The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. The Diseases of Representation, which infect by the eye and eare.
IT was a cleere Truth which the Poet said; That pierceth deeper into the heart which enters by the eye, then that which enters by the eare. Heereupon growes the excellence of representation, which as it hath beene vsefull, so it hath beene also in great vse, and the vsefulnesse of it hath beene so eminent, that men hauehave imployed the strength of their wits, to turne Eares into Eyes, euen to fasten on their imaginations, the same character & shape by hearing which hath bin beheld by seeing. So that though the outward gates were diuers, yet by that diuersity, almost the same inward apprehension and knowledge, eyther of persons or actions are receiued into our mindes. Hence is it that the Poet, Orator, or Historian, describes a person or a quality, with such lif, that though the Eare heare but words, yet the Eye sees the things, at least thinkes it sees them.
And by this liuely portrature of wit, the matter is so euidently presented to the imagination, and so stedily riuitted to the memory, that it is our owne, and pregnantly readie for vse vponupon eueryevery occasion. But this vse hath bin likewise poysoned with abuse, and that excellent Pensill of the Soule, wit and conception, which should hauehave paterned and fastned vertue to our affections, in her truely amiable feature, and hauehave stripped vice before our eyes into her natural vglinesse; contrarily it hath giuen a painting of Pleasure vntounto Vice, and made it louely by the adornment of wit, which of it selfe is most foule and abominable. So in steed of being helpfull to the minde, by a vigorious impression of vertue, it hath beene made a stampe of the Deuill, mightily to print vice into our soules, by representing the Images of Death vntounto Life.
Another kind of representation of the manuall Pensill, hath also beene vsefull for the liuely expression of persons, actions and stories. In the Histories of Martyrs, this hath conueyed their sufferings to the mindes of men with a mighty current, that the dead similitude hath set life in the affections, and that which moued not it selfe, yet moued the beholder both to compassion and indignation. But this kind also hath bin abused and that most grossely vntounto spirituall & corporall vncleannesse. It hath been abused to Idolatry, eyther while that which is worshipped is painted, or that which is painted is worshipped.
To paint the God-head (which only for it selfe is to bee worshipped) is a dumbe blasphemy, and a silent Lye. It sayes, God can bee represented by colours, or that hee is visible to the Eye, and so makes vsus beleeue we see what indeed cannot be seene. So to speake truth, it shewes to vsus what God is not, and not what he is, not a likenesse but an vnlikenesse of God; and whereas they pretend it to bee Gods Picture, it is meerly a Picture of not God.
A grosse fault it is also, to worship that which is painted; For though the body of Christ himselfe to be pictured, (and yet I neuer knew any sound proofes that hee hath a true Picture) yet may not the Picture bee worshipped with the honour due to Christ. Though his Humanity may be worshipped, yet that is for his vnion with the Deity, euen a true reall and hipostaticall vnion; But the vnion betweene the Image and the patterne, is only Imaginary, not reall or hypostaticall, so that while we may well say wee worship Christ because he is God, wee cannot say wee worship the Image because he is Christ. A farre more reall vnion there is betweene the Saints & Christ, euen the members and the head, for Christ sayes, The Father is in him, and hee in them; yea, if Christs Prayer be heard, we are one with him, yet because it is not a personal and hypostaticall vnion with the God-head, euen Peter himselfe forbids Cornelius to worship him.
Therefore farre be it that a bare likenesse should deserue worship, when a reall and participating vnion doth not, This Pensill of the hand hath bin also a Factor for vncleannesse, while it presenteth incendiary spectacles to the eies of humane frailty. Surely Concupiscence is a free horse, and wanteth not sharpe spurs but a strong bitte, it is readie of it selfe to carry away the soule and breake her necke, by a high fall into a low place, euen as low as Hell. But these men, least damnation should not be swift enough, set wings on her armes and spurres on her sides, that shee may flye away with the soule, by an extreame and irreuocable celeritie.
