Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-03-30

truth so stated that IN grouping and III
startling effect II is God given, world |
resounding, heaven echoing drama.
Now, IL God implanted this dramatic |
element In our natures, and IL he has |
cultivated and developed 1t in the |
Scriptures, l demand that YOU rccog- |
nize II.
Expression of Feeling.
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 nccursed because 1t has been TAX
en- again ard again into the saturnalian
wsssails of 1000 years. VIII you re-
fuse to entnrone music on the church
orgnn because the art has been trd:i!-
pied again and again under the feet oi
the lascivious dance?
1t is nothing against painting and
sculpture that In Corinth and Herculn-
neum they were demonstrative of vul-
aarity and turpitude. The dreadful
museum at PompeIi shall throw no dis
credit or Powers "Grees slave OF
| Churcb's Heart of the Andes' o. Hu-
bens' descent From the Cross or An
gelo's Last Judgment" The very fac,
that again and agaiu the drama has
been dragged through the sewers OF IN
ioaity 10 the reason why we should
snatch II up and start 1t out on
gr~nd and holy and magnificent
mission. Let me cay at this point in
my sermon that the drama will never
he lifted 10 its rightful sphere by those
people who have not sense enough 20
distinguish between the drama ana the
playhouse. The drama 10 no more tho
thsa,sr 1ban IA hympbook is a chRrch
am not speaking IN ressrJ to ths the
ater at nil. The drama 10 n literary OK
preston of tina, fcelios which Gou I'M
planted Ia the Euruan soul. Neither
viii the drama ever 30 lifted to Its
proper sphere oy wholesale dcnuncia-
ton oil all drsmstists. II you have not
, known men and women connected With
!. the drama who are pure in henrt ard
, pure Ia speech and pure in life. 1t Is bc'
cause YOU have not had very wide ac-
. qunintance.
, Wholesale lenunciation of all dram
: atis.s will never elevate the drama.
= Yondcr stand church and theatcr
5 on opposite sides of the street. The
, church shouts over to the theatcr, y ou
( are all scoundres!' The theater shouts
: back, "You are all hypocrites" And
a they both falsify. Dropping all indis
= criminnte ieremiads against dramatists
A and realizing that the drama Is moi
g necessarily connected with this insti
8 tuition or with that, ! want to show
!. you how the dramatic element in oul
n natures may be harnessed to the chari
l. OF of civilization and Christianity.
u An Everyday Drama.
: Fifty essays about the sorrows o
the poor could not affect me as littl
@ drama of accident and suffering | saw
e one slippery morning in the streets o
t Philadelphia. Just ahead Of me was
g lad wretched In apparel his limb am
c putated at the knee; from the pallor
q the boys cheek, the amputation no
@ long before. lie had package of bro
II ken food under his arm-food he ha
@ begged, suppose, at the doors. AS h
Q passed on over the slippery pavemen
/. cautiously and carefully, ] steadie
J. him until his crutch slipped and he fel
q l helped him up as well as / coult
IL gathered up the fragments of the pacl
Ie age as well as could, put them unde
'r one arm and the crutch under the otl
u er arm, but when | saw the blood ru
' down his pale cheek | burst into tear
1t Fifty essays about the sufferings {
n the poor could not touch one like thG
IS little drama of accident and suffering
NJ Oh, we want In all our different d
IS partments of usefulness more of I'll
,s dramatic element and less Of the d
k dactic. The tendency in this day Is
N drone religion, to whine religion,
1T cant religion to moan religion, to croa
t. religion, to sepulcharlze religion, who
we ought to present 1t In animated an
spectacular manner.
rs What we want, ministers and Ia
~ men, is to get our sermons and our O.
" hortations and our prayers out of Il
IT, OIL rut. The old hackneyed religion
III phrases that come snoring dow
lie through the centuries will never ARE
b. tine masses. What we want today, "
In your sphere and in my sphere, Is
Mt freshen up. People do not want
e- their sermons the sham flowers boug
ell at tho millinery shop, but the japonic
Il, wet with the morning dew, not Il
10 heavy bones or extinct megatherium
10, past ages. but the living rcinde
re caught last August at the edge
"a, Schroon lake. We want TO drive o
- the drowsy and The prosnic nnl'thc
he d.oUs and the hCndrun and lntrodu
IN. ths Brightness and the viyac!ty ard {
~. aoiy Sa:casm ard the sanctih "
Is and the epiggammatc power and t
~. blood red earnesncsY aud the fire
IL, religious arai, and | DO not know
no sny way cf doing It 40 well as throu
ue, the dramatic.
~ Whct Is Needed.
40 But now let MS turn 20 the drama
u.s. an amusement and entertainment.
'n' Rev. DIR. Bellows Of NSw York ma
oo' years ago in n very Brilliant but mu
s", criticised sermon took the position Il
u" the ;hcater might he renovated y
''o made auxiliary to the church. Ma
o Christian people are OF the same on
~ ion. DO not agree with them. | ha
NJ no idea that success Is In that dir
zion. What | have said heretofore
Wv this subject, as far as remember,
my sentiment now. But today tax
49,. step N advance OF my former theo
pr, Christianity is going to take full y
r session OF this world and control
~