; that Solomon saith, there [ 1] is a time to dance. I answer first, that by dancing in this, and the other objected Sc • iptures, is not meant any corporal dancing, or artificial moving of the feet in measure: but either an inward cheerfulness of heart, and readiness of spirit in God's service: or else a spiritual exultation of the soul in the apprehension of some special favor of God unto it, expressed in an abundant praising of God in psalms, in hymns and spiritual songs. This and no other is the dancing intended by Solomon, and commanded in the Scripture, as Olympi • dorus, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Glossa Ordinaris, Lyra, Calvin, and sundry others teach us. Secondly, admit this text be meant of corporal dancing, yet it intends no other but religious holy dances, in which either men or women praise the Lord, with Hymns and godly Psalms, singing with a grace in their hearts to him, who hath given them so great an occasion of much holy joy: it allows no other dances but such, in which the heart is more active then the feet; in which God's glory (not carnal jollity) is the utmost end. It gives no toleration therefore for our common dances, which have neither holiness for their quality, nor piety for their end. Lastly, Solomon saith only, that there is a time to dance: and this time, I am sure, is neither Lord's-days, nor any other solemn • estivals devoted to God's service, as the fore-quoted Councils, Fathers, and moderne Authors testify: these are not times of dancing, but of praying, hearing, reading, meditating, and such like holy duties. All dancing therefore on such times as these (which are now made the chiefest dancing seasons) are out of Solomon's dispensation. Again, the time of working, of following our vocations, of performing private family duties of religion; the times of sleep and rest (I mean the night, which is more often spent in dancing then in praying, or any pious duty) is none of Solomon's times for dancing: it being altogether untimely at these seasons; Therefore those who spend their working, praying, reading, studying time ( which God commands them to r • deem ) in dancing, (which too many make their work, their life, their trade) dance out of Solomon's time and measure ; who gives no allowance to their untimely Rounds. Again, dancing after a man is tired out with honest labor, is altogether unseasonable: sle • pe and quiet rest, are a wearied man's best, his fittest recreations: They that work hard all day, had more need to rest, then dance, all night. And yet how many are there, who after an hard journey or a toilsome days work, will take more pains at night in dancing, then they did in laboring all the day time? & because they are quite tired out with working, they will yet tire themselves once again in dancing; and so disable themselves the more for the works and duties of the ensuing day; whereas every recreation should help, not hinder men in their callings. Hard workers therefore have little time, at least but little need or reason to turn Dancers. For others, who can find either little, or no time at all to work, (which is the epidemical deplorable gentile fashion of our lazy age, ) I am sure Solomon hath bounded them out no time to dance: Eccles. 3. hath set down 24. several times at least, for several works, and but one (if that) for dancing. Those therefore who exempt themselves from these times of working, can make no title to this dancing season. He that will not labor, tis unfit he should play. He that hath no working time, tis equal he should have no dancing time. And yet how many are there now a-days who will needs entitle themselves to this time to dance, though they professedly disclaim all times to mourn or work? How many are there that work till they freeze, and yet dance till they sweat? that cannot work or pray one hour in a day for sloth, and yet can dance nimbly day and night all the week long? that cannot walk twenty yards to Church on foot without the help of a Coach ; and yet will dance 40. Galliards or Carantoes five hundred paces long? These indefatigable dancers, who would rather die then work; and not live then live well: need only a time to work (which I wish they may find:) not a time to dance, (which they will be sure to gain) since they dance and play away all their time: Wherefore since neither Laborers nor Loyterers have any need of dancing, they have certainly no title, to Solomon's time of dancing: and so both their dancing and arguments are out of season. Since therefore it is infallibly evident by all these premises, that our theatrical amorous mixed lascivious dancing, is sinful and unchristian at the least, if not Heathenish and Diabolical ; The Major of my precedent Syllogism must be granted: which I shall here close up with that notable passage of Alexander Fabritius, an ancient English though somewhat Popish Author, who writes thus of Dancing. The entering into the processions of dances, hinders men from ingress into the heavenly procession, and those who dance (especially upon Holy-days) offend against all the Sacraments of the Church. First, against Baptism, in this, that they break the Covenant which they have entered into with God in baptism, where they have promised, that they would renounce the Devil and all his Pompes; but they enter into the pompous procession of the Devil when they dance. For a dance as Gulielmus Parisiensis saith, is the Devils procession. Secondly, dances offend against the Sacrament of Order; For Clergy men who have received holy Orders, take those orders that they may conveniently celebrate divine services in the Church of God: but these vanities make divine Service to be contemned and neglected; for those who ought to be present at Matins and Vespers, are ofttimes present at these dances. Thirdly, they offend against the Sacrament of Matrimony; for ofttimes in d • nces, by signs of wantonness, vain songs, and unlawful confabulations, the faith of Matrimony is violated either in consent or work. Fourthly, they sin against the Sacrament of Confirmation: for in the Sacrament of confirmation the sign of the Cross is imprinted on their foreheads, as being bought with the passion of Christ: but in such dances the sign of the Cross being cast away, they place the sign of the Devil on their heads. Fifthly, they do against the Sacrament of Penance: For in the Sacrament of repentance by which they were reconciled unto God, they promised that they would never hereafter offend in the like kind: but in such vanities they plainly do the contrary. Sixthly, they offend against the Sacrament of the Altar, For on Easter-day they receive the Sacrament of the Altar, but immediately after they are like to Judas the Traitor: who when he had eaten at the Lord's Table, out of his own Dish, he went out presently after, and took a band of Soldiers from the High-Priests and Pharisees, and came against Jesus, as appeareth John the 18. So these transgressing in the foresaid manner, come directly against Jesus: for when they are in a dance the procession of the Devil, they are not with Jesus, as himself saith, Luke 11. he that is not with me is against me. As Kings in Antumne and Summer are wont to go forth to the Wars, that they may take that from th • ir enemies which they have gained by their labor in Winter: so the Devil the enemy of mankind after Easter; yea, on Easter-day it self (we may more truly affirm it on our Christmas and Whitson Holy-days) gathers together an army of Dancers, that he may take from the Sons and Servants of Christ who are his enemies, their spiritual fruits, which they have gathered together in the Lent-time. Seventhly, they offend against the Sacrament of extreme Unction by which those who are sick receive spiritual health: but these wretches in their plays and dances do often lose the heal • h both of their bodies and their souls. After this, he compares all women-dancers, (especially such as are gorgeously attired and set out with costly array, with painted faces, with false hair, shaven off from some dead woman's scull; with bead-tires of Gold, of silver, Pearls, and precious Stones, contrary to the Apostles precept, which the Devil who rides upon such women hath set upon their heads, as so many crowns of vani • y for those many triumphs over the Sons of God which he hath gained by them,) to those locusts and t • at smoke which ascended out of the bottomless pit, Apocalypse the 9. Advising all men out of Ecclesiasticus the 9. not to keep company with a woman that is a Dancer, not yet to hearken to her voice, lest they chance to perish by her snares: and wishing all Christians to renounce all dancing, as being thus opposite to all the Sacraments. Thus much concerning dancing, in probat of my Major, in which I have the more enlarged my discourse, both in respect of the near affinity that is between Plays and Dancing; and in regard of the universality of this lewd infamous exercise, which overspreds our own and other Nations, whose commonness hath purchased it: such credit such applause in this effeminate, unchaste lascivious dissolute age wherein we live; that most repute it a necessary ornament, an essential commendable quality or virtue, to make up a Gentleman, a Gentlewoman, who are deemed incompleate, at leastwise rude without it: when as all the fore-quoted Councils, Fathers, Pagans, and moderne Christian Authors, with infinite others, have thus branded, censured it (especially in the female sex who are now most devoted to it) as a Diabolical, infernal, effeminate, unchristian, wicked, unchaste, immodest heathenish pastime, contrary to all God's Commandments and Sacraments: and as the very pomps of Satan which we renounce in Baptism: which me thinks should now at last rectify our depraved judgments in this point of Dancing, and reform our lives.
For the Minor, that Stage-plays are commonly attended with mixed effeminate amorous dancing; it is most apparent; not only by our own moderne experience, but likewise by the copious testimony of sundry Pagan and Christian Writers of all sorts: as namely, of Polibius. Historiae. lib. 4. pag. 340. Of Livy. Rom. Hist. lib. 7. sect. 3. Of Dionysius Hallicarnasseus. Antiqu. Lect. l. 7. sect. 9. Of Plutarch. Symposiacon. lib 9. Quaest. 15. pag. 315.316, 317. Of Athenaeus Dipnosophorum. lib. 8. c. 12. p. 695. lib. 14. c. 3 • p. 980.981. c. 7. p. 990. c. 11. p. 999. &c. 12. pag. 1005. Of Macrobius Saturnalium. lib. 2. c. 7. Of Horace Sermonum. l. 1. Satyr. 5. p. 180. & De Art Poetica lib. p. 303.306. Of Euripides, in his Bacchae Of Ovid, De Remedio Amoris. l. 2. p. 230. Of Plato. Legum. Dial. 7. Aristotle Poetic. l. 1. c. 1. Suetonij Caligula. c. 54.55. Claudian in Eutropium. lib. 2. Clemens Alexandrinus. Paedagogi. lib. 2. cap 4. fol. 50. & lib. 3. c. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian De Spectac. lib. Arnobius Advers. Gentes. l. 2. p. 75. & l. 4. p. 149.150. & l. 7. pag. 230. to 240. Lactantius Divinorum Instit. Epit. c. 6. Ambrose, De Paenitentia. lib. 2. cap. 6. Basil Hexam. Hom. 4. pag. 45. Nazienzen ad Selucum De Recta Educatione. p. 1063.1064. Chrysostom. Hom. 6.7. & 38. in Matth. Augustine, De Civit. Dei. lib. 7. c. 26. Cassiodorus Variarum. l. 1. Epist. 20. Salvian De Gubernat. Dei. l. 6. Isiodor. Hisp. Originum. l. 18. c. 48.50. The 6. Council of Constantinople. Canon 51. (which inhibits all Players, Plays, and Dancing on the Stage, under pain of excommunication: ) & Eusebius apud Damascenum. Parallelorum. lib. 3. c. 47. where thus he writes. But what doth he behold who runs to Theaters? Diabolical Songs; dancing Girls; or that I may speak more truly, Girls stirred hither and thither with the furies of the Devil. For what doth a Danceresse do? She impudently uncovers her head, which Paul hath commanded to be continually veiled: she inverts her neck; she tosseth about her hair this way and that way; Even these things are likewise done by her who is possessed by the Devil. Such likewise was the feast of Herod: the Daughter of Herodias entering in, danced, and cut of the head of John the Baptist; and so she obtained the subterraneous places of Hell instead of an inheritance. Wherefore, those who love rounds and dances, have certainly a portion with her in Hell. A terrible sentence sufficient to startle all our dancing Dames, and frisquing effeminate Gallants; who make dancing their only excellency, and supreme delight. To these I could accumulate, Polydor Virgil. De Inventoribus rerum. l. 3. c. 13. Alexander Sardis, De Inventoribus rerum. l. 1. p. 42. Caelius Rhodiginus. Antiqu. Lect. l. 5. c. 4.5. M. Gualther, Hom. 52. in Marc. Alexander ab Alexandro. Gen. Dierum. l. 6. c. 19. Agrippa De Vanit. Scient. c. 20. M. Gosson, his Plays Confuted. Action 2. D. Reinolds his Overthrow of Stage-plays. pag. 12. to 19. & 130. to 139. Godwin, his Roman Antiquities. l. 2. sect. 3. c. 11 • Bulengerus De Theatro. l. 1. c. 52. with sundry other Authors which B • lenger there recites. All which expressly inform us; that dancing was always heretofore, and yet continues an inseparable concomitant, if not a necessary part of Stage-plays. The premises therefore being thus confirmed, my conclusion from them against Stage-plays must be granted
SCENA NONA.
