New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-01
PUBLIC WORSHIP.

To NE Editor If The n. Y. Tribune.
SIR As YOU are disposed to give free expression on
both sides of questions discussed in your columns,
take the liberty of replying to the remarks of NJ n.
g." in your paper of Saturday last. | have been
Congregational minister for seventeen years aud
member of Presbyterian or Congregational Churches
for twenty eight years, and have had opportunities
" for extensive observation and the opinion have
formed has been the reverse Of his. think, IN the
first place that il is quite mistake 10 separate preach
ing from public worship, of which it Is an essential
part Ii is solemn annunCaton OF the truth, IN the
name of the Lord enforcing upon the nearer the obi
cations of Christian duty. The Christian Ministry
was appointed, called and commissioned to "pLedc -
TO Disciple and baptze or introduce into the Christian
Church. And, while public prayer aud praise Gre
indispensable nothing specific IS said OF them IN the
The mistake of those wso would exa the other ser
vices to the dispsragement Of preaching, lies in the
introduction Of sacrcia and silly service ntot the
Christian church: While the services OF the sanctuary
were typical and the priest acted for the people IN
those services which indicated their faith in tie he.
deemer that was to come those services were neoes-
sarly the most prominent part OF puOhc worship.
And in the Papal service, where the great hng Is
the repetition of the sacrifice of Christ in the mass,
that constitutes the principal thing ID public worship.
And this idea obtains just in proportion to the preva-
lence Of priestly and sacramental religion.
But Prote stantism wholly rejects the idea OF any
other priesthood or sacrifice than that exercised aud
offered personally by Christ himself Hence tue
Christian ministry is preaching and teaching minis
try and not priesthood. And their great business IS
to hold up Christ to their felownen 10 lnstruGt iue
in the way of life and persuade them to walk IN It.
This is their great business. The worship OF ctod Is
not to be performed by them for the congregation;
but it is TO be offered by the congregation, as spirit
ual worship in which they all TO join; the ofciat-
ing minister giving audible expression to their devo'
tons To this end believe extemporc prayer much
better adapted than Pr ined form, because It appeals
to the feelings of the deyou worshipper with fresh
~ - at tnal aahA / adn
there is often lack Of vitality and ervor in this ser
vice; but have yet to learn that there is more, or
even as much Of this, IN an eytemporaneous as IN
formal service. The remedy lies in an Increase OF
spirituality and not in Il form must say that have
never felt the want of FORM On the contrary tsf
effect with would be the rather to ste devotional
feeling.
Az TO the scrmon appeal to facts TO show that,
where preaching has been partially or wholly dis
peDsed WITH where little has been made Of IT, there
the people have relapsed into profound ignorance
while the contrary, where preaching has been IN
sisted on az an essential and prominent part Of public
worsbip there the people have become enlightened
and Intelligent To prove this, need only to refer to
Scotland and England, III contrast with ireland,
Spain and Italy or to this country and ngand IN con-
tIast with Papal countries generally. And where the
former of these IDEAS prevail there you will SOC an
ignorant and degraded priesthood; Tor a sacrihcla!,
aaCramental, priesty religion, requires only the
ability 90 through certain prescribed ceremonies!
while the Office of religious teacher and preacher
This latter is the great Protestant idea.
In this connection wish to add that the cry often
made of a want Of power in the Christian pulpit has,
in my opinion, no foundation as matter OF facf.
There no power in the land not even excepting the
uewspaper press which exerts greater Influence, at
this prese Mt day. than the Protestant pulpit. When
ever any popular movement comes in conflict with
the pulpit this is openly acknowledged, and ministers
are denounced as exercising depotic influence over
the people, while the only power they exert is intellect
ual and moral Nor is it true, as often asserted, thai
the pulpit is losing its hold upon the masses 1t is an
axiom, that the supply will equal the demand. Now
by the last census it appears that there were-sn the
ILted States in 1850, fourteen millions Of church sit
tipes, tor 20 OOOG coo Of people, which if properly DIS
tr6uted would be enough to seat all the people VINO
could attend public worship at one aud ihe same tne
These church accommodations are furnished 6y tue
voluntary contributions of the people, and would NOT
therefore, be provided if they were not wanted And
for the most part the churches in our cities are wen
filed There are it is true, large and frghtful masses
who do not avail themselves OF these priYeieges; Dut
they are, for the most part, those who have Deea
traned under the influence Of priestly religion ana
have never been brought under the influence OF
ing.