Chap. VI.]

THEATRICAL AMUSEMENTS.

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tendency of the stage, if we consider the character of those whoresort to, and advocate it, compared with the character of thosewho are unfriendly to, and avoid it. It must be too much matterof common notoriety to require any proof, that the ranks of thosewho habitually frequent the theatre, are chiefly made up of thoseclasses of society, whose main object in life is pleasure andamusement, rather than of those whose chief pursuit is business,and who are mainly intent on usefulness, and the quiet and faithfuldischarge of their duty. Still fewer are seen in their ranks, ofthose whose main object is to “ use this world as not abusing it,”and to make it a medium of transition to another and a brighterworld. I do not say, that good men, and even pious men, arenever seen at the theatre ; but, when there, they must feel them-selves to be out of their proper element, and, in like manner, arefelt to be out of their proper element by those who see themthere.

4. The history of theatrical entertainments shows very clearly,that their use is inseparable from their abuse. The argumentagainst the use of a thing, derived from its abuse, is not generallya good one. Many things have been very much abused, the useof which, however, is not only justifiable, but even indispensable.There are very few things which are incapable of perversion andabuse. Religion itself has sometimes been made a cloak oflicentiousness. This is a part of the imperfection which isstamped on all human affairs. But, when a practice has existedfrom the earliest times, and has always been abused ; when weare acquainted with its history, and this history shows that itsexistence is inseparable from its abuse , the conclusion against it issound and perfectly legitimate. Such is the case with theatri-cal amusements. The advocates of theatres always praise “ awell-regulated theatre ” ; but they refer to it as what, in the na-ture of things, they think it might be , not as what it is and hasbeen. Reasoning as usual, therefore, from what is past to whatis to come, no man can ever expect to see “a well-regulatedtheatre.” *

* It must have been under the impression, that dramatic representations, ifunder good regulation, might be turned to a good purpose, that the events, tran-sactions, and characters of the Bible, and even the most sublime mysteries of