Par Monseigneur
CARON.
In English thus,
An Order of the most Illustrious and most Reverend Lord Bishop of Arras against Plays.
'GUY DE SEVE DE ROCHE CHOUART by the grace of God, &c. Bishop of Arras. To all the Faithful in the Town of Arras Health and Benediction. A man must be very ignorant of his Religion, not to know the great disgust it has always declar'd, for Publick Sights, and for Plays in particular. The Holy Fathers condemn them in their writings; They look upon them as reliques of Heathenism, and Schools of Debauchery. They have been always abominated by the Church; And notwithstanding those who are concern'd in this Scandalous Profession; are not absolutely expell'd by a Formal Excommunication, yet She publickly refuses them the Sacraments, and omits nothing upon all occasions, to show her aversion for this Employment, and to transfuse the same sentiments into her Children. The Rituals of the best govern'd Dioceses, have ranged the Players among those whom the Parish Priests are oblig'd to treat as Excommunicated Persons. The Ritual of Paris joyns them with Sorcerers, and Magicians, and looks upon them as notoriously infamous; The most eminent Bishops for Piety, have publickly denied them the Sacraments: For this reason, we our selves have known one of the most considerable Bishops in France, turn back a Player that came to be Married; And an other of the same order, refused to bury them in Consecrated Ground. And by the Orders of a Bishop, who is much more illustrious for his worth, for his Piety, and the Strictness of his Life, than for the Purple in his Habit; They are thrown amongst Fornicators, Usurers, Blasphemers, Lewd Women, and declar'd Excommunicates, amongst the Infamous, and Simoniacal, and other Scandalous Persons who are in the List of those who ought publickly to be barr'd Communion.
'Unless therfore we have a mind to condemn the Church, the Holy Fathers, and the most holy Bishops, 'tis impossible to justifie Plays; neither is the Defence of those less impracticable, who by their Countenance of these Diversions, not only have their share of the Mischief there done, but contribute at the same time to fix these unhappy Ministers of Satan in a Profession, which by depriving them of the Sacraments of the Church, leaves them under a constant necessity of Sinning, and out of all hopes of being saved, unless they give it over.——'
From the general Unlawfulness of Plays, the Bishop proceeds to argue more strongly against seeing them at times which are more particularly devoted to Piety, and Humiliation: And therefore he strickly forbids his Diocess the Play-House in Advent, Lent, or under any publick Calamity. And at last concludes in this Manner.
'As for the Case of Players both Men, and Women, we expresly forbid all our Rectors, Pastors, and Confessours, to admit them to the Sacraments, unless they shall repent them of their Crime, make proof of their Reformation, renounce their Business, and retrieve the Scandal they have given, by such publick Satisfaction as we shall think proper to injoyn them. Made and Decreed at Arras the fourth day of December 1695.
Guy Bishop of Arras. &c.
I shall now in the Third Place, give a short account of the sense of the Primitive Church concerning the Stage: And first I shall instance in her Councils.