Primitive Fathers and General Councils stood condemned.

And is not the dangerous and expensive War we are engaged in, together
with the present Posture of Affairs, a sufficient Reason for this, tho'
the Play-Houses were less mischievous to the Nation than they are?

Are we not also loudly called upon to lay aside this prophane Diversion,
by the late dreadful Storm, terrible beyond that which we are told was
felt in the Year 1636? which, as a Right Reverend Prelate has observ'd,
some good Men then thought presag'd further Calamity to this Nation, and
was accordingly followed by the Commotions in _Scotland_ the very next
Year, and not long after by the Civil War in _England_.

And if we go on to countenance such open and flagrant Defiances of
Almighty God, have we not great Reason to fear his heavy Judgments will
consume us?

But further, Her Majesty having now, upon Occasion of the late great
Calamity, appointed a Day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation throughout
the Kingdom, for the deprecating of God's Wrath, surely the Players have
little Reason to expect that they shall still go on in their abominable
Outrages; who, 'tis to be observed with Indignation, did, as we are
assured, within a few Days after we felt the late dreadful Storm,
entertain their Audience with the ridiculous Representation of what had
fill'd us with so great Horror in their Plays call'd 'Mackbeth' and the
'Tempest' as if they design'd to Mock the Almighty Power of God, _who
alone commands the Winds and the Seas, and they obey him_. No surely, it
cannot but be hoped, that a Suspension at least of the Players acting
for some considerable time will follow, when the _Prophaneness and
Immorality of the Stage_ comes to Her Majesty's Knowledge, who, 'tis to