Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-04-08

The New York Express says, there is
growing sentiment on thepart OF many Christ
ian communities to do away with the "pew
rent - system, making Gods house free to all,
and not house of merchandise. This is not
a new idea. John Wesley intended that all
Methodist houses should thus behaving
slips, not pews, and no distinction among the
hearers, except that the old, deaf and nitirm
should be provided for near the preacher,
where they could hear. We presume his plan
has been generally adopted in Great Britain,
as it has been in the southern section of the
United States. Pewed houses among the
Methodists are a Yankee invention. The
Convention Of the Protestant Episcopal Church
in Mississippi, some years since, also recon-
mended the same system; and individual
Congregational churches have adopted it.
There is every thing to commend this Ms
age; even the Mussulmen and the Pagans set
us a good example. There are no high and
low seats in mosque, no cheap rents and
dear rents, no pauper pews nor negro pews;
all come III and bow before the same altar, to
that God who is no respecter of persons.
The prince and the beggar-alike thildren, of
God and believers in the Prophet-are togeth-
er and upon perfect equality. So advised
St. Paul the Christians to be, and cautioned
them against paying more attention to those
in rich garments and fine apparel than to the
more coarsely dressel and upon the contin-
ent Of Europe, where caste and orders exist
| politically and socially, his advice is better
| followed in the equality within the churches,
than even in republican America.
| If there is any where that invidious distinc-
| tons should be unknown, it is in the church,
whose founder was of the hlunblest human
| origin, born in manager, the son Of q poor
carpenter, who probably worked himself with
Joseph to the years of manhood, and in the
days of his priesthood had not where to lay
his head--whose companions, associates and
disciples were among the lowliest, and the
prescribed in the eommunity,it being acharge
against him, that he ate and drank with the
vicious and unclean and whose teachings,
century after century, were the ridieule Of the
high and the proud. Christ made his religion
free; and the early Christians We're no wer-
shippers of golden calves or proud titles. Our
present arrangement shuts many from the
House of God. The churches are costly,
and the poor really cannot afford the expense,
while they are too proud to go as beggars and
paupers. If it We're otherwise, more would
attend, and while some unused to contact
with the masses, might retire from the luxuri-
Gus seats, where downy sleep and soft dream,
visit them weekly, the preachers would not be
forced to speak to beggarly account of emp
ty boxes. 1t also classes them according to
the price of the pew, or makes some pay more
relatively than Others A moral distinction
would be bad enough, but pecuniary one is
worse and if it was for the first time we heard
it, this broad aisle, wall, and gallery worship
ping would sound oddly enough.
The best plan, everywhere is to have no
property in meeting houses, but receive. all
alike, and then support the clergy by volpn-
tary subscriptions. The minister would not
then be in doubt whether he met the wants Of
the people. If he was true and faithful, they
would 60 tohear him. and cheerfully support
him not from self interest, or clanish dispo-
sition, oil because he was at the popular or
aristocratic house, but because he met their
moral aud intellectual wants and If he did
not properly fill his place. they would gosom
where else and so would he. We should have
fewer societies, but better preaching less
specializing, but more godliness less for show
but more for real worth and usefulness Noa0-
burgpoTt Herald.
SATURDAY NIeHTs.-What blessed things
they are, and what would the world do without
them Those breathings in the trapping
march of life; those little twilights in the
broad and glarish glare Of the moon, when
pale yesterday looks beautiful through the
shadows, and faces changed long ago, smile
bers the old folks at home, and the old fash
Toned fire, and the old arm chair and the little
brother that died, and the httle sister that was
translated.
The ledger closes with crash the iron
doored vaults come 10 witlta bang up go tho
shutters, with a will; click goes the key in
the lock. 1t is Saturday night, and business
breathes free again. Homeward, no The
door that has been ajar all the week gently
closes behind him, the world is out. Shut
out shut in, rather. Here are his treasures,
after all ; and not in the vault, and not in the
book--saye in the record in the old family BIZ
ble-and not in the bank.
WoRsHIp. large clear soul must needs
worship by an unavoidable necessity Of its be-
ing. The immortals of the olden time, Socra-
ties and Plato, Zoroaster and Confucius, never
bowed in alteration to the popular hvinitics Of
their country and age. Rather did they wor-
ship an intellectual and moral ideal, the Joint
creation Of their own lofty mtelligences and
pure hearts. This was to them the shrey
pillar and the cloud, and it led them to the
very borders of the /. land Of promise Leav-
ing far behind the benihgted regions Of Pa
ganism. they stood where they beheld the
kindling East, the shooting lights and gold
tinted clouds, that heralded the coming day.