Thus are they quite contrary to the Spirit of God, for that sees and pitties the blind fury of our lusts, it comes into vsus to quench their heat, and to abate their rage. It giues vsus also sober counsels, by restrayning our senses vnderunder discipline and custody, so to put off the dangerous temptations which by the senses would breake in vponupon vsus. But these men hauehave a contrary busines, they kindle that which the Spirit quencheth, they set fire on the body which is the house of the soule, they giuegive life vntounto that which is mans death, and striue to kill men better that are already too much dead in sinnes and concupiscences, Brokers for the Deuill that make wares for hell, and the returne of their merchandise is the soules of men. But leaue off this needlesse as well as wicked Trade, Lust is as good an euill Painter as your selues, it needs no obiects nor representations, for it selfe chuseth obiects fast enough, and makes to it selfe too many imaginations and pictures. But if you will shew the excellence of skill, doe something of rarity, and make such Images that may fright away Lust, by the apparition of torments and miseries attending it, or may perswade Temperance by some liuely patternes and characters of Sobriety, and the excellent benefits following it. Another kinde of Representation, and which is done most to the life, is that which is done most by the liuing, so that life it selfe dwells in that Representation. Hence things so represented, though past, are freshly animated by the spirits of others, and liue in them againe, and that so naturally that they seeme not to be others but the same, and not so much to bee the second as the first. And surely if this Representation were of profitable & commendable things, in a profitable and commendable manner, I doe not see how it can be condemned, except a thing may be condemned for being profitable, or for being a Representation. The first, no man will affirme, and I thinke the latter can hardly bee defended, for the personating of others may be patterned, euen by Diuine examples. One Prophet takes to him the representation of a foolish Shepheard, another of a man wounded by him whose prisoner he set free, a third of a man fettered in chaines; and all these to teach more liuely, and to mooue more forcibly. But such great abuses, hauehave defiled this kind of Representation, that it hath not onelyonly left the true and naturall profit of it, but it hath seemed to many graue and godly men rather fit to bee taken away then hopefull to be cured. On the other side, I see no hope of the taking away, and therefore I desire it may bee cured, and to that end am willing to shew the chiefe corruptions of it, so that eyther the diseases may bee healed, or the whole may abstaine from being infected.
A first Abuse of this kind of Representation, is in the person represented, when such are represented for pleasure, whose representation to wise men is lothsome, or to weake men is dangerous. I should here beginne with the transfiguring of men into fooles, so to make men merry with the deprauation and abasement of a Creature made to Gods Image, yea of the very Image of God in that Creature. For this feeds that euill humour and condition of foolish men, that vseth to reioyce in folly, and make it selfe merry with that which makes a wise man eyther angry or sorry. But the world is inexorable in this point, and they will not hauehave the foole taken from them, but wil needs delight in their like, and therefore I will passe to points of more hope and greater possibilitie.
A second Fault in this kind is the Representation of Women by Men, which I thinke is a most dangerous▪ and pestilent Spectacle. I need not goe to the old Law for proofe, but only appeale to new and lamentable experience, and desire the confession of them that know the times, whether the shape of a woman hath not made masculine loues, and whether the maide hath not procured louelove to the boy. I am loth to speak of that wherof the very speech is lothsome, but it may not bee that sinnes should hauehave priuiledge to prosper, because they are lothsome to be mentioned, but euen because they are lothsome they should the more terribly be reprooued. But I will goe a middle-way betweene saying all and nothing, and wish that there were not so much merchandize of Play-boyes, nor so much counterfeiting intisement to that trafficke. Sure I am in some Countries at some times, the purchase and attendance of a play-boy, hath been a speciall ornament: and if there bee faults issuing of this fountaine, I onelyonly say thus much, That for such, Lands vse to spew out their Inhabitants, Heauen raynes down Hell on Earth, and men of Earth goe downe aliue to Hell.
A third Fault is, when the persons of men eyther holy by profession or conuersation, are brought forth to the mockes and scornes of prophane Herods. In such God himselfe is sacrilegiously derided, while eyther his functions or graces are turned into laughing stockes. It is a cursed laughter that laughs at him by whom we laugh; and he who made laughter doth also make weeping, and as certainly as they now laugh, and his Spirit is grieued, so hereafter will hee laugh and they for griefe shall weepe, and that weeping shall be eternall, for it shall be caused by a worme that dieth not, and a fire that neuer shall be quenched.
A second sort of Abuse is, when euill speaches (that corrupt good manners) are represented. Of these I will name three sorts.
