Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-03-23

OF the gospel: T. you have this dra-
matte clement in your nature. use it
for God and heaven. II you will go
nome and look over the history of the
church. YOU will find that those men
have brought more souls TO Christ
who have been dramatic. Rowland
Hill dramatic; Thomas Chalmers,
dramatic: Thomas Guthrie. dramatic;
John Knox. dramatic; Robert Nc
Cheyne, dramatic: Christmas Evans,
dramatic: George Whitefield, dra-
matte; Robert Hall. dramatic: Robert
South. dramatic; Bourdalol. dramatic;
Fenelon. dramatic; John Mason. dra-
matte When you get into the minis
try. If you attempt To cultivate that
element and try TO WELD 1t FOR Eou'
YOU will meet with mighty rebun ana
caricature. and ecclesiastical counsel
Will take your case In charge, ana
they will try TO put you down. But the
God who starts you will help you
through. and great will be the eternal
rewards for the assiduous and the
plrcky.
+. on. is to get cur sermons and - IL
hortations and our prayers out Oh the
old rut. The old hackneyed religious
phrases that come snoring GOWN
through the centuries will never aFreS~
the masses. What We want to-day. you
in your sphere. and | in my sphere. Is
To frt shen up. People do not want IN
their sermons the sham flowers bought
at the millinery shop. but the tlponi'aN
wet with the morning dew; not the
heavy bones OF extinct megatherium
of past ages. but the living reindeer
caught last August at the edge o,
SchrOon lake. We want TO drive our
the drowsy. and the p-csa:c, ana the
tedious. and the humdl um. and intro
duce the brightness and the viVacity'
and the holy sarcasm. and the sancu-
fed wit, and the epigTam'natic p"~e"'
and the blood red earnestness. and the
fire of religious zeal. and 60 not know
Of any way of doins ii as well as
through the d. amatic.
But now let Us turn TO the drama as
an amusement and entertainment.
Rev. Dr. 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 tina.
direct on. What | have said heretofore
en- this subject. aS. far as | remember.
is my sentiment now. But today
take step in advance OF my former
theory. Christianity Is going TO take
J full possession of this world and con-
troll its maxims, its laws. its literature,
its science and It's amusements. Shut
out from the realm OF Christianity
anything and you give II up TO sin
and death.
II Christianity is mighty enough TO
manage everything but the amuse
ments OF the world. then 1t is very
defective Christianity. Is 1t capable
If keeping account OF the fears of the
world and incompetent TO make record
OF its smiles? Is il good to follow the
funeral, but dumb at the worlds play?
( Can il control all the other elements
of our nature but the dramatic ele-
ment? Ny idea Of Christianity Is that
Il can and will conquer everything. In
the good time coming. which the world
calls the golden age and the poe, the
elysian age and the Christian the mil
lennium. we have positive announce
ment that The amusenents Of the
world are 10 be under Christian sway
Holiness shall he upon the bells OF
the horses says one prophet. So.
YOU see. it will control even the sleigh
rides The city shall be full of boys
and girls playing in the streets there
Of" says another prophet. So. you
see. It is 20 control the hoop rolling
and the kite flying and the ball play
ing 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 so. BY the theater coming
TO the church? II Will not come.
I What we want Is a reformed amuse-
ment association i'll every city and
town OF the United States Once an
bounced and explained and illustrated.
the Christian and phiianthrop.c capt
talist Will come forward to- establish
/ II. and there will be public spirited
men everywhere who will do this work
for the dIamatic element OF our ma
lures. We need new institution 10
! meet and recognize and develop and
defend the dramatic element OF our
nature IL needs to be distinct from
everything that is or has been.
| would have this reformed amuse-
ment having la charge this new in
| stitutlon OF the spectacular take pos
session OF some hail or academy II
might take a smaller building at the
start. but II would soon neeu the larg-
| est hail. and even that would not hold
the people for he who opens
before the dramatic element in
human nature an opportunity
/ OF qualification without COM
promise and without danger does the
mightiest thing of this century, and
the tides OF such an institution would
rise as the Atlantic rises at Liverpool
docks.
/ | would go TO such an institution,
/ such a spectacular. / should 20 once
! week the rest OF my life and take
! my family with me. and the majority
/ Of the families Of the earth, would go
} TO such an institution. expect the