National Republican., 1877-03-05
THE WoRLD, THE ELBsB tyD THE
DBTfE.

'ermon py new Ut wis on tho seventh
Comnnahonieh' corrupt Literature, tho
Fallen wor .,en.
Rev. avid wills, D. D., of the Western
Presor terrain Church, by request of the Y, NJ. q.
81 ociation, repeated his sermon on the Seventh |
Commandment before a large audience of both |
sexes, in Lincoln Hail. yesterday afternoon. As
an abstract Of this ditcosrse appeared in our
issue of Jan. 20 at the time of its hrst delivery,
below Is given only few extracts under some Of
the heads, which want oil space ddnot permit us to
publish at that time, Aner prayer and the read.
'ng Of the Ten Cesnmandinent. by Rev. Mr.
Kramer, Of Wilmington, Del, (son Of the
City Missionary, Dr. Wills arose and announced
his text, "Thop shalt not commit adultery
In discussing the subject Of pernicious ltera
ture as one Of the influences leading to viola
pulpits prescribe that whole class Of publications
Included under the general name OF works OF ro-
acton S%s RSs Se
t-apelled 10 condemn the parallels Of our Lord,
tn. Pilgrtms Progress and some Of our child.
est and rsrest collection Of pearls and diamonds;
from FIRST to last they arc apples OF gold aud
Very hiSSest inspIratiCns q human genius, and
the most mastoriy and thrilling analysis Of the
humen passions. Some Of Bulwors novels are
fu Of fne philosophy, and the choicest classical
literature. Dickens was almost peerless as q
PALMER oflife and manners, especially life in Its
Auorbach and Fanny Lewald in Germany Victor
Hugo and George sand in France, Thackeray
E IN 6 aSsr Se
tiCns, and have given the world works that will
live while the stars shine. The advantage Of
reading such works as these Is that they give
wealth and viyacity to our conversation, enlarge
the sphere of human sympathy, and mako human
nature stand out before us in living colors and
But there must be the greatest care and the
incest discrimination in the pursuit Of this kind
Of 1lt.Fn nTn M IA N i'm
tably beautiful and touching, others too vile
even to think Of. No woman can read Shake.
speares comedies unexpurgatcd with pure con.
scltrce. Byron could sing like an angel, and yet
his writings abound in yOluptuousness and sell
hshness, the two leading lessons OF which are TO
hate ones neirhbors person and to love his wife.
His Don Juanis
MORE DANGEROUS THAN CotLED SERPENT
on the centrc.table. No female finger can touch
i without being stnpg to the vitals
worse than a pestilence to any family and com.
munity. Bulwer himself has written some things
which are crime against the hrst principles Of
virtue; and as for Dickens, child who should fol-
low all his teachings would be pretty sure to be-
come disciple of Bacchus
The immense influx Of yellow. back novels, par.
ticularly those of the French school, We regard as
/ greater curse than the plaques Of Egypt. 1t
long ago went out, smOthered In licentiousness,
has flooded the world with species OF literature
in treneHant language, and at eonslderabic
L length. this class of corruptlng French novels
saying that they tended directly to encourage the
commission, not only Of adultery, but OF nearly
every crime in the calendar, and he prayed most
| devoutly that the country might be delivered
He then went on to say: There is another class
| OF literature even worse than that OF which We
have spoken, and which is SO coniessedly vile
and yet, by the diabolical ingenuity OF It's pub.
fishers and veuders, 1t is introduced surrepti.
tiously into our colleges and schools, male and
female to an extent little dreamed OF by parents
and teachers. Its "leprous distllment" is sap
THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF PURITY
and virtue in our American youth. and sending
thousands OF them every year 10 promaturc
: Ss % GSr Of ory sG hSps ps
oi 9m shame r and i' mssTyS TSn COD be ,naasd si
giant evil in the person Of Mr.. Anthony Com.
stock, OF the New York Christian Association,
| who, fearless alike of the bafied hyenas who
have preyed so long upon our children land who
| have more than ones attempted his life), and Of
the obl9quy hoaped upon him by many who
gone forward almost single handed, and, backed
BY the state and national legislation, which he
and destrSyed toms Of tbs Il @orai ga garbage. %
but it Is not. nSt snlSuEh to Pssl up
| ers must, by oral instruction, and by plac-
| ing in the hands of the children suitable works,
showing the fearful effects of early indiscreton,
ruin to which they arc exposed, and which has
already inflicted such fearful injury on our phys.
/
DIR. Wills then proceeded to expatiate, in treu.
chant style, on the debasing influence Of some
popular plays He said he did not wish to he
understood as condemning the legitimate drama;
| but the condition of the public taste was shown
by the tact that while Booth had ruined himself
ssa immortal Dramas sasts were si sup
and "The Black Crook" which drew crowded
houses. Waiting and round dances also came
in for their share of condemnation and rldicue,
the speaker treating this topic in q rather humor
cenary and ilI.asiorted matches, and the laxity
Of our divorce laws especially 10 this District
were mentioned as the causes Of the violation Of
Himself, and were severely denounced. Hewished
that our Legislators recognized the fact that con
recognized in the New Testament. He concluded
1--WE feel It due to them to say that
| oUB WOMEN
are the finest and loy ees portion of socety;lhe,
| are the yestal virgins whU guard the entrance
to the temple Of viltus. In nnetyn cases on
| OF hundr ed, when she falls the temptsr is III :
devil in the form OF a man. She stands upon suci
| q scene OF lofty emnence, and is surrounded b,
SO many safeguards, that when she falters in ho
| allegiance to the true and the good,
| The pIlIard ornament Is rottcuncs..
| And Earth's base built on stubble.'
| We wish here to offer plea for those unfortu
nate females who have lost their integrity AM
pure and lovely girls, Who were sen
from homo to make a living in the midst 0
| vicious ana cOrulitluB ASSOCIATIONS, others were
| deceived by false promises OF marriage
| others were devoted wives, who were degraded b.
cruel and prohigate husbands. Many of thes
| miserable females might be reformed If tn
| proper means were applied to this end. The lOy
ing Saviour pronounced forgiveness upon I
| woman ofthis description, with an injunction T.
| her to .'go and sin no more" There is nothin.
| in the Bible that teaches that adultery or forni
| caticn is an objectionable sin. 1t is Just one o
| the many developments of human depravity 10
| which the atOnement of Jesus Christ was eS
| pressly provided. George Whitfield said, "Jesu
| is So willing to receive sinners that he does no
| object TO receive even
DEVILS CASTAwAYs."
| An abandoned woman, who CHANGED to hear hir
use this language from the pulpit, called on hir
| the next day at his study, and asked him II h
really believed what he had preached the precet
| ing day: Fe assured her he dii ~ h IN, she Tt
| piled. "ls He willing to receive me, poor nutcas
| woman" "DOubtless lie is" replied the grea
preacher. Then" said she,
Here. Lord, give myself away,
| IT'S all that can do. -
| And the narrative goes on TO say tina
she subsequently lived q holy life an
| died triumphant death. Hence, we n
| peat the language for the encOurag
ment of all classes OF sinners "Jesus Christ is 81
willing TO receive sinners that He does not objec
to even the DEVILS castaways.
| AT the conclusion OF this most interesting an
practical discourse, whose terse sentences, deliy
cred in Dr. W's. peculiarly impressive and fore
bic voice and manner seemed 10 smite the vice
assailed with the weight OF a sIedge hammer,
and expressed a desire that the sermon mi Ili
10 fnr al aTr md Sac