PLAYS Confuted in five Actions, Proving that they are not to be suffered in a Christian common weal, by the way both the Cavils of Thomas Lodge, and the Play of Plays, written in their defence, and other objections of Players friends, are truly set down and directly answered.  
By Steph. Gosson, Stud. Oxon.  S. Cyprian. 
Non diserta, sed fortia.  
LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Gosson dwelling in Pater noster row at the sign of the Sun.   

To the Right Honourable Sir Frances Walsingham Knight, one of the principal Secretaries to her excellent Majesty, of her highness most honourable Privy Counsel, & Chancellor of the order, Stephen Gosson wisheth prosperity in this life, and life everlasting in Christ our Saviour.  
IT is reported (Right Honourable) of Callicratides, that being appointed by the Lacedæmonians to succeed Lysander as Admiral of their Fleet, th● athenians sent out above ● hundred & fifty Ships ●●ainst him: whereupon the Master of his Ship persuading him to retire without offering his enemies any play, because he was to deal with the greater number; he answered, that Sparta would be never the worse though he were ●oylde, but to ●●e, was in his judgement, the greatest reproach of all. So fareth it this present time with me, which giving forth my Defiance unto Plays, am mightily beset with heaps of adversaries, yet such is the Majesty of the Cause, that, though all the pride of mine enemies, and pomp of Athens be ship● to meet me, it will stand upright, when I with Callicratides am overthrown, but to shrink in so good a quarrel, is in my opinion, more foul a disgrace then death itself. God knoweth I never undertook this troublesome piece of work for any vain glory as Crassus did his invective against Carbo, and repented him afterwards, because it was a hatchet to his own liberty, setting many men's eyes a work to watch him; nor of any fantastical over-hardinesse, as he that having taken a Wolf by the ear, neither letteth him go; for being assaulted; nor is able to master him for want of might: But as the Wrestler entering the list, first tasteth his strength, by lifting some churlish piece of weight at the arms end, & therewith as it were rebateth his stomach, for being too rough when he comes to grapple; I first weighed in my hands the ancient Fathers of the Church, that the massiness of their arguments in this matter might cause me not to deal so overthwartlye & stubbornelye, as the defendants of Players have deserved. Nevertheless I thought it necessary to nettle one of their Orators above the rest, not of any set purpose to deface him, because he hath dealt very grossly, homely, and uncharitably with me, but like a good Surgeon to cut, & to sear, when the place requireth, for his own amendment. Which thing I trust shall neither displease your honour, nor any of the godly, in the reading, so long as the person whom I touch is (as I hear by his own friends, to his repentance if he can perceive it) hunted by the heavy hand of God, and become little better than a vagrant, loser than liberty, lighter than vanity itself. The right, for the recovery whereof I framed these actions belongeth not to me, but unto God, whose manner is to beat down the loftiness of usurpers, not with the wisdom of the world, or with preparation of spear & shield, but with the foolishness of the Gospel, and the nakedness of his truth. Therefore it had been as dangerous for me, in this simple Confutation of our Comedies, to play with my pen by seeking fine powders for dainty noses, as it is for the soldier to dally with his weapon when the battle joins. It is one thing to flourish, an other to fight, one thing to brag, another to come to handy gripes. Finding Plays of themselves, as filthy as the stables of Auria, impossible to be cleansed before they be carried out of England, with a stiff stream, and the banishing of them as worthy to be registered in the labours of Hercules as the conquering the monstrous wild Boar, of Erymanthus, that wasted the country round about: If ever so notable a thing be brought to pass it must be done by some Hercules in the Court, whom the roar of the enemy can never daunt. Which persuaded me amongst all the patrons of virtue in her majesties court to dedicate both this & myself unto your honour, that your wisdom might be a countenance to my study, your authority a buckler unto my life. Agamemnon a valiant Captain of the Greeks, thought verily, that if he might have but ten such as Nestor to take his part, it would be no trouble to sack Troy: I have been always of this opinion, that if but one such as Nestor, that is, your honour, do no more then thrust out your hand to secure me, let the wicked discharge their shot at my face, Plays will be easily fired out: and I when I sleep shall be as safe, as the child in his cradle, whose mother will not suffer a fly to bite him. Mean while I most humbly crave pardon for my boldness, in presuming, to creep into your honour's patronage: I make as much account of your honour, as the athenians did of Paralus their holy ship, that was n●uer launched but upon high, & great affaires● The Gentlemen Players in the city of London, are grown in such a heat, that by their foaming, their fretting, their stamping, my friends do perceive how their heart's work, and enfor●eme to bring to your honour no common fraighte, but as much as my life and security hereafter shall be worth. If the providence of God, who many times scourgeth a man with the sin that he loved, have ordained those players whom I fed with fancies, to be a whip to my back, and a dagger to my breast, the fault is mine own, the punishment due: But if it be the pleasure of the Almighty, rather in mercy to deliver, then in justice to confound; & by your honourable patronage to snatch me out of the jaws of those ravenous wolves, that have whetted their teeth to pull me down; I shall learn to employ my study to the glory of God, and be bound to your honour whilst I live. Thus wishing a charitable mind to them, better success unto myself, plenty of happiness to your honour; I leave them and me to your honours consideration, and your honour to the tuition of God himself.   

To the Rightworshipful Gentlemen and students, of both Universities, and the Inns of Court.  
TWo things (Gentlemen) I ●ercei●e to be invincible in the world, both which, to my grief, are quite against me, Favour, & Eloquence: the one in Players, and that I fear: the other in you, and that peradventure will stay my passag. I mistrust that the favour, which Players have got with the greater multitude, will make them prejudicial to the cause I handle, for love is so blind, that it never sees any blemish in the thing it liketh, but a ●iuy, even by the smallest, and weakest props that it ●atcheth, findeth a way to rear itself. The eloquence that is in you, as I confess it to be great, so were it not greatly to be doubted, if it were but indifferent in myself. Now sith my Rhetoric is little, my Eloquence nothing, compared to you, whose continually exercise, is joined to co●tinuall study: though the truth be as sure on my side, as the succession of night is to the day, yet I hold myself vanquished before you s●rike.  
One being asked of Archidamus the king of Sparta, whether he, or Pericles were the better wrestler, answered, that he could not ●ell: for, when I throw him (quoth he) he denies he was down, and persuadeth the beholders to believe him: Such is the excellency of your wit, if it be bend to contend with me for Plays, that how●oener I trip you, or fetch you over, you are a●le to say that I come not near you, and make the Reader avow it, against the open testimony of his eyes. I would Readers considered that when they come to ●he view of any new book, they are bid by their friend as guests to a banquet: at a banquet if any dish be before you, which your stomach abhors, It is a point of good manners, somewhat orderly to remove it: In books if any thing be offered that you cannot relish, courtesy wills you, with a thankful kind of modesty to refuse it. Our father's forefathers in older time, were wont to place Mercury in their Temples among the Graces, whose meaning was, that as Mercury was counted the God of utterance: and the three Graces, the Ladies of Courtesy: so placing the shrines of them together, might teach us to know that spee●● is desirous of friendly ears, and writers have great need of Gentle Readers. When Gentlemen read with a mind to bark, their throats are so narrow that nothing will downe: whatsoever we speak is too round or too flat, too blunt or too sharp, too square or too crooked, one way or other it stands a wry. The fairest city in the world may be overthrown, with less charge, less labour, less time, than it can be built: a brack is sooner speed than drawn together: books many times are speedily reprehended, but amended by leisure, at the kalends of the Greeks. It is the property of some kind of Dogs, to tear the skin of the beast with wonderful stomach, when it is dead and within the doors, which abroad they never durst open at when it lived: and divers jolly sif●ers in these days can toss, and turn, and within their own walls make dishecloutes of writers, whose sight would be too hot for their presence if th●y might join. seeing many books printed & few liked, I conjecture with myself that the reason is, that some are curious, some froward, some idle. W● know that counsel is as necessary to our ears as light to our eyes, the one is a lantern to the body, the other a bright shining lamp unto the soul. Receiving instruction, if your tooth be too white, you may chance to starve: if your nose be so fine that nothing will please you, but that which is sweet, you may well be compared to those nice kind of Dames which in plaiting of Garlands forget their thrift, or to him which thinks it impossible to quench his thirst, if his drinks be not served in a cup of gold: if you be contentious and overthwart, willinger to cavil, than to learn: contented to read, but not to regard: to be taught, but not reform: you are like unto him that forsakes the Physician when he is cut, and never permits him to finish the cure: if you be so slow, of yourselves, that because writers many times do not set down every thing that may be spoken, but only point with their fingers to the place, where you may be satisfied if you seek it, you will not travel and study to fish it out, you are not much unlike to naked birds in the nest that ever lie yawning at the bill of the dam, & search for no more than is put in their mouths. You know it is a notable point of folly for a man to toast himself by his neighbour's fire, and never bestir him to keep any warmth in his own chimney: as great a madness is it in many Readers, when they are taught, not seek to maintain it of their own: which is, to content themselves with the glorious blaze of an other man's knowledge, whereby they outwardly get some colour in their cheeks, but within they are dusky, dark and obscure. Many things might be spoken against Plays, for the vain ostentation of a flourishing wit, bravely, for satisfying them that are unsatiable, largely: for instructing of them that are unlearned, plainly: which I have omitted. For, to tread alof● among you as a tragical Poet in my buskins, were as fondly done as to throw water in the sea where it can not be seen: to dilate this discourse for the unsatiable, were as much as to close up the mouth of Curtius' gulf, that will never be stopped but with my life: to lay open every thing to the ignorant, were without judgement to charge them beyond their strength, which are to be fed like children, with a little, and oft.  
What effect my labour will take among you, I am not sure, yet hope the best, at all adventures I have committed it to the Press. Seiramnes the Persian seeing many men wonder that he spoke w●sely, but nothing that ever he spoke was regarded: told them that words were ●uer in his own power, but success was never within his reach. You may see if you please, that the counsel I bring is good and sound, but if you despise it when it is read, I will comfort myself as Seiramnes did: I have my books in my study at commandment: you are out of my walk, & your own men. I was very willing to write at this time, because I was informed by s●●e of you which ●eard it with your ears, that ●i●●e my publishing the School of Abuse, two Plays of my making were brought ●o the Stage: the one was a cast of Italian devices, called, The Comedy of Captain Mario: the other a Moral, Praise at parting. These they very impudently affirm to be written by me since I had set out my in●ec●iue against them. I can not deny, they were both mine, but they were both penned two years at the least before I forsook them, as by their own friends I am able to prove: but they have got such a custom of counterfeiting upon the Stage, that it is grown to an habit, & will not be left. God knoweth, before whom to you all I do protest, as I shall answer to him at the last day, when all hidden secrets shall be discovered, since the first printing of my invective, to this day, I never made Play for them nor any other. Therefore if ever they ●e so shameless, and gra●●les ●o bedye me again, I beseech God, as he hath given me more wit, to spend my time well: so to send to them more honesty, to speak a truth. I could purge myself of this slander in many words, both how I departed from the City of London, and bestowed my time in teaching young Gentlemen in the Country, where I continue with a very worshipful ●entleman, and read ●o his sons in his own house: but the men are so vain, & their credit so light, that the least word I speak is enough to choke them. He that reprehends a vice, & shuns it not, snuffs the Lamp to make it burn, but puts in no oil to nourish the flame. Therefore as son as I had inveighed against Plays, I withdrew myself from them to better studies, which so long as I live I trust to follow.  
