The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. Of unlawfull gestures, Idlenesse, Gluttony, Drunkennesse, Dancing, and other such like dissolutenesse.
LIke as if we would carry our selves chastly and uprightly before God, it behoveth us to avoid all filthinesse and adultery, so we must abstain from uncivill and dishonest gestures, which are (as it were) badges of concupiscence, and coales to set lust on fire, and instruments to injure others withall. From hence it was, that Pompey caused one of his souldiers Sabel.eyes to be put out in Spaine, for thrusting his hand under a womans garment that was a Spaniard: and for the same or like offence did Sertorius command a footman of his band to be cut in pieces. O that we had in these daies such minded captaines, that would sharply represse the wrongs and ravishments which are so common and usuall amongst men of war at this day, and so uncontrolled! they would not then doubtlesse be so rise and common as in these daies they are.
Kissing is no lesse to be eschewed than the former, if it be not betwixt those that are tyed together by some bond of kindred or affinity, as it was by antient custome of the Medes and Persians, and Romanes also; according to the report of Plutarch and Seneca: and that which is more, Tiberius Caesar forbad the often and daily practise thereof in that kinde, as a thing not Suet.to be freqented, but rather utterly abhorred, though it be amongst kinsfolkes themselves. It was esteemed an indignity among the Graecians, to kisse any maid that was not in blood or assinity allyed unto them; as it manifestly appeareth by the earnest suit and request of the wife of Pisistratus the Tyran of Athens, to put to death a young man for kissing her daughter in Valer. li. 1. c. 5.the streets, as he met her, although it was nothing but love that moved him thereto. Saint Augustine also affirmeth, That he which wantonly kisseth a De civitat. Dei lib. 21. cap. 11.woman that is not his wife, deserveth the whip. It is true, that the holy Scripture often mentioneth kissing, but either betwixt father and childe, or brethren or kinsfolkes, or at least in a manner of salutation betwixt one another Gen. 27. 45.of acquaintance, according to the custome of the people of God▪ and 2 Sam. 20. 9.sometimes also it is mentioned as a token of honour and reverence, which the subject performeth to his superiour in this action. In the former ages 1 Sam. 10.Christians used to kisse also; but so, that it was ever betwixt parties of acquaintance; and in such sort, that by this manner of greeting they testified to each other their true and sincere charity, peace, and union of heart and soule in the Lord. Such chearings and loving embracings were pure and Iust. Apolog. 2. Tertull.holy, not lascivious and wanton, like the kisses of prophane and leacherous wretches and strumpets, whereof Solomon maketh mention.
Furthermore, every man ought to shun all meanes and occasions which Prov. 7. 13.may induce or entice them to uncleanenesse; and amongst the rest especially Idlenesse, which cannot chuse but be as it were a wide doore and passage for many vices to enter by, as by experience we see in those that occupy themselves about no good nor profitable exercises, but mispend their time in trifling and doing nothing, and their wits either upon vaine and foolish conceit to the hurt of others; or upon lascivious and unchaste thoughts, to their owne overthrow; whereas on the contrary, to them that are well employed either in body or minde, no such thing betideth; wherefore wee ought to be here advertised every one of us to apply our selves to some honest and seemly trade, answerable to our divers and severall estates and conditions, and not to suffer our selves to be overgrowne with Idlenesse, lest thereby we fall into mischiefe; for whom the adversary (that malicious and wicked one) findeth in that case, he knowes well how to fit them to his purpose, and to set them about filthy and pernitious services.
