ting on this command, accord with them. 2. As being a conforming to, and "participating with, pagans in their idolatrous and fuperftitious practices, exprefly forbidden to the people of God in the fcripture; which put Cyprian, de fpect. peremp torily to conclude, That the fcripture hath everlastingly condemned all forts of fuch fpectacles and stage-plays, when it took away idolatry, the mother of them, whence all these monsters of vanity, lightness and lewdness did proceed.' 3. As being crofs to, and a practical renunciation of, the baptifmal vow of chriftians, wherein they engage to renounce the devil and all his pomps and works, of which fort they account the acting and beholding popular ftage-plays to be. 4. As being the removal of a diftinguishing character of chriftians from heathen Gentiles, Who (as Tertullian says, lib. de fpect. cap. 24.) did moft of all difcern men by this, that they abandoned and renounced all ftage plays. 5. As being unfuitable to, if not inconfiftent with, the gofpel; which forbiddeth chriftians to make provifion for the fleth to fulfil the lufts thereof, to be caterers for their corrup tions, and to be conform to the world; and commandeth them to walk circumfpectly, accurately, even with fpiritual precifeness and ftrictness, not as fools, but as wife, redeeming the time, wofully wafted away, and miferably mifpent this way; to abstain from all appearance of evil; to rejoice in the Lord; and, when they are merry, to fing psalms, and to vent and exprefs their mirth in fongs of praise to God, and not in this wanton way; and affureth them withal, that evil communications corrupt good manners. 6. As be ing a corruption of manners, incentives to lightness and luft, and feminaries and nurseries of wantonnefs and uncleannefs. And, 7. As holding their pedigree, original and institution from the devil, the inventer of them: and being at first idolatrously and fu perftitiously celebrated to the honour, and for many hundreds of years together, dedicated, devoted, and appropriated to the wor Thip and fervice of the heathen devil-gods, Who (as Auguftine affirmeth, lib. 4. de civ. Dei, cap. 36. intituled, De laudis fcenecis, &c. that is, Concerning ftage plays, which the gods requi 'red to be celebrated to them by their worshippers) did them⚫ felves importunately demand thefe plays to be exhibited to them for their honour, fiercely and cruelly command them, denounce calamities if they were not exhibited, avenge most severely if any thing about them was neglected, and, if they amended what was formerly omitted or neglected in them, fhew themfelves pacified and well pleafed. Which may further appear by these few inftances taken out of famous writers, whereof the first may be that which is mentioned by Pol. Virg. de invent. rerum,lib.4. cap. 14. p. 375. where he fays, That plays were chiefly celebrated for the health and Safety of men with lectisterns (that is, beds that were dreffed up in their temples for lulling and rocking, as it were, their gods afleep when they raged with anger) the beginning of which plays (fays he) it is manifeft was the work of the devil: For

(fays

(fays he) there was one Valefius a wealthy Roman (fometime be fore the inftitution of the confular office) who had three fons defperately fick of the peftilence, for whom, when he prayed to his boufbold-gods, he was by them bidden go to Tarentum, and take water from before, or from befide the altar of Pluto and Proferpina, and give them to drink (or, as others, to wash them in) which be having done, they were reftored to health, and in gratitude commanded by thefe infernal fpirits to celebrate night-plays to them, which he and they accordingly did for three nights together. The next may be that which is reported by Titus Livius, lib. 2. and by Auguftine, lib. 4. de civ. Dei, cap. 26. and by Lud. Vives, in his notes upon that chapter, concerning one Titus Latinus, or Larinus, who in the fecond confulfhip of M. Minutius and Aur. Sempronius, Ann, ab. urb. cond. 263. When the gods were difpleafed, was warned in a dream to go to the fenate, and tell them ⚫ that they were not satisfied with the prefultor or dancer before, or ring-leader in the laft plays,in which plays they take pleasure, 'being recreated by them; and that, unless the plays were renewed by their order with greater ftate and fumptuoufnefs (called by Florus, in his breviary on that book, Religious Ceremonies) fome great calamity fhould be inflicted (or, as others, the 'prefent not be removed) which the man not doing, was fharply rebuked; and yet delaying, out of reverence to the fenate, and from fear that himself fhould be looked at as frantick, his <fon was taken from him; and yet still deferring, he was feized in all his joints with a tormenting difeafe, fo that he could not <ftir; and at the laft, telling his friends, he was by them willed to acquaint the fenate; and being carried to them, and having done his errand, was prefently restored to his health (fo much power may the devil in the righteous judgment of 'God have granted to him, to feduce men unto, and detain them in his worship and fervice) wherewith the fenate was fo much taken, that they forthwith commanded the plays to be celebrated with greater care, cost and shew,than formerly. The third may be that spoke of alfo by Titus Livius, lib. 7. in the confulship of C. Sulpitius Peticus, and C. Lucinius Stole, Anno ab urb. cond. 390. in the time of the great and raging pestilence, wherein Furius Camillus,dictator and deliverer of Rome from the Gauls,died; Wherein, for procuring the mercy of the gods, there was a lectiftern; but, when by no device of men, nor help of the gods, the violence of the plague could be afwaged, their minds were lo poffeft with fuperfti tion, that the ftage-plays were, as men fay, firft invented (that is, belike, plays in that pompous, ludicrous, effeminate and luxurious mode on the stage, which had never before been used in the city (for feveral plays they had ere this time) a ftrange device for a martial people, who before time (for moft part at least) accuftomed to behold games of activity and ftrength in the great lift, called Circus And from this small beginning (fays he) in a fecond and wholefom ftate, this folly grew to fuch a height of madness, as is

