Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-23
DRAMA DISCUSSED.
REV. Or. TAIN &C SAYS 1T CANNOT
Bs SUPPRESSED.

He Su&Eests Ihot thrfsttonsty
should Control and Reform Public
Amusement-Thc Church should Co
TO the Theater.
WASHINGTON. March 1S.-At a time
when the whole country Is In contro-
yersy as never before concerning the
theater and some plays are being ar
rested by the police and others are be-
Ing patronized by Christian people this
sermon of Dr. Talmage is of much in
terest. The text is | Corinthians vii,
81, ''rhey that use this world as not
abusing it,"
My reason for preaching this dis
course is that have been kindly in
yited by two of the leading newspa-
pers of this country TO inspect and re-
port on two of the popular plays of the
day-to go some weeks ago to Chicago
and see the drama "Quo Vadis" and
criticise it with respect TO its moral eff
feet and TO go to New York and see the
drama "Ben-Hur" and write my opin-
ion of IL for public use. Instead of do
ing that propose In sermon TO dis
cuss what we shall do with the dra-
matte element which God has implant-
ed in many OF our natures-not i'm 10 or
100 or 1000, but in the vast majority
of the human race. Some people speak
of the drama as though IL were some
thing built up outside of ourselves by
the Congreves and the Goldsmiths end
the Shakespearcs and the Sheridans of
literature and that then we attune our
tastes to correspond with human in
ventions Not ut all. The drama is an
echo from the feeling which God has
implanted in our immortal souls II is
seen first in the domestic circle among
the children or years of age playing
with their dolls and their cradles and
their carts, seen ten years after in the
playhouses of wood. ten years after in
the parlor charades, after that in the
elaborate representations in the acade-
mics of music. Thespis and -Eschylus
and SophOclcs and Euripides merely
dramatized what was in the Greek
heart; Terence and Plautus and Sell
eca merely dramatized what was in
the Roman heart; Congreve and Far
quhar merely dramatized what was in
the English heart; Racine, Corneille
and Alfieri only dramatized what was
in the French and Italian heart; Shakes
pcare only dramatized what was in
the great worlds heart. The dithyram-
bic and classic drama, the sentimental
drama, the romantic drama, were mere
ly echoes of the human soul.
l do not speak of the drama on the
poetic shelf or of the drama in the
playhouse, but l speak of the dramat-
ic element in your soul and mine. We
make men responsible for 10. They are
not responsible. They are responsible
for the perversion OF il, but not for the
original implantation. God did that
work, and | suppose he knew what he
was about when he made us. We are
nearly all moved by the spectacular.
When on Thanksgiving day we deco
rate our churches with the cotton and
the rice and the apples and the wheat
and the rye and the oats our gratitude
10 God is stirred; when on Easter
morning we see written I'm letters OF
flowers the inscription. He lis Risen."
our emotions are stirred. Every parent
likes to go 60 the school exhibition.
with its rectations and its dialogues
and its droll costumes. The torchlight
procession Of the political campaign Is
merely the dramatization OF principles
involved. No intelligent man can look
in any secular or religious direction
without finding this dramatic element
revealing. unrolling. demonstrating It.
self. What shall we do with Il?
Love OF the beautiful.
hnn H..
easily suppress its Creator. You may
direct II. you may educate il. you may
purify IL. you may harness il to multi
potent usefulness, and that Il Is your
duty to do, just as we cultivate the
taste for the beautiful and the sub
lime.
Now, have TO tell you not only that
God has Implanted this dramatic Gle
ment In our natures, but have to tell
you In the Scriptures he cultivates it,
ne appeals 10 IL, he develops II. Edo
not care where you open the Bible
Your eye VIII fall upon n drama. Here
III Is In the book OF Judges: the fir tree
the vine. the olive tree, the bramble-
they all make speeches. Then at the
close OF the scene there is a coronation.
and the bramble Is proclaimed king.
Ihat Is political drama. Here IL Is
IN the book OF Job. Enter Eliphaz, Bill
dad, Poplar, Elihu and Job. The open-
ing act OF the drama. all darkness; the
closing act OF the drama, all sunshine.
Magnificent drama Is the book OF Job
here II Is in Solomon's Song-the
region, an oriental region: VINEYARDS.
poinegranates, mountain of nnyrrl.
nock or sheep. garden OF spices, n WOO
ing, bride. a bridegroom. dialogue
after dialogue-intense, gorgeous. all
suggestive drama is the book of Solo
mons Song. Here IL is in the book of
Luke: Costly mansion i'm the night. All
the windows bright with illumina ton.
Inc moor a-quake with the dance. Re
turned son In costly garments which do
not very well MT him perhaps, for they
were not made for him, but he must
swiftly leave Off his old garb and pre-
pare for this eXtemporized levee. Point.
ing son at the back door, too mad to GO
In. because they are making such
fuss. Tears OF sympathy running down
the old mans cheek at the story of his
sons wandering and suffering and
tears or joy AT his return. When Won
heard Murdoch recite The Prodigal
son IN one OF his readings. you did not
Know whether TO sob or shout. Re
vivals OF religion have started Just I'M
der the reading of that soul revolu-
1onizing drama of THE Prodigal Son"
Here II is in the book of Revelation
crystalline sea, pearly gate, opaline
river, amethystine capstone showering
coronetS. one vial Doured out incaroa
dining the waters, cavalrymen of heay-
en- gailoping on white horses, nations
IN doxology, halleluiabs to the right of
them, helleiuiahs to the left of them.
AS the Bible opens with the drama of
the first paradise, so it it closes with
the drama of the second paradise.
Mind you, when say drama l do not
mean myth or fable, for nv Theology ia