Next to idlenesse, the too much pampering the body with dainty and much food is to be eschewed: for like as a fat and well fed horse winceth and kicketh against his rider, so the pampered flesh rebelleth against God and a mans owne selfe. This fulnesse of bread, and abundance of …shly delights, was the cause of the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrah: and therefore our Saviour to good purpose warneth us, to take heed to our selves, that we Ey…ch. 16. ….be not oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse: and the Apostle, to take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof, but to walke honestly, not Luke 21. 34. Rom. 13. 13. Ephes. 5.being given to gluttony and drunkennesse, chambering, and wantonnesse: and in another place, not to be drunke with wine, wherein is excesse: for besides the losse of time and mispence of goods, the grievous diseases and pangs of the body, and dulling and besotting of the wit, which spring from intemperance, many other great evils depend and wait thereon; as whoredomes, adulteries, uncleannesses, quarrels, debates, murders, with many other such like disorders and mischiefes.
Noah, that holy Patriarch, by drinking too much wine, not only discovered Gen. 9.his owne shame, but also was the occasion of that cruell curse which the Lord sent upon the posterity of Cham, which even to this day lyeth heavy upon them.
Lot, though he hated the sin of Sodome, and escaped the punishment of Gen. 19.Sodome, yet being overcome with the wine of the mountaines, he committed incest with his owne daughters, and made a new Sodome of his owne family.
Balthasar, rioting and revelling amongst his pots, had the end both of life and kingdome denounced against him, by a bodilesse hand-writing upon the Dan. 5.wall, the Lords decree. Whilest Holofernes besotted his sences with excesse Judith. 13.of wine and good cheare, Iudith found meanes to cut off his head.
The Emperours Septimius Severus, and Iovinianus, dyed with eating and drinking too much.
Likewise a certaine African called Donitius, overcharged his stomacke Euseb.with so much food at supper, that he dyed therewith.
Gregory of Tours reporteth of Childericke a Saxon, that glutted himselfe so full of meat and drink over night, that in the morning he was found choked in his bed.
In our memory there was a Priest in Rovergne, neare Milan, that (dining with a rich farmer for his yeares dinner) cheared himselfe so well, and filled his belly so full, that it burst in two, and he dyed suddenly.
Alexander the great having invited many of his favourites and captaines to supper, propounded a crowne in reward to him that should drinke most: Plutarch.now the greatest drinker swallowed up foure steanes of wine, and woon the prize, being in value worth six hundred crownes; but lost his life (a jewell of greater worth) for he survived not three daies after the vile excesse: besides, the rest that strove with him in this goodly conflict of carousing, one and forty of them dyed to beare him company.
The same Alexander was himselfe subject to wine, and so distempered divers times therewith, that he often slew his friends at the table in his drunkennesse, whom in sobriety he loved dearest.
Plutarch telleth us of Armitus and Ciranippus, two Syracusians, that being Incest, lib. 2. cap. 31.drunk with wine, committed incest with their owne daughters.
Cleomenes, King of Lacedemonia, being disposed to carouse after the manner of the Scythians, dranke so much, that he became, and continued ever after, sencelesse.
Anacreon the Poet, a grand consumer of wine, and a notable drunkard, was choaked with the huske of a grape.
The monstrous and riotous excesses of divers Romane Emperours (as Tiberius by name, who was a companion of all drunkards) is strange to be heard, and almost incredible to be beleeved: he loved wine so well, that in stead of Tiberius they called him Biberius, and in stead of Claudius, Caldus, and in stead of Nero, Mero; noting by those nicknames, how great a drunkard he was.
The Earle of Aspremont (after he had by infinite excesse exhausted all his substance) being upon a day at S. Michael, dranke so excessively, that he dyed therewith.
Cyrillus a Citizen of Hippon, had an ungracious son, who leading a riotous and luxurious life, in the middest of his drunkennesse killed his owne Aug. tom. 10. Ver. 33.mother great with childe, and his father, that sought to restraine his sury, and would have ravished his sister, had she not escaped from him with many Parricid. li. 2. cap. 11.wounds.
Bonosus the Emperour is reported to have been such a notorious drunkard, that he was said to be borne not to live, but to drinke: if any Embassadours Flavius Vopis.came unto him, he would make them drunke, to the end to reveale their secrets: he ended his life with misery, even by hanging, with this Epitaph, That a tun, not a man, was hanged in that place.
