Histrio-mastix The players scourge, or, actors tragædie, divided into two parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring authorities and resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture ... That popular stage-playes ... are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly spectacles, and most pernicious corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable mischiefes to churches, to republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. And that the profession of play-poets, of stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding academicall enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning dancing, dicing, health-drinking, &c. of which the table will informe you. By William Prynne, an vtter-barrester of Lincolnes Inne.

SCENA PRIMA.

HAving thus run over these three Corollaries of the unlawfulnesse of penning, acting and behold∣ing Stage-playes; I come now to answer such Objecti∣ons as may bee made against them; especially against the unlawfulnesse of acting & beholding Stage-playes. The arguments (or pretences rather) for the acting of Stage-playes (which I shall first reply to) are these:

First, it is lawfull to read a Play; therefore to pen,* 1.1 to act, or see it acted.

To this I answer first;* 1.2 that the obscenity, ribaldry, amorousnesse, heathenishnesse, and prophanesse of most Play-bookes, Arcadiaes, and fained Histories that are

now so much in admiration, is such, that it is not law∣full for any (especially for Children, Youthes, or those of the female ••ex, who take most pleasure in them) so much as once to read them, for feare they should in∣flame their lusts, and draw them on to actuall lewd∣nesse, and prophanesse. Hence h 1.3 Origen, i 1.4 Hierom and k 1.5 others informe us, that in ancient times Children and Youthes among the Iewes were not permitted to read the Booke of Canticles before they came to the age of 30. yeeres, for feare they should draw those spirituall love passages to a carnall sence, and make them instruments to inflame their lusts. Vpon which ground l 1.6 Origen adviseth all carnall persons, and those who are prone to lust, to forbeare the reading of this heavenly Song of Songs. Si enim aliquis ac∣cesserit, qui secundum carnem tantummodo vir est, huic tali non parum ex hac Scriptura discriminis periculi{que} nascetur. Audire enim purè & castis auribus amoris nomina nesci∣e••s, ab interiori homine ad exteriorem & carnalem virum, omnem deflectat auditum, & à spiritu convertetur ad car∣nem: nutriet{que} in semetipso concupiscentias carnales, & ••c∣casione divinae Scripturae commoveri, & incitari videbitur ad libidinem carnis. Ob hoc ergo m••neo & consilium do, omni qui nondum carnis & sanguinis molestijs caret, ne{que} ab affectu naturae materialis abscedit, ut à lectione libelli hujus, eorum{que} quae in eo dicentur, penitus temperet. Aiunt enim observari etiā apud Hebraeos, quod nisi quis ad aetatem perfectam maturam{que} pervenerit, libellum hunc ne quidem in manibus tenere permittatur. If Children, yong men, and carnall persons then upon this ground, are thus ad∣vised to refraine the reading of this sacred canonicall Booke of Spirituall love expressions betweene Christ and his beloved Church: m 1.7 Ne sub recordatione sancta∣rum faeminarum, &c. qu•• ibi nominantur, noxiae titulatio∣nis stimulus excitaretur, &c. How much more then ought

they to forbeare the reading of lascivious amorous scurrilous Play-bookes, Histories, and Arcadiaes; there being no women, no youthes so exactly chaste, which may not easily be corrupted by them, and even inflamed unto fury with strange and monstrous lusts; n 1.8 since there is no stronger engine to assault and vanquish the chastity of ••ny Maetron, Girle or Widdow, of any male or female what∣soever, then these amo••o••s Play-poets Poems and Histo∣ries, as Agrippa in his discourse of Bawdery, hath truely informed us. At{que} tamen (writes hee) quae in his libris plurimum edocta puella est, quae{que} horum s••it jacere dicteria, & ex horum disciplina cum procis in multas horas facunde confabulari, haec demum est probè aulica. Hence Clemens Romanus Constit. Apostol lib. 1. cap. 8. & Carolus Bovius in his Scholia upon the same place. Ib. p. 125. Nazianzen de Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063. Basil, de Le∣gendis libris Gentilium Oratio. Tertullian De Idololatria. lib. cap. 18. to 20. Ambrose in Evangelium Lucae. lib. 1. vers. 1. Hierom. Epist. 22. cap 13. & Epist. 146. to Dama∣sus. Lactantius de Falsa Religioue. cap. 12.15. Augustine De Civit. Dei. lib. 2. cap. 1.8. & Confessionum. lib. 1. cap. 15.16. Isiodor Hispalensis De Summo bono. lib. 3. cap. 13. Prosper Aquittanicus, De Vita Contemplativa. c. 6. Theo∣doret in Cant. Cantic. Tom. 1. pag 215. Isiodor Pelusiota. Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 62.63. Gregory the first. Epist. l. 9. Epist. 48. Iuo Carnotensis. Decret. pars 4. cap. 160. to 169. Gra∣tian Distin••tio. 86. The 4. Councell of Carthage. C••n. 16. The Councell of Colen under Adolphus. Anno•• 1549. Sy∣nodus Mechlinienses apud Ioannem Langhecrucium, De Vita & Honestate Ecclesiast•• lib. 2. cap. 22. pag. 321. De Institutione. Iuventutis. Can. 3. The Councell of Triers. Anno•• 1540. Cap. De Sc••olis. Surius. Tom. 4. Concil. pag. 838.890. o 1.9 The Synod of Towres. Anno 1583. The Councell of Burdeaux. 1582. The Synod of Rothomagium. An. 1581. Franciscus Z••phyrus in his Epistle to Simon and Nicholas prefixed to Tertullians Apologie. G••orgius Fabritius, his Epistle to the Duke of Saxony. Agrippa De

Vanitate Scientiarum. lib. cap. 64. & 71. Lodovicus Vives, De Tradendis Disciplinis. lib. 3. pag. 288.289. Episcopus Chemnensis, Onus Ecclesiae. cap. 18. sect. 8.9, 10, 11. Osorius De * 1.10 Regum Instit. lib. 4. pag. 120.121 Ma∣pheus Vegius De Educatione Liberorum. lib. 2. cap. 18. lib. 3•• cap. 1.2. & De Perseverantia Religionis. lib. 5. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 15. pag. 929.930. D. Humphries of true Nobility. Booke 2. D. Rainolds Overthrow of Stage-playes. pag. 122.123. Thomas Beacon, BB. Babington, BB. Hooper, Ioannis Nyder, M. Perkins, Dod, Elton, Lake, Downeham, Williams, and all other Expositors on the 7. Comman∣dement, together with most Commentators on Ephes. 5.2, 3, 4. have expresly condemned and prohibited Christians to pen, to print, to sell, to read, or Schoole-masters and others to teach any amorous wanton Play-bookes, Histories, or Heathen Authors, especially Ovids wanton Epistles and Bookes of love; Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, Martiall, the Comedies of Plautus, Terence, and other such amorous Bookes savoring either of Pagan Gods, of ethnicke rites and ceremonies, or of scurrility, amorousnesse & prophanesse; as their alleaged places will most amply testifie to such who shall peruse them at their leisure: the reason of which is thus expressed by Isiodor Hispalensis, Iuo Carnotensis, & Gratian, Ideo prohibetur Christianis legere figmenta poetarum, quia per oblectamenta fabularum mentem nimis excitent ad incentiva libidinum. Non enim thura solum offerendo daemonibus immolatur, sed etiam eorum dicta li∣bentius capiendo. The penning and reading of all amo∣rous Bookes was so execrable in the Primitive times, how ever they are much admired now, that p 1.11 Heli••do∣rus Bishop of Trica was deprived of his Bishopricke by a Provinciall Synod, for those wanton amorous Bookes he had

written in his youth, his bookes being likewis•• awarded to the fire to be burnt (though they are yet applauded and read by many amorous persons) quia lectione eorum juvenes multi in periculū conijcerentur: because divers yong men by reading of them might bee corrupted and entised unto lewdnesse; answerable to which memorable pious act are these Constitutions of the Councell of Burdeaux. An. 1582. and of the Synod of Towres. Anno 1583. well worth our observation. q 1.12Quia multi à vera fide aber∣rantes contra professionem, etiam consultò gravius peccant, &c. Prohibet haec Synodus, ne libri magicae artis, vel ad * 1.13 lasciviam & luxum provocantes imprimantur, vendantur, legantur, aut retineantur omnino; jubet{que} sicut repertifu••∣rint comburantur, sub ejusdem Anathematis paena quam ipso facto incurrunt, qui minime paruerint. Moneantur e∣tiam saepissime fideles Christiani à suis Parochis & confessa∣rijs ut fugiant, tanquam virus mortiferum, lectionem libro∣rum quorumcum{que}, qui vel ad artes magicas pertinent, vel obscaenas & impias narrationes continent: eos{que} ut olim tem∣pore * 1.14 Apostolorum factum legimus, comburant. Yea, r 1.15 Ignatius Loyola, the Father of the Iesuits, was so precise in this particular; That hee forbade the reading of Terence in Schooles to Children and Youthes, before his obscenities were expunged, lest he should more corrupt their manners by his wantonnesse, then by his Latine helpe their wits. And AEneas Sylvius, afterwards Pope Pius the second, in his s 1.16 Tractat••, De Liberorum Educatione, Dedicated to L••dislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia; discoursing what Authors and Poets are to be red to Children; resolves it thus. Ovidius ubi{que} tristis, ubi{que} dulcis est, in pleris{que} tamen locis nimium lascivus. Horatius sive fuit multae eloquentiae, &c. sunt tamen in eo quaedam quae tibi nec legere voluerim nec interpraetari. Martialis perniciosus, quamvis floridus & ornatus, ita ta∣men spinis densus est, ut legi rosas abs{que} punctione non sinat. Elegiam qui scribunt omnes puero negari debent; nimium enim sunt molles Tibullus, Propertius, Ca••ullus, & quae

