In the 6th. Book of his Comentary on Ezechiel he lets us understand;Chap. 20.[497] 'That when we depart out of Ægypt we must refine our Inclinations, and change our Delights into Aversion. And after some other Instances, He tells us we must decline the Theatres, and all other dangerous Diversions, which stain the Innocence of the Soul, and slip into the Will through the Senses.'
St. Augustine in his 5th. Epistle to Marcellinus will afford us something upon the same Argument.
'The prosperity of Sinners is their greatest Unhappiness. If one may say so, They are most Punish'd when they are overlook'd. By this means their bad Temper is encourag'd, and they are more inclin'd to be false to themselves; And we know an Enemy within, is more dangerous than one without. But the perverse Reasonings of the Generality, make different Conclusions. They fancy the World goes wonderfully well when People make a Figure. When a Man is a Prince in his Fortune, but a Begger in his Vertue; Has a great many fine Things about him, but not so much as one good Quality to deserve them. When the Play-Houses go up, and Religion go's down. When Prodigality is admir'd, and Charity laugh'd at. When the Players can revel with the Rich Man's purse, And the Poor have scarse enough to keep Life and Soul together.——When God suffers these Things to flourish, we may be sure he is most Angry. Present Impunity, is the deepest Revenge. But when he cuts off the Supplies of Luxury, and disables the Powers of Extravagance, then as one may say, he is mercifully severe.'
In his 1st. Book de consensu Evangelistarum,cap. 33.[498] He answers an objection of the Heathens, and comes up to the Case in Hand.
'Their Complaint as if the Times were less happy since the Appearance of Christianity is very unreasonable. Let them read their own Philosophers: There they'l find those very Things censured, which they now are so uneasy to part with; This Remark must shut up their Mouths, and convince them of the Excellency of our Religion. For pray what Satisfactions have they lost? None that I know of, excepting some Licentious ones, which they abused to the Dishonour of their Creatour. But it may be the Times are bad because the Theatres are Tumbling almost every where. The Theaters those Cages of Uncleaness, and publick Schools of Debauchery.——And what's the Reason of their running to Ruine? Why 'tis the Reformation of the Age: 'Tis because those Lewd Practises are out of Fashion, which first built and kept them in Countenance. Their own Tully's Commendation of the Actor Roscius is remarkable. He was so much a Master (says he) that none but himself was worthy to Tread the Stage. And on the other hand, so good a Man, that he was the most unfit Person of the Gang to come There. And is not this a plain Confession of the Lewdness of the Play-House; And that the better a Man was, the more he was obliged to forbear it?'
I could go on, much farther with St. Augustine, but I love to be as brief as may be. I could likewise run through the succeeding Centuries, and collect Evidence all along. But I conceive the best Ages, and the biggest Authorities, may be sufficient: And these the Reader has had already. However, one Instance more from the Moderns may not be amiss. Didacus de Tapia an eminent Spaniard, shall close the Evidence. This Author in debating the Question whether Players might be admitted to the Sacrament, amongst other things encounters an Objection. Some People it seems pretended there was some good to be learn'd at the Play-House. To these, he makes this reply.
'Granting your Supposition, (says He) your Inference is naught. Do People use to send their Daughters to the Stews for Discipline? And yet it may be, they might meet some there lamenting their own Debauchery. No Man will breed his Son upon the High-way, to harden his Courage; Neither will any one go on board a Leaky Vessel, to learn the Art of shifting in a Wreck the better. My conclusion is, let no body go to the Infamous Play-House. A place of such staring Contradiction to the Strictness and Sobriety of Religion: A Place hated by God, and haunted by the Devil. Let no man I say learn to relish any thing that's said there; For 'tis all but Poyson handsomly prepared.' Didac. &c. in D. Thom. p. 546.[499]
Thus I have presented the Reader with a short View of the Sense of Christianity. This was the opinion of the Church for the first 500 Years. And thus she has Censured the Stage both in Councils, and Single Authorities. And since the Satir of the Fathers comes full upon the Modern Poets, their Caution must be applicable. The parity of the Case makes their Reasons take place, and their Authority revive upon us. If we are Christians, the Canons of Councils, and the Sense of the Primitive Church must have a weight. The very Time is a good argument of it self. Then the Apostolical Traditions were fresh, and undisputed; and the Church much better agreed than she has been since. Then, Discipline was in Force, and Virtue Flourish'd, and People lived up to their Profession. And as for the Persons, they are beyond all exception. Their Station, their Learning, and Sufficiency was very Considerable; Their Piety and Resolution, extraordinary. They acted generously, and wrote freely, and were always above the little Regards of Interest or Danger. To be short; They were, as we may say the Worthies of Christendom, the Flower of Humane Nature, and the Top of their Species. Nothing can be better establish'd, than the Credit of these Fathers: Their Affirmation goes a great way in a proof; And we might argue upon the strength of their Character.
But supposing them contented to wave their Privilege, and dispute upon the Level. Granting this, the Stage would be undone by them. The Force of their Reasoning, and the bare Intrinsick of the Argument, would be abundantly sufficient to carry the Cause.
But it may be objected, is the Resemblance exact between Old Rome and London, will the Paralel hold out, and has the English Stage any Thing so bad as the Dancing of the Pantomimi? I don't say that: The Modern Gestures tho' bold and Lewd too sometimes, are not altogether so scandalous as the Roman. Here then we can make them some little Abatement.