Theatrum redivivum, or, The theatre vindicated by Sir Richard Baker, in answer to Mr. Pryn's Histrio-mastix ... Theatrum redivivum Baker, Richard, Sir, 1568-1645. 1662 Approx. 172 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 75 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A29842 Wing B513 ESTC R16868 12010486 ocm 12010486 52391 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A29842) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 52391) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 81:4) Theatrum redivivum, or, The theatre vindicated by Sir Richard Baker, in answer to Mr. Pryn's Histrio-mastix ... Theatrum redivivum Baker, Richard, Sir, 1568-1645. [8], 141 p. Printed by T.R. for Francis Eglesfield ..., London : 1662. Reissued in 1670, with title: Theatrum triumphans, or, A discourse of plays. Reproduction of original in British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Prynne, William, 1600-1669. -- Histrio-mastix. Theater -- Moral and ethical aspects. 2002-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-05 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-06 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2002-06 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Theatrum Redivivum , OR THE THEATRE Vindicated BY Sir RICHARD BAKER IN ANSWER to Mr. PRYN'S HISTRIO-MASTIX : Wherein his groundless Assertions against Stage-Plays are discovered , his miss-taken Allegations of the Fathers manifested , as also what he calls his Reasons , to be nothing but his Passions . Comici finis est humanos mores nôsse , atque describere , Hierom. ad Furiam . LONDON , Printed by T. R. for Francis Eglesfield at the Marigold in St. Paul's Churchyard . 166● . To the READER . Courteous Reader , AT length thou art presented with a small Piece , which for many years hath been bu●ied with its Renowned Authour . It appeared not till now , knowing very well , that this late World hath been fitter for Bedlam , then for sober , and Rational Discourses . The Authour wants not evidence for what he speaks , ( though speak what he would ; if he named a Stage Play , he was sure to meet with a Momus in every corner ) but some things have the ill luck to be condemned , before they are heard . Well ( Reader ) seeing we are ( by the providence of Heaven ) so happy , as to be allowed the use of our own Eyes , and Reason again ; Be as thou oughtest to be , a Reader , before a Judge . For to condemn the innocent , is equally to be condemned , with acquitting the guilty . The noble Authour of this Book seems fairly to design nothing more , then Truth , and especially in clearing the Sense of those two great Luminaries of the Church , Saint Cyprian , and Tertullian , his Master , in his Book De Spectaculis , wherein his principal drift onely is , to cry out against , and sever●●y to condemn the mixtures of Idolatry with their publick Shews : some intentions there were of annexing the Treaties of Tertullian , and Saint Cyprian , both to this Discourse ; that every man might see , what the Authour of this Book saw in them : But , for some reasons , that labour is respited . It is very well known what Satyrical Inv●ctives are thundred out against the ●heatre , but their just Reasons are not yet produced ; it may be , they are reserved for the second Volume of Hi●trio Mastix : Ind●ed some may be s●en against the abuses of it , from which to reason against the thing it self would ingender a consequence of such large extent , that we must eat our words , or be weary of our ●ives . For if we sit down by such a Conclusion , that things are unlawfull in their use , because unlawfully abused , we must neither eat , nor drink , nor sleep , nor wear Cloaths , becau●● in all these , and many more , the bad●ness of mankinde is such , that it prompt them to unexcusable exorbitancies , an● deba●cheries . Good men have found●ed much of their Rhetorick , and th●●● loudest Declamations against Stage● Plays , upon what others had formerl● said against them , rather out of a sequa●tious credulity corresponding with wha● others have Magisterially determined● then a due attendency either to the Pr●n●ciples of Reason● or Scrip●u●● Authority , which ought to cast t●● scales , and put greater obligements upon the Consciences of reasonable Cr●atures , then the Conj●ctures o● Opinions of the gravest Mortals . But ● must not forget my self , and enter up●on Apologies for this learned Au●●hours undertaking ( who hath sober●y , and judiciously acquitted hims●lf ) I ●ave taken upon me , onely to speak the ●rologue , and to tell you upon what ●cene he lays his Discourse : he needs ●o Epilogue to plead excuse for the ●cting of his Part : And I make ●o doubt , Reader , if thou wilt but vouchsafe him a patient perusal , but he shall a●so have thy Plaudite . THE THEATRE VINDICATED , OR AN ANSWER To Mr. PRINS HISTRIO-MASTIX . WHo hath not heard of Sr. Francis Walsingham , an Eminent Councellour in Queen ELIZABETH'S Time , famous for his Wisdom in matters of State ; and more for his Piety in advancing the Gospel ? yet this was the Man , that procured the Queen to entertain Players for her Servants ; and t● give them Wages , as in a just Vocati●on . And would he ever have don● this , being so religious a Man , if he ha● thought Plays to be prophane ; being s● great a States-man , if inconvenient to th● State ? And now , me thinks , I hav● said enough in defence of Plays . But because not onely the Wisest Me● are sometimes mistaken , and the Truth may be found amongst the meanest ( Saepe etiam est Olitor valde opportuna loquutus ) It will be fit to lay aside all consideration of the Persons , that speak ; and onely to take into consideration , and weigh the Reasons , that are delivered . It is true , Mr. Prin is Plaintiff ; and it is a great advantage , that an Accuser hath over a Defender : not onely in that , he speaks first , which gets a possession , as it were , of the hearer's Hearts ; but because he hath commonly the pretense of some notorious Crime for his Foundation , upon which every man naturally is apt to cast a Stone : where the Defender must himself alone not onely pull down the Building , and rase the Foundation ; but vindicate also both the Natural , and the acquired Inclination , and prejudice of the Hearers . And especially , the Accuser hath this advantage , when he meets with a Common Place of some Vice to run upon : for then he goes away amain with it ; and bears down all before him , with O Tempora ! O Mores ! But most especially , if the pretended Vice may seem to trench upon Religion : for then the Defender is scarce heard speak for the multitude of voices , that are crying out even in Heathenish Devotions ; Great is Diana of the Ephesians : that whatsoever can be alledged , in defence , out of Reason , is presently beaten back without reason . But , leaving these disadvantages to take their fortunes , and having a clear conscience , that I no way encroach upon the Bounds of true Religion , I am the bolder to enter the Lists : yet not so m●ch taking upon me to be a Champion of the Cause ; as onely undertaking to be a Wrestler with the Writer . And this I willingly profess , that I wrestle not with him , as he is in his own Person , for I know him not ; and he may be better , then he seems to me : but I wrestle with him , onely as he appears in his Book ; which cannot be fuller of words , and emptier of reason , then it is . And I think it fit to tell , how far his Book hath wrough● upon me ; that where , before the reading it , I took Plays onely de bene esse , as being in use ; after the reading it , I found Plays Bene esse , and fit to be in use . For his Arguments being taken all up upon trust ; and not so much as weighed , when he took them ; now that he comes to put them off again , are found not onely not to be weight , but not to be Silver ; and so , where he intended , by his Book , to bring into detestation the seeing of Plays : he hath rather brought into estimation the acting of them . For when a man takes upon him to prove a Matter ; and then eithe● cannot , or doth not prove it sufficiently it leaves not onely a vehement suspicion ; but a strong conceit in the Hearers minds , that his Cause is not good . And as the onely Itch of Vain-Glory made many in Old Time go out of the Church , and become Hereticks in Divinity : so the like Itch of Vain-Glory makes other men go out of Humane Society , and become Hereticks in Morality . Like Erostratus , who burnt the Temple of Diana at Ephesus , for no other cause , but to be talked-of in the World. His very beginning is very suspicious . For he begins not à Iove ( as yet Poets , whom he taxeth so much , use to do ) but à Diabolo . He takes his First Reason from the Devil : ( Fol. 9. ) He therefore thinks Plays unlawfull ; because they were invented by the Devil : wherein he shews himself to be better acquainted with the Devil , then we are● for we know nothing of it , whether they were of his inventing , or no : and we may marvel how he comes to know it , unless the Devil himself have told him so ; and then it is the more unlikely to be so , seeing The Devil is a Liar , and the Father of Lies . He will say , perhaps , he had it from Tertullian ; who tells also , tha● the Angels were cast out of Heaven for inventing Astrologie : as true in the one as in the other . It seems , Tertullian had no true Inventory of the Devil's Inventions : yet this man would make us as very Fools , as himself , to take all for current , that he hears him say . But what , if we should say , that many things have been discovered , and made known to Men , even by the Devil ; which yet are profitable to be known , and lawful to be used ? Doth not Lodovicus Vives affirm , that the Devil invented Logick ? Yet will any man , that hath Reason , affirm Logick to be unlawful ? The Devil confessed Christ to be the Son of God ; when the Iews knew it not , or would not know it : and is this man so very a Iew , to think it therefore unlawful to confess Christ ? And why is it any better Argum●nt to say , The Devil invented it ; therefore it is Impious : then to say , God invented it ; therefore it is Pious ? And yet who knows not of things invented by God , which , for their abuse , have been rejected ? Which he cannot be so forgetful , as to deny , if he do but remember the Brazen Serpent . If then a thing Invented , and Instituted by God , might , being abused , be rejected ; why may not a thing Invented , and Instituted by the Devil , the Evil being removed , be retained ? For it is not the Inventour , that makes a thing to be good , or evil ; but it is the Conformity , or Opposition to the Rule , and Will of God. Indeed by the Paw of this first Argument we may see what a kind of Lyon we are like to finde in the sequel of his Discourse . For where Tertullian , and other Fathers , prove the Plays of the Heathen to be all naught , and execrable ; because Idolatrous , and full of Superstition : and thereupon infers , that they were Inventa Diabolorum , Invention of Devils , as from whom all Evil originally doth flow : this man , like a Crab , goes backward with their Reason , and saith , Plays were invented by the Devil ; therefore are execrable , and unlawful : so making that the Medius Terminus , or Proof of his Argument , which the spake onely by way of Exaggeration and making that his Foundation , whic● they laid on as onely a Superstructur● And even for the guiltiness of this , yo● shall see in his next Argument , with wha● a trick he seeks to put it off again ; an● yet is willing to hold it still . For [ Fol. 16. ] Though he cannot per●haps punctually say , that Plays were imm●●diately invented by the Devil ; yet he ma● truly say , they were invented by Idolatrou● Heathen People , as the Devil●s Instrument● which comes much to One. But see th● Judgment of this man ; that sees no● what a Fall he hath taken by raising th● Argument ; to fall from the Devil to Hea●then People : but well , Quod dat accipimu● we take what he lays down . Plays wer● not invented by the Devil , but by Hea●then People : so his First Argument is cas● out of Doors by himself ; and will hi● second be served with any better Sawce● For can nothing be lawfully used , tha● hath been invented by People● Let him look in Polydore Virgil , and see ●ow many things of our daily use have ●een invented by them ; even the Let●ers he writes his Book withall . Then ●e were best go quickly , and blot out all his Book ; lest being written with Letters , invented by the Heathen , the Devil should come , and challenge it to be of his inventing . Here he thinks to mend the matter with saying ; that [ Fol. 18. ] good things , invented by the Heathen , may lawfully be used , but not bad things , as Plays are : but must he not first prove Plays to be bad , before this Reason will do him any good ? And if he can prove them to be bad ; they shall then be unlawful as bad , but not as invented by the Heathen : and so this Reason would do him no good , though he could make it good . But though he can fetch no Argument against Plays from the Devil●s ●s Invention ; yet he hath an Invention to fetch an Argument from him ; and this it is : [ Fol. 28. ] Plays were at first ordained , and destinated to the immediate Worship , and gratification of Devil-Gods : therefore unlawful ; but he hath no sooner made this Argument , but he finds fault with it himself ; for [ Fol. 37. ] so were many of our Churches , which now are converted to Christian uses . Upon this he replyes , and then again rejoyns , and plays at fast and loose , goes in and out so often in it , that it were but to run a Wilde-Goose Chase , to offer to follow him . Yet I cannot let pass one subtile part , he plays at parting ; where he saith , [ Fol. 40 ] that He for his part thinks it impossible , that ever Plays should be r●formed ; for who should do it ? Good men will not ; they rather wish their ruine , then their useless welfare : Bad men will not , because they delight in their pleasing Corruptions . And so he concludes them to be desperate , and past all hope of Reformation . But may we not better apply his Argument to himself ; and say , We , for our parts , think it impossible , that this man's Malice should ever be Reformed ; for who should do it ? God's Holy Spirit will not , so long as he is resolved to ●ontinue in his Malice ; the Devil will not , who would have him be more malicious then ●e is , if possibly it might be effected by ●im : and so conclude his Case to be ●esperate , and that he must be fain to ●o on in the rage of his Malice still , ●or want of One to mend him . But his Fourth Reason comes in most ●tately : where he makes [ Fol. 42. ] Plays the Pomps of the Devil , and Vanities of this wicked World ; which every Chri●tian man hath renounced in his Baptism . But this Reason comes not more vaunt●ngly in , then we shall see it go sneakingly out ; as having no Credit for want of being known . For who ever took the Pomps of the Devil to be meant of Plays , and not rather of Pride , Vain-glory , Luxury , Idolatry especially , and such like ? For , if one Man go to a Play , and another , in the mean time , be luxurious , arrogant , and proud ; in which of these Two shall the Devil be said to be in his Pomps ? Certainly , not in him , that is at a Play ; for he may be there , and ( the rather perhaps for being there ) have Thoughts , and Meditations full of Humility ; whilest in t●● other , wheresoever he be found , we a●●sure , there cannot be found an humb●● or a sober Thought : and where Humili●● and Sobriety are wanting , there is t●● Devil properly in his Pomps , and Iolli●● This Argument indeed is used by Te●●tullian , and some of the Fathers ; wh●● speaking of the Plays of the Heathen , 〈◊〉 them the Pomps of the Devil , by reaso● of their Idolatries , and Superstition● which justly get the name of Pom●● of the Devil from all other Vices ; as b● which the Devil is most of all magnified and exalted . And , it seems , this Ma● coming to spy it in their Books , takes th● Argument as he finds it ; and , withou● ever examining the Matter , claps it 〈◊〉 here , as fitly as the Painter in the Poet who put a Horse's Neek to a Man Head ; Humano capiti cervicem Pictor equinam . For what is this to our Plays ? Not unlike what Cicero spake of Piso ; ( who , ou● of opinion of his Ancestour's Virtues , was by the People of Rome made Edile : ) ●●so was made Edile ; not this Piso : ●uid enim simile habet , praeter Nomen ? For ●hat likeness , but in the Name ? So ●e may say ; ( though in a contrary ●ay ) Plays are the Pomps of the Devil ; ●ot our Plays : Quid ●nim simile habent , ●●aeter Nomen ? And one would think , ●ertullian had taught him plainly e●ough , that the Pomps of the Devil are ●herefore onely affirmed of Plays , be●ause of their Idolatries ; where he saith : Si igitur ex Idololatria universam Specta●ulorum paraturam constare constiterit ; ind●bitatè praejudicatum erit , etiam ad Spe●tacula pertinere Renuntiationis nostrae testimenium in Lavacro quae Diabolo , & Pompae , & Angelis ejus sunt mancipata , scilicet per Idololatriam : ●i quid aut●m ex his non ad Idolum pertinuerit ; id neque ad Idololatriam , neque ad nostram Ejerationem pertinebit . Thus in English. If therefore it shall be made manifest , that all the Materials , and Furniture of Plays be meerly Idolatrous : it will be an undoubted Prejudice , that the renouncing we make in Baptism belongs , and reacheth unto Plays ; which are dedicated to the Devil , his Pomp● and Angels , by re●son of their Idolatries but , if there be any thing in a Play , tha● belongs not to an Idol ; neither shall 〈◊〉 belong to Idolatry , nor yet reach to th● Renouncing we make in Baptism . Wha● could have been spoken more plainly● to have made him understand , if hi● Zeal had not blinded his Vnderstanding ? or to have made him go right , if he had not been wilfully bent to go astray ? If he would now at last but take this Distinction along with him , in surveying his Book once again ; and apply it where there is occasion : it might do him no small ease in disburthening the Body of his Book of many peccant , and gross Humours , which make it swell into this huge Bulk . It seems he can do no good against Plays with his Arguments from the Devil ; and therefore now he means to give the Devil over : and it is Time ; for we may marvel , what pleasure he could take , to keep him company so long . Yet he cannot leave the Devil so quite , but he must have a Trick from him still , ●nd be tearing mens cloaths from off ●ir Backs ; as the Devil did , Luke viii . ●7 . For his dislike of Plays now ( though ●ith interposition of some extravagant ●onceits , which he calls Reasons ; and will ●●tter take their places afterward ) is because of their Cloaths ( Fol. 179. ) He thinks it not lawfull for Men to wear Womens cloaths , or for Women to wear Mens ; and , b●cause this is often done in Plays , and Masques , he utterly condemns them . Yet this is well ; there is some moderation in this : for this Reason puts not Plays to death ; but onely confines them . For , notwithstanding this Reason , they may be lawfull enough amongst the Indians , who go naked ; and , not to go so far , they may be lawfull enough too amongst the Irish , where one kinde of Garment serves Men , and Women . But , though we can be content to cross the Water to the Bank's - Side ; yet we should be loth to cross the Irish-Seas to see a Play : and can we not see one here , because of their Cloaths ? Indeed , he cites a Text of Scripture for 〈◊〉 Deut. xxii . 