THe second unlawful Concomitant of Stage-plays, is amorous, obscene, lascivious lust-provoking Songs and Poems, which were once so odious in our Church; that in the Articles to be inquired of in Visitations, set forth in the first year of Queen ELIZABETHS Rain, Article 54. Church-wardens were enjoined to inquire; whether any Minstrels, or any other persons did use to sing or say any Songs or Ditties that be vile and unclean ; which suggests this 24. Play-oppugning Argument to me.
Those Plays which are usually accompaned with amorous Pastoralls, lascivious ribaldrous Songs and Ditties, must needs be unlawful, yea abominable unto Christians.
But Stage-plays are usually accompanied with such Pastorals, Songs, and Ditties as these.
Therefore they must needs be unlawful, yea abominable unto Christians.
The Minor is most aparant. First, by our own moderne experience, there being nothing more frequent, in all our Stage-plays (as all our Play-haunters can abundantly testify;) then amorous Pastorals, or obscene lascivious Love-songs, most melodiously chāted out upon the Stage between each several Action; both to supply that Chasme or vacant Interim which the Tyring-house takes up, in changing the Actors robes, to fit them for some other part in the ensuing Scene: (a thing in use in Ancient times, as Horace, Livy, and sundry others have recorded;) as likewise to please the itching ears, if not to inflame the outrageous lusts of lewd Spectators, who are ofttimes ravished with these ribaldrous pleasing Ditties, and transported by them into a Mahometan Paradise, or ecstacy of uncleanness. Secondly, as experience, so sundry ancient and moderne Authors fully suffragate to my Minors truth. In Stage-plays (writes S. Basil ) corrupt Songs ingenerate too much lust in the minds of men. These Whorish Songs residing in the minds of the hearers, do naught else but persuade filthiness to all that hear them. Wherefore we commend not those contumelious Poets who place felicity in obscene S • ngs. In Stage-plays (writes Chrysostom • , ) are broken effeminate lascivious words, meretricious songs, and voices provoking vehemently to voluptuousness; and polluting men's ears far more then any dirt or filth. What (write Eusebius and Damascene ) doth he perceive who runs to Theaters? Diabolical Songs; certain lascivious and altogether corrupt Ditties, which ingenerate much lust in the minds of the • earers, &c. To these I might add S. Augustine. De Civit. Dei. l. 6. c. 6.7 & 26. & l. 12. c. 25. Lactan • ius, De Vero Cultu, c. 21. Nazienzen ad Selucum, De recta Educatione. p. 1063. And Oratio 28. p. 471 • where he writes thus of his Father. Nec aurem & lingua •• res divinas partim accipientē partim pronunciantē ethnicis narrationibus theatricis{que} cantilenis conspurcari siverit; nihil enim prophani sacrosanctis hominibus convenire putabat. Salvian, De Gubernatione Dei. l. 6. Ioannis Salisburiensis; De Nugis Cu • ialium. l. 1. c. 8. Concilium Parisiense. l. 1. c. 38. together with Athenaeus Dipnosophorum. l. 13. c. 27 The 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters. pag. 100. Caesar Buleng • rus, De Theatro. l. 2. c. 9. De Cantu in Scena ; where there are sundry Authors quoted to this purpose, which you may peruse at leisure. Juvenal. Satyr 6. p. 53. to 57. & Satyr. 11. p. 109.110. Petronius. Satyricon. p. 23.24. Mariana & Brissonius, in their Books, De Spectaculis. M. Northbrooke, D. Reinolds, M. Gosson, and M. Stubs, in their fore-quoted Treatises against Stage-plays: and others already mentioned in Act 3. Scene 1. Who all unanimously testify; That Stage-plays are always fraught with adulterous, obscene, lascivious Songs, and wanton Pastorals, which add strength and fuel to men's lusts. My Minor therefore must be granted.
The Major is unquestionable; because all ribaldrous, amorous Songs: (which now are too to rise, not only in Stage-plays, but ever at private Christians Feasts, and other Tavern-meetings, from which Theodosius, Stilico, and others excluded all Songs and singing-women ; ( the very ornaments and delights of lascivious banquets, as Homer, Gellius, and Quintilian style them:) are abundantly condemned as abominable, sinful pastimes misbeseeming godly Christians. First, by the express verdict of the Scripture; which as it enjoins all Christians in their Feasts, their mirth, and private meetings, to sing Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs, of prayer, of praise to God with a grace and melody in their hearts: a practice, which all the Primitive • hristians (as the marginal Authors witness) observed in their Love-feasts, in all their private and public meetings: and I would, those moderne Christians, who banish these things from their Feasts and Merriments, as altogether unseasonable, exhilerating themselves with naught but scurrilous beastly Songs, lascivious music, wanton dancing, and such unchristian mirth ; would now again reviue it. So it expressly prohibits all filthy, corrupt, unedifying communication: all fornication and uncleanness which are not so much as once to be named among Christians: together with all foolish talking and jesting; all ribaldry and scurrility, either in songs or jests (which Plato, and the Athenians, though Pagans, did prohibit by an unanimous law,) as odious unto God, pernicious to the manners, minds, and souls of men, and misbeseeming Christians, whose words should be always gracious, seasoned with salt, that so they might administer grace, not poison or corruption, to the heaerers. Ribaldrous amorous Songs, are so unsuitable for the mouths, the ears of Christians; that Theophylact plainly tells us, that those who sing such Songs, are po • sessed with an unclean spirit: and S. Bernard, that he who is delighted with obscene Iests, and secular Ditties, (as alas too many are) is in the very pavilion or possession of the Devil. No wonder therefore if the Scripture condemns such songs as these, as unbefitting Christians. Secondly, as the Scripture, so sundry ancient and moderne Councils expressly censure, such Poems, Songs, and Ditties; as abominable and polluted in themselves, defiling the mouths, the ears, of those who chaunt, or hear them chaunted: as allectives unto lewdness, incentives unto lust, which grieve the holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed up to the day of redemption, and wholly effeminate the minds of men. Witness Concilium Arelatense. 3. apud Surium. Council. Tom. 1. pag. 727. Council. Agathense, Can. 39. Veneticum, Can. 11. Toletanum. 3. Can. 23. Altisiodorense. Can. 9. & 40. Cabilonense. 1. Can. 19. Senonense. Cap. 25. Surius. Tom. 4. p. 742.743. Cabilonense. 2. Can. 9. Moguntinum sub Carolo Magno. cap. 10. & 14. Rhemense. cap. 17. Parisiense. lib. 1. cap. 38. Moguntinum sub Raebano. Archiepiscopo. cap. 13. Turonense. 3. cap. 7.8. Coloniense 1536. pars 2. cap. 25. & pars 9. c. 10 Synodus Carnotensis. Anno 1526. Concilium Burdigense. Anno • 1582. & Synodus Turonica • 1583. which 17 • several Councils, inhibit all Christians, especially Clergymen, both from the use, the hearing, and singing of such Songs as these, for the precedent reasons. A sufficient inducement to cause all godly Christians to abandon them, together with all those Plays, those Play-houses and places where they are in use. Thirdly, as these Scriptures and Councils; so likewise the Fathers are very copious in censuring such ribaldrous lascivious songs as these, which if we believe S. Ambrose or S. Basil, defile the very earth and air where they are breathed out. Survey we but Clemens Alexandrinus, Paedag. l. 2. c. 4 • & 6. & l. 3. c. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian, in their Books De Spectaculis. Arnobius adverse. Gentes. lib. 4. & 7. T • tianus, Oratio adversus Graecos. Lactantius de Ver • Cultu l. 6. c. 21. Basil. Hexaëmeron. Hom. 4. De Ebrietate & Luxu. Sermo 2. & De Legendis libris Gentiliū Oratio. Nazienzen Oratio 28.37, 38. & 48. & Ad Selucum De Recta Educatione. p. 1063. Jerome • Epist. 2. c. 6. Ep. 9. c. 5. Ep. 10 • c. 4. & Adversus • ovinianum. l. 2. c. 7 Cyrillus Hierusolomitanus Chatechesis Mystagogica. 1 • (who makes such songs, the very works and pomps of the Devil, which we renounce in baptism:) Eusebius apud Damascenum. Parallelorum. l. 3. c. 47. Ambrose, De Elia & Ieiunio. c. 18 & Sermo 33. S ti . Asterij Homilia in Festum Kalendarum. Oratio. Bibl. Patrū. Tom. 4. p. 706. Augustine De Civit. Dei. lib. 6. c. 6.7. De Rectitudine Catholicae Conversationis Tractatus. & De Decem Chordis. cap. 4. Tom 9. De Tempore Sermo 225. De Verbis Apostol. Sermo 17. Hippolitus Martyr, De Consummatione mundi & Antichristo Oratio. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 3. p. 16. H. & 17. A.B. Gaudentius Brixiae. Episc. De L • ctione Evangelij. Sermo 8. Bib • . Patrum. Tom. 4. pag. 813. C. D. Primasius, Oecumenius, Theodoret, Sedulius, Remigius, Anselmus, Ha • mo, Rabanus Maurus, & Theophylact, on Ephes. 4.29, 30. & on cap. 5.3, 4. Salvianus De Gubernatione Dei. l. 6. Fulgentius super Audivit Herodes Tetrarcha, &c. Sermo. Chrysologus Sermo 128. Olympiodorus in Ecclesiast. Enarrat, c. 12. Ca • siodorus V • riarum. lib. 2. Epist. 40. Bernardus, Oratio ad Milites Templi. cap. 4. Col. 832. L. & De Nuptijs Filij Regis. Col. 1725. A. Ioannis Salisburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. l. 1. c. 6. & 8. P • trus Blesensis, Ep. 76. Maphaeus Vegius, De Educat. Lib. l. 3. c. 10.12. Paulus Wan. Sermo 7. Espencaeus in Tim. 1. Digressionum. l. 1. c. 11. p. 212. & Gratian De Consecratione Distinctio. 