The law unsealed

the Canons of both which Councils suppose persons to have been excommunicated on this account, and provide for their reconciliation to the Church, in case of repentance and turning from these practises to the Lord; and by the fifty first and sixty second Canons of the sixth general Council (called by some the fifth) held at Constantinople, Anno 680. the Canons whereof were renewed in that Council held at Constantinople, Anno 692. which is called Quimsextum; these two Canons are very express and peremptory in this thing. And can any Christians warrantably, and without sin, recreate themselves with beholding such plays, the Actors wherein deserve to be excommunicated? what? is there no better, no more innocent and inoffensive way? or is this the only or the best way to recreate men▪ to refine, sharpen, and polish their wits; to persuade and prevail with them to hate and flee vice, and to love and follow virtue; to acquaint them from History with, to impress on them the remembrance and to excite them to the imitation of, the noble and truly imitable actions of illustrious Heroes, and other great men; to breed them to a suitable confidence; to make them eloquent and fine spokesmen; and to help them to a becoming gest in all actions, places, and societies? the grave Seers, and great Lights of the Church, did never see any such thing in them; but on the contrary, ⟨image 12⟩have with common suffrage judged them to be the most effectual and compendious way to make men soft, dissolute, and sensual; nay, even in a manner quite to emasculate, if not to brutify them; and have without any discord declared, that the lightness, lasciviousness, and lewdness that in these plays were touched under, and covered over with such shreds and pieces of Learning, History, Eloquence, Invention, Wit, and Art, were thereby only made the more dangerous; and that Satan showed his pernicious and pestilent policy not a little in thus tincturing, sugaring, and gilding these poisonable Pills, that they might go the better down, diffuse themselves the less sensibly, and operate the more strongly.

the Canons of both which Councels suppose persons to have been excommunicated on this account, and provide for their reconciliation to the Church, in case of repentance and turning from these practises to the Lord; and by the fifty first and sixty second Canons of the sixth general Councel (called by some the fifth) held at Constantinople, Anno 680. the Canons whereof were renewed in that Councel held at Constantinople, Anno 692. which is called Quimsextum; these two Canons are very express and peremptory in this thing. And can any Christians warrantably, and without sin, recreate themselves with beholding such playes, the Actors wherein deserve to be excommunicated? what? is there no better, no more innocent and inoffensive way? or is this the onely or the best way to recreate men to refine, sharpen, and polish their wits; to perswade and prevail with them to hate and flee vice, and to love and follow vertue; to acquaint them from History with, to impress on them the remembrance and to excite them to the imitation of, the noble and truely imitable actions of illustrious Heroes, and other great men; to breed them to a suitable confidence; to make them eloquent and fine spokesmen; and to help them to a becoming gest in all actions, places, and societies? the grave Seers, and great Lights of the Church, did never see any such thing in them; but on the contrary,