The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Prologue
THE PROLOGVE.
SVch hath alwayes beene, and yet is, the peruerse, and wretched condition of sinfull man, aGen. 6.5.the cogitations of whose heart are euill, and onelyonly euill before God, and that continually: that it is farre more easie to estrange him from his best, and chiefest ioyes; then to diuorce him from his bNulla verior est miseriae, quam falsa laetitia. Bernard. De Gratia. & lib. Arbitrio. Col. 909. B.truest misery, cHebr. 11.25.the pleasures of sinne, which are but for a season, dDeliciae temporariam habent voluptatim, poenam autem sempiternam. Chrysost. hom. 54. ad Pop. Antioch.yet set in endlesse griefe: Man alwayes hugges his pleasurable sinnes so fast, out of a preposterous, and misguided louelove, eQuod pler…s que inemendabiles facit… omnium aliarum artium peccata, artificibus pudor… sunt, offendantque: errantem in vita peccata delectant. Non gaudet nauigio gubernatur euerso, non gaudet aegro medicus elato: non gaudet Orator, si patron… culp… reus cecidit. … contra omnibus crimen suum voluptati est. Sen. Epist. 97.which makes his reformation desperate:) that if any soule-compassionating Christians attempt to wrest them from him; hee forthwith takes vp armes against them; returning them no other answere, then that of Ruth to Naomie, in a farre better case: fRuth 1.17.The Lord doe so to mee, and more also, if ought but death part them and mee: where they dye, I will dye, and there will I bee buried… and thus alas hee liues, gNon prius est vt de vita homines quam de iniquitate discedant: Quis enim non cum iniquitatibus suis moritur, & cum ipsis admodum atque in ipsis sceleribus sepelitur? Salu. De Gub. Dei. lib. 5. pag. 171. Clemens Alexand. Paedag. lib. 3. cap. 11.nay, dies, and lies (as too too many dayly doe) intombed both with, and in, his darling crimes. How naturally prone men are to cleaue to worldly pleasures, and delights of sinne, in despite of all those powerfull attractiues, which might withdraw them from them; to omit all other particular instances: wee may behold a reall, and liuely experiment of it, in prophane, and poysonous STAGE-PLAYES; the common Idole, and preuailing euill of our dissolute, and degenerous Age: which though they had their rise from Hell; yea, their birth, and pedegree from the very Deuill himselfe, to whose honour, and seruice they were at first deuoted: though they hauehave beene oft condemned, and quite exploded by the whole Primitiue Church, both vnderunder the Law, and Gospel: by the vnanimous vote of all the Fathers, and sundry Councells from age to age: by Moderne Diuines, and Christian Authours of all sorts: by diuers Heathen States, and Emperours; and by whole Grand iuries of prophane writers, as well Historians, and Poets, as Philosophers… hTertul. De spectac. lib. Cyprian. De spectac & Ep. li…. 2. Epist. 2. Salu de Gub. Dei. li. 6. Chrys. hom… 6.7. & 38 in Mat. Ioannis Salisburiensis …e Nugis Curialium. l. 1. c. 8. Orosius hist. l. 3. c. 4. Bodinus de Republi. l. 6. cap. 1. Doct. R…inolds Ouerthrow of Stage-Playes accordingly.as the Incendiaries, and common Nurseri…s of all Villany, and Wickednesse; the bane, and ouerthrow of all Grace, and Goodnesse; the very poyson, and corruption of mens mindes, and manners; the very fatall plagues, and ouertures of those States, and Kingdomes where they are once tollerated, as I shall prooue anon: Yet wee, we miserable, and gracelesse wretches, after so many sentences of condemnation passed vponupon them: after so many Iudgements already inflicted on, and yet threatned to vsus, for them: after so many yeres, and Iubilies of the glorious Gospel-sun-shine: iTit. 2.11.22.which teacheth vsus to deny vngodlinesse, and all worldly lusts, and to liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the comming, and appearance of the great God, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ; yea, after our very vow, and sacred couenant in Baptisme, which bindes vsus, kDionysius Areopag…ta. Eccles. Hierar. c. 2.3. Tertul. de Baptismo. Cyprian. Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 5. Cyrillus Hier…. s…l…mitanus Catechesis: Mystag. 1. Hierom. Epist. 8. c. 5 Chrysost. hom. 6. in Colos. 2. Concil. Constantino…. 6. in Trullo, Can. 96.to forsake the Deuill, and all his Workes, the Pomps, and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh, lTertul. de spectac cap. 24. August. de Symbolo. ad Catech. lib. 4. c. 1 Cyrillu…. Hierusol. Catechesis Mystag. 