5. The Woman shall not we●● that , which pertaineth to the Man ; neithe● shall a Man put on Womens rayment . ● pregnant place indeed : but where finde he this Precept ? even in the same place where he findes also , that we must no● wear cloaths of Linsey-Woolsey : and see●ing we lawfully now wear Cloaths of L●●●s●y-Woolsey ; why may it not be as lawfu●● for Men to put on Womens Garments● But , if he will have this Precept to stan● in force , though it be no part of th● Moral Law , yet because it may have 〈◊〉 Moral construction ; how will he then de●●fend his own eating of Black-Puddin● against the Precept for Blood● For this Precept against eating of bloo● hath a stronger Tie , then that for wearin● of Garments . For that , as given onel● by Moses , may , with just probability , b● thought to end with Moses : but this against eating of blood is continued afte● Moses Time by the Apostles themselves● And why then should it trouble Mr. Prin's conscience to see a Boy wear Womens Garments , against the Precept of Moses ; ●hen it troubles not his conscience to ●●t Black-puddings against the Precept 〈◊〉 the Apostles ? But , howsoever it ●●ouble his conscience , it need not trou●●e any bodies else ; seeing his Reason●●oves ●●oves it no more unlawfull to see a Play , ●●en to eat a Pudding , and so , upon the ●atter , is not worth a Pudding . But , if 〈◊〉 be so great a sin for Men to put on Wo●ens Garments ; what is it for Men to put ●n Womens Conditions ? which is perhaps ●●deed the very Moral of this Precept : as Clemens Alexandrinus , and St. Cyril , of old , and of late , amongst others , Macchabaeus Alpinas ( a VVriter , whom Melancthon exceedingly commends ) ex●ound it . And if it be so , then is this Man the true breaker of the Precept ; and ●ot Players : at least , if we may call it Womens conditions , to do nothing else , but scould , and rail : for what is all his Book , but a bundle of scoulding Invectives , and railing , instead of reasoning ? But , to give a full Answer to this Argument , do but hear what eminent Divines conceive of this Precept . And , th●● I may not do , as this man useth to do 〈◊〉 shew a Bee , bring in the whole Swarm● will name you one of many , yet 〈◊〉 unum è multis , Martin Luther : who●● words upon this place are these ; 〈◊〉 non prohibetur , quin ad vitandum peri●●● lum , aut ludendum joco , vel ad sallend●● hostes , Mu●ier possit gerere arma Viri , 〈◊〉 Vir uti veste muliebri : sed ut seriò , & usit●● habitu talia non fiant ; ut decora utriq●● sexui servetur dignitas . It is not ( saith he● Man's apparel , and a Man a Woman●● but that it be not done in earnest , and as th●●● usual Habit ; that so a decent comelin●●● in both Sexes may be observed . And wh● knows not , that Luther , when time wa●● did greater matters in the World , the●● making good the Exposition of a sing●●●● Text. But , lest you should think it 〈◊〉 Lutheran Opinion , or that Luther herei● were singular by himself , I will joy● one with him , that had as lieve die , as b●● ●●yned with him , if he could otherwise ●●oose , the learned Iesuite , Lorinuse ; who , ●eciting great variety of Interpretations●pon ●pon this Text , makes choice of this , as ●he soundest ; that man's woman's . Thus these men allow that in Plays , for which this man allows not Plays . And is it not strange , that Mr. Prin , with all his great Reading , should never meet with any of these ? For [ folio 199. ] he professeth , he never met with any , that was of this Opinion : that either his knowledge must be very little , if not knowing it ; or his Profession very naught , if , knowing it , he dissemble it . But , that this Precept is not intended literally , as any part of the Moral Law , is not onely the Opinion of most Writers ; but appeareth also by the thirteenth Canon of the Councel at Gang●● ( which this man cites to the contrary● for , upon that Canon , the old Interpret●● Balsamon delivers it , not onely as toler●●ble , but , in some Cases , as very com●mendable , for Women to go in Mens ap●parel ; as St. Melane , and St. Eugenia and other Holy Women , are there said to have done . There is here offered us a●● answer ; that , though it may be tolerate● being done to honest intents : yet it cann●● be tolerated , being done to lewd purposes as Players do it . But this Answer , lik● Mephibosheth , is Feet● for neither do Players use it to le●● purposes ; neither , if it were a branch o● the Moral Law , ought it to be done for any purpose . But ( Fol. 156 ) Hypocrisie is a notoriou● s●n ; and Players are in this notorious Hypocrites ; and ther●fore the Greeks have but one word for an Hypocrite , and a Player ; as if they took them both for one . A very goodly Argument ! as though , because the Latines have but one word for an Host , and a Guest : ( Non Hospes ab Hospite tutus ) therefore an Host , and a ●uest should be all one : which if he ●●ould go about to prove , I doubt he ●ould be found to reckon without his Host. Howsoever , by this reason , we may claim as much difference between an Hypocrite , and a Player ; as is between an Host , and a Guest : and tha●'s difference enough . But what is it , wherein Players are such Hypocrites ? Forsooth ! because men wear womens Apparel , and counterfeit the gestures , and behaviours of women ; and so appear to be women , when they are men : and to appear other then they are , is plain Hypocrisie . It is plain Hypocrisie , no doubt ; but it is not plain , that it is unlawfull Hypocrisie . Is it not said , that some Zeal is not good , if it be without Knowledg ? and may we not as truly say ; that some Hypocrisie is no evil , if it be without Deceit ? For the evil of Hypocrisie is not in the Act , but in the End : and though Players may be guilty of the Act ; yet certainly of the End they are not . For , seeing that , which they do , is not done to Circumvent , but to Represent ; not to Deceive others , bu● to make others Conceive : though it may without question be called Hypocrisie , ye● it is not Hypocrisie , that can be called in question . It is not Hypocrisie in malam partem . Was it Hypocrisie in the Thre● Angels , that appeared to Abraham ? ye● they appeared other , then they were● they seemed Men ; they were Angels● they put on Bodies ; they were but Spirits . And is there not as much Hypocrisie in putting on other's Bodies , as in putting on others Garments ? Did no● the Angel Raphael , when he conducte● young Tobias in his Iourney , both take upon him the Name , and Person , and counterfeit the speech , and behaviour of Azarias ? And will he say , that this also was no Hypocrisie ? If then Angels might be such Hypocrites , and yet not sin ; why may not Players be such Hypocrites , yet come to be as Angels ? I had thought I should have gotten them leave to Play , if they would but go handsomely , and wear good cloaths : but this makes worse for them then before . For ( Fol. 216. ) he dislikes Plays now , ●ecause Players wear such costly cloaths : and represent Kings , and Queens in such sumptuous ●obes . He thinks , perhaps , that Kings , and Queens should wear no cloaths , but made of Leather ; because it was of that stuff , that God made cloaths for Adam , and Eve ; who being the greatest Princes , that ever were in the world , it were Presumption for any to wear better cloaths , then they did . But I think it best to let alone the Answering of this Argument untill we meet a● Amsterdam : onely I may have leave to say this ; that he should do Players as great wrong , to hinder them from wearing of rich cloaths , as he should do a Goldsmith , to restrain him from selling of rich Plate : for what do Players , but sell their Cloaths , as often as they shew them ? All , that hitherto hath been said , hath been but accidental , and I may say his outside Arguments : he never came to the substance till now ; but now he comes , and therefore now we may look for very substantial matter ; and thu● he begins . ( Fol. 63. ) The subject , ma●●ter , and style of Plays is lascivious , sc●●●rilous , and filthy : Therefore Plays are u●●lawfull . But not so unlawfull as this Argument : for mark the faults of it . If he mean it thus ; The subject , matter , an● stile of some Plays is scurrilous , and filthy ; Therefore all Plays are unlawfull● who sees not the unlawfulness of thi● kinde of reasoning , from a particular to conclude a general ? But , if he mean i● thus ; The subject , matter , and style of all Plays is scurrilous , and filthy : this is more unlawfull , then the other ; seeing it is directly false : for who knows not , that Tragedies are not capable of scurrility ? Although therefore Tragedies cannot get his leave ; yet , it seems , they have his Argument's leave , to hold up their heads , and live . But how then will the Title of his Book hold up his Head , to be called Histrio-Mastix ? have a general Name , if it be not general ? Will he say , that Tragedi be not Histriones ; Actours of Tragedies no Players ? He should , if he were ●ell served , be made eith●r to abridge●is ●is Title , or to enlarge his Argument . But perhaps , because Tragedies are the Gentry , I may say , of Plays , he is so ge●erous as to spare them for their Gen●ry's sake ; but then Comedies , which are ●ut the Commonalty of Plays , ar● like to pay for it . But I doubt , he hath not so much Generosity in him , but rather , that for Tragedies he hath o●her Tragical Arguments in store , oth●r Rods in Piss for them ; and that this Argument is wholly imployed upon the defeat of Comedies : and therefo●e onely upon them it beats . But is th●re no means to save them from beating ? Are there not wards to keep of his Blow even from these also ? May we not , first , flatly deny it , and say , that in Plays no such scurrility can be found ? Or , may we not , next , divert it , and say ; that , if any such scurrility be , it is the Poet's fault , and not the Players ? Or , may we not , thirdly , excuse it , and say ; If any such be , it is an abuse , at least done in such mannerly manner , that it is not offensive to modest Ears ? Or , may we not , lastly , justifie it , and say ; that some scurrility ma● be , and sometimes must be in Plays , yet serving always to pious Vses ? I● any of these Sayings he hath his Answer● and may take home his Argument with him again , to teach it manners● then to slander Plays . But let us examine these wards , to see if we can make them good , that we take no● more upon us , then we are able to perform . For this Argument , though he make it but one , yet is , in truth , his Flood-gate , which lets in th● most , or the most substantial of all his Arguments : that , if this be once well stop'd , he will not have ● drop of Water , either of the Spring-Wate● of Reasons , or of the Pond-Water of Authorities , to turn his Mill. But in doing this there is no necessity of using Method ; for why should I be tied to keep order in answering , when he tak●● a Liberty to keep none in objecting ? He is none of the Methodicals himself , and therefore cannot look , that others should be . To speak then , prou● 〈◊〉 buccam venerit , as matters come to hand : Is there in Plays such Scurrility , and Obscenity , as he pretends ? Let him then blame the Poets , whose fault it is ; for Players do but act that , which Poets in●ent ? And what is he the nearer now for condemning of Plays ? Is it not a proper Argument to say ; Choerilus makes naughty Verses : Therefore there must no more Verses be made ? Poets make scurrilous plays ; Therefore Tolli tota Theatra jube , Throw down all Theatres . If all things must be cast away , that may be , and oftentimes are abused , why doth not this man pull out his Eyes with Democritus ? or geld hims●lf with Origen ? or wish with Nero , Vtinam nescirem Literas ! Would I had been an Ignoramus ! But this Sophistry , ab Abusu ad usum , is so well known now , even Lippis , & Tonsoribus , to the meanest sort ; that one would wonder , how he could stumble upon it , but much more , how he could stumble at it . But we are , perhaps , more provident , then we need : we blame Poets , when , perhaps , there is no cause . For can he charge Plays directly wi●● any such obscenity ? He urgeth indeed cer●tain general Invectives , and Dolus versat●● in generalibus , Deceit lies in generals , but h● instanceth in none : and we doubt not● but , if he could , he would ; but , since h● does not , we believe he cannot . Th● Stoicks , a Sect of Philosophers , the nearest of any to Christianity , were yet o● this Opinion ; that nothing is unhonest , o● obscene to be spoken , which is honest , o● lawfull to be done ; and therefore they called all parts of the Body , and all actions of Life ( which Modesty in us suppresseth ) in their common talk , by the proper Names , in the broadest Terms ; that we may truly say of Stoicks , Non● were more severe in the Rules of Virtuous Life , yet none more obscene in the usage of filthy Talk. If then Obscenity of speech was no Disparagement in a Stoick to the reputation of his Virtue ; why should it be accompted so great a Disparagement to the reputation of a Player ? And yet I will allow him this : if any such Stoical Obscenity can be found in Plays ; ●●t him speak as bitterly against them , as ●e can , I will never call it Rayling ; but ●ill take his part my self : and such , it ●●ems , was the Obscenity of Plays in old ●●me , as appears by Salvianus , Tanta ●●cum , ac verborum obscoenitates , ut vel re●●tionem sui interdicant ; that is , So obscene ●ere their Words , and Speeches , as not to ●e named . And this is the Obscenity , ●hich the Antient Fathers so much cry ●ut against in Plays , as pudicis auribus ●on ferenda , not to be heard by modest ears , ●hich I would have this man to note , ●hat he may be brought to lay the Saddle ●n the right Horse : for in the Plays of our ●imes he shall never be able to shew any ●uch Obscenity . There are sometimes perhaps , when Necessity compells it , for representing of some scurrilous person , some secret strains , in ambiguous terms , like the voices of Oracles , as it were an Obscenity under Covert : ( the Obscenity , to make appear the condition of the person ; the Covert , to express the modesty of the Player ) and this is so far from offending the Ears , that it is not sensible , till it have passed the sence , as not unde● stood , till examined by the Understan●●ing : and being once there , it com● to be but Obscenity in Abstracto , whic● was in the world before ever Plays wer● and would be still , though Plays shoul● be no more . And in this they do b●● imitate Nature her self , quae partes e● quae aspectum essent deformem habiturae , co● texit , & abdidit : who covers the part● which would have no pleasing aspect ; no● took them clean away , ( as this m●● would have it ) but placed them so , th●● as they offend not , being seen , th● Eyes ; no more do these speeches , bein● heard , the Ears : and would he ha●● more modesty in Players , then there ●● in Nature ? To expect therefore , tha● Plays should be altogether withou● obscene Passages , were it not to expect that Nature should make Bodies altogether without Privy parts ? And the hearing of those ought no more to offend the Ears of any , then the seeing of these offended the Eys of Adam , and Eve : of which , though naked , they were not a whit ashamed . Obscene sights did never ●rouble them , till they had made them selves Obscene Hearts . For as long as all is clean , that should be clean , the foulness of that , which should be foul , will never offend . Have not the neatest Cities their Sinks , and Chanels ? yet who takes offence to look upon them ? They are necessary for our use , but not necessary for us to use . They are therefore made foul , that we may walk clean . Indeed , it is not so much the Player , that makes the Obscenity , as the Spectatour himself : as it is not so much the Juyce of the Herb , that makes the Honey , or Poyson , as the Bee , or Spider , that sucks the Juyce . Let this man therefore bring a modest heart to a Play , and he shall never take hurt by immodest Speeches : but , if he come as a Spider to it , what marvel , if he suck Poyson , though the Herbs be never so sovereign . How many Questions of Aristotle's Problemes ? how many Chapters in Books of Physick may be found more guilty of such Obscenity , then any Plays ? And if such passages in the Books be still suffered , and not to● out ; why may not the like passages b● suffered in Plays , and yet be born ou● For as there is good use of such Treat●●ses in the Schole of Nature , so there 〈◊〉 good use of such speeches in the Schol● of Manners : and as in those it is th● Reader 's fault , and not the Writer's ; 〈◊〉 in these it is the Spectatour's fault , an● not the Player's , if any evil , or corrupt●●on be contracted by them . And he that should forbear to go see a Play ; be●cause , perchance , he might hear som● scurrilous speeches , may he not perhap● tarry away , and hear worse at home● For indeed this whole world is a● a common Stage , where men an● beasts do play their parts , and where men many times play the parts of beasts And I would know of this man , wha● day he ever lived , that he did not both hear , and see as great Enormities really committed upon this great Stage , as are heard , or seen , but feignedly represented , on these lesser Stages ? And 〈◊〉 there not as great danger in seeing ●●ces really acted , as in seeing them onely ●●ignedly represented ? in seeing them done 〈◊〉 ●arnest , as in seeing them but done in ●●●●st ? When vices are really acted , they 〈◊〉 and as Copi●s , and Examples , which men ●●e apt to follow ; but when they are on●● feigned on a Stage , they stand as Rocks , ●ewed onely to be shunned . When sins ●re actually committed , they are as Pitch●hich ●hich toucheth us , and must