The Players Scourge

SCENA SEXTA.

THe sixth pestiferous effect of Stage-plays, is sloth [ 6] and idleness: two dangerous enchanting Sirens: From whence this 32. Argument will arise.

The Major verily must be granted to me: First, because sloth and idleness are sins against the express command of God. Secondly, because they are the very rust and canker of men's mi • des, men's parts, men's bodies, men • souls. Thirdly, because they are the occasion, the fountain of most other sins; as adultery, whoredom, drunkenness, theft, voluptuousness, pride in apparel, lasciviousness, vain discourse, and a world of other sins which would never be committed; to which the Devil could not tempt men, were they employed in their lawful callings. Fourthly, because the very curse and wrath of God; togetherwith penury, vanity, misery, and destruction attend these sins. Fifthly, because these sins are most dangerous, most pernicious, prejudicial and destructive to a State, of all others ; both because they indispose men too, and keep them off from their honest callings, from all public employments and services for the public good: because they occasion dearth and poverty, robbing the Common-wealth of the benefit of men's industry, and painful labor • and likewise because they are the Seminaries, Nurseries, and fuel of all other vices and corruptions, that either weaken, trouble, disorder, or subvert a Republic, (as idleness and luxury have subverted many,) as all Politicians do affirm: who censure and exclude all idle persons, as the very Caterpillars, Drones, and Canker-worms of the Common-weals wherein they live ; inacting sundry Laws against them, as the laws of Draco, (who made idlen • sse a capital crime:) tog • there with the laws of the Egyptians, of Solon, of Sardoa, and Pesistratus do abundantly testify. The causes therefore of such pernicious State-subverting sins as these, which have brought destruction to sundry great Republics, as they long since drew down fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom ; must needs be as dangerous, as intolerable as these sins themselves: and so my Major (if either Divinity or Policy may be credited) must be entirely condescended to.

For the Minor; That Stage-plays are the constant occasions, the common Seminaries and Nurseries of much lasinesse, and idleness; (as our reverend Archbishop Matthew Parker witnesseth,) it is most apparent. First, by their ordinary Actors and Frequenters; who are commonly such idle Drones, as live either altogether without any honest calling ; their whole life being but an Apprenticeship of idleness, or a continued Play; (as if they were borne for no other purpose but to eat, to drink, to sleep, to play, and waste their time:) or else such who are altogether negligent, slothful, indiligent in their callings: such who make Paul's their Westminster; a Play-house, an ordinary or Dancing-school, their Study: • Play-book their Littleton, their Bible: and loitering, if not the courting of some Whore or Mistress, the greatest part of their profession; as too too many do in this voluptuous age: wherein divers of our male, more of our female sex, rep • te it a blemish to their honor, a disparagement to their gentility to be honesty employed in any lawful vocation that might either benefit themselves or others, or advance the public good. Secondly, by the very end and use of Stage-plays, to which men seldom resort, but to pass away their idle hours, which they know not how to spend for want of other employments. Alas say our idle Drones one to another, (as if they had no God to serve, no Bibles to read, no Sermons to hear, no Churches, no Studies, no Closets to resort to, no graces to purchase, no lusts to conquer, no Prayers to make, no spiritual instructions to learn, no holy duties to perform, no works of grace to finish, no degrees of grace to acquire, no friends to admonish, no families to instruct, no sick to visit, no dejected spirits to comfort, no graceless persons to reprove, no heavenly mysteries to contemplate, no spiritual doubts to satisfy, no callings to follow, no Heaven to desire, no Hell to fear,) we know not how to spend or pass away these afternoons, we have nothing at all to do; come therefore let us go to such or such a Play-house, and there we will merrily pass the time, feeding our eyes, our ears with those Stage-delights which shall there present themselves unto us. Stage-plays serve for nothing else, but either to draw men on by degrees to idleness, or to foster, to foment them in it: Wherefore they are rightly called Plays, from playing; because they teach men only to play away their time with-drawing them from their Studies, their Vocations, unto idleness, and a kind of lazy life. Thirdly, by daily experience: For what persons are there more slothful, idle, unprofitable, unserviceable to themselves or others; less studious, less diligent and laborious in their lawful callings, then common Actors and Play-haunters? who have many of them no other employment at all, but only this, to Act, or see a Stage-play; or to dice, to card, to dance, to adorn and paint themselves, ofttimes for public if not for private sale. Stage-plays either find or make men idle: they either occasion, or foment their sloth: they either cause people to live without callings; or at least withdraw them from them, to give their after-noones attendance on themselves. Hence is it, that the Scholar is oft with-drawn from his School, the Student from his Study; the Mechanicke from his Trade; the Master from his Fam • lie; the Lady and Gentlewoman from her Closet or Needle; the Mistress from her house; the Husband from his Wife; the Wife from her Husband; the Servant from his Masters business; the Apprentice from his Shop; the Courtier from his attendance: the Officer from his Office; Yea sometime, the very Magistrate from his Gover • meant, the Minister from his Pulpit; the Parishioner from his Church, his Lecture; the whole Citty from their callings, to a Play-house, to act, to see or hear a lewd lascivious Enterlude ; the very best part whereof, is pure vanity, if not sinful folly. Totam • odie Romaem Circus capit ; was the Poet Iuvenals complaint of old; and I fear it might be ours now: Such prevalency is there in these bewitching Stage-plays to draw men on to sloth, to idleness; the very bane, the poison, and destruction of men's peerless souls: which the very Turks enumerate among the number of their seven deadly sins. Lastly, my Minors truth, as it is evident by experience, so likewise is it ratified by the concurrent suffrage of sundry Fathers and moderne Authors, and by our own Acts of Parliament, who for this very cause among sundry other condemn, reject and censure Stage-plays as unlawful pastimes, because they are the • ccasions, the fomentations of much sloth and idleness. Hence Philo Judaeus, De Vita Moses. pag 932. & De Agricultura. lib. pag. 271. Clemens Romanus. Apost. Co • stit. lib. 2. cap. 65 66. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedag. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian & Cyprian, in their several Books, De Spectaculis. Arnobius Adversus Gentes. lib. 5. p. 149.150. lib. 6. & 7. p 230. to 242. Lactantius. lib. 6. De Vero Cultu. cap. 20. Tatiani Assyrij Contra Grae • os Oratio. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 2. pag. 180. Basil. Hexaëmeron. Hom. 4. Tom. 1. pag. 45. Gregory Nazianzen, De Recta Educatione ad Seleucum. pag. 1063.1064. S. Asterij Homilia in Pestum Kalendarum. Bibl. Patr • m. Tom. 4. pag. 706. Chrysost. Hom. • . De Davide & Saul. Hom. 6.7.38. & 69. in Matth. & Hom. 8. De Paenitentia. Augustine. De Civitate Dei. l. 1. c. 31.32. lib. 2. cap. 4. to 15. Salvianus. l. 6. De Gubernatione Dei. Damascene. Paralellorum. lib. 3. cap. 47. Cassiodorus Variarum. lib. 1. Epist. 27. & 30. Johannes Saresberi • nsis, De Nugis Curiahum. lib. 1. cap. 8. Petrarcha De Remedio Vtrius{que} Fortunae. lib. 1. Dialog. 30. Rodolphus Gualther. Homil. 11. in Nahum. Bodin his Common-wealth. l • 6. cap. 1. Johannes Mariana, & Barnabas Brissonius, in their Books, De Spectaculis. Bulengerus, De Circo. cap. 47. De Theatro. lib. 1. cap. 50.51. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters. pag. 56.76. & 77. Master Gosson, in his School of Abuses, and in his Plays Con • uted. Master Stubs, in his Anatomy of Abuses. pag. 104. to 107. Master Northbro • ke, in his Treatise against Vain Plays and Interludes. f. 28. to 38. D. Rae • iolds, in his Overthrow of Stage-plays. Master Robert Bolton, in his Discourse of True Happiness. pag. 73.74. I. G. in his Refutation of Haywoods Apology for Actors: (to omit all other Christian and Heathen Authors, which I might here enumerate:) do all concur in censuring Stage-plays in regard of this effect. Since therefore the Major, and Minor are thus apparently true, the Conclusion from them must be granted, by all who either regard the public, or their own private good.

SCENA SEPTIMA.

[ 7] THe 7. consequent or effect of Stage-plays, is luxury, drunkenness, and excess: From whence this 33, Argument may be raised.

The Major is evident by the 1 Pet. 4.3.4. which informs us, That the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries; wherein they think it strange that you run not with th • m into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give an account to him who is ready to judge both quick and dead. By Titus 2.11.12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, right • ously, and godly in this present world. By Ephes. 5.18. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess. By Luke 21.34. Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overch • rged with surfeiting a • d drunkenness, and cares of this world, and that day come upon you at unawares: by sundry such like Scriptures to this purpose which I have formerly quoted in another Treatise: And likewise by the dangerous quality of these effeminating soul-destroying sins, which are more pernicious to a Common-weal, then pestilence or war it self; m • re fatal to men's souls and bodies, then any Circean charm.

The Minor is most apparent: First, from the original invention, and dedication of Stage-plays; which were first of all devised by a company of drunken Grecians in honor of their Devil-Idol Bacchus ( the God of wine, of drunkenness, and all excess; ) to whom Plays, and Play-houses were consecrated at the first ; as Historians and Fathers certify us: Whence Tertullian stiles the Theater, the house or temple of Bacchus; because Stage-plays (which were formerly styled Liberalia) were as Diodorus Siculus, Isiodor Hispalensis, and others record, instituted by, & consecrated unto Bacchus, the Idol, the author of all intemperance. If therefore their very inception were thus from drunkenness, and excess; their progress questionless must be such. Secondly, it is evident from the testimony, the experience of former ages; who not only enumerate Stage-plays among the exc • sses, the luxury both of the Greckes and Romans, as the Fathers and Authors in the margent testify • but likewise make them the chief occasions of it. Hence Chrysostom and Nazianzen style the Play-house; The School of intemperance, deboistnesse, luxury, and excess. Hence Salvian joins the Stage-plays, epicuri • me and drunkenness of the Romans, and those of Trevers, both together ; making one the effect, the companion of the other. It is noted by Historians, that Caligula, Heliogobalus, Nero, Commodus, Gallienus, and other Roman Emperors who delighted most in Stage-plays, were the most deboist, luxurious, dissolute, ebrious, of all others: an infallible demonstration; that Stage-plays are the occasion, fuel, and attendants of these sins. It was the custom of the Pagan Greeks and Romans, in all their drunken riotous Feasts, (as it is now the usage of too many Christians) to exhilerate themselves with Stage-plays, of purpose to draw men on to drunkenness, luxury, and more gross intemperance : Whence the Council of Laodicea. Can. 53.54. and the Council of Aquisgrane under Louis the godly, prohibited Stage-plays at Christians marriage-Feasts; and enjoined all Ministers not to be present at them, but to arise and depart from such feasts before the Players entered ; that so they might prevent that riot, that excess which these theatrical Interludes might occasion. All which, together with that of Plutarch, who relates, that all Stage-players were consecrated unto Bacchus as well as these their Stage-plays, is a plenary ratification of my Minors truth, to which our own experience must subscribe. For who more luxu • ious, ebrious, riotous or deboist, then our assiduous Actors and Play-haunters? Who greater Tavern, Ale-house, Tobacco-shop, Hot-water house haunters, &c? who greater, stouter drinkers, health-quaffers, Epicures, or good-fellows, then they? What walk more usual then from a Play-house to a Tavern, to an Ale-house, a Tobacco-shop, or Hot-water Brothel-house; or from these unto a Play-house? where the Pot, the Can, the Tobacco-pipe are always walking till the Play be ended; from whence they return to these their former haunts. Many are the Ale-house, more the Bacchanalian Tavern-meetings that are appointed, concluded at the Play-house, from which much drunkenness • e, and excess arise: yea the Play-house is the common Randevouze where most such riotous Tavern conventicles are either motioned, plotted, or resolved on, as our Play-haunters themselves confess. And is there not reason, why it should be so? Are not drunkenness, ioviality, epicurisme, luxury, and profuseness, most rhetorically applauded, most elegantly adorned in our Stage-plays with the sublimest Encomiums, the most insinuating Panegyrickes, the most amiable Titles that either art or eloquence can invent? and doth not this add spurs and fuel to many Yongsters lusts? who to purchase the empty title. of brave, generous, liberal, and right ioviall Sparkes, whom Players most applaud, do prodigally consume their Patrimonies, their Pensions, their time in Taverns, Ordinaries, Tobacco-shops, &c. in ebrious luxurious meetings, to their own undoing, their friends and Parents grief. Alas, the pitiful complaints of sundry parents, together with the testimony of our own grave English Authors, prove this to be too true: Therefore we must needs abominate and reject all popular Stage-plays, in respect of these their cursed fruits.

SCENA OCTAVA.

[ 8] THe eight effect of Stage-plays, is impudency, immodesty, and shamelesnesse, yea even in sinful things: Whence this 34. Argument may be deduced.

My Major is irrefragable: First, because modesty and shamefastness are such graces, such virtues, as God himself requires of us in his Word ; and which the very Heathen much extol. They are the chiefest ornaments, virtues, guides, supports, and stay of Youth; the Mothers, the conservers of all other Christian, or moral virtues; the only curbs that restrain men from all sin, all lewdness and dishonest • whatsoever: where these are once removed, the whole practice of honesty and virtue will be quite extinguished. He who hath lost these virtues, is no better then a cast-away: He who is past all shame, is certainly past all grace, past all recovery, all amendment. That therefore which banisheth these two restraining, vice-suppressing virtues, in which not only Christianity, but even all common honesty, civility, and the public safety do subsist, must needs be abominable. Secondly, because impudency and shamelesnesse, especially in committing sin, is almost the very highest degree of sin; yea they provoke God more to anger, and draw a deeper guilt, a more multiplied condemnation upon men, then the sin it self which they thus perpetrate. They are infallible symptoms of a cauterized conscience, an obdurate heart, a reprobate sense; of a man given wholly over unto sin and Satan: yea they are very dangerous presages of a man bound over to eternal destruction. My Major therefore must be granted.