Thus submitting my book and myself to your judgement, I leave to trouble you any farther, craving this at your hands before we part, that if any Player bely me in your hearing upon the stage, you would rather consider of the person than of the speech, for a Player is like to a merchants finger, that stands sometime for a thousand, sometime for a cipher, and a Player must stand as his part falls, sometime for a Prince sometime for a peasant.  
Yours Stephen Gosson.   

The first Action.  
IF any that have known me already by acquaintance, or shall know me hereafter by reading some part of my simple travels, chance to wonder, that I which heretofore have not only so favoured, but written Plays, that my pen hath been readier to defend them, then to deface them; now with alteration of mind so deeply accuse that which so highly I esteéemed. Whatsoever he be, if he weigh the reason that moveth me thereunto, I trust he will both allow that which by my School of Abuse hath passed against them: And think it necessary for me at this time, to renew my plea. When I first gave myself to the study of Poetry, and to set my cunning abroach, by penning Tragedies, and Comedies in the City of London: perceiving such a Gordians knot of disorder in every play house● as would never be loosed without extremity, I thought it better with Alexander to draw the sword that should knap it a sunder at one stroke, then to seek overnicely or gingerly to undo it, with the loss of my time and want of success. This caused me to bid them the base at their own goal, and to give them a volley of heathen ●riters: that our divines considering the danger of such houses as are set up in London against the Lord, might batter them thoroughly with greater shot. But such is the queasiness of our stomach, that like unto travellers at the Sea, being ready to cast, we think to find remedy by change of place, sprawling down from the Ship to the Cockboat, yet are never the near, so long as the humour works within us: & acknowledging the ●●schefe bred by plays we hope to avoid it by changing their day yet suffer them still to remain among us. Wherein we may well be compared to children that holding ice in their ●andes, for discommodities sake are unwilling to keep it; & for wantonness, loath to le● it go. Cōmod●s a Romane● Emperor, was so excellent in throwing of ●i● dart, that having gotten Sundry sorts of wild beasts, as marks for the exorcize of his hand, the whole city of Rome assembled together to behold him, neither ●●we him throw twice at one mark, nor give any wound which was not deadly: And it were to be wished that every man which talketh upon him to rebuke sin, should level so straight with Commodus, and stick so sure, that as oft as he shoots at deformities, he might hit them, and as oft as he hits, kill; So should the readers with the Romans see, neither any kind of monster twice gaulde, nor any vice recover the first wound. Nevertheless as some Philosophers are of this opinion that the heavens because they move do yield a kind of harmony in their mottion, yet if you request to know the reason, why we discern it not by the ear, their answer is, that we never hear it, because we ever hear it. So the abominable practices of plays in London have been by godly preachers, both at Paul's cross, and el●● where, so zealously, so learnedly, so loudly cried out upon to small redress; that I may well say of them, as the Philosopher's report of the moving of the heavens, we never hear them, because we ever hear them. Whereby I gather, that the wisdom of man, is able to rule any thing but man: for the savage and brute beasts neither grudge to feed where they are appointed, nor resist when they are driven from those places, where they love most of all to bite. But whether our ears be wilfully stopped, & our eyes muffled, that in hearing, we hear, and not understand; in seeing, we see and not perceive; or whether the devil our ancient enemy hath stricken so deep and so venomous a tooth into the heart of man, as hath infected, and wounded the soul to death, I know not well● yet sure I am, 
Heb. 6.8. Heb. 4.12  and have sufficient warrant by the word of God, that being watered with the preaching of the Gospel, if the fruit we yield be thorns and briars, it is a very eare-marke of reprobates, and of such as are given over by the Lord, to their own sense, to follow destruction with full sail. The word of God is lively, and mighty in operation: being lively, if it do not quicken and stir us up to a newness of life, it is a token that we have no life, but are already stone dead, in the works of darkness: being mighty in operation, both the players and we must be persuaded, that their idle occupation, having so stout, so strong, so puissant, so mighty an enemy as the word of God, though the honour and authority of their Masters hold them up for a time, yet in the end they must have a fall. For neither strong holds, nor inventions of men, nor any high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, shallbe able to stand, when the foot of his Prophets comes against it. Amongst all the favourers of these uncircumcised Philistines I mean the Players, whose hearts are not right, no man till of late durst thrust out his head to maintain there quarrel, but one, in wit, simple; in learning, ignorant; in attempt, rash; in name, Lodge; whose book, as it came not to my hands in one whole year after the privy printing thereof, so I confess, that to it, before this time I answered nothing, partly because he brought nothing; partly because my heart was to big, to wrestle with him, that wanteth arms. Therefore considering with myself that such kind of sores might be lanced to soon, I chose rather to let him ripen and break of himself, that vomiting out his own disgrace, & being work out of favour among his own friends, I might triumph in the cause & shed no blood. Though some of his acquaintance have vaunted to cut and ●ewe mee● I know not how: yet having greater regard to the souls of many, then to the threatenings of few; to the honour of God, then to the pride of ever bragging and b●sie Players; by God's assistanc● I will prove unto you, that stage Plays are not to be suffered in a christian common weal. Which I trust I shallbe able sufficiently to 〈◊〉, if I give you a taste 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 o● Plays, and of the 〈◊〉: ●f the ca●●es, which I fi●de by ●eading; of the effects, which I know by my own experience. I hope that no Christian willbe so shameless to say that the doctrine & invention of the Devil, is to be suffered in that common weal, where the glad tidings of grace is truly preached. For to maintain the doctrine and invention of the Devil, is a kind of Apostasy & falling from the Lord. For God hath made us to his own likeness, 
Ephes. 4.24.  which likeness consisteth not in lineaments and proportion of the body, but in holiness and singleness of life. Therefore receiving the doctrine and inventions of the Devil, between whom and God there can be no truce, no league, no manner of agreement, because the one is holy, the other impu●e; the one good, the other evil; the one light, the other darkness: we forsake our God, forsaking of him, we lose his image and likeness, losing his image, we are not his children, and consequently have no part nor fellowship with Christ in the world to come. That Stage Plays are the doctrine and invention of the Devil, may be gathered by Tertullian, who noteth very well that the Devil foreséenge the ruin of his kingdom, both invented these shows, and inspired men with devices to set them out the better thereby to enlarge his dominion and pull us from ●od. And Thomas Lodge in that patchte pamphlet of his wherein he taketh upon him the defence of plays, little perceiving how lustily the chips fly in his face, whilst he heweth out timber to make the frame, confesseth openly that plays were consecrated by the heathens to the honour of their gods, which in deed is true, yet serveth it better to overthrow them them establish them: for, whatsoever was consecrated to the honour of the Heathen Gods was consecrated to idolatry, Stage Plays by his own confession were consecrated to the honour of Heathen Gods, therefore consecrated to idolatry. Being consecrated to idolatry, they are not of God, if they proceed not from God, they are the doctrine and inventions of the devil. This will be counted news learning among a great number of my gay countymen, which bear a sharper smack of Italian devices in their heads, then of English religion in their hearts. Nevertheless the godly perceive how lamentable & damnable a case we stand in; lamentable, because we are so asotted with these delights, so blinded with the love, and drunken with the sweetness of these vanities, that greedily we flock together, and with our brainsick assemblies not unlike to the Trojans hale in the horse, whose mischief hath been discovered by the Prophets of the Lord, and whose bowels have been many times gauged with the sword of his truth: damnable, because we profess Christ, and set up the doctrine of the devil; we hold with the hare and run with the hound, heaping up judgement upon our souls by this hypocrisy. Certain it is, that this life of ours is a continual warfare, a pitchte field, wherein, as the lickerous tongue of our mother Eve hath justly provoked the Lord, to set the devil and us at deadly feud, so is it our part to bethink us of him, that never leaves nibbling at our heel. He is called the Serpent, the envious man, the Prince of this world, the common enemy of Christé, and of man kind. Being a Serpent he is subtle; being envious, he repineth at our estate● being a Prince, he is mighty; being an enemy, he is malicious; malice breedeth continual discord; continual discord, a perpetual study and desire to hurt: which the Apostle understanding, giveth us a watch woo●de to walk warily. For having an enemy so crafty conceited, so well appointed, so envious, so malicious, so willing to mis●h●●●e us: no doubt but he hath set up many traps, shot many nets, baited many hooks, to take us, to tangle us, to throttle us. Which is enough to make us suspect every pleasure that he proffereth. When Pyrrhus 
L. P●erus.  saw that the Romans could not be over thrown by force of arms, he buried the bodies of them that were slain; he dealt very honourably with his prisoners returning them home without ransom, and sent his Ambassadors to entreat of peace: whereby he made account to win that with undermining, which open assault could never get. The Devil, whose treachery passeth the shifts of Pyrrhus, feeling such a terrible push, given to his breast by the change of religion, and 〈◊〉 the happy entrance of her Majesty to the crown, hath played 〈◊〉 beguilie ever since. He deals very favourably with us now, he entertaineth his captives with all manner of courtesy, he craveth no ransom for our release, his Ambassadors have been a great while among us. First he sent over many wanton Italian books, which being translated into english, have poisoned the old manners of our Country with foreign delights, they have so hardened the readers har●s the severer writers are trod under foot, none are so pleasunte or plausible as they, that sound some kind of liberty in our ears. This contempt of good books hath breed a desire of fancies & toys. For if it be as Ambrose 
De fuga secu●●.  saith that the decrease of vanity is the increase of virtue: I may reason of the contrary, that the increase of vanity is the decrease of virtue. Therefore the Devil not contented with the number he hath corrupted with reading Italian bawdry, because all cannot read presenteth us Comedies cut by the same pattern, which drag such a monstrous tail after them, as is able to swéep whole Cities into his lap. They which have any experience in martial discipline, know that the easiest way to conquer, is either to bribe the Captain, to betrays his Prince, or to allure the Soldiers, to revolt & forsake their Captain. Our enemy whose experience is great by continual practice had from the beginning tried his cunning upon Christ but took the foil: yet leaving nothing unsifted that may serve his purpose, and seeing that neither riches nor preferment of this world, could move our Captain to fall forward and worship him, because we are commanded to follow our Captain foot by foot which is Irksome to perform, he sets Comedies abroach and er●cteth theatres to make us fall backward & fly the field. Happy saith the Prophet is he That walketh not in the Counsel of the ungodly, 
Psalm .1.  nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sits in the chair of pestilence. The counsel of the ungodly is the cunning drift, the deep search, the subtle cast of the Children of darkness which are sharp sighted in all kind of mischief. The way of sinners is the proceedings and practices of sinners. The chair of pestilence is the Assembly of wicked worldlings. But if we flock to theatres to gaze upon plays, we walk in the Counsel of the ungodly, because playing is one of those politic horns which our enemy doffeth against the Gospel; We stand in the way of sinners, because plays are the proceedings & practices of the Gentiles in their Idolatry; We sit in the chair of pestilence, because we thrust ourselves into the company of them, which being overgorged with the preaching of the word, begin to lift at severer discipline, and worship the Devil by falling backward. This Apostasy plungeth us up to the throat in sin and wickedness & rings a peal for revenge in the ears of God, by whom we learn that the reward of sin is a bitter curse. Sithince stag plays are the doctrine of the Devil; the Counsel of the ungodly; the way of sinners, the chair of pestilence; the forerunners of a curse procured to that land wherein they flourish, how can they be suffered in this common weal wherein we profess the name of Christ, except we stand at defiance with Christianity, or proclaim open war to our souls? Some curious sister peradventure may judge me to be straighter laced them I need, or cast this in my teeth, 
