Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-04-27

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sympathy running down the old mans
cheek at the story of his sons wander
ing and suffering and tears of joy at his
return! When you heard Murdoch re-
cite "The Prodigal Son" in one of his
readings, you did not know whether to
sob or shout. Revivals of religion have
started Just under the reading of that
soul revolutionizing drama of "The
Prodigal Son."
Here it is in the book of Revelation:
Crystalline sea, pearly gate, opalinc
river, amethystine capstone, showering
coronets, one vial poured out incarnad-
ming the waters, cavalrymen of Heaven
galloping on white horses, nations in
doxology, halleluiahs to the right OF
them, halleluiahs to the left of them.
AS the Bible opens with the drama of
the first Paradise. so it closes with the
drama of the second Paradise.
Mind you, when say drama do not
mean myth or fable, for my theology is
of the oldest type-500 years old, thou
sands of years old, as old as the Bible.
When / speak of the drama at the be-
ginning and the close of the Bible, do
not mean an allegory, but | mean the
truth so stated that in grouping and in
startling effect it is God-given, world
resounding, Heaven-echoing drama.
Now if God implanted this dramatic
element in our natures, and If He has
cultivated and developed it in the Scrip
lures, l demand that you recognize it,.
Because the drama has again and
again been degraded and employed for
destructive purposes is nothing against
the drama, any more than music ought
to be accursed because it has been
taken again ard again into the satur-
naian wassails of 1000 years. Will you
refuse to enthrone music on the church
organ because the art has been
trampled again and again under the
feet of the lascivious dance?
Rev. DIR. Bellows, of New York. many
years ago, in very brilliant but much
criticised sermon, took the position
that the theater might be renovated
and made auxiliary to the church.
Many Christian people are of the same
opinion. | do not agree with them. |
have no idea that success is in that di-
rection. What | have said heretofore
on this subject, as far as | remember,
is my sentiment now. But to-day l
take a step i'll advance o. my former
theory. Christianity is going to take
full possession of this world and con-
troll its maXims, its laws, its literature,
Its science and its aGtusyincnts. Shut
out from the realm of Christianity any
thing, and you give it up to sin and
death.
If Christianity is mighty enough to
manage everything but the amuse-
ments of the world, then it is a very de-
fective christianity. Is it capable of
keeping account of the fears Of the
world and incompetent to make record
of its smiles? Is it good to follow the
funeral, but dumb at the worlds play ?
Can ii control all the other elements of
our nature bur the dramatic element?
My idea of Christianity is that it can
and will conquer everything. In the
good time coming, which the world
calls the colder age and the poet the
elysian age and the Christian the
millennium, we have positive announce
ment that the amusements of the
world are to I've under Christian sway.
holiness shall be upon the bells of the
horses says one prophet. So, you see,
il will control even the sleigh rides.
"The city shall be full of boys and girls
playing in the streets thereof" says
another prophet. So, you see, it is to
control the hoop rolling and the kite
flying and the ball playing. Now, what
we want is to hasten that time. How
will it be done? BY the church going
over to the theater? 1t will not go. By
the theater coming to the church? 1t
will not come. What we want is re-
formed amusement association in every
city and town of the United States.
Once announced and explained and IL
lustrated, the Christian and philan-
thropic capitalist will come forward to
establish it, and there will be public
spirited men everywhere who will do
this work for the dramatic element of
our natures. We need new institution
to meet and recognize and develop and
defend the dramatic element of our
nature. 1t needs to be distinct from
everything that is or has been.
| would have this reformed amuse-
ment association having in charge this
new institution Of the spectacular take
possession of some hall or academy. 1t
might take a smaller building at the
s"art, but it would soon need the larg-
est hall, and even that would not hold
the people; for he who opens before
the dramatic clement in human nature
an opportunity of qualification with
out compromise and without danger
does the mightiest thing of this cen
tpry, and the tides of such an institu-
ton would rise as the Atlantic rises at
Liverpool docks.
There are tens of thousands Of
Christian homes where the sons and
daughters are held back from dramatic
entertainment for reasons which some
of you would say are good reasons and
others would say are poor reasons, but
still held back. But on the establish
ment of such an institution they would
feel the arrest of their anxieties and
would say on the establishment of this
new institution which / have called the
spectacular. "Thank God, this is what
we have all been waiting for"
Now. as | believe that / make sug-
gestion of an institution which wiser
men will develop, | want TO give some
characteristics of this new institution,
this spectacular, if it is to be a grand
social and moral success. In the first
place, its entertainments must be com
pressed within an hour and three-quar.
tiers. What kills Sci mons, prayers and
lectures and entertainments of all sorts
is DrOliNitU Ar q rnosono bla b,,,,