The Minor is as evident as the morning Sun. First, by the concurrent testimony of sundry Fathers, and moderne Christian Authors. Tertullian reputes Stage-plays, the banishers, the murderers of all modesty and shamefastness: S. Cyprian informs us; that all modesty is put off at Theaters ; which he stiles, the very Brothel of public modesty: in which the most shameful representations of lust are acted; ut in ipsis deposita verecundia, audaciores fiant ad crimina. Lactantius records; that those things are acted in Stage-plays by representation which are not; that so the very things themselves may be committed by the Spectators without any shame. What (saith he) will Youthes and Virgins do when they shall see these things acted, and willingly beheld of all without any blush? doubtless they will grow exceeding impudent and shameless in committing the very sins there acted. Gregory Nazianzen and Chrysostom, write, That all Stage-players are impudent shameless persons; who as they repute nothing vile but modesty; so they utterly extirpate all shamefastness, all modesty out of the minds and foreheads of the Spectators. S. Augustine, in his Book De Civitate Dei, a • firmes the very selfsame thing; whence he stiles these Stage-plays: The very pestilence and contagion of men's minds; the overthrow of virtue and honesty: the true Fugalia of shamefastness and modesty: Damascene in his Parallels informs us out of Nazianzen; that Play-haunters, and women who resort to Theaters, account it a repr • ach unto them, to blush: so impudently brawny arae their faces. The same do other Fathers; together with Petrarcha, Mant • a • , Agrippa, Lodovicus Vives, M. Gosson, M. Northbrooke, ^r M. Stubs; The 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters, D. Rainolds, with sundry others affirm: therefore we need not doubt its verity. Secondly, our own present experience will evidently manifest the Minors truth. For who are there more impudently audacious; more shamelessly wicked; more ready to hear, to see, to speak, to act, to execute the most execrable obscenities, the most gross impieties without any blush, then our common Actors and Play-haunters ? What Spectacles, what places do more steel the faces, or crust the foreheads both of men and women, then Plays and Play-houses? Those who at first, could neither see, nor hear, (much less utter or act) any obscene or vicious thing without some shame of face, or check of conscience, before their resort to Plays and Theaters; become so strangely impudent, so brazen-faced in a very little space by frequenting Stage-plays, that they cannot only confidently behold and hear, but likewise utter and commit any filthiness, or wickedness whatsoever, in the very open view of men, without any blush at all; even as Nero did. The stupendous whorish unparalleled impudency of our present age; Of our effeminate overgrown Yongsters, and blasphemous Ruffians, who breath out nothing but oaths, obscenities, and desperate execrations against the God of Heaven, rending the very flesh and bones, piercing the very heart and soul, blasph • ming the very Name and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, at every word they utter: Of our impudent, brazen-faced M • n-woman Monsters, who have banished all shows of modesty, of shamefastness from their sex; carrying the very characters of impudency, not only in their blushlesse looks; but likewise in their lascivious gestures, their audacious deportment, their obscene discourses, their whorish attires, their immodest fashions and complements, their painted faces; their prodigious shorn, frizled locks and foretops, which outstare the very Laws of God, of Man, of Nature, (so unnaturely, and more then whorishly impudent, are many of our females lately grown;) Whence is it, comes it but from Plays and Theaters? which have diffused this cursed disease of shameless impudency, well-nigh throughout the Kingdom: And hence is it, that we are all lately grown so immoderately excessive in committing sin, because Plays and Play-haunters have screwed us up to such a pitch of impudency, that we are quite past all shame. Neither is it strange, that Plays and Play-houses should make the modestest and most ingenious Spectators shameless, if not senseless of any sin. For first the Actors of them • re certainly past all shame, if not all grace. Secondly, the greater part of common Play-haunters are a • dacious Panders, Whores, Adulterers, Whore-masters, and the like, who are as blushlesse as Frier Bacons Brazen-head, or as he who acts the Devil in the Play. Thirdly, the very words, the parts, the speeches, gestures, complements, and representions in Stage-plays, are so obscene, lascivious, lewd, and beastly, that the very hearing and beholding of them were enough to banish all modesty out of the hearts and countenances of the most ingenious Spectators, or at least to drive them from the Play-house: For as Aristotle well observes; Men are not only ashamed of those shameful things that are so called, but likewise of the signs of them: not only when they are conversant in any lecherous thing, but likewise when the representations of that thing are present: and not only when as they do filthy things, but likewise when they speak them: So that modesty and shamefacenesse do not only re • train men from speaking and doing; but likewise from hearing and beholding any scurrilous or immodest thing. Alc • us a modest Heathen, being about to utter some obscenity, was so overcome of modesty, that he brake out into these memorable words I would have spoken something, but modesty prohibites me. It is storied of Archy • as another Pagan, that • is modesty was such, as • e would not so much as utter a scurrilous word; and being upon an occasion necessitated to speak some unbeseeming thing, he could not be induced to relate it upon any terms, but wrote it on the wall, and then pointed to others to read it. Yea Pliny records, that the bashfulness and modesty of brute Elephants is such: Vt pudore nunquam nisi in abdito co • unt: that they never couple but in some s • cret place not obvious to m • ns view. Certainly, if modesty had such prevalency in these brutes and Pagans, to deter them both from obscene discourses, and venereous actions, especially in public: our Stage-plays which are fraught with many ribaldrous passages, many witty obscenities, many filthy gestures, many feigned, if not real representations of Incests, Rapes, Adulteries, and the like, must either utterly abolish all modesty out of the Actors and Spectators eyes and ears; or else quite chase them from the Play-house; whose lewdness and unchastity is such, that it is capable of none but shameless and immodest Customers. So that I may well conclude with Tacitus ; That shamefastness, chastity, or any other honest quality, which are hardly retained in honest arts, can never possibly be preserved amids so many confluences and combats of vices as accompany Plays and Theaters. And hereupon L. Crassus, and Cn. Domitius prohibited Plays and Play-houses, by a public Edict, quod his corroboraretur impudentia, because they made their Spectators more impudent. The propositions therefore being thus infallibly confirmed by the premises, the Conclusion from them must be granted,

SCENA NONA.

[ 9] THe 9. consequent or fruit of Stage-plays, is cozenage, fraud, and theft: which are ofttimes occasioned and taught by Stage-plays. Play-houses are the Schools, Plays the Lectures which teach men how to cheat, to steal; to plot and execute any villainy: how to conceal it, to evade it being executed; men learning, yea practicing that in earnest, which they act or see acted but in sport. Zenophon makes mention of a Persian School-master, who instructed his Scholars both to do • justice and injustice; not to lie, and to lie: not to deceive and to deceive: not to caluminate and calumniate, not to forestall any benefit that might accrue to others, and to forestall it: He did likewise distinguish which of these ought to be practiced upon enemies, which upon friends: And then proceeding further, he taught that it was just to deceive their friends if it were for their good; and to steal the goods of their friends if it were for their good: This School-master likewise exercised his Scholars to practice these instructions in jest among themselves: by which means it came to pass, that some of his Scholars who had a natural ingenuity wittily to deceive, to cheat and steal from others; began at last not only to cozen and steal from strangers, but likewise to cheat and r • b their friends. Whereupon the Persians were enforced to make a law to prevent this mischife (which law is yet in use) that Children should ever after be taught plainly, and to speak and deal truly, as men teach their Servants: and not to steal, to lie, or use deceits. As it fared with this Persian School-master, and his Scholars; so it fares with Players and their lewd Spectators: those cheates, those fallacies, thefts and robberies, those rapes of Wards, of Virgins from their Guardians, their Parents, which they act in sport upon the Stage, the Spectators ofttimes practice in earnest upon others off the Theater. Discunt facere dum assuescunt videre. This Solon knew full well, who when he beheld Thespis acting a Tragedy, wherein there were many lies and cheates: he demanded of him after the Tragedy ended; whether he were not ashamed to lie and cheat so egregiously before so great a multitude? To which Thespis replied; that there was no hurt in it, for all he had uttered or acted was but a Play, it was all in sport, nothing in earnest: which answer Solon hearing, stroke his staff upon the ground with indignation, making this reply: If we commend or approve this Play of yours, we shall shortly find it in our bargains: intimating that this his lying and cozenage which he acted in jest, would quickly turn to earnest: so prone, so docible are men to learn any evil that Players act. Saint Augustine had a hint of this: whence he stiles Stage-plays, the very overthrow of honesty and upright dealing. For the theft that Plays occasion, I shall give but two or three instances. It is storied by Suetonius in the life of Nero; that he put down Chariot-plays and Stage-plays, in which men by an inveterate liberty did use to cheat and steal in jest, because this jesting turned to earnest at the last. Tiberius did the lik • , banishing all Players out of Italy upon the self same ground. Upon this very reason was our own Statute of 3. Henry 8. cap. 9. against Mummers, made; because those thefts and robberies which they acted in sport, proved robberies and felonies in good earnest at the last, and were the occasions of much mischief. The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters informs us. That many servants have learnt at Stage-plays (as it may be manifestly proved) to rob and cheat their Masters, to supply the wants of their Harlots. That many have there learned a policy to prevent Parents of the not marrying of their Daughters to such whom they have disliked, by stealing them away. And that men are taught policies in this School of Abuse, how to beguile Parents of their Children, Husbands of their Wives, Guardians of their Wards, and Masters of their Servants: To which Master Gosson and others do subscribe. Wherefore from all these premises I may now safely frame this 35. Argument against Stage-plays, with which I shall conclude this Scene.

SCENA DECIMA.

[ 10] THe 10. effect or product of Stage-plays, is cruelty, fire • nesse, brawls, seditions, tumults, murders, and the like; as is evident by sundry testimonies and examples. Hence was it, that Plato banished all Tragedies out of his Common-weal, because they would draw men on to tyranny and cruelty, by acting, by applauding them, and breed quarrels and commotions among the people. Hence Seneca and Plutarch, dislike of Stage-plays, because they enrage the minds of the Spectators, breeding ofttimes many tumuls, quarrels and contentions among them. Hence Horace writes expressly: that Plays engender contention and anger; anger cruel enmity and doleful war. Hence we find it recorded of Dionysius, Nero, Caligula, and other bloody tyrants; that they delighted much in Tragedies and Stage-plays; as being suitable to their tyrannical dispositions. Hence Tertullian; Cyprian and Clemens Alexandrinus; declaim against Tragedies and Comedies as the augmentors of wickedness and lust; as bloody wanton, impious and prodigal pastimes which occasion sundry tumults and seditions. Gregory Nazianzen informs us: That Plays and Interludes disturb Cities, raise up sedition among the people, teach men how to quarrel, sharpen ill-speaking tongues, cut asunder the love of the Citizens, set families at variance between themselves, drive young men into fury, kindle quarrels and contentions, &c. Whence he stiles them; A sedition producing murder, and a disease of Citti • s. Saint Chrysostom records from his own experience. That Players and Play-haunters were the only men who did fill the Citty with contentions, quarrels, seditions, tumults: that Plays did breed debate between man and wife; and that Players and Play-haunters by acting and seeing Plays became more barbarous then the most savage beasts, insomuch that they spared not the bones of the dead. Theodoricus King of Italy, stiles Stage-plays, The invitation of contentions, the perennious fountain of brawls and quarrels, and the frequent occasion of seditions and tumults. Such Authors of misrule, quarrels, seditions and contentions were Plays in ancient times, of which there are divers pregnant examples. We all know, that the rape of the Sabine Virgins was occasio • ed by a Play; which produced a long and bloody war between the Romans and Sabines. The fierce and cruel war between the Volsci and the Romans was likewise occasioned by a Play; the Consuls upon the speech of Attius Tullus, excluding the Volsci from their Plays, and commanding them to depart their Citty, for fear of some sudden tumult that might arise between the Romans and them, or some unexpected surprisal of their Citty whiles th • whole Citty were bu • ied about their Plays. In Tiberius his Rain, there were so many tumuls, murders, uprores, quarrels, and open insolences committed at Play-houses, occasioned by Plays, and Actors; (One Centurian, with divers Soldiers and common people being slain; and a Captain of the Pretorean band with sundry others being likewise wounded at a Play) that Tiberius was enforced to banish all Stage-players out of Italy: In the time of Nero, there were so many seditions, quarrels, commotions, and misdemeanors in the Roman Theater, that Nero himself (who had oft an hand in them) suppressed all Plays, all Stage players by a solemn Edict, though he much delighted in them. In the Rain of Marcus Aurelius, there was a very great tumult and sedition occasioned by Stage-plays, in which much blood was shed, there being many slain and wounded: upon which occasion this Heathen Emperor, banished all Stage-players forever from Rome, and sent them into Hellispo • t to Lambert the Governor, with a command to compel them to labor, to chastise them if they were idle, and not to suffer them to use their accustomed toys. Caesar Bulengerus informs us; that under Hypatius and Bellisarius, there were at least 35. thousand men slain in a commotion and tumult raised at a Cirque-play. In the time of Theodoricus King of Italy, there were so many tumults, quarrels, and commotions raised at Stage-plays; that he was enforced upon the complaint of the people, to write to the Senate, and other of his Officers, to suppress their insolencies, and to punish the mutinies, the commotions caused by them: At last being not able to reform their disorders, he gave order wholly to suppress them. And from these several disorders and quarrels came these common phrases; Seditiones & factiones Pantomimorum, & seditiones theatri, bella Theatricorum, &c. which we read of in sundry Authors; and in Saint Augustine, De Catechizandis Rudibus. lib. Tom. 4. pars 2. pag. 340.341. & HRabanus Maurus, De Sacris Ordinibus. lib. 1. Tom. 6. pag. 63. A. B. where the sundry tumults, quarrels, and other mischiefs that Stage-plays and Cirque-plays occasion, are pithily described. But these are all ancient foreign testimonies and examples, may some say: are there any such moderne domestic presidents to be found? Yes v • rily. Witness the Statute of 4. Henry 4. cap. 27. which recites; that divers diseases and mischiefs (to wit commotions, murders, and rebellions) had happened before this time in the Land of Wales, by many Wasters, Rimours, Minstrels, and other Vacabonds: for the eschewing of which; it was ordained and established by this Statute; That no Master Rimour, Minstrel, nor Vacabond, should be in any wise sustained in the Land of Wales, to make commo • thes or gathering upon the people there. Witness the Statute of 3. Henry 8. cap. 9. against Mummers, (all one with Stage-players:) which recites. That lately within this Realm, divers persons had disguised and appareled them, and covered their faces with Visours or other things in such manner as they should not be known, and that divers of them in a company together, naming thems • lves Mummers had come in to the dwelling place of divers men of honor, and other substantial persons, and so departed unknown, whereupon murders, fellonies, rapes, and other great hurts and inconveniences had aforetime grown, and hereafter were like to come by the color thereof, if the said disorder should continue not reformed ; for the prevention of which mischief, it was enacted; that all Mummers or persons, that should hereafter thus apparel or disguise themselves, or wear, or sell, or keep any visor in their houses should be imprisoned for 3. months space, without bail or mainprise, and make a fine and ransom to the King. Yea witness the great rebellion of Robert Ket, in 3. of Edward the 6. which as Hollingshead with others record; was plotted and contrived at, and partly occasioned by a meeting at a Stage-play, at Wimonham, to which the Country people resorting, they were by the instigation of one John Flowerdew, first encouraged to pull down the Inclosures, and then to rebel. The Statutes of 14. Eliz. cap. 5. of 39. Eliz. c. 4. & 1. Iacobi. cap. 7. which make common Players of Interludes, Rogues and Vacabonds, subjecting them to a severe punishment for their lawde manner of life ; do likewise recite: That by means of these common Enterlude Players, and such other Rogues, Vacabonds, and Sturdy-beggars, there daily happened in the Realm of England and Wales, many horrible murders, thefts, and other great outrages, to the high displeasure of Almighty God, and to the great annoy of the Common-weal: which these Statutes endeavor to suppress. Not to mention either Petrarch. De Remedio Vtrius{que} Fortunae. lib. 1. Dialog. 30. or the Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters, who informs us; That he hath sometimes seen two Knaves at once importunate upon one light Huswife, whereby much quarrel hath grown to the disquieting of many : Nor yet to recite the late Statute of 1. Caroli. cap. 1. which informs us: that many quarrels, blood-sheds, and other great inconveniences have grown by the resort and concourse of people going out of their own parishes to Bear-baiting, Bull-baiting, Interludes, Common-plays, and such disordered and unlawful exercises and pastimes: (a sufficient confirmation of my Minors truth.) Our own experience can sufficiently inform us; that Plays and Play-houses are the frequent causes of many murders, duels, quarrels, debates, occasioned, sometimes by reason of some difference about a box, a seat, or place upon the Stage: sometimes, by intruding to boldly into some females company: sometimes, by reason of some amorous, scurrilous or disgraceful words that are uttered of, or to some female Spectators; sometimes, by reason of some speeches or passages of the Play particularly applied to some persons present or absent: sometimes, by reason of some Husbands, Whore-masters, or corrivals jealousy, or affront, whose Wife, whose Whore, or Mistress being there in person, is perchance solicited, abused, or jeered at in his presence: sometimes by reason of the Apprentises resort to Play-houses, especially on Shrove-tuesday; sometimes by means of other accidents and occasions. Many have been the murders, more the quarrels, the duels that have grown from our Stage-plays, whose large encomiums of rash valor, duels, fortitude, generosity, impaciency, homicides, tyranny and revenge, do so exasperate men's raging passions, and make them so impatient of the very smallest injury, that nothing can satisfy, can expiate it but the offenders blood. Hence is it that some Players, some Play-haunters now living, not satified with the murder of one, have embrued their barbarous unchristian hands in the blood of two, of three, if not of four several men ; and so far are they from ruing the odiousness of these their bloody deeds, that they glory in the number of their murders as the very trophies of their valor. Pitty is it, that such savage homicides who rest not with the first man's death, should ever live to slay a second, much less a third: Yea pity is it that such Plays, such Spectacles should be suffered, which thus animate men on to quarrels, duels, contentions, injuries, impaciency, bloodshed, and most unchristian revenge. As therefore the Fathers, Christians, with some Pagan Authors, did generally condemn; and good Christian Emperors utterly take away all bloody Sword-plays, Cirque-plays, Chariot-plays, and such like barbarous inhumane Spectacles; by reason of the murders, blood-shed, quarrels, contentions, tumults, debates, and such like savage unchristian effects which they occasioned ; so likewise may we now suppress, condemn, and quite abolish Stage-plays upon the selfsame grounds, as the forequoted Authors and Pagan Emperors have done before us. Wherefore I shall briefly close up this Scene with this 36. Play-confounding Argument.