3. we shall find such Songs, such Poems as these abundantly condemned, as filthy and unchristian defilements, which contaminate the souls, effeminate the minds, deprave the manners, of these that hear or sing them, exciting, enticeing them to lust; to whoredom, adultery, profanes, wantonness, scurrility, luxury, drunkenness, excess; alienating their minds from God, from grace and heavenly things: and Syren-like, with their sweet enchantments entrap, ensnare, destroy men's souls, proving bitter potions to them at the last, though they seem sweet and pleasant for the present. Let S. Chrysostom, that all-golden Father, as Theodoret stiles him, whose lips did drop with Myrre and Honey, speak here for all the rest, who is somewhat copious in this theme. Like as Swine (writes he) run thither where there is mire, and as Bees do live where there are spices and perfumes: so where there are whorish Songs, there are the Devils gathered together: but where there are spiritual Songs, thither the grace of the holy Ghost doth fly, and the mouth sanctifieth the heart. And as those who bring in Stage-players, and Harlots into their Feasts (I would those whose practice it is now, would mark his words) do call in Devils thither, so they who call in David with his Harp (he means his Psalms of which he speaks) do call in Christ by him. They make their house a Theater, do thou make thy Cottage a Church. This, saith David, is my perpetual Song, this my constant work and office, to praise the Lord. Let them give ear, who effeminate and putrefy themselves with satanical Songs. What punishment shall not they undergo; or what dispensation may be given them, when as he being always employed in praising his Savior, they are perpetually wallowing themselves in these filthy Duties? By this are we taught, to what great punishment they are obnoxious, who utter libidinous and obscene songs, who pronounce comical toys, who vent lies and clamours in Cirques, &c. If then, contemning and forsaking Stageplayes, thou shalt hereafter frequent the Church, thou hast then restored health to thy halting feet: If thou shalt despise diabolical songs, and instead of them shalt learn spiritual Psalms, thou mayest now speak, whereas before thou wast but mute. And in another Homely he writes thus: As slime and dirt are wont to stop the ears of the body, so meretricious songs do use to stop the ears of the mind, more then any filth: or rather, they do not only stop, but likewise contaminate and defile them: for such songs do as it were cast dirt into the ears. What that Barbarian threatened, saying; you shall eat your own dung: that verily do many to you now, not in word, but in deed: yea, that which is far worse and filthier: For adulterous songs are much more abominable then any dung. And that which is far worse to be endured. (though it be the very humor and practice of our lascivious times) you are not only not offended nor grieved at the hearing of such songs, but you laugh and rejoice: and whereas you ought to avoid and abominate them, you entertain and applaud them. To conclude: Dancing, music, adulterous ribaldry songs (saith this Father) which are so rife and frequent in our marriages (and yet not so frequent then, as they are now in ours:) are the very Devils pomp and hotch-potch, &c. What wilt thou say of their songs which are fraught with all incontinency? which bring in dishonest loves, unlawful, nay wicked copulations, the eversions of houses and i • numerable Tragedies, and have ofttimes in them the name of a Mistress, and a Lover, a Sweet-heart and a Beloved. And that which is worst of all, there are Virgins present at them, who laying aside all shame, do in the midst of unchaste Yongsters (a practice too common with our chaunting, dancing blushlesse females now) demean themselves lasciviously and unseemly: sporting themselves with disorderly songs, obscene discourses, satanical music, in honor, or rather to the dishonor of the new married Spouse. And dost thou yet inquire of me, whence adulterers, whence whoredoms, whence corruptions of marriages should proceed? Lo here the effects of such scurrilous songs and dances. To which I shall here add • the saying of S. Valerian concerning such songs as these, in his 6. Homely, De Otiosis verbis • Bibliotheca Patrum. Tom. 5. pars 3. pag. 482.483. As oft (writes he) as the hearing is soothed with the pleasant voice, so often the sight is invited to a filthy deed. Let no man trust these treacherous songs, nor look back to those incitations of a lustful voice; which rage whiles they delight, and kill when they flatter. Thus we often see Birds to be deceived with flattering whistels, and sottish wild beasts to be drawn into a snare of death by the sweetness of the voice. Such, my beloved, is the case of mortal men, whom the care of pleasant songs solicits. In this only the varieties of voices profit, and words drawn out at length by warblings without syllables, that a man may be either taken, or may take. It cannot be expressed, my beloved, what dangerous snares the studies of mimicall pleasure exhibit. For if any man could search out the secrets of men's breast • , he should find the hearts of unhappy men to sigh again at every sound of the Flute. Understand therefore what over-familiar and secret speech may do between men and women, what near neighbourhood, what conferences mixed with jests, what a palate invited with delight, • what the desire of gold exposed to every wickedness of prostitution, if even the enticements of a dumb voice may charm the fury of another. This error therefore of the sound of the voice is to be avoided, which hath wrought bitterness in the hearts of men by its sweetness, & by a certain persuasion of a mellifluous song, hath ofttimes ministered deadly poisons to the sick. In which place the ears are first to be stopped, by opposing the Buckler of Faith, whereby the hearing of every voice enticing unto lewdness may more easily be excluded. And discipline also is to be administered, which may repel the desires of the eyes, and may bridle the incitations of a consuming heart. To all which passages, I may join that of S. Augustine, De Tempore Sermo. 215. Before all things, wheresoever you are, whether in a house, or in a iourn • y, or in a feast, or in a public assembly, utter not ye out of your mouths any scurrilous or voluptuous words; but rather continually, admonish your neighbors and friends, that they always study to speak that which is honest and good, lest perchance by evil speaking, by dancing upon holy Festivals, and by singing luxurious ribaldry songs, they may seem to inflict wounds upon themselves, even from whence they ought to have praised God. For these unhappy and miserable men, who neither fear nor blush to exercise lascivious songs and dances before the very Temples of the Saints, although they should come Christians to the Church, yet they return Pagans from the Church, because this custom of singing and dancing is but a relique of the observation of Pagans. And now behold what a Christian he is, who comes unto the Church to pray, and neglecting prayer, is not ashamed to utter the sacrilegious words of Pagans. Consider dear brethren, whether it be just, that out of that mouth of Christians where the body of Christ doth enter in, a deboist song should be brought forth, as the very poison of the Devil? Wherefore (writeth he in another place) should we then walk delighted with vain songs, that are profitable for nothing, being sweet only for a time, but bitter afterwards? For with such scurrilities of songs the enticed minds of men are effaeminated, and fall away from virtue, flowing down into filthiness, and for these very filthiness they afterwards fe • le pains, and vomit up that again with great bitterness which they have drunk down with temporal pleasure, &c. To which I may annex that Canon of the Roman Synod under Lotharius and Lodovicke: Let the Priests admonish men and women who meet together at Church on Holy-days, that they sing no filthy songs, nor lead nor keep any dances: And that Constitution of Charles and Lodovicke: Let no man dance any filthy Dances or Carantoes, nor sing any dishonest riotous songs, nor use any such Diabolical sports, either in the streets or in their houses. By all which you may easily discern, what the Fathers judged of amorous ribaldrous songs; which should cause all Christians, at leastwise to condemn them in their judgments; as all these Fathers do; if not to abandon them in their practice. To these Testimonies of the Fathers I might accumulate, not only Plato, Seneca, Ovid, Horace, and other Pagan Authors, who condemn all amorous wanton Pastorals, as fit for none but Strumpets, and lewd lascivious effeminate persons: but likewise whole Volumes of moderne Authors; there being few Commentators on the Psalms, upon Ephes. 4.29, 30. &c. 5.3.4. or upon Coll • s 4.6. Few Expositors on the 7. Commandment: few Common-place Compilers ; in their places or Titles, of Singing, Psalms, Music, Iests, Scurrility, Modesty, Chastity, and the like: Few Writers, against Stage-plays ; but have particularly condemned these lascivious, amorous, ribaldrous Songs, (which are now too much in use) as Diabolical, unchristian lust-exciting, vice-fomenting, soul-impoysoning pleasures, which all Christians should eternally abominate, as the very snares of Hell, the very plagues of that Common-weal wherein they are tolerated, and the very baits of Satan to draw men on to sin, and so to endless destruction. Since therefore Stage-plays are evermore accompanied, adorned with such execrable unchristian Pa • torals, Songs and Poems as these, (which I would wish all Christians, especially such as are most devoted to them, as they tender the everlasting welfare of their souls, even now for to abandon, for fear these momentary fading pleasures plunge them into many endless torments. ) I must thereupon now conclude, as all the fore-going Fathers and Authors in the Major do; that they must needs be sinful, and altogether unlawful unto Christians, as these their attendants are; which need no other aggravations to condemn them but themselves alone. Noscitur ex comite qui non cognoscitur ex se, was the ancient Proverb. You may therefore judge of Stage-plays, by these filthy Songs and Sonnets that accompany them; which Songs the very Title to our English singing Psalms, commands all Christians to lay a part, as tending only to the nourishing of vice, and corrupting of youth, with which I shall close this Scene.
SCENA DECIMA.
THe third unlawful Concomitant of Stage-plays, is [ 3] effeminate, delicate, lust-provoking Music, as S. Basil phraseth it, which Christians ought to fly as a most filthy thing ; both because it works upon their minds, to corrupt them, upon their lusts, to provoke them to all voluptuousness and uncleanness whatsoever. From whence this 25. Argument may be formed.
That which is always accompanied with effeminate lust-provoking Music, is doubtless inexpedient and unlawful unto Christians.
But Stage-plays are always accompanied with such Music.
Therefore they are doubtless inexpedient and unlawful unto Christians.
