The New York herald., 1867-02-11
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.

Ahc ShusSh was Siowucu III cNciy 49, ~S~ SSsss-
menced by observing that The heavens declared the glory
Of God and that we should do all we could to reflect
far possible the divine perfection We are bound to
hive life Of holiness and purity There was often
great difficulty in the mind OF Christian how far he
was to indulge in amusements Il was necessary TO
have rational amusements. There must be relaxation
for the mind But what the amusements that they
could most safely indulge in? They had no right TO
resort to such amusements as united them ior the
grave and solemn duties Of life. man may raise
the question how far particular amusement may lead
him away from the divine grace. If any amusement
opposed TO tho grace and spirit OF God would be
sinful Tor any person indulge in H. He had no rrht
TO indulge In any amusement that tended 70 demoraze
society He the speaker) would not 80 into any dstnc-
ton between the opera and the theatre but both PROB
ably had the objections urged against them Per-
said that theatres could be regulated as TO pre-
sent amusements that unobectonable. Bot that
was not the question now. What the general char
OF plays now? Sometimes it said that In plays
there were good and bad sentiments and that was the
great danger connected with them. IL was said, too
that ciergymen, who id not go 10 theatres
were not proper judges Of whether plays were
good bad; but could they not read themY
There was scarcely any amusement generally con-
dcmned by wise men, good men and religious men as
the theatre Players aitenders upon players had
been excluded from the church account of the inn
morality OF the stage One writer had remarked,
"Where was the play that could be found free from inn
purity, either In direct terms by double meanngy'
Dr. Miller had preached sermon in reference TO the
burning Of the Richmond theatre in 1Sll in which he
declared that theatrical entertainments were criminal IN
their nature and hostile TO the spirit Of Jesus Christ
Archbishop Jil0tson said the theatre the devil
itself. They had the testimony Of the church against
the theatre and he asked having the testimony Of wise
and good men, Christian and heather, against the per-
nicious effects Of theatrical entertainments could that
testimony be wholly groundess? Persons might say ~
80 tho theatre and 1t does HARM but when
went TO the theatre he the moment judge OF
it's evil effects The theatre exceedingly fascinating
especially TO young men, and the great objection 70 any
amusement consisted in its being too fascinating Tho
reverend gentleman instanced the OF Sir Matthew
Hale, one Of Englands greatest lawyers, who his
bographer said had been while student filed with the
most extraordinary ideas from going to the play, but
when he went TO London he resolved never 10 play
agan. The stage calculated 10 corrupt pubic
ment Managers aimed ut filling their own pockets and
performers did the same. The Stage was supported by
whose morals high and also by persons
whose morals low. The theatre had always
been school OF icentousncss, and If the stage
@ as had been , said was was school Of morals
were nightly crowded with the most immoral peoples
Plato said that plays reused the passions and perverted
gerous TO morality Lord Macallay stated that there
was scarcely Athenan comedy which would not have
English comedies Of the seventeenth century
sua and devilish Steele declared that the introduction
Of RIGHTEOUSNESS into plays Tor the purpose Of
making up for the absence Of wit Addison bad
pressed hope that the theatre would be made
Of promoting morality. But that bad not yet
pass. slew wdn >, said Addison the basis of
most modern plays Rousseau .nfdel though he was
opposed the establishment Of plays at Geneva, ana
stated that many refused TO 10 the theatre
amusement He (the reverend speakerl had state
ment in literary paper that the stage had gone down
lower in England and he had doubt that the
Hannah More who had written for the stage herself
sad for doing that, under certain regu
laons, the theatre might be reformed and made o
school Of virtue She thought tragedy the least ob,ec
onabe part OF the theatre but reference TO the whole
thread OF the drama she declared that there through
IL spirit Of false doctrine Let the standard Of morals
what IL ought the stage. and there would be no
theatre after the next twelve months There must be
spirit OF false honor and wrong doctrine in the stage
nth iCp IN af
the sidewalk 10 listen 10 the opscene and impure
versaton of any numoer OF men, he could not do SO
without being corrupted; and II he went to the theatre
would see and hear something that would not do him
good The blasted hopes OF thousands Of young men
could be traced directly TO their beng aured into those
places II the character Of thestres anything all ap
preached the character given thcm them he asked
how could any man OF morally patronze themY A
woman who went into theatre did harm than If a
men went there, because her example pow
erful II young woman induced her intended husband
10 go 10 these places with her might she not expect
when they were married that nc would frequent them
aud remain away from hsrY After advcriing briefly TO
the efforts about TO be made BY the Legislature for the
his discourse by an eloquent appeal TO women TO avoid
gong the theatre II they did 60 their
result would be ncalculabe gain TO the OF mo-
nifty
xpnlsion Of Protestant Worship from Rome
sermon by the Rev. Dr. bowling.