Objection.  that such christians as will borrow nothing f●● the Gentiles lest they stand in the way of sinners, must neither occupy ships, for they were invented by Minerva; nor wear any linen, because it was proper to Osiris; nor exercise almost any kind of handicraft, for most of them were borrowed of the Gentiles. To whom I answer with Tertullian, 
Answer 〈…〉  that of things received from the Heathens, Some were revealed unto them by God, for necessary uses and the benefit of man; some were inspired by the Devil, which under the show of indifferency shadow the corruption of a privy condition, by which they are subject unto vanity. Those things that are invented for necessary uses, as, Ships, clothing woollen or linen, Manuary crafts, may be accepted of Christians without error, for they are the blessings of God bestowed upon us; but those things which are neither necessary nor beneficial unto man, yet carry in their Foreheaddes a manifest print of their first condition, as May-games, Stageplaies, & such like, can not be suffered among Christians without Apostasy, because they were sucked from the devils teat, to Nurse up Idolatry. God thinking himself not sufficiently honoured, except the outward conversation of our li●e do give a testimony to the world of the inward holiness of the mind, chargeth us severely to avoid every thing that hindereth the outward profession of Christianity. Therefore the Apostles writing to the Churches of Antioch, Syria, Cilicia, 
Act. 15. vers. 28. and 29.  judged it a necessary Burden to be laid upon them, that they touch not things sacri●●●●● unto Idols. Wherefore if the outward use of things indifferent, as meats, be to be tied to the rule of charity, and not to be taken, when they offend the conscience of the weak; how much less ought we to ioyn● with idolaters in their plays, which are nawghte of themselves, & offensive to the godly? if we be careful that no pollution of idols enter by the mouth into our bodies, how dilligent● how circumspect, how wary ought we to be, that no corruption of idols, enter by the passage of our eyes & ears into the soul? we know that whatsoever goeth into the mouth d●fileth not but passeth away by course of nature; but that which entereth into us by the eyes and ears, must be digested by the spirit, which is chief reserved to honour God. This spirit of ours is already defiled with the idolatry of the Gentiles, if we be partakers of their sacrifices, and maketh us stink in the sight of God, for as he that steals but a trifle is guilty of theft, so he that alloweth the least parcel of offerings of the Gentiles is accessary to idolatry if not by the quantity of the thing, yet by the nature of the crime. Which being considered, I am forced to say, that such men as are erectors of Stage Plays among Christians, either see not that they communicate with the sacrifices and idolatry of the Gentiles, for lack of knowledge; or seeing it, dissembl● the matter ●or want of zeal. Two sorts of sacrifice were used among the Heathens, the one, to the Gods of their country, the other to the Spirits of the dead, they committed idolatry in them both. Among such Idolatrous spectacles as they sacrificed to their Gods, 
Lib. de spectac●lis.  Tertullian affirmeth that Plays were consecrated unto Bacchus for the first● finding out of wine. These Plays were not set up by the Gentiles of any blind zeal within themselves, but by the motion of the devil, as may be proved by the original of them in Rome. This kind of idolatry was long practised among the Greeks, the Romans not being acquainted with the same. Therefore the devil spying his time to bring it into Itali●, about 400. years after the building of Rome, in the Consulship of Sulpicius & Stolon the inhabitants being mightily devoured with a great plague, the Devil foreseeing the time when the plague should cease, taught the Romans by the oracles of Sibilla to set forth plays to app●a●e the anger of the Gods, that the pestilence ceasing after this solemnizing of their plays, might nussle them in idolatry and wantonness ever after. For as the wicked spirits which the Gentiles worshipped appeared once fighting in the plain of Campania, to whet them to slaughter and bloodshed by this illusion: 
Lib. 2. de civitate Dei.  so did they (saith S. Augustine) with the like subtlety, cause Plays to be consecrated unto them, wherein their Adulteries● and Impurities were painted out, that such as gave credit to the same, might follow their example, and they that could not be brought to believe it, yet seeing their God's delight to be worshipped so, might give themselves over to abominable lust. Though the Romans in that horrible Plague that vexed their City fetched the famousest Players out of Hetruria, yèt did not the Sickness of body surcease, because the delicate frenzy of playing entered, but the craftiness of wicked spirits foreseeing that the pestilence should have an end, 
Agust. lib. 1. de civitate Dei cap. 32.  took advantage hereby to infect not the bodies, but the manners of the Citizens with a greater plague. Every Seafaring man is able to tell you that there is greater danger in those storms that forbidden you to shoot into the Haven, then in them that will not suffer you to sail at all: which policy the Devil used to pervert the Gentiles. For those wicked spirits which challenging a divinity to themselves, were worshipped of the Gentiles, neither regarded the smoke of sacrifices, nor show of plays, but the men that offered up both to honour them. By this means the Devil driving them from the worship of the true God, as ships from the harbour where they should ride, held them in greater peril of death then if they had worshipped no God at all. Sithince it is manifest by all Antiquities, if we search them, that plays are the Sacrifices of the Devil, taught by himself to pull us from the service of our God, as oft as ever we set them up in our Christian Cities, the Devil, triumpheth and rejoiceth therein as in things sacrificed by Christians unto him.  
Because that as in the Church singing and praising the Lord together as he himself hath instrcted us in his word, is a sign by which the true God is assured that we sacrifice our hearts unto him with the Calves of our lips: So the Devil perceiving us to advance the offerings or sacrifices of the Gentiles, after the same manner of houses, of apparel, of Stages, of Plays, that he instructed the Gentiles by his Oracles, hath great cause to be merry, and to hold himself honoured thereby. Is it ●o? and shall we say we do it not with the mind to commit Idolatry? Truly this answer is like to a drawght of cold water in burning Fevers, whereby the body is quieted for a time, but the sickness can never be removed. The noble Scipio Nasica perceiving that the City cannot long endure whose walls stand and manners fall, when he saw the whole Senate bend to build up theatres, and set out Plays, with earnest persuasion drew them from it. And Valerius Maximus flatly affirmeth, t●at they were not brought in to Rome Sine pacis rubore, without a stain of disgrace to the time of Peace. 
August. de civit. Dei. lib. 2.  They grew in time so infamous among the Romans themselves, that if any continued in that art, they were deprived of the dignity of other Citizens, and removed by the Censors from their Tribe.  
Wherefore I beseech God so to touch the hearts of our Magistrates with a perfit hatred of sin, and fear of judgement; so to stir up some noble Scipio in the Court, that these dancing Chaplains of Bacchus, and all such as set up these wicked arts, may be driven out of England, may be shut from the company of the Godly, & as open professors of Idolatry, separated from us by Sea and Land. If there be a zeal in authority, to banish them; a diligence in Preach●rs to pursue them● a general consent in us to loathe them; I dare boldly avouch from my own experience, that monstrous sins, with very light travel; imminent danger, with very small trouble; old festered corruptions, in very short time willbe displaced; the Churches in London more frequented, more furnished, more ●illed; the divine service of God more regarded, more reverenced, more kept; and the utter suppressing of a few, breed a sweet reformation in many thousands.   

The 2 Action.  
IF the day wherein we be delivered from the jaws of death, aught to be as joyful to us as the hover of birth, because the joy of safety achieved is sure, the condition of birth uncertain; and because we are borne without pleasure, saved with gladness: Both I shall think my study very well employed, and my loving countrymen of England shall have cause to rejoice, if it please God by my travel against Plays, to make me a stay to the riot of their expenses, a discloser of the corruption in their families, and a watchman against the hazard of their souls. All which as I judge to proceed of Stage Plays; so must I confute the opinion of them that hold the contrary. Young Master Lodge thinking to jet upon startops, and steal an ysche of his height by the bare name of Cicero, allegeth from hi●, ● t a Play is the Schoolmistresse of life; the looking glas●e of manners; and the image of truth. But finding himself too week in the knees to stand it out, neither alleging the place where Tully saith it; nor bringing any reason of his own, to prove it; he flits from this to the Etymology of Plai●s, from thence to the mu●niors, and so gallops his wisdom out of breath. It seemeth that Master Lodge s●w this in Tulile with other folks' eyes, and not his own. For to my remembrance I never read it in him, neither do I think that Master Lodge can show it me. For in his Tusculans second, third, and forth book, he misliketh plays, in his books of the common weal, he is sharp set against them. In his Epistles writing to Marius, 
Ep. jam. lib. 7.  who was absent from the plays that were set out at Pompey's charges, he telleth him that if any pain of body, or decay of health withheld him, he attributeth it rather to fortune, then to his wisdom, but if he contemned those babbles, that other men wonder at, and being not hindered with sickness refused to see them of his own accord, he rejoiceth greatly in his friends behalf, first, that he felt no grief of body, next that ●he was perfectly whole in mind, because he foreshowed to come to those spectacles, which other men delight in without cause. I would it pleased master Lodge to remember that in cases of conscience no man's authority may stand for reason, it is therefore our duty to weigh before we speak, whether the testimonies of other men will abide the hammering, when they come to be wrought by the word of God, otherwise to take what soever they say for Oracles, and muster them together in proof of that which neither reason nor conscience doth allow, is as fond and impertinent an enterprise, as to open our lock with the hatchet, and cleave our wood with the key.  
But because master Lodge will needs father these words upon Tully that never spoke them, I will first set down the matter, and the persons of both kinds of plays, then rip up every part of this definition, that you may see how this gentleman like the Fox at the banquet of the Stork, 
Aesop. Fab.  licks the outside of the glass with an empty stomach, when his head will not suffer him to enter in.  
The argument of Tragedies is wrath, cruelty, incest, injury, murder either violent by sword, or voluntary by poison. The persons, Gods, Goddesses, furies, fiends, Kings, Queens, and mighty men. The ground work of Comedies, is love, cosenedge, flattery, bawdry, sly conneighance of whoredom. The people, cooks, queans, knaves, bawds, parasites, courtezannes, lecherous old men, amorous young men. Therefore Plautus in his prologue before the comedy of the captives, desiring to curry favour with his auditors, exhorteth them earnestly to mark that play, because it shall cast no such stench of impurity into their noses as others do. There is in it (saith he) neither forsworn bawd, nor harlot, nor bragging soldier. Why could he not give this commendation to all the rest? because it was the practice of the devil, to weave in a thread of his own spinning. Why is this rather purged of filthiness than the rest? because it is the juggling of the devil, to turn himself sometimes to an Angel of light, to deceive us the sooner. The best play you can pick out, is but a mi●ture of good and evil, how can it be then the schoolemistres of life? The beholding of troubles and miserable slaughters that are in Tragedies, drive us to immoderate sorrow, heaviness, womanish weeping and mourning, whereby we become lovers of dumps, and lamentation, both enemies ro fortitude. Comedies so tickle our senses with a pleasanter vain, that they make us lovers of laughter, and pleasure, without any mean, both foes to temperance, what schooling is this? Sometime you shall see nothing but the adventures of an amorous knight, passing from country to country for the love of his lady, encountering many a terrible monster made of brown paper, & at his return, is so wonderfully change●, that he can not be known but by some posy in his tablet, or by a broken ring, or a handkercher, or a piece of a cockle shell, what learn you by that? When the soul of your plays is either mere trifles, or Italian bawdry, or wooing of gentlewomen, what are we taught? peradventure you will say, 
A common & fond objection.  that by these kind of plays, the authors instruct us how to love with constancy, to sue with modesty, and to loath whatsoever is contrary unto this. In my opinion, 
Answer.  the discipline we get by plays is like to the justice that a certain Schoolmaster taught in Persia, which taught his scholars to lie, and not to lie; to deceive, and not to deceive, 
Xenopho. Lib. 1. de instit. Cy●●.  with a distinction how they might do it to their friends, & how to their enemies; to their friends, for exercise; to their fooe●, in earnest. Wherein many of his scholars became so skilful by practice, by custom so bold, that their dearest friends paid more for their learning then their enemies. I would wish the Players to beware of this kind of schooling, least that whilst they teach youthful gentlemen how to love, and not to love; how to woe, and not to woe, their scholars grow as cunning as the Persians.  
