Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-05-05
THE STAGE AND THE PULPIT.

The Christian Messenger takes
exceptions to an incidental remark
which occurred in a notice OF the
Cincinnati dramatic festival in our
issue of the 2lst ult. We think the
Messenger rather misapprehends
~ enunciates a principle that we
will not accede to. We do not by
any means believe that the minis
try should "cease going on about
the sins of the people and seek to
please them" No, sir, the minis
try should be the captains of the
grand Christian hosts that battle
against sin. They should fight it
boldly, they should wax on it with
asperity, and in the uncompromis-
ing battle they wage against this
"mOnster of such frightful mien"
they should know no policy. But
there is great danger to an army
when it turns its weapons against
Its friends and thereby multiplies its
foes. Sin drought death into this
world and all our Woe" but the
legitimate drama has brought only
culture and education with the pure
pleasure that comes of such refined
amusement. We will join and up.
hold the pulpit in all the efforts it
may make to crush out vice, to
decry sin and to suppress evil in
every shape and form where it is
purely NAHUM IN sc, but we refuse
to concur in the senseless disapprov-
al of one of the greatest institutions
of civilization which the Church,
for no good reason, may have made
NAHUM prOhi6itIAn.
There Is progress in religion as
well as in science and art, and the
spirit in the pulpit that makes war
on the stage, is pure BourbOnism.
IT is Il relic of the asceticism OF the
early Puritans that has been in a
large degree abandoned by their
modern followers. 1t was a great
sin in the belief of those good fathers
TO wear fine clothes and with them
jewelry was considered an abomina-
ton in the sight of the Lord. But
the gayly bedecked congregations
that throng our Protestant churches I
to-day certainly entertain no such
ideas, and even the editor OF the
Christian Messenger, with his sleek
plug hat, his Prince Albert suit and I
his gold time-piece, might sooner
be taken for one of Charles gay
than the pious Barebones {
Of the Rump Parliament. The t
Blue Laws of Connecticut forbade a r
man to kiss his wife on Sunday, but I
no young clergyman of to-day j
would refrain from such indulgence a
f he was blessed with q fond and Il
pretty spouse.
Shakespeare and Corneille are v
-aught everywhere, in Colleges and
under church auspices,
Is masters of English and French
literature. Their productions were I
written for the stage and cannot be !
ully appreciated unless witnessed .
lnder the presentation of good l
lctOr. The stage is great institu- :
ion, it is power in the land and II
affords the highest opportunity for =
he development of the God-given
renius of actor and poet. The pull
lit should seek to make the stage a U
,ower only for good by condemning u
What is evil and unfolding what is II
The Messenger has something to
ay about st. Paul condemning the y
Worship of the goddess Diana on his V
-isit to Ephesus. AS it was st. -
'auI's mission to introduce Chris !"
Ianity it was very meet and proper &
hat he should condemn a pagan
,orship, but we utterly fail to see
nat the instance cited has any ap- a:
liability to the point discussed. tie
ut since the great apostle to the A