Jeremy Collier

“ And now what Pleasure is there in Misbehaviour and Abuse? Is it such an Entertainment to see Religion worryed by Atheism, and Things the most Solemn and Significant tumbled and tost by Buffoons? A Man may laugh at a Puppy's tearing a Wardrobe, but I think 'twere altogether as discreet to beat him off. Well! but the Clergy mismanage sometimes, and they must be told of their Faults. What then? Are the Poets their Ordinaries? ”

“ And that there is no Theatre in Europe excepting the English, that entertains the Audience with Priests.
This is certainly the right method, and best secures the Outworks of Piety. The Holy Function is much too Solemn to be play'd with. Christianity is for no Fooling, neither the Place, the Occasion nor the Actors are fit for such a Representation. To bring the Church into the Playhouse, is the way to bring the Playhouse into the Church. 'Tis apt to turn Religion into Romance, and make unthinking People conclude that all Serious Matters are nothing but Farce, Fiction, and Design. ”

“ Government and Religion, no less than Trade Subsist upon Reputation. 'Tis true God can't be Deposed, neither does his Happiness depend upon Homage; But since he does not Govern by Omnipotence, since he leaves Men to their Liberty, Acknowledgment must sink, and Obedience decline, in proportion to the Lessenings of Authority. How provoking an Indignity of this kind must be, is easy to imagine.
II. The Functions and Authorities of Religion have a great Influence on Society. The Interest of this Life lies very much in the Belief of another. ”

“ To the Testimony of Homer, I shall joyn that of Virgil, who tho' He follows at a great distance of Time, was an Author of the first Rank, and wrote the same kind of Poetry with the other. Now Virgil tho' he is very extraordinary in his Genius, in the Compass of his Learning, in the Musick and Majesty of his Stile; yet the exactness of his Judgment seems to be his peculiar, and most distinguishing Talent. He had the truest Relish imaginable, and always described Things according to Nature, Custom, and Decency. ”

“ And for this Reason 'tis more Honourable to serve a Prince, than a private Person. To apply this. Christian Priests are the Principal Ministers of Gods Kingdom. They Represent his Person, Publish his Laws, Pass his Pardons, and Preside in his Worship. To expose a Priest much more to burlesque his Function, is an Affront to the Diety. All indignities done to Ambassadors, are interpreted upon their Masters, and reveng'd as such. To outrage the Ministers of Religion, is in effect to deny the Being, or Providence of God ”

“ There is no Vanity in necessary Defence. To wipe off Aspersions, and rescue Things from Mistake, is but bare Justice: Besides, where the Honour of God, and the Publick Interest are concern'd, a Man is bound to speak. ”

“ He knows the transition from one Religion to the other is natural, the Application easy, and the Audience but too well prepar'd. And should they be at a loss he has elsewhere given them a Key to understand him. ”

“ How they attack Religion under every Form, and pursue the Priesthood through all the Subdivisions of Opinion. Neither Jews nor Heathens, Turks nor Christians, Rome nor Geneva, Church nor Conventicle, can escape them. ”

“ For the stile of a higher Secular Honour is continued as well with Priest-hood as without it. A Church-man who is either Baronet, or Baron, writes himself so, notwithstanding His Clerkship. Indeed we can't well imagine the Clergy degraded from Paternal Honour without a strange Reflection on the Country; without supposing Julian at the Helm, the Laws Antichristian, and Infidelity in the very Constitution. To make the Ministers of Religion less upon the score of their Function, would be a Penalty on the Gospel, and a contempt of the God of Christianity. 'Tis our Saviours reasoning ”

“ And as for the Gentry, there are not many good Families in England, but either have, or have had a Clergy-man in them,
In short; The Priest-hood is the profession of a Gentleman. A Parson notwithstanding the ignorant Pride of some People, is a Name of Credit, and Authority, both in Religion, and Law. ”

“ The case standing thus 'tis less suprizing to find the Priests sometimes Appear. The Play had grave Argument, and Pagan Indulgence, to plead in its behalf. But our Poets steer by an other Compass. Their Aim is to destroy Religion, their Preaching is against Sermons; and their Business, but Diversion at the best. In short, Let the Character be never so well managed no Christian Priest (especially,) ought to come upon the Stage. For where the Business is an Abuse, and the place a Profanation; the demureness of the Manner, is but a poor excuse. ”

“ Is Christianity any disadvantage to the Holy Office. And does the Dignity of a Religion lessen the Publick Administrations in't? The Priests of the most High God and of Idolatry, can't be compared without Injury. To argue for the Preference is a Reflection upon the Creed. 'Tis true the Jewish Priest-hood was instituted by God: But every Thing Divine is not of Equal Consideration. Realities are more valuable than Types ”

