Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-14
xALE rHEoLoe1cAL SCHOOL.

Esthetics and Religion.
 Yesterday afternoon Dr. Burton continued | his lecture to the theological students in the l Marquand chapel upon the subject on which | he had spoken the day before. Some men | ask why art does not aid religion. The put ting of experience into form is deteriorating to the one who does it and to his immediate associates. Ideas and feelings are better if not externalized, externalized they are guilements to evil. In Holy Writ we find an impressive statement of what is true and sacred. But if the ideas and thoughts are externalized they become 8 physical inlet of evil, which has it's seat in the souls of men and not in externals.
 Formulation has it's perils, but it is claimed to always tend to degeneration. Our maker in giving us bodies indicated that we should externalize. He externalized us and why then should we not externalize other things? A man is an incorporated soul. The Lord came to save the man, not the soul. Neither thought nor feeling is thought or feeling if it is not embodied. It is true that God points to the bodying forth of our inner selves in suitable forms, else how can we have human intercourse. The heart and mind get full of things which cannot be ex- pressed in the A B c of silence. Conscious ness has complexity of ideas and forms and therefore complex devices must be formed in order to make intercourse success ful. A part only of consciousness is with our contemporaries. As we now roam through the old college halls memory is be- ginning to tell the sensitive soul that in the centuries to come men will go through them with hushed voices and the thoughts which come over them then will be benediction to their souls, as the thought of the name of Dwight" is a sacred benediction to us now. Each generation makes it's own expert ments without the help of others, but in each does the mind draw on the eternal for it's mode of thoughta Each generation tells from it's experience that it does; that we think in words and embody thoughts in them. It is natural, for G. d meant it to be so. The matrix of thought savors of the physical though not that which can be touched by the hand. The Lord taught that man must not necessarily perform the overt act to be polluted, but the man is polluted in his inner consciousness.
 In all the arts of expression there is ten dency toward evil, whether it is conceded or not. What are the securities against this tendencys Shall we wed art to religion? We must not get security by minimizing art, for we must have great deal of form and for mutation. There is no well balanced and full-toned development of the religious life without a corresponding development of form. Without this form there would be only the church catholic. Not that all men would think alike if under influences void of form, but that they would grow nearly to- gether in the best method of Christian life; they would not have the heart to sub divide into denominations, but would be secured in universal church. We must not defend ourselves by an extreme abridg- ment of form. Beauty is always safe enough, if neither the artist nor the observer make it an end in itself. In any just arrangement of the arts of expression beauty is an agent for the dissolution of character if made the only end. Man under the supremacy of in tellect is as much 8 sinner under the reign of beauty; as comfort and joy and as a reigning purpose in life each will lower man and life under such influences is perdition. What is the result of an enthroned con- science: History gives only one result.
 from all physical existence, is there any thing left2 Yes! There is the structure, the mass and perhaps the utility. That the un@sthetic man is quite man is proved every day. If we take from the Deity, man and the universe, all shreds of the moral, in tellectual and true, there is left only the physical facts of existence.
 An illustration of undue surrender of self to beauty is in the effort of young preacher to compose beautiful sermon. In the at tempt all idea of usefulness and utility is lost The fact that the first beauty lies in organization is forgotten. In a sermon each item should bear on the objective which the preacher has chosen and use aimed at; then God rewards the preacher, drawing him un- consciously into the realm of beauty To or nament there must be something to orna- ment It is a truism in archi- congruous to the structure; there must be a harmony between the building and it's decorations; the ornaments must be suited to the intention of the building and to it's structure and surroundings. So in sermon there should be natural and spon- taneous efiorescence of structure; Moorish decorations Gothic sermon are inap- propriate and not harmonious. The mind must have grace, vigor and moral purpose; then those qualifications which make the structure of the sermon will make the de- corations of it in harmony. Purpose presides spring forth from the quickened mind. When one thing in great whole sets itself up to be considered alone it insults the whole, therefore insuberdinate details are nothing and make the sermon nothing.
 Artists should seek first the moral ends and then the esthetic. The design of edifces should insure strength and commodiousness In the church everything should be real-no false frescoes, no gliding which is considered the better the more it is deceptive. But people ask how much cost put on decoration above utility, to make it more acceptable offering unto God? Can the church building be turned to the refinement and cultivation of the converted soul. with out lessening his piety? Can the square-cut and realistic makeup of men be mellowed and refined by decoration? Thus the mind is turned in one direction while the other sides are left unguarded and people become the victims of insensible emanations.
 The gospel is received by irruption or sat- uration; in the latter esthetics have their opportunity, and work with steady though mild and gentle influence.
 The dim light which comes through the storied windows sequesters an assembly and immerses them imperceptibly in the depths and mystery of religion. Its dimness is promo tive of mental tranquility and inclines one to thought and sentiment. The sensibilities then flow in and mans better, nobler, choicer life comes forth. Therefore the night time is the time for lovers and pious thought, for then the intellectual and moral atmosphere is mellow and saturated and the mind is ready for the best influence.
 Religion is pure, chaste and decorated with harmonious order of service. For it's puri- ty we need only look at him who is Chris tianity impersonated. It lends cheer and comfort to the soul and by it's influence men gradually emerge from darkness and with all creation are brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
 Gothic architecture with it's seriousness and grandeur is immediate inference from Jesus. Greek architecture is not the product of 8 spiritual strug- gle Gnu istianity need not draw from heathenism, for it has developed an architecture of it's own, severe, chaste, moral and sublime in it's fundamental tone and capable of being ornamented with towers of cheer and holiness. In cathedral we see that which is sublime and beautiful; the sublime is nellowed by the beautiful and the beautiful is made strong and moral by the sublime If we make sure of the struc- ture the decorations will adjust themselves harmeniously.
 A VALUABLE DOG. A New Haven Dog Wins High HonOrs
 in the South,