sition, I will transcribe a passage from "the History of the Bible," published in London, 1699, giving an account of the commotion raised against Paul, at Ephesus, by the silversmith, and others concerned in the manufactory of idols.* The rabble forced two of his companions into THE THEATRE. My history adds, "Paul would have presented himself to the people, but is withheld by certain priests of Asia, who having embraced the FAITH, retained yet the names of chief of Asia, and presided in the public

* And the whole city was filled with confusion, and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.

And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

Acts c. xix. v. 29-31.

Could the extinction of a profession, even in that state, have compensated for the loss of a Shakspeare, and, very probably, a Milton? An idle question! Few of the opponents of a WELL REGULATED STAGE have taste,feeling susceptibility,or genius enough, to relish the genuine beauties of either of those divine bards.

The stage objectors deal precisely in the same manner with the ecclesiastics, they do with the ancient schoolmen; it is the condemnations published against the stage, they alone avail themselves of, rejecting every other opinion which the Fathers held equally irrefragable. They punished all those who presumed to maintain an opinion of the existence of the antipodes, or that the earth had any other form than that of a plane! Now every school boy knows we have antipodes, and that our planet is orbicular. The Copernican system was anathe

matised, and its supporters excommunicated. At present, the Copernician system is fully established; and the excommunications sleep with the Fathers. Why their rest should be disturbed upon the present subject, must ever excite in me wonder and regret.

There is an ANCIENT BOOK in existence to whose opinions I bend with profound reverence. From whose source we all affect to derive instruction, wisdom, consolation, comfort and support. Had THAT BOOK presented any thing in opposition to my side of the question, I should not have had the temerity to proceed thus far. But in vain have officious zealots endeavoured to torture different texts to their purpose; not ONE SOLITARY SENTENCE is to be found condemning the use of THE STAGE! One of the most indefatigable labourers, in the vineyards of the gospel, whose elegance of

games, when they could do it with a safe conscience."*

I dare say the ingenuity of the "BIBLEMONGERS" will enable them to torture this plain paragraph to their own purpose, and they will find a saving clause in a safe conscience! I draw from it a conclusion, that our very earliest christians frequented theatres! This may be objected to, as not coming within the facts recorded in the Bible itself, but only the history, still it is from an abridgement of the lives of the apostles, collected from the holy fathers and other ancient ecclesiastical writers? We find, at any rate, from the scriptural text, that Paul would have entered the theatre, had not the dissuasions of his friends and the magistrates who were apprehensive for his

* The same history says, Paul remained in Ephesus three years after this tumult.

safety, prevented him. His intention was, indubitably, boldly to preach his doctrine to his enemies, and avail himself of the opportunity of numbers to disseminate his principles: nor would the magnificence of the structure in which his oration would have been delivered, nor the purpose for which the building was erected, have destroyed the irresistible force of his reasoning, nor injured the elegant brevity, simplicity and perspicuity of his style. Here we find the use of a theatre recorded in holy writ, and not a single passage of condemnation against it! In our times places for scenic representation are burnt to the ground, and modern saints exult with joy over the ruins of the "profane temples." St. Paul was on the point of being (perhaps) murdered in one, but he never breathes an exclamation against the institution, or its principles! These proofs are, in my opinion, more than sufficient to overwhelm all the arguments