Editing Jeremy Collier (section)

==Works==

Collier was the primus of the nonjuring line and a strong supporter of the four usages. (see [[Nonjuring schism]]) In the years following the Revolution he wrote a series of tracts questioning the legitimacy of the new monarchs and the deprival of the Non-juror bishops. He was well known for his ''Ecclesiastical History of Great Britain'', 1708–1714, which was attacked for its tendentious political and theological comments, but nevertheless widely used. His ''Reasons for restoring some prayers and directions, as they stand in the communion-service of the first English reform'd liturgy'', 1717 was the first salvo in the usages debate. His Essays were popular in his own day but are now little read. Collier wrote [[anti-theatrical polemic]] but was a high-church monarchist, unlike the many [[Puritans]] who wrote in this genre as well.
Collier also translated the ''[[Meditations]]'' of [[Marcus Aurelius]] into English.

===Collier Controversy===

In the history of English drama, Collier is known for his [[Antitheatricality|anti-theatrical]] attack on the comedy of the 1690s in his ''[[Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage]]'' (1698), which draws for its ammunition mostly on the plays of [[William Congreve (playwright)|William Congreve]], [[John Vanbrugh]], [[John Dryden]], and [[Thomas D'Urfey]]. At the start of the [[English Civil War]] (1642) theatres were closed and in 1647 a law was passed to punish anyone who participated in or viewed drama. After the war, and during the [[English Interregnum]], the Puritans, under [[Oliver Cromwell]], had control of most of the English government.  They placed heavy restrictions on entertainment and entertainment venues that were perceived as being pagan or immoral. In the [[English Restoration]] (1660), playwrights reacted against the Puritanical restrictions with much more decadent plays. The plays produced in the Restoration drew comparisons to the great [[Elizabethan drama]]s by critics of the day. However, these plays were considered vulgar because they mocked and disrespected marriage, morals, and the clergy. Furthermore, [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] allowed women to act on stage; some of the first actresses were of ill-repute. Collier's pamphlets sought to stem the spread of vice but turned out to be the sparks that kindled a controversial flame between like-minded Puritans and Restoration dramatists.

Collier devotes nearly 300 pages to decry what he perceived as profanity and moral degeneration in the stage productions of the era.  This ranged from general attacks on the morality of Restoration theatre to very specific indictments of playwrights of the day.  Collier argued that a venue as influential as the theatre—it was believed then that the theatre should be providing moral instruction—should not have content that is morally detrimental. These pamphlets began a [[Pamphlet wars|pamphlet war]] between Collier and some playwrights like [[Vanbrugh]]. Many of the playwrights responded with equally vehement attacks, but some were so deeply affected, they withdrew from theatre permanently or substantially changed their approach to writing comedies, Congreve amongst them.