William Law · 13 of 18

Chapters · Chapter XI · Part 1

A farther Consideration of that Purity and Holiness of Conversation, to which the Necessity of divine Grace calleth all Christians: wherein is shown, that the Entertainment of the Stage is a corrupt and sinful Entertainment, contrary to the whole Nature of Christian Piety, and constantly to be avoided by all sincere Christians.

I have shown in the foregoing chapter, that the reading of plays, or any other books of that kind, is a dangerous and sinful entertainment, that corrupts our hearts, and separates the Holy Spirit from us. You will now, perhaps, ask me, if it is unlawful for a Christian to go to the play-house; I answer, that it is absolutely unlawful. As unlawful as for a Christian to be a drunkard, or a glutton, or to curse and swear. This, I think, after what has been above observed, will be easily proved.

For let us resume the doctrine of the apostle; we are absolutely forbid all corrupt communication, and for this important reason, because it grieves and separates the Holy Spirit from us. It is unlawful, therefore, to have any corrupt communication of our own? And can we think it lawful to go to places set apart for that purpose? To give our money, and hire persons to corrupt our hearts with ill discourses, and inflame all the disorderly passions of our nature? We have the authority of Scripture to affirm, that evil communication corrupts good manners, and that unedifying discourses grieve the Holy Spirit. Now the third commandment is not more plain and express against swearing, than this doctrine is plain and positive against going to the play-house. If you should see a person that acknowledges the third commandment to be a divine prohibition against swearing, yet going to a house, and giving his money to persons, who were there met, to curse and swear in fine language, and invent musical oaths and imprecations, would you not think him mad in the highest degree? Now consider, whether there be a less degree of madness in going to the play-house. You own that God has called you to a great purity of conversation, that you are forbid all foolish discourse, and filthy jestings, as expressly as you are forbid swearing; that you are to let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for the use of edifying; and yet you go to the house set apart for corrupt communications; you hire persons to entertain you with all manner of ribaldry, profaneness, rant, and impurity of discourse; who are to present you with vile thoughts and lewd imaginations in fine language, and to make wicked, vain, and impure discourse more lively and affecting than you could possibly have it in any ill company. Now is not this sinning with as high a hand, and as grossly offending against the plain doctrines of Scripture, as if you was to give your money to be entertained with musical oaths and curses? You might reasonably think that woman very ridiculous in her piety that durst not swear herself, but should, nevertheless, frequent places to hear oaths. But you may as justly think her very ridiculous in her modesty, who, though she dare not say, or look, or do an immodest thing herself, shall yet give her money to see women forget the modesty of their sex, and talk imprudently in a public play-house. If the play-house was filled with rakes and ill women, there would be nothing to be wondered at in such an assembly; for such persons to be delighted with such entertainments, is as natural as for any animal to delight in its proper element. But for persons who profess purity and holiness, who would not be suspected of immodesty, or corrupt communication, for them to come under the roof of a house devoted to such ill purposes, and be pleased spectators of such actions and discourses, as are the pleasure of the most abandoned persons, for them to give their money to be thus entertained, is such a contradiction to all piety and common sense as cannot be sufficiently exposed.

Again; When you see the players acting with life and spirit, men and women equally bold in all instances of profaneness, passion, and immodesty, I dare say you never suspect any of them to be persons of Christian piety. You cannot, even in your imagination, join piety to such manners, and such a way of life. Your mind will no more allow you to join piety with the behaviour of the stage, than it...will allow you to think two and two to be ten. And perhaps you had rather see your son chained to a galley, or your daughter driving a plow, than getting their bread on the stage, by administering in so scandalous a manner to the vices and corrupt pleasures of the world.

Let this therefore be another argument to prove the absolute unlawfulness of going to the play. For consider with yourself; is the business of players so contrary to piety, so inconsistent with the spirit and temper of a true Christian, that it is next to a contradiction to suppose them united? How then can you take yourself to be innocent, who delight in their sins, and hire them to commit them? You may make yourself a partaker of other men's sins, by negligence, and for want of reproving them; but certainly if you stand by, and assist men in their evil actions, if you make their vices your pleasure and entertainment, and pay your money to be so entertained, you make yourself a partaker of their sins in a very high degree. And, consequently, it must be as unlawful to go to a play as it is unlawful to approve, encourage, assist, and reward a man for renouncing a Christian life.