translata est apud nos, Sapho, raro nam{que} non amatoria scri∣bunt, desertos{que} conqueruntur amores. Amoveantur igitur, &c. Animadvertere etiam praeceptorem op••rtet dum tibi comaedos tragaedos{que} legit, ne quid vitij persuadere videatur. And in his 359. Epi••tle pag. 869.870, Where hee re∣pents him seriously of that amorous Treatise which he had penned in his youth, he writes thus to our present purpose. Tractatum de amore olim sensu pariter{que} aetate juvenes cum nos scripsisse recolimus, paenitentia immodica pudor{que} ac maeror animum nostrum vehementer excruciant: quippe qui sciamus qui{que} protestati expresse fuimus, duo contineri in eo libello, ••pertam videlicet, sed heu lasciviam nimis prurientem{que} amoris historiam, & morale quod eam consequitur, edificans dogma. Quorum primum fatuos at{que} errantes video sectari * 1.17 quam plurimos, Alterum heu dolor, pene nullos. Ita impravatum est at{que} obfuscatum infaelix mortalium genus. De amore igitur quae scripsimus olim juvenes, contemnite ô mortales at{que} respuite; sequimini quae nunc dicimus, & seni magi•• quam juven•• credite. Nec privatum hominem plures facite quàm Pontificem: AE∣neam reijcite, Pium suscipite, &c. A passage which plainely informes us, that amorous Playes and Poems though intermixed with grave Sentences and Morals, are dangerous to be read or penned, because more will be corrupted by their amorousnesse, then instructed or edified by their Morals, as daily experience too well proves. If these authorities of Christians will not suf∣ficiently convince us of the danger, t••e unlawfulnesse of reading amorous Bookes and Playes, the most assidu∣ous studies of this our idle wanton age; consider then that t 1.18 Plato, a Heathen Philosopher, banished all Play-poets, and their Poems out of his Common-wealth; that u 1.19 the Lacedemonians, Massilienses, and at last the Athe∣nians to, prohibited and suppressed all Playes and Play-poems, not suffring them to bee read or acted: x 1.20 that Ari∣stotle, Plutarch, and Quintilian expresly condemned the rea∣ding of wanton, amorous, fabulous, obscene lascivious Poems

and Writers; that y 1.21 Augustus banished Ovid for his obscene, and p••nderly Bookes of love; and that z 1.22 Ovid himselfe disswaded men very seriously from re••ding his owne or other mens wanton Bookes and Poems, as being apt to inflame mens lusts, and to draw them on to whoredome, adultery, effemi∣nacy, scurrility, and all kinde of beastly lewdnesse. And can Christians then approve or justifie the delightfull reading and revolving (that I say not the penning, stu∣dying, * 1.23 printing and venting) of such lewde amorous Bookes and Playes, which these very Heathen Authors have condemned, and so prove farre worse then Pa∣gans? I shall therefore cloze up this first Reply to this Objection with the words of learned reverend George Alley, (Bishop of Exeter, in the second yeere of Queene Elizabeths Raigne,) against the reading, writing, and Printing of wanton Bookes and Playes. a 1.24 It is to be lamented, that not onely in the time of the idolatrous and superstitious Church, but even in this time also lascivious impur••, wanton Bookes, pearce into many mens houses and hands. Alas what doth such kinde of Bookes worke and bring with them? Forsooth nothing else but fire, even the burning flames of an unchaste minde, the brands of pleasure, the coles of filthinesse; the fire I say, that doth consume, devoure, and roote out all the nourishments of vertue, the fire I say, which is a proeme and entrance into the eternall fire of Hell. What is so expedient unto a Common-wealth as not to suffer witches to live? for so the Lord comman∣ded by his servant * 1.25 Moses. And (I pray you) be not they worse then an hundred Witches, which take mens senses from them? not with magicall delusions, but with the en∣chantments of dame Venus, and as it were to give them Circes cup to drinke of, and so of men to make them beasts. What punishment deserve they as either * 1.26 make or print such unsavory Bookes; truely I would wish them the same re∣ward wherewith b 1.27 Alexander Severus recompenced his

very familiar Vetronius Turinus, ut fumo videlicet pe∣reant qui fumum vendunt, that they perish with smoke who sell smoke. And what other things doe these set forth to sale, but smoke, ready to breake out into flame? For, that certaine persons bequeath themselves wholy to the reading of such lascivious and wanton Bookes, who knoweth not, that thereof commeth the first preparative of the minde, that when any one sparke of fire (be it never so little) falls into the tinder of Lady Venus, suddenly it is set on fire as towe or flaxe. Many doe read the verses which Lycoris the Strumpet, the Paramour of Gallus the Poet did read, and the verses which Corynna mentioned in Ovid, and which Neaera did read.* 1.28 It will perchance be replyed, that they doe read them, either for the increase of knowledge, or to drive away idlenesse. I answer,* 1.29 If any doe salute Venus, but a limine, as they say, that is, a farre off, as it wer•• in the en∣trie, what kindling and flames, I pray you, will ensue there∣of when the coles bee once stirred? * 1.30 It is to be feared that no small number of them who professe Christianity, be in this respect a great deale worse then the Heathen. The people called e 1.31 Massilienses, before they knew Christ, yea, or heard whether there were a Christ, but were very Pagans, and sacrificers to Idols, yet were knowne to all the world to be of such pure and unc••rrupt manners, that the manners of the Massilienses (as Plautus testifieth) are commonly counted the best and most approoved manners of all others. These among many other good orders of their well nurtu∣red City made a severe law, that there should be no Comedy played within their City, for the argument for the most part of such Playes, did containe the acts of dissolute and wan∣ton love. They had also within their City (about 613. yeeres before the birth of Christ) a Sword of execution wherewith the guilty and offenders should be slaine; but the uprightnesse of their living was such, that the Sword not being used was eaten with rust, and nothing meet to serve that turne: And alas are not almost all places in these dayes replenished with Iuglers,, Scoffers, Iesters, Players,

which may say and doe what they lust be it never so fleshly and filthy? and yet suffred with laughing and clapping of hands? d 1.32 Hiero Syracusanus, did punish Epicharmus the Poet, because he rehearsed certaine wanton verses in the pre∣sence of his wife, for hee would that in his house not onely other parts of the body should be chaste, but the eares also, which be unto other members of the body instead of a tun∣nell, to be kept, sartas tectas, that is, defended and covered, as the proverbe saith, and to be shut from all uncomely and ribaldry talke. Vnto which fact of Hiero, the worthy sen∣tence of e 1.33 Pericles is much consonant and agreeable. So∣phocles, who was joynt fellow with Pericles in the Pr••tor∣ship, beholding and greatly praysing the well favored beau∣ty of a certaine Boy passing by him, was rebuked of Pericles his companion after this sort: Not onely the hands of him that is a Pretor ought to refraine from lucre of money, but also th•• eyes to bee continent from wanton lookes. The f 1.34 Athenians provided very well for the integrity of their Iudges, that it should not be lawfull for any of the Areo∣pagites to write any Comedy or Play: and Epicharmus suffred punishment at the hands of Hiero for the rehear∣sall of certaine unchaste verses. But I speake it with sor∣row of heart; to our vicious Ballad-makers, and indictors of lewde Songs and Playes, no revengment, but rewards are largely payd and given: g 1.35 Gerardas a very ancient man of Lacedemonia, being demanded of his Hoste, what paine adulterers suffred at Sparta, made this answer: O mine Hoste, there is no adulterer among us neither can there be: (prey marke the reason:) For this was the manner a∣mong them, that they were never present ••t any Comedy, nor any other Playes, fearing lest they should heare and see those things which were repugnant to their lawes. But to revert to our purpose: Wanton Bookes, can bee no other thing but the fruits of wanton men, who although they write any one good sentence in their Workes, yet for the unwor••hi∣nesse of the person the sentence is rejected. The h 1.36 Sen••te of Lacedemonia would have refused a very worthy and apt

saying of one Demosthenes, for the unworthinesse of the Author, if certaine men of authority called among them Ephori, had not come betweene, and caused another of the Senators to have pronounced the sentence againe, as his owne saying. Plutarch writeth, that there was a law a∣mong the Grecians, that even the good Bookes of ill men should be destroyed, that the memory of the Authors also, should thereby utterly be blotted out and cleane put away, * 1.37 Gerson; sometimes Chancellor of Paris, speaking of a certaine Booke made by Ioannes Meldinensis, the title whereof is the Romant of the Rose, writeth of that Booke two things. First, he saith, if I had the Romant of the Rose, and that there were but one of them to bee had, and might have for it 500. Crownes, I would rather burne it then sell it. Againe, saith he, if I did understand that Ioannes Meldinensis did not repent with true sorrow of minde, for the * 1.38 making and setting forth of this Booke, I would pray no more for him, then I would for Iudas Is∣cariot, of whose damnation I am most certaine. And they also which reading this Booke, doe apply it unto wicked and wanton manners, are the Authors of his great paine and punishment. The like Ioannes Raulius said of the Booke and Fables of one Operius Danus, that hee was a most damned man, unlesse he repented and acknowledged his fault, for the setting forth of that Booke. I would God they heard these things whom it delighteth to write or read such shame∣lesse and lascivious workes. Let them remember the saying of Saint Paul; i 1.39 A man shall reape that which hee hath sowen. k 1.40 Chrysostome, a great enhaunser of Pauls pray∣ses, writeth; that so long shall the rewards of Paul rise more and more, how long there shall remaine such, which shall either by his life or doctrine be bronght unto the Lord God. The same may we say of all such, who while they lived have sowne ill seed, either by doing, saying, writing, or reading, that unlesse they repented, the more persons that are made ill by them, the more sharpe and greater growth their paine, as Saint Augustine wrote of Arrius. God save every Chri∣stian

