questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第10部分

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spiritual　life；　instead　of　increasing　it；　seek　to　satisfy　his　soul…

longing　by　means　of　the　spectacular；　of　false　representations　in

any　form；　soon　he　will　lose　the　spiritual　life　that　he　has。　　And　this

loss　will　be　marked　by　an　increased　demand　for　the　spectacular。

The　surest　proof　to…day　that　the　spiritual　life　of　the　Church　is　waning

in　certain　sections；　is　not　so　much　that　her　membership…roll　is　not

on　the　increase；　but　that　professing　Christian　people　are　running

wild　after　cards　and　dancing　and　the　theater。　　Evangelist　Sayles

declares：　　〃The　people　of　our　so…called　best　society；　and　Christian

people；　many　that　have　been　looked　upon　as　active　workers；　sit

now　and　gaze　upon　scenes　in　our　theaters；　without　a　blush；　that

twenty…five　years　ago　would　not　have　been　countenanced。。The

moral　and　spiritual　life　of　many　a　Christian　has　been　weakened　by

the　eyes　gazing　upon　the　scenes　of　the　theater。〃　　Says　he；　〃The

Christian；　through　attendance　upon　the　playhouse；　creates　a　relish

for　worldly　things；　and　so　spiritual　things　become　distasteful。〃



Then；　to　go　to　one　theater；　sanctions　all。　　To　have　heard　and　to　have

seen　Joe　Jefferson　in　〃Rip　Van　Winkle；〃　Richard　Mansfield　in　〃The

Merchant　of　Venice；〃　or　Edwin　Booth　or　Sir　Henry　Irving；　or　Maude

Adams；　or　Julia　Marlowe　in　their　best　plays；　is　to　have　received　a

deeper　insight　into　human　nature；　and　a　stronger　purpose　to　become

sympathetic　and　true；　but　who　can　afford　to　sanction　all　that　is　base

and　villainous　is　the　institution　of　the　modern　theater　for　the　sake　of

learning　sympathy　and　truth　and　human　nature　from　a　few　worthy

actors；　when　he　may　find　all　of　this　as　truthfully；　if　not　as　artistically；

set　forth　by　the　orator；　by　the　musician；　by　the　painter；　and　by　the

author？　　It　is　not　cant；　it　is　not　pharisaism；　it　is　not　a　weak　claim　of

Christianity；　but　it　is　common　honesty；　mighty　truth；　a　cardinal　and

beautiful　teaching　of　Jesus　Christ　to　deny　one's　self　for　the　welfare

of　the　weaker　brother。　　Let　one　go　to　hear　Mansfield　in　Shakespeare；

and　his　neighbor　boy　will　take　his　friend　and　go　to　the　vaudeville；　and

his　only　excuse　to　his　parents　and　to　his　half…taught　mind　and　heart

will　be；　〃Well；　Mr。　So…and…So　goes　to　the　theater；　he　is　a　member　of

the　Church　and　superintendent　of　the　Sunday…school；　surely　there　is

no　harm　for　me　to　go。〃　　To　the　immature　mind　what　seems　right　for

one　person　seems　lawful　for　another。　　This　is　because　such　a　person

has　not　learned　to　discriminate　between　what　is　bad　and　what　is　good。

Therefore；　if　the　theater　as　an　institution　has　more　in　it　that　is　bad　than

It　has　in　it　that　is　good；　rather　if　the　general　tendency　of　the　theater；　as

an　institution；　is　bad；　the　safe　thing　for　one's　self　and　for　those　who

read　one's　life　as　an　example；　is　to　discard　it　entirely。



In　view　of　these　facts；　no　person　can　attend　the　theater　at　all　without

hurting　his　influence。　　The　ideal　life　is　that　one　which　gives　offense

of　stumbling　to　no　one。　　A　successful　preacher　who　had　an　aversion

toward　speaking　on　the　subject　of　questionable　amusements；　when

asked　what　he　believed　concerning　a　certain　form　of　amusement；

replied：　　〃See　what　I　do；　and　know　what　I　believe。〃　　It　is　a　glorious

