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herent in the institution itself, the other arises from extraneous causes, which it cannot always control. What is there, however wise and good in its own predominating qualities, on which human opinion has not been divided, and which human practice has not perverted? If we analyze this proposition closely, it touches upon matters of infinitely higher importance than the subject under discussion. It reaches the sacred code of Christianity itself, which, all perfect in its elements, as proceeding directly from the Divine Creator, promising to man the blessing of eternal rédemption, and pointing out the only channel through which it can be obtained, has yet been impugned by the audacious pride of man, and so perverted in practice by his bigotry and wickedness, that crime, and sin, and sorrow, have arisen from that, which in its essence is all pure and holy. Our Saviour himself prophesied this, and what the blindness and inherent sinfulness of man, in the unregenerate flesh, would lead him to, when he said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I come not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes shall be

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they of his own household."* Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive

* Matthew, x. 34, 35, 36.

many." "Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars," "nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." "And many

false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.' "The brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son." "And children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death."+

Will any reflecting being, aware of his awful responsibility, be guilty of the monstrous folly and impiety of rejecting the true fountain of eternal life, because human depravity has polluted its waters? Certainly not. Neither will he, descending to the employments and recreations of the world, with the desire of truth in his heart, and his reasoning faculties unclouded by prejudice, pronounce that any thing is all evil in itself, because instances of its evil application are recorded; passing by, at the same time, the many authorities which speak powerfully on the other side, and not comparing both, in the fair spirit of rational enquiry. When we are anxious to convert others to an opinion which we conscientiously believe to be correct, all men are naturally inclined to lay too much stress on the arguments which support, and too little on those which oppose their own views of the question. This leaning to the one side should be carefully guarded against, as dangerous both in

* St. Matthew, xxiv. 5, 6, 7, 11. † St. Mark, xiii. 12.

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principle and practice. A conclusion so derived is, in fact, a case summed up on ex-parte evidence, and a sentence pronounced without hearing the defence. "Audi alteram partem" (hear both sides) is the soundest of maxims, either in civil jurisprudence or moral instruction.

When we are told that the Stage is "irreconcileably hostile to the whole tenor and spirit of the Word of God;" that it is "an exclusively vicious and criminal indulgence, directly opposed to the Christian doctrine," and "destructive to the soul," we anxiously examine the Scriptures to seek for the evidence on which these assertions rest. We find there laid down, not general principles alone, but minute and specific instruction for the regulation of our lives. Impiety, profligacy, intemperance, and idleness of every kind, are distinctly forbidden. We are continually cautioned to watch and pray, lest we yield to temptation, and not to surrender up our hearts too much to the cares and pleasures of this world. Moderation is the groundwork of every Christian precept, but we are no where required to abstain from reasonable indulgence in fitting time and place. This tem-.. perate enjoyment of pleasure is not only permitted, but sanctioned by the example of our Saviour himself, who sat at a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, and whose first recorded miracle is that of converting water into wine, when he judged it seasonable for the heart of man to be made glad.

Let it be understood that I have here not the least intention of perverting a text, or applying it in any other than its fair and obvious meaning. The intemperate indulgences to which our nature is prone, and the places where they are encouraged most, are clearly indicated; but, in the sacred writings, the Theatre is no where prohibited by name, or direct implication. The silence of our Saviour and the first apostles on this subject, is urged by the pleaders for the Stage as one of their strong grounds of defence. Dr. Bennett treats this argument lightly, yet I am inclined to think, on fair consideration it will be found entitled to more weight than he is disposed to concede. "It has," says he, "been answered a hundred times, yet it is still brought forward with a pertinacity strikingly indicative of the paucity and feebleness of the resources on which the advocates of the Theatre are able to draw." I am not aware that this argument has been answered so as to be refuted, and Dr. Bennett has not shown us the mode of reasoning by which his conclusion is borne Unless refuted, the argument is sound, and the advocates of the Theatre have no occasion to draw on secondary resources, as long as they can sustain so good a leading evidence in their favour. The best reasoning I have met with, in opposition to this, is to be found in a work by Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux, entitled, "Maximes et Reflexions sur la Comedie." This was written in answer to a

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dissertation in favour of stage entertainments, which was prefixed to the "Theatre de Boursault," first published in 1694, and written by a Theatin friar of the name of Caffaro. Boursault, an actor as well as author, had some scruples of conscience which nearly led him to abandon his profession; on this point he consulted Caffaro, whose reasoning appears to have satisfied him. Bossuet argues on the the postulatum, that the Theatre is sinful, which he requires rather than proves, as any one may see who reads his work. But having erected this basis, the rest is easy, as all sin is denounced by Scripture, and texts are at hand in abundance to second his arguments.* He also draws conclusions from abuses, in common with every one else who has taken the same side of the question. There can be no doubt that Theatres existed and flourished at Jerusalem, Damascus, Ephesus,† Antioch, Co

*Caffaro's defence of the Theatre was published anonymously, and he was by no means desirous of being known as the author; when this was discovered, the Archbishop of Paris threatened to suspend him, and Bossuet wrote a pastoral letter, exhorting him to repent his mistake and rescind his mischievous opinions, which Caffaro accordingly complied with.-See Euvres de Bossuet, vol. xxxvii. But he could not thus change the opinions of the many authorities he had quoted, and on their judgment rather than his own his dissertation was founded.

"They rushed with one accord into the Theatre." "De

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