heart, from either the delighting or reading of such miserable monuments. Thus concludes this reverend Bi∣shop, and so shall I this first reply. Secondly, admit it [ 2] be lawfull to read Playes or Comedies now and then for recreation sake, yet the frequent constant reading of Play-bookes, of other prophane lascivious amorous Poems, Histories, and discourses, (which many now make their daily study;) to read more Playes then Ser∣mons, then Bookes of piety and devotion, then Bookes or Chapters of the Bible, then Authors that should en∣able men in their callings, or fit them for the publike good, must needs be sinfull, as all the forequoted autho∣rities witnesse, because it avocates mens mindes from better and more sacred studies, on which they should spend their time, and fraughts them onely with empty words and vanities, which l 1.41 corrupt them for the present, and binde them over to damnation for the future. The Scripture we know commands men, m 1.42 not to delight in vanity, in old wives tales, in fabulous poeticall discourses, or other empty studies which tend not to our spirituall goo•••• n 1.43 Not to lay out our money for that which is not bread, and our labour for that which satisfieth not: o 1.44 but to redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill. Yea, it commands men to p 1.45 be fruitfull and abundant in all good workes•• q 1.46 to be holy in all manner of conversation; r 1.47 to be alwayes doing and receiving good, and finishing that worke which God hath given them to doe, growing every day more and more in grace, and in the knowledge of God and Christ, s 1.48 laying up a good foundation against the time to come, t 1.49 and per∣fecting holinesse in the feare of God, u 1.50 giving all diligence to mak•• their calling and election sure: x 1.51 doing all they doe to the praise and glory of God. Now the ordinary reading of Comedies, Tragedies, Arcadiaes, Amorous Histories, Poets, and other prophane Discourses, is altogether in∣consistent with all and every of these sacred Precepts, therefore it cannot bee lawfull. Besides the Scripture commands men even y 1.52 wholy to abandon all idle words,

all vaine unprofitable discourses, thought•• and actions. If then it gives us no liberty so much as to thinke a vaine thought, or to utter an idle word, certainely it alots us no vacant time for the reading of such vaine wanton Playes or Bookes. Againe, God enjoynes us, z 1.53 that our speech should be alway••s profitable and gracious, seasoned with salt, that so it may administer grace to the hearers, and build them up in their most holy faith: Therefore our writings, our studies, our reading must not be unedify∣ing, amorous and prophane, which ought to be as holy as serious, and profitable as our disco••rses. Moreover, it is the expresse precept of the Apostle Paul, (whom many prophane ones will here taxe of Puritanisme) Eph. 4.29. &c. 5.3, 4. But fornication and all uncleanesse, or covetousnesse, let it not be once named among you as becom∣meth Saints: neither filt••inesse, nor foolish talking nor je∣sting, which are not convenient, &c. Let no corrupt communi∣cation proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to * 1.54 edifie profitably, that it may mini••ter grace to the hearers, &c. And may wee then read or write these sinnes and vices which we ought not to name? or study or per∣use such wanton Playes and Pamplets, which can admi∣nister nought but gracelesnesse, lust, prophanesse to the Readers? Lastly, wee are commanded to * 1.55 search the Scriptures daily: to meditate in the Law of God day and night, and to read therein all the dayes of our lives, that we may learne to feare the Lord, and to keepe and doe all the workes and Statutes of his Law; which was b 1.56 King Davids study all the day long, yea, in the night season to: And because no time should bee left for any vaine stu∣dies or discourses; we are further enjoyned, c 1.57 to have the Word of God alwayes in our hearts; to teach it dili∣gently to our children, and to talke of it when we are sit∣ting in our houses, and when wee are walking by the way, when we lye downe, and when we rise up: Which for any man now conscionably to performe, is no lesse then arrant Puritanisme, in the worlds account. If then we

believe these sacred precepts (to which I might adde two more; * 1.58 Pray continually. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes, and againe I say rejoyce) to bee the Word of God, and so to binde us to obedience; there are cer∣tainely no vacant times alotted unto Christians, to read any idle Books or Play-house Pamphlets, which are al∣together incompatible with these precepts, and the se∣rious pious study of the sacred Scripture, as S. * 1.59 Hierom writes. Quae enim (quoth he) cōmunicatio luci ad tenebras? ••ui consensus Christo cum Belial? quid facit cum Psalterio Horatius? cum Evangelijs Maro? cum Apostolis Cicero? Et licet omnia munda mundis & nihil reijciend••m quod cum gra••iarum actione percipitur; tamen simul non debe∣mus bibere calicem Christi, & calicem Daemoniorum; as he there proves by his owne example, which I would wish all such as make prophane Playes and hu∣man Authors their chiefest studies, even seriously to consider; For saith he, when ever I fell to read the Pro∣phets after I had beene reading Tully and Plautus, Sermo horrebat incultus, their uncompt stile became irkesome to me; & quia lumen caecis oculis non videbam, non ocu∣lorum putabam culpam e••se, sed solis. Whiles the old Ser∣pent did thus delude me, a strong feaver shed into my bones, invaded my weake body, and brought me even to deaths doore: at which time I was suddenly rapt in ••pirit unto the Tribunall of a Iudge, where there was such a great and glorious light as cast me downe upon my face, that I durst not looke up. And being then demanded what I was, I answered, I am a Christian: whereupon the Iudge reply∣ed, thou lyest: Ciceronianus es, non Christianus: thou art a Ciceronian, not a Christian: for where thy treasure is, there also is thy heart; whereupon I grew speechlesse, and being beaten by the Iudges command, and tortured with the fire of conscience; I began to cry out and say, Lord have mercy upon me. Whereupon those who stood by falling down at the Iudges feet, intreated that he would give pardon to my youth, and give place of repentance to my error: ex∣act••rus

deinde cruciatum si gentilium litterarum libr••s a∣liq••ando legiss••m. I being then in so great a strait, that I could be content to promise greater things, began to sweare and protest by his Name, saying, Domine si unquam ha∣buero ••odices seculares, si legero, te negavi. And being dismissed upon this my oath I returned to my selfe againe, and opened my eyes, drenched with such a showre of teares, that the very extremity of my griefe would even cause the incredulous to believe this tr••nce, which was no slumbe•• or vaine dreame, but a thing really acted•• my very shoulders being blacke and blue with stripes, the paine of which re∣mained after I awaked. Since which time saith he; Fateor me tanto dehinc studio divina legisse, quanto non ante mortalia leg••ram. And from hence this Father exhorts all Christians to give over the reading of all prophane Bookes, all wanton Poems, which in his 146. Epistle to Damasus, hee most aptly compares to the Huskes with which the Prodigall in the Gospell was fed; where hee writes thus fitly to our purpose. f 1.60 Possumus & aliter sili∣quas interpraetari. Daemonum cibus est carmina poetarum, saecularis sapientia, rhetoricorum pompa verborum. Haec sua omnes suavitate delectant, & dum aures versibus dulci mo∣dulatione currentibus capiuntur, animam quo{que} penetrant, & pectoris interna devinciunt. Verum, ubi cum summo studio fu••rint, & labore perlect••, nihil aliud nisi inanem so∣num, & sermonum strepitum suis lectoribus tribuunt, nulla ibi saturitas veritatis, nulla re••ectio justitiae reperitur: studiosi ••arum in fame veri, in virtutum penuria perseve∣rant. Vnde & Apostolus prohibet; g 1.61 ne in Idolio quis re∣cumbat, &c. Nonne tibi videtur sub alijs verbis di••ere, ne legas Philosop••os, Orato••es, Poetas, nec in illorum le••ti∣one requiescas? Nec nobis blandiamur, si in eis, quae sunt scripta, non credimus, cum aliorum conscientia vulneretur, & putemur probare, quae dum legimus, non repr••bamus. Ab∣sit ut de ore Christiano sonet, Iuppiter omnipoten••, & me Hercule, & me Castor, & caetera magis portenta quam nu∣mina. At nunc etiam Sacerdotes Dei (and is not as tr••e

of our times?) omissis Evangelijs & Prophetis, videmus Comaedias legere, amatoria Bucolicorum vers••um verba canere, ten••re Virgilium, & id, quod in pueris necessitatis est, crimen in se fa••ere voluptatis. Cavendum igitur si capti∣vam velimus habere uxorem, ne in idolio recumbamus: aut si certè fuerimus ejus amore decepti, mundemus eam, & omni sordium errore purgemus, ne scandalum patiatur fra∣ter pro quo Christus mortuus, cum in ore Christiani carmi∣na, in idolorum laudem composita, audierit personare. Since therefore all these idle Play-bookes and such like amo∣rous Pastorals are but empty huskes, h 1.62 which yeeld no nourishment but to Swine, or such as wallow in their beastly lusts and carnall pleasures; since they are incom∣patible with the pious study and diligent reading of Gods sacred Word, (i 1.63 the gold, the hony, the milke, the marrow, the heavenly Manna, feast and sweatest nourish∣ment of our soules,) with the serious hearing, reading, meditation, thoughts and study whereof we should al∣wayes constantly feed, refresh, rejoyce, and feast our spirits, which commonly starve and pine away whiles we are too much taken up with other studies or imployments, especially with Playes and idle amorous Pamphlets: (the very reading of which * 1.64 S. Augustine, repented and con∣demned:) let us hencefore lay aside such unprofitable, un∣christian studies, betaking our selves wholly at leastwise principally to Gods sacred Word, which is k 1.65 onely able to make us wise unto salvation, and to nourish our soules unto e∣ternall life: & since Christianity is our general profession, let not Paganisme, scurrility, prophanes, wantonnes, amo∣rousnesse, Playes, or lewde Poeticall Figments or Histo∣ries, but Gods Word alone, which as * 1.66 Sūmula Raymundi saith, transcends all other Bookes & Sciences; be our chief∣est study, at all such vacant times as are not occupied in our lawfull callings, or other pious duties. I shal therfore cloze up this 2. reply, with that Apostolicall Constitution recorded by l 1.67 Clemens Romanus, (if the Booke bee his) which I would wish al Papists who deny the reading of

