The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-07
q RELIGION S


POPULAR AMussxEEy.
Sermon nv tho rev. Gyfas d. FssA as Tsisily
Msthedist Church.
At the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church, in Thir
Iy.fOurih street. near Eighth avenue, Rev Cyrus D.
Eoss the pastor last evening, to large ana appre
ciative audience preached sermon On Popular
.4
Taking several passages Of Scripture as the basis
Of his discourse the reverend speaker in ha intro
ductofy remarks, condemned the popularity OF GER
tain Rmusements. because person belonged TO an
Evangelical church, and fully realized the import
ande Of leading true and consistent religions
life, II was not necessary be should
be morosely serious ana shut his heart 10 the Just
pleasures Of iife and enjoyment Of Its innocent
aInusements. He would not thus throw cloak Of
asceticisn aud dniness to proper enjoyment about
religion ana make il appear forbidding and repul-
sve to the young, buoyant with ufe and energy and
keen zest for enjoyment. was specially necessary,
he urged TO discriminate between amusements that
were proper and moral and those that are improper
and immoral. lie proposed to speak against three
prevailing popular amuseInenta-- card playing,
dancing and theatres. He would permit no sort
OF card playing under any circumstances. Playing
games even for amusement. the apology Of many he
insisted, was highly pernicIous.. 1t was pernicious
because of The evil results that might follow the ten
dency 10 gambling and all It's associated vices.
Many could trace their ruin TO simply playing cards
for amusement !. created create passion for games Of
glasses OF wine was frequently the stepping Stone to
the drunkard's career, 80 card playing had led TO
II foolish waste of valuable time, and under
mined the taste for highe. enjoyment for reading and
mental Improvement; and above AL for proper az.
cards for amusement Womb soon lose relish for the
Sunday sermon, classroom and Bible school, On tho
subject Of dancing az at present practised nj balls
and fashionable private parties he was specially Sc
we're. lie denounced a. most damorallZing the 10,
mlljarities allowed at these Dances Iamilarttics
which, II attempted anywhere else, would brand
the participants with lasting Disgrace one strong
feature against them was the late hours TO which
asy we're as" oee o i o.
his OWL +oplplon more Young men were
maas p1SssIss RE- Sse Young
siaaciar than any one inagiasa He qSosed sAdaSt
tlark's experience on dancing aad hls stateWhat
that dancing hked to hays eHesie1 his sonia fun,
as compared with his severe inve0tlpes against thea
tres and operas. He made no distinction between
the Iwo the only difference, as he interpreted it,
peing tnLc Theatre was play spoken and tile opera
q play sung. He denounced both Us most uneouiyo-
cay bad and their teachings tendencies and asso.
cations Immoral in the highest degree TO substan-
tate his point he went back in the history OF the
word to the old Roman and Greek times anterior to
the advent Of the Christian era, lie claimed that
Il mas been ever sncc-a deadly upas when
had from those early days been scattering broadcast
hundred years before Christ were he asserted only
m intensfcation OF the immoral exhibitions Of thr
modern theatre. He quoted Plato AZ two hundred
years later denouncing theatres and llYy stating
that this Class OF amusemenfs was gotten up Ia
pacify the gods, with view to staying the progress
81 fearful plague that was decnlating the popua-
ton. but thar the remedy In the end proved worse
than the disease. He also quoted Plntarch and l
Seneca az having written vita earnest vgor against
theatrical temptations. Jumping over long line OF
centuries. he came down TO the time Of Queen Eliza
betn and told how IN 1890 large number Of the N
habitants VI London petitoned the magistrates OF the
NY 70 pun down al the theatres then !
N the city and expei all the actors ana acressesSn-
ragged IN them. This he cited as showing the views
~ theatres and Their immoral tendencies
II That Time lie next referred To series OF resou
ions passed by the Continental Congress or this |
country October IL, IT'S setting forth that thea
res hatl tendency to diminish patriotism among
he people and interest in aiding to achieve indie
,endence from England, and therefore asking that
10 one attached to any theatre shouid hc permitted
o hold once under the United States government
n tins connection he expressed his regret that
abraham Lincoln, great anu good nan 81 he was,
mt worthy TO he ranked nest 10 Washington
lad not lived and died in the same spirit.
What John Wesley wrote 1854 agains,
Lhe theatres OF Bristol he introduced. and theD In
general terms characterized ;hcatccs AZ schools OF
wee Incentives 10 dchauchcTy and Whirlpoos OF
destruction. From the very beginning OF theatrical
actors and actresses, he said, hal
petii as q general thing grossly immoral In their
ives; no reputable man ever had been willing and
was equally unwilling now To allow his daughter
marry am actor or his son actress. lie cited II
'erns, Of Rome, rs having been compelled by Caesar
POSITIONS, and that at the end % the recitation
ne indgnity thrust upon him. saying to the audit
nee ~ rose from my bed TINS morning q noble 70
Gan knight: go To bed Tonight an infamous stage
'ayer. | have lived one day too long, Macready,
lie stated, never allowed one Of his children to 20
theatre or have anything Ia do with actors
res-es AMI ne had understood that Barton never |
ei1nted one ut his children to him act on the
tage. Not only. he urged, we're theatres immoral,
nj their surroundings were prominently There
Vas always riitns!lop associated with them and |
Ot far away tne brothel ana low dance house.
;cturninR again 10 theatres nc insisted that sucn
vas the modern taste for immoral plays that the |
est plays oil sbdAspeare--bis historical dramas |
would not support any Inanagcr After expeDding |
few sentences or condemnation against negro min
tfel performances and circuses, as allied 20
heatres. nc said that the only way TO
efol them was 90 shut them up entirely, and that
. let them continue. with view 10 their being |
,herwise than Immoral, would be like trying to |
onvert the devt Ia good practices nv baptisinR lin.
'owards the conclusion lie said he had never been
theatre in his life, hut he claimed TO understand
heir immortality as well ms though he had been q
requeDt attendant In the first place 10 Was az cx-
ensve Amusement, and he never coulh afford 10
tend. and he believed thousands OF Others nightly
ttended theatres IN this city who could as III afold
and therefore acted crfrninaiy. In conclusion be
epicted the despIcabe lpcanness Of protesting
hrstians who sncaked into theatres and were
m AL 1 n ler he