“ They play upon the Character, and endeavour to expose not only the Men, but the Business. 'Tis true, the Clergy are no small Rub in the Poets way. 'Tis by their Ministrations that Religion is perpetuated, the other World Refresh'd, and the Interest of Virtue kept up. Vice will never have an unlimited Range, nor Conscience be totally subdued, as long as People are so easy as to be Priest-ridden! As long as these Men are look'd on as the Messengers of Heaven, and the Supports of Government, and enjoy their old Pretentions in Credit and Authority ”

“ Coupler instructs Young Fashion which way Bull was to be managed. He tells him as Chaplains go now, he must be brib'd high, he wants Money, Preferment, Wine, and a Whore. Let this be procured for him, and I'll warrant thee he speaks Truth like an Oracle.89.
A few Lines forward, the Rudeness is still more gross, and dash'd with Smut, the common Play-house Ingredient. 'Tis not long before Coupler falls into his old Civilities. He tells Young Fashion, Last Night the Devil run away with the Parson of Fatgoose Living.p. ”

“ He that has the Kings Commission ought to Maintain it. To let it suffer under Rudeness is to betray it. To be tame and silent in such cases, is not Modesty but Meanness, Humility obliges no Man to desert his Trust ”

“ I grant Persons and Things are not always suited. A good Post may be ill kept, but then the Censure should keep close to the Fault, and the Office not suffer for the Manager. The Clergy may have their Failings sometimes like others, but what then? The Character is still untarnish'd. The Men may be Little, but the Priests are not so. And therefore like other People, they ought to be treated by their best Distinction.
If 'tis Objected that the Clergy in Plays are commonly Chaplains, And that these Belonging to Persons of Quality they were obliged to represent them servile and submissive. ”

“ When Æneas was outed at Troy, and in quest of a new Country, he came to an Anchor at Delos; Anius meets him in a Religious Habit, receives him civilly, and obliges him with his Oracle.Ibid. In the Book now Mention'd we have another of Apollo's Priests, his name is Helenus, Son of Priam and King of Chaonia. He entertains Æneas with a great deal of Friendship, and Magnificence, gives him many material Directions, and makes him a rich Present at parting. ”

“ But then the Poet does him Justice in his Station; he makes him Honest and Brave, and gives him a shining Character throughout. Mathan is another Priest in the same Tragedy. He turns Renegado, and revolts from God to Baal. He is a very ill Man but makes a considerable Appearance, and is one of the Top of Athaliahs Faction. ”

“ At last Dominick is discover'd to the Company, makes a dishonourable Exit, and is push'd off the Stage by the Rabble. This is great Justice! The Poet takes care to make him first a Knave, and then an Example: But his hand is not even. For Lewd Lorenzo comes off with Flying Colours. 'Tis not the Fault which is corrected but the Priest. The Authors Discipline is seldom without a Biass. He commonly gives the Laity the Pleasure of an ill Action, and the Clergy the Punishment. ”

“ These are all the Priests I remember represented in Euripides. To conclude the antient Tragedians together: Seneca seems to follow the Conduct of Euripides, and secures Tiresias from being outraged. Oedipus carries it smoothly with him and only desires him to out with the Oracle, and declare the Guilty Person. This Tiresias excuses, and afterwards the Heat of the expostulation falls upon Creon.Oedip. ”

“ It seems in those Days 'twas very infamous to affront a Holy Character, and break in upon the Guards of Religion! Thus we see how the Antient Poets behaved themselves in the Argument. Priests seldom appear in their Plays. And when they come 'tis Business of Credit that brings them. They are treated like Persons of Condition. They Act up to their Relation ”

“ The Priest holds up his Character, speaks to the ill Usage with an Air of Gravity, calls the King Son, and foretells him his Misfortune.Antig. p. 250, 258.
To go on to Euripides, for Sophocles has nothing more. This Poet in his Phænissæ brings in Tiresias with a very unacceptable report from the Oracle. He tells Creon that either his Son must die, or the City be lost. Creon keeps himself within Temper, and gives no ill Language. And even when Mœnecius had kill'd himself, he neither complains of the Gods, nor reproaches the Prophet.Eurip. Phœniss. p. ”

“ To mention nothing more, their Heraldry is regulated by Garter, and Blazon'd by Stones, which none under the Nobility can pretend to. In this Country of ours, Persons of the First Quality have been in Orders ”

“ To proceed. Horner in his general Remarks upon Men, delivers it as a sort of Maxim, that your Church-man is the greatest Atheist. In this Play Harcourt puts on the Habit of a Divine.Country Wife p. 6. Alithea does not think him what he appears; but Sparkish who could not see so far, endeavours to divert her Suspicion. I tell you (says he) this is Ned Harcourt of Cambridge, you see he has a sneaking Colledge look.p. 35.
Ibid. Afterwards his Character is sufficiently abused by Sparkish and Lucy; but not so much as by Himself. He tells you in an Aside he must suit his Stile to his Coat. ”