The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-03-23

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 wears old, as old as the Bible.
When | speak OF the drama al the be
ginning and the close of the Bible, ! do
not mean an allegory, but | mean the
truth so stated that in grouping and III
startling effect it is a God-given. world
resounding. Heaven-echoing drama.
Now. if God i~uSlanted this dramatic
element in our natures. and if He has
cultivated and developed it in the Scrip
lures, ! demand that you recognize 1t.
Because the drama has again and
again been degraded and employed for
destructive purposes is nothing against
the drama. any more than music ought
10 be ~accursed because it has been
taken again ard again into the satur-
nalian wassails of 1900 years. VIII you
refuse to cuthrcne music ON the church
organ because the art has been
tramplcd again and again under the
feet OF the iuSrINiOUN tdItt
Rev. DR.. Bellows. of New York, many
years ago. in 4 very brilliant but much
criticised sermon. took the position
that the thelter might he 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 |
take a step III advance of my former
theory. Christianity is going to take
fun possession of this world and cor
troll its maXims, its laws, its literature,
its 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 amusc-
ments of the world, then it is very de-
"fcctiye 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 1t 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
elvsian age and the Christian the
millennium, We have positive announce
ment that the anIusemcntS 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,
it 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 haIl playing. Now, what
we want is to hasten that time. How
will it be done? by the church going
over to the thcatcr? 1t will not go. By
the theater 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
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. II needs to be distinct from
everything that is or has been.
| would have this reformed amusc-
ment association having in charge this
new institution OF the spcctaculartakc
possession of some hall or academy. It
. might take a smaller building at the
| start, but it would soon need the larg-
est hall, and ever 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 migiltiest thing Of this cen
t.an Would ,;s. nc +bo ,,I,ntic ri.os y,
rfnarnaaI aao..
r,n ,a - .,,,no.1o ~
c,.".h ~ ukano .La aaan ,nJ
daughtcrsare held back from dramatic
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