Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-10-29

We came across the following capital article in an
exchange paper from tie pen of Henry Ward
Beecher We trust that our Methodist friends will
thank as for publishing it, aud as 1t hits 50 many
other Churches 10 the right place, hope they
viii take a hint from the remarks Of this gifted
man. b spent Sabbath some time ago at Mat
teswan and visited Methodist Chapel for worship,
which gave occasion for this extract:
''By the way Yesterday morning was at the
Methodist Church here. very pleasant room il
is, and I'M told that very worthy society ocru-
py But have most weiehtv charge to bring
ssairst the good people. of musical spostacv. l
had expected treat of good, hea ty singing.
There were Charles Wesey's hymns, and there
were the good old Methodist tunes, that ancient
piety loved and modern conciet laughs att Ina
CINE NY chsgrin when, af'er reading the HYMN. up
70 the choir from the shelf at the other end of
- The Church. and began to sing a monofonous tune
Of the modern music-hook STYLE The patient con-
gregation stood up meekly to be sung TO- as men
stand under rain when there is no shelter.
Scsrc ~ a lip moved. No one seemed to hear
che hymn, or TO Gaze for the music. How longed
for the good old Methodist thunderl One good
burst OF oldfashioued music would have blown this
modern singing out OF the windows like wadding
from GUT! q ntility has nearly killed our Church.
es and it will kill Methodist Church if they give
way TO It's false and pernicious ambition. We
know very well what good old-fashioned Metho list
taste. But il hsd inward purpose and q reli-
gious ssrntstness which enabled it to carry all its
faults and TO triumph in pite of tu,m. It was
ship;
Yesterdays music was tolera'le singing, bu'
very poor worship. We are soTy that lust
our Churches beginning to initiate the former
example of Methodist Churches and to introduce
melodies that the people love, and to encour ga
universal singing IN the congregation, our Metho
dist brethren should pick up our cast off formalisf
IN fthurph mn IL gill H.. ,s.L
than with 1t viii mark a greater length {
d cline We could har ly believe our eyes an
ears yesterday. We could NOT persuade Ourselve
that stood before a Methodist Church W,
should have supposed it to be good solid Pref
byterian or Congregational Church, in which tn
choir and pulpit performed everything, and IT,
people did nothing.
"0ur br, thren in this Church must not tax
these remarks unkindly Thy are presented
all kindness and affection The choir sung bett,
than many choirs in City Churches, but no on
sung with them. The people r. mute The
used their ears and OF their mouths But alas
we missed the old frrvor-the good old-fashone
Methodist fire. We have seen the time when Oh
OF Charles Wesley's lynne, taking the congreg
ton by the hand, ~ould have led them up to II
gate of heaven. But yesterday it only led the
up as far as the choir, about ten feet above 1t
peWs This will never do
Methodists will make grand good wOrshipir
Christians, if they not ashamed of their ow
you are in the wrong way. 1t will never do f.,
you 70 silence the people. Your fire will 20 out
you rake it up under the ashes of false refinement
Let an outsider, but well wisher, say these plai
words to you without witt out ofense. The Meth
dist Church has laid the Christian world under
great debt 0y its service in the cause of Christ
we have right in it, and interest in it, con.
mon Christians too great TO suffer US TO see sig
OF degeneracy in il without signs of sorrow and
larm. We hope God means to do great by it ye
for our land.
But il will not be by giving up heart and soul
zeal and popular enthusiasm in worship for the SAX
of sham propriety and tasteful Journalism, that
Methodist Church will b. come yet further eficien,
We hope to see such Vival OF religion anon
them a. shall come like lreshet upon their churcl
ee, and sweep out the channels of song, and
away the dead wood and trash, which has aIread
damned up the current of song, and made the COT,
gTrgatloD st"Pnaut Oh, that there might be a rai'
OF righteousness upon them, which shall swell their
hearts to overlooking, and cleanse their ssnctuaT
from all Journalism. and especially from the forma-
lism of pedaulic music"