Philostrates, being in the bathes at Sinuessa, devoured so much wine, that he fell downe the staires, and almost broke his neck with the fall.Martid. li. 11.
Zeno, the Emperour of the East, was so notoriously given to excesse of meates and drinkes, that his sences being benummed, he would often lie as Platina.one that was dead: wherefore being become odious to all men by his beastly qualities, his wife Ariadne fell also in detestation of him, and one day as he lay sencelesse, she transported him into a tombe, and throwing a great stone upon it, pined him to death, not suffering any to remove the stone, or to yeeld him any succour; and this was a just reward of his drunkennesse.
Pope Paulus the second, beside the exceeding pompe of apparell which he used, he was also very carefull for his throat: for (as Platina writeth of him) he delighted in all kinde of exquisite dishes, and delicate wine, and that in superfluity: by which immoderate and continuall surfeiting he fell into a grievous Apoplexy, which quickly made an end of his life. It is reported of him, that he eat the day before he dyed two great Melons, and that in a very good appetite; when as the next night the Lord struck him with his heavy judgement.
Alexander the son of Basilius, and brother of Leo the Emperour, did so wallow and drowne himselfe in the gulfe of pleasure and intemperance, that Philip. Melanct. lib. 4.one day, after he had stuffed himselfe too full of meat, as he got upon his horse, he burst a veine within his body, whereat upwards and downewards issued such abundance of blood, that his life and soule issued forth withall.
The moderne examples of Gods fearefull judgements upon drunkards, not only in other countries, but even in this Nation of ours, are many and terrible: all which if I should stand to report, it would be matter for a whole booke. Our reverend Judges in their severall circuits doe finde by experience, that few murthers and manslaughters are committed, which are not from this root of drunkennesse: for when mens braines are heat with wine and strong drinke, then their tongues are let loose to opprobrious speeches, and thence proceed both sudden quarrels, and deliberate challenges, wherewith thousands are brought to their untimely ends: Besides, the Lord punisheth the Drunkard many waies; first, in his soule, with impenitency and hardnesse of heart: which commonly followeth this vice: for as Saint Augustine saith, As by too much raine the earth is resolved into durt, and made unfit for tillage; so by excessive drinking, our bodies are altogether unfitted Aug. de Vitand. Ebriet. Ser. 231.for …he spirituall tillage, and so can bring forth no good fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse; but rather like biggest and marishes; are fit to b…ed nothing but serpents, frog…, and vershine, that is, all manner of abominable sins and leathsome wickednesse. Secondly in his body, with deformednesse of feature; filthy diseases, and unseasonable death: for excessive drinking breedeth crudities, Rheumes, Imposthumes, Gouts, Consumptions, Apoplexies, and such like; whereof men perish before they are come to the halfe of their naturall yeares: and this is one principall cause why men are now so short lived in respect of that they have …en heretofore. Thirdly, in his estate, for commonly poverty, yea penury followeth this vice at the heeles; as Solomon teacheth. P…ov. 21. 27. And lastly, with sudden death and destruction, even in the middest of their drunken fits, as wofull experience doth make manifest every day, and almost in every corner of this land. Within these few yeares, of mine owne knowledge, three not far from Huntington being overcome with drinke, perished by drowning; when being not able to rule their horses, they were carried by them into the maine streame, from whence they never came out alive againe, but left behinde them visible markes of Gods justice, for the terrour and example of others; and yet what sin is more commonly used and lesse feared than this.
Concerning Dancing (the usuall dependants of feasts and good cheare) there is none of sound judgement that know not, that they are baits and allurements to uncleanenesse, and as it were instruments of bawdrie: by reason whereof they were alwaies condemned among men of honour and reputation, whether Romanes or Greekes, and left for vile and base minded men to use. And this may appeare by the reproach that Demosthenes the Orator gave to Philip of Macedony and his Courtiers, in an Oration to the Athenians, wherein he termed them common dancers, and such as shamed not as soone as they had glutted their bellies with meate, and their heads with wine, to fall scurrilously a dancing. As for the honourable Dames of Rome, truly we shall never reade that any of them accustomed themselves to dance, according to the report of Salust touching Sempronia, whom he judged to be too fine a dancer and singer to be honourable withall: as if these two could no more agree then fire and water.