inolerable to the most oppulent ftates and empires; and yet thefe plays fo brought in, and fet forth, (called by Florus, in his breviary on that book, new and ftrange religions) employed about a religious bufinefs, did neither rid mens minds of fcruple and fuperfti tion, nor eafe their bodies. Thus they are condemned as fuperitition, and an innovation of their old religion, by thefe two famous heathen hiftorians. The fourth may be that which is made mention of by Tit. Livius, also toward the end of his 40. book concerning Fulvius Flaccus, fellow-conful with his own germanbrother, L. Manlius Occidinus, Ann. ab urb. con. 575. who declared, That, before he would meddle with his office, he would difcharge both himself and the city of duty towards the gods, in paying the vows that he had made, on that fame day that he had his last battle with the Celtiberians, anent the celebrating plays to the honour of the most mighty and gracious god Jupiter, and to build a temple to Fortuna Equeftris; and accordingly levied a great tax for that end, which behoved to be retrenched, because of the exorbitancy of it. The fifth and last shall be that which is touched by Pol. Virg. ubi prius, page 377. concerning the Romans, their taking care for Apollo his plays, which were firft dedicated to him in the time of the fecond Punick war, for obtaining victory from him, to drive Hannibal out of Italy. To these may be added what Spondanus in his Ecclef. annal. pag. 263. reports from Zozimus concerning Conftantine the great, when he returned victorious over the Germans to Milan, That he quite neglected and condemned fuch plays, to the great grief of the heathens, who alledged that thefe plays were inftituted by the gods for the cure of the peftilence and other difeafes, and for averting of wars. From all which it is manifeft, that the original of these stage-plays, and fuch others, was from the devil, and celebrated by the heathens to the honour and worthip of their devil-gods in way of religious facrifices to them, either as pacificatory or gratificatory; with whom, in their idolatries and fuperftitions, the fcriptures forbid all fymbolizing and fellowship. Let us hear now, in the next place, fome more of thefe fathers fpeak their own and the church's thoughts a little more particularly of ftage-plays, with refpect to fuch grounds, having heard fome of them already. Clem. Alex. orat. adhort. adv. Gentes, calls ftage plays, comedies, and amorous poems, Teachers of adultery, and defilers of mens ears with fornications; and fays, That not only the ufe,the fight,the hearing, but the very memory, of ftage-plays fhould be abolished:' And elsewhere (for I do here purpofely forbear very particular citations, because ordinary readers will not much, if at all, fearch after them; and the learned, that have a-mind to it, will eafily find them out) tells christian youths, That their pedagogues must not lead them to plays or theatres, that may not unfitly be called the chairs of peftilence, because these conventicles, where men and women . meet together promifcuously to behold one another, are the occafion of lewdness, and there they give or plot wicked counfel.'