needs de●le us ; but when they are onely repre●ented , they are but as Pitch seen in a ●lass , which cannot defile us , because ●ot touch us . Where vices are really ●cted , there men may be said to stand in ●he way of Sinners ; but where they are onely feignedly shewed , there , men may be rather said , to sit , and hear their Arraignment , and Condemnation . But ( Fol. 48. and 948. ) he would make us believe ; That all the attractive power in Plays , to draw Beholders , is meerly from scurrility : as if it were no Play ; at least no pleasing Pla● , without it . Wherein , besides his prejudice , he may be made to confess his ignorance : for l●● him try it when he will , and com him●self upon the Stage , with all the scurrili●● of the Wife of Bath , with all the ribald●● of Poggius , or Boccace , yet I dare affirm● he shall never give that contentment t● Beholders , as honest Tarlton did , thoug● he said never a word . And what scurrility was ever heard to come from the mouths of the best Actours of our Time● Allen , and Bourbidge ? yet , what Plays were ever so pleasing , as where their Parts had the greatest part ? For , it is not the scurrility , and ribaldry , that gives the contentmunt , as he foolishly imagines , and falsly suggests ; but it is the Ingeniousness of the Speech , when it is fitted to the Person ; and the Gracefulness of the Action , when it is fitted to the Speech ; and therefore , a ●lay read , hath not half the pleasure of a Play Acted : for though it have the pleasure of ingenious Speeches ; yet it wants the pleasure of action● and we may well acknowledg● that Gracefulness of action , is the greatest pleasure of a Play , s●eing it ●s the greatest pleasure of ( the Art of pleasure ) Rhetorick : in which we may ●e bold to say ; there never had been so good Oratours , if there had not first been Players : seeing the best Oratours that ever were , account it no shame , to have learned the gracefulness of their Action , even from Players : Demosthenes from Satyrus ; and Cicero from Roscius . Let him therefore keep his scurrility to himself , and send his Proselytes to sit with his Hostess at Oxford ; whose Apophthegm was , No mirth without Bawdrie : as for us , we are contented , to see Plays in their best Garments , and not in their foul cloaths , in their graces , and not in their faults . But who are they in Plays , that use such scurrilous , and obscene speeches ? Hath not a Poet said well ; Tristia maestum Vultum verba decent , Iratū plena minarum , Ludentem , lasciva ; feverum , seria dictu . Indeed , if they were put into the mouths of Princes , or Persons of gravity , there were just cause of dislike● but to be put into the mouths of scurrilous , and base persons , What hurt ca● they do ? None to the Actours ; fo● the decorum takes away their fault , and makes that faultless , which is decen● , and less to the Spectatours : for how can 〈◊〉 infect them , to imitate the scurrility , whe●● they see it , comely for none , but scurrilous persons ? It rather teacheth the● to avoid and loath such speeches , seeing they cannot but loath to be such persons . For doth this man think , tha● goers to Plays are such simple Ideots● that when they see a beastly , or prophane part acted before them , they take it to be done for imitation ? The● were the Lacedaemonians very fools ; who to make their children abhor Drunkenness , would make their Slaves drunk of purpose ; and act the vice before them ; that seeing in others a deformity so hatefull , they might learn , in themselves to hate the deformity . Sic teneros animos aliena opprobria saepe Absterrent vitiis : The man had an Itch to be writing a Book ; and because he had not matter to make it good , he was desirous at least to make it great ; he would have a great Club , ●hough never so hollow . Greatness , he knew makes a shew , and shews carry all in the Eye of the world ; Substance is but seldom understood , and therefore not often much stood upon . And it may be some pleasure , to observe , with what winds he blows up the bladder of his Book ; and what pretty tricks he useth , to furnish his Table of Vain-glory with variety of Dishes . He hath one trick , which he useth in his Text ; and seems to have learned it from Egge-Saturday in Oxford , to make diversity of meats , with diversity of dressing : As for example ; Take the word Effeminate , this one word shall furnish him with four , or five severall Dishes of Arguments against Plays : as first , ( Fol. 546. ) Plays effeminate mens minds and bodies , therefore Plays are unlawfull . This is one of his Dishes . ( Fol. 167. ) The very action of plays is effeminate ; therefore plays are unlawfull . This you must take for another Dish● ( Fol. 220. ) Plays are ever attended with effeminate , and amorous Dancing ; therefore Plays are unlawfull . This is another ; and I should cloy your stomacks too much , if I should serve in all his Dishes of this kinde . He hath another Trick , which he useth in his citing of Authours ; and seems to have learned it from ●●atho in Terrence , where he counselleth , Vbi nominabit Phaedriam , tu continuo Pamphilam ; for where his Argument calls for Ludos in Theatro ; he thereupon brings in , Ludos in circo ; L●dos in foro , Ludos in septis , where the matter requires Testimonies , against Tragedies , and Comedies , he presently brings in places of Fathers , and others , against spectacles of Fencing , against Bear-baiting , against Horse-Races , and such other Games ; as like to Plays , as Chalk is to Cheese ; and by these , and such like means , he hath made a great bellied Book , as if there were some goodly childe within it ; when being ript up , and look'd into , there is nothing to be ●ound , but a very Timpany of wind , and ●ater . For , after all his bustling , and ●tir ; after all the Crambees of his ( Fol. ●65 . ) four and fourty Tautological Ar●uments , it comes all but to this ; that ●n Plays are often used Speeches , and other Circumstances , effeminate , idle , scur●ilous , obscene , prophane , and Heathenish ; ●nd therefore ( Fol. 447. ) corrupt mens manners , infect their affections , debauch ●heir dispositions ; and ( Fol. 321. ) generally indispose them to all goodness ; which is all nothing , but either his miss-taking through ignorance , or his enforcing through malice ; for though such Speeches are sometimes , perhaps used ; yet the decorum in the Speaker , the intent of the Speech , the nature of the Example , make them all warrantable ; and are so far from working the effects he speaks of , that they rather rectifie the Iudgment , qualifie the Affections , moderate the Passions , and generally dispose them to all Virtue : that where we meant but onely to defend Plays , he hath brought us now , that we are forced to praise them ; and where we thought but one●ly to keep them from taking wrongfu● disgrace ; we cannot keep our selve● now , from giving them deserved com●mendations . For , what can be mo●● worthy our embracing , then that , whic● both intends our good , and worketh ●● us , the good it intends ? and what d● Players intend , by bringing in a Tyran● with words of death , and hands imbrue in blood , but to shew the deformity o● Tyranny , to make us detest it ? And d● they intend this good to us ; and d● they not as well work it in us ? Certain●ly , even this as forcibly , as that , apparently ; for seeing there are two principall Motives to Virtue , Praise , and R●●ward ; and two things likewise that deterr from Vice , Shame , and Punishment● what can be more forcible , either to draw us to Goodness , or to withdraw us from Vitiousness , then where the examples of all these are most lively shewed , and represented to us ? Certainly , unless men be stark fools ; rather wilfully to run into Pudles , and Quagmires , then 〈◊〉 take a fair way when it is shewed ●●em ; they cannot choose by such ex●mples , but be drawn to walk in the ●●aths of Virtue . And let him not say , as ●ome have said ; that scurrilous● and pro●hane speeches are very dangerous for ●●fecting the hearers ; because Assuescen●o audire , discunt facere , By en●ring them●elves , they learn to practise ; for this were ●ikely to be true , if they onely heard ●uch speeches , and ended there , which ●s the fashion indeed of the common ●ctions in our life ; but here , where we no sooner hear the words spoken , but presently withall , we see the shame , and punishment that attends them ; certainly , it would be very strange , that by often hearing such speeches , we should get a custom of following them ; and not rather , by often seeing their disgraces , get a custom of avoiding them . And to this purpose , there is in Seneca , a pretty tale of the Poet Euripides , who , in one of his Plays , having made a Speech of a high strain , in magnifying of Riches , the people grew so tumultuously angrie at it , ( fearing least suc● speeches , should make men in love wit● riches , and prone to covetousness ) that that they were ready to run upon th● stage , and tear the Actour in pieces● that had spoken it ; till Euripides was faine himself , to come out amongst them , and intreat them , to have patience , and see the end : for they should presently see , the riches he so exacted , to have such a down-fall in the miseries of his rich man Bel●erophon ; that it should leave but little list in any man , ever after to desire their company . For the speech ( saith he ) was but to shew the Spectatours their own Errour ; but the event in Fact , was to shew them , the Truth it self . When an Actour presents himself upon the Stage , untill he speak , he is but a picture , and when he speaks , he is but a Storie ; ( and therefore perhaps a Player is called Histrio , quasi Historio ) for as one sayd well , that a Judg is lex loquens , a speaking law : so we may say as truly , that a Player , is a speaking Picture : or ● Historie in person ; and seeing we ●ow no hurt , by a Picture ; and cannot 〈◊〉 commend Historie : why should Plays 〈◊〉 condemned , which are but a compo●●on made of these two ? A Historie is ●t condemned , if recording the life of ●●lian ; it set down , his cruelty against ●●ristians , and his Blasphemies against ●●rist . And if an Historian may law●●lly write it , may not we as lawfully ●●d it ? and if we may lawfully read it ; ●ay not a Player as lawfully pronounce 〈◊〉 and what doth a Player else , but ●●ely say that without book , which we ●ay read within Book ? A Player Acts ●●e part of Solomon ; but is never the ●iser for acting his part : why should he ●e thought the wickeder for acting the ●art of Nero , or the more blasphemous ●or acting the part of Porphyrie ? Can ●here be a greater Blasphemy , then to ●urse God ? yet Iobe's Wife perswaded ●im to do so ; and this is written , where ●t may be read : shall we therefore think ●t unlawfull , to read the Story of Iob ? Can there be a more blasphemous speech , then that which the Iews spa●● of Christ ; that he had a Devil , 〈◊〉 wrought his miracles , by Belzebub Pri●●● of the Devils ? yet the holy Evangel●●● have recorded this speech : shall 〈◊〉 therefore think it unlawfull , to re●●● their Gospells ? Can there be a mo●● prophane Speech , then that of the Po●● Ede , lude , Bibe : Post mortem nulla V●●●●ptas ? Yet Solomon in his Ecclesias●●● hath some such speeches ; shall 〈◊〉 therefore think it unlawfull , to read 〈◊〉 Book of the Preacher ? And w●●● then ( if we may Parvis Componere mag●●● shall Players be thought , either Bla●●phemous , or prophane : if sometime● they utter such speeches under the pe●●son of another ? and indeed to spea● it plainly , they cannot avoid the using and uttering such speeches , if they wi●● be Players● For as he , who would live●● pourtray a Devil , or a deformed Monster must needs draw some gastly lines , and us● some sordid colours ; so he , who will deliniate to the life , the notorious lewdness of people in the world , is necessarily enforce● 〈◊〉 s●ch immodest phrases , as may present it ●●●ts native uglyness ; else he should but con●●●le , or masque their horrid wickedness , that ●●●e may behold it : not rip it open , that all ●●y abhor it : and this is the onely reason , of ●●●se more uncivil , or seemingly immodest ●●ssages , that are here , and there , scattered 〈◊〉 this Discourse . But in what Discourse ●●ink ye ? even in this very Discourse 〈◊〉 Histrio-Mastix . For these last eight 〈◊〉 nine lines , are his own very words , 〈◊〉 his Preface to the Reader ; to justify ●●e Obscenity , of his own very speech●● , which he useth in his book . But 〈◊〉 this possible ? Hath he then , a Mono●olie of Obscene phrases ; and immo●est speeches , that none may lawfully ●se any , but only himself ? may not ●layers claime the priviledg of subjects , ●o the English Tongue , and use them ●pon occasion , as well as he ? No , he ●seth them onely upon necessity , to ex●ress the Obscenity of Players , and do ●ot Players use them onely upon neces●ity , to express the Obscenity of people ? But what necessity have Players to meddle with the Obscenity of people ? T●● same necessity which he hath , to med●●● with the Obscenity of Players . But 〈◊〉 could not otherwise diswade men , fro● seeing s●ch Obscene Plays ; and Pla●●ers cannot otherwise disswade me● from being such Obs●ene persons . 〈◊〉 may thus go on , as far as he will , 〈◊〉 when all is said ; it will ever be foun● either a voluntary Obscenity in hi● self , or a necessary in Players : th● every schole-boy , that hath but learne● his Cato , will be upon his jacket wi●● this . Turpe est Doctori quum Culpa redarg●● ipsu●● But ( Fol. 100. ) he seemes here , t● please himself with a Reason ; that i● Plays were good Scholes of Virtue , ho● should it happen , that ( Fol. 102. ) Players● and the ( Fol. 143. ) Frequenters of Plays● are commonly the worst , and most vitious men ? As though there were not many as honest , and wise as himself , that go to see Plays ? I may justly say as honest , seeing no dishonestie is greater , the● ●o condemne men , whom he doth not ●now ; and I may as justly say as wise , ●eeing no Follie , is greater , then to be ●o busie , where he hath nothing to do ; ●nd to be so Censorious , where he hath ●o Authority . But is he so foolish as ●e makes himself , to think that good ●choles must always produce good ●cholers ? Were there ever better ●chole-masters in Humane Scholes , ●hen those which the Emperour Nero , ●nd Commodus had ? Yet they both pro●ed Monsters of men , the one in Lasci●iousness and Cruelty : The other in Cruel●y , and Lasciviousness . Were there ●ver better Schole-masters in Divine ●choles , then those which Gebezi , and ●udas had ? Yet they both proved no●orious Examples to all Posterity ; the one of incredulous Bribery , the other of Bribing Incredulity . But though we keep no Register , of such men , as have profited in virtue by this Schole of Plays : yet we are not altogether destitute of Examples . For hath not Lucian Recorded one Lesbonax , an honest man of Mytilene , who being a gre●● Frequenter of Plays , was wont to say 〈◊〉 himself ; that he never saw a Play , but 〈◊〉 returned home , a better man then he 〈◊〉 out ? And what hath Cicero recorded 〈◊〉 Roscius ; who was a famous Play● himself ; and yet no less a famous h●●nest man ; Vt cum dignissimus esset Sc●● propter Artificium ; ●tiam dignissimus e●●●● curia propter abstinentiam . That his ●●●ry Adversary durst not speak of him● the Barr , without this Addition , Qu● honoris causa Nomino . And lest 〈◊〉 should say , that the Schole of Play● Degenerated , and grown worse , sin●● that time ; have we not seen in our o●● time , a famous Scholer come out of th● Schole : Edward Allen a Player himsel● Famous as well for his Honesty , as for 〈◊〉 Acting : and who hath left behind hi● a worthy Testimony of his Christian Ch●●rity , to all posterity ? And who doubt● but amongst the Spectatours of Play● we may finde many , like to Lesbonax● and amongst Players themselves , some like to Ros●ius ? and even to go no fur●●●er then his own Authours , whom he ●rings in for witnesses against going to ●ays ; ( and we doubt not but he takes ●●em for honest men ; as Cicero , Seneca , ●linie , and a number of such besides ) ●et were they all Frequenters of Plays , 〈◊〉 their own confession in their wri●ings : and how then , is he not ashamed ●o say , that none but Infamous , Vnchast , ●rophane , and Graceless persons are fre●uenters of Plays : when all his worthy ●rite●s , who he cites for his witnesses , ●ere themselves frequenters of them ? ●f their honesties were sufficient , to make them sufficient witnesses , against ●he lawfullness of going to Plays ; why are not their Honesties as sufficient , to make their Examples sufficient Warrants for going to Plays ? and so , I may say in their Defence , as Cicero said in Defence of Roscius ; Nisi ●osdem , & Adversarios , & Testes habeant , nolo vincant : that there never was poor Book made ●he Instrument of so impudenta●ly ; so n●torious a scandal , as this Histrio-●astix . But ( Fol. 142. ) will you know , how it happens , that Man's 〈◊〉 count , ●re most excessively vitious , un●ha●● prophane , and dissolute men ? marry , ●●●cause most of them ( as he is credibly infor●●ed ) are professed Papists . A very necessa●● Consequence : as though to be a profess●● Papi●t , were to be a professed Atheist for what but Atheism could bring for●● all such excessively vitious men as 〈◊〉 would make them ? Yet this makes we● for Plays , though it makes ill for Player● for Players , though the most excessive●ly vitious men , yet are not so , becaus● Players , but because Papists . Let hi● take heed , he pull not an old house upon his head ; for though Papists diffe● from Protestants , in some points of Moral , and Theological Doctrine , yet they differ not from them in the necessity of Moral , and Theological Virtues . Although therefore we do not question his credible Information , yet we justly question his incredible Consequence : as being indeed a very inconsequent incredibility . If he had onely said , Some Papists are excessively vitious men ; though ●●is had been a busie impertinent Asser●●●● y●t I presume , no Papists them●●●v●s ●●uld much have gain-said it : for 〈◊〉 Religion was ever known , that had 〈◊〉 some Professors of it excessively vi●ous ? But , when he saith , Players must ●eeds be excessively vitious , because ●●ey are Papists , this lays a taint upon 〈◊〉 generality ; and makes a Papist , and 〈◊〉 honest man , to be Disparata , and In●●●●●●ible ; as never possible to meet to●●●her in one Person . In which opini●n ( what Puritans may do , I know not , ●ut ) I verily think , scarce one Protestant●ill ●ill ●e found to take his part . But we may leave