The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-04
Tue Drama ansl the Paint.

Dutch Reformed church, delivered an address On eth
Theatre in ts Relation 10 Pubic Moralso 10 very hry
congregation.
After anthem by the choir and the reading of
portion ofthe Scriptures, the 1881 hymn wss .uus com
nenc.ng as follows
Distinctions dangerous road
wsiie thai '' wh tI esds the soui 70 God
IL known and sought by few.
The reverend gentleman then offered up an appyupr nj
which is subjoned--
50 let our lips and lives express
The holy Gospel profess
70 ,e. Sr Sos sns Writes ro., s shine
BE sad his text would be found in the fftn chapter
Lphesians and at the eleventh verse, which thus
"Iiaye no fellowship with the unfrui works Of dark
ness but rather reproye themn The speaker observed
that there was marked difference between these whC
Christians and thoee who were not Chrstars; he
former designated "ehldren Of light and tue latter
the children Of darkness and The works o. darkness 10
Guided all those unsodly practices and pursuls wbci
thorty,
In the OF the text with reference 70 the subject OF
h8 discourse, " The theatre in its relation 10 public
morals" no would endeavor both 10 justify Is application
and fulfil It's Injunction by showing thai theatrical enter
tanments ordinarily conducted, properly under
the description OF unfruul works Of Darkness and
consequence, that IN any way patronise encourage
them unbecomiDg in Christians in any who pro-
fessed 10 the friends Of morality He was are that
announcement OF those heads OF discourse would
barrier Of prejudice in minds against
truth which he desired 10 present By thus indicating
N advance tne position which he intended 70 take ke
would be cut on al from the syrpSthy and perhaps
the attention. Of all those persons who enterta ned
modified opinions upon that subject He might also psi-
bly, the charge of intolerance and bigotry u
puta1on which with would be enough in asei 70
outweigh All the force Of evidence and argument II
seemed matter Oh surprise 70 the rejecting that Only
The multitude but many sensible people easily car
rTied away by the mere sound Of words which were often
only the vocabulary OF can't An epithet or name was
TAX tho
10 conclusions which had foundation IN or in fact,
We heard much in this age OF liberal opinions and a pe
raj Christianity and looked back upon the ntole
rance Of former ages whatever called Itself LIBERAL was ant
% meet With favorable reception, which not
deserved while Tor the same reason, whatever ornios
doc pc were decided and positive, though marked by
than the inherent rgor of truth and
easily dcreded and evaded, without the expepse OF
either investigation or argument The speaker continued
at considerable length 70 critciss modern liberalism
The advocaies OF that doctrine armed that man gh
be good Christian and yet deny the divinity OF Christ
aud repudae the cardinal doctrines OF his holy Ap,es
HIS Christianity might pass urquestoned, though he was
only med 10 this world self installed The
prompter and header OF It's worldhness aud the patron
defender Of is most demoraizng Institutions. But wa
Christianity 90 be suspected aud morality snufied al as
hard gravity and narrow prejudice, If abstaned
from practices and pleasures in which the wicked delight,
ed and have fellowship with The unfruitul works of
darsnersl I'll truth" sad he 'has positive character
ana morality has It's circum-crbed limits, then truth must
always necessarily be intolersnt Of sehood bonds
OF morality cannot be enlarged. lay The standard Of truth
by what will and the boundaries Of good morals where
you pis;1e, you are bound by n
exclusive towards whatever is beyond H. bot if the Word
Of God your rule, You bound only on the ground
Of consistency, but by his authority oppose rebuke
whatever IN pfrcert n practice contracs that Word
Applying the test OF this unerrng standard the subject
10 hand, he would show that theatrical entertainments as
ordinarily conducted were a great moral evil and pro-
perry came under the description OF unrutul works OF
darkness Tho proposition dcsignedly limited by the
clause "as ordinarily conducted" because discussion
upon that subject 70 have any preensons whatever mus,
deal with the fact and simply with the theory OF such
entertainments. IL was not merely the Lwfulncss OF
amusement or Tie drama, a night be pictured in the
glowing Imagination OF " no had vivid conccp-
ton % what II ought 20 be with fond dream OF whit I.