A first is rotten and filthy language, wherein one defiles his owne tongue that he may defile another mans eares, he takes the fire of his owne lust, and by his tongue flings it in at the windowes of the eare, to set young or youthful souls on fire. And left this poyson should doe no harme, filthinesse very often is conserued and sugred in wit, that death may be sure to be swallowed, and that the filthinesse may enter and pierce the deeper, being poynted by the sharpnesse and pleasantnesse of wit. Surely such men become deuills vntounto men, and turne wit into temptation, peruerting that excellent issue of the Soule to bee a Factor for the Flesh, yea to carry errands of beastlinesse between Flesh and Flesh, the inuenter and the hearer. Yea, the Soule by this meanes becomes a destroyer of Soules, for while it foldeth vp the Flesh in sweetnesse, it killeth the Soule that made it, and the Soule that heares it, if with hearing it be loued, as it will be if wit can doe it. But besides this lowe debasing of so high and excellent a power of the Soule, Let mee tell them for an aduantage, that it is often the signe of an hungry and needy brayne, for as filthinesse sometimes borrowes of wit to make it handsome, so a bad wit often borrowes of filthinesse to make it selfe toothsome; for a little wit with a great deale of filthines, hath often among vulgar and muddy eares, more fauor then much wit if it be ouer cleanly. But let the best striue to please the best, and I know there are wits of that excellency that can giuegive sufficient delight by cleane and cleare conceits, euen such as flowe from pure wit, and borrow no bastardly generation, of the filth and mudde of the basenesse, shame and corruption of Man. And I know there are also neat and noble Auditors, that relish wit best by it selfe, when it is not farded nor tainted with the mixture of slime and drosse. And I doe not see but the chaste wife of one (whose friendship while he liued might hauehave brought me into suspicion of partialitie, but now he is gone, against my will doth leaue mee at liberty to commend him) hath beene as faire and amiable, as the Venus of many deckt vp with the colours and payntings of lustfull and incendiary wit.
A second Fault in representatiue speaking, is the vsing of holy words to prophane ends, or in a prophane manner. Oathes are sacred, prayers are holy, and the name of God glorious, yet they must serue the recreation of Man, and man must be delighted though God be blasphemed. A fearfull thing it is, for Man to delight himselfe in that wherein God is dishonoured; If there were no other thing but the abuse of Gods name, of sentences of Scripture, and such holy things, this were enough to make Playes of this nature (and such are most) abhominable to eueryevery good Christian. For I tell thee this, That if thou art a Christian, thou art like vntounto Lot, and thy righteous Soule will be vexed with the dishonour of thy God. Now if thou art vexed therewith, how canst thou goe to bee vexed? Canst thou take delight in vexation, and wilt thou giuegive money for it? And if thou beest not vexed, then art thou no good Christian. Againe, if thou be a Christian, God is thy best friend, and wilt thou go where thou thinkest thy best friend shall bee abused, and thou must hold thy peace. Take heed for Gods sake that thou take not delight there wher thou shouldest bee vexed; and take heed for thy owne sake, that if thou must needs be vexed, that thou goe not to seeke vexation.
I might here adde for a third Fault, …he scandalous deprauations and detractions, which diminish the honour of some, to adde to the pleasure of others, yea beyond this the doctrines rather then reproofes of vices, the prodigall expence of time, the stuffe of which life it selfe consists, but I wish the former faults were first amended, and the amendment of those would best giuegive encouragement to a farther cure. Sure I am as the case now stands, that generally these Theaters are the Churches of Satan, and doe by the meanes fore-mentioned edifie vntounto damnation. While the Preacher workes for Heauen, the Player playes (for his working is playing) for Hell, and many Soules receiue there those lessons of Darkenesse, which leade them stedily vntounto eternall darknesse. And if exhortations may not preuaile, I wish Authoritie would, and that at least the same course may bee taken for the Scene that is for the Presse, that nothing might be acted, but that which first had beene examined, that so if this Representation shall be thought fit to remayne, yet at least the foule spots and corruptions of it may be cleared, that so it may bee restored to all possible beauty, and become (if not profitable) yet infinitely lesse hurtfull.