Papists to defend their ho●●sties , as they can themselves : and ●his man , as he can , to oppugn it ; we meddle no further with them , on either side ; but , Ipsi viderint , Ips● viderit . Sufficient hath been spoken in behalf of Players obscene speeches ; but these are scarce one half of their obscenity : for besides these , ( Fol. 374. ) There are in Plays wanton gestures , amorous kisses , and 〈◊〉 ; and these are the obscene sights , and the great provocations to lust , for whi●● he specially condemns Plays . Grave crime● Caie Caesar : Kisses , and amorous kisse● very obscene sights , and great provoc●●tions to lust : but why more being do●● upon the Stage , then done in his ow● house ? Why more done in fiction , the● in reality ? Why more used in Iests , the● used in earnest ? Why more seen seldom● then seen continually ? For who sees no● every stranger that comes to his hous● to kiss both his own , and other me●● wives before their faces ? yet all don● with Vestal modesty ; and no man eve● heard to complain , but onely this man● as born , it should seem , under some very lustfull , and jealous Constellation . And will not even Nature her self , by this Reason , be found guilty of immodesty ? for making Pigeons to bill openly , and Cocks to tread their Hens before mens faces ? a sight , it seems , a Brother cannot see , but it presently sets his teeth a water , to be doing the like . But must we not think his inclination then a very dry Tinder , and very apt to take fire ; ●●at can be enflamed to lust with so cold ●●rovocations ? However it be , this equi●● cannot justly be denied to Players ; ●●at , either this man may not be allowed 〈◊〉 kiss , and use amorous Complements , ●hen he goes a Wooing ; or they may ●e allowed to do as much , when they ●epresent him a wooing . But there is yet in Plays a worse mat●er then all these ; for , ( Fol. 390 ) they ●re the very places of meetings , where lasci●ious matches are oftentimes made , and ●●metimes acted . But should not lascivi●us persons have very ill harbours , if ●hey had not better Ports to arrive ●t , then to meet at a Play-house ? And why Plays more then Fairs , and Markets ? why Plays , more then confluence at Marriages , and other Festivals ? why Plays more , then frequenting of one another's Houses ? and what saith a Poët ; Why Pla●s more , then even goings to Church it self ? Q●i● locus est Templis augustior ? hoec quoque vitet , In culpam si qua est ingeniosa suam . And , it seems indeed , where Play-houses were so bad , that Temples wer● no better ; as Minutius Felix saith : V●●magìs à Sacerdotibus , quàm inter Aras , 〈◊〉 Del●bra , condicuntur stupra ? tractantur 〈◊〉 nocinia ? Adulteria meditantur ? Frequ●●●tiùs denique in Aedituorum Cellulis , quàm i● ipsis Lupanaribus , flagrans libido defung●●tur . And what marvel , if the Heath●● used in Plays such Obscenities , who accounted such Obscenities to be but Plays● as little caring in such things to see● honest , as to be ; but this is not the Case of Christians , who , though never so irregular , will yet observe this Rule ; Si 〈◊〉 castè , tamen cautè , If not chastly , yet charily . And what caution were in this , to offer lascivious speeches , where all mens Ears ; or lascivious acts , where all mens Eyes are continually upon them ? as if a Thief should steal in the open street , where all men see him ? ( Fol. 387. ) He tells of Heliogabalus , that he commanded Stage-Players , to commit Adulteries , really , and openly upon the Stage : he tells of Tiberius , that he caused others to defile themselves before his face . And 〈◊〉 tells ●e these filthy tales , but onely 〈◊〉 the pleasure he takes in telling them ? or else , how far are they from the Mat●er , in speaking of our Plays ? when he ●ees any such acts committed upon our ●tages , let him not spare to tell us of it : ●ill then , he may leave his gabling of Heli●gabalus , and keep his filthy Stories ●n store for the private delight of his own meditation . He hath hitherto maintai●ed himself with the Obscenity of Plays ; but now , that the Patrimony of that Argument is spent , and gone , you shall presently see how bare , and beggarly he will grow , and for very necessity fall a pilfering . For , his very next Argument is directly stolen , where he makes ( Fol. 72. ) Plays unlawfull , because they are bloody , and ty●●n●ical , breathing nothing but Malice , Anger , and Revenge ; for this belongs properly to the Spectacles of Gladiato●s , and Fencers , and not to Plays ; unless perhaps , to Heathen Plays , where men , and sometimes Christian men , were cast in amongst wilde Beasts to be devoured ; but , what is this to our Play● where never any wilde Beast was see● upon the Stage , unless perhaps suc● wilde Beasts as David speaks of , wh●● are like to Horse , and Mule , that hav● no Vnderstanding . He hath another very Thrifty Reason ; by which he would make us think him a good husband for us ; ( Fol. 30● . and 310. ) where he condemns Plays , because they make their Spectatours spend s● much money , and time in seeing them . But what will French-men say in defence of their Recreation ? Who spend more mony , and time in one day at Tennis ; then these Spectatours do in many weeks at Plays ? and how comes it , that seeing he aimes onely at cheap recreations , he forgets the Emperour Domitian's Recreations ; who made it his sport , to spend an hour in the Afternoon , in catching of Flies ? For as for those , which he allowes of , Fishing , and Fowling ; Hunting , and Hawking : the very Fable of Actaeon would make him see his Errour , if he had the will 〈◊〉 understand the Moral . But how ●an we think him a good husband for ●s : who is so bad a husband for him●elf ? for what a deal of mony , and ●ime hath he spent in Transcribing of Authours , and Printing his Book : which , if ● man should say , had been better spent ●t Plays , though he perhaps would be ●ngry : yet as wise men as himself , I verily think , would be of that opinion . He hath another Argument , which he seems to have borrowed from the Heathens Bacchanalia : where ( Fol. 508. ) he makes Plays unlawfull ; because they are an immediate oc●asion of Drunkenness , and Excess . It was indeed usual at those Feasts , to Surfet , and be Drunk ; or rather Surfeting , and Drunkenness were the Feast it self : but who ever saw a man Surfet , or be Drunk at a Play ? and how can that be an occasion of Drunkenness , which neither ministers Example , nor Means of Drinking ? No Example ; unless perhaps in Fiction : and then not so much , to represent men Drunk with Wine , as this man with Errour . He hath an other Argument , which he seems to have been looking in a Glas● when he made it : It reflects so directly upon himself : ( Fol. 501 : ) where h● makes Plays Vnlawfull : because they ar● the constant cause of much Sloth , and Idl●ness . For what greater Idleness , then to sit all day , transcribing of Authours ; which is but Actum Agere ? But should he not by this Argument have concluded rather the Gowt to be unlawfull ? of which● when one was asked , what Idleness was the wor●t , he answered : Podagrici Pedes , the Gout in the Feet ? Indeed to see a Play as he ( it seems , reads Books , to look onely in their Tables ) it might not be much better ; but to see a Play , with that due observation , which the true use of Plays requires , he will finde it , as farr from Idleness to be at a Play , as to be at Schole : and Scholers would take it in great dudgeon , if he should say , they were Idle , when they are at their Books . But what saith Attilius in Pliny : Praestat otiosum esse quàm Nihil agere : as much as to say , It were ●●tt●r to be 〈◊〉 a Play , and be Idle : then to sit ●cribling out of Authours , and do nothing . He hath another Argument , with ●hich , it seems , he seeks to cheat us ; ●here ( Fol. 515. ) he makes Plays unlaw●ull ; because Play-houses are the Scholes , ●nd Plays the Lectures , to teach men , how to ●heat , and Steal . For , Who knows not , ●hat Theevs , and Cheatours , can have their Scholing for nothing ; and need not to pay for it , by going to Plays ! Indeed , ● farr cunninger Schole-master they have to teach them the Craft , then Players ; one that is in Earnest ; and would take it ill at their hands , that they should take any ill in hand , which they had not from him . But doth not this Reason , through the sides of Plays , give greater wounds , to Assizes , and Sessions ? For there indeed , the plots , and practizes of Theevery , the tricks , and conveyances of Cheatours , are openly laid open , and publikly made known : that if he call it a Schole , certainly they are Free-Scholes : or rather Academies in comparison of Plays , But who knows not , that both Plays , and Sessions , disco●ver Thefts , and Cheatings indeed , bu● not as this man would cheat us ; and make us think , to the end , they may be used , but as Logick teaches fallacies , to the end to avoid them . We may justly therefore for this reason , binde him over to the Sessions , both for the implicite aspersion he lays upon them , and for the explicite cheating , he seeks to put upon us . He hath another Argument , which we may call his Rain-bow , seeing there are as many Vices in it , as there are Colours in the Rain-bow ; ( Fol. 551. ) where he makes Plays unlawfull ; because they occasion an apparent breach of all the ten Commandments , of which we may say , Decem mundi facti sunt ; sed ubi sunt illi novem ? for some sins are incompatible ; that where one is familiar , the other will always be a stranger , unless he mean it as St. Iames speaks ; that he which is guilty of one sin , is guilty of all : and in that sense , we may say as much of him , when he doth but onely tell a Lie. This man , with a little help , would bring it about , ●hat the very sin of our first Parent Eve●as ●as nothing else , but her being a Player , where she and the Serpent were the Actours , and Adam the Spectatour ; and not onely that all Players are damned , ●ut that none else are damned but they . For , if Players break all God's Commandments , then he , who is no Player , breaks none of the Commandments : as when Aesop's fellow , being asked what he co●ld do , answered , He could do all things ; then faith Aesop , If he can do all things , there is nothing left for me to do . You will say , This is not to answer , but to trifle ; and hath not Solomon advised us , Answer not a fool in his folly , lest thou be like unto him ? yet , seeing we have● answered his Arguments before , where he charged Plays with the Vices in particular , it may well enough serve for an answer to this Argument , where he chargeth them in general : and so we observe also the other Precept of Solomon , ( fellow to the former ) Answer a fool in his folly , lest he be wise in his own con●●i● You have heard many grave Argument●● you shall hear one now , to make you laugh , ( Fol. 291. ) where he makes Plays unlawfull , because they provoke oftentimes profuse laughter , as though he knew not , that to be risible is onely proper to men● and no excess in this can tain● them with aspersion of any beastlike quality , or make them , as all vices do , and this should , if it were a vice , to be like a Beast . And especially he is not well advised in this , in his own behalf ; for if it were not for this Risible , we should hardly , perhaps , finde any thing in himself , to know him to be a man. But why should he blame Plays for provoking of Laughter , when he makes an Argument here himself , that provokes more laughter then ever any Play did ? that we may truly say , Omnes qui audiunt risi● emori . For what was ever heard more ridiculous , then to make it an Argument against Plays , ( f. 714. ) because Noah , Melchisedech , Abraham , and the Patriarchs are never read in Scripture , to hav● approved Plays ? Or , as his Elegancy ●●p●esseth it , t● have been experimentally ●equai●ted with them ? As absurdly , as if ●ne would prove , that Guns are no good weapons in the Wars , because Ioshua , Gi●eon , David , and the antient Warriours are never read in Scripture , to have used Guns , or to have been experimentally acquainted with them ; much like the ●oolishness , which Livie notes in a Roman Tribune , who threatned the people , he would hinder their levying of Souldiers , when there was no War toward ; and , Is there not in this , as just cause to set M●rous Crassus a laughing , as when he saw an Asseat Thistles ? He hath another Reason , as vain , and ridiculous as this ; ( Fol. 127. ) where he makes it a Reason to condemn Plays , because they are at the best , but vain , and ridiculous . As though any thing of this world , even the best things that are , when they are at the best , were any other , then vain , and ridiculous ; and let him not distinguish of things , and say , that some are s●rious ; for the more serious , the more ri●i●●lous : for what is this , but the very Argument , at which Democritus could no● forbear laughing , all his life time . But these are but the small Fry of h●● great Pool ; he hath three Reason● which , like the great Pikes , may be sai● to contain in their Bellies all his othe● Gudgin-Reasons : and in the taking o● them consists , in effect , the taking awa● of all the other . And may we not ad●mit them all to be true , and yet , as o●● case is , take no Disparagement , by ad●mitting them ? seeing , as he urge●● them against Plays : so we may urg●● them as well against no worse a thin● then Riches . For his first Reason ma● be this ; ( Fol. 327. ) that Plays are a pr●vocation unto Lust : and is it not said 〈◊〉 Riches , that they are Irritamenta mal●●rum ? His second : that Plays ( Fol. 521. ● Indispose men to all Religious Duties : and is it not said of Riches ; that we cann●● serve God , and Mammon ? His third : tha● ( Fol. 565. ) they bring Damnation , upo● mens Souls , and Bodies ; and , Is it not said of a Rich man , that he cannot Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ? and why ●●en should he think to fright us with ●●s Thundring phrases , from seeing of ●lays , and is not himself frighted with ●●em , from seeking of Riches ? Cer●●inly , seeing all his Reasons are as ●●rong against Riches , as against Plays , ●nd yet Riches we doubt not , may be ●ad , and held by good men ; why may ●ot Plays also be Acted , and be beheld ●y good men , notwithstanding his reasons ? For , as there may be Bonus usus Divitiarum , which makes void all the reasons against Riches ; so there may be Bonus usus Ludorum , which may avoid all his Reasons against Plays : that unless he can prove it is not lawful to be Rich , we shall never admit his proofs , that it is not lawfull to see a Play ; let him therefore , either allow men to see a Play , as well ●s to be Rich : or , if he will perswade men not to see Plays ; let him then write another Book , and perswade all men to be Beggars . Plutarch writ a ●ook De Vtilitate ab Inimicis Capienda , and if this man had the good meaning of Plutarch , and had written his Book , de Vtilitate à Spectac●●lis Capienda ; we might then perhap● have thought him , as Charitable , as no● we think him Malicious . But if he be not a Manichee , he is , at least , very like one ; who seems he could finde in his Heart , to blame God for Creating of Vipers , and such other Venemous Beasts ; because his gross Head is not able to conceive , how the soveraign Antidote of Treacle should be extracted from them . And now , to make a Recapitulation of his Arguments , to see , how he hath laboured all this while , De lana caprina ; about a matter of nothing , and how easily his main blows may be avoided with one ward , he saith , Plays are bloody and Tyrannical . It may be true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours : He saith they are a provocation to Lust ; It may be true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours : He saith they are Ordained , and Dedicated to the Worship of Devil-Gods ; it is true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours . He saith , they are the Pomps of the Devil , renounced by Christians in their Baptism : It may be true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours . He saith , they are fraught with bitter Scoffings at Religion , and Religious men ; it may be true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours . He saith , they cause a prodigal Expence of Time , and Mony ; it may be true of Heathen Plays ( which lasted many times , many daies together , and were set forth at Infinite charges ) it is false of ours . He saith , they are an immediate occasion of much Actual Adultery ; it may be true of Heathen Plays , it is false of ours . He saith , they occasion much Drunkenness , and Excess ; it may be true of Heathen Plays , it is fal●● of ours . And thus , to his Diversis Nodis , Vnus Cune●s , many arguments , as he calls them , one answer , as a wedg , may serve sufficiently , to cleave them all asunder . Yet he hath one passage , that stands barking in a Corner , but dares not come out in the likeness of an Argument , where he calls ( Fol. 329. ) Playhouses , the Seminaries of Vices ; the Temples of Venery ; the Scholes of Bawdery ; the Dens of Lewdness ; and all the Vile names he could get together , by raking Hel , and Billings-gate . But will it not be a Sop to stop Cerberus his mouth : if we do but examine the Common-Wealths , in which Plays have been most usual ; whether , after Plays admitted , they have grown in their manners , either not worse , or perhaps better ; for so it may appear , that Plays have been no such corruptions , no such corrupters of the times , as he would make them . Examine the Roman State ; and , not to wander about , take the times under the Emperour Augustus , in which , Plays where in their heighth : he Reigned six and Fifty years ; a reasonable time to make a tryal : and were not his times , more quiet , more civil , and more virtuous , then ever they had been before ? So quiet , that all the world was quiet , and the Temple of Ianus shut up twice in his time ? So civil , and virtuous , that as himself was call Augustus ; so his times were called Augustum Saeculum . Come to our own Co●ntry , which is better known to us ; take the Time from the beginning of our late famous Queen Elizabeth , to the present , almost fourscore years , a large time likewise for probation ; and were ever any Times known in this State more Civil , or more Virtuous ? so civil , that no civil Arms ; so virtuous , that Iustice , never more duly administred ; Se●mons never more Preached , more frequented ; Virtues in Princes never more transcendent , Loyaltie , and Love in Subjects never more eminent ; that if Virgil