The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 8 · Scene 4
SCENA QVARTA.
THE fourth Objection for the lawfulnesse of Playes is this: pSee Haywoods Apologie for Actors.That they are ancient,Object. 4. and of long continuance, that they are tollerated still among us; that many, yea most frequent them, approve them in their judgements; therefore they are certainly lawfull.
To this I answer first;Answ. 1. That the long continuance and antiquitie of Stageplayes is no good argument of their goodnesse. The qRev. 12.9. 1 Iohn 3.8.Divell and rRom. 5.12, 13, 14.sin are of greater antiquitie and continuance than Stage-playes; yet their antiquity makes neither of them good: yea both of them are therefore the s1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Rev. 12.9.worse, because they are so ancient; and so are Playes. Ill things the elder they are the worse. Secondly, though Playes are ancient, yet their tDaemonum sunt, non hominum secularia spectacula. Chrysost. Hom. 31. in Ioan. Tom. 3. Col. 130. D. See Act. 1, 2. & Chorus. Polychronicon l. 3. chap. 34. I. G. his Refutation of the Apology for Actors, p. 19, 20, 21, 22. Peter Martyr, Locorum Communium Classis 2. c. 12. sect. 15, 19. …anaeus Ethicae Christianae l. 2. c. 8. p. 107. Mr. Gataker of the Lawfull use of Lots, p. 216. HRabanus Maurus De Vniverso l. …0. c. 16. to 39. Isiodor Hispalensis Originum l. 18. c. 16. to 60. Vincentius Spe…ulum Doctrinale, l. 11. c. 93, 94, 95, 96. with sundry other forequoted Authors, accordingly.originall is knowne what it was, it was from their Father the Divell, and idolatrous Pagans: and that which had so bad a beginning, will hardly contract any reall goodnesse by any effluxe of time. Thirdly, though they were ancient and of long continuance among heathen Greekes and Romans, yet they are but of punic standing among Christians, uSee Act. 7. Scene 2, 3, 4, 5. & Act. 6. Scene 3, 4, 5.the primitive Church and Christians wholly abandoning and never admitting them, as I have largely proved. Fourthly, though they have long continued, yet their persciption hath beene oft interrupted, and themselves suppressed as well by Pagans as Christians: yea xSee Act. 6. Scene 3, 4, 5. & Act. 7. throughout.the very best and chiefest of Pagans, of Christians have alwayes constantly oppugned them from their very infancy till this present, as most pernicious evills, as I have largely proved. Their antiquitie therefore is onelyonly an argument of their long-continued, long-oppugned lewdnesse, no proofe at all of their present goodnesse.
Answ. 2.Secondly I answer. That their tolleration is a strong evidence of their mischievous naughtinesse: since good and profitable things are alwayes approved, established, and nought but ySee Rom. 9.22. 2 Pet. 3.9. 1 Pet. 3.20. Luk. 13.7, 8.ill things tollerated or connived at, which are to be removed: But admit they are thus tollerated, yet their tolleration makes them not good or lawfull in themselves. We know, that zSee Stat. De Merton, c. 5.11 H. 7. cap. 8.37 H. 8. c. 9.5 & 6 Ed. 6. c. 20.13 Eliz. cap 8.21 Iac. cap. 7.usury is permitted by the lawes and State; yet aSee Bp. Downams Lectures on the 15. Psalme. Bishop Iewell in his Exposition upon 1 Thess. 4. v. 6. p. 110, to 146. with infinite others who have written of Vsurie.it remaines a sinne still: We know, that many wicked men and notorious malefactors are tollerated for a time; and that not onelyonly by men, but bRom. 9.22. 2 Pet. 3.9. 1 Pet. 3.10. Ezech. 20. throughout.even by God himselfe, who is patient and long-suffering towards sinners: and yet they are not therefore good, but bad men still; and cRom. 2.4, 5. Eccl. 8 9, 10, 11.so much the worse, by how much the longer they are forborne. The tolleration therefore of Stage-playes will not evince their goodnesse: the rather, because though they are connived at de facto, yet *S…e Act. 6. Scene 5, 3, 4. & Act. 7 Scen. 5.7they are long since condemned de jure by our Lawes, our Statutes, our Magistrates, and Writers, as unlawfull pastimes: their tolleration therefore is no better an evidence of their lawfulnesse, than a reprive or pardon of a condemned traytors innocency: which are onelyonly arguments of a Princes l…nity, but infallible testimonies of the traytors guilt. That Playes, that Players are suffered still, (as too many other condemned sins & mischiefes are) it is onelyonly the dSee M. Northbrookes Treatise against vaine Playes & Enterludes, fol. 36. M. Iohn Field his Declaration of Gods Iudgement at Paris Garden: & I.G. his Refutation of the Apologie for Actors. Bodinus De Republica lib. 6. cap. 1. Gualther Hom. 11. in Nahum accordingly.fault of Magistrates, who may, who should suppresse them, not of our Lawes, which are most severe against them.