The Rev. DR.. Bowling addressed large aud aisentve
udence last night his church on the corner Oh Bed
ord and Downing streets upon the prosecuting char
c,er of the Church Of Rome. He spoke extemporane-
usly for nearly IN hour Taking for his text Daniel
IN chapter 21st verse-"I beheid and the same horn
waS with the saints and prevailed against them
he reverend doctor began by saying that the chapter
rom which these words were taken . horn was the |
ymbo of power and dominion Tho ten horns spoken |
4 set forth the kingdoms into which the Roman
empire divided In the eighth century three Of the
horns or kingdoms were swallowed up by the little horn
hcA arose after the restthat is Lombardy, Ravenna
and present States Of the Church by the Papacy
not r,aie Rome He Of different opinion. He
quoted several high authorities 10 support OF hs posi-
ton Bishop Jewel and SIR Isaac Newton among others
The fear OF losing Romsh vote kept politicians silent
regard Papal encroachments in this country. The
growth Of the Pop Church he thought portenous
danger the best interests OF the United States He
accustomed often 10 make anmad e~sions upon
that system Of religion In his pulpit mnistratons
There we're however which made such remarks
seasonabe Such bad recently occurred In the
expulsion Of the Protestant worship from the city Of
Rome The preacher here read the resolutions offered
this matter He also read extracts from letter
Of the Rev. DR. Prime showing that the revocation Of
al Rome 70 celebrate divine service in their own houses
after the Of their choice had resulted from the
publication Of religious liberty in the Kingdom OF Italy
The notice discontinue their services had been first
received by the Scotch congregations. Next week .
snihr notiicat reached tie American Minister.
Those who had been conducting Protestant worship
that By doing they had placed themselves In the
power sf the nquisitiot The reverend speaker would
ask II this event for congrau
lationS He thought the latter He glad to the
enamy unnasked the wf throw OIL his sleeps clothing.
He maintained that the spirit Of the Roman church
that OF persecution, rs II had ever been. The general
councils received by that communion, enjoned and
co nmanded IL He quoted the decrecs Of the second
and third Lacran bed in 12o and 117o and that under
Innocent Ill 12lb, in whose de0ees thoee engaging
In the exrpatIon Of heretcs were promised the
indulgence those making pilgsimage 20 the Holy
and Every Roman Catholic Bshop took an oath that
he would persecuts heetcs whereverhe had the power
All history showed the truth OF bis assertion. Witness
the prosecutions cf the wadenses AMI the Albgenses
bloody transaction Of ST. Bartholomew and the fires
OF smithfeld Their sprt was the saue - ever where
they dared barn they would destroy Bibles
az In Mexico and Seuth America Tho conduct OF pri-
vae members Of the Church Of Rome evnced the same
spirit OF intolerance He related inciosnt In which
young girl who had grown up among hotestaus and
had united herself with the Baptist churchwas ds0wned
by her family and threatened with abduction, was
thought, and confinement In Canadian Convent This
had taken place Gouveneur IN this state In the year
1st6.
INA