Let therefore every man or woman that goes to a play ask themselves this question, Whether it suits with their religion to act the parts that are there acted? Perhaps they would think this as inconsistent with that degree of piety that they profess, as to do the vilest things. But let them consider, that it must be a wicked and unlawful pleasure to delight in any thing that they dare not do themselves. Let them also consider, that they are really acting those indecencies and impieties themselves, which they think is the particular guilt of the players. For a person may very justly be said to do that himself which he pays for the doing, and which is done for his pleasure. You must therefore, if you would be consistent with yourself, as much abhor the thoughts of being at a play, as of being a player yourself; for to think that you must forbear the one, and not the other, is as absurd, as to suppose, that you must be temperate yourself; but may assist, encourage, and reward other people for their intemperance. The business of a player is profane, wicked, lewd, and immodest; to be any way therefore approving, assisting, or encouraging him in such a way of life, is as evidently sinful, as it is sinful to assist and encourage a man in stealing, or any other wickedness.

To proceed: When I consider churches, and the matter of divine service, that it consists of holy readings, prayers, and exhortation to piety, there is reason to think, that the house of God is a natural means of promoting piety and religion, and rendering men devout and sensible of their duty to God. The very nature of divine assemblies thus carried on, has this direct tendency. I ask you, whether this is not very plain, that churches thus employed should have this effect?

Consider therefore the play-house, and the matter of the entertainment there, as it consists of love-intrigues, blasphemous passions, profane discourses, lewd descriptions, filthy jests, and all the most extravagant rant of wanton, vile, profligate persons of both sexes, heating and inflaming one another with all the wantonness of address, the immodesty of motion, and lewdness of thought, that wit can invent; consider, I say, whether it be not plain, that a house so employed, is as certainly serving the cause of immorality and vice, as the house of God is serving the cause of piety? For what is there in our church service, that shows it to be useful to piety and holiness; what is there in divine worship to correct and amend the heart, but what is directly contrary to all that is doing in the play-house? So that one may with the same assurance affirm, that the play-house, not only when some very profane play is on the stage, but in its daily, common entertainment, is as certainly the house of the devil, as the church is the house of God. For, though the devil be not professedly worshipped by hymns directed to him, yet most that is there sung is to his service; he is there obeyed and pleased in as certain a manner as God is worshipped and honoured in the church.

You must easily see, that this charge against the play-house, is not the effect of any particular temper, or weakness of mind; that it is not an uncertain conjecture, or religious whimsy, but is a judgment founded as plainly in the nature and reason of things, as when it is affirmed that the house of God is of service to religion. And he that absolutely condemns the play-house, as wicked and corrupting, proceeds upon as much truth and certainty, as he that absolutely commends the house of God, as holy, and tending to promote piety.

When therefore any one pretends to vindicate the stage to you, as a proper entertainment for holy and religious persons, you ought to reject the attempt with as much abhorrence, as if he should offer to show you, that our church-service was rightly formed for those persons to join in, who are devoted to the devil. For to talk of the lawfulness and usefulness of the stage, is fully as absurd, as contrary to the plain nature of things, as to talk of the unlawfulness and mischief of the service of the church. He therefore that tells you, that you may safely go to the play-house, as an innocent, useful entertainment of your mind, commits the same offence against common sense, as if he should tell you, that it was dangerous to attend at divine service, and that its prayers and hymns were great pollutions of the mind.

For the matter and manner of stage-entertainments, is as undeniable a proof, and as obvious to common sense, that the house belongs to the devil, and is the place of his honour, as the matter and manner of church-service proves that the place is appropriated to God.

Observe, therefore, that as you do not want the assistance of any one, to show you the usefulness and advantage of divine service, because the thing is plain, and speaks for itself: so neither, on the other hand, need you any one to show you the unlawfulness and mischief of the stage; because there the thing is equally plain, and speaks for itself; so that you are to consider yourself, as having the same assurance that the stage is wicked, and to be abhorred and avoided by all Christians, as you have that the service of the Church is holy, and to be sought after by all lovers of holiness. Consider, therefore, that your conduct with relation to the stage, is not a matter of nicety, or scrupulous exactness, but that you are as certain that you do wrong in as notorious a manner, when you go to the play-house, as you are certain that you do right when you go to church.

