The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-22 00:00:00

sermon a week is almost held to be one of the

decencies of life, at least for the father of a family
—the paterfamilias, as those who would flourish a
little dog Latin, term him. The Dissenting world,
or church, we suppose, they would rather term
themselves, hear two, perhaps three, sermons a
week frequently ; nor is that enough for all. Church
ladies, who do not frequent the theatre, compensate
for it by taking a kind of luncteon sermon in the
middle of the week ;—sermon hearing is evidently
quite a settled work of duty vith many. With
those who submit, however, to more of the inflic-
tion—for such it too frequently ;s—than the usages
of society may render proper, we can feel no sym-
pathy. Ours all terminates with those who only
hear as many as their calling in life requires. Our
attempt was to obtain for them, instead of the
weekly penance, something that had a little nature
heart and soul in it—something showing that the
preacher took an interest in human beings and daily
life—something, which he said because he had
something to say, and not because he must say some-

thing.
One writer in a contemporary heads his commu-
nication—" Sermons and Slumber." He dreads the
hot weather and long sermons; though cold weather,
under the same disagreeable circumstanced, is, for
what we know, as bad. He wrote after listening
to a preacher who had inflicted FIFTY-FITE MINUTES
on his unoffending sheep ;—he thinks, as all will
think, that this was too mach. Tie thus describes
the result :—" I watched the congregation more
closely perhaps than I ought. They were absorbed
in attention for the first half hour. You might have
heard a pin drop. All through the last 25 minutes
I saw human nature gradually giving way—the
fairer sex pale and gasping, with fans and
smelling bottles in full work ; the men sternly
enduring, but prone to slumber; contraeted
brows and yawns invading countenances wrapt
a short time before with eager interest." He
does not find fault with the sermon ; it was a
good one—extempore; and naturally, therefore,
some repetitions ; on the contrary, he asks, if such
were the effects of a long bet good sermon, what
must it be to endure a long but bad one ? We cer-
tainly wish his appeal to be seen by every clergy-
man who is guilty of this breach of religious good
manners; for we cannot comprehend the good breed-
ing of forcing on us more of the requisite than we wish
for. We should almost venture to suggest that the
churchwardens of clergymen so offending should be
provided with implements, like those of Dean
SWIFT'S philosophers, just to remind them five
minutes before the half hour—that the maximum
was up. A half hoar glass, like the Athenian ora-
tors, might do ; but it is to be feared the clergyman
might overlook the running out of the sands.
Another, who styles himself "A SUFFERER,"
takes quite another course; he must be a sadly
profane radical in such matters ; he would leave it
optional with the attendant at church to hear the
sermon or not. His proposal is to have a five
minutes cessation, when the morning prayers, which
he observes are three services in one, are concluded.
During this five minutes all persons, physically or
mentally weary, very old and very young persons
can withdraw. At the same time the lovers of
itarmons, and there are such, can come in, The
preacher can have a partly fresh, and in all cases a
willing congregation. Most will agree with him that
our three service morning prayers are enough to
tire out ordinary worshippers; and the picture he
draws in detail of the congregation going through
the whole, and then in "the last stage of bewilder-
ment and exhaustion," "submitting to the subse-
quent inevitable sermon," is, as every reader knows,
but a photograph of facts. What, however, will
the chief performer say to it P In the country places,
where no new congregation could come in, and
where nearly all would be glad to go out, the
clergyman would have only the clerk to
preach to, and must renew the old story of
the parson, who, in such a situation, began his
service with " Dearly beloved ROGER." We well
rememberin the days of our boyhood that the clergy-
man and the principal farmer in the parish, having
had a serious quarrel, the latter always marched the
whole of his large family out of church as soon as
the prayers were over, and we suppose such a usage
would be in no way incompatible with the earlier
habits of the Church of England; how far it would
square with modern notions of decorum and perso-
nal respect to the preacher, is hardly doubtful.
We see Lord EBURY has given up his crusade
against long services, or at least leaving it at the
option of the clergyman, in many parts, to shorten
them. We always thought he would fail. The
Duke of CAMBBIDGE can hardly ever have soldiers
enough, or a Lord of the Admiralty ships enough,
so a clergyman cannot easily imagine that we can
be overdone with services. His occupation during
the performances prevents his perceiving how
wearisome the time may seem to those who are little
more than passive listeners. We are not surprised,
therefore, that his lordship could not convince
bishops and clergymen. His lordship has cut down
all to a bill to relieve the clergy from a subscription
which no thoughtful man ever made, or could make,
without some mental reserve, evasion, or twinges of
conscience. Even this will, of course, be resisted.
It is Ecclesiastical Reform, and it will prevent a
good deal of what is equivalent to ecclesiastical per-
jury—but the latter reason is nothing, in the

episcopal and clerical scales, against the first. We

shall see that when Sir JOHN TRELAWNY brings
in his bill to make the declaration of an atheist evi-

dence, the clergy will expect Mr. DISRAELI to re

quire that atheists should be left under the tempta-

on to tell a lie by affirming what they do not be-

lieve, rather than a....(1 thew the right to give
Men' evidence according to their real views. " Lie,
and you may swear in a court of justice—tell truth

and you shall not swear," is the sensible state of the
law, and the sensible demand of Mr. DISRAELfg

clerical, political recruits. But we are wan-
dering from sermons—who does not when he hears
them ? Our verdict is, that since Lord EBURY

must not shorten our triple service ; and since clergy-
men s ill think it very rude if we do not stay to the

sermon, they will at least never tax us beyond the

:olerated half-hour.

His Highness the Prince Doria Pamphili, ac-
companied by the young Prince and Princess Doria Pam-
phili, have arrived at Claridge's Hotel from Rome, for the
season.

Lord Llanover has left town to attend the annual
inspection of the militia at Monmouth, and will not return
until after the Whitsuntide holidays.
The Hon. Percy Barrington and family have
arrived at Claridge's Hotel for the season.
M. Delessert has arrived at Claridge's Hotel,
from Orleans House, Twickenham.
Married yesterday, at the Catholic Chapel,
Warwick-street, by the Very Rev. Dr. Hearn, V.G.,
assisted by the Very Rev. Dr. Cruikshank, Charles
Henry Tempest, Esq., to Cecilia Elizabeth Tichborne
Hibbert, daughter of J. H. Washington Hibbert, Esq.,
of Dover-street, Piccadilly, and Bilton Grange, Warwick-
shire.

At the Horticultural Exhibition at Versailles,
the Emperor's gold medal has been awarded to M. Bazi for
his fine collection of vegetables and fruit, and the Em-
press's prize of honour to M. Bertin, jun., for his exhibi-
tion of rhododendrons, azalias, and other plants.
THE BEARD MOVEMENT.—Mr. Bristles : Then
you really think it an improvement, eh ? Miss Spikes :
Decidedly; it hides so much more of your face.—Punch.
The gunboats, eight in number, for the protection
of Milford Haven, have now all taken up their moorings in
line of Man-of-Wars-road, near, but a little below the
Iroyal dockyard, and look a formidable force.