Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12
PLAY FOR PREACHERS
CODsensusOf Opinion From New York
Clergymen.
4 RETURN TO COMMON SENSE.
The Rod, Gun, Saddle, Stage. Cards and
Billiards Proper.
A RABBI DOESN'T RIDE HORSEBACK

brown leggings are the shooting costume of
the Rev. DR.. Rainsford, of ST. George s
Church, Stuyvesant Place, when he goes
cunning for ducks on Shinnecock Bay.
When Rev. E. Walpole Warren, of the
Church of the Holy Trinity, goes fishing on
the st. Lawrence, he dons jacket and coat
that have decidedly more of an angling than
an Anglican aspect. When Rev. Henry
Van Dyke trolls the iorGs of Norway,
whips the famous trout streams of the Scotch
Highlands or trots 20 miles straightaway up
the Hudson of a Saturday, he too wears the
spOrtsman's and not the clergyman's COS
tune. When DR.. Greer, of the Church of
st. Bartholomew, goes to the theater, he
doesn't wear a surplice, nor indeed anything
which would call attention to this fact: 'Lo,
am a minister of the Gospel, and am at
the theater, and enjoying myself, tool"
When Rev. DR.. John r. Paxton. generally
spoken of with the addition that he is jay
Gould's pastor, makes a difficult masse or
follow shot, he doesn't feel obliged to wear
q white craTat and look sanctimonious.
In short, the agitation in certain pious
and profane minds of what out and in door
sports, games and exercises afford proper
and becoming recreation for a preacher-an
agitation once more set going by Mr.. Rains
ford's being fined for shooting quail out of
season-has again returned, by consensus
of clerical opinion indicated below, to the
rules of common sense. The leading divines
of New York City as a body seem to be-
lieve that clergyman may do with pro-
priety whatever a devout layman may do
with equal propriety. Whist, draughts,
, billiards, chess, for indoor diversions, fish
ing, shooting, riding, cricket, football, for
outdoor exercises are considered no more
unbecomIng clergyman than anyone else
by many, if not most, of the most prominent
preachers in New York City, which draws
from the pulpits OF the country at large
large percentage of their ablest men.
''The Church, E" said Henry Ward Beecher,
''has been so careful of amusements that the
devil has had the care of them. Life is full
of amusement to an amusing man. There
is nothing that so covers the nerves, nothing
that so tempers passion and anger, nothing
that is such a natural cure for discomfort
nothing that brings men to such level and
creates such fellowship, as the divine spirit
of mirth. Merchants, business men, lawyers,
ministers all sorts of toiling and laboring
men, have too little relaxation. Gaiety, of
every degree this side of puerile levity, is
wholesome to the body, to the mind and to
the morals. Children are more apt to be
drawn into vice and dissipation BY dull and
stupid sobriety than by innocent gallery.
Nature is vast repository of worldly en-
joyment
PREACHEs WHAT HE PRACTICES.
The Rev. DR.. Greer, of St. Bartholomew's
famously rich and fashionable church at
Forty-fourth street and Madison avenue,
e
scores of times over, are reputed to worship,
and where they hear unquestionably sound,
manly and thought-inspiring discourses, is
q young looking man for his place and ac-
quirements. Serious, dark, muscular look
ing, tall and Of agreeable presence, there is
bright alaeritv in the mans eve and lack
of cobWebs in his discourse that would seem
to indicate an abundance of invigorating
outdoor recreation. What are the facts?
II ride the bicycle, sometimes" said DR..
Greer, when asked for them; 81 ride horse
back in the park as often as 1 get a chance;
I used to be quite fond of cunning; I play
whist and go to the theater!'
There is as wholesome and as liberal
list of out and indoor sports and diversions
in which preachers may indulge as is to be
found. But DR.. Greer has not only prac-
ticed these. He has preached, within few
weeks, on the theater, the history of the
drama-he calls 1t "Dray-ma'-it's moral
aspects and influences and the proper atti-
tude of Christian people toward the stage.
DR.. Greer believes in and goes to the thea
ter. "What," SAYS he, 'is the use of a
clergYman's ignoring the thester. 1 believe
that goodness and Righteousness must take
possession of every factor of human life
Now, the theater is certainly part of our
social economy and there are it seems TO me-
Just three courses which the Christian men
and women may pursue toward it, viz: 1,
Indifference; 2, abstinence; g. wise partici-
pation!'
Here is doctrine as wholesome as sensible;
how many preachers in this or in anv
American city, however, are willing to be
put on record in such terms and to 90 to the
theater whenever they find on the boards a
drama properly amusing, instructing, in
spring? Beecher said of the theater: 1.-THE
theater is the door to all kinds of iniuuitv:
to be injected with each particular vice in
the catalogue of depravity one need only go
to the thester. He'll is populated with the
victims of harmless amusements. The men
who provide the popular amusements which
delight the sensual feelings are the world
over corrupters of youth. The theater was
disgraceful even among the heather nations,
and has come down with perpetual dishonor
on its headP'
What a contrast between these two sets of
Tiewsi And how surprised great MANY
people will be to learn that the Beecher so
celebrated for wholesome liberaIitv de-
nouneed the stage in such unmeasured
termsl asked DR.. Greer if there had not
been among the clergy decided movement
toward iberality of view on this and kindred
topics of late. ''I don't call it a movement
toward hberality, said he, "but return
to common sensel"
DR.. Henry Van Dyke has fshed almost
around the world and holds clear-cut and
very interesting views on the diversions OF
the clergy. MY ideas on the subject" he
said to me, "are very simple. 1 think
clergyman may indulge in any sport or
diversion which Christian, a devout lay
man, may indulge in. There are no two |
standards of morality, one for preachers and |
the other for the laity. 1 think a preacher |
may enjoy and participate in whatsoever |
things are pure and honest and of good re- |
port.
s'I fish with enthusiasm and have almost |
6shed around the world. have cast the |
iy in the Adirondack waters, in Canada. in |
the Highlands of Scotland. in Norway and |
in Germany, too. 1 go canning from a
sense OF duty; and what I mean bv that is |
this; I'm not particularly fond of shooting,
but it's good healthy sport in the open air |
and believe in it. How would it do for |
Rev. DR.. Rainsford to get up a club of |
clerical gunners?) But of course all these |
things are only of use to keep a man in |
good physical condition for the serious work |
of life. A minister needs to be cheerful |
and kindly and free from those blue views |
Of lie, which come from disordered liver |
and false theology. Fresh air and exer-
else are good for his soul-and for the soul |
Of everybody. 1 ride horseback with great |
delight. Almost every fine Saturday do |
from 10 to 20 miles on a fast trotting horse |
as hard as can go. Such exercise as that |
brushes the cobwebs from my brain and |
counteracts most benefcially the effects of a |
sedentary life
DR.. Van Dyke has the rather spare figure
Of an athlete and looks spriugy on his feet. |
BIS brown eye is keen and good natured. |
and his honest belief in and practice of out |
door sports evidently does him good.
A REGARD FOR THE EXAMPLE.
i