Evening journal., 1900-04-07
THEATRES AND CARDS
DISCUSSED BY DIR. DIXON, THE
WELL-KNOWN NEW YORK
PREACHER.

DISCUSSED BY DIR. DIXON, THE
WELL-KNOwN NEW YORK
PREACHER.
Rev. DR.. A. c. Dixon. Of New York.
preached on Thursday afternoon on
"The World in the Church" at the
union evangelistic service conducted
under the auspices of the Baptist
churches of Baltimore at the Music
Hall.
81 know some people" he said.
whose religion doesn't taste good even
to themselves-its insipid. II has lost
its SAVIOR. Worldliness Is the thing
that makes our religion unsavOry.
believe but for the salt of the Gospel
this world would go TO ruin in less than
twelve months.
II used to know a man who was
,ond Of talking in prayer meeting. He
was well educated, could talk we'll but
when he was through speaking the
prayer meeting was like a sweet po-
tato patch on a frosty mOrning-be-
cause his life was unsavOry We knew
that he would swear when he wanted
to, that he would take a drink when
he wanted one. that he played cards
and went TO the thoatre-and thai
mans talking. The better it was, the
worse it was.
There was man at another church
who used to come with a ring of coal
/ dust around his neck. He was the
driver of coal cart, and he would be
in such a hurry to get to the prayer
meeting that he wouldn't take time to
perform his toilet carefully. He broke
every rule OF grammar when he talk
ed, and yetcultiyated women leaned over
to listen to him-because he had a
savory character. I'd rather have a
good quality OF religion in a bad quail
lity OF grammar than a bad quality of
religion in the best sort of grammar.
DR.. Dixon said that the church mem
ber who went to the theatre showed by
doing so that his character lacked spir-
itual salt Il make the assertion, he
said, that there's not a clean theatre
on the face of the earth. You had quite
ilutter about 'SaphO and you know
that that's one of the cleaner plays-ai
least that's what the theatregoers tel
me.
We'll, you go to the theatre and yol
make no protest against its spectacular
,Ubscenity. What about the dance
You say. Is there any harm in th,
square dance? / say it's mighty hare
TO keep II square. admit that thl
square dance is not per Sc sinful-thi
/. round dance is. In the round danc
that is permissible under the fascina
tiOn Of the music which would not b
1. tolerated under other circumstances
You go in a ballroom and see tn
dancers locked in each others arms
Let them keep up this position thre
minutes after the music has stoppe
, and somebody will be knocked dow
pretty socn and carried out Of IN
hall"
! DIR. Dixon said that he was gettin
/ disguised with the people who said
{ was immOdest for a woman to preac
, 10 mixed audiences, and yet these sam
people would allow their daughters {
go without protest to dances wher
'modesty was crucifed'
Taking up the question of card play
ing he said that he had heard NOR
| about progressive euchre than almcs
anything else since he had been In Bal
timcre. Let me tell You one thing,
he said, progressive euchre is gam
bling, and gambling Of the same specie
that the blackleg gambler practices i
the dives of the city"
When you get through gamblinl
, let me know and I'll quit" Dr. Dixo
said, was the answer a young man CAV
/ his mother when she asked him to sta
away from gambling halls. The ma
pointed to a vase his mother had wo
at euchre party as he made the r,
e mark.
e When ! go into a home and see
t pack of cards lying there" he contir
J. ued, that home is sfneared for M
Y from garret to cellar"
: DR.. Dixon said that he had bee
n studying the problem of the world
1 ness in the church and how to get ri
: Of it for many years. and he had CON
y to the conclusion that a wine drinkinl
card playing, theatre-going and dam
J. ing church member was not worth
?. copper cent to the kingdom of God
h The blessed life is a narrow life.
o ltree shall be known by its fruits Chri
d tianity is not forest, but an Orchar
It's function is fruit bearing"
y A TON OF PLASTER