Cicero in his apologie of Muraena rehearseth an objection of Cato against Muraena.his client, wherein he challenged him for dancing in Asia; which he maketh a matter of so great reproach, that not daring to maintain or excuse the fact, he flatly denyeth it; saying, That no sober and discreet man ever would commit that fault, unlesse his sence and reason was bereft him. Plutarch also setting forth the vertues of women, putteth in this among the rest, that she ought to be no dancer: and speaking in another place to all others as well as women, biddeth them to repulse even their friends, if they should lead and entice them to that exercise.
Besides, all the ancient Doctors of the Church have utterly condemned them as unlawfull: Thou learnest to sing prophane and idle songs (saith Basil) and forgettest the godly Psalmes and Hymnes which were enact …ught thee▪ thou caperest and leapest with thy feet in dances (unwise, as thou art) when a… thou shouldest rather bend thy knees in prayer to the almighty but what gaine … got thereby … Marry this, that virgins returne robbed of their virginities and married wives of their tr…th to their husbands: both, and all, lesse chaste than they went; and more dishonest than they should, if not in act, which peradventure may be, yet stainedin thought, which cannot be eschewed. Heare (saith Chrysost.) you maids and wives, which are not ashamed to dance and trip it at others marriages, and to pollute your se…es; wheresoever a lascivious dance is danced, there the devill beareth the other part, and is the author of it. It is better (saith Ambrose) to dig and delve upon holy daies than to dance. And in another place writing to his sister, he saith, That he …eed not care for dissolute behaviours and songs which are used as marriages to make him merry withall; for when banquets are concluded with dances, then is chastity in an evill case and in great danger to suffer shipwracke by those suspitious allurements. Besides this, dancing hath been absolutely forbidden by consent of the whole Church of Christ before time, Orig. lib. i. contr. Ce…s. Can. 5. & 52.under paine of excommunication; as it may appeare by the Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian the Emperour: what answer can they make then to this, that are Christians, and allow of these forbidden sports? Is it the denying of a mans selfe? The spirituall regeneration? The putting off the old man touching our conversation in this life? And if all adultery Ephes. 5. 4.and uncleanenesse, all filthinesse and foolish talking, jesting and such like, ought not once to be named amongst us, because they are things not comely: If I say it be not lawfull to jeast or speake the least lascivious word that is, how shall it be lawfull to doe an action with the motion and consent of the whole body, which representeth nothing else but folly, vanity, and lasciviousnesse? And this is for them that demand where dancing is forbidden in the Scripture; which I touch as it were by the way, and doe but point at, not minding to frame any long discourse thereof, seeing there is a particular treatise touching the same matter, which he may reade that desireth to know any more touching it. Now let us see what goodly fruits and commodities have risen therefrom. The daughters of the children of Israel being dancing in Silo upon a festivall day, after the manner of the uncircumcised Idolaters, were ravished by the Benjamites for to be their wives, and that mixtly without regard of one or other, were they of never so high or base condition.Judg. 1….
At the feast which Herod the Tetrarch made to the Princes and Captaines and Nobles of Galilee, the daughter of Herodias pleased him and his company so well with her dancing, that to gratifie this filthy strumpet the incestuous Tyran caused Iohn Baptist to be beheaded.Mark. 6.