As the mischief that followed that discipline of Persia enforced them to make a law, that young men should ever after be taught simply as householders use to instruct their families: so I trust, that when the Londoners are sufficiently ●eaten with the hurt of such lessons as are learned at Plays, if not for conscience sake, yet for shunning the mischief that may privately break into every man's house, this method of teaching will be come so hateful, that even worldly policy without any gramercy shallbe driven ●o banish it.  
Sappho writing to her Lover Phaon, telleth him, 
ovid. Epist.  that her study peeps out in her behaviour, and Thalia her Muse hath made her wanton. How true this assertion is, appeareth by Mathematicians, which are solitary; musicans, whose minds are as variable as their art. This may suffice to persuade us that no man●er of goodness can be learned at a play, partly because the best is a mixture of good and eull, as shallbe shown more evidently by the formal cause thereof when I come to that place. The mind of itself is simple without mixture or composition, therefore those instructions that are given to the mind must be simple without mingle mangle of fish & flesh, good & bad where both are proffered, the hereditacie corruption of our nature taketh the worst and leaveth the best. 
Polit. 7. 〈◊〉 vlt.  Upon this consideration Aristotle 〈◊〉 forbiddeth young men of Plays till they be settled in mind & immovable in affection lest coming to the Stage to fetch Physic for love, they quench their heat with a pint of water and a pottle of fire; partly because that which is learned, must be learned of the best, least the example of ungodly Masters, poison us rather than instruct us. But whether Plays, for the matter; or Players, for their manners; be fit Schoolmasters of honesty, I report me to them that by frequenting theatres are very well acquainted with the argument of the one, the life of the other. If any goodness were to be learned at Plays it is likely that the Players themselves which commit every syllable to memory should profit most, because that as every man learneth so he liveth; and as his study is, such are his manners; but the daily experience of their behaviour, showeth, that they reap no profit by the discipline themselves; how then can they put us in any good hope to be instructed thereby when we have the sight of such lessons, but an hour or two as they study and practise every day, yet are never the better. Master Lodge finding some peevish index or gatherer of Tully to be a sleep, is very well contented to wink for company, and thinking his word so currant to go for payment, would gladly persuade us upon Tully's credit that a Play is the Schoolmistres of life. Wherein I perceive he is no changeling, for he disputeth as sound being from the university and out of exercise, as he did when he was there, and at his book.  
The next property that of his own brain, (but in Cicero's name) he gives to a Play, is, that it is a very Glass of behaviour. The corruption of manners is there revealed and accused. Which is easily confuted, by the circumstance of the place, of the person, of the manner, and of the end of accusation. For the place; no private man's life ought to be brought in question or accused, but where he may plead in his own defence and have indifferent judges to determine the cause, to that end receive we a couple of ears that both parts might be heard, both equally weighed, & therefore did Alexander in judgement stop one ear with his finger reserving it wholly for the defendant. At Stage Plays it is ridiculous, for the parties accused to reply, no indifferency of judgement can be had, because the worst sort of people have the hearing of it, which in respect of there ignorance, of there fickleness, and of there fury, are not to be admitted in place of judgement. A judge must be gra●e, sober, discreet, wise, well exercised in cases of government. Which qualities are never found in the base sort.  
A judge must be immovable, uncorrupted, upright, neither turning to the right hand, nor to the left; the meaner sort● totter, they are carried away with every rumour, and so easily corrupted, that in the theatres they generally take up a wonderful laughter, and shout altogether with one voice, when they see some notable cosenedge practised, or some sly conveyance of 〈◊〉 brought out of Italy. Whereby they show themselves rather to like it then to rebuke it. A judge must neither be inflamed with choler, nor blinded with affection; The rudest of the people are sometime ravished with every giewgawe, sometime so heady, that they run together by heaps, they know not whither; and lay about with their clubs, they see not why. Which thing the ancient Philosophers considering called them a monster of many heads. If the common people which resort to Theatres being but Turrian assembly of Tailors, Tinkers, cordwainers, Sailors, old Men, young Men, Women, Boys, Girls, and such like, be the judges of faults there painted out, the rebuking of manners in that place, is neither lawful nor convenient, but to be held for a kind of libeling, and defaming. Howsoever they face it out with their own cards, pretending that as the Painter in his shop expresseth one or other by a counterfeit: 
Objection.  so the Poet on stages presenteth you a picture of his own drawing, wherein you may behold the whole life of man, 
Answer,  it appeareth by antiquity, that the Poets which were before, had another meaning: for as any man had displeased them, to revenge their own cause they studied to present him upon the stage, there did they russie, and taunt; scoff, and ●●ppe; thunder, and lighten, and spew up their c●unning to deface him. Whereupon grew one of the laws of the twelve tables, that no man should be so hardy as to write any thing, 
Cicer. in his 4. book of the. common weal  whereby the good name of any body might be hurt; they would not have the life and behaviour of the citizens, subject ●ythēr to a Poets in kehorne, or a Player's tongue, but to the seat of justice.  

Epist. lib. 2.  This may be gathered by the Epistle of Horace to Augustus, and by other famous writers, which having curiously searched the laws of the Romans, confess in plain words, that the overlashing of players was so restrained. Whether this be the practice of Poets in these days you may perceive by the drift of him that wrote the play termed the three Ladies of London, which in the Catastrophe maketh Love and Conscience to be examined how thrie good ladishippes like of plays? love answers that she detesteth them, because her guts are turned outward, and all her secret conveyance, is blazed with colours to the people's eye. Conscience like a kind-hearted gentlewoman doth allow them.  
In this point the Poet makes so much haste to his journeys end, that he throws himself headlong down the hill. For neither Love disliked them, before he had married her to Dissimulation, whose prop●itie is to say one thing and think another: nor Conscience allowed them, before he had spotted her with all abomination, whose nature is to allow that which is like herself, filthy, corrupt, spotted, and defiled. The writer of the play called London against the three Ladies confesseth in his prologue that he made it partly for envy, partly for a vain glorious mind. For envy: because his stomach would not bear the commendations, that other men gave to the three Ladies in his hearing. For vain glory: because he strove to do better himself, and ●●sd the cushion; somewhat I grant he bettered it in show, touching the substance he doth but cavil as I would declare, if it were not from the matter I take in hand. By these few you may gather of all the rest, and persuade yourselves that as stages and theatres are not allowed by the laws of God, or man, to meddle with disorders: so is it not the mark that their authors shoot at when they fill th●se rooms. 
Mat. 7. ver. 3.  If any deformity be reprehended there, it is to be done by the player's mouth, he that will show another man his fault, must purge himself first. For as they were forbidden in old time to expound any Oracles which had any infection about their bodies: 
Plutarch.  so have they no grace in rebuking others, that nourish a canker in their own souls. How are they able to pull us up that grovel as flat in the dust as we? what credit, hath any good counsel in Players lips, when it works no amendment in themselves? Concerning the manner of rebuking whosoever taketh that office upon him must do it secretly, of compassion, and in the spirit of meekness Secretly: because we ought not to defame the parti● rebuked against the law of charity, or the rule of Christ: the law of charity, which covereth the multitude of offences; the rule of Christ which will'th us to draw our brother aside and ●ell him our mind.  
O● compassion● for he that rebuketh must be inwardly stricken with grief of heart to s●e the majesty of God offended, and the soul of his brother hazarded.  
So Paul writing against an incestuous person, 
2. Cor. 2 ve 4.  confesseth that he did it with many tears, whereby he giveth us to understand how he pitied the offender, and lamented the damnable case he stood in. 
Gallat. 6. ve 1.  In the spirit of meekness: because we ought to consider our own● weakness, which are subject to infirmities, and may be tempted as much as other. But when any thing is reprehended by Players upon the Stage, it is openly blown into the ears of many and made a by word, it proceedeth not of sorrow, or compassion towards him that hath offended, 
August. 2. de ciuit● dei.  but springeth either of the Poets malice, for so Eupolis handled Alcibiades; or of corruption, as Aristophanes dealt with Socrates and Cleon; with Socrates, in his Comedy called The clouds, wherein he was hired by Anytus and Melitus to discredit him; with Cleon in his Comedy named, The men at arms, bribed by Nicias and Demosthenes (as some writers suspect) to do the like. It is not spoken in the spirit of meekness, but with a scoffing, and iearinge spirit, altogether unmeet for such a purpose. The white that rebukers ought to level at, is the recovery of him that hath trod awrte. 
Act. 8.21  So Peter bids Simon the sorcerer to repent that his sin might be forgiven him. 
1. Cor. 5.5.  So Paul commandeth the Church of Corinth to deliver the incestuous man unto Satan that his soul might be safe in the day of the Lord. But neither the Poets which pen the plays, nor the Actors that present them upon the Stage, do seek to do any good unto such as they rebuke, for the Poet's intent, is, to wreak his own anger, as I showed you of Eupolis & those that were restrained by the Twelve tables; the Actor● either hū● for their own profit, as the players in London; or follow the humour of their own fancies, and youthful delights, as the students of the universities, and the Inns of Court.  
Therefore upon the place, upon the person, upon the method, upon the end of reprehension, I conclude, that a play, can be no looking glass of behaviour, and the rebuking of manners is as fit for the Sage, as the picture of Chastity for the stews. Yet is Master Lodge very eager to force it upon me, for Tully's sake, using his old fashion of disputing, compelled with hunger when reason is scanty, either to fly to a blind text, or to play the woman & brawl it out. He roweth on farther in this barge and holds it hard that a play is the Image of truth ● Wherein he fareth as mariners at Sea, who have no more title to that they have passed, and le●te behind them; then to that which remaineth untouched, and lieth before them.  
As t●e other two properties which he posted over, are su●fitiently proved, not to belong to Comedies, for which he claims them: so (God willing) you shall perceive, that he entereth as boldly upon this, without any commission to bear him out. The perfectest Image is that, which maketh the thing to seem, ●either greater nor l●sse, then in deed it is. But in Plays, either those things are ●ained, that never were, as Cupid and Psyche played at Paul's; and a great many Conedies more at the Black friars and in every Play house in London, which for brevity's sake I over skip: or if a true History be taken in hand, it is made like our shadows, longest at the rising and falling of the Sun, shortest of all at high noon. For the Poets drive it most commonly unto such points, as may best show the majesty of their pen, in Tragical speeches; or set the hearers agog, with discourses of lo●e; or paint a few antics, to fit their own humours, with scoffs & taunts; or wring in a show, to furnish the Stage, when it is to bare; when the matter of itself comes short of this, they follow the practice of the cobbler, and set their t●●th to the leather to pull it out.  
So was the history of Caesar and Pompey, and the Play of the Fab●i at the Theatre, both amplified there, where the Drums might walk, or the pen ruffle, when the history swelled, and ran to high for the number of the persons, that should play it, the Poet with Proteus cut the same fit to his own measure; when it afoorded no pomp at all, he brought it to the rack, to make it serve. Which invincibly proveth on my side, that Plays are no Images of truth, because sometime they handle such things as never were, sometime they run upon truths, but make them seem longer, or shorter, or greater, or less than they were, according as the Poet blows them up with his quill, ●or aspiring heads; or minceth them smaller, for weaker stomachs. I may boldly say it, because I have seen it, that the Palace of pleasure, the Golden Fallst, the AEthiopian history, Amadis of France, the Round table, bawdy Comedies in Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish, have been thoroughly ransacked, to ●urnish the Play houses in London. How is it possible that our playmaker's heads, running through Genus and Species & every difference of lies, cozenages, baudries, whooredemes, should present us any schoolemistres of life, looking glass of manners, or Image of truth? 