The Major is easily confirmed, by proving effeminate lust-enflaming Music, unlawful. That Music of it self is lawful, useful, and commendable; no man, no Christian dares deny, since the Scriptures, Fathers, and generally all Christian, all Pagan Authors extant, do with one consent aver it. But that lascivious, amorous, effeminate, voluptuous Music, (which I only here encounter,) should be either expedient, or lawful unto Christians, there is none so audacious as to justify it, since both Scripture, Fathers, moderne Christian Writers; yea and Heathen Nations, States and Authors, have past a doom upon it. If we revolve the Fathers, we shall find Clemens Alexandrinus declaiming thus against it. Those who are seriously occupied in music, songs and dances, and such like dissolute recreations, become immodest, insolent, and very far estranged from good discipline, as those about whom cymbals and dulcimers are sounding, and the instruments of fraud making a noise. But it mainly behooveth us to cut off every filthy spectacle, every dishonest sound, and to use but a word, every dishonest sense of intemperance, (which is verily a true privation of sense) that doth tickle or effeminate our eyes or ears, bewaring pleasure: For the various sorceries of effeminate songs, and of the mournful measures of the Caricke Muse, corrupt the manners, with intemperate and wicked music, drawing men to the affection of riotous feasting. The Pipe therefore, the Flute and such like instruments are to be abandoned from a sober feast, which are more fit for beasts then men, and for those people who are most estranged from reason. But modest and chaste harmonies are to be admitted, by removing as far as may be all so • t effeminate music from our strong and valiant cogitation, which using a dishon • st art of warbling the voice, do lead to a delicate and slothf • ll kind of life. Therefore Chromaticall harmonies are to be left to impudent malapartnesse in wine, to wh • rish music crowned with flowers, Justin Martyr, (if the Book be his) writes thus to the selfsame purpose. It is not unlawful, nor yet altogether unseemly for Boys to sing; but to sing with in • nimate instruments; to sing with dancing and cymbals; the use of which kind of instruments, with others fit only for Children, are exploded out of our Churches, where nothing is retained but singing only. S. Hier • m in his 10. Epistle to Furia. c. 4. writes thus. Let the Singer be thrust out of thine house as noxious: expel out of thy doors all Fiddlers, Singing-women, with all this quire of the Devil, as the deadly songs of Sirens. And in his Commentary upon the Ephes. lib. 3. cap. 2. Tom. 6. pag. 188. A. Let Youthes hear these things; let those whose office it is to sing in the Church hear these things; that we must sing to God with the heart, not with the voice; neither after the manner of Tragedians are the throat and chops to be anointed with some pleasant ointment, that theatrical songs & measures may be heard in the Church; but we must sing in fear, in work, in the knowledge of the Scriptures. So let the Servāt of Christ sing, that not the voyc • of the Singer, but the words that are read may please: that the evil spirit which was in Saul may be cast out of those, who are possessed by him in the same manner, and that he may not be brought into those, who have made a Play-house of the House of God. And in his Commentary upon the 6. of Amos. Tom. 5. p. 114. A. he writes thus. The lust of the palate, and all variety of dainty meats is not sufficient, for you soothe your ears with the songs of the Pipe, the Psaltery, and the Harp: and that which David hath made for the worship of God, finding out variety of Organs, and musical instruments, you transfer to pleasure and luxury. S. Valerian in his 6. Homely, De Otiosis Verbis. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 5. pars 3. pag. 482.483. writes thus. We therefore ofttimes find a way to be fenced to incontinency, and fomentations to adulteries to be from hence administered, whiles this man plays on the sounding Citheren with a nimble quill, and another with a skillful finger composeth the melodious enticements of the roaring Organs. Th • se are the snares, by whose assistance, among other wounds the Devil works the deaths of men, &c. S. Basil in his Commentary upon Isaiah 5. Tom. 3. p. 419.420. hath these ensuing passages, against Musicians, Songs, and Dances. Fiddlers and Musicians, who pass the time of their flourishing age in villainies, together with Dances and songs drawn forth in public by wicked persons, enervate the virility of men's bodies with their lewd enticements, and soothing their souls with that public consort, do break thorough them, and stir up Drunkards to the embracing of all filthy and unlawful pleasure. Their ears are taken with the sweet harmony, but such as may prick them on to a flagitious lubricity, &c. What a miserable Spectacle is it to chaste and well-mannered eyes, to see • woman, not to follow her needle or dis • affe, but to sing to a Lute? not to be known by her own husband, but to be often viewed by others as a public whore: not to modulate or sing a Psalm of confession, but to sing songs enticing unto lust: not to supplicate to God, but willingly to hasten unto Hell: not to go diligently to the Church of God, but to with-draw others with her self from thence, &c. With thee there lieth a Lute interlaced and adorned with Gold or Elephants tooth, a Demoniacall Statue and Idol, fastened at it were to some high; Altar and a certain miserable woman, who by reason of the necessity of her servile condition, should apply her self to her distaff, is taught of thee, perchance an hireling, perchance of one who shall delive • her over to some Baud or prostituted Whore; afterwards when she hath satisfied all the lust in her own body, she is set over other young Girls, as a Mistress of the like actions. Wherefore in the day of judgment; a double punishment shall seise upon thee; both for those wickednesses thou committest when thou art drunk, and likewise for thy wicked doctrine whereby thou hast quite alienated an unhappy soul from God, &c. Of those arts which depend upon the studi • of vanity, whether it be the art of Music, of Dancing, of sounding • ipes, or such like, as soon as the action it self hath ceased, the work it self declareth it self, and that altogether according to the Apostles sentence; whose end is destruction and perdition: Let these things suffice to be spoken against those who thorough overmuch effeminacy give themselves wholly over to delights, and that continually; Or else against those who in the days of mirth or gladness suppose of marriages or feasts, do more diligently procure Waites, Music, rounds and dancing, wh • n as none of these is required of us: who have learned by the teaching of the Scripture, that the wrath of God is bent against all such studies and conversation of life. Therefore for fear of imminent evil from hence-forth amend this wicked custom of your life. Thus far this Father, who in his Sermon, De Legendis Libris Gentilium, & De Ebrietate & Luxu, & Hexaëmeron, Hom. 4. hath other passages to this purpose. To pass by Chrysostom, who writes; that Cymbals, Pipes, and filthy Songs are the very pomps and hodgpotch of the Devil, together with our ancient learned Country-man A • chuvinus ; who reckons up shrill, wanton amorous music, which doth ofttimes mollify and effeminate the vigor of Christians, among those pomps of the Devil, which Christians in their Baptism do renounce. S. Cyril of Alexandria a • firmes; That where there is the sound of the Harp, the beating of Cymbals, the consort of Fiddlers, with the concinnity of numbers and applauses, there also is all kind of filthiness; and those things are done of these in private, which is even unseemly for to utter. Gregory Nazienzen records, that the Christians in his time had no dancing, no idle Songs, or wanton Music in their public feasts and solemnities; but only Psalms and spiritual Songs with which they praised God. And Epiphanius in his Compendiaria Doctrina, De fide Catholicae & Apostolicae Ecclesiae ; ascertaines us; that the whole Catholic and Apostolic Church, condemned Theaters, Plays and Musicians. Eusebius and Damascene, as they declaim against wanton Music, songs, and dancing ; so they pronounce an woe against all such who play upon the Harp or Citharen on the Lord's-day; comparing a Fidler that plays to Dancers, to a Devil. A harsh comparison, enough to scare such from their ungodly trade. Saint Augustine in his first Book, De Musica. from c. 1. to 8. declaimes against all wanton, effeminate, amorous, Stage-music: which was much in use with Play • rs, who were commonly bad, not good, Musicians in his age: and that Music he most discommends which wa • accompanied with Plays or lascivious dancing. The 3. Synod of Turvy under Charles the Great. Canon 7. condemns effeminate Music in these terms: The Ministers of God ought to abstain from all things which pertain to the enticements of the ears or eyes, from whence the vigor of the mind may be thought to be effeminated: which may be imagined of certain kinds of Music, &c. Which several Authorities are a sufficient testimony of the unlawfulness of effeminate, amorous, wanton Music. Which as it is discommendable in Feasts and merry meetings, so much more in Churches. Hence is that notable passage of AElredus, Abbot of Rivaulx in York-shire, about the year 1160. in his Speculum Charitatis. lib. 2. cap. 23. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 13. pag. 111. Let me speak now (saith he) of those, who under the show of religion do obpalliate the business of pleasure: which usurp those things for the service of their vanity, which the ancient Fathers did profitably exercise, in their types of future things. Whence then I pray, all types and figures now ceasing, whence hath the Church so many Organs and Musicall Instruments? To what purpose, I demand, is that terrible blowing of Belloes, expressing rather the crackes of Thunder, then the sweetness of a voice? To what purpose serves that contraction and inflection of the voice? This man sings a base, this a small mean, another a treble, a fourth divides and cuts asunder, as it were, certain middle notes. One while the voice is strained, anon it is remitted, now again it is dashed, and then again it is enlarged with a louder sound. Sometimes, which is a shame to speak, it is enforced into an horses neighings; sometimes, the masculine vigor being laid aside, it is sharpened into the shrilnesse of a woman's voice: now and then it is wrethed, and retorted with a certain artificial circumvolution. Sometimes thou mayest see a man with an open mouth, not to sing; but as it were to breath out his last gasp, by shutting in his breath, and by a certain ridiculous interception of his voice, as it were to threaten silence, and now again to imitate the agonies of a dying man, or the ecstasies of such as suffer. In the mean time the whole body is stirred up and down with certain histrionical gestures: the lips are wreathed; the eyes turn round, the shoulders play; and the bending of the fingers doth answer every note. And this ridiculous dissolution is called religion; and where these things are most frequently done, it is proclaimed abroad that God is there more honourably served. In the mean time the common people standing by, trembling and astonished, admire the sound of the Organs, the noise of the Cymbals and musical instruments, the harmony of the Pipes and Cornets: but yet look upon the lascivious gesticulations of the Singers, the meretricious alternations, interchanges, and infractions of the voices, not without dirision and laughter: so that a man may think • that they came, not to an Oratory, or house of prayer, but to a Theater; not to pray, but to gaze about them: neither is