Lodowicke, Archbishop of Magdeburge, celebrating a solemne feast at a towne called Calven, invited many of the worthy Citizens to make merry with him: the place for their joyalty was the great hall wherein judiciall causes were appointed to be discussed. Here after the banquet ended they fell a dancing, men and women mixtly together, such a ridiculous roundelay, and such a multitude, that what with the weight of their bodies, or rather the indignation of God against them for this scurrilous and immodest behaviour, the beames of the house began to crack and threaten a certain ruine; whereat the Archbishop affrighted, caught hold by a faire dame, and began first to goe downe the staires; but the steps afore loosened, as soone as he trode upon them, tumbled downe, and he and his consort headlong withall, and were crushed in pieces. And thus he that was principall of the feast and sport, was made an example to all the rest, of the Lords vengeance▪ because he dishonoured his calling and profession by such lewd and light behaviour: and this was one goodly effect of dauncing.
Another we reade of in the Chronicles of the same City to this effect, Chron. Magdeburg.in a village called Ossemer, adjoyning to Stendell: As the Popish Priest played the minstrell to his parishioners that danced the morris before him, and rejoyced in their merry May-games, a tempest arose, and a thunderbolt struck off his night hand, together with the harpe which he played on, and consumed about twenty foure men and women of the company: a just punishment of so prophane a Priest, who in stead of dehorting them (as his duty bound him) from that lascivious custome, played the chiefe part in their madnesse, and was an inticer of them unto it.
Moreover, in many places, by dances grievous and spitefull quarrels have been stirred up, and many murders executed, the examples whereof are so evident and notorious, that it is not needfull now to stand upon them: to conclude therefore this point with the saying of Lodovicus Vives, There Lodovicus Vives.is not a greater vanity in the world than dancing; for (saith he) I heard of certain men of Asia, that comming into Spaine, when they first saw the Spaniards dance, were so sore affrighted, that they ran away for feare, supposing them to have been either possessed with some spirit, or out of their wits at least: and truly I thinke if a man had never seen a woman dance before, he could hardly be of another judgement, there being nothing that resembleth frenzie and lunacy more than the strange shakings and motions of the body at the noise of a beaten sheep-skin: verily it is a pastime to mark the grave behaviour, the measurable march, the pomp and ostentation of women dancers, and the great care they have to performe wisely so foolish an action▪ it is very likely that all their wit at that time is distilled from their head into their feet, for there it is more requisite and needfull than in their braine. Thus much saith Lodovicus Vives.
Now touching Mummeries and Maskes, I place them in the same ranke with the other; for somuch as they are derived from the same fountaine, and communicate the same nature, and produce the same effects, and oftentimes are so pernicious, that divers honourable women have been ravished and conveyed away by their meanes: nay, and some Masquers have been well chastised in their owne vices: as it happened in the raigne of Charles the sixth, to six that masqued it to a marriage at the hostle of S. Pauls in Paris, being attired like wilde horses, covered with loose flax, dangling down like haire, all beda…bed with grease for the fitter hanging thereof, and fast bound one to another, and in this guise entered the hall, dancing with torches before them: but behold suddenly their play turned to a tragedy; for a spar… of one of their torches fell into the greasie flax of his neighbour, and set it immediatly on fire, so that in the turning of an hand they were all on …lame then gave they out a most horrible ou…ry: one of them threw himself headlong into a tub of water provided to …ince their drinking cups and goblets, and upon that occasion standing not far off: two were burnt to death, without stirring once from the place: The bastard Foix and the Earle of Jouy escaped indeed present death; but being conveyed to their lodgings, they survived not two daies: the King himselfe being one of the s…, was saved by the Dutchesse of Berry, that covering him with her loose and tide garments … the fire before it could seise upon his flesh. Froyssard the Vol. 4 cap. 5….reporter of this tragedy, …aith▪ That the next morrow every man could say, tha… this … wonderfull signe and advertisement sent by God to the King to warne him to renounce all such fond and foolish devices which he delighted too much in, and more then it became a King of France to doe: and this was the event of that gallant Masque.