the Scripture unto Lay-men, to whō this good precept is directed as the very * 1.68 Title and first Chapter proves, e∣ven seriously to consider. Sed sive ad fideles & ejusdem se∣ntentiae homines accedis, conferens cum ijs vitali•• verba lo∣quere: sin minus accedis, intus sedens percurre legem, Reges, Prophetas: Psalle hymnos David,* 1.69 lege diligenter Evange∣lium, quod est horū complementū. Abstine ab omnibus Gen∣tiliū libris. Quid enim tibi cum externis libris, vel legibus, vel Prophetis? quae quidem leves à fide abducunt. Nam quid tibi deest in lege Dei, ut ad illâs gentium fabulas confugias? Nam si historica percurrere cupis, habes Reges: si sophi∣stica & Prophetica, habes Prophetas, & Iob, & Proverbio∣rum authorem, in quibus omnis poeticae, & sapientiae accu∣ratam rationem invenies; quoniam Domini Dei, qui solus est sapiens, voces sunt. Quod si cantilenas cupis, habes Psalmos: si rerum origines nosse desideras, habes Genesim: si leges & praecepta, gloriosam Dei legem. Ab omnibus igitur exteris & diabolicis libris vehementer te contine•• m 1.70 quoniam in ipso verbo sunt omnia. Ibi remedium vulne∣rum, ibi subsidia necessitatum, ibi resarcitus defectuum, ibi profectuum copiae, ibi deni{que} quicquid accipere vel habere hominibus expedit, quicquid decet, quicquid oportet. Sine causa ergo aliud à verbo petitur, cum ipsum sit omnia. Thirdly, admit a man may lawfully read a Play-book, yet it n 1.71 will not follow, that therefore he may pen, or act a Play, or see it acted. For first, a man may lawfully read such things, as hee cannot pen, or act, or behold without offending God. A man perchance may lawfully read a Masse-booke, but yet he cannot write a Masse-booke, nor yet act, or say, or see a Masse without committing sinne. Some men may lawfully read an * 1.72Alcoran, or any hereticall Booke,* 1.73 ut magis judicent quàm sequantur; ra∣ther to confute then follow it; but no man can pen, or print, or publish it with delight, (no nor yet read it out of love and liking, as men read Play-bookes) but he must transgresse. A man may safely read the stories of * 1.74 the Sodomites sinnes, of the Canaanites and Israelites

Idolatries; but yet to act, or see them acted cannot bee lesse then sinfull. A man may and must p 1.75 daily read the sacred Scriptures, the Passion of our Saviour, the Histories of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Iob, and others recited in the Bible; yet none q 1.76 may Play or see them Played without sinne, yea highest blasphemie and pro∣phanesse; though some gracelesse wretches as well in private as in popular Stage-playes much prophane them, bringing not onely Ministers, preaching and praying, but even the very sacred Bible and the stories in it on the Stage, r 1.77 as some late notorious damnable (if not damned) prece∣dents witnesse; when as not onely our owne pious Sta∣tute ofs 1.78 3. Iacobi. cap. 21. but likewise t 1.79 Concilium Rhe∣mense, Anno 1583. which decrees thus: Vt ea vitent fideles quibus cultus divinus impediri potest, statuimus, ne quis Scripturae sacrae verba ad scurriliae, detrectationes, su∣perstitiones, incantationes, sortes, libellos famosos audeat usurpare. Si quis contra fecerit, juris & arbitrij paenis coerceatur: And u 1.80 Concilium Bituriense. Anno 1554. which thus ordaines. Non liceat cuiquam verba & sen∣tentias sacrae Scripturae ad scurrilia, fabulosa, vana, adu∣lationes, detractiones, superstitiones, & diabolicas incan∣tationes, divinationes, sortes, libellos famosos, & alias ejus∣modi impietates usurpare: Qui in eo peccaverint, ab Episcopis legitimis paenis coercētur: together with the Synod of Ro∣chell. An. 1571. (here p. 636.) & * 1.81 BB. Gardener have long since prohibited and condemned this atheisticall horrid prophanesse, which no Christian can so much as thinke off, but with highest detestation. Since therefore many things may be lawfully read, which cannot honestly be penned, acted, heard or seene, the argument is but a meere inconsequent. Secondly, though a man perchance may in some cases lawfully read a Play-booke, * 1.82 yet it will not follow, that he may compose, or act, or see a Stage-play: For first, a man may read a Play with de∣testation both of its vanity, ribaldry and prophanesse; but he can neither pen, nor play, nor yet very willing∣ly

behold it, as all Play-haunters doe, without ap∣probation [ 2] and delight. Secondly, a man may read a Play without any prodigall vaine expence of money, or over-great losse of time: but none can compile, or act, or see a Stage-play x 1.83 without losse of time, of money, which [ 3] should bee better imployed: Thirdly, Stage-playes may be privately read over without any danger of in∣fection by ill company, without any publike infamy or scandall, without giving any ill example, without any incouraging or maintaining of Players in their un∣godly profession, or without participating with them in their sinnes; y 1.84 but they can neither be compiled, beheld, or acted, without these severall unlawfull circumstan∣ces which cannot be avoyded.

[ 4] Fourthly, Stageplayes may be read without using or beholding any effeminate amorous, lustfull gestures, complements, kisses, dalliances, or embracements; any whorish, immodest, fantastique, womanish appa∣rell, Vizards, disguises; any lively representations of Venery, whoredome, adultery, and the like, which are apt to enrage mens lusts: without hypocrisie, fei∣ning, cheats, lascivious tunes and dances, with such other unlawfull Stage ingredients or concomitants: z 1.85 but they can neither be seene nor acted, without all, or most of these. Fiftly, he that reades a Stage-play may passe by all obscene or amorous passages, all prophane or [ 5] scurrill Iests, all heathenish oathes and execrations even with detestation; but he who makes, who acts, who heares, or viewes a Stage-play acted, hath no such liberty left him, but hee must act, recite, behold and heare them all. Yea sometimes such who act the Clowne or amorous person, adde many obscene lasci∣vious jests and passages of their owne, by way of ap∣pendix, to delight the auditors, which were not in [ 6] their parts before. Lastly, when a man reads a Play, he ever wants that viva vox, that flexanimous rhe∣toricall Stage-elocution, that lively action and repre∣sentation

of the Players themselves which put life and vigor into these their Enterludes, and make them pierce more deepely into the Spectators eyes, their eares and lewde affections, precipitating them on to lust: yea, the eyes, the eares of Play-readers want all those lust-enraging objects, which Actors and Specta∣tors meet with in the Play-house: Therefore though the reading of Stage-playes may be lawfull, yet the compo∣sing, acting, or seeing of them in all these several regards, cannot be so. So that this first Objection is both false and frivolous.

The second Objection for the composing and acting of Playes is this.* 1.86 a 1.87 The penning and acting of Playes doth whet & exercise mens wits and poetry, embolden youth, confirme their voyces, helpe their memories, action and elocution; and make them perfect Ora∣tors. Therefore it is both lawfull, yea and usefull to.

To this I answer first:* 1.88 that this Objection makes onely for academicall and private, but nought for po∣pular Enterludes. Secondly, academicall Stage-playes are seldome acted or penned for any of the ends, the uses here recorded, but onely for entertainement, for mirth and pleasure sake. Thirdly, b 1.89 men must not doe [ 2] evill that good may come of it: therefore they may not [ 3] exercise their wits, their inventions about lascivious amorous Play-house Poems; they may not strengthen or stuffe their memories with such vaine lewde empty froth as Playes now are; nor embolden themselves by acting effeminate, scurrile, whorish, impudent, or immodes•• parts: nor yet helpe their action, their elo∣cution by uttering, by personating any unlawfull things, which may either draw or tempt them unto lewd∣nesse. We know that frequenting of Tavernes and Brothels; courting of impudent Strumpets, keeping of deboist company, reading of amorous Bookes and Pastorals, adde spirit and boldnesse unto men, yea oft improve their elocution, carriage, and amorous fond

discourse, as much or more then Playes, * 1.90 yet none may use these wicked courses to obtaine these petty benefits; no more then he may oppresse, or steale, or cheate, or perjure himselfe to augment his wealth, or [ 4] use charmes and sorceries to recover health. Fourthly, * 1.91 Melius est aliquid nescire, quàm cum periculo discere. The hurt, the danger that accrues to men by penning, by acting Playes, is evermore * 1.92 farre greater then the good, the benefits here alleaged: the evill is certaine, the good, uncertaine: it is no wisedome, no safety there∣fore to plung men into sundry great and certaine evils, [ 5] to atchieve some probable meane emoluments. Fiftly, the good that comes by penning or acting Playes, is onely temporall; the hurt, the mischiefe is eternall; the good extends no further then mens bodies; the * 1.93 damage reacheth to their soules, yea oft unto their bodies, goods and names: it is no discretion then for men to hazard the losse, the damage of their soules, for [ 6] such petty improvements of their bodies. Sixtly, there is little or no analogie betweene the action, the elocution of Players, of Orators and Divines: The prin∣cipall prayse of Actors is a lively counterfeiting and re∣presentation of the parts, the persons they sustaine, by corporall gestures rather then by words: the chiefest prayse of Orators is to * 1.94 expresse, to describe the things they speake of in an elegant flexanimous phrase, and grave elocu∣tion: the duty of the one being to represent things to the eye, whereas the other speaks onely to the eare. Which diversity is warranted both by the story of Cicero the Orator, and Roscius the Actor, who, as f 1.95 Macrobius writes, did use to contend together; Vtrum ille s••••pius ••andem ••en∣tentiā varijs gestibus efficeret, an ipse p••r eloquentiae copiam sermone divers•• pronunciaret: by the very stiles of Actor, and * 1.96 Orator, the first, importing onely corporall gestures, and representations; the other, verball expressions•• and by the usuall phrases of seeing a Stage-play, and hea∣ring an Oration. Now what proportion is there be∣tweene

