The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-03-23

for him, but he must swiftly leave off
his old garb and prepare for this eX-
temporizcd levee! Pouting son at the
back door. too mad to go in, because
they are making such fuss! Tears of
sympathy running down the old mans
check at the story of his sons wander
ing and suffering and tears of JOY at his
returnl 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 i'm the book of Revelations
Crystalline sea, pearly gate, opalinc
river. amethystine capstone. showering
coronets, one vial poured out incarnad-
ming the waters. cavalrymen of Heaven
galoping on white horses, nations in
doxology, halleluiahs TO the right of
them. halleuiahs 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 theologyis
of the oldest type-5OO 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 ii is God-given, world
resounding, lIcaven-echoing drama.
Now. if God implanted this dramatic
element in our natures, and If lie has
cultivated and developed it in the Scrip
lures, ! 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-
nalian wassails of 1000 years. VIII you
| refuse to cnthronc music on the church
organ because the art has been
trampled again and again under the
feet of the lascivious dance?
Rev. DR.. Bellows. of New York, many
years ago. in very brilliant but much
criticised sermon, took the position
that the thelter might be renovated
and made auSiliary 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 |
take step lit advance of my former
theory. Christianity is going to take
| r.. III r. =. 4
troll its maxims, its laws, its literature,
it's science and its amusements. 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 il 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 it control all the other elements of
our nature but 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 amuscments of the
world are to he under Christian sway
holiness shall be upon the bells of the
horses" says one prophet So, You see
it viii control even the sleigh rides
"rhe city shall be full of boys and girls
playing in the streets thereof says
another prophet. So, you see, it is tC
control the hoop rolling and the kite
flying and the ball playing. Now, what
we want is to hasten that time. How
win il he done? Hy the church going
over TO the thcatcr? 1t will not go. BN
the thcatcr coming TO the church? II
will not come. What we want is a re
formed amusement association in every
city and town of the United States
Once announced and explained and il
lustratcd. the Christian and philan
thropic capitalist will come forward t,
establish it, aud there win be publ,
spirited men everywhere who will dc
this work for the dramatic element o
our natures. We need new institution
to meet and recognize and develop ant
defend the dramatic element of on
nature. 1t needs to be distinct iron
everything that is or has been.
l would have this reformed amuse
ment association having in charge thi
new institution of the spectacular TAX
possession of some hall or academy. /
might take a smaller building at tn
start but it would soon need the larg
est hall, and even that would. not hol,
the people; for he who opens bcfor
the dramatic clement in human natur
an opportunity of qualification with
out compromise and without DANCE
does the mightiest thing of this cen
tury, and the tides Of such an institu
N ton would rise as the Atlantic rises a
Liverpool DOCKS.
There are tens of thousands G
, Christian homes where the sons an