Thirdly, for the *Multitudo peccantium, peccandi licentiam subministrat. Hi…rom Epist. 12. …. 3.multitude of Play-haunters, and Play-approvers, I answer; first, that it is no argument of their goodnesse, but of their badnesse rather; since rVulgus enim ex veritate pauca, ex opinione multa iudicat; et omnium opinlonum errore duci sole…-Cicero pro Qu. Roscio Oratio, p. 245. & Consolati… p. 542.multitude, for the most part is an infallible signe of the worser, not of the better part; of the sMatth. 7.….13, 14. See Hierom Epist. 14. cap. 2, 3.broad way which leades to destruction, where the passengers are alwayes many; not of the narrow way that leades to eternall life, which few ever finde, and fewer walke in. If multitude were an argument of goodnesse, tSee my An…i… Arminianisme, Edition 2. pag. 12…, 129, 130, 131.then Pagans and Mahometans should be as good, nay better than Christians; Papists, better than Protestants… drunkards and wicked men, better than sober and good men, because they are more in number than they: yea then the world the flesh and the Divell should be good, yea as good or better than God himselfe, because more follow them, serve them, than ther… follow God. The multitude therefore of Play-haunters, of Play-patrons is no convincing evidence of their goodnesse. Secondly, we must not judge of the lawfulnesse of unlawfu…l things by the most, but by the uProv. 2.20. c. 4.1, 2, 4. Exo. 23.2. Non turbam sequantur errantem qui se di…cipulos veritatis confitentur. Hierom. Epist. 14. c. 2.best of men: now the best, the wisest of men, as I xSee Act. 6. Scene 3, 4, 5. & Act. 7. Scene 1. to 7.have largely proved, have alwayes condemned Stage-playes, no matter therefore what the multitudes judgement or practise is, yExod. 23.2. Inter causas enim malorum nostrorum est, quod vivimus ad exempla, nec ratione componimur, sed consuetudine abducimur… Quod si pauci fecerint, nol…emus imi…ari; cum plure… facere caeperint, quasi honestius sit quia frequentius sequimur: et recti apud n…s locum tenet error ubi publicus factus …st. Sen…ca Epist. 123.whom we must not follow to doe evill. Thirdly, Christians are not to walke or judge by examples, but by precepts; the zPsal. 119.9. Gal. 6.16. 2 Pet. 1.19.word of God, not the actions or lives of men, must be the onelyonly rule both of their practise and their judgements too. Now the Scripture, (yea the aSee Act. 7. Scene 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.whole Church of God from age to age) have passed sentence against Stage-playes, as unlawfull pastimes: no matter therefore what the world esteemes them. Fourthly, for those who approve of Stage-playes or resort unto them, what are they? Children, youngsters, ignorant injudicious persons who know not how to distinguish betweene good and evill, judgeing onelyonly of the goodnesse of things by sence, by pleasure, bSee Act 4. Scene 2. accordingly.by the opinion and practise of others, bSee (y) before.or as they are swayed by their u…ruly lusts, not by right reason or the word of God: or else they are gracelesse, dissolute, prophane, lascivious, godlesse persons, (ascSee Act. 4. Scene 1, 2. most Players, Play-haunters, and Play-proctors are) who dIsay 5.20.call good evill, and evill good: who eIsay 3.9. Phil. ….19 See my Healths Sicknesse, Edition 2. Epistle to the Reader; and pag. 79, 80, 81, 82. accordingly.count sinne their honour, sobriety, modesty, and true piety, their shame: fSee Rom. 1.21. to 32. Acts 24.13. c. 28.22. 1 Cor. ….14. cap. 4.13. 2 Thess 2.11, 12. 2 Tim. 3.…, 3, 4, 5. 2 Pet. 2.12, 13, 17, 18. Rom. 3.10. to 19. Isay 5.20.judging amisse of God, of grace, of holinesse, of all kinde of goodnesse and good men: no matter therefore, what these judge of Stage-playes, who thus misjudge of all things. Let us therefore judge of Stage-playes gIohn 7.24.with righteous judgement, as God, as Christians, as the prim…tive Church… as Councels, Fathers, and the best, the wisest of Christian, of Pagan Emperours, Magistrates, Republickes, Philosophers, and Writers of all sorts have hSee Act. 6. Scene 3, 4, 5. & Act. 7. throughout.already determined of them to our hands; and then we must certainly condemne them, as most intollerable and unchristian pleasures; as all these have done.