Objection.  for ●●th saith the Author of the Play of plays shown at the Theatre, the three and twentieth of February last, They shallbe now purged, the matter shallbe good.  

Answer.  be it as he saith, let us grant him that he may have Plays, if he please whose matter is good, simple, sweet, 
De spectaculis,  and honest; yet must I answer him with Tertullian that as no man, which desireth to give you a deadly poison will temper the same with gall, and Elleborus, or any thing that is bitter, and unpleasant; but with sweet & wholesome confections: So the Devil, at Plays, will bring the comfortable word of God, which, because it nourisheth of nature is very convenient to carry the poison into our veins.  
But sith Bucchanans' book is an old worm-eaten objection which was laid in my dish at my first publishing the school of abuse, you shall see whether it be lawful for Christians to play it. when I handle the representation of plays though theirs matter be honest. As for that glozing play at the Theatre which proffers you so fair, there is interlaced in it, a bandy song of a maid of Kent, and a little beastly speech, of the new stawled r●ge, both which I am compelled to bury in silence, being more ashamed ●o utter them, than they. For as in Tragedies some points are so terrible, that the Poets are constrained to turn them from the people's eyes; so in the song ●f the one, the speech of the other, somewhat is so dishonest, that I can not with honesty repeat it. Nevertheless if they should altogether sweep of this dung from the Stage, and employ themselves soberly to rebuking of manners; as I have already proved the Stage to be unfit for such a purpose, so I persuade myself, that the other is b●t the juggling of the devil, who perceiving his comedies begin to s●inke, giveth us a grain or two in the weight of the cause, to make up his market, 
2. De ciui●. Dei.  and as Augustine noteth is contented sometime to be evil spoken of in Plays to blear our eyes. He affordeth to us as he did to Plautus some small number of plays without love or curt●sane, yea with very good matter, to maintain the idolatry of the Gentiles. 
Objection.  The number of the years wherein they flourished among the Greeks, though they be re●oned to be thirteen hundredth, yet if they had mounted to thirteen thousand this is no● enough to persuade us that are Christians to do the like. 
Answer.  For the plays of the Grecians are to be received among Christians, if th●● Gods be ●o be honoured, but their Gods are by no means to be honoured, therefore their plays are by no m●anes to be received. 
De spectaculis  Te●tullian teacheth us that every part of the preparation of plays, was dedicated to some h●●then god, or goddess, as the house, stage, apparel, to Venus; the music, to Apollo; the penning, to Minerva, and the Muse●; the pronunciation and action to Mercury: he calleth the Theatre Sacrarium Veneris, Venus' chapel, by resorting to which we worship her.  
The Censors in Room whose manner was once in five year straightly to examine, and redress disorders, having a great care to avoid all corruptions of manners, were very painful in racing and destroying theatres, which poisoned their country with the lousnesse and dissolute behaviour of the Greeks. Therefore when Pompey had built a stately Theatre of stone at his own charges, fearing that in time to come it would be defaced by the Censors summoning the people to the dedication of the same, placed a chapel to Venus on the top, and called it not a Theatre, but Venus' temple consecrated unto her. 
Objection.  Though the names of heathen gods or goddesses be of themselves no more hurtful, than the ●ames of other men, 
Answer.  that are dead: yet triumphing under those titles with the Gentiles, and attributing a kind of divinity unto them, as the Gentiles did, is to be defiled with their idolatry. What is idolatry, but to give that which is proper to God, unto them that are no gods? what is so proper unto God, as worship to his majesty? trust, to his strength? prayer, to his help? thanks, to his goodness? setting out the Stage plays o● the Gentiles, so we worship that we stoop to the names of heathen idols; so we trust that we give ourselves to the patronage of Mars, of Venus, of jupiter of juno, and such like, so we pray, that we call for their succour upon the Stage; so we give thakes for the benefits we receive, that we make them the fountains of all our blessings, wherein if we think as we speak, we commit idolatry, because we bestow that upon the idols of the Gentiles, which is proper to God; if we make a divorce between the tongue & the heart, honouring the gods of the heathens in lips, & in gesture, not in thought, yet it is idolatry, because we do that which is quite contrary to the outward profession of our faith. God termeth himself to be jealous, & jealousy misliketh the smallest gestures or signs of familiarity, that are given to strangers. If Sidrach Misach, & Abednago had not known this, they might have veiled and bended, to the King's idol, but because the outward show, must represent that which is within, they would not seem to be, that they were not: whose example is set dough as arule for us to follow. A body would think it to be somewhat tolerable, to sit at the table of idolaters, or to eat of the meat that hath been consecrated unto idols, when we throw not our bodies down before them, yet is not that to be suffered among Christians, as I proved before by the Apostles, much les ought this to be suffered among us, that any should take unto them that names of the idols, and jest upon stages in their attire, 
1. Epist. ca 5.  contrary to the counsel of Saint john which exhorteth us to keep ourselves from idols, wherein he doth not only forbid the worshipping, but the representing of an idol. 
Tertul de Corona.  So subtle is the devil, that under the colour of recreation, in London, and of exercise of learning, in the universities, by seeing of plays, he maketh us to join with the Gentiles, in their corruption. Because the sweet numbers of Poetry flowing in verse, do wonderfully tickle the hearer's ears, the devil hath tied this to most of our plays, that whatsoever he would have stick fast to our souls, might slip down in sugar by this enticement, for that which delighteth never troubleth our swallow. Thus when any matter of love is interlarded though the thing itself be able to allure us, yet it is so set out with sweetness of words, fitness of Epithets, with Metaphors, Allegories, Hyperboles, Amphibologies, Similitudes, with Phrases, so picked, so pure, so proper; with action, so smooth so lively, so wanton; that the poison creeping on secretly without grief chookes us at last, and hurleth us down in a dead sleep. As the Devil hath brought in all that Poetry can sing, so hath he sought out every strain that music is able to pipe, and drawn all kind of instruments into that compass, simple and mixed.  
For the eye beside the beauty of the houses, and the Stages, he sendeth in Gearish apparel masks, vaulting, tumbling, dancing of gigges, galiardes, morisces, hobby-horses; showing of iudgeling casts, nothing forgot, that might serve to set out the matter, with pomp, or ravish the beholders with variety of pleasure. To seek this, is, to spend our studies in things that are mere natural, to spend our time so is to be carnally minded, but to be carnally minded is death, 
Rom. 8  how then can we look to be Partakers of the benefits of Christ, which run a contrary race to him? Where no promise is, there can be no faith, through the whole course of Scripture as there is no promise for such as live in the flesh, so hell and damnation is sharply threatened, shall we flatter ourselves with a wan hope, to nourish the delights of the flesh while we live, nevertheless to win heaven after death? 
Object.  Paul flat pronounceth the delights of the flesh to be enmity against God, if they be e●●it●, pursuing them so greedily as we do, we bend ourselves openly against him, that paid the pr●ce of our ransom with the brood of his s●●ne, O horrible ingratitude; we ●ellowe the pomp and vanity of the wicked world, which we renounced in Baptism, O damnable apostasy. The heathens, that knew not God, but naturally guided themselves by reason, judged them rather to be beasts than men, which fixed their studies in wanton spectacles, and spending good hours in evil exercise, seemed to wroote in the earth like swine. Therefore Marius in an oration to the Romans reckoneth this up among the rest of his virtues to get him credit, that he neither banqueted curiously, 
Sal. lugurth.  nor beheld plays: having before given account of his bringing up, how he was taught to suffer hunger & thirst, ●ea. ●a●●d ●olde, ●o bear all weather in the field, by the way of contempt he setteth out a soft, a si●ken, a Courting kind of life, fit for women then for men, wherein he holdeth plays so unfit for manly discipline, that attributing it for an ornament to his honour to mislike them, he privily insinuates a reproach unto such as love them.  
Sithince you see even by the examples of the Romans, that plays are ratsbane to the government of commonweals, and that Players by the judgement of them, are infamous persons, unworthy of the credit of honest Citizens, worthy to be removed from their Tribe: if not for religion, yet for shame, that the Gentiles should judge you at the last day, or that Publicans and sinners should pre●e into the kingdom of God before you, withdraw your feet from theatres, with noble Marius; set down some punishment for Players, with the Roman Censors; show yourselves to be Christians, & with wicked spectacles be not pulled from discipline, to liberty; from virtue to pleasure; from God, to Mammon, let nothing be acceptable in your eyes, that is not holy; nor sweet in your ears that is not heavenly; so shall you prevent the scourge by repentance, that is coming toward you; and fill up the gulf, that the Devil by plays hath digged to swallow you.   

The 3 Action.  
SUch aught to be the liberty of speech in every well governed commonweal, that neither virtue might lack an open friend, nor vice an enemy, & happy no doubt were we in Engeland; if as virtue is never commended in clouds, so vice might be touched in the open Sunshine. But we are so generally given to flatter ourselves ● and Parasites so ready to cover our faults, that because we love our deformities we defend them, and had rather excuse them, then shake them off. This makes many writer's willinger to praise some, without desert, than to rebuke any, upon just occasion, for, to commend men unworthily, is taken for courtesy; to dispraise though justly, is thought for the most part a point of envy. Nevertheless sithince tongues are given unto us to speak, and ears unto every man to hear, that the one might teach, the other be ready to receive good Counsel, and receiving it, practise the same in life: according to the measure of those gifts that God hath given me, I will speak somewhat farther against Plays, requesting my countrymen to open their ears as they do their bottles, and shake out the dust of contention that lies within for corrupting good liquor when they have it.  
And because words many times are as fruitless as addle eggs, when conception is weak and without life.  
If any be so captious as for the exercise of his wit to hold me Play, and prepare himself to encounter me in any one of mine actions or in all, I must calling the laws of the tennis co●rt at his hands, that is to take whatsoever I s●nd him, right; and return it to, fair above the line. Whatsoever he be that looketh narrowly into our Stage Plays, or considereth how, and which ways they are represented, shall find more filthiness in them, than Players dream off. The Law of God very straightly forbids men to put on women's garments, garments are set down for signs distinctive between s●xe & ●exe, to take unto us those garments that are manifest signs of another ●●xe, is to falsify, forge, and adulterate, contrary to the express rule of the word● of God. Which forbiddeth it by threatening a curse unto the same.  

Exod.  All that do so are abomination v●the Lord, which way I basich you shall they be excused, that put on, not the apparel only, but the gate, the gestures, the voice, the passions of a woman? All which like the wreathinges, and winding of a snake, are flexible to catch, before they speed; and bind up cords when they have possession. 
Objection.  Some there are that think this commandment of God to be restrained to them, that go abroad in women's attire and use it for juggling, to shadow adultery.  
These interpreters like unto narrow mouthed vessels, 
Answer.  will receive nothing without loss, except it be slenderly powered in according to the straightness of their own making. These men must understand, that, that can bear no excuse, which God condemneth, such is the integrity, uniformity, and simplicity of truth that it is ever like itself, it never carrieth two faces in one hood, that thing is no where, nor a● any time lawful by the word of God which is not ever, and every where lawful.  