SCENA VNDECIMA.

THe 11. fruit of popular Stage-plays, is this; that [ 11] they fill men's mouths with idle, frothy, scurrilous, lewd, profane discourses, complements, Histories, Songs, Iests, which are odious unto God, yea execrable to all chaste, all modest Christians. Stage-plays are the Lectures, the Marts, the common treasuries of all ribaldry, scurrility, profaneness; which furnish their Actors, their Auditors with such plentiful variety of corrupt, irreligious, atheistical, unchristian and graceless discourses, which they communicate to others upon all occasions, that they scarce ever speak of holy things. This Ovid himself confesseth; informing us; that men sing those ribaldrous songs, and utter those amorous verses, discourses at home, which they have learned at the Play-house. What Seneca writes of the words of flatterers and lewd companions, I may well apply to Actors. Their speeches do much hurt. For if they do men no present harm, yet they leave the seeds of evil in their minds, and an evil afterwards to arise, follows them even then when as they are departed from them. For as those who hear some pleasant consort carry away with them the sweetness of the song in their ears, which hinders their thoughts, and suffers them not to be intent upon serious things: so the obscenities of Stage-players ( which men are aptest to remember, as most agreeable to their lusts, where as they are extraordinary forgetful of all the good they hear) stick longer by men then whiles they hear them. Neither is it an easy matter to shake their pleasant sound out of their minds: for it follows them, it stays with them, and recoiles back again into their minds and tongues after some little space. Therefore the ears are to be kept shut against such evil speeches, and that verily against the very first: for when they have made a beginning and gotten entrance, they will make a further attempt. Lactantius, Chrysostom, Clemens Alexandrinus, and BB. Babington inform us; That Play-haunters carry away with them the Idaeaes and similitudes of the lewd representations they behold in Stage-plays, which sink deep into their minds; that they suck in the venom of Stage-plays with great delight, & practice the speeches, the convayances of love, which there they see and learn: And having once polluted their speech with the language of the Theater; (for I will never, writes BB. Babington, call it polishing,) they are never better then when they have company to bestow their tales, and Stage-greetings upon: And for this reason among others, they dislike of Stage-plays. As these recited Authors, so our own experience can suffragate to the truth of this effect: For who so vain, so frothy, so profane, so atheistical, blasphemous, lascivious, scurrilous; who less holy, gracious, or edifying in their ordinary discourses, then Players and Play-haunters? whose tongues are tipped with oaths, execrations, ribaldry, lascivious tales, amorous songs, wanton histories, unseemly jests, adulterous insinuations, invective taunts and scoffs against holiness, sobriety, chastity, modesty, grace, and goodness; with the very language of the Stews, of Atheists, of Pagans, not of Christians. Seldom shall you hear from such men's mouths any religious discourses, any conference of God, of Christ, of the Scriptures, of grace, of glory, of practical divinity, of sin, of faith, of repentance, of the means or signs of grace and salvation, any praising or blessing of God for his mercy to us in his Son; any bewailing of their own sinful conditions, or of thei • slavery under sin: any exhortation unto goodness; any dissuations from any sin; or the like; the principal things that Christians should confer off: Their tongues are so accustomed to the theames, the flattering Eloquence, and phrases of the Theater; so taken up with the relations of the things they hear or see at Stage-plays; that they cannot relish the language of Canaan, the dialect of Heaven, nor brook the Scripture phrase, (whose plainesse they deride and scorn:) much less can they spare any vacant time to habituate their unholy lips, to season their uncircumcised hearts and ears, with holy conference. It is God's own command to Christians: That they should put away all vain, all evil speaking: that no corrupt communication should proceed out of their mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may administer grace to the hearers: That fornication and all uncleanness should not be so much as once named among them, as becometh Saints: Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. That their speech should be always gracious seasoned with salt: And that his Words and his Commandments should be always in their hearts; to teach them diligently unto their Children: to talk of them (not of Play-house passages, or such vain fruitless trifles ) when they sit in their houses, and when they walk by the way, and when they lie down, and when they rise up: that they should bind them for a sign upon their hands, and that they should be as frontlets between their eyes: and that they should write them upon the posts of their house, and upon their gates ; that so they might meditate and discourse of them day and night upon all occasions. But alas our Stage-plays incorporate themselves so firmly, and sink so deep into our Actors and Play-h •• nters minds, that they quite invert these sacred precepts; suppressing those heavenly Christian conferences which they command; reviving and advancing those vain lascivious discourses which they prohibit. This the fore-quoted Authors; this present experience testify. Wherefore I shall end this Scene with this short Syllogism, being a 37. Argument against Stage-plays.

SCENA DVODECIMA.

[ 12] THe twelfe effect of Stage-plays is this: That they wholly indispose their Actors and Spectators to all religious duties: that they withdraw and keep them from God's service: that they bring the Word, the worship, yea all the ordinances of God into contempt; making them vain and ineffectual to their souls.

