The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 6 · Scene 14 – Scene 15

The Players Scourge · Part 1 · Act 6 · Scene 14 – Scene 15

p. 544SCENA DECIMA-QVARTA.

THe 14. fruit of Stage-playes is this: That they inamor 14men with the love of sinne and vanity, which is ill: yea harden them in their sinne and indispose them to repentance, which is farre worse. The more a man resorts to Stage-playes, uuVoluptas enim insatiabilis est, & utentibus majorem famē creat. Hi…rom. Comm…nt. lib. 1. in Osee.the more hee delights in sinne, in vanity, scurrility, lewdnesse; in Pagan Rites and Ceremonies; the more is hee obdurated and confirmed in his vitious wicked courses; the more is hee indisposed to repentance: Playes are the xxGluten est delictorum, & viscus toxicatū quo Diabolus aucupatur. Cyprian De Singularitate Clericorū. Tom. 2. p. 209.Birdlime, the enchaunting yy2 Tim. 2.26.2 Tim 2:26snares of Satan, with which he zzVoluptas esca malorum, quia homines ea tanquam pisces hamo-capiuntur: Rationi inimica est, p…rstringit mentis oculos, nec ullum habet cum virtute commercium. Cic…ro De Senectute. lib. pag. 652.captivates and intangles soules through pleasure and delight: they are his chiefest instruments to expell all godly sorrow from mens hearts, to stupifie, to cauterize their consciences; to banish the very feare and thoughts of sinne out of their mindes; to remove the sence, the sting of conscience & iniquity far from their soules: to lull their hearts asleepe in deepe security; aaSee Isay 5.11.12. Ezech. 12.27. Amo… 6.1. to 9.Isa 5:11Isa 5:12Ezek 12:27to chase away farre from them all thoughts of Hell, of death, of damnation, of the day of iudgement; to forestall all helpes, all preparatives, all meanes, all motives to repentance, and to with-hold men from it. Alas, how can he loath sinne in the street, bbNisi oderimus malum bonum amare non possumus. Hierom. Epist. 4. cap. 6.who delights in it in the Play-house? How can hee mourne for it in his Closet; who sports himselfe with it in the Theater? How can hee weepe for it in secret, **See Ch…ysostome Hom. 6. in Matth. excellently to this purpose. Here, pag. 402.403, 404.who thus laughes at it in publike? How can he looke upon it with detestation in himselfe, who makes it his recreation when it is acted by others? How can he renounce, abhorre, condemne it at home; who thus applaudes, affects, admires it abrode? Certainely, hee can never make sinne his greatest griefe, who makes the r…presentations of it his chiefest mirth: He can never make ribaldry, adultery, whoredome, incest, and the like, the everlasting objects of his hatred, who makes the hearing, the seeing, the acting, the lively representations and pictures of them, the daily objects of his chiefe delight. Every true penitent must be sensible of sinne; ccPsal. 38.3, 4, 5. Matth. 11.…9, 31. Ier. 2 19. Rom. 7.21, 23, 24.Ps 38:3Ps 38:4Ps 38:5Matt 11:9Matt 11:31Jer 2:19Rom 7:21Rom 7:23Rom 7:24he m… feele the sting, the venom of it, ddIob 40.4. c. 42 6. Isay 6.5. cap. 64.6.Job 40:4Isa 6:5see the filth of it, **Ezra. 9.…, 7. c. 10.1. Psal. 38.18. Ezech. 7 16. Rom. 7.24.Ezra 9Ps 38:18Ezek 7:16Rom 7:24bewayle the guilt of it, **1 Thes. 5.2…. Iude 23.1 Thess 5:2Jude 1:23hate the very appearances and resemblances of it; flie ggMatth. 6.13. Prov. 5.7, 8, 9.Matt 6:13Prov 5:7Prov 5:8Prov 5:9all the occasions of it, all the allurements to it, yea hhIob. 31.1, 7. Isay 33.15. 2 Pet. 2.8.Job 31:1Job 31:7Isa 33:152 Pet 2:8utterly abhorre the very sight and hearing of it, as a most execrable, horrid, and accursed thing. And can Players, can Play-haunters then, iiIob 21.11, 12, 13. Iam. 5.5.Job 21:11Job 21:12Job 21:13Jas 5:5who spend their dayes in myrth, in carnall iollity, in laughing, in rejoycing, in ribaldrous songs, in scurrilous jests, in amorous Poems, in wanton Comedies; in lewde discourses, p. 545in adulterous representations, wallowing in the very mire of sensuality, voluptuousnesse, and such like beastly sinnes, without the least remorse, be neere to true repentance, or to the wayes, the preparatives that lead and bring men to it? O no! A penitent heart, an humbled soule, a circumcised eare, an eye that weepes in truth for sinne, kkIsay 33.15. 2 Pet. 2.8. Psal. 101.3. Psal. 15.4. Videas quod nec aspicere possit fronspudica. Cy…rian. Epist. l. 2. Epist. 2. Donato.Isa 33:152 Pet 2:8Ps 101:3Ps 15:4is altogether impatient of such obiects, such Enterludes, and delights as these. Witnesse the pactise of the Pagan converts in the Primitive times, llTheodoret. Contra Graecos Infideles. De Martyribus l. 8. Tom. 2. p. 390. Concil. Ar…latense. 1. Can. 4.5. & 2. Can. 20. Elibertinum. Can. 62. & Constant. 