1 Salui. de Gub. De…. lib. 6 pag. 190. to 197. Hookers Ecclesiasticall Policie. lib. 5. cap. 64. accordingly.of which these Stage-Playes are the chiefe: as if wee were quite degenerated, not onelyonly from the grace, and holinesse of Christians; but euen from the naturall goodnesse, and moralitie of Pagans in former Ages; doe now, euen now, in the middest of all our feares at home… and the miserable desolations of Gods Church abroade; (the very thoughts of which should cause our hearts to bleed, and soules mIam. 4.9, 10.to mourne; much more our Hellish iollitie, and mirth to cease:) as if wee had made a couenant with Hell, and sworne alleageance to the Deuill himselfe; nAd mundana gaudia & corporalia bona multitudo procliuis est: Et quamuis incertum ca…ucumque sit quod cupitur, libentius tamen suscipitur labor pro desiderio voluptati…, quam pro amore virtut…. Ita cum innumeri sunt qui visibilia concupiscunt, vix inueniuntur qui temporalibus aeterna praeponant… Leo de Quadrages Sermo. 11. cap. 1.inthrall, and sell our selues to these Diabolicall, and hellish Enter-ludes, notwithstanding, all that God, or man hauehave said against them: and would rather part with Christ, Religion, God, or Heauen, then with them. Yea so farre are many mens affections wedded to these prophane, and Heathenish vanities; that as it was in Saint Augustines time, euen so it is now: oPopuli laudant non consultoribus vtilitatum su…rum, sed largitoribus voluptatum. Opipera conuiuia frequententur, vbi cuique libuerit & po…uerit, diu noctuque ludatur, bibatur, vomatur, d…ff…atur: saltationes vndique concrepent: Theatra inhonest… laetitia vocibus, atque omni genere siue crudelissimae, siue tur…s…imae volupt a…is exaes…uent Ille est publicus inimiciss cui haec f…licit…s displic…t. Quisquis eam mutare vel auferre tenta…erit, …um liber… multitudo auertit ab auribus, euertit e sedibus, aufert a viuentib…. August. De Ci…. Dei. lib. 2. cap. 20.whosoeuer is but displeased, and offended with them, is presently reputed for a common Enemie: he that speakes against them, or comes not at them, is forthwith branded for a Scismaticall, or factious Puritan: and if any one assay to alter, or suppresse them, he becomes so odious vntounto many; that did not the feare of punishment restraine their malice, they would not onelyonly scorne, and disgrace; but euen stone, or rent him all to pieces, as a man vnworthy for to liue on earth: whereas such who further these delights of sinne, are highly magnified, as the chiefe contriuers of the publike happinesse. There was once a time, pNihil nobis dictu, visu, vel auditu cum insania Circi, …um impudic… tia Theatri, cum atrocitate Arena, cum Zysti vanitate: Spectaculis non conuenimus. Tertul. Apolog. adu. Gentes. cap. 38.42. Clemens Alexand. Oratio Exhort. ad Gentes. Tatianus Oratio aduers. Graecos… Athenagoras pro Christianis Legatio. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 2 p. 138.139. Theophylus Antiochenus aduers. Autolichum l. 3. accordingly.if Tertullian, with some other ancient Fathers, may bee credited:) when as it was the chiefest badge and character of a Christian, to refraine from Stage-Playes: yea, this qVos suspensi interim atque solliciti honestis voluptatibus abstinetis: non spectacula visitis: non pompis interestis. Minutius Felix. Octauius. pag. 34.123. Virgil.was one great crime which the Pagans did obiect against the Christians in the Primitiue Church; that they came not to their Enterludes. But now, (as if Stage-Playes were our Creed, and Gospel, or the truest embleme of our Christian profession,) those are not worthy of the name of Christians; they must be Puritans, and Precisians; not Protestants, who dislike them.
rAEneidos lib. 2.Heu quantum mutatus ab illo?
Alas, how …arre are Christians now degenerated, from what they were in ancient times; when as that which was their badge and honour heretofore, is now become their brand and shame? sSaluian. de Gub. Dei. lib. 4. pag. 110.Quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est, vbi religio ignobilem facit? How little doe we Christians honour Christ, when as the ancient character; and practicall power, of Religion, (I meane the abandoning, and renouncing of sinne-fomenting Stage-Playes) subiect men vntounto the highest censure, and disgrace?
tOuid de Ponto. lib. 4. El. 3.Conquerar? an taceam?
