Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

XXVIII.

Mommery's, and Stage-plays shall not be allowed, nor the Ceremony of King Drinks, nor Carnavals, nor Hocus Pocus, slight of Hand, and Poppet and Stage players, and Christi∣an Magistrates are exhorted not to tolerate them, because these things only cause loss of time, and entertains Idleness, Curiosity, and Expence. Neither shall it be lawful for Be∣lievers to assist at Comedies, Tragedies, Farces, Morali∣ties, and other plays acted in publick or in private, seeing that in all Ages they have been prohibited amongst Christi∣ans, as inclining to the corrupting of good Manners, especi∣ally when the holy Scripture is therein mingled. Neverthe∣less when in Colledges it shall be thought fit that Youth may represent some History, it may be tolerated, provided it ben't contain'd in the Holy Scripture, which is not given to

be dally'd with, but to be truly Preached, also it shall be done but very seldom, and by advice of the Colloque, which shall first see the composition.

CONFORMITY.

There may be apply'd to this Article as to what re∣gards Mummery's, the Liberties of Shrovetide, and other the like Pastimes, what the Fathers have said and done against Christians which allow'd themselves in Liberti∣nism after the Manner of Pagans in the Callends of Janu∣ary that is to say, the first day of that Month, who used near hand the same Sports now practis'd at Carnaval; but to draw to a Conclusion, it suffices to refer the Rea∣der to the first Cannon of a Synod at Auxer in the year 578, to a Homily of Maximus Bishop of Turin, and a Writer of the V. Century, Entituled, A Homily on the Circumcision of our Lord, or a reprehension of the Callends of January: In this Sermon he explains the Follies and Debauches committed by Christians on that day, and to what St. Owen writes of St. Eloy in the same Chapter cited on the foregoing Article, whereby we find they aban∣don'd themselves to very great Extravagancy, they put on Vizards, and put themselves in the shape of sundry Beasts, as of Sheep, Stags, Cows, Bears and other Beasts, to act with greater Liberty and Freedom, until that at last these extravagancies being restrain'd by Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws, Christians changed these Follies of the Callends of January, to the time a little before Lent, as if one were bound to commit Sin, to have greater occa∣fion of Repentance.

As for the rest of the Article which concerns Stage∣plays, and the Theater, the Ancient Doctors of the Church incessantly cry against these worldly pastimes; Tertullian and St. Cyprian have writ whole Treatises on purpose to divert Christians from them, and has called

them spectacles: I actantius, St. Basil, St. * 1.1 Cyril of Jerusa∣lem, Isidore of Petlusta, St. Crysostome, St. Austin, has highly condemned them; and Salvian in his Treatise of Providence, doth vehemently exagerate the evils that proceed from them, and saith several things as may just∣ly be apply'd to those amongst us as do frequent the Theater, and Comedies.

The third Council of Carthage in the year 388 ex∣presly forbids it in 11th. Cannon. And the 4th. * 1.2 which was assembled the year following, Excomunicates in the 81th. Cannon, all those which on a solemn day abandon the assembly of the Church to be present at Stage-plays; * 1.3 therefore in another Council under Aurelius, the Fathers of Africa resolved to beseech the Emperours to prohi∣bit those worldly divertisments, especially on solemn days set apart for the Exercise of Piety and Religion; The 6th. Oecumenical Council employes to this purpose the 51st. Cannon at the end of the 7th. Century. * 1.4 Thence it is that the Ancient Discipline excomunicates Stage∣players, Jesters, Comedians, and all those as mounted on the Theater to show these Divertisments to the people; and worldings must not abuse what's added at the end of the Establishment I examine, saving the only scope of it was but sometimes to Exercise Scholars in Colledges.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 6. pag. 127. Par. 1669
• * 1.2

  Tom. 1. Conc. pag. 710.
• * 1.3

  Ib. p. 730.
• * 1.4

  Ib. c. 28. pag. 915.