The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-07-09

delivered by Rev. DR., Beecher, founded on the
text,-
Traitors heady hiyh.mnded lovers Of pleasure more
than lovers Of Col H. Timothy 3
The text Is the climax OF black catalogue OF sins;
The pleasure loved does consist IN chat desire OF
happiness common to sensitive and rational BEINGS but
IN seeking pleasure senshly, exclusive al utility, and our
own aud the public coed and finally IN seeking IA sub
unary enjoyment OF pleasure and sense instead OF the
la THIS latter sense the pleasures Of have been sin
ul and often cruel and csnou as in the siadiaorial
shows ana bull fights in excess OF eating and In inebr
ton and gToveling enlmslism.
OF ali these pleasures the Theatre oil time has stood
as the Temple oil these msmuon worshpper For lhousn
was NJ htst religious institution the God worshippsu
was Bacehus the sacrifices essngs wine and songs TO
the merry God; worship believe, which, in unbroken
succession has come down 10 our day.
There is another institution OF great oHtiquty-the
Church oil God Beth in evsry age have thrown mighty
moral upon the world and rather rival sntago
nstc than auxiliary powers There has been no love
lost between them The theatre has wasted no euogiss
on the church. and the church wasted blessing upon
the theatre and for long time II seemed doubtful
which the victory would turn But at length an sge OF
semi barbarism has rolled away and christian revolution
has prevailed. The Drama has commenced its retreat
and the church its onward march and the time seems
when under the suffrage of enlightened public
But before this verdict shall be definitely pronounced
may not be moro than equitable that the question be
fairly discussed "What the claims Of the theatre TO
the confidence and patronage OF Christian republican
| nation.
Ishal not on this occasion indulge in local references
or vanglorous exuitaon For though 1t is true that
did predict result which, if it come pass 1t was no
prophetic gift Of mne but the simple understanding Of
the movements Of Providence and the signs Of the times
Much less wesld indulge in any personal implica-
tons in what may be called to say about the tendency
and results of the theatre For has been as the slave
trade and the traffic in alcohol lawful investment both
Tor pleasure and gain snd tar be it from in rigid haste
execute or post Jac1 laws II they viii 60 their ways
the judgment OF God. Nor will our argument assume
thet all amusements unlawful The mind and body
taxed with toll demand them. Nor shall we insist that
theatrical amusements essentially and wholly sinful
In their nature, and exclusively mschievous For few
mixture Incidental good do not object it because
in the form Of fiction il illustrates the joys and
the hopes and the noble wishes and the strong
sions OF human nature because theatre be
and conducted include the good and separate
the evil But because the page OF history shows that all
attempts to make II what it ought TO be have failed
But while say these things shall not admit that the
discussion OF the subject needless nvidous. For
though sound argument is sometimes vexatous, il is
yer Invidous; and form of persuasion Is
or dasardy than to load with invidious epithets
the fearless exercise OF his right of free inquiry
and argument.
On What ground then shall the theatre be sustained
As the handmade OF Religion II will not be pretended
that the theatre has been the auxiliary OF holiness How
ever correct Le its morality Its claims 10 holiness will
be insisted on. Profanity has been prevalent than
brought upon the stage have generally been
ed to be rdeuled as bgots or awkward pedantic
how much sensible, polite and reputable those
who are without il.
Indeed nothing would be regarded by its friends
mics more udicrous than claiming for the theatre the
character OF pous institution, and nothing ruin
| its stock than to become such.
Shall select il claims its power to discipline the
mind, TO impart knowledge, cultivate the sciences
Theatrical amusements not designed TO discipline the
mind vigorous ht but relax it from stu
dy; and TO general knowledge it lies within the limits
OF fictitious story and the development Of human passions
aud vicssitudes; and when and where has drilled the
mind to close thinking, TO deep poweTfn
augmentation What school houses academies and col
eges has bult1 What streams OF general know ledge
difused7 What science cultivated or explained
Its claims must stand the ground OF useful pleasure
able amusements But these attended with expense
that few sord and SO few in number thst three
fourh OF souls be ben Gifted by them but must
contrive recrestons ell as they can.
