Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18
EACH FOR HIMSELF.
DR.. Armiinge is Opposed 60 Ecclesiastical
DlcintIon In the kintisr.

DR.. Armitngo is Opposed TO Ecclsslastical
DlciniIon In the hntisr.
Rev. DR.. Thomas Armitage, OF New
York, 10 generally conceded by Baptists to
be the most eminent and distinguished
clergyman OF whom their denomination can
boast, with the single exception, perhaps, Of
Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon, of London. As
will be seen by his letter, he takes precisely
the same view Of the matter under consid-
Grafton as does Cardinal Gibbons, evidently
thinking that there Is good and bad in the
stage MS In everything else in life, and that
the Christian must discriminate betn cen
them. He is also evidently opposed to
ecclesiastical dictation in the matter, and
deems il purely one Of personal response
bility:
"MY DEAR SIR-In reply to your letter
asking me the question, is it wrong or In
consistent for Christian to visit the thea
ter?' I would say that never find 1t pleas
ant. nor do 1 think that 1t is ever profitable
to write on the current subjects of everyday
life, which are and constantly have been
topics Of bitter controversy throughout
many hundreds of years, which, so lar as
1t Is possible for the human mind to foresee,
must continue as such for many hundreds
OF years to come, and which, at the expiration
OF that time, will stand exactly where they do
now. The subject to which your question re-
lates is most certainly one Of these. The dis
cussion as to what amusements are and are
not proper ones for Christians and to what ex-
tent Christians may indulge in them has
always been very warm one, but the mat
ter seems no nearer a settlement than when
the debate first began.
I'm my opinion theatrical performances
and other forms Of worldly amusement are
subjects upon which every Christian must
act for himself. This rule is applied to
many similar things, then why not to thea
ter going? Take literature, for example.
There are many books-some even by So
called standard writers-so evil in their
tendency that no one, Christian or other
wise, should read them, but for that reason
would anyone presume to say that all lit
erature is to be condemned and that we
must not read anything?
"It is just so with the stage. There are
good plays and bad plays, good players
and bad players, so that the subject must be
handled with very great discrimination.
We must closely examine each case and it
must stand or fall on its own merits. The
stage has certain class of opponents who
will not admit that it or anyone
connected with it has or can have
single redeeming trait. It has
a certain class of advocates who will not ad-
NIT that it or any one connected with it can
have single fault. Now this is one of the
worst mistakes which is made in connection
with this subject-that treatment of it which
sweeps or allows the whole lot, nolens volens.
Both Of these classes forget the great princi-
pie crystallized by Shakespeare when he
wrote:
For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give,
Nor aught 30 good but strain'd from that fair
use
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:
Virtue itself turns vice, being msapplIed:
And vice sometimes by action dlgnihed.
''This malt-shovel way of handling the
matter is lamentable, and simply disgusts
all sensible iolk on every side. The best
way, therefore, is to leave the question
which you ask me to be decided by each
man for himself, according to his brains and
conscience if he has any. Authoritative
answers from persons likely to command re-
spect may do good to some, possibly, but I
greatly doubt whether they would weigh SO
much as feather in the long run.
yours affectionately,
THOMAS ARMITAGE"