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at their best。 No moral appeal can be successful if it fails to reach the
better part of a man； and lays hold on him there。 Just that it did for the
English people。 〃No greater moral change ever passed over a nation than
passed over England during the years that parted the middle of the reign of
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Elizabeth from the meeting of the Long Parliament。 England became the
people of a Book； and that Book was the Bible。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Green； Short History of the English People。
Add to that personal appeal and that absolute fairness to humanity the
constant challenge of the Bible to the nobler elements of humanity。 It
never trifles。 It is in deadly earnest。 And it makes earnest men。 Probably
we cannot illustrate that earnestness more clearly than by a study of one
element in Puritan history； which is confused in many minds。 It is the
matter of the three great antagonisms of Puritanism in England and
America。 They can never be understood by moral triflers。 They may not be
approved by all the morally serious； but they will be understood by them。
What are those three marked antagonisms？ The antagonism to the stage； to
popular frivolity； and to the pleasure Sabbath。
1。 The early English stage had the approval of virtually all the people。
There were few voices raised against the dramas of Shakespeare。 But the
cleavage between the Puritans and the stage grew greater as the years went
on。 There were riotous excesses。 The later comedy after Shakespeare was
incredibly gross。 The tragedies were shallow； they turned not on grave
scenes of conscience； but on common and cheap intrigues of incest and
murder。 In the mean time； 〃the hatred of the Puritans for the stage was
only the honest hatred of God…fearing men against the foulest depravity
presented in poetic and dramatic forms。〃 The Bible was laying hold on the
imagination of the people； making them serious； thoughtful； preparing
them for the struggle for liberty which was soon to come。 The plays of the
time seemed too trifling or else too foul。 The Puritans and the English
people of the day were willing to be amused； if the stage would amuse
them。 They were willing to be taught； if the stage would teach them。 But
they were not willing to be amused by vice and foulness； and they were
not willing to be taught by lecherous actors who parroted beautiful
sentiments of virtue on the stage and lived filthy lives of incest and shame
off the stage。 Life had to be whole to the Puritan； as indeed it has to be to
other thoughtful men。 And the Bible taught him that。 His concern was for
the higher elements of life； his appeal was to the worthier values in men。
The concern of the stage of his day was for the more volatile elements in
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men。 The test of a successful play was whether the crowds； any crowds；
came to it。 And as always happens when a man wants to catch the interest
of a crowd； the stage catered to its lowest interests。 You can hardly read
the story of the times without feeling that the Puritan made no mistake in
his day。 He could not have been the thoughtful man who would stand
strong in the struggle for liberty on that side of the sea and the struggle for
life on this side of the sea without opposing trifling and vice。
2。 The antagonism of the early Puritan to popular frivolity needs to
have the times around it to be understood。 No great movement carries
everybody with it； and while it is still struggling the majority will be on
the opposing side。 While the real leadership of England was passing into
the stronger and more serious hands the artificial excesses of life grew
strong on the people。 〃Fortunes were being sunk and estates mortgaged in
order that men should wear jewels and dress in colored silks。〃＇1＇ In the
pressure of grave national needs men persisted in frivolity。 The two
reigning vices were drunkenness and swearing。 In their cups men were
guilty of the grossest indecencies。 Even their otherwise harmless sports
were endangered。 The popular notion of the May…pole dances misses the
real point of the Puritan opposition to it in Old and New England。 It was
not an innocent； jovial out…door event。 Once it may have been that。 Very
often it was only part of a day which brought immorality and vice in its
train。 It was part of a rural paganism。 Some of the customs involved such
grave perils； with their seclusion of young people from early dawn in the
forests； as to make it impossible to approve it。 Over against all these things
the Puritans set themselves。 Sometimes they carried this solemnity to an
absurd length； justifying it by Scripture verses misapplied。 Against the
affected elegancies of speech they set the plain yea； yea and nay； nay of
Scripture。 In their clothing； their homes； their churches； they； and in even
more marked degree； the Quakers； registered their solemn protest against
the frivolity of the times。 If they went too far； it is certain their protest was
needed。 Macaulay's epigram is familiar； that the Puritan 〃hated bear…
baiting； not because it gave pain to the bear； but because it gave pleasure
to the spectators。〃 In so far as that is true； it is to the credit of the Puritan；
for the bear can stand the pain of being baited far better than human nature
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can stand the coarsening effects of baiting him； and it is nobler to oppose
such sport on human grounds than on animal grounds。 But； of course； the
epigram is Macaulay's； and must be read with qualification。 The fact is；
and he says it often enough without epigrams； that the times had become
trifling except as this grave； thoughtful group influenced them。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England under the Stuarts； p。 66。
3。 The attitude of the Puritans toward the Sabbath came from their
serious thought of the Bible。 Puritanism gave England the Sabbath again
and planted it in America as an institution。 Of course； these men learned
all that they knew of it from the Bible。 From that day； in spite of much
change in thought of it； English