Opportunity; and as long as the Toleration Act is in force, there is
never a Meeting in Town but will afford extraordinary Hints of that
kind; the Morning and Evening Lectures are precious Seasons, Mr.
_Doelittle_ may thresh his Heart out, there will be Tares among the
Wheat; and those Houses are haunted with a sort of Spirits that are
not to be cast out with Prayer and Fasting.

I think from the little I have said, it is certain the Town has not
been debauch'd by the Stage, and that 'tis much easier to demonstrate
the Good, than prove the Evil Effect even of our bad Plays. I have
shew'd that there has been a Vertue in them; and we might very well
pardon them if it were only for that one Benefit, of being so
serviceable to the reclaiming of the Clergy. If they can give me an
Instance of any Play, whose Vices have had so ill Effect with the
People as to counter-balance the Good it has wrought in them, I shou'd
set my self against the Stage too; but then as to other Advantages
which we have receiv'd from the Plays of the first Rank, we are
certainly very much in debt to them. The Refinement of our Tongue is
principally owing to them; Good Manners and good Conversation is owing
to our Comedy; and I don't doubt but some of our Tragedies have fired
some with a Greatness of Spirit, and taught to act the Hero with
Prudence, Vertue and Courage.

I shall conclude this part of my Letter with this Observation, that if
the present Stage has not been so terrible an Enemy to Christianity,
but on the contrary, has afforded a great deal of good to the World;
that a Regulated Stage wou'd be of infinite Service to the Nation.

I have proposed it as an Argument in Defence of a Regular Stage, that
it lies on its Adversaries to prove it against Law or Scripture, and