[ 1] First, I say, that Stage-plays in • ispose men to the acceptable performance of every religious duty; be it prayer, hearing, and reading of God's Word, receiving the Sacraments, and the like. This sundry Fathers fully testify: and I would to God all Christians would well weigh their words which much concern their souls in the very main of Christianity, to wit, God's worship, and their vow in baptism. Tertullian informs us; That Stage-plays defile the eyes, the • ares, the soul • of the Spectators, and make them to appear polluted in God's sight. That none of the things deputed unto Stage-plays are pleasing unto God, or beseeming the servants of God, because they were all instituted for the D • vill, and furnished out of the De • ils treasury • for everything that is not of God, or displeasing unto God is of the Devil: Stage-plays they are the pomp of the Devil, against which we have protested in the seal of our faith: That therefore which we renounce, we ought not to participate of neither in deed, nor word, nor sight, now view. And do we not then reno • nce and tear off the seal again, in cutting off the testimonial of it? Shall we then desire an answer from the very Heathens themselves? Shall they resolve us, whether it be lawful for Christians to use Stage-plays? But verily they most of all discern a man to be a Christian, even from this renouncing of Stage-plays: he therefore doth manifestly deny himself to be a Christian, who takes away this badge by which he should be known to be a Christian. Now what hope is there remaining in such a one? No man hath revolted unto the enemies Tents, unless he first cast away his arms, unless he hath first forsaken the colors and allegiance of his Princ • , unless he hath covenanted to perish together with them. Will • e think earnestly of God at that time, who is placed where there is nothing at all of God? will he thoroughly learn chastity who admires Stage-plays? will he call to mind the exclamations • of some prophet, whiles the Tragedians are crying out? will he m • ditate of a Psalm, who • its amidest effeminating measures? or can he be moved with compassion, who is wholly intent upon the biting of Bears, and the sponges of retiaries? God turn away from all his so great a desire of pernicious pleasure. For what a desperate wicked thing is it, for a man to go out of the Church of God, into the Chapel of the Devil? out of Heaven (as they say) into the mire and clay? those hands which thou hast lifted up unto the Lord in prayer, to weary afterwards in applauding a Stage-player? out out of the same mouth with which thou hast uttered Amen, to the holy one, to give testimony to a Sword-player? or to say, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,) forever and ever, to any one but to God Christ? Why then may not such become liable to the possession of D • vils, &c? For no man can serve two Masters. What hath light to do with darkness? What relation hath life to death? we ought to hate these assemblies of Pagans, even because the Name of God is there bla • phemed, and because divers temptations are sent out from thence. How wilt thou do being deprehended at unawares in that over-flowing of impious suffrages; not as though thou shouldest there suffer anything from men; for no man knoweth thee to be a Christian; but consider seriously, what may be done concerning thee in Heaven. For do • t thou do • bt but that in the very moment when as thou art in the church of the Devil, all the Angels look down from Heaven, and take special notice of everyone there present; observing who he is that speaks blasphemy, who that hears i • , who it is that lends his tongue, his ears to the Devil, against God? Wilt thou not therefore fly these seats o • the enemies of Chri • t, this pestilential chair, and that very air which hangs over it, adulterated with wicked words and sounds, &c? Thus he: whose words sufficiently testify, that Stage-plays indispose men to all religious duties; because they defile their eyes, their ears, their hands, their souls, they being the pomps, the inventions of the Devil which are incompatible with Christianity: because they tear of the very seal and cognizance of their Christianity: and wholly enthrall them to the Devils vassalage. Saint Cyprian writes thus of Stage-plays to the selfsame purpose. What hath the Scripture interdicted? V • rily it hath prohibited that to be behold, which it inhibiteth to be acted. I say, it hath condemned all these kinds of spectacles when as it hath taken away Idolatry the mother of all Plays, from whence these Monsters of vanity and le • ity have proceeded. For what spectacle is there without an Idol? what Play without a sacrifice, &c? What doth a faithful Christian make among these? if he flieth Idolatry, why doth he speak it? he who is now holy, can he r •• p • pleasure from criminous things? Why approves he super • t • tions against God, which he affecteth whiles that he beholds them? But let him know, that all these are the inventions of Devils, not of God. He impudently exorcizeth Devils in the Church, whose pleasures • e applauds in Stage-plays: and when as by renouncing him once, everything of his was pared off in Baptism; whiles that after Christ (I pray observe it all you Christians who resort to Stage-plays) he resorteth to the spectacles of the Devil, he renounceth Christ as if he were a Devil. Idolatry, as I have already said, is the Mother of all Plays, which that it may allure faithful Christians to it, flatters them with the pleasure of the eyes and ears. Romulus did first of all consecrate Cirque-plays to Consus, as to the God of Counsel, for the Sabines that were to be ravished. But other Stage-plays were procured at the intreati • of the people, when as a famine and pestilence had seised upon the Citty, and these were afterwards dedicated to Ceres, to Bacchus, and to other Idols and dead men. Th • se Grecian combats, either in songs, in musical Instruments, in voices, or in strength, have divers Devils for their Presidents: and what ever else there is, which either affects the eyes, or pleaseth the ears of the beholders, if its orignall or instituters be sought after, hath either a • Idol, a Devil, or a dead man for the Father of it. Thus the c • nning Devil, b • cause he knew that naked Idolatry by it self would be aborred, hath mixed it with Stage-plays and spectacles, that so thorough pleasure it might be beloved. What need I prosecute this any further? If thou ask a Play-haunter, what are the parts of a Christian, he knoweth not, or else he is so much the more unhappy, that he knoweth: If I should again demand of him, by what way he came to that spectacle; he will confess through the Brothel-house, through the naked bodies of prostituted Harl • ts, through the common Stews, through public shame, through vulgar lascivio • snesse, through the commo • reproach of all. To whom that I may not object, that which perchance he hath committed, yet he hath seen that which was not to be committed, and hath led his eyes though • gh lust to the spectacles of Idolatry: daring, if he had be • e able, to carry the Holy Ghost along with him into a Brothel-house; who hastening to a Stage-play, as soon as he is dismissed the Church, and whiles he carrieth the Eucharist about him, as he hath wont to do • ; hath brought it among the obscene bodies of Whores; deserving more damnation from the pleasure of the spectacle. These so vain, so pernicious, so sacrilegious Plays and spectacles are to be avoided of all Christians, as we have already ofttimes said; and both our eyes and ears are to be kept from them, &c. If then the Scripture prohibites the acting, the seeing of Stage-plays; as being the invention of the Devil; the parts, the issues of Idolatry: If those who resort to Plays renounce Christ Jesus himself, as if he were a Devil; if they do as much as in them lies, even carry the holy Ghost himself; and the very Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood into a Play-house; and so profane them in the highest manner, as this Father testifies: no wonder is it, if Plays unqualifie men for holy duties. Isiodor Hi • palensis, and HRabanus Maurus, discoursing of Cirques, of Theaters, of Cirque-plays, and Stage-plays, write thus of them: that unclean Deities possess them. Therefore O Christian, let this be a strange place to thee, which many spirits of Satan have taken possession of. For the Devil and his Angels have filled it all up. For the spectacles of cruelty, and the inspection of vanity were not ordained only by the vices of men, but likewise by the commands of Devils. Therefore • Christian ought to have nothing to do with the madness of the Circus, with the uncleanness of the Theater, with the cruelty of the Amphitheater, with the barbarousness of the Arena, with the luxury of the Play. For he denieth God (a terrible sentence worthy all Players, all Play-haunters saddest considerations) who presumeth to act or see such things: being made a Prevaricator of the Christian faith, who again desires that which he hath long since renounced in his baptism; tha • is, the Devil, his pomps, and works. And is such a desperate Play-haunter, think you, fit or able to serve, to please the Lord, or to perform any holy duty to him in a holy manner? Olympiodorus in his Enarration upon the 4. of Ecclesiastes, Keep thy feet when as thou enterest into the house of God, is pregnant to our purpose. Keep thy f • ete, &c. That is, saith he; Let us not abuse to evil, those very instruments which we use in good: as if he should say; Do not, I beseech thee, go to Stage-plays and obscene Spectacles with the same feet wherewith thou frequentest the Temple of God. Understand that the same likewise is to be done of the other members of the body. And truly those who will go to the Church of God with an undefiled foot, ought altogether to with-hold themselves from wicked and profane places, as being contrary unto God. Therefore those who frequent Play-houses can never serve God as they ought if this Father may be credited. S. Augustine writing against Stage-plays, and those Devil-Idols that were both honored and delighted with them, informs us: that Christians in his time, had utterly abandoned all Stage-plays; and that no filthy, no wicked thing was propounded to be s • ene or imitated, where either the precepts of the true God were insinuated, or his miracles declared, or his gifts praised, or his benefits craved. That when Christianity cam • up, the Play-houses almost thorough all Cities fell down; they being the very dens of filthiness, and the public professions of wicked persons: whereupon the Pagans complained, that the Christian times were evil times: And whence is it, (writes he) that the Play-houses fall down, but through want o • those things by whose lascivious and sacrilegious use they are supported? Did not their Cicero when as he commended one Roscius a Stage-player, say, that he was so skillful, that he only was worthy to come upon the Stage: that he was so good a man, that he only was worthy not to come upon it? showing most plainly nothing else; but that the Stage is so filthy, that by so much the less a man ought to be there, by how much the more he is a good man: and yet their gods were atoned with such dishonesty • as he thought ought fit to be removed from good • en. But most punctual is that in his lib. 4. De Symbolo ad Catechumenos. cap. 1. Tom. 9. pars 1. pag. 1427.1428. where he writes thus. Thou art deprehended and detected O Christian when as thou doest one thing, and pro • essest another: being faithful in name, and showing the contrary in deed; not keeping the faith of thy promise: one whiles entering into the Church to pour out prayers, and a very little while after coming into a Play-house to cry out dishonestly with Staye-players. What hast thou to do with the pomps of the Devil which thou hast renounced? Why do you halt with both • oof • s? If God be God, follow him: if the world be God, follow it. If God be chosen, let him be served according to his will: if the world be chosen, to what end is the heart feigned, as it were fitted for God? What • ast thou to do with the pomps of the Devil, who professest thyself a lover of Christ? Do not deceive thyself, for God hates such persons, neither doth he repute those among his professors, whom he seeth to be the forsakers of his way. All which is a sufficient evidence, that Stage-plays wholly indispose men to the true worship of God. Salvian Bishop of Marselles, is very copious in this theme. We say (writes he) God hath forsaken us, when in very deed we forsake God. For, suppose we, that the Lord will respect us, not deserving his favor? let us see if he can. Loe infinite thousands of Christians daily abide at the shows of unseemly things. Can God then favor such kind of persons? Can God cast his gracious countenance upon such as rage in Cirques, and commit adultery in Theaters? Or is this our meaning, or d • e we think it meet, that for as much as God seeth us in Cirques and Theaters, that what things we see he beholdeth; and what filthiness we behold, he seeth it also for company? For one of these must needs be: for if he vouchsafe to look upon us, it follows, that he must behold all these things where we are: or if, which is most true, he turn away his eyes from these things, he must likewise turn away his countenance from us who are there. And the case standing thus, yet nevertheless, we do these things which I have said, and that without c • a • ing. Or think we that God hath his Theaters and Cirques, as had the gods of the Gentiles. For thus did they in old teme, because they were persuaded that their Idols delighted in them: but how is it that we do so, who are certain that our God detesteth them? Or verily if we know that these abominations do please God, I will not gainsay but we may resort unto them continually. But if it be in our conscience, that God abhorreth, that he detesteth; that God is offe • ded as the Devil is fed by Theaters; how say we that we worship God in the Church, who always serve the Devil in the obscenity of Plays, and that wittingly and willingly, out of deliberation and set purpose? And what hope I pray you, shall we have with God, who not ignorantly, or at unawares offend him; but after the example of those Giants heretofore, whom we read to have attempted Heaven with their mad endeavors, and as it were to have marched forwards against the clouds? So we through the injuries which all the world over we continually commit, do as it were appugne Heaven with a common consent. To Christ therefore, O monstrous madness! even to Christ do we offer Cirques and Stage-plays; yea and even then especially when as we receive any goodness from his hands, when any prosperity is bestowed upon us by him, or when as God hath given us any victory over our enemies? And what else by this do we show ourselves to do, but even to be like the man who is injurious to the person who hath done him good; who rayles upon him that speaks him fair, or strikes him over the face with a sword that kisseth him. For I ask the great and rich men of this world, of what offense is that servant guilty which wisheth ill to a good and gracious Master; which rayleth on him that deserveth well, and rendereth dispitefull words for his good received? without controversy all men will judge him a most heinous offender, who rendereth evil for good to him, to whom indeed he might not render evil for evil. Thus verily do even we who are called Christians, we stir up a merciful God against us by our uncleanness; we offend a gracious God by our filthiness, and we wound a loving God by our wickedness. To Christ therefore, O monstrous madness! even to Christ do we offer Cirquers and Stage-players; to Christ do we render for his benefits the filthiness of Th •• ters; even to Christ do we sacrifice the oblation of most base sports. As though our Savior, who for us became man, had taught us thus to do: As though he had preached this either by himself, or by his Apostles: As though that for this end he had taken upon him the shame of man's nativity, and the contumelious beginnings of an earthly generation: As though for this end he had lain in a manger, at what time notwithstanding the very Angels ministered unto him: As if for this purpose he would be swaddled in rags of cloth, who did govern Heaven in his cloths: As though for this end he had hung upon the Cross, at whose hanging the whole world was astonished: Who for your sakes ( saith the Apostle ) when he was rich, became poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich. And being (saith he) in the form of God he humbled himself to the death, even the death of the Cross. Even this did Christ teach us when he suffered these things for our sakes. Well do we requite his passion, who receiving through his death redemption, lead a most filthy life. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, saith blessed Paul, and teacheth us, that we should deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the mighty God and of our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works. Where be they who do these things, for which the Apostle saith, that Christ came? where be they who fly desires of this world? where be they which live godly and righteously, that look for this blessed hope by well doing; and leading a pure life; showing thereby that they look and long for the Kingdom of God: where be such? Our Lord Jesus Christ came ( saith he ) that he might purify us a pecular people to himself, zealous of good works. Where is that pure people? that peculiar people; that good people; that people of holiness? Christ (saith the Scripture) suffered for us, leaving us an ensample, that we should follow his steps: And we follow the steps of our Savior in Cirques, and in Theaters; as if our Savior had left us such an example, whom we read to have wept, but that he laughed we never read. And both these for our sakes: because weeping is a pricking of the heart, laughter a corruption of manners. Therefore saith he ; Woe to you that laugh, for ye shall wail and weep. And, blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. But it is not enough for us to laugh and be merry, unless we rejoice with sin and madness, unless our laughter be tempered with filthiness, and mixed with impiety. What error I say is this, or what folly? Cannot we daily be merry and laugh, unless we make our laughter and mirth to be wickedness? Or else think we simple mirth to be nothing worth? and can we not laugh except we sin? What a mischief is this, or what fury? Let us laugh I pray you and be merry so we sin not. What foolishness, nay madness is it, to think mirth and joy nothing worth, unless God be injured thereby? yea injured, and that most heinously. For in Stage-plays there is a certain Apostasy from the faith, and a deadly declining from our belief and the heavenly Sacraments, &c. as in pag. 51.52. before. And what else is it but to fall into destruction, to forego the beginning of life? For where the foundation of the Creed is overthrown, life it self is destroyed. Then again we must needs return unto that which we have often said: What such thing is there among the Barbarians? Where be any Stages or Theaters among them? where is the wickedness of diverse impurities, to wit, the destruction of our hope and salvation? Which Plays notwithstanding if they being Pagans did use, they should err with less offense to God: because albeit such doing were a defiling of the sight, yet were it not a violation of the Sacrament. But now what can we say for ourselves? we hold the Creed, and yet overturn it: we confess the duty of salvation, and yet deny it too. And therefore where is our Christianity? who as it seemeth have received the Sacrament of salvation to no other purpose, but that afterwards we might more heinously offend. We prefer pastimes before the Church: we despise the Lord's Table and honor Theaters: in a word, we love all things, reverence all things, God alone seemeth vile unto us in comparison of all other things, &c. By which large discourse of this pious Father, it is most apparent: That Stage-plays overturn men's faith and religion; annihilate their baptism; estrange their hearts and affections from God's service, and wholly indispose them to his worship. Gregory Nyssen informs us: That God neither hears nor regards the prayers of those qui in Theatris faustas acclamationes affectant, &c. who affect applauses • in Theaters, and delight in Stage-plays. Gregory Nazianzen, demanding this question, unto what manner of persons he should discourse of divine things? makes this reply; that it must be to those who would lay them serio • sly to heart; and not to such who handle them slightly, as one thing only of many for pleasure and contentment s • ke, after • irque-pla • es, after Stage-plays, after songs, a • ter gluttony and carnal copulation: Intimating unto us ; that those who delight in Stage-plays and such like Spectacles are altogether unfit to hear God's Word, or seriously to perform any holy duty; their minds being so preposessed with Plays and thoughts of vanity, after their return from Play-houses, that they can never bend them to pious exercises in that diligent manner as they ought. And therefore he records of the Citizens of Constantinople, who delighted much in Stage-plays: That as they reputed Cirques and Stage-plays, so they likewise esteemed the divine mysteries themselves, to be but a pastime. Saint Chrysostom in his forequoted Homilies, is exceeding copious in this theme; where he informs us; that Stage-plays so pollute the eyes, the ears, the hearts of the Actors and Spectators, that they make them altogether unfit to approach into God's holy presence, or to tread within the porch, the doors of his holy Temple, much more unfit to participate of his most sacred Body and Blood, (which must not be lodged in a polluted soul) or to hear his pure Word; which ears defiled, or rather putrefied and stopped up with filthy Stage-plays, can never seriously attend too. His fore-alleged words to this purpose, are so emphatical and flexanimous, that they might even move an heart of Adamant, and cause the most obdurate Stage-haunters for to tremble. If we add to this, the constant practice of the Primitive Church, who excommunicated all Stage-players and Play-haunters both from the Word, the Sacraments and all Christian society as altogether unworthy to participate of either; refusing to admit of any Actors or others into the Church till they quite abandoned, not only the acting, but the very sight and hearing of Stage-plays, and openly promised and professed, never to return unto them more: Or if we again consider; that Stage-players, with those who married Woman-actors were utterly • ncapable of any Ecclesiastical Orders, and perpetually disabled to administer either the Word or Sacraments to God's people, by reason of that inexpiable steine which the very acting of Stage-plays had engrained on them: We must needs acknowledge, that the acting and beholding of Stage-plays indispose men to God's service, and unfit them for his holy ordinances: else why should the Church excommunicate or exclude these persons, or thus disable them in so strict a manner? Moreover those sundry Councils and Authors, which debar all Clergy men from the acting and beholding of Stage-plays, either in public or private, lest their eyes, their ears and hearts, set apart, and consecrated to God's holy mysteries, should be defiled by them, and so indispose them to discharge their ministerial function ; are a most pregnant evidence of this irr • fragable truth; that Stage-plays disable men from the right performance of all holy duties. And no wonder. For first they disteine the soul with the f ••• h, and involue it in the guilt of divers sins ; which makes it odious in the eyes of God; Who as he can endure no iniquity; so he regards no worship, no duties of piety, no prayers that proceed from polluted hearts. God will be worshipped only in the beauties of holiness; with clean hands and pure hearts: Whence he commands all his, to cleanse themselves from all pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in his fear: to wash their heart from wickedness that they may be saved: and not so much as to touch any unclean thing, that so he may receive them. God will be sanctified of all those that come near him; he will have them to be holy in all manner of conversation, even as he is holy, that so they may be a holy Priest-hood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, acceptable unto him through Jesus Christ; whose blood doth cleanse them from all their sins, presenting them pure and holy in his Fathers sight without spot or bleemish. Now Stage-plays, as I have formerly proved, universally defile the very bodies and souls of men, overspredding them with a leprosy of sundry sins, (which they either ingenerate or infuse into their souls, (which eclipse God's grace and favor from them, stopping up his ears against all their prayers, and sending up an unsavory stink into his sacred nostrils: therefore they must of necessity disable them to all holy duties. Secondly, it is impossible for any man to serve two different Masters both together, to serve God and Mammon, Christ and the Devil: God in the Church, the Devil in the Play-house: Christ in the morning, the Devil in the evening. He who serves Satan all the week in the Stage or Play-house, can never worship Christ upon the Lord's day in the Temple. Alas, there was never yet such fellowship between Christ and Belial, between the renounced pomps and vanities of Satan, and the humility of our super-celestial Savior, that men might serve and follow them both together. Now Stage-plays are the very Devils own peculiar pomps, Play-houses his Synagogues ; Players, his professed Mass- • riests and Choristers; Play-haunters his devoted servants, as himself professeth, and Origen, with others, largely prove: Those therefore who thus serve the Devil in Plays and Play-houses; its impossible for them to serve the Lord sincerely in prayers and Churches. Thirdly, No man can drink the Cup of the Lord, and the cup of Devils; nor yet partake of the Lord's Table, and of the table of Devils: But Stage-plays, are the cup and table of Devils; the very Devils meat; his drink; those dishes and repasts wherewith he was solemnly feasted by his idolatrous worshippers, in his own Idol-temples. It is not possible therefore for any Christian to feed his eyes, his ears with these diabolical banqvets, and yet worthily to participate of Christ's Body and Blood, the spiritual Sweet-meats of a Christian soul. Fourthly, the very acting and beholding of Stage-plays draws down a self-condemning guiltiness, and so by consequent a certain secret terror of appearing in God's presence on men's souls. There is scarce a man of any grace or ingenuity, but would even blush and fear to be de • rehended by any good man at a Play-house: Yea the very Heathen Romans stood so much in awe of Cato his vice-condemning presence: that they durst not call for their • loralian Interludes whiles he was near the Theater. And will not the consideration of God's all-seeing presence, think ye, strike much more fear into the hearts and consciences of such who are deprehended by him at lewd lascivious Stage-plays, then any Christians, any Catoes eye or face, could strike into these Heathen Romans; which have no such soul-confounding Majesty in them as is in the very smallest frown of God? If therefore those who resort to Stage-plays by reason of their self-convincing consciences, can never approach with boldness to God's Throne of Grace ; its certain they cannot serve or worship him as they ought. Fifthly, he who perjures himself in the highest degree, breaking that very origall covenant which he made to God at fir • t in Baptism, and afterward ratified at every receiving of the Sacrament, can never questionless serve the Lord in any acceptable pious manner: the performance of this vow and covenant (at least-wise in the desire the endeavor of his soul) being that alone which makes him a Christian; and so a man capable of serving God. But he who acts or resorts to Stage-plays, violates that very original covenant which he made to God at first in baptism, and a • terwards reconfirmed at every receiving of the Sacrament; as I have else-where largely proved: therefore he can never serve the Lord in any acceptable or gracious manner, according to his will. And alas what Christian is there, who would frequent or harbor any such sinful pleasures, as will quite disable him to serve his God, to please his blessed Savior, who hath bought him even at the dearest rate? What contentment can a man take in anything; in all the riches, honors, pleasures, contentments of this world, whiles his soul can draw no comfort, no heavenly refreshment from his God? Better can the inferior world subsist without the light and influence of the Sun, or the body of a man without the heart, then the soul of any Christian without the satisfactory soul-enlivening presence of his God, his Savior, which is never found but in those broken humble spirits, who se • ve him in sincerity, and tremble at his Word. As therefore we ever desire to please, to serve our blessed God according to his will; or to enjoy the heart-ravishing consolations of his most blissful presence; let us presently abandon Stage-plays; which as they hinder us in the service, so they utterly deprive us of the face and favor of our God, which are able to make us more then happy in the midst of all our deepest miseries. The pleasures, the refreshments that men reap from Stage-plays, as they shut out better contents, so they abide no longer then the Plays are acting, (and sometimes scarce so long) and then they ofttimes leave a sting behind them, which gaules and pricks the soul forever after. If then that love of Christ which constrained holy Paul, to bid adue to all carnal pleasures, will not enforce us to say thus to Stage-plays: as David sometimes did to his lewd companions; Depart from me ye wicked, ye workers (ye producers) of iniquity, for I will keep the Commandments of my God ; yet let the comfort that God's service will bring unto our souls, and this consideration joined with it; that we cannot serve God with any s • ncerity of heart, as long as we delight in cursed Stage-plays, now at last enforce us to bid this farewell to them, that so we may be enabled to please that holy blessed God, who created, redeemed us at first, and hath evermore preserved us since, that we might do him service.

