As a playwright Cibber was a strong upholder of religion and the established church. He points out that the only religious sect to close the theatre was also opposed to the established church.[90] But in treating religious subjects he does not use the Puritans for dramatic material, for they were no longer a political menace, but he turns to the Roman Catholics, whose activities were not merely religious, but political. In _The Non-Juror_ we have a play almost entirely built on anti-Catholic feeling; in _King John_ we have another attack on the Church of Rome; and in the fourth act of _Woman’s Wit_ we again have satire, but in this case primarily of the Catholic clergy, rather than the church itself. We do not have any references to party politics, aside from this Catholic problem. His original plays in comedy, other than farces and operas, deal with moral problems. In the case of _Love’s Last Shift_ and _The Careless Husband_ we have presented the reformation of husbands not yet entirely spoiled at heart; in _The Provoked Husband_ the reformation of a wife who has not committed any serious breach of the moral code; and in this last, as well as in _The Lady’s Last Stake_, we have plays dealing with the evils resulting from women’s gambling. It is curious to find one who was so notorious a gambler as Cibber choosing such a theme. The language shows great change from that of the Restoration in regard to moral refinement. Cibber’s plays become less and less coarse in speech. His earlier plays have a grossness almost equal to that of Restoration comedy, but gradually grow purer. This change in the language is found in English comedy generally, and as it progresses a new element enters, the expression of moral sentiments, extravagantly and artificially stated. This last shows a gradual increase, reaching its height in the later sentimental comedy of the middle of the century. Merely as literature, three of Cibber’s plays, at least, are well worth while: _The Careless Husband_, _She Would and She Would Not_, and _The Non-Juror_. They lack the briskness and sureness of touch that characterized Congreve, but compare most favorably with the work of men in the next rank, and are not only delightful and profitable reading, but are thoroughly representative of the period in which they appear. Grouped with these as possessing permanent literary value are the _Apology_ and not more than half a dozen songs. Outside of these three plays, one prose work, and a few songs, Cibber produced nothing that is worth preserving because of its merit as literature. His greatest importance to the student of literary history lies in his contribution to the development of sentimental comedy. 10. PLACE OF STEELE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENTIMENTAL COMEDY.