The Overthrow of Stage Plays, Title page – To the reader
Th'overthrow OF STAGE-PLAYES, By the way of controversie betwixt D. Gager and D. Rainoldes, wherein all the reasons that can be made for them are notably refuted; th'objections aunswered, and the case so cleared and resolved, as that the iudgement of any man, that is not froward and perverse, may easelie be satisfied.
Wherein is manifestly proved, that it is not onelyonly vnlawfull to bee an Actor, but a beholder of those vanities.
Wherevnto are added also and annexed in th'end certeine latine Letters betwixt the sayed Maister Rainoldes, and D. Gentiles, Reader of the Civill Law in Oxford, concerning the same matter.
1599.
The Printer to the Reader.
THe vanitie and vnlawfulnesse of Plaies and Enterludes hath bene often spoken against by the holy men of God. The danger and hurt that commeth by them hath bene plainly laied open by sundrie frutfull treatises of this our age. Farther it seemeth that the Lord himself by sundry his visible iudgementes from Heauen, hath pronounced a sensible vae against them even in the face of the world. Witnesse Paris Garden and other places where divers hauehave bene grievously hurt, wounded, and maimed; and some by lamentable death and destruction vtterly cutt of and consumed. These and such like warninges and examples going before should (a man would thinke) hauehave bene a fearefull precedent to the succeeding age that came after. But alas our practise sheweth it to be farre otherwise, Th'vsuall flocking and gadding that we see daily before our eies to these Play-Houses and ydle places of entercourse (many leaving their houses and sundry necessarie duties vnperfourmed, yea not sparing the very Sabath it selfe, nor fearing the prophanation thereof, so they may therein serue their vnruly appetites and affections) doth sufficiently descry a farre of of what mettall we are made, and wherin the treasure of our hart consisteth.
Th'Israelites that were so backward and vnwilling to serue the Lord and to follow his ordinances, were yet willing enough Exod. … ▪(we see) to spare their earinges and most pretious Iuells to the furtherance of Idolatrie & worshipping of a Caulf. This is truly, good Reader (I speake it with grief) the very case and disease of to many of vsus at this day. There is nothing in a maner tedious and burdensome vntounto vsus but the furtherance of holy Religion, and the Christian practise of the same: on th'other side there is nothing commonly so deare and of price vntounto vsus, but the louelove of our vanities and fleashly delightes can easely make it melt and consume. Mooue men to contribute any thing to the relief of Gods Saincts, or to the re-edifying of a decaied Church and place of praier, alas they hauehave in a readinesse without studie a whole budget full of letts and excuses, able to drown and extinguish a better mans devotion then theirs. Why, they giuegive forsooth, in their owne parishes; they hauehave a great charge at home, or els they are so indebted and behind hand, that they can not &c. And yet to the maintenance of their pleasures, or to nouzle themselues in their vanities (whether it be in apparell, gamening, gadding to plaies, masking, dauncing, bellicheare, shewes, or such like.) It is wonder to see how chearfully they can vntye their purse-stringes without respecte either of parish, home charge, debt or anything els. The young man in the Gospell went away sorrowfull and mourning, but when? When our Saviour bade him, Goe sel all Mat. 15. 21.that he had, and follow him. Wherin if we marke the words well, the holy Ghost seemeth to lay down vntounto vsus that the young mans grief did arise not only from this, in that hee was to depart with his substance and wealth, which hee loved so dearely, but also from this that he must depart withall to so base, so hard, and dangerous an end as he imagined, namely To follow Christ, wherein hee saw there was no earthly comfort and felicitie to bee hoped for. For if our Saviour had enjoined him to sell that he had for his better attendance on Caesars Court, or for his preferrement to any place of credite or commoditie, like enough it would not hauehave gone so nigh him, nor hauehave bene any such gall or coresie to his heart, but, To sell all and follow Christ, this was the stinger that made him thus to hang down his head, to looke droopingly, and to fling away thus inwardly wounded and discontented. And hath not this yong man to many followers and successours in this age of ours? or, are there not Israelites enow among vsus readie to giuegive any thing to the golden Caulf, and repining at eueryevery thing that they should depart withall to the good of Gods Church? Doe we not see before our eyes, howe he that can hardly be drawen to spare a penie in the Church, can yet willingly and chearefullie afoord both pence and teaster, enow for himself and others at a play? Nay more, are there not some that neuer gaue groate in their liues to the furtherance of any good cause without grudging, and yet to feede and foste… themselves in their vanities and superfluities, hauehave full gallantl… spent themselfs and their patrimony in all maner of riot and li centiousnes? The Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge bu… humble them to repentance before the day of his wrath.
