The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-15
DIsCOURsEs ON THEATRES.
One Sets the stage Above the Pulpit ms q
Power for Good-Auotber Doesn't.

A, mi m = n
""e sr's '"s 0, NY, ,,.a. n.a.,,,,
rover ior 900" A"o'"e' "o'"
In the Church oil the Messiah, Yesterday
the Rev. Mr.. Alger preached on The lie chinRs
of the Theatre and OF the Church. or the Moral
t,,,..r -, 81 r,u,,,,o - M toe, ,,,a nd thu
io"er vi tno ora'"u' ms 'eAU "'s , ' a.. .no
whole CITY rushed with one accord INTO tne
theatre" The discourse was an argument in
go. y, A.. ,,aa,so a,,s,,,,,i,,, 60 :, Greater
iaNor VI Tue 'noa'rc' a'U'"u''"s W ~ t'o"'o'
power for the doing OF good than to the church.
Tho obiect ~ botb be s.,d IA IN eIevate and
-, 49, -. ,s,,, ...i,. 4. ,o,o
teach but In the theatre this teaching Is done
without the dogmatic air and perfunctory man
,,or oo,,,,o, ,o ,oi,a,ous t,structor. ,ba the-
~ oy" " -. ..,,, $500. -, ,a.,,
atre charms all the senses WITH oeauties OF form
and color, rythmic motion, vivid poetry, and by
g,vIng n ,amporarv releasa fr,m tnouebts OF
.N =, -
the grinding cares OF business. IL Is OBVIOUS
that such powers should be utilized for the
,,,,, ,,,,.,..,. .rd a,,,. rha ,d.als of MA sat
49,, 80. -. - ,.,,,
by the church and the tnsatre are dtametrlcmiv
oppo sed 10 each other: and the dramatic ideal
"a mora narfact than that of thu churcb Tim
70 '"'o pe''oo' '' '' " VIZ
vices OF the church are sour ascotcism, dismal
gloom, formal cant, ana deep hypocrisy The
-. ~, A. 800. =. ,.t...,.,. ..,lta,. s,ro
'0es VI 'uo '"os''e ie INV my ioOn'es' t",o-
~. and vouptuOusness but these are Offset by
n liberal sentiment of universal tolerance, Puri-
fed OF these vices the theatre would have
greater nnwer MIN the chnreh ms nries' nat
ur,ly dislikes the PLAYER because the Latter Is
mote attractive than he. While the dramatic
Oh lracter Is richer and more free than the
maintained. From first to last the prev ilina
temper OF the clerical guild toward
the hlstronc guild has been unohar-
table. II has been 80 from the time that the
vast power exercised by the drama pass d from
priesiv INTO seculi n hands, to the time f Henry
Ward Beechcr--a man never inside theatre in
his life. hut filed with "A bitterness avninst IL
that he has imbincd with ms Puritancal
training. Yet THIS same man carries
into the pulpit every SUNDAY whole
theatre In bis own person. Another man. such
as be- made the fame 81 the Lizzie Cnurcn
Round the Corner" our Saviour was miracle
of tolerance and inrIusiveness, minying freely
with tue publican and sinner. THIS il l. witch
makes him TIL incarnation OF God on earth. To-
ward bgots tyrnnts and Pharisces Ills scorn
and indIpnation we're unbounded. Tho thai re
Is far more expansive in ito svmpathie. than the
church, and the mower of the stage In enforcing
moral i.ssons IA groatsr Than Thar Of any other
school. The ulnvtun of "(,rorge RaruwelI " by
Ross was Instrumental in turning many a disst-
pated aud depraved apprentice from his evil
more poveTfui becntlss ihet are Indifect and
not perfnuctory: the Instructive svnpatbics OF
Vice often aa,inted in line then1re il a. often
saoretiy Cherished IN the church. Neither should
scorn the OF her hut each should aid and teach
the other and their combination snould form
The mos ,rnnJarfui ,o,yrr fnr GOOD in ths ,,n,iJ
In concnsion tne ure cher said tnnt perhnns
some in the cungreg 4uOn might consider the
morninu's th.me 10 SOMEWHAT ditIerenr frnm
tue usul style # pulpit te ching; IL SO, 50
Iho Rey' Mr. rainase Ala nr"acbed vester-
day on theatfes. U"s-il: :" rhree or four wears
az, preached a sermon ON tne cDaracier and
c1ndtiiun Of me nvrr,rs American theatre
What thoHsht and tsit md -NpI thcn onv re.
nanf tn-t,v nm / Wa IN. Int.rurntad ana ,uis
..nt'r.-eutri I nsv'r I',i,. . ,vn,i.s, a.. ana
indisrri.'tna,o amid tusn tie the.tri~al mo-.
fresi,,n ,,n',,,it. ", ,,,,,, 80 thnn t'.t ~ w.,
ia I'M ich ,eniIs In :. az in any al h.r mr. Is
sinn. INN mr., a.. IA, n mi women in t,nt
urnf'asiou "A. nlir. ADD h,,.,..t ~ IN my a, nor
nr lf.-si,n. thaf tbr ,h.r .-srIsti'.. of n,anv
have noon ,onernsitr ~. ,utl4f tei,rn,vi'.,i.,e
:, I th.rr i. An .v II ,.tiry a. r n.,,,.. EN- ina
chtirr1 ana I no tla, mons w.. uon't lil,a III
rnttrrh "a. 1o,,i iil.. a.. ,, ,r, III tters "a
aurfber rrntind ON N,nt,,, - tne,t ~, Ia av a.
Immortal fnrn ma wortau wifh souls 10 ne
stvpd or lost and for wnon trer, Il n ,'nrist
re- DIV 10 mn every burlen nnI s,ve
every soul Him dec re- | uurn vpu IA AZ
ask the Iuemusrs Of me theatr,e,l nrnf,ssiou
wi sther here or absent - max. = ernnl st,rr,.n
der H. Jesus enlist as their rersot,,l -nviour In
seems TO me IN, ontira course of me wprli's
histOrr would have be- n changed n these men
had given themselves IN to Christiin ,york in
stead of thoatficit ent.rt ttutnent # was the
dram itic art " hich sanctinsd Robert n N and
ihomas Chalmers and tieorge Whitfield .,nd
made them ne Irresistible uncunu NJ, IN tnstrt.
mems OF righteousness. II lltc>-tt, AMI Ing
and keinbc, and B. 10, and q trrIcN their ,e1i.
tempurares on the ata4.p, h "a given them elves
t. the positive service Of tue Lord Je-u, Cnri,t
this would nave Leen "A different world from
what IL Is II the Dayenpur.s and lSIot.s of to-
day would, some night, at the close Of tne rer-
fOluancel. come out 10 rh. nnr-it,rhts an, snv