The Players Scourge, Part 1 · Act 7 · Scene 3 · Floating text 1 – Floating text 7
SCENA TERTIA.
THe third Squadron of Authorities, is made up of 54 ancient and moderne,54 Councels & Synods, togethe… with sundry Canonicall Constitutions against Players, Play…haun…ters and Stage-playes… generall, nationall, provinciall Councels and Synodes, both of the West and Easterne Churches: of divers Ecclesiasticall and imperiall Constitutions, which either expresly or by way of necessary consequence prohibit Stage-playes; excommunicating and censuring all Stage-pla…ers, all Play-haunters; and inhibiting all manner of Christians, (especially Clergy men) to act any theatricall Enterludes, or to be present at them, under severe penalties. To begin with Councels and Synods; I shall here enumerate them in their Order, according to their severall antiquities, without any variation from their Latine names, which I shall still retaine for greater certainty, since I finde them variously englished: setting downe their severall Canons both in Latine & English for the Readers better satisfaction; inserting likewise here and there some other Canons not altogether impertinent to this Discourse.
The first Councell against Stage-playes, Players and Play-haunters, is, Concilium Eliberinum in Spaine, about the yeare of our Lord 305, consisting of 19. Bishops: Where I finde these three subsequent Canons most pertinent to our purpose: viz… Canon: 57.62.67.
oApud Laurentium Surium. Concil. Tom. 1. Coloniae Agrip. 1567. p. 366, 367. Binius Concil. Tom. 1. N…colinus Concil. Tom 1. Petrus Crab. Concil. Tom. 1. Coloniae Agrip. 1551. p. 285. & C…rranza Sū ma Concil. Paris…is 1624. fol. 37, 38. Centuriae Mag. Ce…t. 4. cap. 9. Col. 700.Canon: 57. Matronae, vel earum mariti, vestimenta sua ad ornandam seculariter pompam non dent. Et si fecerint, triennij tempore abstineant.
Canon: 62. Si Augur aut Pantomimi credere voluerunt, placuit, ut prius artibus suis renuncient, et tunc demum suscipiantur, ita ut ulterius non revertantur. Quod si facere contra interdictum tentaverint, projiciantur ab Ecclesia.
Canon: 67. Prohibendum, ne qua …idelis vel catechumena, aut Comicos, aut viros scenicos habeat; quaecumque haec fecerit, à communione a…ceatur.
Can: 57. Matrons, or their husbands may not give (or lend) their garments, to adorne any secular Playes or shewes: If they doe, let thē be excōmunicated for 3 yeares.
Can: 62. If any Southsayer or Stage-player will beleeve, we ordaine, that they first renounce their Arts, & then after a while they may be received, so that they returne unto them no more. But if they shall attempt to doe contrary to this injunction, let them be cast out by the Church.
Can: 67. We prohibit, that no beleeving woman or catechumenist entertain or marry any Comedians or stage-players; who ever shal doe it, let her be excommunicated.
A sufficient evidence, how execrably detestable all Stage-players and Play-patrons, together with their Stage-playes were unto the primitive Church and Christians, who would neither admit them into the Church, nor permit them to continue in the Church being admitted, till they had utterly renounced Stage-playes; the very lending of clo…hes to act Stage-playes in, and the very marrying with, or harbouring of a Stage-player incurring three yeares excommunication both from the Church, the Sacraments, and the very society of Christians.
The second Councell, is Concilium Arelatense 1. held under Constantine the Great, in the Citty of Narbo in France, about the yeare of Christ 314, consisting of 600 Bishops, as pEodem que tē pore et illud sacratissimum Concilium apud Areleten, sexcentorum Episcoporum colligitur. Adonis Chronicon. AEtas. 6. Bibl. Pa…r. Tom. 9. pars 2. p. 280. G. See Baronius & Spondanus Ann… C…risti 314. sect. 5.Ado Viennensis informes us: where I finde this Canon against Stage-players, intituled De his qui conveniunt in Theatris: and so by consequence against Stage-playes too.
qSurius Concil. Tom. 1. p. 368. Crab. Tom. 1. p. 28.1 C…rranza fol. 39. Centur. Magd. 4 Col. 70….Canon: 5. De Thea tricis, et ipsos placuit, qu…mdiu agunt, a communione separari.
Can: 5. Concerning stage-players, we have thought meet to excommunicate them, as long as they continue to act.
The third, is, Concilium Arelatense 2. about the yeare of our Lord 325. at which there were present some rSee Surius …. 1. p. 375, 376.38 Bishops, and some 50 Elders and Deacons: where this Canon was promulgated.
sSurius Tom. 1 p. 375, 377. Crab. Tom. 1. p. …94. Ca…anza. fol. 44. Cent. M…gd. 4. Col. 705. Biniu… Concil. Tom. …. pars 1. p. 565.Canon: 20. De agitatoribus sive theatricis, qui fideles sunt, placuit, eos, quàmdiu agu…t, a communione separari.
Can: 20. Concerning Actors or Stage-players, who are Christians, we decree them to be excommunicated as long as they persevere to Play.