gestures and words? betweene * 1.97 acting and speaking well, that one should be such a helpe or fur∣therance to the other? Alas what profit, what advan∣tage can an Orator gaine by acting an amorous females, a Bawdes, a Panders, a Ru••••ians, Drunkards, Murtherers, Lovers, Soldiers, Kings, Tyrants, Fayries, Furies, De∣vils or Pagan Idols part with suitable gestures and spee∣ches? tell me I beseech you, what furtherances these are to make a perfect Orator, who though hee may plead or speake for others, must act no other man but himselfe alone, whereas Players must never act them∣selves but other parts? Certainely if wee believe g 1.98 Quintilian, or a h 1.99 late famous Orator of our owne, the acting of Playes, which is full of wantonnesse, of light, of lewde, of foolish gestures and speeches, is the next way to marre an Orator, whose speech, action and de∣portment mu••t be grave and serious. Hence i 1.100 Quinti∣lian (as eminent an Orator as most now extant) in his directions how an Orator should frame his speech, his voyce and gesture, expresly forbids him•• to imitate the voyce * 1.101 or gestures of Players, or to expresse or act the slaves, the drunkards, lovers, penni-fathers, cowards, or any such Play-house part, because as they were no wayes necessary for an Orator, so they will rather corrupt his minde and manners, then any wayes helpe his elocution or action. The acting therefore of Playes is no wayes necessary or use∣full for an Orator, it being no furtherance but an appa∣rant obstacle to true oratory, action, elocution; there being no analogie betweene the wanton amorous ge∣stures, speeches, Pastorals, jests, and florishes of a Poet, an Actor; and the sad, grave, serious elocution or action of an Orator. And as Play-acting is no wayes usefull for an Orator, so much lesse k 1.102 for a Minister, or

Divine, there being no Analogie betweene Preachers and Players, Sermons and Playes, Theaters and Churches, betweene the sacred, sober, chaste, and modest ge∣stures, the soule-saving speeches of the one, and the lascivious, scurrill, prophane, ungodly action and dis∣courses of the other. Hence the l 1.103 forementioned Coun∣cels, Fathers and Canonists, together with * 1.104 Concilium Foro-juliense, Can. 6. which I before omitted, have inhi∣bited Ministers and Clergie men from penning, acting and beholding Stage-playes, as being no wayes suitable, but altogether incompatible with their most holy and grave profession: Hence also they excluded all common Actors, (and likewise academicall to, till they had done publike penance) from the Ministeriall function; the acting of Playes being so far from making men fit for the ministry, that it made them both unfit, and likewise uncapable to re∣ceive it. What therefore m 1.105 Agis junior replyed to a wicked fellow who oft demanded of him, Quis essèt Spartanorum optimus? Quitui est dissimilimus; the same may I say of Ministers; that hee is the best Minister who is most unlike a Player both in his gesture, habit, speech and elocution. Hence n 1.106 Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Millaine, refused to give Ecclesiasticall Orders to one who sued for them, and likewise deprived another (who after∣wards fell to the Arian heresie) Quia lucebat in eorum incessu species quaedam scurrarum percursantium: con∣demning not onely all those Clergie men, but also Lay∣men to, who used Playerly gestures, qui sensim ambu∣lando imitantur histrionicos gestus, & quasi quaedam fer∣cula pomparum, & statuarum motus nutantium, ut quo∣tiescun{que} gradum transferunt modulos quosdam servare vi∣deantur: avice too common in this our antique wanton age. We that know that o 1.107 all Christians, and more especi∣ally Ministers, ought to be sober, modest, grave, chaste, both in their gesture and deportment; Hence p 1.108 Concilium Seno∣nense. An. 1528. Decreta Morum. cap. 25. decrees thus. Clerici in incessu quo{que} honestatem exhibeant, ut gravitate

itineris, mentis maturitatem ostendant. Incompositio enim corporis, risus dissolutus, indece••s ••culorum vagatio, inae∣qualitatem indicant mentis. And then it proceeds thus. Non in scenam velut histriones prodeant, non comaedias ver∣naculas agant; non spectaculum corporis sui faciant in publi∣co privatove loco (pray marke it:) Quae omnia cum om∣nibus sacerdotibus sunt indec••ra, & ordini clericali mul∣tum detrahentia, tum illis praecipue, quibus animarum cura est commissa. An infallible evidence that histrionicall gestures, and t••e acting of Stage-playes either in pub∣like or private, are no wise usefull, but altogether scandalous, and unseemely for a Minister; and that the acting, the beholding of Playes, will make men q 1.109 amorous, wanton, light and Playerlike in their gestures, as r 1.110 Saint Chrysostome with others largely testi••ie. And as Thea∣tricall gestures are altogether unseemely in a Minister, (whence Protestants condemne s 1.111 all Masse-priests ge∣stures, crouchings and noddings in the celebrating or acting of their Masses, which they compare to Playes,) So like∣wi••e are all poeticall Play-house phrases, Clinches, and strong lines, as now some stile them; (too frequent in our Sermons; which in respect of their * 1.112 Divisions, language, action, stile, and subject matter, consisting either of wanton flashes of luxurious wits, or meere quotations of humane Authors, Poets, Orators, Histories, Philoso∣phers, and Popish Schoole-men; or sesquipedalia verba, great empty swelling words of vanity and estimation more fitter for the Stage, from whence they are oft∣times borrowed, (then the Pulpet,) unsutable for Mini∣••ters t 1.113 qui dum indecēter elegantes videre volunt, passim jam turpibus verbis impude••••er insaniunt. Ministers are Gods u 1.114 Ambassadors, therefore they * 1.115 must speake nothing in the Pulpit but those words which God shall put into their mouthes; they must deliver Gods message in his owne dialect;

not in the y 1.116 language of Poets, and other humane Au∣thors, in which Gods spirit never breathes. They are Christs Vnder-shepheards, z 1.117 therefore they must speake unto their Flockes in Christs owne voyce, which they must onely know and heare, and follow, not in the voyce of strangers, whose voyce they will not, yea they must not heare: They are the a 1.118 Ministers, the mouth of Christ, therefo••e they must one∣ly preach and speake his language: They have no other Commission, b 1.119 but to goe and preach the Gospell, (not Histories and Poets) unto men: They are the c 1.120 Stewards of the misteries, and manifold graces of the Gospell, of the milke and bread of Gods holy Word; and these alone they must dispence: They are sent out by God for no other pur∣pose, but onely d 1.121to open mens eyes, and to turne them from darkenesse to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgivenesse of sins, and inheritance a∣mong them that are sanctified through faith that is in Christ Iesus: therefore they must come unto them, not with the dimme lights of human learning, e 1.122 but with the light, the brightnesse of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ: * 1.123 not with entising words of mans wisedome (which never yet converted or saved any one soule,) but in demonstra∣tion of the spirit and of power: g 1.124 not with the wisedome of this world, which human Authors teach, but with the wise∣dome of God in a mistery, which the holy Ghost teacheth: h 1.125 not with philosophie and vaine deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: but with the Word and Gospell of Christ, the i 1.126 mighty power of God unto salvation, which is able (yea onely able) to save mens soules. Hence k 1.127 Saint Hierom writes thu•• to Nepotianus, Docente te in Ecclesia non clamor populi, sed gemitus suscitetur. Lachrymae auditorū laudes tuae sint. Sermo Presbyteri Scripturarum lectione conditus sit. Nolo te declamatorem esse & rabulam, garru∣lum{que} sine ratione, sed mysteriorum peritum, & sacramen∣torum Dei tui peritissimum. Verba voluere, & celeritate dicendi apud imperitum vulgus admirationem facere, in∣doctorum

hominum est, &c. Hence l 1.128 Prosper Aquitanicus positively affirmes, Quod non se debeat Ecclesiae doctor de accura••i sermonis ostentatione jactare, ne videatur Ec∣clesiam Deinon velle aedificare, sed magis se quantae sit eru∣ditionis ostendere. Non igitur in verborum splendore, sed in operum virtute totam praedicandi fiduciam ponat: non vocibus delectetur populi acclamantis sibi, sed fletibus, nec plausum à populo studeat expectare sed gemitum. Hoc spe∣cialiter doctor Ecclesiasticus elaboret, quò fiunt qui audiunt ••um sanis disputationibus meliores, n••n vana assentatione fautores. Lachrymas quas vult à suis auditoribus fundi, ipse primitus fundat, & sic e••s compunctione sui cordis ac∣cendat. Tam simplex & apertus, etiam si minus Latinus, disciplinatus tamen & gravis sermo debet esse Pontificis ut ab intelligentia sui nullos, quamvis imperitos, excludat: sed in omnium audientium pectus cum quadam delectatione descendat. De••i{que} alia est ratio declamatorum, & alia de∣bet esse doctorum. Illi elucubratae declamationis pompam totis facundiae suae viribus concupiscunt: isti sobrio usitato{que} sermone Christi gloriam quaerunt. Illi rebus inanibus pre∣tiosa verborum induunt ornamenta, isti veracibus sententijs or••ant, & commendant verba simplicia. Illi affectant suo∣rum sensuum deformitatem tanquam velamine quodam phaleràti sermonis abscondere; isti eloquiorum suorum ru∣sticitatem student pretiosis sensibus venustare. Illi totam laudem suam infavore vulgi, isti in virtute Dei constituunt. Illi plausibiliter dicunt, & nihil auditoribus suis decla∣mando proficiunt: isti usitatis sermonibus docent, & imi∣tatores svos instituunt; quia rationem suam nulla fucatae compositionis affectatione corrumpunt. Isti sunt ministri verbi, adjutores Dei, oraculum Spiritus sancti. Per tales Deus placatur populo, populus instruitur Deo. Hence m 1.129 Isiodor Pelusiota writes thus sharply to Theopompus and Talelaeus two preaching Monkes. Quis te comicis salibus non perstringat? Quis te non commiseretur, qui cum in ••hilosophiae discipulorum Domini tranquillitate sedeas, Gentilium historicorum & poetarum tumultum at{que} aestum

