Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-09-20

controversy. nc ASdOut shS AoiSSt 49,
atfectation, the extravagant display of
dress and adornments, the sound without
sense, the imitation, the incantations, the
mysteries, the juggleries, the sorceries.
the witchery, the figuring and dis6guring,
the threatening. the frightening. the rage,
the wrath, the fury, the rewards or brides,
the punishments or revenge, The unnatur-
al stirring of the worst passions, the keep
ing in the past and the future 10 the neg
lect of the present = all, all the same
with both. The parallel might be ex-
tended indefinitely. The difference, what,
ever it may be apparently, between, the
doings in the theatre and the doings in
the religious assembly, is not, on the
whole, whea scanned and scrulnized, 10
favor of the latter. Theatrical perform
ers on the stage do not pretend to exhibit
what is genuine or real. Theatrical per-
formers in the pulpi; do make such pre-
tensions. In this respect then the latter
exceed the former in deception and i'm.
position. The latter are more unnatural
than the former, in assuming authority
over their audiences, and holding terror
and awfulness over their heads. Their
employers are not left al liberty to en-
ploy them or not. Il is made sin not 20
employ and pay them. And they are not
so tolerant among themselves. They
will not be content with what can be
done blythe attractions of show and parade
by the side Of their competitors = and
this they employ according to their abili-
ty-but they also make it a sin in their
proselytes to patronize others. They
are every way less liberal And yet not
whit less licentious. Their licentious-
ness only assumes a different shade by
! finging around itself the form of law.
The religion of the world is the greatest
promoter Of RIGHTEOUSNESS an the world.
1t is the grossest and greatest abuse of ma
ture every way. 1t is its work TO destroy
nature. 1t sets up laws against the laws
Of nature all the way. 1t throws away
and tramples down reason, and takes it.
self TO blind feeling. All lis doings tend
to create and infame unnatural lusts.
Its priesthood are the most libidinous set
of men, in proportion to their numbers,
living. And then. taken, in the aggre-
gate, compare the corruptions and mis-,
chiefs of priestcrah and churchism with
those of theatres. The former as much
outmeasure the latter as the oceans do
/ the lakes. Much has been said about the
expense of theatres. 1t is not drop to a
mill-pond, or a pebble to mountain, com
pared with expenses, thrown away on re-
lligion. The religious theatres are scat
|tered throughout the land, and supported
by the people at large. The others are
confined TO the cities, and are compara-
lively few there. The Bowery Theatre
was all heard Of in operation, while [
was in New-York. There might hive
been others. .TAe Park Theatre build
| ing is undergoing repairs, and receiving
new fitting up. But compare it with
The Episcopal theatre building, going up
on Broadway, down towards the battery.
| have no means of knowing the compar.
/ alive expense oil the two, but should ven.
ture to say the religious establishment
will be many times more costly than the
other. And the immoral tendencies Of
the former will be more than in proper
lion to its comparative expensiveness, es-
pecially in hypocrisy and wastefulness.
Its builders assume to be the true order
in religion which they claim TO be the
pattern Of purity, meekness, simplicity,
and humility. They take to their rellg-
ion the name of an individual who is rep
resented 10. have said, "bessed are the
! meek" " blessed are the poor in spiril."
Who is said to have declared of himself
that he had not where to lay his head"
| Whose whole course according to the
: narrative given of him, was an utter con-
: demnation of synagogne show and per-
formance. And yet these religionisls
waste more on drapery. trumpery and
ostenlalion, than any other class. They
; set the very worst example of extrava
gance. What can be more corrupting il
4 hypocrisy than their course All othel