might be- that the advocates OF the theatre found 10
depend. But they stepped forth the champions or
this particular amusement they must boldly face the fact
OF The theatre a. 10 aud a. had been They told s
the religious WORLD that their arguments iacious
because they turned upon the abuses and uot the
uses OF the theatre; but when they he regonsts) in
CURED after those alleged uses in any tangible
cossions q the advocates Of the drama, as Ie
lawyers would say-sr pose DO, in .ss-sp ina
the conception, but never pspsble 20 the experience "f
the theatre and so,n then its influences would be
hus and 80" great deal could be said upon any sub
)cct with ,h. help Of 'if al" unguestonable plays
we're written by christian poets--if Christian managers
controlled the stageif Christian players performed 20
Christian audicnc.fthe scenery and Decorations were
always chaste, and If brohel, barroo and their vile ap
pchdages were abolished from the precincts Of the play
housein word, If the whole complexion, character
company associations and Influences Of the theatre iead
{" Bong corru1 we're commcndable, then they tell us II
would b. harmless and might be- useful" And this hypo
thica defence or al imaginary drama the best that
could be said for an Institution which entirely thu re-
OF what they said ought 10 BE-, and fond f,nc.ed
that IL might be- and Christians Illogical bgots and
nnerni Iurns II cy persisted in refusing frequent
those pcgorous haunts OF mpe,y and venturcd 10 liz
warning voice against that moral mlsma that hung around
cm because, iorfooih he objection applied la tho abse
aud not ~ Tic use Of ho theatre The logic OF such de-
4 nee Wa "tb W. are not n condemn but b. cherish
What We know 20 b. bad, because W. can conceive OF
something else that would not be bad The lessons Of
history taught u that the defence OF the stage upon the
grouud o. what might be- hal always fsied to eject
permanent Teiormston, and without permanently improv
iuF q ranncrS u, morals or IT, decency. The at
ieInW h. reform Z had only served 10 gld ITS
rcssncs. and 10 extend It's corTptlnr Influences.
l' young, wbo were sad Of any excuse for gratifying
'rr- '-r would not stcp 10 discriminate between the
drama n theory and tue theatre in fact Il they could
cuoir III of protested Christian, much
who claimed a. b. Christian teacher a. an adycac for
The stage Nor would they be discouraged To frequent
the play hoc u they CAV. any credit 10 the recent teach
Bgs ST who claimed 10 be- teacher ~ religion, add
wbo while only pretending 20 justify the Hypothetical
drama vet WAIKIKI warm In his alignment, poi OF, tho
pathway ~ hsaYeu leading directly through the pit and
ooSes of Tie theatre a. II IT, This apostle VI the play
house d the syeer rcpudatng the purtanical maxrns
Va lhr. and Of Paul, would sunder, upon HE rcson
sDy the bread lines OF separation between the church
ana NE World, aud establish fellowship Of rghecusness
with unrghicoEness and effect concord Of Christ with
y M upon the benches q the theatre lie had discovered
that the church, ~ maintaining Ia peculiar Lie and
tanctiiy, Wa aEyerae, %r hS folesAhd vices Of the
ar ptrsious Influences q tie theatre In particular
Tts teacher 81 morals and religion had discovered
tiat nti4Ang Win Dlf ratnQT reIrONinG Uie
uufruiful work ~ darkness. wicked, selfish,
policy. and the result q mingled hypocrisy and
wsjgdce. The duty Of Christians nc; 10 abstain from
mpurc and corruInc afnuscments but TO frequent and
sustain them VICE i % be cured not BY avoiding and de-
crying ~ shameless erhibiuons, but by fellowship with
and apologize for ~ unfruual works ~ darkness He
gArded The IToro ton inlnscy and Falpaby absurd
but viii al it, sbSzTdi,y Il demonstrated us iscl.si
ser all that might DC said about the lavfuness u anuse
M nj in the abstract and all that fiction Of the fancy rcLa
i've purified theatre In particular, he whole question
iurpd upon the queson Of the patronage OF the theatre
a. il Is. lie expected " show in the requel that public
theatrical entertainments had in their very naurethe
seral elements q cy which fully Justified the urty,rsa
prescription ~ the wise, Tie good and The moral, IN all
ages Of the world The shole Argument for uc defence
OF the stage fully me, and exploited when Il was
shown that IN ip ordinary management " l. profile
source 81 moral pollution, vice and orime-ths IT. nhu
ence Is evil and only evil andhhat continually. Upon the
degrading character and demoraziDg influence Of The
sung drama. e sdsces,cs were for The most part
content a. PUT IN the plea Of guilty, Trough
thcy urged many exienuaiiors bar 90
TO ,he rgc Of Judgment The main ac OF The bdo,snent
might safely ret upon their confessions; but abe
ADMISSION nf fac. generally coupled .i'h many
spcces OF apologize and often put IN viii The desgn
N cyadng the effects % detailed expesnre truth and
uso, required thai the evidence IN nc rhould pro