tecum trahas? Quid enim dic quaeso, apud illos est, quod religioni nostrae sit praeferendum? Quid non mendacio ac risu scatet ex ijs quae magno studio consectantur? An non divinitates ex vi••iosis affectionibus? An non fortia faci∣nora pro vitiosis affectionibus? An non certamina pro vi∣tiosis affectionibus? Quamobrem ipsam quo{que} faeditatis & obscaenitatis lectionem fuge (nam & ••a miram ad aperienda vulnera jam cicatrice obducta vim habet:) ne alioqui vehementiori cum impetu spiritus improbus revertatur, ac deteriorem ac perniciosiorem tibi priore ignorantia aut neg∣ligentia clad••m inferat. Sermo, qui ad audientium utilita∣tem habetur, potens sermo est, qui{que} optimo jure sermo appel∣letur, imitationem{que} ad Deum habeat. At qui voluptate sola ac plausu terminatur, aeris sonitus est, magno strepitu aurem personans. Quare aut sermonem tuam gravitate moderare, ac sermonis fastui ac pompae mediocritatem an∣tepone, aut te cymbalum theatrorum scenae accomodum esse scito. And hence is that lamentable complaint of n 1.130 Episcopus Chemnensis: Modernis autem temporibus in academijs publicis scientia duntaxit mun••ana invaluit, scientia Dei non est in terra. Sacrarum literarum doctrina ubi{que} prorsus perijt, doctores scientia inslati docent suum chere, circumferuntur omni v••nto doctrinae. Sicut gentes, ambulant in vanitate sensus sui, tenebris haebentes obscura∣tum intellectum, propter caecitatem cordis ipsorum. Caeci speculatores educunt discipulos caecos in viam quam nesci∣unt, ponunt tenebras in lucem, & prava in recta, & nox nocti indicat scientiam. Et sic ubi{que} suos seducunt oratores. Extollunt doctrinam Aristotelis, Averrois, & aliorum Gentilium Scribarum, ad excogitandum profunda & vora∣ginosa dogmata, obscurantia solem sapientiae Christianae ac Evangelicae vitae, ac purum aerem religiosi status suis fa∣stuosis verbis, acutis{que} disputationibus, ac sophisticis gar∣rulitatibus maculantia. Modo equidem cernimus omnia fere gymnasia ubi olim tradebatur theologica doctrina, poe∣ticis figmentis, vanis nugis, ac fabulosis portentis esse im∣pleta. Vbi est literatus? Vbi legis verba ponderans? ubi

est doctor parvulorum? videbis populum alti sermonis, ita ut non possis intelligere disertitudinem linguae ejus, in qu•• nulla est s••pientia. Atqui praedicatores concionary student, non ut syncero affectu, sed gratia propriae laudis & verbis ornatis & politis aures auditorum demulceant. Meliores autem s••nt sermones veriores quàm disertiores. De talibus doctoribus disertis inquit Salvator. o 1.131 In van••m m•• colunt, docentes doctrinas & praecepta hominum: relinquentes enim mand••ta Dei, tenetis traditiones hominum. All which recited passages, are sufficient testimonies, that poeti∣call streines of wit and Playerly eloquence•• are no wayes tolerable, much lesse then commendable in a preaching Minister. Therefore the acting, the penning of Playes, is no wayes necessary or usefull for Clergie men to fur∣ther them in their ministry. All the benefit that Schol∣lers reape by acting Playes, is this; that it makes * 1.132 them histrionicall, antique, unprofitable verball, Preachers, more fit for a Play-house then a Pulpit. The acting and penning therefore of Stage-playes is no wayes helpefull either for an Orator or a Preacher, as the Ob∣jectors dreame, Lastly, men may learne boldnesse, elo∣quence, action, elocution by farre readier, easier, and and more laudable meanes then the penning or acting Playes; as by frequent Declamations, and often repetiti∣ons of eloquent Orations, and the like; the onely meanes p 1.133 Quintilian prescribes, and the ordinary method that all Schoole-masters & Tutors use, to make men perfect O∣rators: no need therefore of penning, of acting Playes, for these pretended ends, which it cannot effect. We never read that the Apostles, Prophets, and elegant Fathers of old, (as Cyprian, Basil, Nazianzen, Chrysostome, Ambrose, Hierom, Augustine, Leo, Gregory the Great, Chrysologus, Bernard, and such other unparaleld Christian Preach∣ers; that Demosthenes, Cicero, or Quintilian, the most accomplished Heathen Orators for action, phrase, and elocution that the world hath knowne,) did ever at∣taine to their perfectiō of Oratory by acting Playes: nei∣ther

have we heard of any Orators of latter times who hve trod this unknowne path to elocution, to perfect rhetoricke by acting Playes; yea I have not read to my remembrance of any one common Actor or Play-poet, that was an exquisite Orator: The acting therefore of Playes is but a preposterous Spurious course, to traine up youthes to an oratoricall grave comely action or elocution, who should rather be q 1.134educated in the feare and nurture of the Lord, in the Grounds and Principles of Religion, in the knowledge and study of the Scriptures; in honest callings, Sciences, Arts, imployments, which might benefit themselves and others, then in penning or acting Stage-playes, which hath alwayes beene con∣demned as infamous, both by Christians and Pagans too.

* 1.135 The 3. Objection for the composing and acting of Playes, is this: r 1.136 That they dilucidate and well explaine many darke obscure Histories, imprinting them in mens mindes in such indelible Characters, that they can hardly bee oblitterated: Therefore they are use∣full and commendable.

* 1.137To this I answer first, that this Objection extends not unto feined Comedies or Tragedies, which are now most in use, but unto such reall tragicall Histories onely as are brought upon the Stage, which Play-poets and Players mangle, falsifie, if not obscure with many additionall circumstances and poeticall fictions; they doe * 1.138 not therefore explaine, but sophisticate, and deforme good Histories, with many false varnishes and Play-house fooleries. Secondly, these Histories are more fully, more truely expressed, more readily and acurately lear∣ned in the originall Authors who record them, then in derivative Play-house Pamphlets, which corrupt them; all circumstances both of the persons, time, occasion, place, cause, manner, end, &c. being commonly truely registred in the story, which are either t 1.139altered or omitted in the Play. Thirdly, if this Objection be true, Histori∣ans

which we so much magnifie would be of little use or worth; we might then make waste paper of their voluminous workes, and turne all the applauded Hi∣stories both of former and future ages into Playes, which better expresse them then our stories, and more deepely imprint them in mens mindes. Lastly, admit the Objection ••rue; yet the Histories Playes explaine would not doe the Actors or Spectators halfe the good, nor yet sticke by them halfe so long, as the* 1.140 cor∣ruptions that accompany them; that being a true rule of u 1.141Aulus Gellius. Adolescentium indolem non tam juvant quae benè dicta sunt, quàm inficiunt quae pessime. Since then the good they bring to men is no way equivalent to the hurt, as * 1.142 S. Augustine himselfe long since a••firmed, the penning and acting of them cannot be lawfull. x 1.143 Id enim magis est eligendum, cui majus bonum, vel minus malum est consequens, as a very Heathen hath truely taught us.

The 4. Objection for the penning and acting of Playes is this:* 1.144 That both our Vniversities, and long continued custome approve them: therefore they are good.

To this I answer first;* 1.145 that the Objection it selfe is false, since y 1.146 both our Vniversities condemne all popular Enterludes, and the best, the gravest in our Vniversities, all academicall Stage-playes too: as I have already prooved: Act 6. Scene 5. pag. 489.490, 491. Secondly, though the dissoluter & yonger sort in our Vniversities, (being z 1.147 but Youthes or Children, who are apt to dote on spectacles of vanity, and unable to judge of good or e∣vil) approve perchance of Stage-plaies in their practise; yet the holiest, the gravest in our Vniversities con∣demne them in their judgements, if not their practise to. And here by the way, in case of examples, we must ever learne to judge of the lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse of things, not so much by the actions, as by the judgements and selfe-condemning a 1.148 consciences of men, by which they

shall at last bee judged. There is never a Drunkard, Whore-maste••, Lyer, Hypocrite, Thiefe, that lives or wallowes in these sinnes approving them as lawfull by his continuall practise, but doth secretly passe sentence against them in his conscience; As therefore we must not argue, that drunkennes, whoredome, adultery, lying, hypocrisie and theft are lawfull, because they are com∣monly committed, & sometimes applauded, since the ve∣ry committers do condemne them, no more may we ar∣gue, that the acting or beholding of Stage-playes is law∣ful, because Schollers and Vniversity men do sometimes act and see them; since if they will but seriously examine their checking consciences, they shal ••inde them passing a secret doome of cōdemnation against them, what ever [ 3] their practise be. Thirdly, b 1.149 Christians must not live by ex∣amples, but by precepts: if therefore the rules of Religion and Christianity allow them not, no matter though the whole world approve them; they will be evill & unlawfull still, and so much the worse because so many justifie them. Lastly, admit the Objection true; yet c 1.150 Si au∣ctoritas quaeritur, orbis major est urbe: The authority of the * 1.151 whole Church of God from age to age, of 71. Fathers, 55. Councels, above 150. moderne Christian Au∣thors, of diuers Christian & Heathen Nations, Magistrates, Emperours, States, &c. of 40. Heathen Writers, and of our owne Church and State, * 1.152 who condemne the penning, acting, and seeing of Stage-playes, is far greater then the custome or exemplary Authority (not the sad and serious resolu∣tion after full debate, which Stageplayes never had as yet) of both our Vniversities: This Objection therefore is too light to sway the ballance of this present contro∣versie; * 1.153 Consuetudo enim si ex eo quod plures faciunt no∣men accipiat, periculosum dabit exemplū, non orationi modò, sed (quod majus est) vita. Ergo consuetudinem vivendi vo∣cabo consensum bonorum, sicut sermonis, consensum erudito∣rum. And thus much for the chiefe Objections, both for the compiling and acting of Stage-playes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Object•• 1.
• * 1.2