Cyprian,

Cyprian, de fpect. ftiles theatres,The stews of publick chastity, the mastership of obfcenity, which teach these fins in publick, that men may more usually and cafily commit them in private, The learneth to commit, who accuftometh himself to behold the ⚫ theatrical reprefentation of uncleannefs: It is not lawful for faithful chriftians; yea, it is altogether unlawful, to be prefent at thefe plays.' And elsewhere he faith, 'She that perchance came, 'a chaft matron to the plays, goes away a ftrumpet from the play-house.' We may here notice what the fatyrical poet Juvenal fays to this purpofe, Sat. 6. That a man in his time could not 6 pick one chaft woman, whom he might fafely love as his wife, out of the whole play-house; and that all women, who frequent stage-plays, are infamous, and forfeit their good names.' It were good that our women, who love and haunt fuch plays, would confider this; as also, what is reported of Sempronius Sophus, a noble Roman, who divorced from his wife for this alone caufe, that the frequented ftage-plays without his knowledge, which might make her an adulterefs; which divorce the whole Roman fenate did approve (tho' it was the very firft they did approve) as being a mean to keep women chaft: So great an enemy to chastity were these play's judged to be; which is touched by Rodiginus, amongst others, in his antique lections, lib. 28. cap. 16. Tertullian calls the play-houfe, The chappel of venery, the house of letchery, the confiftory of uncleannefs: And in his Apol. adv. Gent. 'We renounce your fpectacles and stage-plays, even as we reject their original, which we know to have had their concep'tion from superstition; we have nothing at all to do with the fury of your Circus, with the difhonefty of the theatre; we ⚫ come not at all to your plays.' Origen, in epift. ad Rom. fays, That chriftians must not lift up their eyes to ftage-plays, the pleasurable delights of polluted eyes, left their lufts be inflamed by them.' Lactantius, de vero cultu, fays, That these inter'ludes with which men are delighted, and whereat they are willingly prefent, because they are the greatest instigations to vice, and the most powerful inftruments to corrupt mens minds, are 'wholly to be abolished from amongst us.' Greg. Naz. de rect. educ. calls ftage-players, The fervants of lewdness; and ftage-plays, the difhoneft, unfeemly inftructions of lafcivious men, who repute nothing filthy but modefty; and the play-houses, the lafcivious 'fhops of all filthiness and impurity.' Ambrofe, in Pfal. 118. ftiles ftage-plays, Spectacles of vanity, by which the devil conveys in'centives of pleasure to mens hearts: Let us therefore (Jays be) turn away our eyes from thefe vanities and ftage-plays.' Hieron. epift. ad Salvinam, Have nothing to do with ftage"plays, because they are the pleafing incendiaries of mens lufts.' Auguftine, de civ. Dei, brands ftage-plays with this black mark, That they are the fpectacles of filthiness, the overturners of goodness and honefty, the chafer-away of all modefty and chatity; whorish fhews, the art of mischievous villanies, which

even modeft Pagans did blush to behold; the inventions of lewdnefs, by which the devil ufeth to gain innumerable companies ⚫ of evil men to himself.' In another place he calls theatres, Cages of uncleanness, the publick profeffions of wickedness; and ftage-players,the most petulent, the most impure, impudent, wicked, fhameful and deteftable atonements of filthy devil gods; which to true religion are most abominable.' And elfe where he declares, That when the gofpel came to be fpread a broad in the world, ftage-plays and play-houfes, the very caves ⚫ of filthinefs, went to ruin almoft in every city, as inconfiftent " with it; whence the Gentiles (Jays he) complained of the times of chriftianity, as evil and unhappy times. Epiphanius contra baref. fays, That the catholick and apoftolick church doth reprobate and forbid all theatres, ftage-plays, and fuch like heathenifh fpectacles.' Chryfoftom, hom. in Matth. fays, I wish ⚫ the theatres and play-places were all thrown down, tho' as to us they did ly defolate and ruined long ago.' Elsewhere he fays, • That nothing brings the oracles and ordinances of God into fo great contempt, as admiring and beholding stage-plays: And that neither facraments nor any other of God's ordinances (pray • mark this diligently, O how often is it fadly verified!) will do a man good fo long as he goes to ftage-plays. Bernard ferm. ad milites templi, fays, That all the faithful foldiers of Jefus Chrift abominate and reject all dicing and stage-plays, as vanities and 'falfe frenzies.' Let Salvian his weighty words,de gub. Dei,fhut up this short account of the judgment of these ancient fathers anent this matter, who fays,That in ftage-plays there is a certain ⚫ apoftafy from the faith. For what is the first confeffion of their christians in their baptifm, but that they do proteft they ' renounce the devil, his pomps, fpectacles and works? Know ⚫ thou,chriftian, when thou doft wittingly and knowingly return to ftage-plays, thou returneft to the devil, who is in his plays; for thou haft renounced both of them together.' wherein many fathers agree with him, they being harmonious in condemning ftage-plays, as being ordinarily stuffed with the names, histories, perfons, fables, rites, ceremonies, villanies, incefts, rapes, applaufes, oaths, imprecations, and invocations of the idol-gods; as when the actors cry, Help Hove, Funo, Apollo, Bacchus, &c. and exclaim, O fove! O Cupid! O Venus! O Apollo! O Mars! Oye gods! &c and fwear by gove, Mars, Venus, the celestial gods, c. (befide all thefe, they are often freighted in these days with wicked and profane fcoffs and jefts, abuses of scripture, and bitter invectives against piety) and as drawing men on to profanity, idolatry and atheism. In fine, to fhew the perfect agreement betwixt the primitive and proteftant church anent fuch plays, it will neither be impertinent, nor I hope unedifying, to fubjoin here the judgment of the famous reformed proteftant church of France (from which other reformed proteftant churches in this do

differ, yea,the ftream of proteftant divines runneth this way)

declared