This being the dissolute, and vnhappy constitution of our depraued times, it put mee at the first to this Dilemma; whether to sit mute and silent still, and uIere. 13.17.mourne in secret for these xDan. 9.27.ouerspredding abominations, (which hauehave got such head of late among vsus; that many who visit the Church scarce once a weeke, frequent the Play-house once a day:) or whether yIsay 58.1.I should lift vp my voyce like a trumpet, and crie against them, to my power? If I should bend my tongue, or pen against them, (as I hauehave done against some other sinfull, and Vnchristian vanities,) my thoughts informed me; that I might with the vnfortunate Disciples, zLuke 5.5.fish all night, and catch iust nothing at the last, but the reproach, and scorne of the Histrionicall, and prophaner sort, aIam. 3.6.whose tongues are set on fire of Hell, against all such as dare affront their Hellish practises; and so my hopes and trauell would bee wreckt at once: If I should on the other side, neglect to doe my vttermost, to extirpate… or withstand these dangerous spectacles, or to withdraw such persons from them, as my paines, and briefe collections in this subiect might reclaime, when God had put this oportunitie into my hand, and will into my heart, to doe it: my Conscience then perswaded me; that my negligence, and slackenesse in this kinde, bQui enim succurrere perituro potest, si non succurrit occidit. Lactan. de vero Cul…n. cap. 11.might make mee guiltie of the death of all such ignorant, and seduced So…les, which these my poore endeuours might rescue from these chaines of Hell, and cordes of sinne: and cQui cum possit malum non impedit, mali potius est auctor, quam qui id facit. Thucidide… Histor. lib. 1. pag 50.interest me… in all the euill which they might suppresse: Whereupon I resolued with my selfe at last, dHebr… 12.2. Et gratias …go Deo meo, quod dignus sum quem mundus oderit Hierom. Epist 99.to endure the crosse, and despise the hate, and shame, which the publishing of this HISTRIO-MASTIX might procure mee, and to eQu…a antiquorum morborum difficilis ac …arda curatio est, tanto velocius adhibeantur remedia, quanto recentior… sunt vulnera. Leo. de Resurrect. Domini Sermo. 1. cap. 6.asswage (at least in my fEst nobis veluisse Satis. Tibullus. lib. 4. ad Messaliam… pag. 99. Quod si deficiant vires, audacia certe Laus erit, in magnis & voluisse sat est. Proper…ius Eleg lib. 2. Eleg. 10.endeuours, if not otherwise,) these inueterate, and festred vlcers, (which may endanger Church, and State at once,) by applying some speedy corrosiues, and emplaisters to them, and ripping vp their noxious, and infectious nature on the publike Theater, in these ensuing Acts, and Scoenes: which I thought good to stile, The Players, or Actors Tragoedie: not so much for the Stile, or Method of it, (for alas, here is neither gNihil hic Tragico, aut Sophocleo dign…m Cothurno: See Horace, De Arte Poetica. Iuuen. Satyr. 6.7.15. C…lius Rhod. Antiq. Lect. lib. 21. cap. 20.Tragicke stile, nor Poeticall straines, nor rare Inuention, nor Clowne, nor Actor in it, but onelyonly bare, and naked hMa…na vis est veritatis, quae contra hominum ingenia, calliditatem, solertiam, contra que fictas omnium insidias facile se per seipsam de fendit. Ci…ro. pro M. Celio Orat. pag 577. Oratio veritatis simplex est, & non habet opus multis hinc inde interpretationibus, res enim ipsa pro se dicit: mala ver… causa languens in sese, habet opus accuratis pharmacis: Eu…ip. Phaenissae. pag. 193. Num. 47. Fides pura & aperta confessio non quaerit strophas & argumenta verborum. Quod simpliciter creditur, simpliciter con…itendum est. Hierom. Epist. 63. cap. 2.Trueth, which needes n… Eloquence, nor straine of wit for to adorne, or pleade its cause:) as for the good effects I hope it may, and will produce, to the suppression, and extirpation; at least the restraint, and diminution both of Playes, and common Actors, and all those seuerall mischieuous, and pestiferous fruites of Hellish wickednesses that issue from them: which much desired successe, and reformation, if I could but liue to see; I should deeme my selfe an happy man, and thinke my labour richly recompenced.