that dread • ull majesty feared before whom they stand, &c. Thus this Church-singing, which the holy Fathers have ordained that the weak might be stirred up to piety, is perverted to the use of unlawful pleasure, &c. Thus this ancient English Abbot, whom John Saresbury another ancient English Writer, about the year of our Lord 1140. doth second in these words, in his First Book, De Nugis Curialium. cap. 6. Hic est enim usus Musicae aut solus, aut praecipuus. Phrygius vero modus, & caetera corruptionis lenocinia sanae institutionis non habent usum, sed produnt malitiam abutentis. Dolet igitur & ingemescit species laudabilis disciplinae, se ab alieno vitio deformari, & quod facies meritricis facta est ei, quae viriles quoque animos accendere consueverat ad virtutem. Amatoria bucolicorum apud viros graves esse, fuerat criminis. Nunc vero laudi ducitur, si videas graviores amatoria, quae ab ipsis dicuntur elegantius, stulticinia, personare. Ipsum quo{que} cultum religions incestat, quod ante conspectum domini, in ipsis penetralibus sanctuarij, lascivientis vocis luxu, quadam ostentatione sui, muli • ribus modis notularum articulorum{que} caesuris, stupentes animulas emollire nituntur; Cum praecinentium, & succinentium, canentium, & decinentium, intercinentium & occinentium, praemolles modulationes audieris, Syrenarum concentus credas esse, non hominum, & de vocum facilitate miraberis, quibus Philomena vel Psit • acus, aut • i quid sonorius est, modos suos nequeunt coaequare. Ea siquidem est ascendendi, descendendi{que} facilitas, ea sectio vel geminatio notularum, ea replicatio articulorum, singulorum{que} consolidatio, sic acuta vel acutissima, gravibus & subgravibus temperantur, ut auribus sui iudicij fere subtrahatur autoritas & animus quem tantae suavitatis demulsit gratia, auditorum merita examinare non sufficit, Cum h • c quidem modum excesserunt, lumborum pruriginem, quam devotionem mentis, poterunt ci • ius excitare. Si vero moderationis • ormula limitantur, animum à curis redimunt, exterminant temporalium solicitudinem, & quadam participatione laetitiae, & quietis, & amica exultatione in Deum, mentes humanas traijciunt ad societatem angelorum. Sed unde hanc moderationis formulam tenes? Exultabunt, inquit, cumcantavero tibi, labia mea. Si ergo ex abundantia cordis os tuum laudem Domini moduletur, si spiritu psallis & mente, psallis deni{que} sapienter, etiam citra articulatae vocis intelligentiam, rectissimam modestiae regulam tenes, & non tam vocis, quam mentis iubilo aures mulces altissimi, & indignationem eius prudenter avertis. Qui autem voluptatis aut vanitatis affectus exprimit, qui vocis gratiam prosti • uit concupiscentijs suit, qui lenociniorum clientulam musicam facit, ignorat quidem canticum Domini, modis Babilonijs festivus in terra aliena. Qui nescio quo pacto plus placeant, nisi quia
For the Minor, that Stage-plays (which have all other inescating lust-inflaming solicitations accompanying them, that either human pravity, or Satan's policy can invent) are attended with such lascivious amorous Music, which is apt to captivate men's chastity, and foment their lusts; it is more then evident; not only by moderne experience, (our Play-houses resounding always with such voluptuous Melody;) but likewise by the suffrage of sundry Paga • and Christian Authors, both ancient and moderne. Witness Plato, Legum Dialogus 3. pag. 822. Aristotle Politic. l. 8. c. 7. p. 532.533. Livy, Rom. Hist. lib. 7. sect. 2. Polybius Hist. lib. 4. p. 340. Dion • sius Hallicarnas. Antiqu. Rom. l. 7. sect. 9. Ovid, De Remedio Amoris. lib. 2. & Pastorum. lib. 3 4.5. Horace, De Art Poëtica. lib. p. 302.303. Athenaeus Dipnosoph. l. 14. c. 3.5. Tacitus Annal. l. 14. sect. 3. Suetonij Caligula. sect. 54. & Nero. sect. 20.21.23.25.32. Plutarchus De Musica. Macrobius Saturnalium. l. 2. c. 7. & l. 3. c. 14. Tertullian, De Spectaculis, lib. Arnobius adversus Gentes. lib. 4. & 7. Basil Hexaëmer. Hom. 4. Nazienzen ad Selucum. pag. 1063. Clemens Alexand. Paedag. l. 2. c. 4. & l. 3. c. 11. Chrysost. Hom. 38. & 89. in Matth. Hom. 15.21.22.23. Ad Pop. Antioch. Augustine, De Musica. l. 1. c. 2. to 8. Jerome. Comment. in Ephes. l. 3. c. 2. Tom. 6. p. 188. A. Isi • dor. Hispal • nsis Originum. l. 18. c. 47. Damascene, Paralellorum. l. 3. cap. 47. with sundry other Fathers and Councils quoted in the precedent Scene. Alexander ab Alexandro. l. 2. c. 25. Mariana & Brissonius de Spectaculis. Stephen Gosson, his School of Abuses, and Plays confuted. Action 2. Godwins Roman Antiquities. Book 2. sect. 3. chap. 11. p. 108.109. Bodinus, De Republica. l. 6. c. 3. Agrippa, De Vanitate Scientiarum. cap. 17. & 20. and above all, Caesar Bulengerus, De Theatro. lib. 2. cap. 1. to 47. All which, with infinite others, largely ratify the truth of this Assumption; that Plays are always accompanied with most effeminate, amorous, lust-provoking Music, which depraves men's minds and manners: therefore both it and the Conclusion resulting from it, must be granted.
SCENA VNDECIMA.
[ 4] THe last unlawful Concomitant of Stage-plays, is, profuse lascivious laughter, accompanied with an immoderate applause of those scurrilous Plays and Actors, which Christians should rather abominate, then admire. From whence this 26. Argument against Stage-plays, may be framed.
That which is always accompanied with profuse lascivious laughter, with immoderate sinful applauses of Plays and infamous Actors, which Christians should abhor, must certainly be unlawful unto Christians.
But Stage-plays are always accompanied with such laughter and applauses.
Therefore they must certainly be unlawful unto Christians.
The Major I shall evidence, by proving such laughter, such applauses to be sinful. That p • ofuse lascivious laughter, especially such as is occasioned by Stage-plays, is evil, it is most apparent. First, in regard of the original efficient cause of it, which is commonly some obscene, lascivious, sinful passage, gesture, speech, or jest, (the common object of men's hellish mirth) which should rather provoke the Actors, the Spectators to penitent sobs, then wanton smiles; to brinish tears, then carnal solace, which suite not with such sinful objects ; as Nazienzen, Chrysostom, and Antonius Laurentius well observe. It is recorded of Lot, that he vexed his righteous soul from day today, in seeing and hearing the unlawful filthy deeds and conversation of the wicked Sodomites. Of David; that rivers of tears ran down his eyes, because men kept not God's Law. Of Jeremiah, that his heart did bleed in secret, his eyes weep sore and trickle down with tears, for the iniquities of his people. Of Paul; that he seriously bewailed the unlamented, unrepented sin of the incestuo • s Corinthian. Of Ezra, that he humbled himself, and rent his clothes, and mourned and wept exceedingly for the Israelites sin • e in marrying with Idolaters. And of all the faithful of Jerusalem, that they sighed and cried for all the abominations that were committed in the midst thereof. Yea, God himself enjoins his servants, to mourn for others sins: to turn their sinful laughter into heaviness; and their carnal joy (arising from lascivious objects) into mourning: effulminating an everlasting woe, a dismal curse against all such graceless fools, who make a mock of sin, or recreate themselves with the iniquities of other men. That Play-house laughter then which ariseth from such filthy scurrilous objects, must needs be evil, discovering nothing but a graceless heart; delighting only in ribaldry, in uncleanness ; whereas all Christians, must rejoice in God alone, not in the Devil, not in sinful pleasures, which are but for a season. Secondly, it mu • t needs be sinful in regard of its excess, it being altogether boundless beyond the rules of modesty, temperance, christianity, sobriety, by which it should be regulated. Theatricall laughter knows neither bounds, nor measure; men wholly resign and let loose the reins of their hearts unto it, glutting, nay tyring their sides and spirits with it: the dissolute profuseness of it therefore m • kes it evil. Thirdly, the end of Play-house laugh •• r, is only to satiate men's fl • shly lusts with secular jollity and delights of sin: t • pamper, to arm the rebellious flesh against the Spirit: to quench those heavenly joys, and spiritual comforts which should ravish Christian souls: to exile all true repentance, all godly sorrow and sound humiliation for sin, which are altogether incompatible with these lascivious smiles: to put the evil day far off from men, by stupefying their self-condemning consciences, and lulling them fast a sleep in a most desperate carnal security. Such is the use, the fruit of this Stage-laughter: it cannot therefor but be evil. Fourthly, this laughter is altogether unseemly, unseasonable unto Christians. Vnseemely, because immoderate: profuse excessive laughter, (especially at the sight or hearing of a ribaldrous Stage-play,) is altogether inconsistent with the gravity, modesty, and sobriety of a Christian, whose aff • ctions should be more sublime, more serious and composed, then to be immoderately tickled with mere lascivious vanities, or to lash out into excessive cachinnations in the public view of dissolute graceless persons, who will be hardened and encouraged in their lascivious courses, by their ill example. Vnseasonable; because this is no place, no time, no world for Christians to laugh or to be merry in: but to bewail their own and others sins, that so they may escape the eternal torments of them at the last. Our Savior, whose doctrine no Christian dares control, hath denounced an woe, to all those that laugh, that live in ease, jollity, and carnal pleasures now, because they shall certainly mourn, and suffer eternal to • ments for it hereafter ; informing all his Children (whose joys are treasured up in heaven against another day) that in this world they shall be sure to suffer persecution and affliction, to weep, lament, and be sorrowful: and that this world only (who have their portion in this life) shall now rejoice ; that is, in a carnal worldly manner: whereupon he adviseth all his followers, to turn their secular laughter into mourning, their carnal jollity into weeping and heaviness ; For Christians therefore to make this world a paradise of all earthly pleasures, to spend their days in Epicureanism, mirth and jollity, glutting themselves with sinful Spectacles and mirth-provoking Interludes, as alas two many do: to be like Democritus, always laughing, never weeping, unless it be sometimes against their wills, and then not for their sins: to be most unlike their blessed Savio • r, who was ofttimes weeping, never smiling that we read of. Quem flevisse legimus risisse non legimus: how can it but be sinful, yea abominable? Christ Jesus our pattern, our example, whose steps we all must follow, if ever we expect salvation from him; was always mourning, never laughing ; (I am sure not at a Stage-play, which he and his condemn, as worthy tears, not smiles,) and shall we do nothing but rejoice? The Apostles and Christians in the Primitive Church, yea all the Saints of God who went before us, were for the most part weepers, not laughers; deploring among sundry other evils, those execrable abominations which Stage-plays did produce. And shall we be always laughing • nay laughing at these filthy Interludes which they so much bewailed? Is this to imitate Christ or his Apostles: to live like Saints, like Christians, like men redeemed from the world? Is this to participate with Christ in his afflictions; or to trace the narrow uncouth way that leads to endl • sse joys? O no! this carnal life of jollity, prognostics nothing but a voluptuous heart, a Godlesse, Christless conversation, which leads men down to Hell: needs therefore must it be unlawful unto Christians. Fifthly, this profuse Theatricall laughter doth give a public approbation to all the ribaldry and profaneness that is either personated • r perpetrated on the Stage, and so makes these laughers deeply guilty of it. Sixthly, it produceth sundry sinful con • equents: as cachinnations, clamors, impudency, effeminacy, incivility, voluptuousness, looseness and lightness of spirit, impenitency, carnal security, indisposition to every holy duty, especially to godly sorrow for sin: therefore it cannot but be evil. Peruse we but the Scriptures; we shall find them much condemning this excessive carnal laughter, (especially at vain, at sinful objects) as misbeseeming Christians. Survey we the Fathers, they are exceeding copious in this subject. Witness Clemens Alexandrinus, Paedag. l. 2. c. 5.6. & l 3. c. 11. Arnobius, Advers. Gentes. l. 4, pag. 149.150.151, l. 7. pag. 230. to 242. Basil. De Ebrietate & Luxu Sermo. p. 329.332, 236. Nazianzen ad Selucum. p. 1063.1064. Sententiae. p. 1168. & 997. Ambrose. Sermo. 