6. Can. 62.who immediately upon their baptisme, and syncere repentance did utterly renounce all Stage-playes as accursed Pleasures, not daring to returne unto them againe: Witnesse all Christian converts of latter times, who have done the like. Thus did Saint Augustine heretofore, as mmConfessionū. l. 3. c. 1.2. & l. 4. c. 1. & 14.himselfe confesseth; thus did nnAnatomy of Abuses, and Playes Confu…ed: accordingly.M. Gosson and the ooIb…dem. pag. 49. to 54.Author of the 3. Blast of Retrait from Stage-playes of late; as themselves record: before their repentance and conversion they composed, they admired Stage-playes; immediately vponupon their repentance and reformation they utterly abandoned them, and wrote against them: Thus likewise did ppConfessionū. lib. 6. cap. 7…8.Alipius, Saint Augustines convert, as himselfe relates: qqSee Ch…ysostom. Hom. 38. in Matth. Tertullian, De Spectaculis. c. 24. See here, Act 8. Scene 2.3, 4. accordingly.Acts 8thus all that heartily and sincerely turne to God have ever done: their repentance drew them first from Playes & Play-houses, and then bent their hearts, their judgements, their tongues, if not their pens against them: Thus was it with the wanton Poet Ovid; rrToll… Theatra jube, non tuta licentia Circi est, &c. Tristium. lib. 2. compared with his 1. Booke, De Arte Amandi.his very morall Heathenish repentance, made him to detest and write aga…nst those Playes and Play-houses, which formerly hee commended: And will not then true Christian Evangelicall repentance much more reclaime men from, embitter their hearts, their tongues, and pens against these Heathenish, Hellish, and polluted pleasures? undoub…edly it will, as appeares by all the Play… contemning Councels, Fathers, and other Christian Authors here recited, and ssSee Act. 7. Scene 2.3, 4. & 5.Acts 7by the concurrent suffrage of the devoutest Christians in all ages, who have constantly condemned and declaimed against Stage-playes, as the very ttSee Act 6. Scene 5. thorowout.Acts 6greatest corruptions that can befall a Church or Christian State. The farther men are from Playes and Play-houses, the neerer are they (saith an uuThe 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Theaters. pag. 66.Author) to true repentance: the neerer to them, the further are they from this soule-saving grace. Hereupon some Fathers well observe, **Et necesse erat primum ut domus in celebri esset urbis loco, ad quem facile conveniretur: deinde ab omni importunitate vacua esset, ac ampla, quae plurimos caperet aud…entiū; nec proxima spectaculorum locis, ne turpi vicina detestabilis Anse…me in Epist. ad P…ilemonem. vers. 22. Tom 2. p. 396. B. Et quia ubicunque Apostol…serat multitudo ad …um confluebat, necesse erat ut magnam domū haberet, & quae remota esset à Circo, à Theatr…, & à Spectaculo, ubi lascivi discurrentes, turpia quae que sectabantur. Haymo Exegesis ad Philemonem & Remigij Episcopi Rhemensis Explanatio in Epist. ad Philemonem. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 5. pars 3. p. 992. C.that Saint Paul writing to Philemon to provide an house or lodging for him, (Philemon, vers. 22.) would have such an house as was not neere the Theater or place of publike Enterludes, whither lascivious persons running did follow all filthy things, lest its filthy vicinage should make it detestable. Certainely if it were not meete for an eminent Apostle to dwell neere to Playes or Play-houses, for feare their lewde vicinity should make his habitation detestable to Christian Auditors who resorted to it: much more unseemely is it for a penitent Christian (who must abstaine not onelyonly from evill it selfe, yy1 Thes. 5.22.1 Thess 5:22but likewise from all the appearancies of it) to resort to Playes and Play-houses themselves, which are farre more noxious, more contagious then the houses neere adjacent to them. As hee therefore, who would obtaine the perfect grace of remission, must withdraw himselfe from the Spectacles and Enterludes of the world; if Saint zzDe Vera & falsa Paenitentia. lib. cap. 15.Augustine, aaSecunda secundae. Quaest. 108. Artic. 2.3.Aquinas, or our owne Country-man bbDestructorium Vitiorum. pars 4 c. 23. sect. 2.Alexander Fabricius write true Doctrine; so hee that would attaine the grace of true repentance must wholy ccSee Isay 52.11. 2 Cor. 6.17.Isa 52:112 Cor 6:17sequester himselfe from Playes and Play-houses, which are altogether incompatible with true repentance, and both hindring men from it, and indisposing them to it, to the eternall losse, the irrecoverable perdition of their dear…st soules. Wherefore I shall p. 546epitomize this Scene into this 39. Play-refuting Argument.Argument 39.