It resteth now that we speak somewhat of Playes and Comedies, and such like toyes and May-games, which have no other use in the world but to deprave and corrupt good manners, and to open a doore to all uncleanenesse: the eares of yong folke are there polluted with many filthy and dishonest speeches, their eyes are there infected with lascivious and unchaste gestures and countenances, and their wits are there stained and embrued with so pernitious liquor, that (except Gods good grace) they will ever savour of it: the holy and sacred Scripture ordained to a holy and sacred use, is oftentimes by these filthy swine prophaned, to please and to delight their audience: in few words, there is nothing else to be found among them, but nourishment to our sences of foolish and vaine delights. For this cause many of the sager Romanes, as Nasica and divers other Censors, hindred the building of the Theatres in Rome, for an opinion they had, that their sports and Tertul. Oros.pastimes which were exercised therein, served to no other purpose but to make the people idle, effeminate, and voluptuous: and besides, the masters, guiders, and actors of Playes were alwayes debarred as men infamous, from bearing any publike Office or dignity in the Common-wealth.
Tiberius Caesar himselfe, though of most corrupt and rotten manners and Tacit. lib. 4.conversation, yet in open Senate complained and found fault with the immodesty of Stage-players, and banished them at that same time out of Italie. When Domitian was Censor, he put out of the Senate a Citizen of Rome, because he was too much addicted to the imitation of the fashions of Fulgos. D…riositate.Players and Dancers. And Plutarch saith, that we ought to shun all such spectacles.
If then such pastimes were by the judgements of the Romanes noted with infamy, shall we have their equals in follies in better account? Basil calleth such sports and pastimes, the work-house, forge, and common shop of all Homil. 4.wickednesse: and therefore Chrysostome prayeth and admonisheth the faithfull of his time to abstaine from frequenting such places. S. Augustine also for biddeth to bestow our money upon tumblers, juglers, and players, and Homil. 6. in 1. cap. Gen. Can. 51.such like. Beside, by the Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian, it was inhibited to be once present at such sports, under the paine of excommunication: and that the ancient Christians did by common consent not only condemne, but also utterly abstaine from such pastimes, it may appeare by the testimony of Tertullian writing to the Gentiles to this effect: We renounce and send back (faith he) sports and playes unto you, as to the head and fountaine from whence they were first derived: we make no reckoning of th…se Apolog.things which we know were drawne from superstition: we love not … be h…ld the folly of turning with Chariots, nor the unchastity of the Theatre, nor the cruelty of sword playing, nor the vanity of leaping, …r…stling and dancing: but take pleasure in exercises of better report, and lesse h…r….
Moreover, how odious and irksome in the sight of the Lord such spectacles are, and what power and sway the devill beareth therein, they … of God upon a Christian woman (reported by, Tertullian) may sufficiently instruct us. There was a woman (saith he) that went to the … to see Tertull. de spect.a play, and returned home possessed with an uncleane spirit: who being rebuked in a conjuration for daring to assault one of the …aith, that professed Christ; answered, that he had done well, because he found her upon his owne ground.
The same author reporteth another example as strange, of a woman also that went to see a Tragedie acted, to whom the night following appeared in a dreame the picture of a sheete (a presage of death) casting in her teeth that which she had done; and five daies after, death himselfe seised upon her.
As touching wanton songs, and unchaste and ribald bookes (that I may be (briefe) I will content my selfe only with that which is alleadged by Lodovicus Vives Lib. of instruction of a Christian woman.concerning that matter. The Magistrate (saith he) ought to banish out of his dominion all unhonest Songs and Poems, and not to suffer novelties to be published day by day in rimes and ballads, as they are: as if a man should heare in a City nothing but foolish and scurrilous Ditties, such as would make even the …onger sort that are well brought up to blash, and stir up the indignation of men of honour and gravity: this ought Magistrates to prevent, and to discharge the people from reading Amadis, Tristram, Launcelot due Lake, Melusine, Poggius scurrillities, and Boccace novelties; with a thousand more such like toyes: and thus much out of Vives.