Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-09-19
Rev. II. W. HGeCher and the Meth.
OGiSlSs

Henry Ward Beecher has recently been
preaching in one Of the Methodist churches
on the Hudson. We give below bis remarks
on the singing. BY the way, did our read
ers ever hear, ':Conie on my partners in dis
tress''-that glorious old hymn, associated
With so many joyous memories, so perto,m
ed by choir That ncne OF the congregation
could Join? So that the old so ders who
had often sung it with almost bursting
hearts with many now s'acl oss the river,'
We're compelled to stand dumb as frogs. in
dog days? IL so. you can appreciate what
follows N. ". Christian -ddvocate.
Bv the way. yesterday morning | was at
tue Methodist church here. A very pleasant
room it is, and | am told that very worthy
society occupy it. But have a most wei9h 9htv
charge to bring against the good people, Of
music al apostasy. | had expected a treat
of GOOD hearty singing. There were Charles
Wesley's HYMNS. and there were the good
Old Methodist tunes, that ancient piety
loved, and modern conceit laughs at /! In
aoine nv chagrin wnea, alter reading the
hymn. m rose a choir from the shelf at the
o;her eod of he church, and began to sing
a monotonous time Of modern music book
srvle. The patient congregation stood up
meekly TO be sung to, as men stand Under
rain when there is DO shelter. Scarcely a
! lip moved. No one seemed to hear the
hvmn. or to care for the music. How !
]onrea for the good old Method st thunder
One good burst Of old-fashioued music
would have blown this modern singing out
of the window like waddiug from d gun!-
Men NAV cal this an improvement and gen.
teel Gentiltv has nearly xii led our church
es. and it will kill Methodist churches il
they rive way to It's ia lse and pernicious am
biticn. We know very we'll what good old:
fashioned Methodist music was. 1t had
faults enough, doubtless, against taste. But
it had an inward purpose and ligouS
sarnestness which enabled it to carry all its
faults. and to triumph, in spite of them! Il
qros worship. Yesterdays music was toet-
able singing but very poor worships We
are sorry that just as our churches are be-
Gin ing to initiate the former example o1
Methodist churches, and to introduce melo.
dies that the people love, and to encourage
universal singing in the congretion, cn1
Methodist brethren should pick up our cast
OFF Journalism in Church music. it will be
worse with them than with us. 1t will mark
greater length of decline. We could hard
ly believe our ewes and ears yesterday. We
could not persuade ourselves that we stood
before a Methodist church, We should have
supposed il to be a good solid Presbyterian
or Congregational church, in which the choir
and itperformed everything and the peo.
pie did nothing. -
| Our brethren in this church must not take
these remarks unkindy. They are present.
ed in all kindness and affection. The choir
sung better than many choirs in city church
es, but no one sung with them. The people
| were mute They used theirs ears and not
| their mouths. But alas we missed the old
| fervor-t The good oldafashioned Methodist
fire. We have seen the time when one OF
Cba,les Wesley's hymns, taking the congre.
gatiun by the hand, would have led them up
| to the gate Of heaven. But yesterday it on
ly led them up as far as the choir, about
ten feet above the pevs. This will never do.
N eGhodists will make grand good worship
ing Christians il they are not ashamed OF
their own ways, but very poor ones if they
are. Brethren, you are on the wrong way
1t will never do for you to silence the peo-
| pie. Your fire will go out if you rake it up
under the ashes Of false refinement. Let an
outsider, but a well-wisber, say these plain
words to you without offense. The Metho-
dist Church has laid the christian world ut-
der great debt by it's service in the cause
of Christ, and we have a right in it, and an
interest in it, as common Christians, toe
oreat to suffer us to see signs of degeneracy
in it with cut sorrow and alarm. We hope
God means to do great things by it yet, for
our land. Butt 1T will not be by giving up
| heart and soul, zeal and popular enthusiasm
in worship, for the sake Of sham propriety
and taste ul Journalism, that the Methodist
Church will become yet further Efficient
We hope to see such revival Of religion
among thom as shall come like freshet up
| on their churches, and sweep out the cham
nels of song, and carry away the dead wood
and trash which has already damned up the
current of song, and made the congregation
ST. gnant. Oh, that there may be rain OF
rig ghteousness among them, which shall swell
their hearts to overhowiug, and cleanse their
sanctuary from al Journalism, and especial
| ly from the Journalism Of pedantie nusic