might say it of Augustus Times ; certainly , we much more justly may say it of these of ours ; Iam redit , & virgo ; redeunt Saturnia Regna , As if the Golden-Age , of which the Poets talk such wonders , were come into the world again . And how then are Plays such Seminaries of Vices , as he talks of ? He must find better Seminaries then Plays , or he is like to have but a slender crop . That we may know these Phrases of his , to be nothing but the Fictions of the Devil's Poetry , or the Flowers of his Rhetorick . He will say , they are the very words of Tertullian , and other of the Fathers ; but will he never learn this one lesson so often taught him ; They may be true of Heathen Plays , they are false of ours . He will lastly say , that we have spoken indeed of general , and publike Virtues , but they are the Vices of private men , that he complains of ; as though the publick were any thing , but the uniting of the private ; or the generall any thing , but the meeting of particulars : and who doubts , but there will be a Cham in the Ark ; though Noah the Preacher of Righteousness be continually in presence ? there will be a Iudas amongst the Apostles , though Christ himself be doing his Miracles continually before them ? But should not this man consider rather , from whence these men took their infection ( which from Plays , we are sure they did not ) then to stand baiting at Plays , which is at most , but Cum capiti medendum est , Reduviam curare ; for , to think to mend ●ens Vices by taking away Plays , is as ●dle , as that one should think to mend 〈◊〉 Faces , by taking away Glasses . He hath yet one Argument behinde ; ●hich is , I may say , his Palmarium ; and ●hich he hath kept for a final Argu●ent , because it must serve to give a final ●low to beat down Plays : namely , ● Fol. 552. ) The fearfull judgments of God , ●hich have been shewed upon them . A final Argument indeed , able to beat down , not onely Plays , but all mens Hearts from seeing of Plays . But where is his Commission , to make the Application ? It is , no doubt , good counsel , when any extraordinary fearfull accident happens , to call our selves to account , and to enter into a due consideration of all our miss-doings ; acknowledging , that such things are oftentimes sent of God , as gracious warnings to draw us to Repentance ; but yet , when such things happen , to censure them presently , as Judgments of God upon any particular Sin● and to determine upon what particular Sin , or Sinner they are sent ; this is more then this man hath warrant for , either from Scripture , or Fathers , or from Discretion● When God reveals the reason of his doing , we may safely then take notice of it , and rest our selves upon it ; as when the Earth opened , and swallowed up Korah , and Dathan ; there was manifestly known , both the particular Sin , and the particular Sinners : Likewise when Fire fell down from Heaven upon S●dom , and Gomorrha . But when the Tower of Shilo fell , and with the fall , slew eighteen men , who could make the application ? seeing Christ saith● They were not the worst men , upon whom the Tower of Shilo fell . When a childe was born dumb , and blinde , this man would presently , it seems , have censured it , as a Judgment of God , upon the Childe , or Parent ; yet Christ told his Disciples , It neither came for any Sin of the Childe , nor of the Parents . For the Iudgments of God , are as secret , as fearfull ; they are an Abyss , till he give them a bottom ; and where God keeps silence , ther● men ●an have no science . For , what man is he , ●hat can know the counsel of God ; or , who can think what his Will is ? He ●ells us of Play-houses , both publick , and private ; some suddenly fallen down , some burnt up with fire , without any apparent cause preceding ? And what great wonder is this ; if in so many hundred years , in so many thousand places , some few such accidents have sometimes happened ? Have not the like happened even to Churches , and Chappels ; and private places of Religious meetings ? Will he therefore say , they were Iudgments of God against the use of Churches , and Chappels ? he tells us of some Players , and some Spectatours of Plays , that have died at the very Play , both suddenly , and strangely ; and what great wonder is this , if in so many hundred years , in so many thousand places , amongst so many millions of people , some few such chances have sometimes fallen out ? Have not the like happened to some Preachers in the Pulpit ; and to some devout persons , even at their prayers ? Will he therefore say , they were Judgments of God , against the use of Preaching , and Praying ? How much better , is that censure in Minutius Foelix : Fulmina passim cadunt ; sine delectu tangunt loca sacra , & prophana : homines noxios feriunt , saepe & Religiosos : Thunder-bolts fall down indifferently ; they light upon places prophane , and sacred , without any choice ; they strike good men , and bad , both alike . His Inference therefore of these Iudgments , shews he hath no Iudgment , being as idle as busie , and proceeding rather , from a malice to the cause , then from any understanding of these effects , and as little from any Charitie at all to the Reader . Thus this final Argument , which should h●ve made a final End of Plays , hath made a final End of all his Reasons , and of all his Reason : and yet he hath one Argument more , though not one Reason more , but a kind of prognostication rather , for he tells , before hand , ( Fol. 565. ) what entertainment , both Players , and Spectatours of Plays , are like to finde in another world , even without Repentance , Eternal Damnation . And this 〈◊〉 calls an Argument , with a witness : and 〈◊〉 is so indeed , for it is a witness to us 〈◊〉 his rashness , and irreligion . For , he ●efies being a Papist , and he denies ●eing a Puritan ; and now this Argu●ent , is a witness against him , that he 〈◊〉 no Protestant . For by aggravating ●e sin ( as he accompts it ) of seeing a ●lay , being not Repented , with Eternal ●amnation : he shews himself to think , ●●at every Sin not Repented , deserves ●ot so much : for if he thought Eternal ●amnation , the common punishment , ●f every sin , why should he lay it , as an ●ggravating punishment upon this ●n ? and if he think , Some sin not Re●ented , not to be Mortal , we think him , ●or so thinking , not to be a Protestant . ●f then , neither Protestant , nor Puritan , ●or Papist : what Religion should he be of , ●hat we may not justly leave the Damna●ion of this Argument , upon himself ? And thus it befalls men , transported with malice , that whilest they make , their own threatning , the measure of others suffering ; they fall them selves to ●●●fer that , which they threatned to oth●●● Thus you have seen his Fore-pa●● which are his Reasons ; you may now 〈◊〉 pleased to see his Back-parts , which 〈◊〉 his Testimonies , and Authorities ; and y●● shall finde him no better to follow th●● he was to meet ; yet it makes a bett●● shew ; for he began his Reasons fro● the Devil , but he begins his Authorit●●● from God : for ( Fol. 545 ) he begi● with the Scriptures , the word of God : 〈◊〉 doubt , a most powerfull evidence , not 〈◊〉 be spoken of without honour ; not 〈◊〉 be thought of , without reverence : an● indeed , if he could alledg but onely th● name of Plays , or Players , as spoken o● in the Scriptures , we should have a wonderfull respect , and be wouderfull ci●cumspect how we medled with them● but seeing he cannot do this , we ma● justy suspect him to be no better a ma● in his Authorities , then he was in his Reasons , great pretences , but no proofs , fair colours , but no substance ; all he can say , is but onely to say , he hath nothing bu● ●ords , and words are but winde , and ●ay well enough be blown over . For , 〈◊〉 for his Inferences , and Collections , and ●eductions , we may demur upon them at ●asure , and take time to consider . But ●●st any man should think we waved his ●estimonies of Scripture , as being con●●ncing , and such as cannot be answer●d ; let us , for the reverence we bear ●●em , hear him at large , and see what he ●ath to say out of these sacred Records . ●nd he seems to bewray the weakness ●f his Cause at the very first : for , ( Fol. ●45 . ) he grants that Scripture speaks no●hing against Plays in precise terms ; and ●hy then will he condemn them in pre●ise terms , if the Scripture do not ? Is ●ot this to incur the reprehension of S●●omon , Noli esse nimium justus ? be not ●oo precise ; for to condemn a thing ●n precise terms , which the Scriptures do not , what is this , but to be nimium justus ; more precise then needs ? But if the Scriptures condemn them not in precise terms , in what terms then ? Indeed onely in Hilary T●rm ; for it would make a man merrie ; or rather it woul● make a H●rse break his halter to see th● strange Antick faces of applications h● makes , to wring out a condemnatio● of Plays from places of Scripture ; an● when he hath all done , we might mak● as good an Argument and say ; This ma● speaks scarce a wise word in all his book ; Therefore Plays are unlawfull : For wheresoever he findes any place against Idolatry , and Altars , against Adultery , or Murther , aganst wantonness , or prophanene●● , he presently applies them as spoken against Plays , & never considers how idle , and simple he is , to stand picking , and culling out some certain Texts of Scripture ; when if these applications , would serve , he might have said it in a word , that all the whole Scripture is nothing else , but a very arraignment , & condemnation of Plays . But thus he fetches it abou● ; he confesseth that no Scripture condemns Plays , in precise terms ; but that ( Fol. 546. ) they positively prohibit , and censure them , under the names of Idolatry , of things consecrated to Idols , of the C●p , and Table of Devils ; of the Customs , Rites , and delights of Idolaters ; of the way and fashi●n of the Heathen ; of the will of the Gen●iles , and such like ; under which , Plays are ●s really , and absolutely comprised , as any ●art is under the whole , or any Species under its proper Genus . A very fine device , ●o make Quidlibet , ex Quolibet . He seems one of that mans Scholers , who deduceth , and findes comprised , all Natural , and Moral Philosophie in the first Chapter of Genesis ; but will any man be●ieve him ? The Fathers said this of Hea●hen Plays , and he , good man , thinks he may say it of ours ; will not therefore his device suit better with himself , and give us leave to say ; No Scripture indeed condemns this man in precise terms ; but they condemn , and censure him under the names of a false Prophet , of a perverter of Scriptures ; of one , Zealous without knowledge ; of a Syco●hant , a Busie-body , a Slanderer , and such like ; under which names , this man is as really and absolutely comprised , as any part is under the whole , or any individuum under its proper species . And whe● we say this , can any man say , but tha● our application of these to him , is fa● more just , then his to Plays ? Certainly the Heathen , have more colour of reason , to worship the Sun , out of the Te●●● Et Domino Soli servies ; then this man hath to condemne Plays , out of any Text , against the Idolatrie of the H●●then . For they at least , have the ambiguity of the word Soli , to stand upon ; but this man hath nothing Intus or 〈◊〉 Cute , neither Ambiguitie nor perspicuity of word , neither letter nor tittle of letter , to Countenance his Exposition . There are indeed some Rules , by which , one vice may be comprised under the name of another ; as when lesser vices are forbidden , it shews the greater are forbidden also : so incest , and Sodomitry under the name of Adultery , so Atheism , under the name of Heathenism : or whe● a General vice is prohibited , it shews the particular kinds are prohibited also so poisoning under the name of Murther● so Bribery , and Fraud , under the name 〈◊〉 Stealing ; but can he shew , that Plays 〈◊〉 by any such Rules comprised under ●●e names of the vices he alledgeth ? No●●ing less : if he had done , or could do ●●is , he had spoken to some purpose , ●●d with some reason ; but since he ●ath not , nor cannot do this , what can ●e say of him , but that he hath shewed ●ore Malice then Wit , more Zeal then Knowledg , more Boldness , or Imprudence , ●hen either Iudgment , or Vnderstanding . ●e had read perhaps in some Authours ●ome strange applications of places of ●cripture ; and he , like a true Pythagore●n , takes all upon the Credit of Ipse ●ixit : and thereupon grows confi●ent at last to be a Coyner of Applica●ions himself : he thinks he hath as much Zeal as they ; and knows , he ●ath less Knowledg : and these two joyned together , much Zeal , and little Know●edg , are the true Parents of all these false ●himerical Applications . Would any man ●hink , that these words of David ; Blessed is the man , that hath not walked in the council of the ungodly : and hath not stood in the way of sinners : and hath not sate in the chair of Sc●n●ers , were spoken by him , as against goin● to Plays ? Yet Tertullian fetcheth it abou● and takes advantages of some Circumst●●●ces , to make it seem probable . But ma● not Tertullian be as well mistaken in ap●plying places of Scripture against Plays as he was in applying them to maintain th● Errour of the Millenaries : or the Corporeit● of the Soul ? Although for this place perhaps we may excuse him ; seeing he seem● to apply it , by way of Allusion , and Exageration onely , and not by way of Argumentation : in which sence , while this man mistakes it ; it is one of the Seeds he takes to set in the Wilderness of his Brains : and from this , and such other mistaken Seeds is grown at last this huge Forest of Confusion , which he presents you with in this his Voluminous Rhapsodie : Voluminous indeed , if you look on the bulk ; but a very Pamphlet , if on the substance . But is it not strange to see , how confidently he goes to Moses to fetch Texts , as it were Warrants against Plays ; as i● ●e were sure , that Plays were then in use , ●n Mos●s his time ? For if they were not , ●e would make Moses a very hastie Iudg , to condemn them before they were born . And indeed unless where ●e learned , that the Devil invented them , ●e can learn also , at what time he Invent●d them ; I will never believe , but ●e is much mistaken in the time of their Nativity . Especially seeing his Rabbi Tertullian fetcheth the greatest Antiquity of Plays but from the coming of Tyr●henus , and the Lydians , into Italie : ( for when they were called Ludi ● Lydis ) and Tyrrhenus came into Italie some distance of time , after the Trojane War ; and the Trojane War was four hundred years , and more , after Moses Death . Now , seeing the places , which this man citeth out of Moses , were Exhortations to the people , to avoid the Idolatries , and Customes of the Heathen , that were at that time ; how can they be taken as intended against Plays , which had no being in the world till many hundred years after ? But this may pass among , his Venial faults : he thinks , perhaps , that God will never charge him with Errours in Chr●nologie ; so they exceed not a Thousand years : because a Thousand years with him are but as one day . Yet it were not enough neither to say , that Plays were then in use ; but he must prove also , they were then in use , in such manner as now they are ; for , if since that time they have mended their manners , it were no reason , that , having lived so long , they should now be put to death in their Age for faults committed so long since in their Infancie . But if they be of so great Antiquity , it is very probable they are of as great Innocency ; for having had many Accusations , they have pass'd many Trials : and though often Arraigned , yet never Convicted : and they should have very hard fortune , if , having stood the blows of so many axes , they should now be felled with the cut of a pen-knife . But , seeing he will needs be going to Moses for Proofs , let him go , and let us see what he can make of them ; and that every Reader may be a Iudge , I will cite you some of his places , which he takes to be positively spoken of Plays ; and I will cite them , as he Quotes them , lest you should think I take advantage ; the rest I will Quote onely , that you may read them at leisure ; and laugh , if you can , for anger , or be angry , if you can , for laughing . ( Fol 545. ) Levit. xviii . 30 . Therefore ye shall keep mine Ordinances ( namely , against Incests , and Sodomitries ) that ye do not any of the abominable customs , which have been done before you , and that ye defile not your selves therein . This is the first of his places , which he alledgeth as positively condemning Plays . Would any man think he were in earnest ? But hear another , Deut. vii . 2 . And the LORD thy God shall give the Nations before thee , then thou shalt smite them ; thou shalt make no Covenant with them , nor take compassion on them . This is another of his places , that positively condemns Plays . And about some ten ( Deut. xii . 3 . & xx . 16 . Iosh. vii . 12 . & xi . 12 . Iudg. ii . 2 . Numbers xxxii . 52 . Psal. xvi . 4 . Ierem. x. 2 . ) more he hath of like scantling ; and come no n●arer to touch Plays , o● Players , then these do . But these are out of the Old Testament : no doubt , he hath better out of the New● hear therefore some of them too . Acts xvi . 20 . But that we write unto them , that they abstain from filthiness of Idols , and Fornication , and from things strangled , and from blood . And i● not this still worse , and worse ? Yet hear another , Rom. xii . 