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A36512 The antient and modern stages survey'd, or, Mr. Collier's view of the immorality and profaness of the English stage set in a true light wherein some of Mr. Collier's mistakes are rectified, and the comparative morality of the English stage is asserted upon the parallel. Drake, James, 1667-1707. 1699 (1699) Wing D2123; ESTC R22914 157,366 406

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the Princes and Rulers of the World became the Proselytes and Protectors of Christianity there was no further occasion to propagate the Gospel by extraordinary methods which had the Civil Power on its side By this means the care of the Church devolv'd upon the State and the Priesthood became subordinate to it For tho no State or Prince can make any thing a Rule of Faith which was not so before in its Nature or by some higher obligation yet in matters of Practice in things indifferent towards which the Scriptures leave us at liberty they have in all Countries not under the usurpation of the Pope asserted their Authority by ordering and directing the Forms and Models of Church Government and appointing the Persons of the Governours who are therefore undoubtedly subordinate to those by whose Authority they govern From these differences 't is plain that the Ministry at present stands upon quite another foot than it did in the time of the Apostles and that Mr Collier challenges a relation to the Deity which he has not and in right of that a greater Reverence and respect than is due to him His second consideration is The Importance of their Office What that is has been in great measure laid down in the preceding Article How far they are concerned in publishing Gods Laws and passing his Pardons has been already examin'd There was indeed a time when the Priests had a Monopoly of Faith and Salvation and retail'd out Articles and Indulgences to the Laity who repair'd to the Bank of Implicit Faith and Merit for as much as their occasions requir'd But the weakness of their Fund being discover'd that Bank is broke long since in England and the Laity have taken their Consciences into their own Custody again to Mr Collier's great Disappointment However they preside he says in the Worship of God If he means by presiding Officiating he presides over his congregation as a Clerk in Parliament presides over the House because he reads the Bills Petitions c. to ' em That to officiate in the House of God is an Employment of great Importance and honour I shall readily grant And as they that perform their duty in that station conscientiously and well deserve all due respect and honour so on the other hand those that prostitute their Character to base ends and make the Cassock a Cover for Pride Ambition Avarice Hypocrisie Knavery or Folly deserve to be corrected and expos'd to the Publick The importance of the Office which Mr Collier pleads in bar to any Lay Censure upon 'em is a strong Argument for it For in proportion to the weight of the trust ought to be the check upon it There may be many Faults amongst the inferiour Clergy which escape the notice or do not fall properly under the cognizance of the Ordinary which 't is convenient shou'd be amended for the reputation of the Order and the good of the Offenders themselves Mr Collier thinks otherwise he owns that they ought not to be seen but he would have the People's Eyes put out rather than the Offence remov'd A Blot's no Blot till 't is hit so the reputation of the Clergy be safe 't is no matter for their Manners for the Sin lies in the Scandal Else why is he so angry with the Poets for taking notice that there is such a thing now and then to be seen in the world as a Faulty Clergy-man The Order does not pretend to be any more exempt from failings than other men Then where 's the Offence in shewing what those Frailties are to which they lie most expos'd 'T is true this can't be done in the Dramatick way without the appearance of the Offender by his Proxy which stirs Mr Collier's Blood who would have the Laity believe 'em absolutely without Fault 'T were well if they were so indeed but since they are not I think it not just nor reasonable that the Laity shou'd be cheated into such a belief The man that labours too much to conceal his Faults shews that he aims rather at Impunity than Repentance For men seldom think of Reformation while they can run on in a prosperous course of undiscover'd Villany Upon this account Mr Collier's reasoning appears very odd and singular For if the concealing and covering of Men's Vices be the means to advance and promote their corruption he seems to take a sort of retrograde way to Reformation But his fear is that the Vices of some few thus publickly shewn shou'd reflect upon the whole Order and weaken their Credit and Authority in the Ministerial Function This objection is already answered in the article of the Misrepresentation of Women what has been there said holds good here and needs no repetition It can therefore be of no ill consequence For those that are just and Conscientious in the exercise of their Functions will lose no Credit or Authority and those that are not have too much if they have any If Priests be without Fault then to paint 'em with any is a Misrepresentation and an abuse a malicious slandering of the Order But if they be not 't is fit that the rotten Sheep shou'd be mark'd and driven from the Flock to prevent the contagion whether of the Disease or the Scandal which are equally catching But Mr Collier has learnt Politicks of Hudibras and wou'd have Priests whipt by Proxy their Faults shou'd be chastised on Laymens Backs We thank him for his kindness and are very willing to be his Deputies provided he can prove that the Physick will have its effect that way I have been told that a Purge given to a wet Nurse wou'd operate with the Child but I never heard of a Med'cine that wou'd work Vice versa I grant that they ought not to be corrected on the Stage for Lay Follies Their Characters must be proper in order to which whether they play the Fool or the Knave it must be seasoned with a cast of the Profession otherwise they are Lay Fools and Knaves in Masquerade But as the Characters ought not to be so general as to represent whole Bodies of Men so neither ought they to be so particular as to stigmatize Individuals as they did in the Old Comedy If this C●ution be observed not only the Coll●ctive Body of the Clergy but every individual Man amongst 'em is safe from scandal from that Quarter If the Poets have not observ'd it Mr Collier in vindication of the Clergy has a just Provocation to lash 'em severely But if they have then Mr Collier does 'em wrong and the Poets ought to resume the Whipcerd and return the Compliment His last and as it appears by his dilating so largely upon it his strongest Consideration is that They have Prescription for their Priviledge Their Profession has been in possession of esteem in all Ages and Countries That it has been in Esteem and that it ought still to be so more than it is I believe the Poets