life　whose　actions　are　an　open　epistle　of　righteousness　and　peace；

read　and　believed　and　honored　by　all　men。



〃Some　time　ago　a　gentleman　teaching　a　large　class　of　young　men

in　a　Chicago　Sunday…school；　desired　to　attend　a　theater　for　the

purpose　of　seeing　a　celebrated　actor。　　He　was　not　a　theater…goer；

and　thought　that　no　harm　could　come　from　it。　　He　had　no　sooner

taken　his　seat；　however；　than　he　saw　in　the　opposite　gallery　some

of　the　members　of　his　class。　　They　also　saw　him　and　began　commenting

on　the　fact　that　their　teacher　was　at　the　theater。　　They　thought　it

inconsistent　in　him；　lost　their　interest　in　the　class；　and　he　lost　his

influence　over　the　young　men。　　That　teacher　tied　his　hands　by　this

one　act；　so　that　he　could　not　speak　out　against　the　gross　sins　of　the

theater。〃



Those　who　defend　theater…going　say　that　if　Christian　people　would

patronize　the　theater　that　it　would　be　made　more　respectable。　　But

over　a　thousand　years　of　history　proves　that　this　principle　fails　here

as　it　does　elsewhere。　　A　Christian　woman　marries　an　unchristian　man

with　the　hope　that　he　will　become　a　Christian；　a　steady；　sensible

woman　in　all　other　matters　marries　a　man　who　drinks；　with　the

thought　of　reforming　him；　one　associates　with　worldly　and　sensual

companions；　expecting　to　make　them　better；　but；　alas；　what　blasted

hopes；　what　wretched　failures　in　all　of　these　instances；　at　least　in　the

most　of　them！　　You　can　not　reform　vice；　you　may　whitewash　a　sin；

but　it　will　be　sin；　still。　　To　purify　a　character　or　an　institution　one

must　not　become　a　part　of　it　by　sympathy；　nor　by　association。　　This

is　what　the　psalmist　meant　when　he　said；　〃Blessed　is　the　man　that

walketh　not　in　the　counsels　of　the　ungodly；　nor　standeth　in　the　way

of　sinners；　nor　sitteth　in　the　seat　of　the　scornful。〃　　And　so　it　is；　that

every　effort　at　reforming　the　theater；　thus　far　has　failed。　　The　Rev。

C。W。　Winchester　says　concerning　the　reforming　of　the　theater：　　〃The

facts　are；　（1）　that　the　theater　in　this　city　and　country　never　had　the

support　and　encouragement　of　moral　and　religious　people　it　has　now；

（2）　that　the　theater　here　was　never　so　bad。　　Clearly；　if　Christian　patronage

is　going　to　reform　the　theater；　the　reform　ought　to　begin。　　But　the　grade

is　downward。　　The　theater　is　growing　worse　and　worse。〃　　Dr。　Wilkinson

makes　this　statement　on　the　question　of　reforming　the　theater：　　〃Now

the　Protestant　Christians　of　New　York　number；　by　recent　computation；

less　than　seventy…five　thousand　souls；　in　a　population　of　a　million。

Supposing　a　general　agreement　among　them　all　that　a　regular　attendance

at　the　theater　was　at　this　juncture　the　most　pressing　and　most　promising

method　of　evangelical　effort；　they　would　not　then　constitute　even　one…

tenth　of　the　numerical　patronage　which　the　management　would　study

to　please。〃　　Dr。　Herrick　Johnson　says：　　〃The　ideal　stage　is　out　of　the

question。　　It　is　out　of　the　question　just　as　pure；　chaste；　human　nudity

is　out　of　the　question。。The　nature　of　theatrical　performances；　the

essential　demands　of　the　stage；　the　character　of　the　plays；　and　the

constitution　of　human　nature；　make　it　impossible　that　the　theater

should　exist；　save　under　a　law　of　degeneracy。　　Its　trend　is　downward；

its　centuries　of　history　tell　just　this　one　story。　　The　actual　stage　of　to…

day。。is　a　moral　abomination。　　In　Chicago；　at　least；　it　is　trampling