Now it is of mighty use to conceive things in a right manner, and to see them as they are in their own nature. While you consider the play-house as only a place of diversion, it may perhaps give no offence to your mind; there is nothing shocking in the thought of it; but if you would lay aside this name of it for a while, and consider it in its own nature as it really is, you would find that you are as much deceived, if you consider the play-house as only a place of diversion, as you would be, if you considered the house of God only as a place of labour.

When therefore you are tempted to go to a play, either from your own inclination, or the desire of a friend, fancy that you was asked in plain terms to go to the place of the devil’s abode, where he holds his filthy court of evil spirits: that you was asked to join in an entertainment, where he was at the head of it, where the whole of it was in order to his glory, that men’s hearts and minds might be separated from God, and plunged into all the pollutions of sin and brutality. Fancy that you are going to a place that as certainly belongs to the devil, as the heathen temples of old, where brutes were worshipped; where wanton hymns were sung to Venus; and drunken songs to the god of wine. Fancy that you was as certainly going to the devil's triumph, as if you was going to those old sports where people committed murder, and offered Christians to be devoured by wild beasts for the diversion of spectators. Now whilst you consider the playhouse in this view, I suppose that you can no more go to a play, than you can expressly renounce your Christianity.

Consider therefore now, that you have not been frightening yourself with groundless imaginations, but that what you have here fancied of the play-house, is as strictly true, as if you had been fancying, that when you go to church, you go into the house of God, where the heavenly host attend upon his service, and that when you there read the Scriptures, and sing holy hymns, you join with the choirs above, and do God's will on earth, as it is done in heaven. For observe, I pray you, how justly that opinion of the play-house is founded. For, was it a joy and delight to the devil to see idols worshipped, to see hymns and adorations offered up to impure and filthy deities? Were places and festivals, appointed for such ends, justly esteemed places and festivals devoted to the devil? Now give the reason why all this was justly reckoned a service to the devil, and you will give as good a reason why the play-house is to be esteemed his temple. For, what though hymns and adorations are not offered to impure and filthy deities, yet if impurity and filthiness is there the entertainment, if immodest songs, profane rant, if lust and passion entertain the audience, the business is the same, and the assembly does the same honour to the devil, though they are not gathered together in the name of some heathen god.

For impurity and profaneness in the worshippers of the true God, is as acceptable a service to the devil, as impurity and profaneness in any idolators; and perhaps a lewd song in an assembly of Christians gives him greater delight, than if it had been sung in a congregation of heathens.

If therefore we may justly say, that a house or festival was the devil's, because he was delighted with it, because what was there done was an acceptable service to him; we may be assured, that the play-house is as really the house of the devil, as any other house ever was. Nay, it is reasonable to think, that the play-houses in this kingdom are a greater pleasure to him, than any temple he ever had in the heathen world. For as it is a greater conquest to make the disciples of Christ delight in lewdness and profaneness, than ignorant heathens; so a house, that in the midst of Christian churches, trains up Christians in lewdness and profaneness, that makes the worshippers of Christ flock together in crowds, to rejoice in an entertainment that is contrary to the Spirit of Christ, as hell is contrary to heaven; a house so employed, may justly be reckoned a more delightful habitation of the devil, than any temple of the heathen world. When therefore you go to the play-house, you have as much assurance that you go to the devil's peculiar habitation, that you submit to his designs, and rejoice in his diversions, which are his best devices against Christianity, you have as much assurance of this, as that they who worshipped filthy deities, were in reality worshippers of the devil.

Again, consider those old sports and diversions where Christians were sometimes thrown to wild beasts; consider why such sports might well be looked upon as the devil's triumph: I suppose you are at no stand with yourself, whether you should impute such entertainments to the devil. Consider, therefore, why you should not as readily allow the stage to be his entertainment.

For was it a delight to the devil to see heathens sporting with the bodily death of Christians? And must it not be greater delight to him, to see Christians sporting themselves in the death of their souls?

The heathens could only kill the body, and separate it from the soul; but these Christian diversions murder the soul, and separate it from God. I dare say no arguments could convince you, that it was lawful to rejoice at those sports, which were thus defiled with human blood; but then pray remember that if the death of the soul be as great a cruelty as the death of the body; if it be as dreadful for a soul to be separated from God, as to be separated from the body; you ought to think it as entirely unlawful to enter that house where so many eternal lives are sacrificed, or ever to partake of those diversions, which separate such numbers of souls from God.

