“…children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, ‘We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.'”
Mt. 11:16-17
“…a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, ‘Smite me, I pray thee.’ And the man refused to smite him. Then said he… ‘Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee.’… Then he found another man, and said, ‘Smite me, I pray thee.’ And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, ‘Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold…’ And the king of Israel said unto him, ‘So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.’ And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.”
1 Kings 20:35-41
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Order of Contents
Acting Doesn’t Break 9th Commandment
Biblio 1
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Articles
1500’s
Bucer, Martin – pp. 349-52 of ch. 54, ‘Honest Games’ in On the Reign of Christ, bk. 2 in Melanchthon & Bucer, ed. Wilhelm Pauck (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969)
“Youth could also perform comedies and tragedies, and by such means a useful form of entertainment, honorable and contributing toward an increase of piety, may be staged for the people; but it will be necessary that devout and wise men experienced in the Kingdom of Christ compose these comedies and tragedies, in which there may be presented on the stage the plans, actions and events of mankind, whether common and ordinary as it occurs in compedies or unique and eliciting admiration as it is characteristic of tragedies. All this will contribute toward a correction of morals and a pious orientation to life (Aristotle, Poetics II, 1448a).
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It must be observed, however, that when in both kinds of poetic material, comic and tragic, the activities and sins of men are described and actively presented to be seen with the eyes, it should be done in such a way that although the crimes of reprobate men are related, yet a certain terror of divine judgment and horror of sin should appear in these things, and a shameless daring and an exultant delight in crimes should not be expressed. It is better here to take something away from poetic fitness rather than from the concern for edifying the piety of the spectators, which demands that in every representation of sin there be felt the condemnation of one’s conscience and the horrible fear of God’s judgment.
But when pious and good actions are shown, they should express as clearly as possible a happy, secure and confident sense of the divine mercy, but moderate and diffident as regards the self, and a joyful trust in God and his promises, with holy and spiritual pleasure in doing good.”
Vermigli, Peter Martyr – ‘Of Plays & Pastimes’ in The Common Places… (London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 2, ‘The Eight Precept’, pp. 524-28
“But now to conclude, me thinks that those kind of [stage] plays, which serve for refreshing of men’s strength, are not utterly to be forbidden.” – p. 527
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1600’s
Baxter, Richard – Question 114, ‘Whether Stage-Plays where the Virtuous & Vicious are Personated, be Lawful?’ [Yes] in A Christian Directory… (London: White, 1673), pt. 3, ‘Christian Ecclesiastics’, pp. 877-78
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Quotes on the Lawfulness of Theater
Order of Quotes
Vermigli
Sanderson
Collier
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1500’s
Peter Martyr Vermigli
The Common Places… (London: Rowe, 1583), pt. 2, ch. 12, 8th Commandment, ‘Of Plays or Pastimes,’ p. 527
“But now to conclude, me thinks that those kind of [stage] plays, which serve for refreshing of men’s strength, are not utterly to be forbidden.”
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1600’s
Robert Sanderson
Bishop Sanderson his Judgment in One View for the Settlement of the Church in Reason & Judgement, or, Special Remarks of the Life of the Renowned Dr. Sanderson… (London: Marsh, 1663), pp. 75-77 Sanderson (1587–1663) was an Anglican bishop, theologian and casuist.
“And I dare say, whosoever shall peruse with a judicious and unpartial eye most of those pamphlets, that in this daring age have been thrust into the world against… (…things of lesser regard and usefulness and more open to acception [exception] and abuse, yet so far as I can understand, unjustly condemned as things utterly unlawful, such as are lusorious lots, dancing, stage plays and some other things of like nature), when he shall have drained out the bitter invectives, unmannerly jeers, petulant guirding at those that are in authority, impertinent digressions, but above all those most bold and perverse wrestings of holy Scripture, wherewith such books are infinitely stuffed, he shall find that little poor remainder that is left behind to contain nothing but vain words and empty arguments.
