Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-04-05
DR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

troll and Reform Public Amuseln ent-
The Church Should Go to the Theater.
ICopyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. Cat a time when the
whole country is In controversy rs never
Iefore concerning the theater and some
plays are being arrested by the police and
others are being patronized by Christian
people this sermon of DR.. Talmage Is OF
much interest. The text is Corinthians
VIII, 81, ''They that use this world rs not
abusing It,"
My reason for preaching this discourse is
that have baen kindly invited by two OF
The leading newspapers OF this country to
inspect and report on two OF the popular
plays OF the day-to go some weeks ago to
Chicago and see the drama "Quo Vadis"
and criticise 1t with respect to its moral ef-
feet and to go to New York ind see the
drama "Ben- Hur" and write my opinion Of
1t for public use. Instead or doing that
propose in u sermon to discuss what we
shall do with the dramatic element which
God has implanted in many of our natures
not in ten or 100 or 1000, but in the vast
majority Of the human race. Some people
speak OF the drama as though 1t were
something built up outside OF ourselves by
the Congreves and the Goldsmiths and
the Shakespeares and the Sheridans Of
literature and that then we attune our
tastes to correspond with human inven-
tions. Not ut all. The drama is an echo
from the feeling which God has implanted
In our immortal souls. 1t Is seen first In the
domestic circle among the children three
or four years OF nge playing with their
dolls and their cradles and their carts, seen
ten years after in tue playhouses of wood,
ten years after in the parlor charades, after
that in the elaborate eimpersonations In the
academies of music. Thespis and Eschy
lus and Sophocles and Eurlpides merely
dramatized what was In the Greek heart;
Terence and Plautus and Seneca merely
dro oofi cd Int in ha hoa ~.
Congreve and Farquhar merely dramatized
what was in the English heart; Racine,
CorneiIle and Alaeri only dramatized what
was in the French and italian heart;
Shakespeare only dramatized what was in
tho great worlds heart. The dithyrambic
and classic drama, the sentimental drama,
the romantic drama, were merely echoes
of the human soul.
do not speak OF the drama on the poetic
shelf or OF the drama In the playhouse, but
speak OF the dramatic element in your
soul and mine. We make men responsible
for it. They are not responsible. They
are responsible for the perversion OF 1t, 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 decorate our
churches with the cotton ind the rice and
the apples and the wheat and the rye and
the oats, our gratitude to God is stirred;
when on Easter morning we see written in
letters Of flowers the inscription, "He Is
Risen," our emotions are stirred. Every
parent likes to go to the school exhibition,
with its recitations and its dialogues and
its droll costumes. The torchlight pro-
cession 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 unroling,
nj nGtr hal 40
with II?
Shall we suppress it? You can as easily
suppress its Creator. You may direct 1t,
you may educate it, You may purify it,
you may harness 1t to multi potent useful
ness, and that it Is your duty to do, just as
We cultivate taste for the beautiful and
sublime.
Now, have to tell you not only that God
has implanted this dramatic element in
our natures, but have to tell you in the
Scriptures He cultivates 1t, He appeals to 1t,
He develops it. l do not care whero you
open the Bible, your eye will fall upon u
drama. Here 1t Is In the book OF Judges,
the fir tree, the vine, the olive tree, the
bramble-they ali make speeches. Then at
the close Of the scene there is corona
tion, and the bramble Is proclaimed king.
That is Il political drama. Here 1t is In
the book Of Job. Enter Eliphas, Bildad,
Zophnr, Elihu and Job. The opening act
Of the drama, all darkness; the closing
act OF the drama, all sunshine. Mugnin-
cent drama is the book of Job.
Here 1t is In Solomon's Song--the region,
an oriental region: Vineyards, pomegra-
mates, mountain OF myrrh, flock of sheep,
garden OF spices, Il wooing, bride. BRIDE
groom, dialogue after dialogue--intense,
gorgeous, all suggestive drama is the book
Of Soiomon's Song. Here 1t Is In the book
of Luke: Costly mansion In the night. All
the windows bright with illumination. The
a. H. 4
son in costly garments which do not very
well fit him perhaps, for they were not
made for him, but he must swiftly leave off
lis old garb and prepare for this extern
porized levee. Pouting son at the back
door, too mad to 90 in, because they are
making such fuss. Tears OF sympathy
running down tho old mans cheek at the
story Of his sons wandering and suffering
and tears OF Joy at his return. When you
heard Murdock reclte 1.-The Prodigal Son.
In one OF his readings, you did not know
whether to sob or shout. Revlvals OF re-
llgion have started just under the reading
OF that soul revolutionizing drama Of 1.-The
Prodigal Son.
Hero 1t is in the book OF Revelation
crystalline sea, pearly gate, opaline river,
amethystine capstone, showering coronets,
one vial poured out tncardlnatinH the wa
tiers, cavalrymen OF heaven galloping on
white horses, nations In doxology, hallelu-
iahs to the right of them, halleluiahs to
the left OF them. As the Bible opens with
the drama OF the first paradise, 30 1t closes
with the drama OF the second paradise.
Mind you, when say drama I do not
mean myth or fable, for my theology is Of
the oldest type-500 years old, thousands OF
years old, as old as the Bibe When speak
of the drama ut the beginning
and close OF the. Bible, 1 do not
mean an allegory, but I mean the truth
so stated that in grouping and in startling
effect 1t Is II God given, world resounding,
heaven echoing drama. Now, il God i'm
planted this dramatic element In our M
tures, and IL He has cultivated and devel-
oped it In the Scriptures, l demand that
you recognize 1t.
Because the drama has again and again
been degraded and employed for destruc-
tive purposes Is nothing against the drama
any more than music ought to be accursed
because 1t has been taken again and again
into the saturnalian wassais of 1000 years.
Will you refuse to enthrone music on the
church organ because the art has been
trnmpled again and again under the feet
Of the lascivious dance?
1t is nothing against painting and sculp-
ture that In Corlnth and Herculaneum
they were demonstrative OF vulgarlty and
turpitude. The dreadful museum at
pOmpeii shnll throw no dtscredit on Pow