Hence it appears, that if, instead of considering the play-house as only a place of diversion, you will but examine what materials it is made of, if you will but consider the nature of the entertainment, and what is there doing, you will find it as wicked a place, as sinful a diversion, and as truly the peculiar pleasure and triumph of the devil, as any wicked place or sinful diversion in the heathen world. When therefore you are asked to go to a play, do not think that you are asked only to go to a diversion, but be assured that you are asked to yield to the devil, to go over to his party, and to make one of his congregation; that if you do go, you have not only the guilt of buying so much vain and corrupt communication, but are also as certainly guilty of going to the devil’s house, and doing him the same honour, as if you was to partake of some heathen festival.

You must consider, that all the laughter there is …not only vain and foolish, but that it is a laughter amongst devils, that you are upon profane ground; and hearing music in the very porch of hell.

Thus it is in the reason of the thing; and if we should now consider the state of our play-house, as it is in fact, we should find it answering all these characters, and producing effects suitable to its nature: but I shall forbear this consideration, it being as unnecessary to tell the reader, that our play-house is in fact the sink of corruption and debauchery; that it is the general rendezvous of the most profligate persons of both sexes; that it corrupts the air, and turns the adjacent places into public nuisances; this is as unnecessary as to tell him, that the Exchange is a place of merchandise.

Now it is to be observed, that this is not the state of the play-house, through any accidental abuse, as any innocent or good thing may be abused; but that corruption and debauchery are the truly natural and genuine effects of the stage-entertainment. Let not, therefore, any one say, that he is not answerable for those vices and debaucheries which are occasioned by the play-house; for so far as he partakes of the pleasure of the stage, and is an encourager of it, so far he is chargeable with those disorders which necessarily are occasioned by it.

If evil arises from our doing our duty, or our attendance at any good design, we are not to be frighted at it; but if evil arises from any thing, as its natural and genuine effect, in all such cases, so far as we contribute to the cause, so far we make ourselves guilty of the effects. So that all who any way assist the play-house, or ever encouraged it by their presence, make themselves chargeable, in some degree, with all the evils and vices which follow from it. Since therefore it cannot be doubted by any one, whether the play-house be a nursery of vice and debauchery, since the evil effects it has...upon people's manners is as visible as the sun at noon, one would imagine that all people of virtue and modesty should not only avoid it, but avoid it with the utmost abhorrence; that they should be so far from entering into it, that they should detest the very sight of it. For what a contradiction is it to common sense to hear a woman lamenting the miserable lewdness and debauchery of the age, the vicious taste, and irregular pleasures of the world, and at the same time dressing herself to meet the lewdest part of the world, at the fountain-head of all lewdness, and making herself one of that crowd where every abandoned wretch is glad to be present? She may fancy that she hates and abominates their vices; but she may depend upon it, that till she hates and abominates the place of vicious pleasures, till she dare not come near an entertainment which is the cause of so great debauchery, and the pleasure of the most debauched people; till she is thus disposed, she wants the truest sign of a real and religious abhorrence of the vices of the age.

For to wave all other considerations, I would only ask her a question or two on the single article of modesty. What is modesty? Is it a little mechanical outside behaviour, that goes no farther than a few forms and modes at particular times and places? Or is it a real temper, a rational disposition of the heart, that is founded in religion? Now if modesty is only a mechanical observance of a little outside behaviour, then I can easily perceive how a modest woman may frequent plays; there is no inconsistency for such a one to be one thing in one place, and another in another place; to disdain an immodest conversation, and yet, at the same time, relish and delight in immodest and impudent speeches in a public play-house. But if modesty is a real temper and disposition of the heart, that is founded in the principles of reli gion; then I confess I cannot comprehend how a person of such modesty should ever come twice into a play-house. For if it is reason and religion that has inspired her with a modest heart; that makes her hate and abhor every word or look, or hint, in conversation that has the appearance of lewdness; that makes her shun the company of such as talk with too much freedom; if she is thus modest in common life, from a principle of religion, a temper of heart; is it possible for such a one (I do not say to seek) but to bear with the immodesty and impudence of the stage? For must not immodesty and impudence, must not loose and wanton discourse be the same hateful things, and give the same offence to a modest mind in one place as in another?

