THE CHURCH MISSION IN MANCHESTER AND SALFORD.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2586, 21 April 1877, Page 4

THE CHURCH MISSION IN MANCHESTER AND SALFORD.

A Manchester paper says :—" The Twelve days' Mission in Manchester and Salford hegan on Sunday, the 28lh Jan., and was carried on daring the week with extraordinary and unparalleled energy in about 100 churches and parishes. Preachers from all parts of the country have taken part in the work. Each clergyman has been responsible for the services and meetings iv his own church and ecclesiastical district. In all cases there hare been daily services, for the most part in the evening; and in some of the city churches, notably the Cathedral, St. Ann's, and St. James's short special services have been held between half-past twelve and two o'clock, each service being timed to half-an-hour, for men engaged in business.

" One of the most striking incidents in connection with tho Mission took place on Friday, when the JBishop addressed the persons connected with the different departments of tho theatres in the city. At twelve (noon) his Lordship addressed a large assembly in the Theatre Royal, the audience being composed, in addition to the employes of that establishment, of those employed at the Queen's Theatre and Cooke's Circus. After service of praise and prayer the Bishop addressed the assembly. After referring to the severity shown to actors by the early Church, which he stated was in consequence of the corrupt and degraded state of the theatre at that time, he went on to state that he thought somehow or other the power of the Cross of Christ ought to be able to reach within the walls of the theatre, although at would be an idle dream, and a mere parade of words, to say that .they would ever have a directly spiritual 'influence. He would be quite content if, by the wholesome and sound moral influence of Christianity, purity and modesty in word, and deed, and gesture, and conduct, could be found always to be the ruling principles of the Theatre Royal, Manchester, and of every theatre in the land. Aristotle taught him that tragedy was a great instrument for purifying the passions, and through the influence of fear and pity it wrought out the purification of the passions. And he (the Bishop) thought no one would say who had seen any well-graced actor playing a leading part in any .of Shakespere's great tragedies, Lear, or Hamlet, or Othello—though, no doubt, the incidents

in the drama waved here and .there, and verged on difficult and delicate points, and the language of the age was somewhat coarse and gross —he thought no one had left the theatre where he had seen it performed without in some sense or other feeling bis whole nature elevated and strengthened; and, even if not spiritualised, at any rate the waters had been wholesome to him that he had drunk at. The one thing they had to look to was that the parts they played were honest, pure, and worthy. They ought not to be ashamed or afraid to refuse to fake a part in any drama which to any extent would compromise his proper dignity as a man or her proper modesty as a woman. If that resolution were in men's hearts, and •women's hearts too, the' stage would be purified. There were those who thought it would be better for society if theatres were swept away. That was tried in England in the days of the Commonwealth, but when the period of the Kestoration came there came also the plays which were now never seen, which no actor would study, and no manager would put upon his boards. He (the Bishop) did not agree with those who said that it would be better for society if theatres were swept away. He believed it would be infinitely worse for society. He did not want to abolish the theatre, he wanted to purify it. He wanted to make it a great instrument for providing healthful and harmless recreation to those who would always be seeking recreation. He bad not the slightest wish to Puritanize society, he wished to purify it. He thought that it was not unreasonable to hope that the public taste might be improved. It was difficult to bring about a reform, but if managers and actors in theatres would co-operate in purifying the public taste, the result might yet be achieved. He was glad to hear that theatres in the last twenty years bad improved. It had-been his opportunity in life to make to.a slight extent the acquaintance of one or two, and from what he had seen of them he would say that the stnge need not necessarily be degrading to anyone, and that it might be animated and pervaded by high and . worthy motives. He would wish them to remember that they were all servants of the Groat King they had been singing about, who haU come into this world to redeem us, and make every lawful patli of life—and he would not say that the actor's path was unlawful—he would not put any obstacle or stutnblingblock in his way, for he did not believe it was unlawful, but he did believe the actor was the servant of the\Eing of kings, and. that the rules, maxims, and principles olf the Gospel were bound to govern th,e singer, the actor, the ballet-dancer, -the scene-shifter—every one who connected himself or herself with a public theatre. They ought to realise when they went io a play that they were His Majesty's serTantSj who were bound to present to other servants of the same Great King something that would instruct them, and which, if it would aot spiritualise them, would at any rale send/-them out unharmed and none the worse for what they had seen and heard.' It might be said,. " Society expects these things, and people won't go if you establish those maxims of propriety that you talk to us'about." He did not know how that might be, hi\ t he knew that a great number of pe.o?^ had scruples about going to tWaises because they were liable to sco things they-did not like, and which they- did not want their daughters to see or hear. He hoped that by degrees certain things which he was sure every right-tnio'* person among them lamented at " ~'Q^ certain costumes, certain,da;^; present, tain interludes, woitf' 1 ' ■ .ces, and cerTOiglit not be done -'■ ..by degrees—it tut he hoped '% . „n a day or.in a year— theatres- tUa t there would enter into #** d spirit of higb!er;:mbrnlit^.^na „811 would feel-that the great principles of modesty and- purity ought never to be compromised. Whether things are getting better or worse in the theatres he could not say, but he saw that all.our great cities were multiplying places ot dangerous amusement, whicn. to a very great extent, were corrupting old and young, and therefore he wanted to see what he would ca,ll legitimate places ot amusement which should stand like breakwaters amongst the surging waters of vice ; he wanted to see the theatres kept

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from the taint which was spreading somewhat far and somewhat widely. They could do something in that direction. If he had spoken any word which had touched a chord in their hearts, or awakened long-dormant thoughts in their consciences, he earnestly, prayed that His blessed Spirit, who only could give the increase, would deepen that impression in their souls, and make the calling which they had chosen for themselves, and ngaiust which he would not be thought to have said a single word, nobler and worthier, because purer and more Christian."