They demand also for the few whom they do accom-
modate, great multitude OF men and women no make
it Their profession for lie to suse Others and other cir
cumstances dssdv 10 character comfort and
the hopes OF a better world.
Of the delcacy Of speaking the truth this
subject and shall here relieve my feelings by the
testimony OF Rousseau, genius OF great emneuce and
fascinating writer, famary rssnt with the stage
and an ntdel and hertine (rhe Doctor here read
,imony TO the demoralizng influence Of the stage from
Rosseau)
To such representations there have been noble excep
tions but the balance of the testimony is true sgans,
the thestre. What melancholy exhibition does enrd
Of the sacrifice OF human happiness and hopes for the
mere amusement OF small portion Of society Can it be
justilied3
claimed that theatres are schools of virtue and
good morals. wish it were true, Ind that my own
feelings be saved in adducing evidence to the
trary But listen 10 the testimony OF impartial history
Here the Dr.. read from Lord Ksmes-pp So l72 I741
Plato tells us that play the passions, N
OF reason and dangerous to morality. Aristotle
lays ii down rule that the seeing OF comedies ought
be forbidden to Dung people Tacus says the German
manners were guarded against danger by having play
houses among them Ovid in his most hcentous poems
speaks the theatre favorable to dssounoss and ad
The whole primitive church testified assent thereto
Theophilus OF Antioch in the second century al"
prohibited it. The Protestant Church in Europe and
America have given similar testimony Archbishop Til
otston calls the theatre the Devils Chapel nursery
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and vice; recreation which ought
to be allowed among civilized much less Christian
community Bishop Collier, Calvinist, says, 4" I
persuaded nothing has done more to debauch the age,
than the stage poets and the play houses" Sir John
Hawkins says although it is said that plays teach mora
ty and are the mirror Of human life these assertions
defamation. On the contrary the play house and
the regions about il the very hot beds OF vice. Rous
seau says, q" is impossible that Should be oherwse'
Dr. Claiming says, we look at the inseparable con
comtan,s of the theatre in all ages the indispensable
aries nothing be more preposterous than its claims
to he regarded school OF morals. All the facilities OF in
temperance are there-and of gross HcentIousness
general assortment Of to accommodate the
lust the flesh the light of the eve and the pride of life
The votares OF Bacchus and Venus have in all ages
ed the theatre for the purposes of their worship
and have sustained with deep devotion and unbroken
harmony and often has the testimony been given that
without the coparDership the theatre cannot subss
All efforts to purity and reform it by dissolution Of
thousand miles from this place have the bars within
and around abolished and the Of the concerned
The bsrs-the third necessary to the happ
and progress Of the pupils in the school Of MORALS
| without these they would abandon IL.
About the time LETT the city, gentleman of talent
dpower published an expostuation in regard to the in
decency OF the plays IN use IN which he declared thai
gentleman who not himself debesed loved his
wife and daughters could take them to the theatre and
hold up his face in their presence while passages Of OBJ
sceniy were assailing their and tingng their
| cheeks with shame.
But beside this testimony, there is more and worse, Of
which would be shame TO speak. Who can describe
in full the dress and motions of dancer this stage
and through the land; her pants in such close imitation
of nature baied discrimination bet tween costume and
hSsh-wih her short over dress, rising she whired
around amid shouts Of applause which might have made
the devil blush, and female virtue, had il been there
burn with indignation and hang her head in shame.
| The theatre a school OF virtue! Psndemonum the
abode Of Holiness The theatre the mirror Of nature
| Yes, Of naked, shameless revelry!
| But these disclosures scarcely begin the develope
mens OF the dark deeds aud mschies and woes OF the
theatre Leythe impartial voice o. all ages speak, and
their opinion Of their character and own
deeds; and the Of time and eternity endured for the
amusement Of their generation. Let eyes OF the past
speak Of disappointed bepes broken hearts and gray