Secondly, as Stage-plays indispose men to, so they likewise withdraw and keep them from God's service, especially on Lord's-days, Holy-days, and solemn Festivals; which should be wholly and only consecrated to his more special worship; and spent in duties of devotion, in lawding and blessing him for his more special favor • . And doth not our own experience bear witness to this truth? Are not our Play-houses ofttimes more crowded, more coached and frequented then many of our Churches? and are they not full ofttimes, when our Churches are but empty? Are there not many hundreds serving the Devil daily in our Theaters, even then when as they should be serving God in his Temples? Do not more commonly resort to Plays, then Lectures, which is ill? yea do not too too many neglect to come to Sermons, that they may run to Stage-plays, which is worse? Indeed our Church of England (out of the great respect it yields to Preaching, and the absolute necessity of it to salvation) enjoins God-fathers and God-mothers, to call upon their God-children, to hear Sermons ; (which some profane ones now begin to loath and speak against, as if we had too much preaching:) that so they may the better forsake the Devil and all his works, mortify all their unholy corrupt affections, and daily proceed in all virtue and godliness of living. Yea the Saints of God in ancient times, were quickening and calling upon one another in this manner: O co • e let us sing unto the Lord, let us make a joyful noise unto the Rock • of our Salvation. Let us come b • fore his presence with Thankesgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms, &c. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker? O sing unto the Lord a new Song, sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord; bless his Name; show forth his salvation from day today. Declare his goodness among the Heathen, his wonders among all people. Give unto the Lord (O ye Kindreds of the people;) give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name; bring an Offring and come into his Courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear before him all the earth: Come ye, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths, &c. But now alas instead of calling upon one another to hear Sermons, and of these encouragements to go up to the house of the Lord to bless and praise his Name (which is now no better then a brand of Puriranisme) we hear naught else among many who profess themselves Christians; but, come let us go and see a Stage-play: let us hear such or such an Actor; or resort • o such and such a Play-house: (and I would I might not say unto such a Whore or Whore-house;) where we will laugh and be merry, and pass away the afternoon: As for any resort to such or such a Lecture, Church, or pious Preacher; its a thing they seldom think, much l • sse discourse of. Alas, that any who prosesse themselves Christians should be thus strangely, (that I say not atheistically) infatuated, as to forsake the most sacred Oracles, the soul-saving Word, the most blessed Sacraments, house and presence of their God; to run to Plays and Play-houses, the abominable Spectacles, Lectures, Pompes, and Syn • gogues of the Devil: as thus to leave the pather of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; rejoicing to do evil, and delighting in the frowardness of the wicked ; even then when as they should solace their very souls in God. Yet this is the most desperate deplorable condition of many hundred profane ones in this age of light; who admire who respect the very basest Stage-players, more then the devoutest gravest Preachers; and would rather hear the most lascivious Comedy, then the best soul-searching Sermon: their very practice proclaiming as much unto the world (if not their words;) they being oftener weekly in the Play-house then in the Church; reading over three Play-books at the least, for every Sermon, for every Book or Chapter in the Bible. O that the execrable sinfulness of this prodigious profaneness would now at last awake us! then those who think a Stage-play once a day (at leastwise three aweeke) too little, a Sermon once or twice a week, a month, too much; would change their tune for shame ; thinking one Play a year to much, one Sermon a week, a month to little for Christians, concluding in the words of that blessed Martyr of our Church, John Hooper Bishop of Gloucester (who constantly preached in his Dioces most times twice, or at leastwise once every day throughout the week without fail) in the Confession and protestation of his Faith, Dedicated to King Edward the sixth, and the whole House of Parliament, in the year of our Lord, 1550. where we writes thus. What Realm soever will avoid the evil of Sedition and contempt of Godly Laws, let them provide the Word of God, to be diligently and truly preached • and taught unto the Subjects and Members thereof. The lack of it is the cause of sedition and trouble, as Solomon saith; Where Prophecy wanteth, the people are dissipated. Wherefore I cannot a little wonder at the opinion and doctrine of such, as say, a Sermon ONCE IN A WEEKE, IN A MONETH, OR IN A QVARTER OF A YEERE, is sufficient for the people. Truly it is injuriously and evil spoken against the glory of God and the salvation of the people. But se •• ng they will not be in the whole as good unto God as before they have been unto the Devil, neither so glad to remove false doctrine from the people, and to continue them in the true; where as they did before occupy the most part of the forenoon, the most part of the afternoon, yea and a great part of the night, to keep the estimation and continuance of dangerous and vain superstitions, were it much now to occupy ONE HOVRE IN THE MORNING, AND AN OTHER HOVRE TOWARDS NIGHT, to occupy the people with true and earnest prayer unto God in Christ's Blood, and in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ, that they might know and continue in the true Religion, and faithful confidence of Christ Jesus? Fifteene Masses in a Church daily were not too many for the Priests of Baal; and SHOVLD ONE SERMON EVERY DAY BE TOO MVCH FOR A GODLY BISHOP, AND EVANGELICALL PREACHER? I wonder how it can be too much opened unto the people? If any man say, labor is lost, and men's business lieth undone by that means. Surely it is ungodly spoken: for those that bear the people in hand of such a thing, knoweth right well, that there was neither labors, cares, needs, necessity, nor any things else, that heretofore could keep them from hearing of Mass, though it had been said at 4. a clock in the morning. Therefore as far as I see, people were content to lose more labor, and spent more time then to go to the Devil, then now to come to God: (as our common Players and Play-haunters do.) But my faith is, that both Master and Servant shall fin • gain thereby at the years end ; THOVGH THEY HEARE MORNING SERMON, AND MORNING PRAYERS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEKE. Thus far this reverend Bishop, whose words and practice I would the gross and shameless perverters of his doctrine in the points now controverted, (he being a professed Anti-Arminian, and Anti-Pelagian, and that in terminis, as his printed Works most positively demonstrate, however some pervert them: ) together with our constant Play-haunters would now seriously consider: especially in these our days; wherein Stage-plays almost cry down Sermons, and Play-books find so quick a sale, that (if Stationers do not misinforme me) there are at least a dozen Play-books vented for one printed Sermon: so that I may safely affirm, that Stage-plays exceedingly withdraw and keep men from God's service: especially on Lord's-days, Holi-days, and solemn Festivals, set apart for better purposes: which experimental truth is so visible to the eyes, the consciences of all men, that it needs no further proof. If any man be so uncredulous as not to believe experience, let him then attend to sundry Councils, Fathers, and other moderne Authors, who affirm: that Stage-plays withdraw men from the Church, and keep them from God's service, especially on Lord's-days, Holi-days, and solemn Festivals which were set apart for pious exercises. For Councils, See the 4. Council of Carthage, Canon 88. with sundry others here recited. Act 7. Scene 3. For Fathers, Clemens Romanus, in the 2. Book of Apostolical Constitutions. cap. 64.65. complains; That many leaving the Congregation of the Faithful, with the Church and Laws of God, did run to the Plays of the Grecians, and hasten unto Theaters, desiring to be numbered among those who resorted thither and to be made partakers of filthy, that I say not abominable words and spectacles: neither do they hear the Prophet Jeremiah, saying: Lord I have not sat in the assembly of Players or Mockers, but I was afraid at the sight of thy hand: nor Job, who speaks the like words, &c. Clemens Alexandrinus, in his 3. Book of the Paedag • ge. cap. 11. fol. 52.53. complains; That divers after they are departed from the Church, laying aside that divine inspiration which was in it, assimilate themselves to the company in which they are; or rather laying aside the false and counterfeit visour of gravity, they are found to be such, as they were before unknown to be: and when as they have reverenced that Word which was spoken of God, they leave it where they heard it, running unto Play-houses, the chair of pestilence; and delighting themselves abroad with wicked measures and amorous songs; being filled with the noise of pipes, with clapping of hands, with drunkenness, with all kind of filth and dirt. But whiles they chaunt and rechaunt this; those who before did celebrate and extol immortality, do at last wickedly sing, that most pernicious palinody; Let us eat and drindke, for tomorrow we shall die. But they not tomorrow, but even now already are truly dead to God, burying their dead, that is, interring themselves in death, &c. A dreadful speech, which I would our Dancers, Play-haunters, and voluptuous persons would lay near their hearts. Saint Augustine informs us; That voluptuous Plays and Spectacles ofttimes withdraw men from the Assemblies of the Church: and that the whole Citty of Rome did with public eyes and ears, learn • those alluring criminous fables, and those ignominious deeds which were wickedly and filthily feigned of their Idol-gods, and more filthily, more wickedly committed by them, neglecting in the mean time better things. Saint Chrysostom in sundry of his Homilies complains: That men did oft-time leave the Church and run to Plays; preferring Stage-play-meetings before the Church Assemblies, and choosing rather to see an Harlot or Player in the Theater, then the Body and Blood of Christ himself in the Church. Pope Leo the first laments. That Stage-plays, and unruly Spectacles were more frequented then the blessed solemnities of the Martyrs. Saint Asterius, in his Homily against the Feast of the Kalends, complains: That many preferring their vain Stage-plays, pleasures, and employments, absented themselves from the Church, and holy Sermons on Festivals and Holi-days, and on the Feast of Kalends. Alas for grief (writes Cyril Arch-bishop of Alexandria ) very many among us Christians imitate this madness and dishonesty of the Jews: who upon Holi-days and solemn Festivals giving themselves over to dishonest Plays, to drunkenness, to dancing, or other vanities of the world; when as they ought to serve God more diligently, to frequent the Churches of God more earnestly, to be instant in prayers, and to be present at Ecclesiastical duties, do then most of all provoke God with their most dissolute manners. Is this O Christians to celebrate an holy day, to pamper the belly, and to let loose the reins to unlawful pleasures? If work be prohibited on Holi-days, which must be used for the necessary sustenance of life; that so you may the more entirely devote yourselves to heavenly things; are not those things then much more forbidden which cannot be committed without sin and great offen • e to God? On days that are allowed for servile work, everyone is intent upon his own business; and he abstains from drunkenness, pastimes, and vanities. But on Holi-days (loe here the true genious picture of our present age) men everywhere run to the Ale-house, to Plays, to Interludes, and dances, to the very derision of God's Name, and the prevarication of the day: where as in truth the sin is so much the more heinous, by how much the more holy the time is in which it is committed. Let them therefore repent, and labor utterly to extirpate and pull up this tare, which the envious man hath sown in the Field of the Lord. John Damascene out of Eusebius informs us. That those who are endued with the fear of God, long for the Lord's day, that so they may pray unto God, and be made partakers of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But sluggish lazy persons look for the Lord's day, for no other end but that being loosed from their work, they may give themselves over to their vices. Now that I lie not, the very things themselves do make it credulous. Walk forth upon any other day, and thou shalt find no man idle or playing. Go forth upon the Lord's day, and thou may • t find, some playing upon and singing to the Harp: others shouting and dancing; others sitting, and reviling their neighbors, others wrestling. Doth the Preacher call to the Church? all of them grow lazy, and make delays. Do the Harp or Trumpet sound? all of them presently run as if they were winged. We behold the Spectacles of the Church; we see the Lord Christ lying on the Table, the Ceraphyns singing a thrice holy song, the words of the Gospel; the presence of the holy Ghost, the Prophets ecchoing, the Angels singing, Alleluia, all things spiritual, all things worthy salvation, all things procuring the Kingdom of Heaven. These things hears he that enters into the Church. But what seeth he who runs to Play-houses? Diabolical songs, dancing Wenches, or that I may speak more truly, Girls tossed up and down with the furies of the Devil: (A good description of our dancing females.) For what doth this Dancer • sse? She most impudently uncovers her head, which Paul hath commanded to be always covered: She turns about her neck the wrong way; She througheth about her hair hither and thither; Even these things verily are done by her whom the Devil hath possessed. But the Fidler, like a Devil, conflicteth with wooden instruments. Such verily was the feast of Herod. The Daughter of Herodias entered in and danced, and cut of the head of John the Baptist, and obtained the subterraneous places of Hell for her inheritance. Therefore those who love Charantoes and Dances, have their portion with her. Woe unto those who play upon the Harp on the Lord's day, or do any servile work. This day was allotted for the rest of servants and hirelings: For this saith he, is the day of the Lord, let us rejoice and be glad therein, &c. Salvian is yet more punctual to our purpose: hear but his words for all the other Fathers, We prefer (saith he) pastimes before the Curch of God: We despise the Lord's Table, and honor Theaters. Finally, besides other things which prove the same, this which I now say manifests it to be true. For if it fall out (as often it doth,) that at one and the same time an Holi-day be kept, and common Plays proclaimed; I demand of every man's conscience, which place hath greater troops of Christians? whether the Yard of the public Play-house, or the Court of God's house; and whether men flock to most; to the Temple, or to the Theater? Whether do they most affect, the sayings of the Evangelists, or of Stage-players? the words of life, or the words of death? the words of Christ, or the words of a fool in a Play? Doubtless we love that most which we prefer. For if the Church keep any feast on that day when there are solemn Plays; those, who say they are Christians, do not only not come to the Church, but if any not thinking of the Plays come casually thither, if they hear whiles they are in the very Church, that there are Plays acting abroad, they leave the Church, and repair to them. The Temple of God is despised to run unto Theaters: the Church is emptied, the Play-house filled: We leave Christ upon the Table, to feed our adulterous eyes with the impure and unchaste sight of most filthy Interludes. What stranger soever either cometh to Ravenna, or to Rome; shall find a part of the Romans at Stage-plays, and a part of the Ravenians at Theat • rs. And although any be either absent or distant by place, yet is he not excused thereby: for as many as are joined together in likeness of affection, are guilty alike of the same wickedness that either doth commit. Yet for all this, we flatter ourselves of our good behavior, and of the rareness of our impurity, &c. Thus far these Fathers Polydor Virgil complains. That in his time holy days were most acceptable to youth for no other reason, but that they had then leisure to lead about dances; especially among the Italians, who after the custom of the ancient Pagans, did usually exhibit Spectacles and Plays unto the people; reciting Comedies, and personating the lives and martyrdoms of the Saints in Churches; in which that all might receive equal delight, they acted them in their Mother-tongue. Thus was it heretofore among the ancient Romans, who on their solemn Festivals recited the Poems of Poets in open Theaters, and made divers Spectacles of beasts and Sword-players in Amphitheaters; with sundry other Plays throughout the Citty, with which the people were delighted. Agrippa complains, and so likewise doth BB. Latimer our renowned Martyr, and Episcopus Chemnensis: That that waster of equity, that subverter of all order and decency, that author of all evil things, the Devil, endeavoring daily to pull down what ever the holy Ghost doth build up, hath always quite demolished this fortification: The greatest part of Christian people so spending the holy rest of Holy-days, not in meeting together to pray, or hear God's Word, nor yet to perform those other duties for which they were first ordained; but wasting it in all kind of corruptions of good manners, and of Christian doctrine, in Dances, in Comedies, in Stage-plays, in ribaldrous Songs, in sports, in drunken meetings, in spectacles, in all kind of worldly and carnal works contrary to the Spirit and holiness: And as Tertullian saith of the solemnity of the Caesar's or Roman Emperors; they are wont then to perform a notable piece of service, to make Bonefires and Dances in the streets, to feast from house to house, to turn the whole Citty into the form of a Tavern, to force wine down their throats, to run earnestly to misdemeanors, to impudencies, to irritations, and enticements of lust: thus is the public joy expressed by a public shame: so may it be said of our Festivals. Are we not th • refore worthily to be condemned who thus celebrate the solemnities of Christ and of his Saints? Not to remember the Statute of 17 Edward 4. cap. 3. which informs us, that the Holi-days and Su • days were spent in Dice-play, Kayles, Bowles, and such other unlawful ungracious and incommendable Games. Nor to recite the words of the authorized Homily of the time and place of Prayer: which complains: That it too evidently appears that God is more dishonored, and the Devil better served on the Sunday, then upon all the days of the week besides. Nor yet to recite the lamentable complaint of Ioannis Langhecrucius: That Lord's-days and Holi-days in his time were for the most part spent in drunkenness, dancing, wantonness, Stage-plays, and the like: in so much that the very Singing-men and Choristers of the Church (such was their blindness and madness) did spend and honor the sacred feast-day of the Virgin Martyr Caecilia, not in sackcloth and fastings; but in gluttony, in drunkenness, in dancing, in lascivious and unchaste songs; being then more prone to all lasc • vious wickedness, then to the reformation of their lusts, or to fasting and prayer: And that almost all Artificers and T • ades-men had chosen someone Saint or other to be a Patron to them, which Saints they worshipped in a deboist Bacchanalian manner: so that by this kind of worship and custom, men seemed to have relapsed to Heathennisme or Atheism. I shall truly transcribe a notable passage out of Nicholaus de Clemangis to the like effect; in his Treatise: De Novis celebritatibus non instituendis: where he writes thus: Everyone may perceive with what devotion Christian people do at this day celebrate their Festivals and Holi-days. They seldom come to Church, they most seldom hear the Mass, and that for the most part but by piece-meal, &c. Yea they leave the Church, and run away. One goeth to a Farm, another to his worldly affairs: a great company resorts to fairs, which now are never kept in a public and solemn manner but on the most eminent Festivals: the Stage-player delighteth some, Play-houses take up others; Tennis-courts many, Dice very many. Festivals are celebrated by the richer sort with great gawdinesse of apparel; and provision of banquets: but between rich clothes and pompous feasts, the conscience lies unadorned in uncleanness. The outward house is cleansed with beasoms, the floors are swept, green boughs are placed at the door, the ground is strowed with herbs and flowers, all outward things are clean and trim: but the miserable inward man not partaking of this exultation, pines away in the mean time in his filthiness, and by how much more excessive the laughter is in the midst of vain delights, by so much the more is it afflicted with greater sorrows, and wounded with sharper pricks of sins. But to omit these: let us see what the profane vulgar doth in the mean time, and the youth in our times corrupted with luxury. I have fitly said, the profane vulgar, according to the thing which is done; because then doub • less they are far from the Temple; and as they ar • far from the Temple, so likewise far from home For Holi-days are not celebrated by them in the Temple, nor in their houses; all the solemnities of their celebration are in Taverns and Ale-houses, They resort thither almost at Sun-rising, and ofttimes they abide there until midnight; they swear, forswear, blaspheme God, and curse all his Saints, they roar, they wrestle, they wrangle: they sing, they rage, they shrecke, they make a tumult, and seem to be as mad as Bedlams. They strive who shall overcome one another in drinking: they drink merrily one to other; they earnestly provoke and stir up one another to drink: And when as they have glutted themselves, and are drunk, then they rise up to play, &c. What shall I relate the vanities of public Plays and spectacles upon Holi-days: The cross-ways sound again with dances? the Vilages and streets, yea the whole Citty rebound with the voices of Singers, the shoutes, the clamours of Dancers, the confused sound of the Harp, the Tabre • , the Psaltery, and all other musical Harmonies. There mind •• being moved with the fla •• eries of laughter, the thumping of the feet, the glances of the eye, the gropings of the hands, and with the alluring sweetness of Verses and Harps, Wax effeminate, become vain, and grow hot to luxury and incontinency. There the consultations of whoredoms and adulteries are handled; opportunities are taken, places, times, and conditions are appointed. And because the day is not sufficient for their lewdness, Girls and espoused Women are there ofttimes voluntarily or against their wills ravished in the darkness of the night. I know places, yea famous Cities, in which on Holi-days and Lord's-days it is lawful for Maides in a public manner to run abroad to their Lovers, yea to their Panders, which promised liberty they diligently study to preserve without control, and speedily as soon as ever the hour of dinner is past, they earnestly call themselves together, and march in troops to their corrupters with incredible wantonness and malepartnesse. We see in Wakes or Festivities of Country Villages, how Harlots come from all quarters out of the neighbor Towns and Cities, and Country Youthes flocking thither by troops, who perhaps were free from such uncleanness all the year, casting away the bridle of modesty in the solemnity of their Patron (the Saint to whose honor their Church is dedicated) publicly commit adultery. There Youth hath first cast off its Chastity; there young men are polluted, there Children are corrupted, and they learn the experiment of a most impure contagion. There they continually provoke and invite one another to that most filthy pleasure, and he that will not follow the rest to destruction is accounted a wretch, a sluggard, an unprofitable person, good for nothing. What Heathen skillful of sacrilegious Feastivals (if he should happen to be present) would not rather believe that the Floralia of Venus, or the feasts of Bacchus were kept, then the solemnities of any Saint; when as he should there behold such uncleanness as were wont to be acted in the Festivals of those Idols. Neither doth the filthy obscenity only of Bacchus and Venus seem to be exercised there, but likewise of Mars and Bellona too. For it is •• w a common fame, that it is an unseemly Holi-day which is not sprinkled with fighting and effusion of blood. Neither is it strange if that Mars be made a companion of Bacchus and Venus. For minds provoked with wine and lust are wont to be easily provoked to fight; Whence Venus Martia was feigned by the Poets to be coupled with a cunning and insoluble knot. What, is the Patron of the Village to be worshipped by the Inhabitants on his birth-day in such a manner, that so he might be propitious to them all the year? What Noble or great man would not be displeased that his birth-day should be defiled with such a pollution? Who may not see, how much honester, how much better it were to observe no Holi-days, then to keep them in this manner? Whose heart is so estranged from reason, so devious from the truth through perverse error, that he may not understand it to be less evil to go to plow, or to dignity, to sow, or do other Country works on the solemnities of the Saints, then not to honor, but to profane their solemn Festivals with such horrible obscenities? And yet if any one oppressed with never so great penury of necessaries for his family be found to have done anything in his Field or Vineyard, he is cited, severely punished, reprehended, condemned as guilty of violating an Holi-day. But he who shall commit these worser things condemned by the Laws and Commandments of God, shall want both punishment, and an accuser. And why is this, but because there is no man who will take revenge on those who transgress the Precepts of the Lord? They have their Officials (whose office Petrus Blesensis hath excellently characterized) they have Archdeacons, they have Promoters, they have Apparitors, who enforce their Episcopal Edicts to be kept with most grievous penalties. They run thorough the Dioces, they craftily examine and inquire, if any Vine-dresser or Husbandman hath wrought or carried anything upon an Holi-day: an • if it shall appear that he hath done any such thing, he is accused and punished, not so often according to the quality of the offense, as at the will of the Judge. But yet Christ hath none or very few Proctors who cause his Commandments to be kept, &c. Saint Augustine saith ; that he would rather go to Plow on the Lord's-day, then Dance: not that it is lawful then to go to Plow, or that he that goeth to Plow should be pardoned, but because he who danceth offends more grievously: because dancing it self is ofttimes a sin, and ofttimes enforceth men to occasions of worser sins. Consider what he would have said of those other things, which now are commonly done upon our Holi-days. And yet notwithstanding, if any one goeth to Plow on the Lord's-day, he is not only most severely punished, but he is well nigh reputed an Infidel: but he who danceth excellently, not only hath no reproof, but he is likewise plausibly received with applause and gratulation even by the Censors themselves, &c. Now what a thing is it for men to entangle themselves in greater villainies, on those days that are appointed for reconciliation and remission of sins, and on which men wholly cease from terrene actions, that they may give themselves to the contemplation of Heavenly things with a pure heart? What confidence can such have of the suffrage of the Saints, who defile their Holidayes with most foolish vanities, most impure pollutions • most wicked debacchations, and sacrilegious execrations? Verily they deserve to have them, not most pious furtherers, but most deadly accusers. For what greater injury can be done to a Saint, then to dishonor his birth-day, wherein he was carried into Heaven and Paradise, with such uncleanness? and with every such sacrilegious custom wherewith Devils were wont to be atoned by their superstitious worshippers? What do we think the ancient holy Fathers would say, who appointed the solemnities of the Saints to be observed in the Church for the foresaid ends, if they were now alive, and should see those vanities and counterfeit fooleries that are done upon them? I doubt not but they would take care of the souls that are like to perish, neither would they suffer such things on the holy days of the Saints as were not permitted to be done in the Bacchanalia themselves. Either therefore, they would recall the people by the censure of discipline from such most unworthy obscenities, or would compel them to celebrate Festivals with due honesty; or if they could not break the force of pernicious custom, they would rather abolish the feasts themselves, lest they should be an occasion of so great wickednesses; which as it seems to agree with the safety of souls, according to the variety of manners and times, are either to be discharged from observance, or else more strictly to be tied to an honest observance, lest they should do far more hurt by being ill observed, then well omitted, &c. By all which di • course of this learned Author, (who hath much more to the selfsame purpose, which suites punctually with the practice of our present times) we may easily discern, how Stage-plays and dancing avocate and with-hold men from God's worship, especially on Lord's-days, and the most solemn Christian Festivals, which of all other times are most abused, to the eternal ruin of many thousand Christians souls. To pass by Bucer in Psal. 92. Master Gualther. Hom. 88. in Acta Apostolorum. cap. 13. Master John Calvin, on Deut. 5. Sermo. 34. Doctor Bownd, of th Sabbath. London 1595. p. 135.136, 283, 284. Master Beacon, Hooper, Babington, Brinsly, Perkins, Dod, Lake, Downham, Andrew's, Williams, Ames, and most other Writers upon the 4. Commandment, and the Sabbath: who make the selfsame complaint, that the Lord's-day, and Holi-days are profaned and ofttimes spent in Stage-plays, Dancing, Drinking, Masques, and Pastimes. Which complaint I find likewise seconded by learned John Gerson, Vincentius Bellovecensis, and Cardinal Bellarmine himself; who as they condemn all Stage-plays, Interludes, Masques, with all mixed lascivious amorous dancing, (against which Vincentius and Bellarmine have largely written) at all times, so especially on Lord's-days, Holi-days, and solemn Festivals, on which they are most execrable. The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters is very copious in this point. God (writes he) hath given us an express Commandment, that we should not violate the Sabbath day, and prescribed an order how it should be sanctified, namely in holiness, by calling into mind the spiritual rest, hearing the Word of God, and ceasing from worldly business. Whereupon Isaiah the Prophet, showing how the Sabbath should be observed, saith, If thou tu • ne away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy will on mine Holy-day, and call the Sabbath a delight, to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord: and shalt honor him • not doing thing own ways, not seeking thine own will, nor speaking a vain word; then shalt thou delight in the Lord, and I will cause thee to mount upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father, for the mouth of the Lord hath spo • en it. Here we see how the Lord requireth that this day should be observed, and what rest he looketh for at our hands. But, alas, how do we follow the order which the Lord hath set down? Is not the Sabbath of all other days most abused? which of us on that day is not carried whether his affections leads him, unto all d • ssolutenesse of life? How often do we use on that day unreverend speech? which of us hath his heart occupied in the fear of God? who is not led away to the beholding of those Spectacles, the sight where • of can bring but con • usion to our bodies and souls? Are not our eyes ( there) carried away with the pride of vanity? our ears abused with amorous, that is, lecherous, filthy, and abominable speech? Is not our tongue which was given us only to glorify God with all, there employed to the blas • eming of God's holy Name, or the commendation of that is wicked? Are not our hearts through the pleasure of the flesh, the delight of the eye, and the fond motions of the mind, withdrawn from the service of the Lord, and meditation of his goodness? So that albeit it is a shame to say it, yet dovbtlesse whosoever will mark with what multitudes these idle pl • ces are replenished, and how empty the Lord's Sanctuary is of his people, may well perceive what devotion we have. We may well s • y we are the servants of the Lord, but the slender service we do him, and the small regard we have of his Commandments, declares our want of love towards him. For if ye love me (saith Christ) keep my Commandments. We may well be Hir • l • ngs, but we are none of his Household Wherefore abuse not the Sabbath day, my Brethren: leave not the Temple of the Lord: sit not still in the quagm • re of your own lusts: but put to your strength to help yourselves before your own weight sink you down to Hell. Redeem the time for the days are evil. Alas what folly is it in you, to purchase with a penny damnation to yourselves? why seek you after sin as after a banket? None delight in those Spectacles, but such as would be made Spectacles. Account not of their dross: their treasures are too base to be laid up in the rich Coafers of your mind. Repentance is farthest from you when you are nearest to such May-games. All of you for the most part do lose your time, or rather willfully cast the same away, contemning that as nothing which is so precious as your lives cannot redeem. I would to God you would bestow the time you consume in these vanities, in seeking after virtue and glory. For to speak truly, whatsoever is not converted to the use wherefore it was ordained, may be said to be lost. For to this end was man borne, and had the benefit of time given him, that he might honor, serve, and love his Creator, and think upon his goodness. For whatsoever is done without this, is doubtless cast away. Oh, how can you then excuse yourselves for the loss of time! do you imagine that your careless life shall never be brought into question? Think ye the words of Saint Paul the Apostle were spoken in vain, when he saith, We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things which are done in his body, whether it be good or evil. When that account shall be taken, I fear me your reckoning will be to seek, &c, By such infamous persons as Players much time is lost, and many days of honest travel are turned into vain exercises; Youth corrupted, the Sabbath profaned, &c. It was ordained in Rome by the Emperor Trajan, that the Romans should observe but 22 Holi-days throughout the whole year. For he thought without doubt, that the gods were more served on such days as the Romans did labor, then on such days as they rested; because the vices were more then which they did commit, then the sacrifices they did offer. And trust me I am of that opinion, that the Lord is never so ill served as on the Holi-days. For then Hell breaks loose. Then we permit Youth to have their swinge; and when they are out of the sight of their Masters, such government have they of themselves, that what by ill company they meet withal, and ill examples they learn at Plays, I fear me, I fear me their hearts are more allienated from virtue in two hours, then again may well be amended in a whole year. Thus he; yea and thus M. Gosson, M. Northbrooke, M. Stubs, M. Brinsly, and others too tedious to transcribe, together with the express words of the Statute of 1. Caroli. cap. 1. which informs us; That the holy keeping of the Lord's-day in very many places of this Realm hath been and now is profaned and neglected, by a disorderly sort of people, in exercising and frequenting Bear-baiting, Bul-baiting, Interludes, common Plays, and other unlawful exercises and pastimes, neglecting Divine Service both in their own Parishes, and elsewhere. All which concurrent testimonies are a su • ficient confirmation of this experimental truth; that Stage-plays avocate, with-hold, and keep men from God's worship, house & ordinances, especially on Festivals, Holi-days, and those solemn times which should be more peculiarly devoted to his service. And no wonder that it should be so: First, because the vulgar people, (who are commonly enamored with childish pleasures, and pompous vanities,) are exceedingly delighted with Interludes and Stage-plays ; as Tully, Horace, Juvenal, Theodoricus, Ovid, with sundry others testify: they are, as the Apostle speaks; Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God: God's presence, Sacraments, Temple, Word, and service are not so grateful, so delightful to them, as these: No wonder therefore if they neglect the one, (which are but a yoke, a wearisomeness, a pain, a burden to them, ) to enjoy the sinful plea • ures of the other, which are suitable to their vain voluptuous humor. Secondly, because these Stage-play pleasures are the very chiefest baits, the strongest, the most prevailing Engines which the Devil hath, to with-draw men's hearts from God: They were so in former ages, as Tertullian, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Lactantius, Augustine, and Salvian teach us; no wonder therefore if they be so now.