  Answ. 1.
• h 1.3

  Homil. in Cantit. Cant. apud Hieroni∣mi opera. Tom. 8. pag. 122. and in his owne Workes. Tom. 2. fol. 68.
• i 1.4

  Proaemium in Ezechiel. Tom. 4. p. 330. D.
• k 1.5

  Theodoret Interp. in Can∣ticum. Cantic. Tom. 1. p. 215. Philonis Car∣pathiorum E∣piscopi in Can∣tica. Cant. In∣terpr. Bibl. Pa∣trum. Tom. 4. p. 559. E. Pro∣sper Aquit. l. 3. De Vita Con∣templ. c. 6. Ma∣phaeus Vegius, De Perseve∣rantia Religio∣nis. lib. 5. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 15. pag. 929. G. See HRabanus Maurus, Lyra, Tostatus, Hugo Cardinalis, Os••∣ander, and others, who have written upon the Canticles, accordingly.
• l 1.6

  Homil. 1. in Cant. Cantic. See Philo Carpath. Episco. in Cant•• Cantic. accordingly.
• m 1.7

  Ma∣p••eus Vegius, De Perseverant. Relig. lib. 5. pag. 927.
• n 1.8

  Neque vero machina quae∣vis ad oppug∣nandum, cùm matronarum pudicitiā, ••um virginum ac viduarum casti∣moniam validi∣or, quam lectio lascivae histo∣riae & Poesis: nulla tàm bo∣nae indolis fae∣mina, quae ha•• ipsa non cor∣rumpatur, mi∣rum{que} putarem si aliqua reperi∣atur, aut virgo•• aut mulier, tam exactae castita∣ti•• sive pudici∣ti••, quae ejus∣modi lectioni∣bus & historijs peregrina libi∣dine non sa••pe ad furorem us{que} accen••a∣tur. De Vanit. Scient. cap. 64.
• o 1.9

  Apud Bo∣ch••llum De∣cr••ta Eccles. Gal. lib. 1. T••t. 10. cap. 3.4.5. pag. 95.
• * 1.10

  Sunt enim quidē poëtae pe∣tulātes, obscae∣ni, molles, effae∣minati lascivis & impuris car∣minib{us} animos à in∣dustria, ad libi∣dinem & igna∣viā turpiter a∣vocantes, qui quidē quo dul∣ciores sunt, eò pej{us} nocent, & tanquā Syrenes quaedā omnib{us}, qui aures illis praebent, perni∣ciem & interitū moliuntur. In rebus enim tur∣pibus ille capi∣talior est qui majus ingeniū adhibet, quod in poetis valde perspicitur: concinnū enim & eligans car∣men libenter legim{us} & edis∣cim{us}. Facilime igitur lascivi carminis vene∣nū in animos influit, & eligantiae suavitate conditum, prius interitum dignitati affert, quàm ali∣quod remedium adhiberi possit, &c. Omnes igitur Poetae qui non honestatem, sed turpitudinem mollibus & lascivis carminibus exprimunt, non ab aula tantum regia, sed à totius patriae finibus exterminandi & eijciendi sunt, &c. Ibidem.
• p 1.11

  Nicephorus Callistus. Ecclesiast. Hist. lib. 12. cap. 34. Col. 757.
• q 1.12

  Bochellus Decret. Eccles. Gal. lib. 1. Tit. 10. cap 3.4, 5.
• * 1.13

  Nota.
• * 1.14

  Acts 19.19.
• r 1.15

  Maffaeus in Vita Ignatij. lib. 4. cap. 8. pag. 432.
• s 1.16

  Opera. Basi∣leae. 1551. pag. 984.
• * 1.17

  Nota.
• t 1.18

  See here, pag. 448.
• u 1.19

  See here, pag. 455.456•• 457.
• x 1.20

  See here, pag. 448.449, 450.
• y 1.21

  Ovid Tristiū. l. 1.2. Manutius in Vita Ovidij•• See Sabellicus, Zonaras, Op∣meerus Chro∣nicon Chronic. in Vita Ovidij & Augusti. accordingly.
• z 1.22

  See here, pag. 452.453, 454.
• * 1.23

  Ovids Art of Love, and Ari∣stotles Pro∣blems are tran∣slated into En∣glish, & a new impression of them vented almost every yeere.
• a 1.24

  In his Poore mans Library, London 1571. Cum gratia & privilegio re∣giae Majesta∣tis. part 1. Mis∣cellanea. 6. Praelectio se∣cunda. fol. 46.47, 48.
• * 1.25

  Exod. 22.18••
• * 1.26

  I would our Play-poets and Play-printers would consi∣der this.
• b 1.27

  AElij Lampridij, Alexander Severus. pag. 230. See Eutropius and Grimston in his life.
• * 1.28

  Objection.
• * 1.29

  Answer.
• * 1.30

  Note this well.
• e 1.31

  See here, pag. 455.456.
• d 1.32

  Plutarchi A∣pothegmata. Hiero. Tom. 1. pag. 398.
• e 1.33

  Ioan. Sar••sbe∣riensis. de Nu∣gis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 8.
• f 1.34

  Plutarchus, De Gloria A∣theniensium. lib. Volatera∣nus Comment. l. 29. fol. 323. See here, pag. 455.
• g 1.35

  See Plutarchi Laconica A∣pothegmata: & Laconica In∣stitut. accor∣dingly.
• h 1.36

  Plutarchi A∣pothegm••ta Laconica. pag. 496.
• * 1.37

  Let all Play-poets, and Au∣thors, yea Printers and venters of lasci∣vious amorous Bookes consi∣der this.
• * 1.38

  Peccant enim omnes artifices qui talia quae ad lasciviam pertinent com∣ponunt. Alexan∣der Alensis. Sum∣ma Theologiae. pars 2. Quaest. 135. m. 5. p. 619
• i 1.39

  Gal. 6.7, 8.
• k 1.40

  Oratio enco∣miastica in Pe∣trum & Pau∣lum.
• l 1.41

  1 Cor. 15.33.
• m 1.42

  Psal. 4.2. Psal 119.37. Col. 2.8, 20, 21, 22. 1 Tim. 6.4, 5. 2 Tim. 2.16, 23. Acts 19.19.
• n 1.43

  Isay 55.1, 2.
• o 1.44

  Ephes. 5.16. Col. 4.5.
• p 1.45

  Col. 1.10. Iam. 3.17. Ioh. 15.2. to 8.
• q 1.46

  1 Pet. 1.14, 15, 16.
• r 1.47

  1 Cor. 15.58. Ioh. 15 2. to 8. 2 Tim. 4.7. 2 Pet. 3.18.
• s 1.48

  1 Tim. 6.19.
• t 1.49

  2 Cor. 7.1.
• u 1.50

  2 Pet. 1.10.
• x 1.51

  1 Cor. 10.30, 31.
• y 1.52

  Matth 12.36. Ephes. 5.3, 4, 5. Ier. 4.14.
• z 1.53

  Ephes. 4.19, 31. Col. 4.6. Iude 20.
• * 1.54

  So the Mar∣gent of our New transla∣tion renders it.
• * 1.55

  Iohn 5.34•• c. 7.5••. Acts 17.11. Deut. 6.5. to 10. cap. 17.19. Col. 3.16. Psal. 1.2. Cant. 3.1.
• b 1.56

  Psal. 119.97. Psal. 16.7. Psal. 119.57.
• c 1.57

  Deut. 6.5. to 10.
• * 1.58

  1 Thes. 5.15, 16. Phil. 4.4.
• * 1.59

  Epist. 22. ad Eu••tochium. cap. 13. Tom. 1•• pag. 62•• See Iuo Carnoten∣sis. quarta pars. Decret. cap. 162.163, 164, 165, 166. Gra∣tian Distinctio. 37. according∣ly.
• f 1.60

  Tom. 3. pag. 408.
• g 1.61

  1 Cor. 8.
• h 1.62

  Inquinant non alunt. Se∣neca. Epist. 2. See Augustin. Confes. lib. 1. cap. 16.17. ac∣cordingly.
• i 1.63

  Psal. 19.10. Psal. 119.103. Heb. 5.12, 13, 14. 1 Pet. 2.2, 3. Cant. 5.1. Psal. 63.5, 6.
• * 1.64

  Confes. lib. 1. cap. 15.16, 17.
• k 1.65

  2 Tim. 3.15.
• * 1.66

  Omnem sci∣entiam & do∣ctrinam sacra Scriptura trans∣c••ndit, verum praedicat & ad caelestem patri∣am invitat. f. 1.
• l 1.67

  Constit. Apo∣stol. lib. 1. cap. 6 7. Apud Suriū, Concil. Tom. 1. pag. 45.
• * 1.68

  Catholica doctrina de Laicis. Ibid. pag. 43.
• * 1.69

  Nota. See Hierom. Epist. 7. c. 3, 5. Epi. 9. c. 5. Ep. 10. c. 4.5. Ep. 16. c. 3.4. Epist. 18. neere the end. Ep. 22. c. 6.15, 16. Epi•• 23. Epi. 25. c. 1. Ambrose, Chry∣sostome, Primasi∣us, Sedulius, The∣odoret, Beda, &c. on Ephes. 5. & Col. 3. to the like purpose.
• m 1.70

  Bernard Su∣per Cantica. Sermo. 86. fol. 176. C.
• n 1.71

  See D. Rai∣nolds Over∣throw of Stage-playes, pag. 21.22. accordingly.
• * 1.72

  See Th. Bibli∣andri Apologia pro Editione Alcorani: & Nicolai de Cu∣sa Cribratio Alcorani.
• * 1.73