For when these great undertakers have snatched up the bucklers, as if they would make it good against all comers, that such and such things are utterly unlawful, and therefore ought in all reason and conscience to bring such proofs as will come up to that conclusion: Quid dignum tanto? very seldom shall you hear from them any other arguments than such as will conclude but an inexpediency at the most, as that they are apt to give scandal, that they carry with them an appearance of evil, that they are often occasions of sin, that they are not command[ed] in the Word, and such like.
Which objections, even where they are just, are not of force (no not taken altogether, much less any of them singly) to prove a thing to be utterly unlawful. And yet are they glad many times, rather than sit out, to play very small game and to make use of arguments yet weaker than these and such as will not reach so far as to prove a bare inexpediency, as that they were invented by heathens, that they have been abused in Popery and other such like. Which to my understanding is a very strong presumption that they have taken a very weak cause in hand and such as is wholly destitute of sound proof.”
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1700’s
Jeremy Collier
A Letter to a Lady concerning a New Playhouse (London: Downing, 1706), p. 4 Collier (1650-1726) was a non-juror, Anglican bishop and theologian who was a leader in opposing theaters in England, working for their removal.
“…I do not now affirm that it is absolutely and altogether unlawful ever to go to see a play.”
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Latin Articles
1600’s
Voet, Gisbert – Select Theological Disputations (Utrecht, 1667), vol. 4
24. Second, ‘Of Comedies’ 356
25. Another Part 367-85
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Acting Doesn’t Inherently Break the 9th Commandment, ‘Though shalt not bear false witness’
Order of Quotes
Ames
Baxter
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1600’s
William Ames
The Marrow of Theology, ed. John D. Eusden (Baker, 1997), bk. 2, ch. 21, ‘Telling the Truth’, p. 326
“20. Irony, stories, jests, repetitions of false things and the like are not lies for they are not testimonies. They are not testimonies because they are not confirmed by the credit and authority of the speaker.”
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Richard Baxter
A Christian Directory… (London: White, 1673), pt. 3, ‘Christian Ecclesiastics’, Question 114, ‘Whether Stage-Plays where the Virtuous & Vicious are Personated, be Lawful?’ [Yes], p. 877
“1. It is not absolutely unlawful to personate another man, nor does the Second Commandment forbid such living Images in this extent. I pass by the instance of the woman of Tekoah, 2 Sam. 14, because the bare history proves not the lawfulness. But Paul’s speaking as of himself and Apollos the things which concerned others, was approvable: And as Christ frequently taught by parables, so his parables were a description of good and evil, by the way of feigned history, as if such and such things had been done by such persons as never were. And this fiction is no falsehood; For the hearer knows that it is not meant as an historical narrative, but a parable; And it is but an image in words, or a painted doctrine. And if a person and action may be feigned by words, I know not where it is forbidden to feign them by personal representation. Therefore to personate another is not simply a sin.
2. To personate good men in good actions is not simply unlawful: because: 1. It is not unlawful as it is personating, as is showed: 2. Nor as lying: Because it is not an asserting, but a representing; nor so taken.
3. To personate a bad man in a bad action, is more dubious; but seems not to be in all cases unlawful. To pass by David’s feigning himself mad (as of uncertain quality) it is common with preachers to speak oft the words of wicked men, as in their names or persons, to disgrace them: And Prov. 5:11-12, etc. comes near it. And whether Job be a history, or a dialogue personating such speakers, is doubted by the most learned expositors.”
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Bibliography
Malcom, Howard – ‘Stage Plays’ in Theological Index... (Boston: Gould & Lincoln, 1868), p. 434
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“Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: and lay siege against it, and build a fort against it… Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged… This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.
Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days… and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it. And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.”
Eze. 4:1-8
“And the Lord sent Nathan unto David… and said unto him, ‘There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds… And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man… And Nathan said to David, ‘Thou art the man.'”
2 Sam. 12:1
“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
3 Jn. 11
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