The times., 1898-10-03
THE CHURCH and State
Dr.. EastOn Declares That Good
Plays Are Heyating.
THEATERS ARE NOT BAD
Where Shall the Young People Go
When Society Is Exclusive md
There Are No Pews in the Church
for the Mechanics and the Wear
ers of Common Coats.

The Rev. DR.. Easton occupied the pull
pit at the Eastern Presbyterian Church
last night and chose for the subject of
his sermon, ''The Modern Theater and Its
Alleged immortality" He took for his
text Acts xix:29.
He said that the time of vacation and
recreation had passed. and men were re-
turning TO business and the serious af-
fairs of life, and that there would now
be a demand for restful amusements to
dispel the cares of life. To meet this
demand the theaters We're opening. The
question arose, how far the alleged in
fluence of the stage for evil was correct.
From the earliest times the drama had
existed. In the days of ancient Greece
and Rome, the theaters We're dedicated 10
pagan deities and the tendency of the
stage in these days was demoraIizing in
the extreme. The lasciYious amours of
Venus and of Mars were represented and
so well known was this fact that the
early fathers forbade all Christians to at
tend these performances and even re-
fused the rites of the church TO such as
disobeyed their injunctiOns.
With the influence of Christianity mat
ters had greatly changed for the better.
Men like Edmund Keane and Macready,
and dramatists like Shakespeare had
done much to ennobie the stage and the
profession of histrionies. No one could
listen to plays like Hamlet and Macbeth
and not learn a useful lesson from them
In all of shakespeare's plays virtue
punishment.
Coming down TO the present day, the
speaker declared that no evil influence
could be exerted over the mind by going
to see men like Booth, Irving, or Joe JEFF
ferson. He disagreed with Drs. Hunting
ton and Morgan Dix, of New York, and
especially with the latter, who said in his
book, The Seven Deadly Sins that no
actor or actress could be virtuous.
On the contrary, speaking for himself.
ne knew the contrary 10 be the case, and
that there were men and women on the
stage who had as great az. adherence
for vice as any church member. More
harm, In his opinion, was cone by the
perusal of many of the modern novels
which have so large a circulation. There
We're people who read this hell broth in
the secrecy of their chambers, and yet
would not enter theater.
lie WOulQ not dD0llSn the tnedterS. lie
admitted that many theaters need purif-
cation. good theater, with pleasant
light comedy. affords pleasant recreation
for thousands of young men and women,
Hno had no place 10 go at night and
were forced to pass their evenings in a
| dismal room in boarding house.
But It was observed by a certain cless
condemning the theaters that these young
people might spend their time much more
/ N.Vaf
! Christian Association. He did not agree
with them. Then it was suggested that
| they might attend lectures AS far as
| the experience of the speaker went, these
lectures We're only adapted for the more
! cultured of the citizens of this city and
were as cold as icebergs floating in the
| icy sea of the North Pole.
Why not go into society? Society was
! exclusive and did not receive this class
of people The churches, too, he regret
| ted 10 say, were as exclusive as society
| There was no room in the Dews for the
1 mechanic, the man in 4 common coat
| Where, then, were these unfortunate peo-
! pie to find a refuge but in the theaters of
the more elevated type? The pure and
elevating drama furnished innocent
! amusement. Such plays as Camille" and
East Lynne" should be Stunned. as well
as some of the plays now being produced
/ here. He would not refer to these houses
by name as he did not wish to be arrested.
Referring to the play THE Christian"
by Hall Caine, which is at present set
ting all Washington agoi5, the speaker
said that it showed the power of love to
| overcome all obstacles.
DR.. Easton concluded his sermon by
saying that the men who had brought an
evil name upon the stage were those
hoary-headed, lecherous old sinners who
I frequent first nights and ogled the unfor-
tunate ballet girls who were posed for
their delight. But such men were not
found in the more reputable theaters.
And these reprobates did not belong to
the criminal classes 1ney were to be
found in our churches and were fntoler-
ant of innocent amusements for the
| young. These men were the most dan
gerous of hypocrites. Finally. he warned
his hearers that when a man found his
love for theatrical amusements made him
| pass the house of God on Thursday night
| and made him neglect his duties to the
church it was bad symptom and should
make him reflect.