Though the heathen Philosophers which knew not the truth, because they were ignorant in God the fountain of truth according to their own fancies held one thing to be sometime good, & sometimes ●●●il: yet will not God be mocked with Philosopher's dreams. Whatsoever he simply pronounceth, evil, can never be conditionally good and lawful. I trust they will not have God which is the Author of all wisdom, all learning, all arts, to be ruder in setting down to his people the precepts of life, than Philosophers are to give to their scholars the precepts of art. They study in teaching of their auditors, to write generally and universally, and shall God in his tables be tied to specifications, particularities, and exceptions? no, no, the same God that saith thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, saith thou shalt in no place, & at no time covet her; he that forbibiddeth thee to steal, commandeth that thou never steal; and he that chargeth thee not to put on women's garments, chargeth thee in no place, and never to put them on. Nevertheless we will wade somewhat further in this point, and see whether by the Philosophers themselves it may be suffered. I trust they will grant me that every lie is sin, for the devil is the father of all lies, 
Matthew. ●●●ico. ●. cap. 7.  as oft as ever he lieth, he speaketh of his own. Aristotle in the thickest fog of his ignorance concerning God, pronounceth a lie to be nought of itself, and to be fled. Let us therefore consider what a lie is, a lie is, 
Aqui part. Theolo. 2. Q. C X art. ●  Actus cadens super indebitam materiam, an act executed where it ought not. This act is discerned by outward signs, every man must show himself outwardly to be such as in deed he is. Outward signs consist either in words or gestures, to declare ourselves by words or by gestures to be otherwise then we are, is an act executed where it should not, therefore a lie.  
The proof is evident, the consequent is necessary, that in Stage Plays for a boy to put one the attire, the gesture, the passions of a woman; ●or a mean person to take upon him the title of a Prince with counterfeit port, and train, is by outward signs to show themselves otherwise then they are, and so with in the compass of a lie, which by Aristotle's judgement is nought of itself and to be fled. 
Object.  Some other there are that take greater occasion of stumbling at Gregory Naziancen, Bucchanan, & such like, than ever those famous men did offer. It cannot be denied that Gregory Naziancen one of the fathers of the Church, wrote a Play of Christ; Bucchanan wrote an other of john Baptist, to what end? To be Played upon Stages? neither Players nor their friends are able to prove it.  
How then? As the beginning of poetry in the books of Moses, 
Answer.  & David, was to set down good matter in numbers, that the sweetness of the one might cause the other to continue, and to be the deeper imprinted in the minds of men: So Naziancen and Bucchanan perceiving the corruption of the Gentiles, to avoid that which is evil, and yet keep that which is good, according to the true use of Poetry, penned these books in numbers with interlocutions dialoguewise, as Plato and Tully did their Philosophy, to be read, not be played. For Naziancen detesting the corruption of the Corpus Christi Plays that were set out by the Papis●es, and inveighing against them, thought it better to write the passion of Christ in numbers him self, that all such as delight in numerosity of speech might read it, not behold it upon the Stage, where some base fellow that played Christ, should bring the person of Christ into contempt.  
So Bucchananus wrote his play of john Baptist for the king of Scots to read, that beholding therein, the practice of Parasites in Herod's court, The Tyranny of Herod powered out upon the messenger of the Lord, & the punishment that followed: He might learn to govern his own house, and beware what entrea●●e he gives to the Prophets of God.  
If it should be Played, one must learn to trip it like ● Lady in t●e finest fashion, another ●●st have time to whet his mind unto tyranny that he may give l●●e to the picture he present●th, whereby they l●a●●● to counterfeit, and so to sin. Therefore whatsoever such plays as contain good matter, are 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉, may be 〈◊〉 profit, but cannot be played, without i● manifest brea●h of God's commandment. 
Objection.  Let the Author of the play of plays & pastimes, take heed how he reason the action, pronunciation, agility of body are the good gifts of God. 
Answer  Ergo plays consisting of these cannot be evil. The argument is faulty, and follows not, for so might the Adulterer defend himself: the prick of desire is naturally given unto man by God, all sorts of apparel are his blessings, Ergo to covet another man's wife, to put on the apparel of a woman cannot be evil. Notwithstanding the one hath so little substance to utter itself, the other so few sinews in it, to give it strength, that neither of both is to be allowe●● Action, pronunciation, apparel, agility, music, severally considered are the good blessings of God, nothing hurtful of their own nature, yet being bound up together in a bundle, to set out the pomp, the plays, the inventions of the Devil, it is abominable in the sight of God, & not to be suffered among Christians, Every stream hath a taste of the spring from whence it flows, sweet or sour; every branch is partaker of the quality of the ti●e whereon it grew, hot or cold; and every play to the worlds end, if it be presented up on the Stage, shall carry that brand on his back to make him known, which the devil clapped on, at the first beginning, that is, idolatry. The Godly can never like of that which in a diameter is opposite to the cross of Christ, whosoever is in the way of God beholdeth no vanity, the perfect way of God is Christ, and shall we that profess the name of Christ be●old this vanity? The preparation of Stages, apparel, & such like as setteth out our plays in shows of pomp & state, is it that we wonder and gaze at, by Tully it is flouted and laughed to scorn, the statelynes of the preparation drowns the delight which the matter affords, therefore he doubteth not but Marius could very willingly absent himself from it, what delight (saith he) hath the sight at 600. mules in Clytaemnestra; 
Epist. ad Maur.  or 3000. cups in the Trojan horse, or variety of footmen & horsemen in some skirmish, those things that made the common people wonder, would ha●● brought n●●elight at all to thee. Macrinus succeeding Antonius in the Roman empire, & being at Antioch, gave himself daily to beholding Plays, for which he grew into contempt among all his friends, 
Lib. ●.  and is noted of infamy by Herodian.  
The waste of expenses in these spectacles that scarce last like shoes of brown paper, the pulling on, and this study to prank up themselves to please our eyes, was long ago condemned by the heathen Cato, whose opinion is registered to be this, that such carefulness of our bodies, is a carelessness of our virtues. Shall Tully, Herodian, Cato condemn this glittering, this pomp, this diligence in setting forth of plays, for vanity, for wantonness, for negligence of honesty: and shall we that ●●unte of the law, of the Prophets, of the gospel, of God himself, so look, so gaze, so gape upon plays, that as men that stare on the head of Maedusa & are turned to stones, we frieze unto ice in our own follies? If the lives and examples of these heathens have no force to move us, whose wisdom when we consider it, was so great, that they could not be deceived in so plain a case; whose vertu●s so notable, that they despised these unseemly gauds which the scum of all people have in admiration; whose government so politic, that riot and excess was severely punished; yet let the commandments of our God which are authentic; let the care of our souls that shall be judged; let the threatening of him that detesteth hypocrisy, pomp and vanity, so strike our hearts, that we tremble & shi●er at the remembrance of folly past, & gather up our wits unto amending. Have we sinned with the Gentiles in representing of their Plays? let us learn with true Christians to abolish them, it is incident to every man to fall, proper to the graceless to continue it, carry no sail against the wind, change of course is a safe shade unto the penitent.   

The Fourth Action.  
IT hath been an ancient policy in the field, to give the enemy ground, for some advantage, and by counterfeiting a timorous kind of flight, to drop down the carriage, as money, provision, and victual by the way, that the Soldiers might stay their pursuit, and fall to rifling. Whereby both they that were chased, have recovered themselves, and they that were conquerors have lost all, suddenly discomfited with new supply among all the stumbling blocks that our enemy the devil hath cast in our way for foylinge him utterly.  
It may easily be gathered by the end of Plays, that Comedies and Tragedies are the fittest devices he could strew behind him, to stop us of passage, and break our order. Not that he meaneth to take his heels, but to kill us by subtlety when we straggle. What bringeth disorder more than sin? that plays are set out for a sinful delight, may be gathered partly, by Maenander, partly by Terence, partly by the manner of penning in these days, partly by the object of plays. By Maenander because vives affirmeth that he perceiving the Macedons wholly given over to love, 
Comment. in August. lib. 2.  and wantonness, wrote Comedies of love, to feed their humour. 
Prologue. in Andria ●. Pop●●●● vtp●●c●: q as fe●●ss●● 〈…〉.  By Terence because he confesseth of himself, that all that he sought was but to close with the common people. By the manner of penning in these days, because the Poets send their verses to the Stage upon such feet as continually are rolled up in rhyme at the finger's ends, which is plaucible to the barbarous, and carrieth a sting into the ●ares of the common people. By the object, because Tragedies and Comedies stir up affections, and affection's are naturally planted in that ●●rt of the mind that is common to us with brute beasts.  
He that traveleth to advance the worst part of the mind, is like unto him, that in government of Cities● gives all the authority to the worst men, which being well weighed, is to betray the City, and the best men, into the hands of the wicked. But the poets that writ plays, and they that present them upon the Stage, study to make ●ur affections overflow, whereby they draw the bridle from that part of the mind, that should ever be kerbed, from runings 〈◊〉 head: which is manifest treason to our souls, and delivereth them captive to the devil. The Author of the play of plays, spreading out his battle to hem me in, is driven to take so large a compass, that his array is the thinner, and therefore the easier, to be broken. 

Objection.  
T●e sistence of the ●lay of plays written in their own deffence.   He tieth Life and Delight so fast together, that if Delight be restrained, Life presently perisheth; there, zeal perceiving Delight to be embraced, of Life, puts a ●nafle in his mouth, to keep him under, Delight being bridled, Zeal leadeth life through a wilderness of loathsomeness, where Glut scarreth them all, chasing both Zeal and Delight from Life, and with the club of amazedness strikes such a peg into the heads of Life, that he falls down ●or dead upon the Stage.  
Life being thus faint, and over-travailed, destitute of his guide, rob of Delight, is ready to give up-the Ghost, in the same place, then entereth Recreation, which with music and singing rocks Life a sleep to recover his strength.  
By this means Tediousness is driven from Life, and the temte is drawn out of his head, which the club of amazedness left behind.  
At last Recreation setteth up the Gentleman upon his feet, Delight is restored to him again, and such kind of sports for cullises are brought in to nourish him, as none but Delight must apply to his stomach. Then ●ime being made for the benefit of Life, and Life being allowed to follow his appetite, amongst all manner of pastimes, Life chooseth Comedies, for his Delight, partly because Comedies are neither chargeable ●o the beholders purse, nor painful to his body; partly because he may sit out of the rain to view the same, when many other pastimes are hindered by wether. Zeal is no more admitted to Life before he be somewhat pinchte in the wa●t, to avoid extremity, and being not in the end simply called Zeal but Moderate Zeal a few conditions are prescribed to Comedies, that the matter be purged, deformities blazed, sin rebuked, honest mirth intermingled, and fit time for the hearing of the same appointed, Moderate Zeal is contented to suffer them, who joineth with delight to direct life again, after which he triumphs over Death & is crowned with eternity. These bugs are fit to fear babes them to move men. Nevertheless this is the substance of that which is brought for places, this is the pillar of their credit. All other men that subscribe not this but inveigh against them, by writing in books; or by tongue in Pulpits; do but crow as he termeth it, and speak against Comedies for●lacke of learning S. Siprian, S. Chrisostome, S. Ambrose, S. Augustine, Isodorus, Tertullian fathers of the Church most excellently learned, counsels as the third of Carthage the Synod of Laodicea, and such like, that condemned plays, and the skilfullt divines at this day in England which are compelled in Sermons to cry out against them, were now to be set to the school again, if the mouth of this plaimaker, were any just measure of their knowledge. 
