.Are Stag~·reprifentations E;atvfr~l ?· And 1 coildc:mn.nor the anticnt Churches that WorChipptd to~ard1 the Eaft-: But. it Was ilot Heavm. or the Sun, or Eafi that they worthipped, or to w}lich ~hey fcnt their wor~ip~ as any t~r'?imu medi~ .,, or thing mcdiatdy wor!hipped; But only to God htmfdf whofe Glory ts tn the Heav<nr. <lJ:.!e!l:. 114. WhetiJer Stagt·playes wliere t!Je Virwous and P'itiotu are peifonattd, · be lmvft~l ? - . BEcaufe this is a kind of ltllagtty, the ti!Jehion may lie hete litly ha~dled. Bitt 1 have f.id fd much before of Stage-playcs, and the tin that is ufcd in them, Lib. I· Chap. 18. Part 2. that I hive nothing more tO fay hue, but only to decide this pattii:u1ar Ctfc of Confcicm;c concerning them, As 1 am not willing to thrull any man into txtreamr, rtor io' trouble men with calling thofe fins which God hath not forbidden ; So I have icafon to advife rtlcn to go in doubtful ufes on the fafe~ fide; much more to diffwadc thcm.from undoubted fin, an~ cfpccially ftom great and fuultiplyed fins : And therefore I mull thus decide the qudlion• , . 1 • It ir not ahfoluttly unlawful 10 ptrfoHm •notbtr mari, nor doth rh< fccond Co~ma~dmenf forbid fuch living Image; in tHil extent: I pafs by the inftancc ofthe Womari ofTtkoah, 2 Sam.t4• bccaufe the bare hi!lory proveth not the lawfulncfs. But Pa11l1 fpcaking as ofhimfelf and ApoUOJ the ihings which toncetned Others; wasappro~allle: And asChrift f~cqucntl~ taught by_Par.bler, fo his Parables were a dtfc.iption of good and evrl, by the way of fetgncd Hiftory, as tf futh ahd fuch things had been done by fuch perfons as never were. .And this liClion is no f•IJb~oJ ; For thi: ht~rcr knoweth that tt IS not meant as an Hllloncal Narrative, but a Parable; And it IS but an Imllgt m words,•.or a painted tlo(lrint. "And if a perfon and action mar be feigned bj words, I know not where it is forbidden to feign them by perfonal reprefcntauon; Thetcfotc to prrfoHatt ano• th<r is not fimply a tin. 2 • To perfonate good mrn in good a/Jiom, is itot.fimply unlawful: llecaufe ;. lt is not unlawful a5 it is ptrfo.nating, as is Otcwcd : 2· Nor as lying: Benufe it is not an affming, but a riprr{tntiHt, \ nor fo taken. . _ 3· To perfonatc a bad m•n; in abad a/Jion, is more dubious; but fecmeth not tO be in all cafes urt' lawful. To po(< by Vavidr feigning himfelf mad (as of uncertain quality,) it i! common with >·· Preachers, to fpcak oft the words o£Wicked men, aS iii their n~mtsor pcrfo.fl:S, to difgracc them : And Pro•- 5· 1 r, 12, &c. cometh near it. And whether J obbe a Hiftory,oraDialoguc t>ertonating fuch Tpcakers, is doubted by the moll learned Expofitors. 4 • 1 think it poJliblc to devife and atl a Comctdy or Traga:dy, which lhould be l•wf11/, and vert edifying. It might be fo ordered by wife men. . . . S· I think I n' ver_knew or hmd of a Lawful Stage-play, Comc:tdy or Trag~dy, in tbe oge tf)at I have lived in: And that thofc now commonly ufcd, ate not only {i~t, but h<1nous aggravated 6os i for thcfe rcafons. 1. They-pcrfonatc odious Vices commonly vitioufiy; that is, 1. Withoutnttd, rcciting·fi~fUl wordr 1 and reprefenting finful ad:ions ; which as they wcr~ cVi11n the firfi (omrtlitting, fo ire they in the ntcdlcji repetition; Ephcf. S· 3> Iio But fornication, aild .u uncltaHHtji,,. <o1Jtlallfiufi (or laft) lt~ it not be once n.tmed among you as becomelb Saints: neither Jilthine{t; noi' fotJlijb ralkiHg, Hor je•fting which are not cmvenient; but ralhtr giving of th•nl(.s-For it i1 li Jh•nu t'UI" to /it•Jr..o{lbop thingt JJ>bicl! art don< •f tbtm in ficrtt. 2· Becaufe they are fpoken and acted corilmohly tl'itb•lit that · jhamr; and hatrrd, and lgrirf whi<h iliould rightly affect the hearers With an abhorrence of rhem i And therefore tend to rtcoHcilt titcn to fin , and to rempt them to lake it but for a matter ,. offport,• · 2· There are ufually fo many words mattriaUy f•lfo (though not proptr li<l) ufed in foch ad:iags rrai. l.~:41 &. of good and evil, ·as is unfavoury, and tendeth to tcmp"t men to fiaion and falfc: fpcaking• .. u9.lrj. 3· There are ufually fuch multitudes of vain irol'th poured out on tbe Circumftanldlr; as Ire a 6~ ., Ttm;6.:o; thcmfelvcs, a~d tctnp~ the hearers to the like. . . . ~~~·:.:.;.3~~1· 4· They ulually mtx fueh amorous or other fuch enfnartng exprcffions or a&10ns; as arc fitted td loclcf. 7: Mi kindle mens linful lulls, and to be tcmptationt to the evils which they pretend to cure. 5,6,7; S· Agreat deal of precious Time il wafted in them·, which might have been much lictter fpent ~ Eph.4: '9•1°• to all the lawful ends which they can intend. tJ 5. '5>/ 6 • 6. h is the preferring of an unmeet and dangerous Recreation, bcfote nizny fitter ~ God haYing eni:~, ~9,.. allowed us fo great choice of better, it cannot be lawful to thoofe a worfe. The boJ,, which moll Rom. rJ. tJ 1 . n<cdcth rxcrcifc, with mofl of the Spectators, bath no exer•ife at all : And the mind might be 14' much more fwicfully recreated many waycs' by Variety of B'aoks; of Convctre, by contempbitng God and his works, by thefore·thoughts of ihc heavenly Glory, &c. So that it Is unlawful as un• litted to its pretended ends. . . . , 7·h ufually bell fuitcth with the moll catnal minds, and more corruptcih the affection; and psfo Ttttt 2 lions i
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=