The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-09-07
Sunhap Rrnhiug,
Fom the Southern Presbyterian.
The Pew System Again.

~he - y" System again.
REV. AND DEAR Sir The extract be.
low, we cat from IT Congressional Jour,
nal published in New Hampshire, in a
region where, if we mistake not, the pew
system has been in vogue from the first
settlement Of the country.
"A decided change has taken place in
the opinion Of many Presbyterians in re.
gard to the wisdom of the pew system
The writer contesses that although accus.
toned 20 the system from chiIdhood. he
came: aGicc II S"n,imcn: with yourself
IN regard TO it, but feels bound to adop,
the sentiments adverse to the system
which have appeared in communications
in your paper.
The subjoined extract is sent AS form
ing an interesting point Of the current
history OF the question
ANTI PEW MOVEMENTS.
1t is II singular fact that pews are al
most a peculiarly of Professionalism. Po.
perry acknowledges no such distinction in
ITS congregations except in Protestant
countries. In England a movement is
now III process against pews. a meeting
of the Society for Promot n the Resto
ration Of the Churches TO the Pc pie
was held lately in the Manchester town
hall. The Hon. Colin Lindsay presided.
and at great length stated the objects of
the association. He contended that the
pew system WAS violation OF the condi.
lions under which all the old churches
were erected aud Parliament had, he
contended, done wrong in excluding by
enactment the people from two thirds of
the stungs in the IN, ,lern district church.
as. DIR. Southam read the report, which
described the efforts of the committee 10
secure the voluntary adoption of their
plan and Mr.. llerloru read the draf, of
the IliI, for the purpose Of enforcing, to
some extent, their theory. The Dean Of
Manchester profcsscd himself favorable to
the objects Of the society. The Rev. w.
r Brendon, AS working clergyman in a
poor district, condemned the pew system.
lie stated that in his parish, which con
ta'ns $4,000 souls, not more than seven
per cent attend any place Of worship; he
WAS informed that that WAS fair general
average. This state oF things he a,tribu.
ted, IN a very large degree, to the pew
system. The report Of the society was
~r'~,'' ''''A - "ffirrrs of the societ,
were elected for the ensuing vear.-EX
CHANGE PAPER.
The account give in the above para
graph is doubtless true, though We ar,
unable to state the authority fJr it. We
have noticed the eNI>leEce of the Society
named before. 1t Is OF recent origin. w,
call attention to the fact stated hv Rev
Mr. Brcudnn, that not more than seven
per cent. Of the rural population of Eng
land attend any place OF worship. We
can hardly credit it. But whether it ht
an exaggerslion or not.it is doubtIessI,rue
both in England and in this country thai
much of the neg Icct Of public worship i.
to be traced directly to the influence o.
the pew syslem. Protestant Christian,
are engaged, AS they should be, i'll evsn
geNzng the heather abroad, and vet Us
yielding TO the false and wicked notion.
and customs of an aristocratic world, in
building houses Of worship are making
heathen AT home, much faster than they
are converting them abroad. One of oui
Boston cotempOrarlcs in Loticng the pro-
Ject OF the Shawnu: Society at the South
end to sell their present house Of worship
and build one larger and more elegant SC
Is to attract Il full attendance and pre-.
vent people from going 10 other places
seems to Justify the movement on the
ground Of a usage that has been getting
force in our cities Tor several generations.
And vet the same paper well saws, 'Lu,
just IN proportion as our religion finds i,
necessary to dwell in costly temples, in
the same proportion must she be aban
doned of the poor. And the advance o.
this fashion (for fasion we must call itl
clearly points TO the day, when religion
in our cities will become an affair Of arch
itectural elegance and aristocracy, and by
that arIstOcracy be smoo.hereG'
1t is true that the Shawnut Society i:
not responsible for the false notions o
church building which exist in the cities
as an individual society, but as a part o
the christian public they are responsible
Oar churches are responsible for making
the hearing OF the word so expensive tha
the poor cannot enjoy it. The paper re
feTred to hopes the problem OF bringing
the rich and poor together into such as
semblies as shall be attractive 10 all, vii
he some how solved In our opinion
there ia only one way to solve it and tha
is TO abolish the pew system and restor,
the house Of God TO all his people rich o
poor.