The fourth, is, Concilium Laodicenum, in Phrygia Pacatiana, about the yeare of our tSee Centur. Magd. Tom. 4. Col. 933. Baronius & Spondanus Anno Christi 314. sect. 12, 13.Lord 364. as some a…irme, others placing it sooner, others later; at which most of the Bishops in Asia were present: where I meete with these two Canons, against Dancing and Stage-playes.
vSurius Tom. 1. p. 458. Crab. Tom. 1. p. 380 Binius Tom. 1. pars 1. p. 247. Carranza. fol. 5… Centur. Magd. 4. Col. 8…7. Gratian. De Cons…ratione Distinctio 5.Can: 53. Non oportet Christianos ad nuptias euntes vel balare vel saltare; sed castè cae…are vel prandere, sicut competit Christianis.
Can: 53. Christians going to weddings ought neithe… wantonly to sing, nor yet to dance; but to suppe or dine soberly as becommeth Christians.
Which Canon extending principally to dancing, is ratified and revived by *Suriu… Concil. Tom. …. p. 358.Concilium Ilerdense Can. ult: which hath this title: Vt in Christianorum nuptijs non saltetur.
Canon: 54. Non oportet Ministros Altaris, vel quoslibet Clericos spectaculis aliquibus quae aut in nuptijs, aut in scenis exhibentur, interesse: sed antequam thylemici ingrediantur, surgere eos, et de convivio abire.
Can: 54. Ministers of the Altar, or any other Clergy men, ought not to bee present at any stage-playes that are acted either at marriages or in play-houses: but before the Players or F…dlers enter, they ought to arise, and depart from the feast.
Which latter Canon though it extends onelyonly to Clergy men in words, yet the equity of it reacheth indifferently to all Christians, as the former Canon doth in positive tearmes.
The fifth, is, Concilium Hipponense, Anno 393. wherethere were divers Bishops: in which there were xSee Surius Tom. 1. p. 510. & Centuri… Magd. 4. Col. 871, 872.two Canons made against Stage-playes and Actors; to wit, Canon: 13. & 35. being the very same with the 11. & 35. Canons of the 3. Councell of Carthage next ensuing, to which I shall refer you: wherein all the Canons of this Councell of Hippo were abbreviated and confirmed.
The sixth is, Concilium Carthaginense in Africa, about the yeare of our yCenturiae Magd. 4. Col. 866. Baronius et Spondanus Anno Christi 397. sect. 14, 15. Prosperi Chronicon Anno 399.Lord 397, or 399: consisting of 44 Bishops, of which St. Augustine, then Bishop of Hippo, was one: where these two Canons were composed out of the 13. and 35. Canons of the forementioned Councel of Hippo.
zSu…ius Tom. 1. p. 504, 505. Crab. Tom. 1. p. 428, 429. Binius Tom. 1. pars 1. p. 575. Carranza. fol. 66. Centut. Magd. 4. Col. 867, 869. Gratian. De Consecrat. Distinct. 2.Canon… 11. Vt filij Episcoporum vel Clericorum, spectacula secularia non exhibeant, sed nec spectent, quando quidem ab spectaculo et omnes Laici prohihibeantur. Semper enim Christianis omnibus hoc interdictum est, ut ubi blasphemi sunt, non accedant.
*See Codex Theodosiil. 15. Tit. 7. Lex. 1.Canon: 35. Vt scenicis atque histrionibus, caeterisque huiusmodi personis vel apostaticis, conversis vel reversis ad Dominum gratia vel reconciliatio non negetur.
Can: 11. That the sonnes of Bishops and Clergy men shall neither exhibit, nor yet so much as beholde any secular Enterludes, since that even all Lay-men are prohibited from stage-playes. For this hath alwayes beene straitly forbidden all Christians, that they come not where blasphemers are.
Can: 35. That grace or reconciliation shall not be denied to Stage-players and Actors, and such like persons, or to apostates, who shall convert, and returne againe to the Lord.
Which Canon admits Stage-players into the Church upon their conversion and renouncing of their ungodly profession, but not before.
The seventh, is, Concilium Carthaginense 4. aCentur. M…g. … Col. 873.Anno Christi 4…1… at which 214 Bishops were present: Which as it makes all flattering, all scurrilous Clergy men, who delight in filthy jests, or sing or dance publikely at any feasts, liable to a finall degradation: (See Can: 56.60 62,); So it provides thus against Playes, and Play-haunting.
bSurius Tom. 1. p. …15. Petr. Crab. Tom. 1. p. 44. Carranza fol. 73. Gratian. De Consecrat. Dist. 5. & De Consecrat. Dist. 1. Centur Magd. 4. Col. 878.Canon: 86. Neophyti à …autioribus epulis et spectaculis abstineant.
Canon: 88. Qui die solenni, praetermisso …olenni Ecclesiae conventu, ad spectacula vadit, excommunicetur.
Can: 86. Those who are newly baptized or converted to the faith ought to abstaine from costlier feasts and stage-plaies.
Can: 88. Hee who upon any solemne feast-day, omitting the solemne assembly of the Church, resorts to stage-playes, let him be excommunicated.
Stage-playes then in this Councels judgement are no meet pastimes for any solemne Christian festivals.
The eighth, is, Concilium Africanum, Anno Christi 408: to which 238 cSurius Tom. 1 p. 587, 588.Bishops subscribed their names, St. Augustine being one of that great number: where I finde these severall Canons to our purpose.