This treatise therfore of that thrice Reuerend man Maiste… D. Rainoldes, against stage Plaies (beeing a notable looking glasse for such cold Christians as these, and comming from … man of those rare and incomparable giftes, envied and yet admi red of his very ennemies for his learning, iudgement, and pietie▪ falling by Gods providence into my handes, I thought it not my part, good Reader, (though it should be in some respect offensiue t… th' Author himself) to conceale and keepe backe from thee in re gard of the publike benefite that may thereby arise to the Church of God: And so much the rather, in that the matter herein laie… down, is handled in another sort by way of controuersie, and farr otherwaies canvased both by sound argumentes, diuine and humane authorities, then to my knowledge hath bene done by an man that euer wrote in that cause before. His aduersarie Maister D. Gager is likewise, I vnderstand, a man of giftes, a good Schollar, and an honest man, and (as it should seeme by Maister Rainoldes his seuerall aunsweres and replies) hath saied more for the defense of Plaies then can bee well saied againe by any man that shall succeede or come after him. So that the cause beeing thus wittely and scholler like maintained on th'one side, for, and in defense of plaies, and yet in the end all this rampier of defense quite ouerthrowne and laied flatte to th'earth by an vnresistable battery of profound and vnaunswerable argumentes and resolutions on th'other side, this must needes make the case more cleare and evident in th'eies of any man of iudgement, then if it had not bene gaine saied or withstoode at all. I hauehave bene informed also that Maister Gager himselfe vponupon the last rejoinder of Maister Rainoldes hath let goe his hold, and in a Christian modestie and humilitie yeelded to the truth, and quite altered his iudgement. If it bee so (good Reader) and that so graue and learned a man hath chosen rather with that auncient father humile peccatum, then superbam ignorantiam, be not thou for thy part willfull and obstinate in thy conceite, whosoever thou art, but ponder the reasons and argumentes on th'one side, consider the dangers and inconveniences on th'otherside. And if thou hauehave bene bewitched with his vanitie heretofore, see whether th'advised perusall of this excellent treatise may happely by Gods mercy vnwitch thee againe. And take this with thee for a generall lesson and observation while thou livest, That whatsoever thy fleash, according to the common course of carnall men, delighteth in, suspect thou there is mischief in it, though thou be able to defende it by thy reason. Surely for mine owne part, I am perswaded if this present discourse bee read, marked, and disgested as it should bee, the gentlewoman that sware by her trouth, That shee was as much edefied at a play as ever she was at any sermo, &c. will, ere she die, be of another minde, though it may be shee saied true then, in regard of her owne negligence and backwardnes in not giving eare to the word of God with reverence. The like may fall out also to those men too, that hauehave not bene afraied of late dayes to bring vponupon the Stage the very sober countenances, graue attire, modest and matronelike gestures & speaches of men & women to be laughed at as a scorne and reproch to the world, as if the hypocrisie of Iudas (if it were brought vponupon the stage) could any whitt disgrace the Apostles of our Saviour Christ, and yet if these men had but thus farre exceeded, kept themselues there, and gone no farther to the foule prophaning and abusing of the holy Scriptures of God, their sinne had not bene half so great as it is. Well to heale, if it may be, or at least, to correct the bad humour of such humorists as these (who in their discouery of humours doe withall fouly discover their own shame and wretchednes to the world) here is now laied before thee (good Reader) a most excellent remedie and receipt, if thou canst be so happie to make thy profitte of it. Reade it therefore and disgeast it, and, if thou find good thereof, giuegive God the glory, and blesse his Name, for so worthy an instrument.
Thine in the Lord.