And must not that place, which is the seat of immodesty, where men and women are trained up in lewdness; where almost every day in the year is a day devoted to the foolish representations of rant, lust, and passion; must not such a place of all others be the most odious to a mind that is truly modest upon principles of reason and religion? One would suppose that such a person should as much abominate the place as any other filthy sight; and be as much offended with an invitation to it, as if she was invited to see an immodest picture. For the representations of the stage, the inflamed passions of lovers there described, are as gross an offence to the ear as any representation that can offend the eye.

It ought not to be concluded, that because I affirm the play-house to be an entertainment contrary to modesty, that therefore I accuse all people as void of modesty who ever go to it. I might affirm, that transubstantiation is contrary to all sense and reason; but then it would be a wrong conclusion to say, that I affirmed, that all who believe it are void of all sense and reason. Now as prejudices, the force of education, the authority of numbers, the way of the world, the example of great names, may make people believe: so the same causes may make people act against all sense and reason, and be guilty of practices which no more suit with the purity of their religion, than transubstantiation agrees with common sense.

To proceed: I once heard a young lady thus excusing herself for going to the play-house; That she went but seldom, and then in company of her mother and her aunt: that they always knew their play beforehand, and never went on the sacrament week. And what harm, pray, says she, can there be in this? It breaks in upon no rules of my life; I neglect no part of my duty; I go to church, and perform the same devotions at home as on other days. It ought to be observed, that this excuse can only be allowed where the diversion itself is innocent; it must therefore be first considered what the entertainment is in itself, whether it be suitable to the spirit and temper of religion; for if it is right and proper in itself, it needs no excuse; but if it be wrong, and dangerous to religion, we are not to use it cautiously, but avoid it constantly.

Secondly; It is no proof of the innocence of a thing, that it does not interfere with our hours of duty, nor break the regularity of our lives; for very wicked ways of spending time may yet be consistent with a regular distribution of our hours. She must therefore consider, not only whether such a diversion hinders the regularity of her life, or breaks in upon her devotions, public or private; but whether it hinders, or any way affects, that spirit and temper which all her devotions aspire after. Is it conformable to that heavenly affection, that love of God, that purity of heart, that wisdom of mind, that perfection of holiness, that contempt of the world, that watchfulness and self-denial, that humility and fear of sin? Is it conformable to these graces, which are to be the daily subject of all her prayers? This is the only way for her to know the innocency of going to a play. If what she there hears and sees has no contrariety to any graces or virtues which she prays for; if all that there passes be fit for the purity and piety of one that is led by the Spirit of Christ, and is working out her salvation with fear and trembling; if the stage be an entertainment that may be thought according to the will of God, then she disposes of an hour very innocently, though her mother, or her aunt, were not with her. But if the contrary to all this be true; if most of what she there hears and sees be as contrary to the piety and purity of Christianity, as feasting is contrary to fasting; if the house which she supports by her money, and encourages by her presence, be a notorious means of corruption, visibly carrying on the cause of vice and debauchery; she must not think herself excused for being with her mother.

Thirdly; The same person would, perhaps, think it strange to hear one of her virtuous acquaintances giving the like excuse for going now and then to a masquerade.

Now this diversion is new in our country, and therefore people judge of it in a manner that they should, because they are not blinded by use and custom; but let any one give but the true reasons why a person of virtue and piety should not give into such entertainments, and the same reasons will show, that a person of a strict piety should keep at as great a distance from the playhouse. For the entertainment of the stage is as directly opposite to the purity of religion, and is as much the natural means of corruption, and serves all bad ends in as high a manner as masquerades; they only differ as bad things of the same kind may differ from one another. So that if the evil use, the ill consequence of masquerades, be a sufficient reason to deter peo ple of piety from partaking of them, the same evil use and ill consequence of the stage ought to keep all people of virtue from it. If people will consult their temper only, they may take the entertainment of one, and condemn the other as following the same guide; they may abhor intemperance, and indulge malice; but if they will consult religion, and make that the ground of their opinions, they would find as strong reasons for a constant abhorrence of the stage, as of masquerades.