17. S. Asterij. Homil. in Festum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patrum. Tom 4. p. 706. Jerome. Epist. 8. c. 7. August. De Verbis Apostoli. Sermo. 9. Tom. 10. p. 376. Confessionū. l. 2. cap. 9. Enar. in Psal. 51. Tom. 8. pars 1. pag. 605.606. Salvian. De Gubernat. Dei. lib. 6. & 7. Theoph • lact. Enar. in Luk. 6. p. 135. Ioannis Climachus, De Discretione Gradus. c. 31. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 6. pars 2. p. 280. G. Bedae Scintillae. Tom. 7. Col. 335. Risus. Antiochus. Hom. 95. Quod temperandum sit à solutiore & immoderato Risu. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 7. p. 209. Bernard in Caena Domini. Sermo. 9. De Gradibus Humilitatis. Col. 961. A. De Ordine Vitae. Col. 1117. A.B. Olympiodorus. Enar. in Ecclesiasten. cap. 2. & 7. and above all, S. Chrysostom. Hom. 6.38. & 69. in Matth. Hom. 17. in Ephesios. & 15. in Hebraeos. & 54.14.15. & 62. ad Pop. Antiochiae. To which I might add, Robertus Holkot. in Lib. Sapientiae. Lectio. 172. fol. 133. Revelationes Sanctae Brigi • tae. l. 2. c. 29. Nicolaus de Clemangis De Novis Celebritatibus non instituendis. p. 143. to 150. Thomas Gualesius. Lect. 77 in Proverb. Solomonis. fol. 97. Edit. Ascentijs. 1510. (a notable place) Antonius Laurentius, De Risu. l. 2. Summa Angelica. Tit. Risus. Rabanus Maurus. Com. in Regulam. S. Benedicti. Oper. Tom. 6. p. 278. E.F. 283. E. 292. d. Alexander Alensis, Summa Theology. pars 2. Quaest. 133. throughout. & 134. with sundry others which I pretermit: who all pass sentence against profuse immoderate laughter (especially such as Stage-plays do occasion) as misbeseeming Christians. If any censure these as more then puritanically rigid in this point of laughter, let them hearken what some Pagan Authors have resolved of it, whom none dare tax of Puritanism. No man (writes Plato ) ought to be affected with the desire of laughter. For the affectation of profuse laughter seeks a very vehement change. Neither is it to be endured, that any one should make memorable men to exceed in laughter, much less the God's. Isocrates adviseth Demonicus; neither to love petulant laughter, neither to approve of insolent speech; because the one savor • of folly, the other of madness: to carry a grave, not an austere countenance; because the one is attributed to insolency, the other to prudence. Seneca, makes immodest laughter, an undoubted character of a wicked man. Catullus, as wanton a Poet as any, records; That there is nothing more unseemly then wanton foolish laughter. Among the ancient Persians it was utterly unlawful to laugh openly in a loud or dissolute manner. And if AElian may be credited; in the University of Athens it was unlawful for any to laugh, especially in a profuse ridiculous immodest fashion. The very Heathens then as is evident by these and sundry other testimonies, condemned loud excessive laughter. If such laughter then as this, was altogether unseemly for modest Pagans, must not our public infamous Play-house cachinnations, be much more unsuitable for sober Christians? No Christian I presume dares once deny it. Our Stage-plays therefore which occasion, which provoke such profuse lascivious laughter, must questionless be evil: as Ephes. 5.3.4. with all ancient and moderne Commentators on it will more largely testify.
Secondly, as the laughter, so the public Theatricall Applauses which attend these Interludes, are evil. First, because they give a public justification, not only to Stage-plays and Actors, exploded by the Church of God from age to age; but even to all the wickedness, the lasciviousness that attends them, to all the villainy and lewdness that is produced by them. He who upon a Players or Play-Poets Plaudi • e, gives any public acclamation, any applause unto the Play, or Actors, approves both Play and Players, with all their sinful passages • speeches, gestures, and pernicious consequents, and saith Amen unto them: A dang • rous fearful sin, which makes men an abomination to the Lord, and draws down a dismal woe upon their heads: because it justifieth the wickedness of the wicked, calling evil good, and darkness light; putting bitter for sweet, and vice for virtue, as all Theatricall Applauses do. Secondly, they interest men in the guilt and punishment of all those iniquities, that are either acted or committed in, or occasioned by these Stage-plays, by giving public and real approbation to them. Thirdly, they harden, they animate both Play-poets, Players, and Play-haunters in their ungodly courses, which perchance they would relinquish were they not encouraged in them by these vain Applauses. Fourthly, if we believe Tertullian, these Applauses so pollute men's hands, that they can neither lift them up to God in prayer, nor yet stretch them out to receive the Sacrament in an holy manner. God requires Christians, to lift up holy hands to him in prayer: to bring cleansed, washed, pure hands and hearts unto his Sacraments, not tainted with the filth of any sin. Now Stage-applauses defile men's hands and hearts, making them so polluted, that they can neither lift them up in holy prayers to their holy God ( who can endure no iniquity, nor the touch of anything that is unclean; ) nor yet extend them to embrace Christ's sacred Body and Blood, without defilement. These Stage-applauses therefore must needs be sinful in all these respects, as Tert • llian, Cyprian, Nazienzen, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Salvian, with sundry moderne Christian Authors, have already doomed them to our hands.
For the Minor; that Stage • plays are always attended with such laughter and applauses, it is most apparent. First, by experience, which infallibly informs men, that Stage-plays have evermore superabounded with obstreperous wanton cachinnations, acclamations, applauses, misbeseeming modest persons, much more religious Christians. Secondly, by the very end of men's pretended resort to Stage-plays: For what other use do our most rigid Play-patrons ascribe to Stage-plays, but to exhilerate the Spectators, by provoking them to laughter. Or what other pret • nce have Play-haunters for their resort to Play-houses; (though many of them aim at far more sinester respects ) but to pass away the time in mirth? to laugh till their sides do ache again, at the Clownes behavior, or some other merry jests and passages; or to applaud the Plays, the parts, the Actors which affect them? Thirdly, by the Plaudite, which is commonly affixed as a period to most ancient and moderne Plays: at the pronunciation of which, the people, i • they like the Play, are wont to clap their hands, and give a public acclamation, or Amen, as the practice of former and present times doth manifest. Lastly, by the concurring testimony of Pagans, Fathers, and moderne Christian Authors; who all a • firm, that Stage-plays not only occasion, but are likewise attended with profuse exorbitant laughter, acclamations and applauses ; In which regard, the Fathers and moderne Christian Authors much condemn them. For Pagan Authorities; if you peruse but Athenaeus. Dipnos. lib. 6. cap. 6. who there informs us out of Theophrastus, that the Terynthians, who were very studious of jesting Comedies, were so accustomed to laugh at Plays, that they could not forbear laughter in their solemn sacrifices, nor their most serious affairs. Or Plato, De Republ. Dialog. 3. pag. 586. Aristotle, Politicorum. lib. 8. cap. 7. pag. 533.534. Ovid, Fastorum. l. 3. & 5. & De Art Amandi. l. 1. Horace, De Art Poëtica. lib. p. 298.302.303. 304. Epist l. 2. Epist. 2. Livy, Rom. Hist. l. 7. sect. 2.3. Dionysius Hallicarnas. Antiqu. Rom. l. 7. sect. 9. Marcus Aurelius. Epist. 12. to Lambert, Plautus, Asinaria & Amphitruo, Prologus, & Epilogus. Terentij. Andria & Heutontimorum. Prologus & Epilog. Tacitus Annal. l. 14. sect. 2.3. Macrobius Saturnalium. l. 2. c. 7. with sundry other quoted by Bulengerus De Theatro. l. 1. c. 60.61. you shall find them copious in this theme. For Fathers I shall refer you to Clemens Alexandrinus. Paedag. l. 2. c. 5. & lib. 3. c. 11. Tertullian, De Spectac. c. 25. Cyprian, De Spectaculis, & Epist. l. 2. Epist. 2. Arnobius, Advers. Gentes. l. 4. p. 149. 150.151. & l. 7. p. 230. to 240. Ba • il. De Ebrietate & Luxu. Sermo. p. 329.332.338. Comment in Isaiam. c. 5. p. 419.420. Lactantius, De Vero Cultu. c. 20. Nazienzen ad Selucum, p. 1063.1064. Chrysostom, Hom. 3. De Davide & Saul. Hom. 6. 38. & 69. in Matth. Hom. 42. in Acta Apost. Hom. 15.62. ad Pop. Antiochi • . Hom. 17. in Ephe • ios. & 15. in Hebraeos. Augustine, De Civit. Dei. l. 2. c. 4. to 15. & 26. to 30. l. 6. c. 1.6. 7.10. l. 8. c. 10. l. 11. c. 8. Salvian, De Gubernat. Dei. l. 6. & 7. Cassiodorus Variarum. l. 1. Epist. 27 • l. 3. Epist. 51. Ioannis Salisburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. l. 1. c. 7.8. & lib. 8. cap. 6.7. Sanctus Asterius. Hom. in • estum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 4. p. 705.706. with others which I pretermit, who fully suffragate to my Minors truth. For moderne Christian Authors, Thomas Gual • sius. Hom. 77. in Proverb. Solomonis. pag. 97. who is copious to this purpose. M. Northbro • ke, M. Gosson, M. S • ubs, D. Reinolds ; Brissonius and Mariana, in their Books and several fore-named Treatises against Stage-plays: The 2. & 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters. Bulengerus, De Theatro. l. 1. c. 60. & 61. De Plausu, Sibilo, Clamoribus & acclamationibus Theatri: with sundry others formerly quoted to this purpose. pag. 30.31. will sufficiently satisfy any that doubt of my Assumpsions truth. Since then it is evident by all these testimonies, that Stage-plays do occasion, do abound with such laughter, such applauses, as I have here evinced to be evil and misbeseeming Saints, I may well conclude; that Stage-plays even in this regard, and in respect of all the fore-going particulars, in the precedent Act, are utterly unlawful unto Christians; which should cause them wholly to abandon them.
ACTVS 6
SCENA PRIMA.
[ 5] FIftly, as Stage-plays are sinful and so unlawful unto Christians in all the fore-mentioned regards, so likewise are they in respect of several pernicious effects, and dangerous fruits, which usually, if not necessarily and perpetually issue from them; the chiefest of which I shall here enumerate in their order; that so you may more evidently discern the badness of them, by the sundry evils they occasion.
The first of these, is the prodigal misspense of much precious time, which Christians should husband and redeem to better purposes: From whence this 27. Argument against Stage-plays may be composed.
That which doth always unavoidably produce an intolerable misspense of much peerless time, which should be carefully improved and redeemed, must certainly be sinful, and so unlawful unto Christians.
But this do Stage-plays; as I shall fully manifest.
Therefore they must certainly be sinfu • l, and so unlawful unto Christians.
