The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-06

| that we know of dream Of
But this aversion to the drama is
not confined to the Puritan sects. The
fits back upon it since it went out of
its hands.
Theater and Church Dana.
j But it is fact worth noting that
the theater today with all its faults
is thousand times more respectable
to modern eyes than any revival of the
church drama would be; and princi-
pally for the reason that the body of
doctrine will not bear these vivid il
Illustrations. Put upon the boards
where the people could see as we'll as
hear it, it's incredibility would be too
apparent. The creed to be believed
must not be brought into the full
glare of day, 1t must be kept in the
region of metaphysical obscurity. Mir
acles have taken place, you know
Men have walked upon water, ascendeb
to heaven on cloud lodged unharm-
ed night after night in the stomach of
a whale, but these are not things to
put upon the stage and show curious
crowd. They might laugh--they prob
ably woodland like Luther's devil a
, miracle once laughed at. loses it's pow
Ter. is put utterly beyond belief.
The old theology dare not longer
produce its drama save in the solilo-
quies of It's orators. The new theo1-
:. ogy has no drama to produce Faith
' i'll the modern dispensatiol has
passed from ancient legends of gods
= and men, from any one series OF
. events as a sole manifestation of the
divine plan for saving souls and has
: fixed itself in the natural intuitions
of the soul itself. We have not b,
certain beliefs as to what went or
: two or three thousand years ago but
!. by fidelity to an enlightened con
, science developed within us now b.
!. fidelity to divine law which run.
. through every fiber of our being. Oul
!. personal spiritual experiences are no
: the material from which dramas ar,
. made. They take on the form of ;
:. discipline in inner strength. integrit.
and beauty of character divine
: life, but not easily represented on
stage The ministers of the new orde
are not actors.
We are not to forget, however, tina
the church was the mother of tn
drama.
- Now what is the proper present re
= lation of the church to the theater
1t seems to be the same kind of re
lation the church rightly sustairs t
N other social and educational instit,
I tions. That is to say, the theate
10 schools, libraries, amusements, SUI
of day or otherwise, should be mad
at through the church to feel the guidin
n influence of an enlightened publ
Of opinion.
va Our amusements. 1t makes no di
X ference when they are held, shoul
of be kept clean. The habits. the taste
r. the manners of society ought to /
Mt shaped by it's best members. VIVA
Nh ever order of amusements or culture
or established 1t is the business of til
G.
Ia superiority of character sh, may DO
II sess, and SO to elevate its tone. brir
he in within the bonds of propriety.
nc Sunday Recreation.
Is Nay. more, the business Of IL
~ church is not the suppression OF lif
Sc. but to give life more and more abun
an antly. And we must remember Il
ns soul of man has thousand sides al
10 a thousand needs. and one of the
. needs is recreation-clean. 9holeson
recreation, holy thing which +
creates him for the hard tasks of IL
next day. Sunday is day that nee,
them more than any other, for it is IL
only free day which many poor ma
has in which to bring something In,
his life that is glad. would ha,
Sunday happy day for all. If ma
ing people happy is not religion, 1t
something very near to it. The churc
has been SO busy with the matter
personal salvation that 1t has forge
ten to sustain movements for the be
. terment of social conditions. 1t faile
to sustain abolition Of slavery; 1t hi
/ never worked for the elevation of W
! man as a special movement and
now does not see clearly that eve,
means should be taken on Sunday
j. any other day to give in every way
!, clean, wholesome decent life to ma
! ] would like to see people in II
!. churches on Sunday morning If the
. find there any light on the path
life; our library should be open
Y them Sunday afternoon and evenIn
and for man who has no recreatio,
, and rest of the week and few If an
inner resources. let us give him ar
wholesome recreations he can find {
Sunday. Surely We know that I'll
? best way to drive him into the saIoe
on that day is to close every bett
{ place to which he might go I'll
: saddest city | have ever seen on Su
day Is Edinburg, where everythir
: seems to be closed OH Sunday sa,
e churches and Sa1oppc