2 . And fashion not your selves like unto the world ; but be ye changed by the renewing of your mindes , that ye may prove what is the good will of God : and about some twenty places more of like pregnancie against Plays . Would any man think he were well in his Wits , to alledge these places as spoken against Plays ? But what should he do ? he must either take these , or none ; that we may justly say , The Devil certainly owed him a Shame , that put into his head , to take upon him the handling of this Argument ; and it is indeed , as a most learn'd man , and most reverend Divine of our Time writes , that this man , and such ●s ●e , make the Scripture speak what ●hey please ; deriving strange Positions , ●nd P●radoxes thence ; when they , and th●ir Bibles are alone in corners . But it is ●lain enough to see his crafty dealing ; ●or he Quotes indeed these places , but ●e cites not one of them : for he well knew , if he had brought them to the Bar as witnsses against Plays , they must have stood mute ; for not one of them could have spoken a word in disparagement of Plays . But you may hear him crying out , that he alledgeth these places , but as others have alledged them before ; and have we not heard Cicero long since crying out , that no Opinion is so absurd , which hath ●n some Philosopher for a Patron ? But he hath consent , as though there were not as well Fratres in Errore , as Fratres in Mal● . But he hath consent of Times , as though the stream of Invectives set once a running , upon just cause , may not continue running a long time after the Cause removed ? And that which reacheth to them all , as though places o● Scripture may not by way of Allusion , and Exaggeration , be applied to many purposes ; to which yet , by way of direct Argumentation , they cannot be applied ? Well , he hath now done with Scripture , but he had done better , if he had never begun : for is it not a shame , he should make them a stale , and bring them in for witnesses , when they have nothing to say ; or rather indeed should suborn them to become false witnesses ; and make them say that they never intended ? But though you take his Bible from him , yet he hath other very strong Records , that are able of themselves to carry it . ( Fol. 570. ) he hath fifty four Councels , whereof every one hath divers Canons , all to be discharged in the very faces of Plays , and cannot choose , but shiver them all in pieces . No doubt , the Engines are strong ; but doth he not miss-take the Mark ? for , if we mark it , we shall finde them not levelled at our kinde of Plays , but at Pagan Idolatrous Plays , ( wherein , as Balsamon saith , ●here were Maledicta , & Blasphemiae , be●ides many Superstitions ) and addressed chiefly to restraint of : them upon Sundays , for the time ; ( so the sixty fourth Canon of the Council of Carthage ) In Churches , for the place ; ( so Concilium Trecense ) to Church-men , for the Persons ; ( so the five and twentieth Canon of the Apostles ) But here he would take upon him to be an Interpreter by himself ; and ( Fol. 647. ) make us believe ; that , though the Canon speak onely of Church-men ; yet the equity of the Canon reacheth to all other men . But what saith the old Interpreter Balsamon ? By forbiding them to Church-men , it shews , they allowed them to Lay-men . By forbidding them in Churches , it shews , they allowed them in Convenient places . By forbidding them on Sundaies , it shews , they allowed them on Working-daies : and so he hath made a fair hand with himself : Charged Canons , to be all Discharged , and shot in his own face But is this a wise , or a wise man's Argument ? Plays were forbidden by Councils heretofore ; ther●●fore they ought to be forbidden by the Church now ? For how many things have been decreed by Councils , which now are clean left off , and abrogated ? Did not the Council of Antisiodore decree it unlawfull to give New-years Gifts at Christmas ? Yet who sees it not now an A●nual custome ; and without offence ? Did not the same Council decree it unlawfull to deck houses with Lawrel , or green Boughs ? Yet who sees it not now an usual fashion , and counted a Decency ? Did not the Synod in Trullo decree it unlawfull for Gossips at a Christening to marry together ever after ? Yet what Marriages now more lawfull , more frequent ? Did not the same Council in Trullo decree all eating of Blood to be unlawfull , and subject to Excommunication ? Yet who eats it not now familiarly , and without scandal ? Infinite the like . For indeed the Constitutions of the Church have ever had regard to the time : and the time to the circumstances of occasion ; which not being ●nown , no man can Judg of the great ●●tness of Decrees , as they might be ●●en ; and yet of the great unfitness of ●he same Decrees , if they should be ●ow . And therefore , though this man ●eem to produce Councels , yet , in truth , ●e produceth them not , he delivers the ●ords as a Parrat , that pronounceth the ●yllables , but not as a man , that under●tands the meaning ; and not to deliver ●hem in their full sense , is in true sense , ●ot to deliver them at all ; as Cicero saith , The● shall a man be said to say the same ●hing , when he saith it in the same sens● , and with the same intent . But how can this man do this , when he knows not the intent , nor the circumstances of it ? or , if he do , yet he dissembles it , and will not know it , which is a worse ignorance , then the other . And if we should allow him the levelling of his Canons , as he pretends , though we are not willing to lay any taint upon such reverend Assemblies , yet this we may be bold to say , that oftentimes Major pars meliorem vicit ; and that sometimes one Paph●ntius hath been more worth , then all th● Council besides . And ( Fol. 668. ) as for his Squadro● of seventy one Fathers , and his one hundred and fifty other Writers , whom he brags to have gotten on his side , though it make a great shew , yet it is no great matter , if we consider he hath been fifteen hundred years in getting them ; and especially , if we consider , that all those , whom he cannot get on his side , we may justly challenge to be on our side , and will make a greater troop , then his can make an army . But , lest it should be thought that all these Trumpets , which he pretends to be for him , be so for him , that they be against us , let us a little hearken to their sounding , whether it hath been always upon a true Alarm , or no ; for if it have not , we may justly except against them , and bar their voices from our Scrutiny . Some therefore of his Trumpets , and those of the best , and ancientest , are such as sound onely at Pagan Plays , whereas our Plays are no more like ●hem , then Helene the Mother of Con●●antine was like Helene the Wife of ●enelaus ; and are as different from ●hem , as we our selves are differing from ●agans : and of this , both Tertullian , and ●t . Cyprian , ( the two most earnest of all ●he Fathers against Plays ) may be wit●esses ; and indeed witnesses instar omni●m : and whereupon do they ground ●heir condemnation of Plays ? Do they not both onely upon Idolatry ? Hear Tertullian first , If there be no Idol in the Play , that Idolatrie be not committed in it , ●hen I charge it not with any renouncing , which we have made in Baptism . Next ●ear St. Cyprian , Quod spectaculum sine Ido●o ? Quis ludus sine sacrificio ? If there●ore this man can finde in our Plays , ei●her Idols , or Sacrifice , he may justly require our voices in crying down of Plays ; but , if they be as clean from ●eprosies , as Naaman was from his , having washed in Iordan , then hath this man need to be down on his knees , and to ask these Fathers , and us forgiveness , them for miss-reporting , and miss-enforcing them ; us , for miss-enforming and miss-perswading su . Because Miri●● was excluded from the Camp , when sh● was leprous ; shall we therefore not admit her into the Camp , when she i● cleansed ? Indeed , when this man before brought poor , and simple reason● to prove his Cause , we could not much blame him , ( for you can have no more of a man then his Talent ) but now , that he wrests Scriptures , traduceth Councils , falsifieth Fathers , miss-interprets all ; this most needs have some thing voluntary in it , and hath therefore no Mean in the evil , because a meaning to be evil . The onely excuse is to say ; that he seems onely s●pere ex Indice , to have all his learning from the Tables of Books : for they be these indeed , that make so many Mountebanks of Scholars , as swarm in the world . For , when a Theme is propounded , they run presenty to the Tables , and pick Authours pockets of what serves their turns , but never once offer to look the Authours in the face● and so , not knowing the Antecedents , and Su●seq●●●ts , they neither understand what they read , nor this man , what he writes . And that you may know him to be such an one , you shall find it by this one cast of his Scholar-ship , ( Fol. 546. ) where he saith , That Cyprian was seconded by Tertullian , in his Opinion against Plays : as though Tertullian had lived after Cyprian : for that a man , who goes before , and begins an Opinion , may be seconded by him that follows , there is reason ; but to say , that a man , which follows , and continues an Opinion , is seconded by him that went before , and began it , was never heard of , till he hath brought it into Being . And may we not here say , that this one Answer alone , is it self a full discharge to his whole Book , without any more ado ; seeing all the Arguments he brings in his Book , either drawn from Reason , or from Authorities , either of Councels , or Fathers , or other Writers ; they are true enough against the Plays of the Heathen ; but , as Plays are now in use amongst Christians , not a true word in any of them ; and therefore where he hath entituled his Book , A Tragedie of Actours ; he should , if he had done right , have entituled it , A Comedie of Errours . It is true indeed , Tertullian condemneth Plays by places of Scripture , not onely against Idolatry , and Superstition , but against Sensuality also , and Concupiscence ; but doth he not by the same places condemn also second Marriages ; when either a man marrieth a second wife , or a woman a second husband ? yet he is condemned for applying the places against these ; and why not then as well , for applying them against Plays ? for who doubts , but there is more Concupiscence , and Sensuality in marrying a second wife , or husband , then in seeing a Play ? There is yet another Sense , in which these holy Fathers do sometimes speak of Plays , though neither Idolatrous , nor Superstitious , as things unworthy of a Christian man : but is it not in the sense , that Christ spake of the providence for earthly things , of caring for food , and ●●yment ; after all which , saith he , the ●●ntil●s s●ek ? And doth not Saint Paul 〈◊〉 the same sense , though in another ●egree , vi●ifie also the best works , that ●e can do , even the good works ●f the Law ; accounting them to be ●o better then very Dung : then which ●e could not have used a more con●emptible , and disgracefull Term. But who knows not , that these things are ●poken by way of comparison ? If there●ore that , which is comparatively spoken , ● man shall take as spoken positively , shall ●e not shew himself a superlative false Expositour ? For , setting aside Idolatry , and open Obscenity , which our Plays de●est as much as this man , neither Ter●ullian , nor any of the Fathers , did ever any otherwise condemn Plays , but as they condemned all artificial delights of the world , aspiring onely to that perfection , of which St. Iohn speaks ; Love not the world , neither the things of the world : ●f any man love the world , the love of God is not in him . I speak this the rather for pr●vention ; lest the man , vouchsafing perhaps to read this Discourse , shoul● think he had found here a just ground for a Reply , and vex us again with transscribing of Authours , and heaping up Mountains of Authorities , like Pelion upon Ossa , to this purpose : which now , he may hereby know , will serve him to no purpose ; for we seek to justifie Plays , as fit recreations for an honest Natural , or Moral man , but no ways to be matched with the high mysterious Contemplations of a Christian in Divinity . And , I doubt not , but all the Sentences of the Fathers , spoken against Plays in this kinde , will take this for an Answer ; and this may be sufficient to shew , that these mens sounding is insufficient , & nihil ad Rhombum . Others there are , of whom we may be bold to say , seeing the Proverb saith it , that The greatest Clerks are not always the wisest men . Bring them to a Matter , that is not meerly Logical , and you shall finde them oftentimes to be meerly Irrational . Plays therefore being Practical , and their chief use consisting in Action ; these mens soundings will prove no other , then as the barking of Dogs at Mo●nshine in the Water . Others there are , that sound out of zeal , but their zeal being without knowledge , though we may commend their zeal , yet we cannot commend their ignorance ; and we may truly apply another Proverb to these , that With too much haste they outrun the Constable : for though they had the Alarm in their ears , yet they have lost it by the way ; and have so fast fixed their eyes upon the abuse of Plays , that they never cast a look upon the right use , but are like one Gobryas , whom Plutarch speaks of , who fallen down , and strugling with Magus , bid Darius thrust his sword though through them both . But these are no fit men to make Iudges of , who ought rather to spare the guilty , then to condemn the innocent ; and rather to venture a doubtfull danger , then to destroy a manifest benefit : for the hurt of Plays , though seen , may be avoided ; the benefit of Plays , if not seen , cannot be obtained . And thus , by that time these mens soundings are all supprest , there will be as few left to sound their Trumpets against Plays , as were left to cast stones at the Adulteress in the Gospel . And lastly , when the Fathers , and other devout Writers , inveigh so bitterly against Plays , and apply to them such heavie styles , may they not be understood to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by way of Exaggeration , in majorem cautelam : that there be not so much as the appearance of evil amongst Christians , as St. Paul acknowledgeth ? And when Players use Speeches sometimes , and Actions , a little swerving from the strict Rules of Puritie , may they not be understood to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by way of Illustration , in majorem suadelam ; as a Player in Terence professeth his intent to be , Vt , cùm cognûrint , perpetuò oderint ? Although therefore there may seem to be between them a Diametrical opposition ; yet , seeing they agree in the Principal intent , that is , in Moral erudition , why may they not be brought to some indifferent reconcilement , and not continue in the deadly fewd , which this man professeth : if a Spirit of Charity , which covereth faults , and not a Spirit of Malice , which maketh faults where none is , were the Vmpire between them , and had the hearing , and handling of the matter ? After his Canons of fifty four Councils , and his seventy one pieces of Ordinance of the Fathers , and his hundred and fifty Musket-shot of other Writers , he comes at last ( Fol. 702. ) with his Squibs of fourty Heathen Writers , and Philosophers ; but hath he not utterly disgraced his whole Army , by having such Scare-crows to march in the Rear ? Hath he not extremely overshot himself , to bring his Cause before Heathenish Moral Writers ? Whilest he kept himself in Foro Divino , and Foro Ecclesiastico , though he had not much to say against Plays , yet Plays had not much to say for themselves ; ( for we must not look , that the Scriptures will perswade us to go to Plays , no more then they perswade us to seek to be rich ) if he had kept himself within his compass , and gone no further then his Name professeth , to be onely Histri●m●stix , which is , in his own interpretation , a Beadle of Beggars , he might with some indifferency have been tolerated ; but , having once gotten the Whip into his hand , he lays about him like a Bedlam-man , and strikes at every man he meets , not onely his professed Duellists , the Players , that act the Plays , but the Poets , that make them , the Spectatours , that see them , the Magistrates , that allow them , the Musick , that abets them , the Dancing , that graces them ; nay , he spares not Sovereign Majesty , even Kings , and Princes : that we must needs now take his Whip from him , and if he shew not himself more reasonable with his Tongue , then he hath done with his Pen , even send him to B●dlam for a mad man. But for Musick , and Dancing , we will talk with him hereafter : now we will onely question him about the other , and begin with Poets , because they are the Beginners of Plays● And what can he say , why he should offer to whip ●hem ? Were they not highly esteemed , when they lived ? Are they not highly valued● now they are dead ? Is there any Library , where their Books are wanting ? Is there any Learned man , that cites not their Sentences ? Nay● so much did Plato esteem of Sophron's Books , who was , as Quintilian saith , but Mimorum s●riptor , as it were a writer of Ballads , that he was found to have them under his Pillow when he died . If then he cannot for very shame condemn Poets , how can he with any face condemn Players ? As if he should allow a Song to be set in Musick , and not allow it to be sung ? or an Oration to be penned , and not to be pronounced ? But which are the Players he would whip ? If onely the bad Actours , we are contented ; let him not spare them : for to be a bad Actour is no more the part of a Player , then his Book is the Work of a Scholar . But will ●e therefore whip Roscius too ? He were best take heed what he does : for , if Roscius bring him once upon the Stage , he will make him more ridiculous by playing the Beadle , then once he made Chaerea , ( whom Cicero speaks of ) by playing the Bawd. Brutus , that glorious Tyrannicide , was not only a great favourer , and furtherer of Plays , but he writ to Cicero , that he should not intermit to see them , even presently after Caesar's death ; and will he whip Cicero too , if he take him at a Play ? He were best take heed what he doeth ; for Cicero can write Orationes Prinnianas , as well as Philippicas , that will live to his disgrace , as long as Letters shall live in grace● Pompey the Great built a Theatre on purpose for seeing of Plays ; and will he whip Brutus , and Pompey too , for dissolute Magistrates in allowing of Plays ? He were best take heed what he doeth ; for Brutus hath a penknife died in blood , and Pompey can lead him as a Slave in his Triumphs : and it is not for a simple Gown-man to meddle with them , who were the Princes of the Gens Togata . Augustus Caesar thought so modestly of Plays , that he allowed Vestal Virgins to go unto them , assigning them a place in the Theatre , where they should sit , and see them ; and will he whip Vestal Virgins too , if he catch them at a Play ? He were best take heed what he doeth ; for they sit there by the Emperour's allowance ; and Non est tutam in eum scribere , qui potest proscribere , It is not safe writing against him , who hath power to banish you . If Plays then have Roscius for an Actour , Cicero for a Spectatour , Brutus for an Abettour , Pompey for a Benefactour , and Augustus for a Patron , where is he , that scandals Plays , as if they durst not shew their faces in any good Company ? Let him