That which inamors men with sinne and vanity; which hardens them in their sinnes, detaines them in their wicked courses, and indisposeth them to true repentance; must needs be utterly unlawfull, and execrable unto Christians: Witnesse, Psal. 101.3. Psal. 119.37. Rom. 24.5.

But this doe Stage-playes, as the premises demonstrate.

Therefore they must needs bee utterly unlawfull, and execrable unto Christians.

SCENA DECIMA-QVINTA.

THe 15. consequent or effect of Stage-playes is; that 15they effeminate their Actors and Spectators; making them mimicall, histrionicall, lascivious, apish, amorous, and unmanly, both in their habites, gestures, speeches, complements, and their whole deportment: ddCantus & carmina Poetarū, & comaedorum, mimorumque urbanitates & strophae per aures introientes, virilitatem mentis effaeminant. Hierom. Advers. Iovinianum. lib. 2. cap. 7. Carmina Poetarum, Comaediarum & Tragaediarum actus, mimorum urbanitates & strophas & quicquid hujusmodi per aurem incedit, virilitatem mentis effaeminant. Ioannis Salisburiensis. De Nugis Curialium. lib. 8. cap. 6. Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 15. pag. 463. D.enervating and resolving the virility and vigor of their mindes, to their owne private and the publike prejudice. This Plato De Republica Dialog. 3. pag. 597. Clemens Alexandrinus Paedagogi. lib, 2. cap. 4. lib. 3. cap. 11. Tertullian De Spectaculis. cap. 17. Cyprian De Spectaculis. lib. & Epist. lib. 2. Epist. 2. Donato. Lactantius, De Vero Cultu cap. 20. & Divinarum Instit. Epist. cap. 6. Hierom. Adversus Iovinianum. lib. 2. cap. 7. Nazianzen. De Recta Educatione ad Selucum. pag. 1063. **See Scene 4. before.Chrysostome Homil. 6. & 38. in Matth. & Oratio 7. formerly quoted. Augustine De Civitate Dei. lib. 1. cap. 32.33. Salvian. De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 6. Ioannes Salisburiensis, De Nugis Curialium. lib. 1. cap. 8. & lib. 8. cap. 6. Saxo-Grammaticus. Danicae Hist. lib. 6. pag. 103. The 3. Blast of Retrait from Playes and Enterludes. M. Gualther. Hom. 11. in Nahum. Bodinus De Republica. lib. 6. c. 1, Ludovicus Vives, De Causis Corruptionis Artium. l. 2. c. 81.82, 83. M. Robert Boulton, in his Discourse of True Happinesse. pag. 73.74. with sundry Authors formerly quoted in the 5. Scene of this preseent Act: & Act 5. Scene 3.6. expresly testifie. **See Ammianus Marcellinus. Hi…t. l. 28. cap. 9.10. Sigonius. De Occidentali Imperio. lib. 1. pag. 32. & Act 6. Scene 5. thorowout.Acts 6These effeminated the Grecians, the Romanes heretofore, resolving their valour into sloath and lazinesse, and so making them a booty to their enemies, which made the Massilienses and Scipio Africanus to suppresse them. And if this evidence is not sufficient, our owne experience can sufficiently manifest this truth. For whence is it that many of our Gentry are lately eeConverterant in muliebrem tol…ran…iam viri, non usum tantum atque naturam, sed etiam vultum, incessum, habitum, & totum penitus quicquid aut in …exu est; aut in usu viri: adeò versa sunt in diversum omnia, ut cum viris nihil magis pudori esse oporteat, quàm si muliebre aliquid in se habere videantur, nunc nihil turpius viris quibusdam videtur, quam si in aliquo viri viderentur. Salvi…n. De Gubernatione Dei. lib. 7. pag. 263.264.degenerated into a more then Sardanapalian effeminacy; that they are now so fantastique in their apparell, so womannish in their frizled Periwigs, Love-lockes, and long effeminate pouldred pounced haire; so mimicall in their gestures; so effeminate in their lives; so Player-like in their deportment; so amorous in their speeches; so lascivious in their embracements; so unmanly, degenerous and un-English (if I may so speake) in their whole conversation; is it not principally from their resort to Playes, to Masques, and such like antique, apish Pastimes, the very Schooles to traine them up in all effeminacy, and fantastique folly? undoubtedly it is. Wherefore I shall briefely conclude this Scene with this 40. Play-oppugning Syllogisme.

That which effeminates mens mindes, mens manners, p. 547and makes them womannish both in their mindes, their bodies, speeches, habites, and their whole deportment: must needs bee abominable unto Christians, intolerable in a Common-weale. Witnesse Act 5. Scene 3. & Act 7. Scene 5. before.

But this doe **Nonne illos qui à Theatris descendunt, videtis molliores effectos? id vero in causa est, quòd i…s, quae ibi fiunt studiosè attend…nt. Chrysostom. Hom. De S. Barlaam. Tom. 1. Edit. Paris…s. …621. pag. 893. D.Stage-playes; as is evident by the premises; and by Act 5. Scene 3. & Act 6. Scene 5.

Therefore they must needs be abominable unto Christians, intolerable in a Common-weale.