on　the　Sabbath　with　defiant　scoff。　　It　is　defiling　our　youth。　　It　is　making

crowds　familiar　with　the　play　of　criminal　passions。　　It　is　exhibiting

women　with　such　approaches　to　nakedness　as　can　have　no　other

design　than　to　breed　lust　behind　the　onlooking　eyes。　　It　is　furnishing

candidates　for　the　brothel。　　It　is　getting　us　used　to　scenes　that　rival　the

voluptuousness　and　licentious　ages　of　the　past。〃　　As　never　before　to…

day；　has　the　theater　asked　for　the　support　of　Church　members。　　And

the　ideal　stage；　with　virtuous　performers；　and　with　pure　dramas；　are

held　up　as　a　sample　of　what　Christian　people　are　invited　to　attend。　　Dr。

Cuyler　says：　　〃Every　person　of　common　sense　knows　that　the　actual

average　theater　is　no　more　an　ideal　playhouse　than　the　average　pope

is　like　St。　Peter；　or　the　average　politician　is　like　Abraham　Lincoln。　　A

Puritanic　theater　would　become　bankrupt　in　a　twelvemonth。　　The　great

mass　of　those　who　frequent　the　playhouse　go　there　for　strong；　passionate

excitements。。I　do　not　affirm；〃　says　Dr。　Cuyler；　〃that　every　popular　play

is　immoral；　and　every　attendant　is　on　a　scent　for　sensualities。　　But　the

theater　is　a　concrete　institution；　it　must　be　judged　in　the　gross　and　to　a

tremendous　extent　it　is　only　a　gilded　nastiness。　　It　unsexes　womanhood

by　putting　her　publicly　in　male　attiretoo　often　in　no　attire　at　all。〃



〃So　competent　an　authority　as　the　famous　actress；　Olga　Nethersole；

recently　declared　that　the　only　kind　of　play　which　may　hope　for　success

with　English…speaking　audiences　at　the　present　day　is　the　play　which　is

sufficiently　indicated　by　calling　it　immoral。　　There　is　no　doubt　about　it

that　the　theater；　as　at　present　conducted；　is　pulling　the　stones　from　the

foundations　of　public　morality；　and　weakening；　and　in　many　quarters

endangering；　the　whole　structure　of　society。　　The　atmosphere　of　the

modern　theater　is　lustful　and　irreverent。　　It　is　a　good　place　for　Christians

to　keep　away　from。　　It　is　a　good　opportunity　for　the　strong　man　to　deny

himself　for　the　sake　of　his　younger　or　weaker　brother。〃







PART　II。



WORTHY　SUBSTITUTES。



〃Get　the　spindle　and　thy　distaff　ready；　and　God　will　send　thee　flax。〃





VI。

BOOKS　AND　READING。



MANY　BOOKS；　MUCH　READING。





TO…DAY　every　one　reads。　　Go　where　you　may；　you　will　find　the

paper；　the　magazine；　the　journal；　printed　letters；　official　reports；

exhaustive　cyclopedias；　universal　histories；　the　ingenuous　advertise…

ment；　the　voluminous　calendar；　the　decorated　symphony；　printed

ideals；　elaborate　gaming　rules；　flaming　bulletins；　and　latest　of　all；

we　have　begun　to　publish　our　communications　on　the　waves　of　the

air。　　In　this　hurly…burly　of　many　books　and　much　reading；　it　is　no

mean　problem　to　know　why　one　should　read；　and　what；　and　how；

and　when。　　Especially　does　this　problem　of　general　reading　confront

the　student；　the　lover　of　books；　and　those　of　the　professions。　　Essays

are　to　be　read；　the　historical；　the　philosophical；　and　the　scientific；

novels；　the　historical　and　the　religious；　books　of　devotion；　books　of

biography；　of　travel；　of　criticism；　and　of　art。　　What　principles　are　to

guide　one　in　his　choice　of　reading；　that　he　may　select　only　the　wisest；

purest；　and　helpfulest　from　all　these　classes　of　books？





WHY　READ。



Read　to　acquire　knowledge。　　Knowledge　is　the　perception　of　truth。

One