Thirdly, as Stage-plays thus with-draw men from God's-service; so they bring the Word, the ordinances, the worship, Ministers, and sincere service of God into contempt and scorn. Witness Saint Chrysostom, who expressly avers it. That nothing brings the Oracles and Ordinances of God into so great contempt, as the admiration and beholding of Stage-plays. Hence Lactantius, and Jerome inform us; That those who are accustomed to rhetorical Stage-plays, to sweet polished Orations and Poems, despise the plain common phrase and humble style of the S • riptures, as base and sordid; seeking after that which may delight their senses. Hence Gregory Nazianzen informs us; That Stage-plays make men unfit to hear God's Word, and cause them to contemn it. And that the Inhabitants of Constantinople who delighted much in Stage-plays; accounted the Divine Mysteries and Oracles of God, but a mere sport, as they reputed their Stage-plays and Cirque-plays: implying thereby that Play-haunters for the most part, contemn God's Word, his ordinances, and all spiritual things; as mere toys and trifles. This truth is likewise confirmed, by Saint Augustine, Salvian, with other Fathers and Councils, in the two precedent clauses: by Rodolphus Gualther, one of the eminentest Divines that the reformed Churches have bred, who records: That Stage-plays, and common Actors bring all Religion into contempt; and that Plato banished them out of his Common-weal for this reason among others; because they would breed a contempt of the God's. By the Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters; by M. Gosson, Master Northbrooke, and M. Stubs, in their Treatises against Plays; by Master Brinsly, in the third part of his True Watch. cap. 11. Abomination 30 pag. 302. and by sundry others too tedious to recite. And doth not our own experience suffragate to this truth? Alas who more vilify God's ordinances; or more slight his Word, his Ministers, his Servants, then Players and Play-haunters? who so atheistically irreligious, so graceless, so godless, so negligent of all holy duties, so little acquainted or enamored with God's Word, his worship, his service; as they? Whence is it, that men and women are lately grown so cold, so heartless in religion; so remiss, so careless in all religious duties; so regardless of God's Word, his Sacraments, his service: so lukewarm, yea so frozen in their love to God, his Saints, his Ordin • nces? it is not from their late extraordinary resort to Plays and Play-houses, which is now more frequent then in former times? For my own part I can impute it originally to naught else but it. Sure I am that religion is nowhere more scorned and jested at, that religious men are never more traduced, then on the Stage: that there are no such Seminaries of atheism, irreligiousnesse, blasphemy, idolatry, Heathenism and profaneness, as Plays and Play-houses: This the Authors in the precedent Acts do fully testify: It is more then probable therefore, that they are the primary fundamental causes of this most desperate lewd effect.

