p. 100 | Still Drifting by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1875

“Still Drifting.”

By Uriah Smith

UNDER this heading the Christian Press, of March 1875, utters the following note of alarm at the downward tendency of morals and religion at the present time. Believing that the world is to progress rapidly into the temporal millennium, it would be prompted to put as favorable construction as possible on all transpiring events. Nothing therefore but the clearest evidence could wring from it the confession that much of the boasted progress of to-day is in the direction of heathenism. Such testimony to the truth is therefore doubly powerful. It says:—

Notwithstanding the loud and frequent boasts of the upward march of civilization, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that much of what is called progress is in the direction of heathenism, rather than toward that Christian elevation which can alone benefit, bless, and save the world from barbarism. This is specially true in reference to the observance of the Sabbath. Twenty years ago the citizens of Cincinnati would have been shocked at the idea of the Opera House being open on that sacred day; and now it is not only open for the exhibition of the lowest class of plays, such as acrobatic feats and clog-dances, but such dignitaries as Archbishop Purcell honor them with their presence and patronage, and it calls forth scarcely a remark. We take the following from the Cincinnati Daily Gazette, of February 15:—

“SUNDAY NIGHT AMUSEMENTS.

“Vine Street,” on the hither side of the Rhine, was brilliant with ‘sacred concerts’ last night, which were attended by good audiences. At Wood’s Theater the ‘sacred concert’ consisted of the German comic opera of the Czar and Zimmerman, performed by the late opera troupe of the Robinson’s German Opera House, for the benefit of the chorus which was left in the lurch

by the sudden failure of that promising enterprise. This opera, which is familiar to German opera-goers, was well played, and did not appear to lose its character by being transformed into a ‘sacred concert.’

“At the ‘Grand’ Opera House the ‘Grand Sacred Concert’ for the benefit of a Catholic society at Carthage, consisted of a variety entertainment, instrumental and vocal music, farces, acrobatic performances, dances, banjo solos, etc., and was attended by an audience respectable in numbers and appearance. The first part consisted of male and female choruses, a trio, a fantasia for clarionet, and the Hallelujah Chorus; the second, of a comic piece called ‘The Soldier’s Revenge,’ sacred acrobatic feats by the brothers Davenport, a sacred character piece called Mississippi Sal; a sacred champion clog-dance, a banjo solo and song; Tom and Jerry; The Flour Barrel, by the Davenport brothers; Dutch Specialties, by George Davenport, and a short sacred farce called ‘The School for Scandal.’ All these were set down in the bills headed Sacred Concert, and their sacred character was well maintained. The venerable Archbishop Purcell, with a party of friends, occupied a proscenium box, and enjoyed the sacred acrobatic feats and clog-dances with much satisfaction.” U. S.