bring me five such men in Foro Morali , in disgrace of Plays , as I have brought him five here in their commendation , and I will confess the Game lost ; if he cannot , let him then leave his facing , and his bragging , which do but set him aloft , to make him a Spectacle ; and though with the Credulous they get him Credit , yet with the Iudicious they shew he hath no Iudgment . But where are ( Fol. 702. ) his fourty Heathenish Moral Writers , and Philosophers all this while ? Socrates , Plato , Aristotle , Cicero , Seneca , Tacitus , Pliny , Maerobius , Marcus Aurelius , and the rest ? Indeed he hath made them his Executours , but they refuse to administer ; and we may say of them , as Augustus said of his Ajax , ( a Tragedie he had written ) In spongiam incubuit , they are shrunk in the wetting . And he makes me think of a Mad man of Athens , who , in all other points a sensible man , onely in this one point distracted , that , standing by the Sea-side , what Ships soever he saw pass by , he presently thought them to be his own , and would exceedingly rejoyce , as if they were his Ships , newly come home with rich prizes : so this man , in other matters , for any thing I know , well enough in his wits , seems yet to have one corner of his Brains possessed with this madness ; that standing in his Library amongst his Books , what good Authours soever he sees there , he presently thinks them to be of his Opinion , against Plays , when , Good man● there is no more to ●e found of his Opinion in any of their ●ooks , then was found of this mad Athe●ian's , goods in any of the Ships . It were ●edious to examine them all ; if I shew ●ou his faults in some , you may believe ●e in the rest : but what need I require ●ou to believe me , when you may turn ●o the places , and take him tripping ●our selves . For in the places he cites ●ither ye shall finde nothing at all of that ●e spe●ks , or nothing at all to the purpose he speaks of . Try him in Seneca , because he is likeliest to be next at hand . He cites his one hundred and twenty second , and one hundred and twenty third Epistles : but in these two long Epistles there is not a word to be found concerning Plays . He cites his seventh Epistle , and there indeed he speaks of Spectacula ; but what ? not Plays , but Earnest ; of which he saith , Manè , Leonibus , & Vrsis homines ; meridie , spectatoribus suis objiciuntur . He cites his Proeme to his Controversies : there he hath a Line , or two , of the Effeminateness of young men in his Time ; but concerning Plays Nè verbum quidem . He cites his twelfth Chapter De brevitate Vitae , a place ra●ther against himself ; for Seneca , having there spoken of the Luxury of his Tim● , concludeth thu● ; I nunc , & Mimes mult● mentiri ad exprobrandam luxuriam put● : plura mehercule praetereunt , quàm fingunt . He cites the one and thirtieth , and two and thirtieth Chapters of the seventh Book of his Natural Questions , wherein is not a word , that makes against Plays , onely he complains , that Plays were then in more request , then the study of Philosophy . He cites the twelfth , thirteenth , and fourteenth Chapters De vita beata , but in all them , of Plays , Altum silentium . And is not this man now the very mad man of Athens ? I might say here , Et crimine ab uno disce omnes . But try another ; take Macrobius . He cites his first , and seventh Chapters of his Saturnalia : but in the first not a word of Plays ; in the other he shews how wonderfully Augustus Caesar graced certain Players of his Time , Laberius , and Publius , Pylades , and Hylas , as if he should Quote us a place on purpose , to give himself the ●ie . He cites Valerius Maximus , who tells ●ndeed of Sempronius Sophus , that he put ●way his Wife for going to Plays with●ut his privitie : but this was not for ●oing to Plays , but for going without ●is privitie , and is thus far rather for the ●eputation of Plays , that it was not un●ommendable for women to go to Plays , so they went with their husbands , or in other good company , with their ●rivitie . And is not this man still the mad man of Athens ? He cites the two and twentieth Epistle of the fourth Book of Plinie , but there a Judgment only ●s passed against an Agon Gymnicus , an Exercise of naked Wrestlers , and what is this to Plays ? He cites Socrates , and thinks he hath wisdome on his side , because he was judged the wisest man by the Delphian Oracle : but was Socrates a fit man to condemn Plays for Obscenity ; who ( as Salvianus relates ) would have no Man to have any Wife of his own , but all Women to be in common : and what were this , but to betray the City , whilst he defends the Suburbs ? For , where this Opinion is held lawfull● what obscenity can be held unlawfull● He must therefore either renounce Salvianus his Testimony ; and so he shall lose the blessing of one of his Fathers , or else renounce Socrates his Iudgment , and so he shall lose the Ring-leader of one of his Squadrons . He cites Plato , but he is taken from him by one , that will hold him in spight of his great words , the thrice● Worthy Sidney , who proves plainly , that Plato banish'd not Players out of his Common-wealth for any of the reasons by this man alledged ; but because the Poet● of his Time filled the world with a wrong Opinion of the Gods , and he would not have the Youth depraved with such Opinions , whereof now , without further Law , Christianity hath taken away all the hurtfull belief . And so he can have no help from any of these , but he must be the mad man of Athens still . And as for Cicero , and the learned Emperour , Marcus Aurelius , you shall hea● them presently speak so much to hi● face ; that , if none else would prove him to be the mad man of Athens , yet they themselves will be the men shall do it . But these are but single , and private men , ( Fol. 713. ) He can shew whole Cities , and Nations , that banished Players . And did they not Physicians also , and Philosophers , and Mathematicians ? Yet in many Cities they were kindly entertained ; they were Civitate donati , enfranchised , and made Free Citizens : and some of them grew to that wealth , that is incredible ; as it is recorded of one Aesop , an Actour of Tragedies , that he left his Son so rich , that he fed upon Pearl , and was served at his Table in Silver Dishes . But mark how this man can play the ambidexter . At first , it was a good Argument against Plays , because they were the Customs , and delights of Heathen People : now it must serve for an Argument against them , because they were rejected , and banished by Heathen People , that we need not wonder , how his Book comes to be so vast , and voluminous , seeing with the same breath he can bo●h kindle , and blow out the fire ; the same thing , both affimed , and denied , he can equally make to serve his turn . And where he tells us of great Princes , and mighty Emperours , both Heathen , and Christian , that are on his side ; what should we speak of any Heathen Emperours after him , who had none before him , the great Augustus , as worthy to shut up the leaves of this contentious Discourse , as he was to shut up the doors of the Temple of Peace . And him we have already shewed , by places of the man 's own directing , to be directly against him : but , to leave no place of doubt , how firmly Augustus is on our side , hear what Suetonius Tranquillus saith of him , Spectaculorum & assiduit●te , & varietate , & magnificentiâ omnes antecessit ; In the daily frequenting , and in the variety , and magnificence of setting forth Plays , he exceeded all men . Indeed the man ( Fol. 459. ) labours much to get Augustus from us , and we cannot blame him : yet in this we blame him , that he seeks to get him from us by a trick ; he would make us believe , that Augustus ●id not favour Plays , or Players , because ●e punished two excellent Players , Hylas , ●nd Pilades , the one with Whipping , the ●ther with Banishment . As though any man thought Augustus so far to favour Plays , as to grant Players an Immunity of committing faults without controllment ? For he punished them not meer●y for Playing , but for playing the Knaves , and for their Misdemeanours . And now , that I may Coronidem imponere , conclude all with one , that wore a Christian Crown , and wore it so worthily , that he was called Pater Patriae ; did not Lewis the Twelfth , King of France , command Plays to be used , and to be used after the old maner , with liberty to tax mens Vices , and not to spare even scoffing at himself , if he deserved it ? And how can we forget a Queen of our own , ( of late famous Memory ) whose Virtues we shall remember longer , then our own Names : who would never have given allowance to Plays , all the time of her Reign , and been her self oftentimes a Spectatrix of them● if she had either been informed by her Confessours , or had conceived in her own excellent Judgment , that they could be any either Scandal to Religion , or Disparagement to Modestie . And it may be a President of no small moment for the countenancing of Plays , that a great Prelate of our time , Eminent as well for his Piety , as his Learning , yet seldome passed a Christmass , that he had not Plays Acted at his house before him . But what cares this man for either Princes , or Prelates ? for what ( Fol. 734. ) saith he : Too many great ones ( he knows not out of what respects ) have vouchsafed to honour Plays , ( or rather dishonour themselves ) with their presence : and ( Fol. 735. ) were degenerating Princes : this is , that he stands ( Fol. 719. ) upon , and will maintain , that not one , either Heathen , or Christian writer of any Note , can be alledged in defence of Plays . A bold challenge , but , if there be no fallacie in his Writers of Note , a challenge , that is presently like to fall to the ground● For what thinks he of Marcus Tullius Cicero ? was not he a Writer of Note ? Who , though he have not written a Book on purpose , yet hath inserted in his Books many notable Sentences in behalf of Plays ; which if we should collect , would make a just Volum . But what need we , when he hath one sentence , that seems as a Verdict on their side , where he saith , Comoedia est Imitatio vitae ; Speculum consu●tudinis , & Imago Veritatis : ( a short , but a full Description of the Nature of Plays : ) a Comedy is the resemblance of Life , the mirrour of Custome , the image of Truth : in which not a word , that speaks not , if not in their Praise , at least in their Commendation . And not to stand piling up of Authours ; what thinks he of one , that may be Instar multorum , the Emperour , and Philosopher , Marcus Aurelius ? Was not he a Writer of Note ? Who in his excellent Book of Morality ( for which we are beholding to our engraffed Country-man , a learned Issue of a most Learned Parent ) hath so briefly , and yet so fully expressed the profit of Plays , that you must not think it tedious , if I set down his own words . Tragedies ( saith he ) were at first brought in , and Instituted , to put men in minde of worldly Chances , and Casualties , that these things in the ordinary course of Nature did so happen , that men , that were much pleased , and delighted by such accidents upon this Stage , would not by the same things , in a greater Stage , be grieved , and afflicted . After the Tragedie , the Comoedia Vetus , or antient Comedie was brought in ; which had the liberty to inveigh against Personal Vices ; being therefore , through this their Freedom , and liberty of speech , of very good use , and effect , to restrain men from pride , and arrogancie . After these , what were either the Media , or Nova Comaedia admitted for , but meerly , or for the most part , for the delight , and pleasure of curious , and excellent Imitation ? Thus writes Marcus Aurelius : and what could he have spoken in so few words to a greater praise of Plays ? And this he writes in his Book , I may say , of Mortified Moralitie ; that one may be sure , he speaks as he thinks : and cannot be suspected to flatter Sensuality . And what will the man say now to Heathen Writers ? What ? but that , which we may say for him ; that sure their Books had no Tables , and so he could not come to see what they said of Plays . Or perhaps for all his saying , he cares not much whether Heathen Writers be of his side , or no : but for Christian Writers , he is sure enough of them , to make his challenge good . But is not this Impudence past all patience , when ( Fol. 763. ) he hath named himself two Writers of Note , Molanus , and Lindanus ; the one a Professour● the other a reverend Bishop , who have both of them written in ●ustification of Plays ? But you must allow him to except these , he meant so when he made his challenge . Well , be it so : what thinks he then of the Glory of our Nation , the Incomparable Sir Philip Sidney ? Was not he a Christian , and a Writer of Note ? Who in his general Defence of Poetry hath inserted also a particular defence of Plays , and you may well hear his words without altering , because they are not capaable of bettering . Comedie ( saith he ) is an Imitation of the common Errours of our life , which the Comedian representeth in the most ridiculous , and scornfull sort , that may be , so as it is impossible , that any Beholder can be content to be such an one . Now , as , in Geometrie , the Oblique must be known as well as the Right ; and , in Arithmetick , the Odd as well as the Even : so , in the Actions of our Life , who seeth not the filthyness of Evil wanteth a great foil to perceive the beauty of Virtue . This doth the Comedie handle so , in our private , and domestical matters , that with hearing it we get as it were an Experience : what is to be looked for of a niggardly Demea , of a crafty Davus , of a flattering Gnatho , of a Vain-glorious Thraso , and not onely to know what effects are to be expected , but to know , who be such , by the signifying badg given them by the Comedian . And little reason hath any man to say , that men learn the Evil , by seeing it so set out ; since ( as I said before ) there is no man living , but by the force truth hath in Nature no sooner seeth these men play their parts , but he wisheth them in Pistrinum . Although perchance , the sack of his own faults lie so behinde his back , that he seeth not himself to dance the same measure : whereto nothing ●an more open his Eies , then to see his own Actions contemptibly set forth . So that , the right use of Comedie will , I think , by no body be blamed : and much less of the high , and excellent Tragedie , that openeth the greatest Wounds , and sheweth forth the Vlcers , that are covered with Tissue ; that maketh Kings fear to be Tyrants , and Tyrants to manifest their Tyrannical humours ; that , with stirring the Effects of Admiration , and Commiseration , teacheth the uncertainty of this world , and upon how weak Foundations Gilden roofs are builded . It were therefore too absurd to cast out so excellent a representation of whatsoever is worthy to be learned . Thus the excellent Sidney : and what more could he have said , if he would have sought to flatter Plays ? Yet there is an Exception against him to , because ( Fol. 913. ) he hath written an Arcadia , one of the Books in this man's Index Expurgatorius . But perhaps he will admit of no English Testimonies : take one then in France , and what thinks he of the Ing●nious , and Learned Michael de Montaigne ; was not he a Christian , and a Writer of Note ? And hear what he writes in the five and twentieth Chapter of his First book of Essaies : I have ever ( saith he ) accused them of Impertinencie , that condemn , and disallow such kinde of Recreation , and blamed those of In-justice , that refuse good , and honest Comedians , or ( as we call them ) Players , to enter our good Towns , and grudg the common people such publique sports , Politick , and well-ordered Common Wealths endeavour rather carefully to unite , and assemble their Citizens together , as in serious Offices of Devotion ; so in honest Exercises of Recreation . Common society , and loving Friend-ship is thereby cherished , and encreased : and besides , they cannot have more Formal , and Regular Pastimes allowed them , then such , as are Acted , and Represented in open view of all , and in the presence of the Magistrates themselves . And , if I might 〈◊〉 sway , I would think it reasonable , that in populous Cities there should be Theatres appointed for such Spectacles . Thus Montaigne : and where is the man's challenge now , as though there were none , that either did , or durst oppose him ? Certainly we may truly say ; the Saying is verified of him , Scientia non habet Inimicum praeter Ignorant●m : Verecundia non habet Inimicum praeter Impudentem . But when all is said , that can be : this is his Murus Aheneus , that he saith no more , then what Tertullian , and Saint Cyprian , and many other most Zealous , and Learned men , have said before . It is true indeed , Tertullian , and Saint Cyprian , two shining Ligh●s in the Church of God , have both of them written Treatises De spectaculis , concerning Shews , and Plays ; and I could wish they were in English , that the world might see a strange thing to wonder at : which is , that this man saith almost nothing material of Plays , which he hath not from them , and yet , where they write most learnedly , he saith the same thing , and yet writes most ignorantly : where they write exceeding devoutly , he saith the same thing , and yet writes exceeding malitiously : where they shew in their writing great judgment , and discretion● he saith the same thing , and yet shews nothing but Vanity , and gross simplicity . One would wonder how this should happen , but this is the matter : Circumstances in matters Moral enter common often times with the substance it self , or rather indeed become very parts of the substance ; which these Fathers have most duly observed : but this man goes away with the substance , as Sampson with the Gates of Azzah , and leaves the Circumstances all behinde him : and so , whilst he thinks he hath the substance of the matter ; he hath not indeed the matter of the Substance . A few words will make it plain . Tertullian lived in the time of Septimius Severus Emperour of Rome : under whom was the Fifth , or Sixth Persecution against Christians : in the twelfth year of his Empire were proclaimed Secular Plays ( so called , because they were solemnized but semel in saeculo , once in an hundred years ) and were dedicated to the honour of some of their Heathen Gods. Tertullian ( conceiving it might breed great scandal to the Christian Religion , if Christians should resort unto them : and the