New-York tribune., 1871-05-02
THE USE OF THEATERS.
v,pws or ROBERT COLLYER.
>p,c,ao April 20.-The final syllable OF

| anfom
arc OH the go. Extremes meet People pray harder
and dance "harecr" than elsewhere; but a. religion IL
on tho CO. you will find here the finest Unitarian church
An the country presided over by bg-hearted, clear
headed man, who wieds rs powerful pen as he once
wiolded hammer whose hearty, wholesome example Is
doing liberal Christianity In Chicago what the self
sacrificing life OF Dr. Wm g. Eliot has done for II in st.
Louis. "ROblrt Collym is n nobo man." said q very
prominent and very clever member OF the Young Mons
Christian Association. "He s good man that won
der he can belioTe In so bad religion" To receive
praise from those who hold in abOminaton princl
pies Tie true test OF character What you arc. not
what you believe, is the gauge IN the West.
Irresistiby drawn to te church where Robert COyer
preached the benevolent face udhcard the hearty
Yorkshire voice with ring and roll to IT IL made to
weather all gales. hold m my hand letter" began
the preacher, written by an actor, asking me to say
soElohng about tho ttle church around the corner
Now think his matter has been sufficiently agitated,
and don't propose 70 add fuel to the fame think the
clergy have received very good lesson which is not
likely lie for gotten. But what sincerely desire 10 do
H. say great deal about the tbeacr believe in IT.
and win give my future leisure to preparing myself
this subject The actor who writes to says that he
and many other members Of his profession constant
attendants this cjurch ana he doo not see why actors
cannot he "a good Christians those who profess
hope" added C0yer, they better than the major
ity of those who profess religion, they must he bad
indeed" with these and similar words bir Colyer
prefaeed lis sermon upon the focr Gospels The
next time lac ard hi, he drew several Of ms finest
illustrations from the acting OF Fecher and Jefferson
and now while the Rev. j. u. Fulton Of Boston ceases
his denuncatiOn Of Dickens In order to pour out the
phals OF his wrath upon the hcater declaring that it
orages the faith Of Crstians, hat is sreat plague
spot, that the best actors know that In order TO pe
Christians they must give MP their profession, that re-
lgious actors heard Of though there were
religious this doctrine IL preached in
| Iuift
Chicago what he thinks about the drama the theater,
the player, and the paygoer, taking up the subject
without msgYing because he likes TO go to the thelt
when lie can to take all his family with him, and 10
| commend to othoys the practice OF going
| The snc,nt Greel. and Romans had
10 express school and pay yhOuse bu. ihe ZANE"
Recalling this couplet Colyer declared that If this be
true such word has larger meaning than our terIn
"places Of amusement" and he never doubts the wis
dom OF these old when he great drama fully
and fairly interpreted. Madame Rsiori interpets
Macbeth" He goes home feeling that he has learned
one Of the wonderful lessons OF fo ana believing
that moro people agree with hin than ready to make
tie admission, lie relates the recent experience Of
friend whO going 10 the Bal abe, in Paris saw one
Of the most prominent clereJmen of Chicago Al home
he could not he dragged to heacr by being
one OF ITS stOutest opponents. Was he horridedi No.
he seemed deeply Interested. Now, tins man must |
account for this action. 1t is useless TO talk about the
force OF example. for the example man Gets, in the
long run, is what that man really is. Mr.. |
Colyer believes III the pm1ty OF that clergy |
mans heart, but ne docs not believe in his |
SQUARE and solid naphOod II he wants 10 He, De
ought to take his the place where he ivcs and
LAHORE not from Pals He could moi believe the action
wicked for hc is not the 10 do evil that good may
come OF it, So COLyer concludes that If he dared lac
U0ud be tie same Lere rs In Paris, aud If be dared 20
where the hcater is worst he ought 10 venture where
is best; and he honestly thinks that If he went once 10
scn "A he would Then he would |
be in the line Of his duty, his presence and That of
Iuultitudes who are kept away by ar would encourage
actors and managers, who are obliged to select plays
that ill the boxes, clergyncn write sermons To MI
their pews Ii evil makes you standing offer OF = for
the amount Of work that good insists upon ganG
81, evil viii rule in thcatoras does ont OF it.
Growing eloquent Shakespeare that, with the Bible
and Iunyan, WAS the only schoolmaser no ever had.
Pr. COllyer maintains that the great dramas gather
uower and beauty the stage not often found in the
study The true the true interpreter and
his thoater the house OF tie interpreter whero millions
learn the hate of hate the love o. love- the scorn OF
meanness, and worship Of noblcness. He considers
good actor, who Is likewise good men, city mission
ary one who has a ministry at large. IA an artist he
ranks with tho poet painter, and orator and Garrck In
his lifetime greater power for good to England
than the Archbishop Of York the Bishop OF London
He is especially preacher OF the truth about the lie
that now IL tine divine is Of the life to come Welook
to the drama its nOblcs form of tragedy for emotions
that CigIliy ptssonH ana COhStcfhJc WOeS,
IL must have been because Of these sacrC1 qualities that
Luther recommended the stage means Of instruc-
ton He said that under good regulations the theater
lgt give delightful lessons IN virtue and wisdom. He
asserted that Christians ought not to abstain !
from seeing comedies on account OF the possibility of
ing things which theg do not approve for the same
reasoning would prevent them from reading their Bible
Wise Old Dr. johnson said: great friend O: these
public alnuscncnts / believe they keep people from
vice rather than lure them TO it, Dr. Paley, whose
Natural Theology" and books OF Christian evidence
still printed and circulated by religious tract and book
societies. fond of going to the play that be w'nd
walk ten or twelve miles into London. aud go without
his dinner, for the sake of attending the theater In
1884, when tho General Assembly OF the Presbyterian
Church was sitting in Edinburgh, Mrs. siddons went
there to act that grave and reverend body adjourned
an hour earlier than usual in order to witness tie
performance this transcendan genius. This body did
wisely for The Quarterly Ecricu well observes that In
these towns where public amusemcnts have been !
permitted, public morals have Always sunk 10 lower
cbb than in any other.'
Robert Collyers faith teaches him not to despse any
fountains of true inspiration lie believes that after the
Ble the Drama s the trueSt In existence. He believes
there are impure the stage, as there are impure
men in the pulpit He thinks the temptation to wrong is
stronger the actor in direction. and for the
preacher another There players pure and true
in their lives any preacher and preachers generous
and sefforgetfu any player Yet neither the church
nor the theaor to be condemned for the bad men that
are in both any more than great fair field Is TO be
counted evil because Canada thistes grow among the
corn Ir Coyer regards tho opposition OF ehurchmen
to tho Drama opposition TO means OF grace The
Church was tho nursing mother Of the Drama and she
shows neither wisdom humanity in casting out her
own foster child to the tender mercos of the wicked
That ia the way make the theater the vile thing sine
saws il is To save It, LET her take it to her heart
Uouor IN Pohert Collyer for this wholesome, sensible