[ 4] Lastly, Stage-plays make all the means of grace and salvation, all the ordinances of God ineffectual to men's souls. Men hear, men read, pray, receive the Sacraments, and come to Church in vain, as long as they continue Actors or Spectators of Stage-plays. This all the Fathers, Councils, moderne Christian Authors, with the several reasons alleged in the three precedent particulars, abundantly evidence; revolve them, and you shall find it true. Saint Chrysostom is punctual to this purpose: We lose (saith he) all the labor, all the fruit of our fasting whiles we resort to Stage-plays: yea we reap no benefit at all from the Word of God. What profit reap you whiles you go from hence to the Theater? I reprove you; the Player corrupts you: I apply medicines to your disease; he ministers the fuel and occasion of the disease • I extinguish the fire of nature; he kindles a flame of lust: I build up, and he pulls down: Yea he plainly informs us, that neither the Sacrament, nor any other of God's ordinances will do men any good, so long as they resort to Stage-plays. Saint Augustine informs us of himself: That as long as he delighted in Stage-plays (which did nourish irritate and foment his lusts) God was not then his life, and that his life was not a life, but a death. For Stage-plays (writes he) are the very baits, the snares, the dens, and chains of the Devil, wherewith he takes and reintraps the souls of those whom he hath formerly left. Fly therefore Stage-plays, O beloved, the filthiest dens of the Devil, lest the bands of that malignant one hold you captive. Whosoever he be that will obtain perfect remission of his sins, let him keep and withdraw himself from these spectacles of the world: which l • st sentence of his is approved both by Aquinas himself, and by Alexander Fabricius, for good Divinity: If then Players and Play-haunters be thus spiritually dead; if they are in the very chains of the Devil; and uncapable of the full remission of their sins, as long as they delight in Stage-plays, or resort unto them, as this Father writes; needs must God's holy Ordinances be altogether unprofi • able to their souls whiles they resort to Plays. A plaster never heals, as long as there is an Arrows head, or poison in the wound: Stage-plays are an Arrows head, a venomous poison to the souls of men ; they are cankers to their graces, mere fire and fuel to their lusts: no wonder then if God's Ordinances never cure their sou • es, whiles they resort to Stage-plays. It was the use of Players and Play-haunting Pagans in the Primitive Church, as soon as ever they were converted to the Christian Faith; to renounce and utterly abandon Stage-plays; as altogether incompatible with their Christian profession; and making all the means of grace ineffectual to their souls. Doubtless the very • e • fesame course must be taken now. He that would thrive in grace and holiness; he that would have the Word, the Sacraments, fasting, prayer, or any other of God's ordinances effectual to his soul, must bid an eternal farewell unto Stage-plays. Thus did two eminent Play-poets and Play-haunters of our own; upon their very first conversion unto God, as themselves record; they abandoned Plays and Play-making, as inconsistent with salvation, with Christianity, with the grace, the service, the ordinances of God: resolving never to return unto them more; but to their powers to oppugn them, as formerly they had admired, composed & frequented them, which they did accordingly in several printed Books: Wherefore from all these several premises thus confirmed by reason, by authority, I may safely frame this 38. Syllogism against Stage-plays.

SCENA DECIMA-TERTIA.

[ 13] THe 13. effect of Stage-plays is, that they breed in the hearts of their Actors and Spectators an inward disesteem, a violent antipathy, an inplacable enmity against the practical power of grace and holiness; against all pious and religious men. This Lactantius, this Chrysostom, Augustine, Salvian, M. Gualther, The Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Theaters, M. Northbrooke, M. Stubs, with sundry others expressly testify. Yea this our own experience must subscribe too. For who more bitter, more virulent, more implacable adversaries to the power of godliness, to those who excel in grace, in piety: who such deriders, haters, slanderers, despisers of purity, of sincerity, of devout and holy Christians, as Players and Play-haunters? None abhor, revile, traduce, deride or scorn them more then they. And no wonder: for Saint Paul foretold it long ago; That such who are lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God (as Players and Play-patrons for the most part are) are always despisers of those that are good, having only a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Lactantius hath given the true reason of it. Everyone (saith he) that sins desire elbow room, he would have free liberty to sin without control; neither can he take any full delight in evil, unless there be none to disapprove his wicked courses. Therefore he desires to root out all good men, who are offensive and displeasing to him, because they are not only witnesses of his evil deeds, but likewise reprove and shame them by their different holy lives, though they never speak of them with their tongues Their very holy lives are a reproach, a scandal to their dissolute manners: therefore they slander and abhor them. S. Augustine ofttimes informs us; That the degenerous voluptuous Pagans, did detract from Christ and Christians, accusing, yea declaiming against the Christian times, as evil; because they sought not after such times in which their lives might be quiet, but rather in which their wickedness might be secure; in which they might securely enjoy their wicked Stage-plays, their sinful lusts, and worldly pleasures, without any reprehension or restraint. This do our Paganizing Actors and Play-haunters now; they hate, revile and slander, all zealous, practical Christians, under the Tearmes of Puritans, Prescitians, Novellers, Factionists, Holy-brethren, Men of the Spirit, Bible-bears, Sermon-haunters, Hypocrites, Holy-sisters, and a world of such like ignominious, disgraceful terms, (though some of them in themselves are honorable, having the holy Ghost himself for their Author, how ever profane Atheistical persons turn them into very mottoes of disgrace:) They abhor the very appearances of all grace and holiness, as diametrally opposite to their ungodly courses, to their profane, lascivious, ribaldrous Interludes, which all the Saints of God have evermore condemned. They think it strange that holy men run not with them into the same excess of riot, into the selfsame pleasures and delights of sin, in which they plunge themselves: therefore speak they evil of them; therefore they reproach, traduce, contemn, detest, oppugn them with the very height of spleen, of malice ; as being an eyesore, yea a life-sore to them, as present experience can inform us. Hence therefore I argue in the 39. place.

SCENA DECIMA-QVARTA.

THe 14. fruit of Stage-plays is this: That they inamor [ 14] men with the love of sin and vanity, which is ill: yea harden them in their sin and indispose them to repentance, which is far worse. The more a man resorts to Stage-plays, the more he delights in sin, in vanity, scurrility, lewdness; in Pagan Rites and Ceremonies; the more is he obdurated and confirmed in his vicious wicked courses; the more is he indisposed to repentance: Plays are the Birdlime, the enchaunting snares of Satan, with which he captivates and intangles souls through pleasure and delight: they are his chiefest instruments to expel all godly sorrow from men's hearts, to stupefy, to cauterize their consciences; to banish the very fear and thoughts of sin out of their minds; to remove the sense, the sting of conscience & iniquity far from their souls: to lull their hearts asleep in deep security; to chase away far from them all thoughts of Hell, of death, of damnation, of the day of judgment ; to forestall all helps, all preparatives, all means, all motives to repentance, and to with-hold men from it. Alas, how can he loath sin in the street, who delights in it in the Play-house? How can he mourn for it in his Closet; who sports himself with it in the Theater? How can he weep for it in secret, who thus laughs at it in public? How can he look upon it with detestation in himself, who makes it his recreation when it is acted by others? How can he renounce, abhor, condemn it at home; who thus applauds, affects, admires it abroad? Certainly, he can never make sin his greatest grief, who makes the r • presentations of it his chiefest mirth: He can never make ribaldry, adultery, whoredom, incest, and the like, the everlasting objects of his hatred, who makes the hearing, the seeing, the acting, the lively representations and pictures of them, the daily objects of his chief delight. Every true penitent must be sensible of sin; he m ••• feel the sting, the venom of it, see the filth of it, bewail the guilt of it, hate the very appearances and resemblances of it; fly all the occasions of it, all the allurements to it, yea utterly abhor the very sight and hearing of it, as a most execrable, horrid, and accursed thing. And can Players, can Play-haunters then, who spend their days in mirth, in carnal jollity, in laughing, in rejoicing, in ribaldrous songs, in scurrilous jests, in amorous Poems, in wanton Comedies; in lewd discourses, in adulterous representations, wallowing in the very mire of sensuality, voluptuousness, and such like beastly sins, without the least remorse, be near to true repentance, or to the ways, the preparatives that lead and bring men to it? O no! A penitent heart, an humbled soul, a circumcised ear, an eye that weeps in truth for sin, is altogether impatient of such objects, such Interludes, and delights as these. Witness the pactise of the Pagan converts in the Primitive times, who immediately upon their baptism, and sincere repentance did utterly renounce all Stage-plays as accursed Pleasures, not daring to return unto them again: Witness all Christian converts of latter times, who have done the like. Thus did Saint Augustine heretofore, as himself confesseth ; thus did M. Gosson and the Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Stage-plays of late; as themselves record: before their repentance and conversion they composed, they admired Stage-plays; immediately upon their repentance and reformation they utterly abandoned them, and wrote against them: Thus likewise did Alipius, Saint Augustine's convert, as himself relates: thus all that heartily and sincerely turn to God have ever done: their repentance drew them first from Plays & Play-houses, and then bent their hearts, their judgments, their tongues, if not their pens against them: Thus was it with the wanton Poet Ovid; his very moral Heathenish repentance, made him to detest and write aga • nst those Plays and Play-houses, which formerly he commended: And will not then true Christian Evangelical repentance much more reclaim men from, embitter their hearts, their tongues, and pens against these Heathenish, Hellish, and polluted pleasures? undoub • edly it will, as appears by all the Play • contemning Councils, Fathers, and other Christian Authors here recited, and by the concurrent suffrage of the devoutest Christians in all ages, who have constantly condemned and declaimed against Stage-plays, as the very greatest corruptions that can befall a Church or Christian State. The farther men are from Plays and Play-houses, the nearer are they (saith an Author) to true repentance : the nearer to them, the further are they from this soul-saving grace. Hereupon some Fathers well observe, that Saint Paul writing to Philemon to provide an house or lodging for him, (Philemon, verse. 22.) would have such an house as was not near the Theater or place of public Interludes, whither lascivious persons running did follow all filthy things, lest its filthy vicinage should make it detestable. Certainly if it were not meet for an eminent Apostle to dwell near to Plays or Play-houses, for fear their lewd vicinity should make his habitation detestable to Christian Auditors who resorted to it: much more unseemly is it for a penitent Christian (who must abstain not only from evil it self, but likewise from all the appearancies of it ) to resort to Plays and Play-houses themselves, which are far more noxious, more contagious then the houses near adjacent to them. As he therefore, who would obtain the perfect grace of remission, must withdraw himself from the Spectacles and Interludes of the world ; if Saint Augustine, Aquinas, or our own Country-man Alexander Fabricius write true Doctrine; so he that would attain the grace of true repentance must wholly sequester himself from Plays and Play-houses, which are altogether incompatible with true repentance, and both hindering men from it, and indisposing them to it, to the eternal loss, the irrecoverable perdition of their dear • st souls. Wherefore I shall epitomize this Scene into this 39. Play-refuting Argument.