Heathen being apt to insult , as though Christians had no pleasures in their own Religion , but were fain to come for pleasures to them ) writes a Treatise , exhorting all Christians to forbear these Plays ; and useth indeed many Excellent , and weighty Reasons , that these Plays were full of Idolatrie , and Superstition , and therefore they could not go to see them , but they must become as Accessaries , and partakers with them in their Idolatrie : that they were full of licentious Beastliness , as wherein men , and women were brought in , naked upon the Stage , using many Libidinous , and Immodest gestures ; that themselves were now in Persecution , fitter to mourn , then to be merry , fitter to wring their hands with compunction , then to clap their hands at a Plaudite ; that they might bethink themselves of greater pleasures in their own Religion , their Reconcilemeut with God , their Redemption by Christ , their Hope of Heaven , and such like . Now , what man of our Ministers , if he had been in Tertullian's place would not have written of these Plays , as Tertullian did : yet what man of our Ministers , as our Plays are now , would once have offered to open his mouth against them ? They were Idolatrous ; ours , meerly Moral : they , dedicated to Heathen Gods ; ours , dedicated only to honest Recreation : they , full of impious , and prophane Obscenity ; ours , full only of civil Mirth : they , full of cruelty , and blood ; ours , friendly , and quiet , lovingly maintaining mutual society : they , in time of persecution ; ours , in time ( for which we have cause to praise God ) of Peace , and Iubile : they , Acted by Heathen , and amongst Heathen ; ours , Acted by Christians , and amongst Christians . And now , let the world judg , whether there be no just cause to commend this Father for wri●ing as he did , and yet to condemn this man for writing as he doth ? For he duly observed all due Circumstances , but this man observes none ; but is meerly a confused Lump , as if he were a man made out of the first Chaos , and were never descended from Adam , made of the Earth , when it was a distinct Element . Although therefore he could say , that he saith nothing , but what others have said before , yet would this be no Apologie for him ; s●eing he saith it not in the same Times , nor amongst the same Persons , nor upon the same Occasions , nor with regard of any due Circumstance . And yet , this is not all ; for is not his Book full of severe Censurings ? of uncharitable Invectives ? of far-fetch'd Applications ? of opprobrious Language ? of blemishing Imputations ? But , suppose it were not , Is it nothing to gather the errours of former times , and to cast them upon the Reformation of the present time ? Is it nothing to suck the Vlcers of Diseased persons , and then spit them all in the face of his Countrey ? Is it nothing to obtrude his own mistakings for truths ; and that to the scandal of the whole nation ? Is it nothing to perswade the world , that ( Fol. 1 , & 568. ) we profess to be Christians , but are none , as maintaining Heathenish , and Idolatrous Customes ? Is it nothing ( Fol. 149. ) to sow seeds of Suspicion , and Iealousies in the peoples hearts , as if all were out of order , both in Church , and Common-wealth ? Is it nothing for a private man , to take upon him to be Censor morum , in matters both Civil , and Ecclesiastical ? If these things should be suffered , every Korah , and Dathan would be controlling of Moses , and Aaron ; every Iack Straw would be giving ●aws to his Prince ; every Dreamer would be an Enthusiast , as if another Montanus were come amongst us : but I forbear to aggravate faults already censured , Quas meruit poenas , jam dedit illud opus . Onely add this as a Corollary to all , that hath been said , If Plays be neither guilty of Idolatry , nor obscenity , then is his Book guilty both of malice , and slander ; but they are neither Idolatrous in any sort , as all men will acknowledge , nor Obscene in the sort he would make them , as no man can deny ; and therefore what is his Book but a very unmannerly surmise for the maner , and a very filthy Impostume for the matter . And now , that you have heard this Negative Argument to absolve Plays ; you may be pleased to hear one Affirmative Argument , to make them absolute , and it shall be cut after his own fashion , if that will please him . That exercise is most worthy to be frequented , in which both profit , and pleasure may be had together : but such are Plays , therefore most worthy to be frequented . The Major is proved thus , Omne tulit punctum , qui miscuit ●tile dulci. The Minor thus , Et prodesse volunt , & delectare Poëtae . There remains onely a short Paraphrase upon this Argument , and then Dixi. For should we not wrong Plays , if we did onely defend them , and did not commend them ? To leave them non Laudatos , were to leave them Illaudatos : and they deserve not onely an Apologie , but an Encomium . As therefore it is said of Images , that they are the Books of such as cannot read ; so we may say of Plays , that they are the Scholes of such as cannot studie , and teach that with ease and delight , which in other courses cannot be attained without much pain , and labour . And let not the Name abuse you , as if you were at play , when you are at a Play ; for though the Name be but a Iest , yet is there in good earnest much earnest good to be learned from thence by due observation . Certainly , the very scope of Plays in Christian times , hath ever been addressed to the magnifying of Virtue ; or to make notorious the foulness , and deformity of Vice ; wherein indeed they have an ability , then any other course far more enforcing . For whereas the common man is drawn to love Virtue , not so much by the love of Virtue , as by the love of Happiness , which grows out of Virtue ; and to hate Vice , not so much for the hate of Vice , as for the hate of Miseries , that flow out of Vice : it must necessarily follow , that what doth most manifest such happiness , or such miseries , must needs , to Virtue , or from Vice , be most enforcing ; but this effect is far better wrought by Plays , the Representation of life , then by the life it self : seeing life , being casual , and tedious , doth neither always answer to desert ; nor yet is ea●ie to be observed , where the Play no sooner shews you the Vice , but it inflicts the punishment ; no sooner the Virtue , but it bestoweth the reward . Besides , where Laws suppress faults , by making the faulty , punishable : Plays reclaim the faulty , by making the faults , if small , ridiculous● if great , odious . Indeed , the Passages of the world are excellent Glasses , if they be had within reasonable distance , which , as it is the purpose of Histories to do by Relation ; so it is the purpose of Plays to do it by Representation , as Cicero saith , Haec consicta arbitror à Poetis esse , ut effictos mores nostros , expressámque imaginem nostrae quotidianae vitae videamus : Plays , I conceive , were devised by Poets for this purpose ; that in them , as in a Glass , we might see the maners , and very Image of our daily life . Plays indeed are Glasses of the Passages , and Actions of the world : and it is unhappy for Glasses , when they fall into the hands of Ill-favoured faces ; for they may chance to lay the Ill favouredness of their faces upon the Glasses : and just so it is with this man ; for he lays all the blame of the world 's bad actions upon Plays , where he ought rather to lay all the blame of Plays bad actions upon the world : for , if the world were good , Plays would be good ; but , if the world be bad , Plays are but the Glasses , they do but their kinde to represent it as it is ; and therefore no fault of theirs , if they be bad too . But he cannot abide to hear talk of Representations , he finds no difference between real committing a Sin , and representing it . But have we not even in Scripture some Examples , ( which we may apply with reverence ) that things which cannot without indecency be done , may yet without indecency be represented ? Can there be a more beastly , a more shamefull act , then to shew one's self stark naked before all people ? yet the Prophet Esay did so ; and did so three years together : and though in it self it were a shamefull act● yet in him it was not so ; because he did it for representation . Can there be a more foul , or foolish act , then for a man purposely to marry a Whoor , and to have children of Fornications ? yet the Prophet Hosea did so : and , though in it self it were a most foolish act ; yet in him it was not so , because he did it for representation . And may we not then draw from hence not only an Apologie for Plays , by reason of their lawfulness , but an Encomium also , by reason of their forcibleness ? And for this cause the great Schole-man , Thomas Aquinas , saith , and saith it in this very case . Poeticae Fabulae idcirco inventae sunt , ut mortales adducerent ad virtutis adeptionem , ac Vitii fugam , ad quoe simplices homines meliùs repraesentationibus , quàm rationibus inducuntur . Plays were invented to this purpose , that men might the better be drawn to embrace Virtue , and to flie Vice ; to which they are much better drawn by representations , then by reasons . But he would be thought very devout ; he stands upon it , that we have other , far better , more Crystalline Glasses then Plays , even Scriptures , the Word of God , and Preachers , the Ministers of the Word of God , &c. As though , because the Sun is a glorious Light of God's making , we might not use a Torch of our own making , when the Sun is down ? The Scriptures indeed are Divine Rules , God's Word is a Lanth●rn to our feet , and a Light to our paths , and Preachers are sublime Schole-masters , who sit in Moses Chair to instruct us ; and I could wish with this man , that Prayers , & Sermons were more frequented , and Plays less ; but yet not with this man's minde , as though every one , that goes to a Play , were damned : but because Plays are but of Humane invention , and may miscarry in that they intend ; Sermons are of Divine institution , and have a promise of Grace annexed ; and of which it is said , That Faith comes by hearing . We see Plays but to refresh our Spirits ; but we hear Sermons to sanctifie our Spirits : we see Plays but as a bodily recreation ; but we hear Sermons as a spiritual edification ; which yet I speak not to make comparison , but to shew there is no comparison to be made . They are non eod●m nominanda die . But yet they are no ●lasses ; he can never make a Glass of a Pulpit , as we may do of a Stage ; that may teach us to know our selves , but it cannot shew us to see our selves : this is onely done by representation , which is the proper Office , and work of Plays . If therefore we could make true use of Plays , as Plays do their parts to offer it unto us , we should not onely in them see our faults , but by them learn to amend our faults ; and though we attribute not unto them a power of working spiritual Grace , which is proper to the Pulpit ; yet we may attribute to them a means of working Moral Virtue , which may be common to the Stage . Here he falls to exclaiming , ( for he is excellent at loud exclamations ) [ Fol. 733. ] Oh , let it never be heard of in Gath , nor published in Askelon ; [ Fol. 101. ] for who can be so ●rossly stupid , to think to learn any Grace , or Virtue from a Play-house ? Who ever sought for Pearls in Dirt ; or for a Crystal Spring in filthy Mire ? with many such , no less impertinent , then Pathetical Interrogatories ; which he would use , if he were but speaking of a Goose's going bare-foot . Indeed he bears himself very h●gh ; as if he were the onely Atlas to bear up the Firmament of Virtue ; and that we are all children of the Giants , that fight against God , and all goodness : but we let him know , ( if at least he will learn ) that we honour Virtue as much sincerely , as he would seem to do , and we seek to advance Virtue by more ways , then he directs how to do . We acknowledge Prayer the most sovereign means ; then reading of Scriptures ; then hearing of Sermons ; then conferring with learned Ministers ; then conversing with Religious Persons : but yet we exclude not inferiour helps ; for seeing all the means we can use is little enough , why should we neglect any means , though never so mean ? And indeed , as Seneca said of Epicurus , Malè audit , infamis est , sed immeritó : He hath an ill report , and is infamous , yet undeservedly : ( for though he made Pleasure the Summum Bonum , yet he meant a Pleasure flowing out of Virtue ) so we may say of Plays ; Malè audiunt , infames sunt , sed immeritó : They have an ill Name , and are infamous , but undeservedly : for though they be in shew but Pleasures , yet they bring a profit with them , and conduce to Virtue . And seeing Heathen men might have , and oftentimes had in great eminency Moral Virtues , to what may we impute it more , then to their seeing of Plays ? For , though Philosophy gave them the Rules , and Histories told them the Tales , yet Plays onely shewed them the Examples , which gave the life to both the other . For Rules of Philosophy are but dead Lessons , and Tales of Histories make but light impression ; the Viva vox , and Action of the Player , is as a Les●on in Musick , played unto us by the Master ; and as a Seal upon both Sense , and Understanding , the Print whereof is reciprocally carried from one to the other with infinite repercussions . Rules of Philosophy , though they be good Directions , yet they want one to lead us by the hand ; they bring us onely to Video meliora , probóque , and then leave us to Deteriora sequor : where Plays do not onely shew us the Right , but lead us in it ; not onely tell us the way , but tread it out before us . Reading of Histories , though it be pleasing to the Understanding , yet it is wearisome to the Sense ; neither is the Understanding it self so much wrought upon by that we read , as by what we hear , and see ; and this makes Plays to be of far more use , and profit then Histories ; because in them we have absolutely the help of one Sense more , and the help of the other Sense with far more force , and greater contentment . And as for the Understanding , it is not onely sooner , and better Informed , but is Dilated also , and made both more capable , and more capacious , by seeing of Plays , then by reading of Histories : seeing in these the Phantasie , receiving it onely from the dead Book , and doing it all , it self alone , can be but faint in delivering it to the Understanding : where , in Plays , the Seeing prompts the Hearing , and the Hearing prompts the Seeing , and they both joyn together , to present it to the Fantasie , which , receiving it with vigour , with vigour transmits it to the Understanding . I might quickly here grow tedious , if I should follow the Matter , and not observe Form , but seeing too long Walk● , though never so pleasant , may be wearisome , I will make a stand here ; onely shewing , what an Hill is behinde to be ascended , if , after private profi●s , I should proceed to speak of publick Benefits : proving how necessary it is , that the multitude , who live by their labours should have Recreations allowed them to sweeten their pains : and that of all Recreations , hitherto invented , there is not any , for many Considerations , so worthy the embracing , as this of Plays : it is a general delight , general to Sex , to Age , to Quality ; it is an innocent delight , innocent in Deed , and in Occasion ; it is a cheap delight , it ventures nothing , and spends but little ; it is a sociable delight , many do at once enjoy it , and all equally ; it is a ready delight , without wast of time , or trouble of waiting ; it is a refreshing delight , it becalms the Spirits , where most other delights make the Pulses beat ; it is a delight both to Sense , and Reason : and , of the Senses , more then one more then one way do at once partake it : and as for the Reasons , we may truly say of Plays , that they enlarge it by Discourses , quicken it by Conceits , and direct it by Examples . These are some reasons of many , to shew there is just cause , why Plays should , and may delight us : but to shew , that they do indeed delight us , what can be alledged better then that , which Cicero saith , Quid ego dicam populum , ac vulgus imperitorum ludis magnoper● delectari ? quanquam id huic causae satis est ; sunt enim populi , ac multitudinis Comitia : What should I speak of the delight , which common people take in Plays ? of which we need seek no further reason then this , that they are the Marts of the people . And lest you should think it a base delight , as delighting onely the base multitude : hear what he saith further , and saith it not onely as a Witness , but as a Party , making it a delight even of States-men : Et nosmetipsi , qui ab delectatione omni negotiis impedimur ; & in ipsa occupatione delectationes alias multas habere possumus , ludis tamen oblectamur , & ducimur : Even we our selves , who by reason of imployments are hindred from taking of any delight , and in the imployments themselves may have many other delights ; yet are we also affected , and taken with the delight of Plays . And what will you say , if this man himself , who hath spoken so reproachfully all this while of Plays , and would make us believe ( Fol. 724. ) that none but lewd people are delighted with them , even he also can be proved to delight in Plays ? You would think it strange : yet hear what Cicero saith to this point too , and that upon his credit : Delectant homines , mihi crede , ludi , non eos solùm , qui fatentur , sed illos etiam , qui dissimulant : Plays , believe me , delight all ; not them onely that confess it , but even them that would deny it , and do dissemble it . And who doubts , but that we shall finde this man amongst the Oratour's Dissemblers ? But to make an End with him , that never makes an end ; seeing Scriptures in no kinde , antient Fathers , and Councils , not in our kinde , have ever condemned Plays ; seeing no Reasons of any force can be brought against them , and many may be alledged for them ; seeing they rather deserve Commendation , then need Defence , I hope to finde none either in Iudgment so weak , or so strong in Passion , as to set his hand ●o this man's pen , or to lend his voyce ●o this man's throat , in making Outcrys against Plays ; but that he will be con●ent , as to see the wide world drawn ●n a Map , and a large History in an Abridgment ; so to see , and favour Plays , which are nothing , but Epitomes of the World's behaviour . FINIS .