Answere●  Sithince all their force consisteth in this point of Life & Delight I will take the more pain to overthrow it, and so conquer the rest without schirmish, like to the Romans who meeting the whole power of Carthage upon the sea, & foiling it there, thought it superfluous to proceed any further, or bring the Ram to the walls, when Carthage was drowned in the deep. And as the Romans thought that after Carthage was overcome, no country was ashamed to be subdued. So I trust that when I have beaten their captain to the earth, by force of argument, none of them all will disdain to be taken, or to cry out with testimony of good conscience, great is the truth, & it doth prevail. Though it please not him to distinguish between delight, & delight, yet for the better understanding both of that which is spoken in defence of plays, and of that which by me shallbe brought against them, you must consider that there are two sorts of delight, 
Aqui. par. 1. Q. 31. Art. 5.  the one belonging to the body, the other to the mind, that, is carnal, this spiritual. Carnal delight is the rest o● sensual appetite in the thing desired when it is felt. If this be not governed by the rule of God's word, we are presently carried beyond ourselves, therefore ought we to follow the counsel of S. Paul, which exhorteth us earnestly to suppress the same. 
Colos. 3.5.  Spiritual delight is the operation of virtue consisting in a meditation of the life to come purchased to us by the blood of Christ, & revealed for our comfort in the word of God. A notable blessing is pronounced on him whose delight is in the law of the Lord, 
Psal 1.  and the Prophet himself voweth solemnly to God, 
Psal. ● 19  that he will talk of his commandments, walk in his ways, and delight in his statutes. By the whole discourse it may be gathered, that the delight belonging to the body, is it, which this gentleman requireth as physic against the troubles and vexatiations of this ●se, which bewrayeth him to be sowste in that error, that Aristotle reproveth in his Ethics. 
Lib. 7. Cap. 14.  For if the delight of this life, be to be sought as a remedy against the sorrous of t●e same, excess of delight must ●e granted to excess of sorrow, as excess of thirst, requireth excess of drink, excess of hunger, excess of meat; excess of grief, excess of pleasure: but excess of delight in this life is not to be sought, for fear of sursette; therefore to cure the anguish of this life with such kind of pleasures as life pursues, is to measure the remedy by ●●re own appetite, which in d●●d i● nothing else, but either to receive that, that our sick stomach desireth, when it cannot judge; as to eat chalk in the green sickness; in an ague pilchers; or as they that in some kind of leprosy drink poison, which is altogether hurtful to good complexions, yet worketh it accidentally some ease in them. Being once shipped in this part of Philosophy he is carried too farr● beyond his skill.  
For in making sorrow an enemy to delight without distinction, it is easy, to find where the shoe wrings him, and that want of learning which he imputeth to other, may very well be attributed to himself.  
I grant that sorrow and delight are contrary, yet may a contrary sometimes be the cause of his contrary. As Rheubart, which all the Physicians confess to be hot, yet doe-they find it to cool in the hottest fevers, when it sweeps away choler, that causeth heat.  

An●. phisic ●.  Though contraries of their own nature be utter enemies, yet accidentally the one may beget the other, so delight many ti●es may spring, ●f sorrow, which is to be taken two di●ers ways as it is in act, 
Aqui part. Theolog. 1. q. 32. art, 4.  or as it is remembered: sorrow as it is in act, may bring forth delight, when it makes us to think of the thing we love, such was the delight of the Apostles when they were whipped, they departed from the Counsel with great joy, 
Act. 5.4.  to see themselves accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.  
Sorrow as it is remembered when it is paste, considering with ourselves that we were in trouble and escaped it, is also a cause of delight, 
Virg.  so AEneas comforteth his soldiers in the midst of their sorrows, putting them in mind, that the remembrance thereof, would turn to delight another day. Therefore under colour of an absolute conflict between sorrow & delight, to shake off the yoke of severer discipline which zeal bringeth in to govern life, is to juggle under board, a secundum quid ad simplicit●r, which Logicians do know is so great a fault in disputing, as deserves to be punished in their youngest scholars. By forcing upon life a certain necessity of carnal delight, to set up his Comedies, h●e wrappeth himself in many inconveniences. For it hindereth the course of reason, it whets us to wantonness, it nourisheth imperfections, and argueth a corruption in our manners, it hindereth the use of reason three sundry ways: 
Aqu. part. 1. qu. 14.  First, it wi●hdraweth the mind from better studies, the mind like a string, being let down, and pitched, beneath h●s natural compass, to this key of carnal delight, which we reap by Comedies, is very sore maynied and rob of sovereignty if delight be●●g●ea●e. Next by reason of a contrariety wh●n it exceeds, thus Aristotle drawing out a straight line of the office of prudence, 
th'. 6. cap. 5.  maketh it consist in giving good counsel, to live well; in which place he counteth temperance, the Nurse; exceeding deligh, the corrupter of prudence. But Comedies ma●e our delight exceed, for at them many times we laugh so extremely, that striving to bridle ourselves, we cannot; therefore Plato affirmeth the great laughter breedeth a great change, 
de Rep.  & the old proverb peradventure rose of this, much laughter is the cognisance of a fool: wher● such excess of laughter b●rsteth out that we cannot hold it, ther● is no temperance, for the time; where no temperance is, there is no wiseome, nor use of reason; when we show our s●lues void b●th of reason, and wisdom, what are we then to be thought but fools?  
Last of all it is a block in the way of reason, because it locketh up the powers of the mind from doing their duty, & like a kind of drunkenness, maketh us stagger, very unfit, either to speak; or to walk as we should in our vocation. It whets us to wantō●cs: because it breedeth a hunger, & thirst, after pleasure● For when the thing which our appetite enjoyeth cannot be received all at once, but by succession, or change, we gape after more, as he the hearing one half of a sentence, & delighteth in that, is very desirous to have the rest. So in 〈◊〉 delight being moved with variety of shows, of events, of music, the longer we gaze, the mo●e we crave, yea so forcible they are, that afterwards being but thought upon, they make us seek for the like an other time. It nourisheth imperfections, so long as it sets our hearts vpo● things that are transitory, vain and shall perish in the twinkling of an eye, it argueth a corruption in our manners, because it is the window by which we look into the secret corners of the soul, it is the very line● and lead, whereby our disposition is measured to be rough or smooths straight or crooked, lawful or unlawful, right or wrong. How shall we know a man to be good, or evil, but by the goodness or naughtiness of his will? His will appeareth by the end thereof, that is counted the end wherein it resteth, and the rest of our will, is the delight that we reap in the thing we hold to be good.  
Thus we pronounce all them to be virtuous, whom we see to delight in the works of virtue; them to be wicked, whom we find to rejoice in the works of wickedness. For as that is evil which rebelleth against reason and the laws of God, so is that delight to be judged evil that is fixed in the same, and the man likewise evil that so delighteth. Therefore I may well say the delight which springeth of Comedies (whereby superiority is given to affection's and so rebellion raised against reason, the laws of God are broken which bid us come out and depart from the doctrine of the Devil) so marketh the corruption of our manners in our forehe●ddes, that every one that hath judgement may point it out●  
But to leave over curiously to descant upon this plainesonge of life and delight, either by Aquinas, or by Aristotle or by Philosophy herself. I exhort you with Paul to beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy● and vain deceit, 
Collo●●●  after the traditions of men, and after the iudiments of the world, and not after Christ. And s●thince we are commanded by the same Apostle, as we have received Christ, so to walk in him, let us bring the trial of our cause to the touch of God's word, and examine by that, what the life and delight of a Christian ought to be, then shall you see my general proposition very strongly confirmed, that Plays are not to be suffered in a Christian commonweal. Paul commandeth the philippians to rejoice in the Lord, 
C●p. 4. ver. 4.  not for a day nor a week, nor a month, nor a year, but ever: the reason is added, that their modesty might be known, and why should their modesty be known? because the Lord is at hand: by which Particle the delight of this life is beaten down. Christ giving us to understand the danger of these delights wherein we laugh with the world, pronounceth a woe upon them, 
Luk. 6.25.  woe be to you that laugh now, for ye shall weep and lament.  
It behoveth a Christian so to delight, and rejoice now, that he may rejoice & delight at the last day, 
● Pe● 4.25.  which joy is accomplished by this that we are partakers of the cross of Christ. How far this delight is different from Comedies, is easy to be seen with half an eye, and if Peets have no surer gyrthes to their saddle them life and delight, it will be no trouble to unhorsed them, for a Christian knoweth how to delight in death. 
●ertul. de Spec  Large is the ground I might travace in this behalf, yet for brevities sake I will pass it over, and show you she life of a Christian as I promised We are taught by Paul that Christ is our life, 
Collos. ●.  and that our life is laid up with Christ in God: therefore by the way of comparison, as Christ died, and after ascended up to heaven, so he persuadeth ●s to die, that is to mortify this ●lesh with the delights thereof, and to seek after those things that are above, where Christ our life is. The end of the death of Christ was, 
2. Cor. 5.15.  that we which live in this world, should not live to ourselves, but unto him; here is all prerogative taken from us, we are now no longer our own men, for if by the benefit of him we live, our life must be his and not our own. Our life is not his, except we crucify the flesh, with the affections and concupiscences of the same, we crucify not the affections of our flesh, when we resort unto plays to stir them up, therefore running to plays we live to ourselves, and not to Christ, when we live to ourselves, it is no li●e.  
Yet the Author of the Play of Plays and Pastimes thinks he hath ploughed such surrowes on my back, as will never be filled up again, because Comedis nourish delight, and delight should never be taken from life.  
This argument cuts like a Ledenhaule knife where (as they say in common speech) if one pour on steel with a ladle, 
Obiect●  an other comes and wipes it of with a feather. 
●●seb.  Nevertheless here it may be that my friends of the universities will accuse me of that ausleryty, which was used by some of the Godly long ago, who perceiving men in all things naturally to pass the bounds of modesty, and being desirous to lay some strong kind of plaster to this old soar, allowed men to use the blessings of God, but for necessity's sake, prescribing them nothing, but that which was necessary: thus were they enjoined to abstain from all manner of things, that might be spared. Which in deed is a harder yoke than the word of God doth lay upon us: For after this rate, we should have no more than one c●ate to our backs, nor the use of many creatures which God hath ordained for the service of man. Many things there are that the hands of God hath bestowed upon us not only for necessity, but for delight, as apparel, meats, flowers, metals, and such like.  
Apparel as well for comeliness, as to keep off the injury of the air. Meats, aswell for delight, as for nutriment; otherwise had the prophet never reckoned it up among the benefits of God● that he giveth us wine to make our hearts glad, 
Psal. 104. 16.  and oil to make us a cheerful countenance. The singular beauty and sweetness of flowers, the variety of colours wherein one thing excels another, had been bestowed in vain, if the Majesty of God had not as well regarded our delight, as relieved our need. This I take to be the foundation whereupon the Author of the Play of Plays buildeth his strongest reason, which is this, because we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and so forth, Comedies presenting delight to both, are not so rashly to be condemned. To whom I answer, 
Answers  that the creatures of God may be used both fo● necessity, and for delight, so far forth as they are referred to that end, for which they were made.  
God hath bestowed apparel, fooder flowers, Treasure, as gold, silver, pearl, bewetifull and rich stones, as Diamoundes, Saphires, Rubies, Carbuncles, Turkeys, Chrysolittes; besides them, Ivory, ●ett, and marble● of these blessings some are both necessary and delightsome, some are only delightsome; nothing necessary: but to what end? That we might use them well, & by these transitory benefits be led as it were by te hand, to a consideration of thos● benefits that are laid up for us in the life to come. We are placed as Pilgrims in the flesh by which as by a ●●●ney we must come to our own home, 
Cor●●.  therefore passing by the earth, and by the flesh it is our due●y (as travelers) to be careful to use the earth, and the fleshy and the blessings of both, so ●that they may further, 
Cor. 7  not hinder the course w● take in hand.  