The Major all men must subscribe to; because God himself commands us, not prodigally to waste, but wisely to redeem the time, and so much the rather, because the days are evil. Our time, it is our richest treasure ; it is that peerless portion which God himself hath put into our hands; that we might improve it to his glory, to our own and others good ; not sinfully cons • me it upon lascivious childish Interludes, vanities, or delights of sin ; which bring nothing but eternal horror to men's souls at last. For men, for Christians then, to cast this invaluable Pearl of precious time to Swine ; to disburse this treasure for that which is not bread, this money for that which satisfieth not: to waste this royal patrimony upon voluptuous spectacles, or lewd ridiculous Pastimes: to trifle it quite away upon the very vainest vanities (as alas too many do, who treasure up nothing but eternal wrath and horror to their souls, against the day of wrath, ) how can it but be sinful? Our days, yea every hour and minute of our lives, are God's, not ours: they are those precious talents which God hath put into our hands to occupy with them till he come: to him must we give up our account for the employment of them at the last. And can we then take God's time, God's treasure (allowed only to us for his use, his service, which is abundantly sufficient to engross even all our days, ) and spend it wholly upon sin? upon Satan? upon our own carnal lusts and pleasures? upon lascivious Stage-plays, Games, and Sports? up • n Dicing, Carding, Dancing, Drinking, Whoring, Feasting? upon idle Visits, Complements and Discourses? upon Meretricious Paintings, Frizlings, Pouldrings, Attyrings, and the like, (in which many squonder away their very choicest morning hours, more fit for study & devotion then such unchristian practices,) as if we had no God to serve, no callings to follow, no souls to save, no Hell to fear, no Heaven to seek, no Judge to censure us, no day of Judgment to account in, how we have spent our time? and yet flatter ourselves so grossly, as to presume we have done full well, at least-wise not offended, in this profuse misspending of our Masters stock of time? Alas, how many millions of pounds; how many myriades of Kingdoms, nay of Worlds (were they but Masters of them) would many thousand damned spirits, now in torments, or voluptuous distressed persons now lying on their death-beds, ready to breathe out their souls at every breath into the infernal Tophet, give, for the moitie, the tythe, yea the very smallest quantity of that invaluable time which they have irrecoverably spent on Plays, and such like sinful Pastimes; that so they might in time bewail with brinish tears, with dolorous pangs, and deepest sighs, the loss of all those hours which they have prodigally spent in Play-houses, Taverns, and such life-devouring places, to prevent or else extenuate the intolerable horror of their eternal pains? And shall we then squander away, we care not how, those precious hours, which these, which we ourselves perchance hereafter (though now we value them at so low a price, as to play them quite away for naught ) would willingly repurchase at the dearest rate, on vain lascivious Stage-plays, toys, and childish vanities, as if we were created only to play and follow sports (which Tully and other Pagans quite deny) and yet think to scape unpunished? Those Plays and Pastimes therefore, which miserably waste and eat out all our days, which rob us of our precious time (our chief, our only treasure, ) which we should carefully husband to our good: Which sacrilegiously defraud our God, our Country, our Souls, our Callings of sundry vacant hours which should be spent upon them, must needs be evil and unlawful unto Christians even in this respect.
For the Minor, that Stage-plays unavoidably produce an intolerable misspense of much precious time, &c. it is most apparent, if we will but sum up all those days, those hours which are vainly spent in the composing, conning, practicing, acting, beholding of every public, or private Stage-play. How many golden days and hours, I might say weeks, nay mon • ths, and I had almost said whole years, do most Play-poets spend in contriving, penning, polishing their new-invented Plays, before they ripen them for the Stage? When these their Plays are brought unto maturity, how many hours, evenings, half-days, days, and sometimes weeks, are spent by all the Actors (especially in solemn academicall Interludes) in coppying, in conning, in practicing their parts, before they are ripe for public action? When this is finished, how many men are vainly occupied for sundry days (yea sometimes years ) together, in building Theaters, Stages, Scenes and Scaffolds ; in making theatrical Pageants, Apparitions, Attires, Visars, Garments, with such-like Stage-appurtenances, for the more commodious pompous acting and adorning of these vain-glorious Interludes? When all things requisite for the public personating of these Plays are thus exactly accommodated, and the day or nigh approacheth when these are to be acted, how many hundreds of all sorts, vainly, if not ridiculously spend whole days, whole afternoons and nights ofttimes, in attyring themselves in their richest robes ; in providing seats to hear, to see, and to be seen of others ; or in hearing, in beholding these vain lascivious Stage-plays, ( which last some three or four hours at the least, yea sometimes whole days and weeks together, as did some Roman Plays, and yet seem to short to many, to whom a Lecture, a Sermon, a Prayer, not half so long, is over-tedious:) who think themselves well employed all the while they are thus wasting this their precious time (which they scarce know how to spend) upon these idle Spectacles. Add we to this, that all our common Actors consume not only weeks and years, but even their whole lives, in learning, practicing, or acting Plays, which besides nights and other seasons, engross every afternoon almost throughout the year, to their peculiar service; as we see by daily experience here in London ; where thousands spend the moitie of the day, the week, the year in Play-houses, at least-wise far more hours, then they employ in holy duties, or in their lawful callings. If we annex to this, the time that divers waste in reading Play-books, which some make their chiefest study, preferring them before the Bible, or all pious Books, on which they seldom seriously cast their eyes; together with the misspent time which the discourses of Plays, either seen or read, occasion: and then sum up all this lost, this misspent time together; we shall soon discern, we must needs acknowledge, that there are no such Helluoes, such Canker-worms, such thievish Devourers of men's most sacred ( yet undervalued ) time, as Stage-plays. Hence Concilium Carthagiense. 4 Can. 88. Council. Aphricanum. Can. 28. Council. Constantinopolitanum. Can. 66. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedagogi. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian, De Spectac. lib. Arnobius. l. 4. & 7. adverse. Gentes. with sundry other Councils, Fathers, Authors hereafter quoted, complain, that many Lord's-days, Holy-days, and sacred Festivals which ought to have been spent in holy exercises of Religion, and God's more special service, together with much other precious time which men's particular callings did require, was spent in acting and beholding Stage-plays: Hence Philo Judaeus, De Agricultura. lib. pag. 271.272. with much grief laments: That many thousands of people throughout the world, be sotted with the delight of Stage-plays, did with greedy eyes and ears flock together to Theaters, to behold the effeminate gestures and motions of Stage-players; neglecting in the mean time the public welfare, and their own private estates, and miserably wasting their lives in these vain Spectacles. Hence Basil, Hexaëmeron. Hom. 4. informs us: That there are certain Cities, which feed their eyes and ears from morning to night, with many various Spectacles, and with effeminate amorcus lascivious Songs and Interludes, engendering an excess of lusts within their souls, in hearing of which their ears are never satisfied. And such people as these (writes he) many call exceeding happy, because neglecting and setting aside the care of government, merchandize, their trades, and all other employments whereby they may get their living; they spend the time of life allotted to them with exceeding idleness and pleasure. Hence Nazienzen, De Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063.1064. & Chrysostom. Hom. 15.21.23. & 62. Ad Populum Antioch. Hom. 6.7.38. & 69. in Matth. & Hom. 42. in Acta Apostolorum ; relate, • hat in the Play-house there is a loss of time, a superfluous consumption of days; where men waste whole days in ridiculous and p • rnicious pleasures. And withal they much complain; that many people leaving the Church did flock by troops to Play-houses, bestowing that time upon the Devil, which they should have dedicated unto God ; Hence Augustine, De Decem Chordis. lib. c. 3. & De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. c. 4. to 23. Salvian, De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. Cyrillus Alexandrinus in Ioannis Evangelium. li • . 8. c. 5. Leo. 1. Sermo in Octava Pauli & Petri. cap. 1. fol. 165. S. Asterius, Homilia. in Festum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 4. pag. 705.706. Damascene Parallelorum. lib. 3. cap. 47. Ioannis Saresburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 7.8. with other Fathers, pass sentence against Stage-plays, as chief consumers of much precious time, which should be expended upon better things, as their words hereafter quoted. Scene 3.4.5. & 12. more fully evidence. Hence divers Pagan Authors; as Cicero, • ro L. Muraena, & pro Sexto Oratio. Epist. lib. 7. ad Marium Epist. 10. & De Legibus l. 1. & 2. Seneca, De Brev. Vitae. cap. 12.13. Epist. 7. & 75. & Naturalium. Quaest. lib. 7. c. 32. Cornelius Tacitus, Annalium. lib. 14. sect. 3. Suetonij Nero. sect. 23. & Caligula. sect. 18. Marcus Aurelius. Epist. 12. to Lambert. Ammianus Marcellinus. lib. 28. cap. 10. Horace, De Art Poetica. lib. together with Scipio Nasica, that famous Roman, have much condemned Stage-plays, because they waste many precious hours which should be improved to more weighty uses. And for this very reason among sundry others, Petrarcha De Remedio Vtr. Fortunae. lib. 1. Dialog. 30. Polydor Virgil. De Invent. Rerum. lib. 5. c. 2. Agrippa De Vanitate Scientiarum. cap. 59. M. Gualther. Hom. 11. in Nahum. Carolus Sigonius De Occidentali Imperio. lib. 1. p. 32. Ioannis Langhecrucius, De Vita & Honestate Ecclesiasticorum. l. 2. c. 11.12.21. M. North • rooke, M. Gosson, M. Stubs, D. Reinolds, Mariana & Brissonius, in their Books and Treatises against Stage-plays. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters. pag. 66.67. John Field in his Declaration of God's Judgment at Paris Garden. George Whetston, in his Mirror for Magistrates of Cities. pag. 24. Bulengerus, De Circo, &c. pag. 81. to 88. & 167.168. I. G. in his Refutation of the A • ologie for Actors. A short Trea • ise against Stage-plays. Anno • 1625. M. Bolton in his Discourse of true Happiness. pag. 74.75. To omit all others which I shall name hereafter, have censured and rejected Stage-plays, (in the hearing, reading, and beholding of which, many spend whole days, whole weeks, whole years) as the over-prodigal devourers of much peerless time, which they most injuriously steal from God, from men, and from the Common-weal. Since therefore our lives are exceeding short and momentary, posting away with winged speed ; our time so precious ; the duties of our general, our particular callings ( which may not be omitted for fear the Devil find us idle, and so tempt us unto sin) almost infinite, well able to engross even all our vacant hours; the misspense, the loss of time so dangerous, so pernicious: the grand account we must shortly render of all the ill-spent minutes of our lives before the Barre of God's Tribunal, so certain, so terrible and inevitable, these time-devouring Stage-plays, which encroach so far, so desperately, so universally upon the lives of many (especially in this our great Metrapolis where they are daily acted and frequented,) must certainly be execrable, sinful, and pernicious unto Christians, (who should redeem their fore-past time which tears, which they have spent in lascivious carnal jollity) even in regard of this most vile effect, which issues always from them.