SCENA DECIMA-QVINTA.

THe 15. consequent or effect of Stage-plays is; that [ 15] they effeminate their Actors and Spectators; making them mimicall, histrionical, lascivious, apish, amorous, and unmanly, both in their habits, gestures, speeches, complements, and their whole deportment: enervating and resolving the virility and vigor of their minds, to their own private and the public prejudice. This Plato De Republica Dialog. 3. pag. 597. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedagogi. lib, 2. cap. 4. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian De Spectaculis. cap. 17. Cyprian De Spectaculis. lib. & Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 2. Donato. Lactantius, De Vero Cultu cap. 20. & Divinarum Instit. Epist. cap. 6. Jerome. Adversus Iovinianum. lib. 2. cap. 7. Nazianzen. De Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063. Chrysostom Homil. 6. & 38. in Matth. & Oratio 7. formerly quoted. Augustine De Civitate Dei. lib. 1. cap. 32.33. Salvian. De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. Johannes Salisburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 8. & lib. 8. cap. 6. Saxo-Grammaticus. Danicae Hist. lib. 6. pag. 103. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Plays and Interludes. M. Gualther. Hom. 11. in Nahum. Bodinus De Republica. lib. 6. c. 1, Ludovicus Vives, De Causis Corruptionis Artium. l. 2. c. 81.82, 83. M. Robert Boulton, in his Discourse of True Happiness. pag. 73.74. with sundry Authors formerly quoted in the 5. Scene of this preseent Act: & Act 5. Scene 3.6. expressly testify. These effeminated the Grecians, the Romans heretofore, resolving their valor into sloth and laziness, and so making them a booty to their enemies, which made the Massilienses and Scipio Africanus to suppress them. And if this evidence is not sufficient, our own experience can sufficiently manifest this truth. For whence is it that many of our Gentry are lately degenerated into a more then Sardanapalian effeminacy ; that they are now so fantastique in their apparel, so womannish in their frizled Periwigs, Love-locks, and long effeminate pouldred pounced hair; so mimicall in their gestures; so effeminate in their lives; so Player-like in their deportment; so amorous in their speeches; so lascivious in their embracements; so unmanly, degenerous and un-English (if I may so speak) in their whole conversation; is it not principally from their resort to Plays, to Masques, and such like antique, apish Pastimes, the very Schools to train them up in all effeminacy, and fantastique folly? undoubtedly it is. Wherefore I shall briefly conclude this Scene with this 40. Play-oppugning Syllogism.

SCENA DECIMA-SEXTA.

THe 16. pernicious fruit of Stage-plays is, the incorporating [ 16] of men into lewd, deboist, ungodly company, which ofttimes proves the utter ruin of their souls, their bodies, credits and estates. How many Gentlemen are there now living, who by frequenting Stage-plays, have got such intimate acquaintance with Adulterers, Whore-masters, Adulteresses, Panders, Whores, Bauds, Parasites, Rookes, Cheaters, Drunkards, Ruffians, Rorers, Duellers, Quarrellers, Fantastiques, Idle-bees, Fashion-mungers, Stage-players, Pursers, and the like pernicious creatures, that they have never been able to shake them off again, till they have been plunged over head and ears in sin and villainy, till they have wasted their bodies, their estates, their credits, and lost themselves past all recovery? How many are there now in England that even in this respect have cause to rue the day that ever they beheld a Stage-play? How many tender careful Parents are there who may with watery eyes and bleeding hearts cry out, that Stage-plays have been the utter overthrow of their beloved Children, by ensnaring them in the bonds of dissolute, graceless, prodigal, unchaste companions, the chiefest instruments to make men wicked; and irrecoverably deboist? Flavius Vopiscus, in the life of Divus Aurelianus, inquiring into the several causes that make Princes evil; reckons wicked friends, and detestable or foolish Courtiers and companions as the chief of all the rest: intimating, that nothing is more contagious, more pernicious then evil company: of whom we may truly say as Seneca doth of an over-indulgent friend. Ille amando me occidit ; that they kill men whiles they love them. It is storied of Carinus the most defiled of men; that when he came to the Empire he abandoned all his best friends, retaining and choosing none but the very worst of all for his companions: Whereupon he filled his Court with Stage-players, Harlots, Iesters, Singers, Bauds; and committed most of his affairs to wickedmen, whom he always invited to his Feasts. This and no other do our common Play-haunters; they abandon all religious, modest, sober, chaste, and studious acquaintance: they fill their houses, their chambers with Poets, Stage-players, Whore-masters, Panders, Iesters, Drunkards, Whores, Bauds, Rookes, Sycophants, who hang like Burres, like Horsleeches upon them, till th • y have sucked them dry, and then they vanish. These are their only counselors, companions, guests, and bosom friends, who prove at last their deadliest enemies. This therefore should lesson all good Christians to refrain from Stage-plays, for fear they incorporate them into evil company, who will draw them by degrees to any wickedness. S. Augustine relates a memorable Story of one Alipius, a dear friend and convert of his, whom he himself had dissuaded from frequenting Theaters and Cirque-plays; who. being solicited by his friends and fellow Scholars, who met him as they returned from dinner, to go along with them to a Sword-play, did at first earnestly refuse and withstand them; and being at last drawn along by them to the Amphitheater with a familiar violence, he told them by the way, that though they should drag his body to that place, and set it there, yet they should never seriously fix his mind or eyes upon these Spectacles; I therefore (said he) will be absent whiles I am present, and so I will overcome both you and them. Notwithstanding these words they drew him along with them to the Amphitheater, perchance to try him, whether he could do as he hath said. Where when they were come, and every man had placed himself in such a seat as he could get, all things growing hot with most cruel pleasures ; Alipius shutting his eye-lids, forbade his mind, that it should not proceed on into so great evils: and I would to God (writes Saint Augustine ) he had likewise stopped his ears. For when as a great shout of all the people, occasioned by some accident of the fight had vehemently beaten his ears, being overcome with curiosity, and withal being as it were prepared to contemn and overcome the sight whatever it were, he opened his eyes; and forth-with he was smitten with a more grievous wound in his soul, then he whom he desired to see was in his body, and he fell more miserably then he, whose fall occasioned the shout, which entered thorough his ears, and opened his eyes, that so there might be something whereby his bold, rather then as yet valiant mind (and so much the more weak, by how much he had the more presumed of himself, who ought to have relied on God,) might be smitten and cast down. For as soon as he saw that blood, he drank in cruelty together with it, and did not turn away himself, but fixed his eyes, and drew in fury; he knew not the danger, and yet was delighted with the wickedness of the combat, and was drunken with the bloody pleasure. And now he was not the same man that he came thither, but one of the company to which he was come, and a true companion of the • rs by whom he was brought thither. What shall I say more? He beheld, he shouted, he grew outrageous, he carried away madness with him • rom thence, whereby he was excited to r • turn thither again, not only with those by whom he was first drawn away, but likewise before them, and drawing along others with him. And yet thou O Lord hast plucked him • hence with a most powerful and merciful hand, and hast taught him not to have any confidence in himself, but in thee; but this a long time after. From this experimental Story thus related by S. Augustine, which comes punctually to our purpose, we may learn many good instructions: First, that lewd companions are very importunate solicitors to draw others to Plays, and Play-houses, (as Panders, Whore-masters, and Yongsters now are, to draw young Gentlewomen and others whom they would make their prey) that so they may corrupt and lead them on to greater evils with more facility. Secondly, that the best remedy to avoid their importunate solicitations, is peremptorily to withstand them, and not to yield one inch unto them. Thirdly, that it is exceeding dangerous for good Christians, especially for new converted Novices, to be drawn by any importunities or persuasions of friends or lewd companions, to a Play-house, though it be against their wills and judgments, though they go thither with a prejudicate opinion against Plays, & with a peremptory resolution not to mind them, much less to be overcome or tempted by them, as this Alipius did. Fourthly, that the beholding of one lascivious Stage-play, though with prejudice, disaffection, and an absolute resolution against it, is able to corrupt and vitiate the very best spectators that resort unto it: how much more then will it deprave those lewd Play-haunters who flock unto it with delight, and are almost daily in the Play-house? Fifthly, that the sight of one only Stage-play, though with a prepossessed opinion against it, will draw men onto frequent, applaud, and admire others. Sixthly, that those who are once corrupted by seeing Stage-plays, are industrious to seduce, and draw others to them; whereas it were far better for such men not to have been borne, then to be thus enrolled among the number of those, who are borne for the public hurt of others. Seventhly, that those who are misled by Stage-plays, though they be civil, or religious men, are seldom speedily reclaimed from them ; and that only by the strong arm and powerful hand of God, not by any strength or goodness of their own. Lastly, that God commonly with-draws his preventing and perfecting grace, from such who run to Stage-plays, so that sin and Satan may easily surprise them. All which are naturally deduced from this History of Alipius; and should teach young Gentlemen and others, as they tender their own safety, and the eternal welfare of their own and others souls; to avoid the company o • Play-haunters, yea peremptorily to withstand the very temptations and allurements unto Stage-plays, and never to come near a Play-house, though it be with strongest prejudice, vigilancy & resolution against the corruptions, vices, abominations that attend it. How dangerous ill company are, especially a • Play-houses where the most are such; how apt they are to insinuate into others by this vice of Stage-plays, I have at large declared in a former Scene, (viz. Act. 4. Scene 1.2. I shall therefore close this Scene with this 41. Play • encountering Argument.

SCENA DECIMA-SEPTIMA.

THe 17. effect of Stage-plays is, that they draw men on to Atheism, Heathenism, and gross Idolatry [ 17] and profaneness. This is evident by Clemens Romanus. Constit. Apostol. lib. 2. cap. 65.66. By Tertullian De Spectaculis • • ap. 22. where he affirms, That many by communicating with the Devil in Stage-plays, hav • fallen quite away from God. Lactantius, De Vero Cultu. cap. 20. & 21. & Cyprian & Tertullian. De Spectaculis. lib. By Augustine De Civitate Dei. lib. 2. cap. 6. to 29. De Rectitudine Catholicae Conversationis. Tract. Tom • 9. pars 1. pag. 1447.1448. By Minucius Felix. Octavius. pag. 70. By Chrysost. Hom. 6.7. & 38. in Matth. Salvian. De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. By Master Brinsly, in his True Watch. cap. 11. Abomination 30. pag. 302. where he writes; that Stage-plays sow the seeds of Atheism in men's hearts: and that Stage-players are the Trumpeters of Satan, who call men from God and his House unto the Theaters, from his heavenly Majesty, to his sworn enemy, and by sundry others, who expressly testify; that Stage-plays, (which are commonly stuffed with the names, the histories, persons, fables, rites, ceremonies, villainies, incests, rapes, applauses, oaths, imprecations, and invocations of Pagan Idols; with atheistical • blasphemous, profane, and wicked scoffs and jests; with abuses of Scripture phrases, and bitter invectives against piety, and religion ; that matter to ingender athei • me, Idolatry, and Heathenism both in the Actors, Auditors, and Spectators of them) are a ready way to draw men on to Atheism, Paganism, Idolatry, and all profaneness, which are there acted and applauded. Yea Chrysostom, Cyprian, Lactan • ius, Tertullian, and Augustine, in their forequoted places affirm: That the Devil himself invented Stage-plays for this very end, that he might withdraw men from God unto Idolatry: and by these pleasures writes Theodoret, which suite well with the pleasurable, slothful, and voluptuous disposition of men, who are most of them addicted to pastimes, to a remiss and idle life, the most malignant Devil very easily domineeres over men, and hath drawn very many into bondage; who flying laborious virtue, and avoiding the difficulty of God's Law, have revolted unto him, who hath commanded things easy and most pleasant to be done. Stage-plays and Play-poems as the Fathers jointly testify; were the chief occasioners, propagators and fomenters of Atheism, Heathenism, Idolatry, and all dissolute profaneness heretofore: they being wholly consecrated to Idols, and celebrated to their honor in their solemn Festivals, and anniversary commemorations, as the very principal part of their irreligious worship, and idolatrous adoration. And do they not produce the selfsame dangerous effects and issues still? Alas whence is all that practical Atheism, Paganism, and profaneness; whence all those Heathenish vanities, customs, ceremonies, habits, speeches, blasphemies, execrations, Idolatries, superstitions, and the like; whence that open neglect and contempt, that denying of God in works, in actions ; that ordinary living without God in the world ; those secret whisperings in many Players, and Play-haunters hearts, that there is no God at all, at least no God to take notice, or vengeance of their sins ; whence all the real atheism and profaneness that we see in Players and Play-haunters lives: is it not principally from Plays and Interludes; wherein, not only the Pagan Deities, but likewise the very God of Heaven and Earth, together with his Word, his Saints, his service are derided ? Vndoubtedly it is. Never is there greater Atheism, or more open desperate profaneness, more notorious contempt of God, his Word, his worship, his fear, his service, then in such places, such times, wherein Stage-plays most abound. In Stage-plays (as Master Brinsly well observes) there is a continual sowing of all Atheism in the hearts of poor sim • le souls ; they are the very Nurseries of Atheism, of Paganism, of Idolatry and profaneness, as the experience of all ages testifies: Wherefore I shall conclude against them which this 42. Syllogism.

SCENA DECIMA-OCTAVA.

[ 18] THe 18. effect of Stage-plays is this; that they cause an apparent breach of all God's Commandments: Of the first Commandment, in honoring, applauding, invocating, naming, representing, adjuring, and extolling Pagan Idol-gods, and Goddesses, by the name of God, and in reviving their infernal ceremonies, rites and worship: and in propagating Atheism and Idolatry. Of the second Commandment, in making the Images, pictures, shapes and statues; in representing the persons, vices, ceremonies and customs of those Pagan Deities: and in relating their histories, pedegrees, acts and monuments. Of the third Commandment, in profaning and blaspheming the Name of God by cursed oaths and horrid execrations, which are frequent in our Interludes; by traducing and profaning the holy Name and Word of God, by inserting them into Stage-plays, and making them no better then a sport or May-game: by swearing by the names of Idol-gods • whereas Polycarpus would not so much as swear by the fortune of Caesar, though by doing it he might have saved his life ; by deriding the sincere worship and service of God, and by taking all God's Names, his attributes, his Ordinances in vain. Of the fourth Commandment, in profaning the Lord's-day in a notorious manner, and in drawing men on to idleness on those other days in which God commands them for to labor. Of the fifth Commandment,