Whereupon Paul exhorteth us to use this world●, as thought we● used it not, by which counsel of his, all affections, all thoughts, all delights, that may clap any lead to our heels, or draw us aside when we should run forwards still, until we be crowned, are cut away. Now are we thankful to God, how lift we up our minds to meditate on the life to come, how use we these blessings, as helps in the way we have to trace, when they are riotously wasted upon Comedies, which draw us all back to a sinful delight? how use we the world as though we used it not, when our studies are so fixed upon the world? how mightily Plays pull us back from our travel, hath been already declared by many strong reasons drawn from the four causes of the same, therefore to hold them tolerable because they delight, is a reason altogether rude, and misshaped, having neither head, to bring it in, nor ●oote● to bea●● it up. But as many which show●i●g up lustily in their youth, bew●a●e the greenness of their years, by the rawness of their manners, and of the wiser sort, are counted for boys though they look like men: so I trust that all that have judgement will measure the reasons of li●e, & delight, rather by the substance, that is within; then by the outward show howsoever they meunt, or brag it out.  
Enter every one into yourselves, and whensoever you hear that play again, or any man else in private conference commend Plays, consider not, so much what is spoken to colour them, as what may be spoken to confound them. It is shame, to frequent plays, impudence to defend them; it is dangerous to fall in the enemy's hand, present death to be prisoners to the Devil; it is sin in the Gentiles to set out Plays, in Christians it is a presumptuous sin, because we see better ways and take the worse, we know their corruption, and allow them. All this hath been sufficiently proved by ancient writers, and daily revealed by learned Preachers, yet will not my countrymen leave their Plays, because Plays are the nourishers of delight; wherein I perceive they are like to the snake, cut of their head, they whisk with the tail.   

The 5 Action.  
I Think you maru●ile why so many famous men in both universities, have made open outcries of the inconveniences bred by plays, none of them by printing have taken the pains to write any full discovery against them, I especially, which neither in age, wisedme, nor authority may be compared to them, with less learning, and more presumption, hau● taken the charge upon myself. They hold this opinion that plays are not to be suffered in a Christian commonweal, but they do not thoroughly prosecute the same, because that finding the ears of their hearers stopped with the deaf ad●er, they begin to shake the dust from their shoes against them, and follow the counsel of God himself, which biddeth them throw no pearls to swine. The thing they condemn, because it is evil; they begin to be mute because men are obstinate in opinions. What then? am I the boldest in all th' company? no. Am I more zealous than that rest? God forbidden I should rob any, of those titles of virtue that they possess, or challenge that to myself, which is due to them. What is the reason then that I dare set in my foot before the rest? Because that if any of them should write against plays, that occupy your pulpits with learned sermons, whose knowledge & authority herein is great. If I say, they should speak but one word against the sléepines of Magistrates which in this case is necessary to be touched, they shall seem straight to swerver from the text, to speak without book, and to utter a great deal more than needs. But I, though my speech be somewhat more free than theirs, shallbe excused for want of iudgement● Sith I am raw; or for childish aspiring, sith I am young. Beside this, having once already written against plays, which no man that ever wrote plays, did, but one, wh● hath changed his copy, and turne● himself l●ke the dog to his vomit, to play● again. And being falsely accused my ●elf● to do the like, it is needful for me to write again. These things which indifferency consideres, will persuade the reasonable, that I have taken this enterprise upon me, not only without any malapert oue●hardines, but of necessity, because my experience hath taught as much as any, and made me able to say little less than any. Therefore as I have already discovered the corruption of plays by the corruption of their causes, The Efficient, the Matter, t●e Form, the end, so will I conclude the Effects that this poison works among us. The devil is not ignorant how mightily these outward spectacles effeminate, & soften the hearts of men, vice is learned with beholding, sense is tickled, desire pricked, & those impressions of mind are secretly conveyed over to the gazers, which the players do sergeant on the stage. As long as we know ourselves to be flesh, beholding those examples in Theatres that are incident to flesh, we are taught by other men's examples how to fall. And they that came honest to a play, may departed infected. Lactantius doubteth whether any corruption can be greater, than that which is da●ly bred by plays, because the expressing of vice by imitation, 
Lib. 6. cap.  brings us by the shadow, to the substance of the sams. Whereupon hes affirmeth them necessary to be banished, least wickedness be learned, or with the custom of pleasure, by little and little we forget God. What force there is in the gestures of Players, may be gathered by the Tale of Bacchus, 
●y●apoe  and Ariadne, which Xenophon reporteth to be Played at a banquet, by a Syracusian and his boy, and his dancing Trull. In came the Syracusian not unlike to Prologue of our Plays, discoursing the argument of the fable, than entered Ariadne, gorgeously attired like a Bride, and sat in the presence of them all, after came Bacchus dancing to the Pipe, Ariadne perceiving him● though she neither rose to meet him, nor stirred from the place to welcome him, yet she showed by her gesture that she sat upon thorns.  
When Bacchus beh●ld her, expressing in his dance the passions of love, he placed himself somewhat near to her, and embraced her, she with an amorous kind of fear and strangeness, as though she would thrust him away with the little finger, and pull him again with both her hands, somewhat timorously, and doubtfully entertained him.  
At this the beholders began to shout, when Bacchus rose up, tenderly listing Ariadne from her seat●, no small store of courtesy passing between them, the beholders rose up, every man stood on tip toe, and seemed to hover over the pray, when they swore, the company swore, when they departed to bed; the company presently was set on fire, they that were married posted home to their wives; they that were single, vowed very solemnly, to be wedded. As the sting of Phalangion spreadeth her poison through every vain, when no hurt is seen; so amorous gesture, strikes to the heart when no skin is razed. Therefore Cupid is painted with bow and arrows, because it is the property of lust to wound aloof. Which being well weighed, Saint Cyprian had very good cause to compleine, that players are spots to our manners, 
Epist. lib. 2. ●●. ●. ad Dona●  nourishers of vice, and corrupters of all things by their gestures. The godly Father knowing the practice of playing to be so evil, 
●pist: lib: ●. ●p. 10 ad Eucrati●m.  and the inconveniences so monstrous that gr●w thereby thinks the majesty of God to be stained, the honour of his Church defaced, when players are admitted to the table of the Lord. Neither was this the opinion of Saint Cyprian alone, 
Concil: Arela●c●s: 2.20.  but of the whole assembly of learned fathers in the council held under Constantius the emperor.  
Great is the hardness of our hearts when, neither fathers, nor counsels● nor God himself strikes us with any shame of that, which every good man is ashamed to remember. Mine eyes thoroughly behold the manner of theatres, when I wrote plays myself, & found them to be the very markets of bawdry, where choice without shame hath been as fr●e, as it is for your money in the royal exchange, to take a short stock, or a long, a falling band, or a french ru●●e. The first building of theatres was to ravish the Sabines, and that they were continued in whoredom ever after, ovid confesseth in these words. Scilicet ex illo solennia more Theatra núc quoque 
Art. amand.  formosis insidiosa manent  
As at the first, so now, theatres are snares unto fair women. And as I told you long ago in my school● of abuse, our theatres, & play houses in London, are as full of secret adultery as they were in Rome. In Rome it was the fashion of wanton young men, to place themselves as nigh as they could to the courtesans, to present them pomegranates, to play with their garments, and wait on them home, when the sport was done. In the playhouses at London, it is the fashion of youths to go first into the pard, and to carry their ●ye through every gallery, them like unto ravens whe●e they spy the carrion thither they ●ye, and press as ne●e to the farrest a● they can. In stead of pō●granates they give them pippines, they dally which their garments to pass the time, they minister talk vpō●l occasions, & either bring them home to their houses on small acquaintance, or ●●ip into taverns when the plays are dō●. He thinketh best of his painted sheath, & taketh himself for a jolly fellow, that is noted of most, to be busiest with women in all such places. This open corruption is a prick in the eyes of them that see it, and a thorn in the sides of the godly, when they hear it. This is a poison to beholders, and a nurseris of idleness to the Players.  
Most of the Players have been either men of occupations, which they have forsaken to live by playing, or common minstrels, or trained up from their childhood to this abominable exercise & have now no other way to get their living. A common weal is likened to the body, whose head is the prince, in the body: if any part be idle, by participation the damage redoundeth to the whole, if any refuse to do their duty, though they be base, as the guts, the gall, the bladder, how dangerous it is both to the body, and to the head, every man is able to conjecture.  
We are commanded by God to abide in the same calling wheirein we were called, which is our ordinary vocation in a commonweal. This is the standing, which as faithful soldiers we ought to keep, till the Lord himself do call us from it. Be we never so base or mean in the sight of men, yet keeping our standing, living in our vocation, doing our duty, we have this comfort, that God is our captain, God is our guide, it is given us of God, yielding ourselves obedient to him, we can not but glister in his sight.  
If we grudge at the wisdom of our maker, and disdain the callings he hath placed us in, aspiring somewhat higher than we should, as in the body; when the feet would be● arms, the arms would be eyes; the guts would be veins, the veins would be nerves; the muscles would be flesh, the flesh would be spirit, this confusion of order weakens the head: So in a commonweal, if private men be suffered to forsake their calling because they desire to walk gentleman like in satin & velvet, which a buckler at their heels, proportion is so broken, unity dissolved, harmony confounded, that the whole body must be dismembered and the prince or the head can not c●u●e but sicken. Wherefore I hope the wise will account it necessary, that such as have left their occupations, either be turned to the same again, or cut of from the body as putrefied members for infe●●ing the ●est. Let them that have no occupation at all, ask God forgiveness for the time so evil spent, and apply themselves speedily to live within the compass of a common weal. Let them not look to live by plays, the little thrift that followeth their great gain, is a manifest token that God hath cursed it, that which is gotten over the devils ●acke, is, spent under his belly; it c●mes running, and departs flying with th● wings of an Eagle in the air. I have showed you loving countrymen the corruption & inconveniences of your places, as the s●lendernes of my learnings would afforce, being pulled from the vniuers●tie before I was ●i●e, & withered in the country for want of saap●: if you prefer the opinion of Lodge or any such like be●ore the infallabe testimony of your own● senses, if I which for the love I bear to your souls, & the du●tie that I own unto my God, have plainly declared what I read by study, or find by practice, concerning plays, not as a pict Orator that with greatest skill; but as a well-willer, y● with smallest jeopardy might speak my mind; If your preachers wh●se learning's wonderful; zeal, unspeakable; if the ancient fathers of the church, which have looked very narrowly into the cause & in anguish of heart set down their judgement; if the counsels of fathers which are not the Oracles of any one man but debated substantially by the heads of many, if the word of God, which is the finger that points you out the way, which is the trumpete that giveth the surest sound, which is the square, unto which you must be fashioned, which is the w●itten voice of the God of Israel challenging credit of itself, may not persuade ●ou to leave your plays, the succese of my labour will be lean, & the hope of your amendment ster●ed to death: but if you be such as I take you for, glad to be taught, unwilling to perish, lovers of the Gospel, haters of liberty, champions in earth for the right of Christ, callengers to the devil and all his works, no spirit of sleep shall be muffle your eyes, no fat of sel●e will, or ignorance shall cover your hearts, no parasite shall flatter you, in your sin, no Lodge, no playmaker, no Epicure, no A●heiste, shall make you to surfeit with these delights.  
Plays are the inventions of the devil, the offerings of Idolatry, the pomp of worldlings, the blossoms of vanity, the root of Apostasy, the food of iniquity, riot, and adultery. detest them. Players are masters of vice, teachers of wantonness, spurs to impurity, the Sons of idleness, so long as they live in this order, loathe them. God is merciful, his wings are spread to receive you if you come betimes, God is just, h●s bow is bend & his arrow drawn, to sē● you a plague, if you stays too long.  
FINIS.