The law unsealed

From all which it is manifest, that the original of these Stage-plays and such others, was from the Devil, and celebrated by the Heathens to the honour and worship of their Devil-Gods in way of religious Sacrifices to them, either as pacificatory or gratificatory; with whom in their Idolatries and superstitions, the Scriptures forbid all symbolizing and fellowship. Let us hear now in the next place some more of these Fathers speak their own and the Churches thoughts, a little more particularly of Stage-plays, with respect to such grounds, having heard some of them already: Clem. Alex. orat. adhort. adv. Gentes, calls Stage-plays, Comedies, and amorous Poems, teachers of Adultery, and defilers of mens ears with Fornications; and says, That not only the use, the sight, the hearing, but the very memory of Stage-plays should be abolished: And else-where (for I do here purposely forbear very particular citations, because ordinary Readers will not much, if at all, search after them; and the Learned that have a mind to it, will easily find them out) tells Christian youths, That their Paedagogues must not lead them to Plays or Theatres, that may not unfitly be called the chairs of Pestilence, because these Conventicles, where men and women meet together promiscuously to behold one another, are the occasion of lewdness, and there they give or plot wicked counsel▪ Cyprian de spect. stiles Theatres the stews of public Chastity, the mastership of obscenity, which teach these sins in public, that men may more usually and easily commit them in private, he learneth to commit who accustometh himself to behold the theatrical representations of uncleanness: It is not lawful for faithful Christians, yea, it is altogether unlawful, to be present at these Plays: And elsewhere he saith, She that perchance came a chaste Matron to the Plays, goes away a Strumpet from the Play-house: (We may here notice what the Satirical Poet Juvenal says to this purpose, Sat. 6. That a man in his time could not pick one chaste woman, whom he might safely love as his wife out of the whole Play-house; and that all women, who frequent Stage-plays, are infamous, and forfeit their good names It were good that our women, who love and haunt such Plays, would consider this:

From all which it is manifest, that the original of these Stage-playes and such others, was from the Devil, and celebrated by the Heathens to the honour and worship of their Devil-Gods in way of religious Sacrifices to them, either as pacificatory or gratificatory; with whom in their Idolatries and superstitions, the Scriptures forbid all symbolizing and fellowship. Let us hear now in the next place some more of these Fathers speak their own and the Churches thoughts, a little more particularly of Stage-playes, with respect to such grounds, having heard some of them already: Clem. Alex. orat. adhort. adv. Gentes, calls Stage-playes, Comedies, and amorous Poems, teachers of Adultery, and defilers of mens ears with Fornications; and sayes, That not onely the use, the sight, the hearing, but the very memory of Stage-playes should be abolished: And else-where (for I do here purposely forbear very particular citations, because ordinary Readers will not much, if at all, search after them; and the Learned that have a mind to it, will easily find them out) tells Christian youths, That their Paedagogues must not lead them to Playes or Theaters, that may not unfitly be called the chairs of Pestilence, because these Conventicles, where men and women meet together promiscuously to behold one another, are the occasion of leudness, and there they give or plot wicked counsel Cyprian de spect. stiles Theaters the stewes of publick Chastity, the mastership of obscenity, which teach these sins in publick, that men may more usually and easily commit them in private, he learneth to commit who accustometh himself to behold the theatrical representations of uncleanness: It is not lawful for faithful Christians, yea, it is altogether unlawful, to be present at these Playes: And elsewhere he saith, She that perchance came a chast Matron to the Playes, goes away a Strumpet from the Play-house: (We may here notice what the Satyrical Poet Juvenal sayes to this purpose, Sat. 6. That a man in his time could not pick one chast woman, whom he might safely love as his wife out of the whole Play-house; and that all women, who frequent Stage-playes, are infamous, and forfeit their good names It were good that our women, who love and haunt such Playes, would consider this: