Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-11
CHURCHES IN THEA TIERS.

What do good old orthodox church
peonle think of church like that OF
DR.. Thomas, the Peoples? 1t is in a
theater, but | am sure none could
doubt it was house of God if they
should bear the services as they are
conducted there every Sunday morn
ing. But What change comes over
the place in the evening when ac-
tors and plays, good, bad and indifier.
emit as the case may be, are seen before
the footlights on the same boards
where divine services are held in the
morning. What effect does that have
upon the sanctity of the place? Is it
any less house of God in the MORN
ing when it is devoted to Him, be-
cause of the uses to VIII ch it is put to
at night? These are perhaps idle ques-
tons, but are they not worth thinking
about? TO me, religion is religion. If
1t be genuine, it is entirely too great
to be affected by its surroundings.
God is God wherever we seek Him.
Religion, again, in its true sense and
spirit, should not be a separate insttu-
ton, set apart from everything AS one
science or one industry or profession
is set Off from another. Religion
should be aspiritual condition separate
from nothing, but permeating and en-
bodied in all things. You set up your
factory and it is separate institution;
you set up your church and it is made
just as separate. Is this right? True
religion should be broad enough to be
universal and not suffer itself to DE
confined as a profession or mercantile
business would be. 1t should be in
every trade, every profession, yea, ev-
cry act, and should be les Of Sunday
garment, reserved. for use only on Sun
day, and in the "house of the Lord"
Ii we made every house Gods house
1t would better.
TWO REFORAIERS.
Prof. Felix Adler of New York
would solve the tenement problem by
having all rents of more than three
rer cent. cried down as usury, but a
Chicago reformer, Mr.. o. A. Bishop,
goes him one better and says rents
should be abolished as downright rob-
berry. These opinions are two of n
Rlnd, differing only in degree. That
reminds me of something recent lee
turer said about people always being
lavish with whatever they don't have,
and freely giving advice about things
OF which they know nothing. 1t is
not entirely applicable, for of course
Mr.. Adler would be willing to erect in
New York Il row of tenements and
rate his rentals so as draw less than
tnree per cent, and no doubt Mr..
bislop would willingly and cheerful
y invest all of his spare capital in put
tihg up tenements for the free use of
Chlcago poor people. AT the same
lime one cannot help thinking that
these gentlemen would be doing more
Tor humanity If they should encourage
every renter to manage in some way
On the installment plan to become the
owner OF his own house. Fine spun
,heories are very nice in their way,
put little homespun practice and
common sense is better.
A LECTURE.
recently l heard Col. J. p. Sanford
aeIiVera humorous lecture. He told
Pl9oabiy score of yarns that every
yody present had heard as many
times, but his highly entertaining de-
livery enabled him to hold his au-
uIehce TO the last. All in all he deliv-
erea highly entertaining lecture,
anu SAID few very good things incl
hehta,iy. His plea for the recognition
ny elders OF the boy was really touch
hs, mough he introduced enough of
wy RIDICULOUS to invest the whole with
hsnade OF humor. Most earnestly did
neappeai to parents and others not to
'Aup the boys because they were boys,