SCENA SECVNDA.
THe second consequent or effect of Stage-plays; is [ 2] a prodigal, sinful, vain expense of money, which should be more profitably, more charitably disbursed, then in supporting Plays or Players. From whence I argue in the 28. place; thus.
That which always necessarily occasions a prodigal vain expense of money or estate, which should be well employed, is certainly sinful and unlawful unto Christians.
But this do Stage-plays, and common Actors.
Therefore they are certainly sinful and unlawful unto Christians.
The Major cannot be gainsaid, because prodigally and idle expense of money, is a sin, as the Scriptures, Fathers, with sundry Pagan Authors have determined: and that in two respects. First, because it abuseth, it perverteth God's good creatures to an unlawful end, by misspending them upon carnal pleasures, lusts, and vain fantastique humors ; when as they should be employed to God's glory, our own and others good. Secondly, because it robs the poor of that bountiful charitable relief, which else they should receive from that superfluity of wealth which Prodigals consume: The main end why God bestows abundance of earthly riches upon some men, more then others, being only this; that their super-abundant plenty, might supply the wants of others: not feed their own excessive lusts, as Play-haunters for the most part do.
The Minor (that Stage-plays always necessarily occasion much prodigal expense, which might be better employed;) is most apparent, not only by that of Ovid, Inspice ludorum sumptus Auguste tuorum; Empta tibi magno talia malta leges. Quod{que} minus prodest paena est lucrosa Poëtae, Tantaque non parvo crimina praetor emit ; but likewise by the Records and Histories of former ages. It is storied of the Romans; that the sums of money they disbursed in erecting Theaters, in setting forth Stage-plays, and such like public Spectacles, did annually amount to more then their expenses on their Wars, or Fortifications: in so much that the charge of them at last grew altogether intolerable, not only to Rome it self, but to all her Confederates, and foreign Tributary Provinces; who were much oppressed, much impoverished by reason of the excessive charge of Plays, and public Shewes, towards which they were Contributors. It is registered of the Athenians, that their very public Stage-plays, (maintained at the republikes cost) did so exhaust their common treasure, that at last they left no money in their Exchequer to rigge their Ships, to set forth their Navy, or to defend their Country: in so much that their enemies laying hold on this their penury, prevailed much against them. Whence they w • re not unjustly taxed by a Lacedaemonian, for wasting serious things on sports, and lavishing out the provision, the supplies of great Navies and Armies, upon Plays and Theaters. It is recorded of divers Roman Emperors, (as Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Verus, Maximinus, Balbinus, Carinus, and others) who are therefore censured by their own Historians; that they spent a great part of their Revenues upon Plays and common Actors, who received annual Pensions from them, besides other Boones and Gratuities: which public Stipends and Donations, Tiberius, Marcus Antonius the Philosopher, Dioclesian, Alexander Severus, with other Roman Emperors did curtale, or totally withdraw, as over-chargeable to their Exchequers, which they did much exhaust. Not to relate the prodigal expenses of the Roman State in general, or of some of their Magistrates, or Editors of Plays in particular, who prodigally spent their whole estate in celebrating Plays to the honor of their Idols, or to gain the acclamations of the vulgar crew, who were much delighted with theatrical and gladiatory Interludes; of which there are sundry precedents, wherein I might expatiate: I shall relate the sum of all in the words of S. Augustine, who complains; that even in his time, and before, more was given to Stage-players, for superfluous pleasure, then was disbursed in the second Punicke war upon the Roman Legions for the public safety, which was then endangered: with which the pathetical speech of Salvian, to this purpose, well accords. In former time (saith he) when every Part of the Roman Empire flourished, the Common-weal after a sort, did seek where and how to waste her wealth, having almost no place to keep it. And therefore heaps of treasure, well-nigh above measure, were consumed upon vain Interludes. But now what can be said? Our old abundance is departed from us • gone is the wealth of former times; poor are we now, and yet we cease not to be vain. Play-houses, the places and habitations of filthiness, are yet standing, because in them all impure things were formerly acted: but yet now in many places Plays themselves are not so frequently acted • because the misery, the poverty of the time will not permit it. So that it was from men's impiety that Plays were acted in times past; and it is only from their necessity that they are not acted now. For the p • verty of the Exchequer, and the beggerlinesse of the Roman Treasury permit not now, that any prodigal expenses should be everywhere lavished out upon such n • gatory trifles. Althought as yet much is still lost, and cast as it were into the dirt; yet nothing so much can be now consumed, because there is not much to spend. And yet such is our insatiable desire of most filthy pleasure, that verily, we could wish that we had more, for this only purpose, that we might convert more into this mire of filthiness. Yea, the very thing it self shows how much we would prodigally consume on Stage-plays if we were rich, when as we waste so much upon them being poor. For this is the blemish and misery of our present condition, that although through our poverty we cannot, notwithstanding through our viciousness, we would yet spend more. Which may as truly be predicated of the English Play-haunters now, as of the Romans then. By all these testimonies we may evidently discern, how prodigally expensive these Plays and Players were unto the ancient Romans, both in their wealth and poverty. The expenses in setting forth pub •• ke Plays and Interludes being so excessive, that they could hardly be undergone by any but the Emperor, as Caesar Bulengerus testifieth. And if they were such to the very richest Common-weals and Monarchs, how much more intollerably expensive, think you, were they to private persons? Flavius Vopiscus reports, of Julius Messalla; that he spent his whole Patrimony upon Stage-players, leaving naught unto his Heirs: and that he gave his Mothers Coat unto a Woman-Actor, and his Fathers Cloke to a Player, for which he liberally taxeth him. Nicolaus and Athenaeus record of Sylla, the Roman Captain, that he was so adicted to Plays, (he being much enamored with ludicrous sports,) that he gave them many acres of ground, out of the Republics revenues. To which I may add that of AElius Lampridius, who writes of Commodus Antoninus; that he deminished his Treasury by prodigal expenses upon Stage-plays; and that he added many Cirque plays rather out of lust, then out of religion, that so he might enrich the Masters of those factions. Gregory Nazienzen informs us; that Stage-plays and Horse-races do manifestly impoverish men's estates. How many Families (writes he) have they suddenly over-turned? how many rich men have they enforced to beg their bread? how many Cities living peaceably among themselves, have they u • terly overthrown? Seest thou not some men (writes S. Basil ) prodigally consuming their money in Play-houses upon Tumblers and Stage-players, which everyone should abhor to behold, to gain some momentary honor, and a little popular applause? It is (quoth Arnobius ) an inexpiable sin, that gifts and stipends are allowed and appointed unto Stage-players, and worn-out Pantomimes, the deriders of the gods; that they are exempted from public O •• ices and employments, and crowned with Garlands. Saint Chrysostom oft complains; that Stage-plays are the occasions of many prodigal vain expenses: that men did bestow innumerable, yea, unspeakable gifts, and consume much money upon Stage-players: that they cherished them at their own • private houses, bestowing that food, that cost upon them, which should be spent upon Christ's poor members: and that they maintained them likewise out of the public Treasury, as if they had well deserved of the Common-weal, which had disfranchised and made them infamous. Saint Ambrose makes mention of some, whom he censureth for prodigals, who spent their Patrimonies upon Stage-plays, Cirques, and Sword-plays, out of a vain-glorious humor, to surpass the solemnities of former times, when as all they did was but vanity. S. Augustine complains, that the Roman Magistrates, did corrupt the public manners, by spoiling the miserable Citizens, and by giving unto filthy Stage-players; who received more gifts for their superfluous Plays, then the ancient Roman Legions had bestowed on them for their Wars. Pope Leo the first, makes this complaint, of the age wherein he lived. I am ashamed (saith he) to speak, and yet there is a necessity that I should not be silent: there is more now spent upon the Devil at Play-houses, then there is bestowed on Christ, or his Apostles. Asterius in his Homely against the feast of the Kalends, informs us, That Plays are the cause of Debt and Usury; the oc • asion of Poverty, the beginning of Beggary. If one hath but a small stock of money laid up at home for the sustentation of his Wife and miserable Children, it is here drawn out and cast away; and he and his sit all this eminent feast, hungry, and indigent of all things. Men now make havoc of their goods, and prodigally spend them with the great loss both of manners and discipline. Yea, the very Consuls themselves, being men of renown, advanced to the very top of human honors, exhaust their wealth through vanity, not only without fruit, but likewise with sin; and it may be truly said; that as sublime as their throne is, so eminent is their folly. For whereas they are wont to accept of many dignities, and to obtain most ample royal Leiftenantships; they study to rake as much wealth out of each of them as they can. Some of them convert the millitary stipends to their own private lu • re: others of them sell justice and truth for money: other of them poll the Kings Treasures and revenues, laying up all they can scrape together on every side, to the offense of God, pretermitting no unjust, no in • amous or dishonest gain: And now when as they bear rule, in a very short space they spend the Gold they have thus hourded, upon F • dlers, Stage • players, Dancers and Eunuchs. And a little after. But thou (saith he) dost empty thy Bags, upon the dishonest recreation of thy mind, upon unseemly and disorderly laughter, never considering how many tears of poor men thou mightest relieve, by which thy wealth hath been scraped together; how many have been cast into prison? how many have been whipt and brought to the Gallows, that thou mightest have sufficient to give to Stage-players on this day? To pass by the testimony of Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, and Cyprian in this nature, with sundry other Fathers; I shall close up this with that of John Salisbury, our own ancient Country-man; Many (writes he) out of a blind contemptible magnificence, care not to lavish out infinite sums of money to Stage-players and Actors. Many there are who prostitute their grace and favor unto Players, and in setting forward their lewd • esse, out of a blind dishonorable bounty, put themselves not so much to wonderful, as to miserable expenses: and among others, be sharply tax • th Nero the Emperor for this very crime. To these I shall add the concurrent testimony of some few Pagan Authors. Marcus Aurelius, that worthy Roman Emperor, in his 12. Epistle to Lambert, hath this notable passage, concerning Players and men's expenses on them. Since fatal destinies have brought me into this world, I have seen nothing more unprofitable to the Commonwealth, nor greater folly in them that be light of conditions, nor a worse invention of Vagabonds, nor a more cold revocation of mortal folk, then to learn of these Players, triflers and such other Jugglers. What thing is more monstrous, then to see wisemen rejoice at the pastime of these vain tri • lers? What greater mockery can there be in the Capitol, then the foolish saying of a lester to be praised with great laughter of wise men? What greater slander can be to Princes Houses, then to have their Gates always open to these fools, and never open to wise folks? What greater cruelty can there be in any person, then to give more in one day to a fool, then to his servants in a year, or to his kin all his life? What greater inconstancy can there be then to want men to furnish the Garrisons and Frontiers of Illirico, and these trewands to abide at