  Ambros. Com. in Luc. l. 1. c. 1. Tom. 3. p. 3. C.
• * 1.74

  Gen. 18••20, 21. cap. 19.4, 5. Ezech. 16.49. 2 Pet. 2.6, 8, Iude 7.
• p 1.75

  Deut. 6.5, 6, 7. Psal. 1.2. Acts 17.11.
• q 1.76

  See p. 108. to 126, 636, 763. to 767.
• r 1.77

  One Atkinson a Minister in Bedford the last Christtide, in the Com∣missaries house there, acted a private Enter∣lude, where he made a prayer on the Stage, and chose a Text. viz. Acts 10.14. on which he most prophanely preached and jested, to the very shame & griefe of most that heard him.
• s 1.78

  See pag. 109.110.
• t 1.79

  Bochellus Decreta Ec∣cles. Gal. lib. 1. Tit. 10. c. 12. pag. 96.
• u 1.80

  Ibid. c. 13.
• * 1.81

  See William Wraghton his Rescuer of the Romish Fox. fol. 97.
• * 1.82

  See William Wraghton his Rescuer of the Romish Fox. fol. 97.
• x 1.83

  See Act 6. Scene 1.2.
• y 1.84

  See Act 6. Scene 3. to 18.
• z 1.85

  See Part 1. Act 5. thorow∣out, & Part 2. Act 2. thorow∣out.
• * 1.86

  Object. 2.
• a 1.87

  Se Haywards Apologie for Actors: and Doctor Gagers Reply to Do∣ctor Rainolds, p. 119.120. Au∣gustin. Confes. lib. 1. cap. 16. accordingly.
• * 1.88

  Answ. 1.
• b 1.89

  Rom. 3.8. Ephes. 5.3•• 4, 5.
• * 1.90

  See here. pag. 483. & August. Confes. lib. 1. cap. 15.16, 17.
• * 1.91

  Hierom. E∣pist. 22. c. 13.
• * 1.92

  See August. Confes. lib. 1. cap. 16.17. ac∣cordingly.
• * 1.93

  See Act 6. thorowout.
• * 1.94

  Orator est vir bonus, di∣cendi peritus. Cicero. De Oratore. lib. 1. Quintilian In∣stit. Orat. l. 12. cap. 1. accor∣dingly.
• f 1.95

  Saturnal. lib. 3. cap. 14. pag. 459.
• * 1.96

  Oratoris o∣pus oratio. Quintil. Instit. l. 12. c. 10. pag. 703.
• * 1.97

  Horū omniū dissimilis at{que} diversa inter se ratio est. Id ita∣que vitandū in quo magna pars errat, ne in ora∣tione Poëtas nobis & Histo∣ricos, Oratores aut declamato∣res imitandos putemus. Sua cui{que} proposita lex, suus decor est, &c. Quintil. Instit. l. 10 c 2. pag. 375.
• g 1.98

  Instit. Orat. lib. 1. cap. 19. & l. 11. c. 3. pag. 645.636, 648.
• h 1.99

  D. Rainolds Overthrow of Stage-playes. p. 119•• to 126.
• i 1.100

  Instit. Orat. l. 1. c. 18.19. p. 79. l. 10. c. 2. p. 755. & lib. 11. cap. 3. pag. 645.648, 677.
• * 1.101

  Orator utatur laterum incli∣natione forti ac virili, non à scena & histri∣onibus, sed ab a mis, &c. Non enim comae∣dum esse sed oratorem volo. Quare nec in gestu persequemur omnis argutias, nec in ••oquendo distinctionibus, temporibus, effictionibus moleste sequemur, ut si in scena sit dicendum, &c.
• k 1.102

  See M. Ber••ard his Faithfull Shepheard. cap. 13. pag. 89. accordingly.
• l 1.103

  Act 7. Scene 3. & Part 2. Act 2. Scene 1.
• * 1.104

  Item placuit, ut eas prorsus mundanas dig∣nitates, quas se∣culares viri vel principes terrae exercere solent in venationib{us} scilicet, vel canticis secula∣ribus, aut in resoluta & im∣moderata laeti∣tia, in lyris & tibijs & his similibus ••usi∣bus, nullus sub ecclesiastico ca∣none constitu∣••us ob inanis Iaetitiae fluxū, audeat, fastu superbiae tumi∣dus, quandoque praesumendo abuti, &c. Suri∣us. Tom. 3. pag. 264.
• m 1.105

  Plutarchi Laconica. Agis junior. p. 468.
• n 1.106

  De Officijs. lib. 1. cap. 18. Tom. 4. p. 6.7.
• o 1.107

  1 Tim. 3.8.•• Ambros. De Officijs. lib. 1. c. 18. Galataeus De Moribus.
• p 1.108

  Surius Con∣cil. Tom. 4. pag. 742.743.
• q 1.109

  See Act 5. Scene 1.2, 3, 4. & Act 6. Scene 3. to 17. accor∣dingly.
• r 1.110

  Hom. 1. De Verbis Isaiae. Tom. 1. Col. Col. 1281.1283, 1284. & Orat. 7. Tom. 5. Col. 1484.1485. See here pag. 400.401.
• s 1.111

  See Act 3. Scene 5. See D. Rainolds, Bi∣shop Bale, Bi∣shop M••rt••n, D. Sutcliffe, D. Beard, and o∣thers of the Masse: & Had∣don Contr. O∣sorium. lib. 3. fol. 263.
• * 1.112

  I have heard some stile their texts a Land∣scrip or Pi∣cture: others a Play or Spe∣ctacle, dividing their texts into Actors, Spectators, Scenes, &c. as if they were acting of a Play, not preaching of Gods Word.
• t 1.113

  Prosper De Vita Contempt. lib. 3. cap. 6. fol. 105.
• u 1.114

  2 Cor. 5.20.
• * 1.115

  Numb. 22.35, 28. Ier. 26.2. 1 Cor. 1.17. cap. 2.1, 4.
• y 1.116

  Col. 2.8.
• z 1.117

  Ioh. 10.3, 4, 5, 8, 16.
• a 1.118

  Col. 1.25, 26, 27, 28. 1 Cor. 2.1, 2, 4, 13. 2 Pet. 1.16.
• b 1.119

  Matth. 28.19, 20. Mark. 16.15, 16. Ephes. 3.8, 9. Col. 1.25. to 29.
• c 1.120

  1 Cor. 4.1, 2. 1 Pet. 4.10•• ••1. Luke 12.42.
• d 1.121

  Acts 26.18.
• e 1.122

  2 Cor. 4.3, 4, 5, 6.
• * 1.123

  1 Cor. 2.1, 4.
• g 1.124

  1 Cor. 2.6, 7.
• h 1.125

  Col. 2.8.
• i 1.126

  Rom. 1.16. Iam. 1.21.
• k 1.127

  Epist. 2. c. 10. See cap. 4. & Epist. 22. c. 15.
• l 1.128

  De Vita Con∣templ. lib. 1. cap. 23.24, 25. See Hierom, Ambrose Theodoret, Theo∣phylact, ••eda, Haymo•• Occu••e∣nius, Anselme, Remigius, Pri∣masius, and o∣thers, in 1 Cor. 2.1. to 7. accor∣dingly.
• m 1.129

  Epist. lib. 1. Epist•• 62.63. Bibl Patrum. Tom. 5. pars 2. pag. 483. See Iuo Carnoten∣sis. Decret•• pars 4. cap. 160. to 168.
• n 1.130

  Onus Eccle∣siae. cap. 18. sect. 8.9, 10.
• o 1.131

  Matth. 15.9.
• * 1.132

  See M. Ber∣nard his Faith∣full Shepheard. cap. 13. p. 89. & D. Raino••ds O∣verthrow of Stage-playes. p. 119. to 127.
• p 1.133

  Instit. Ora∣tor. lib. 2. cap. 8.
• q 1.134

  Ephes. 6.4. Gen. 18.19. Deut. 6.7.
• * 1.135

  Object. 3.
• r 1.136

  See Thomas Lodge, his Play of Playes; and Haywoods Apo∣logy for Actors accordingly.
• * 1.137

  Answ. 1.
• * 1.138

  See M. Gosson his Playes con∣futed. Action 2. & I.G. his Re∣futation of the Apologie for Actors, accor∣dingly.
• t 1.139

  See Gosson his Playes confu∣ted. Action 2.
• * 1.140

  Non omnino per hanc turpi∣tudinem verba ista cōmodius discuntur, sed per haec verba turpitudo ista confidentius perpetratur. August Confes. lib. 1. cap. 16.
• u 1.141

  Noctium Attic. l. 12. c. 2.
• * 1.142

  Confes. l. 1. cap. 16.17.
• x 1.143

  Aristotle Topic. lib. 3. cap. 2. sect. 1.
• * 1.144

  Object. 4.
• * 1.145

  Answ. 1.
• y 1.146

  D. Gager in D. Rainolds his Overthrow of Stage-playes. pag. 151.152.
• z 1.147

  See here, pag. 491.
• a 1.148

  Rom. 2.1, 2••14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 27, 29. Magna vis est conscientae. Cicero Orat. 3. in Catilinam. Quos diri conscia fa∣cti Mens ha∣bet attonitos & surdo verbere caedit, Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum? Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem. Hi sunt qui trepidant, & ad omnia verbera pallent. Iuvenal. Satyr. 13. pag. 123.
• b 1.149

  See Doctor Rainolds Over∣throw of Stage-playes. pag. 91.
• c 1.150

  Hierom. E∣pist. 85. Tom. 2. pag. 311.
• * 1.151

  See Part. 1. Act 7. thorow∣out.
• * 1.152

  See her••, pag. 483. to 497.714. to 717. accordingly.
• * 1.153

  Quintilian Instit. l. 1. c 11. pag. 56.