Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-22
Chnrch Architectnre.

| preserved in the church through all the
vicissitudes of civilization and its influence
as a means of impressing the emotions, and
the appropriateness of bringing its finest
creations into The service of religion, have
been recognized throughout all ages, and
continue to be, although there has been
some temporary dissent, arising from the
springing up of new sects which looked,
perhaps, more for something to set up as a
| distinction, than to the merits of the ques-
tion; or who made virtue of their poverty,
and set themselves against fine churches, con-
scentiously. All these notions disappear,
however, as soon as the various sects become
strong enough to compete with their elder
brethren. In America, every one of the
new denominations has gone through this
transition state, except the Episcopal. This
! Church, in its secession from the Church of
Rome, carried with it all the religious edi-
| fees and wealth-except that which per-
taned to the monastic aud benevolent insti-
tutions, which was distributed among the
mobiles, to strengthen their faith-and il has
ever since been maintained in great wealth
and political power by direct taxes upon the
people, and by representation in the
Government; so that it has been under
entirely different influences from the other
denominations; and it has retained manners
somewhat similar in America, availing itself
of the beauties of architecture in its
churches in proportion as its means in
creased.
Until recently, church windows with a
pointed arch at the top, or even with a
slight curve, would haYe shocked Presby-
terian conscience. They called it a sign of
| prelatism, which, to them, was Synonymous
with Popery, and in the direct road to Babys
Ion and the scarlet women. This is the
feeling still in many of the rural districts
But in the towns we see the Presbyterians
gradually drawing on the resources of Gothic
architecture to beautify their meeting
houses. The Baptists have gone through the
same probation. Men need not to be old to
| remember when plain churches were a
prominent feature in the Methodist creed,
and when a steeple was regarded as a mark
ofsinful pride, and bells profanity. But we
need not inform the people of this city that
the Methodist faith is now wonderfully sus-
tanned in brown stone churches, Gothic por-
tails and windows, and high steeples, even as
that of the three Hebrew children was in the
fiery furnace.
The Catholic Church has kept on the even
tenor of its way, while the new sects have
made the circuit through virtuous plainness
of edifces and services, and have returned
to follow it in the magnifcence of both. In
America its first effort has been directed to
capacity for accommodating tspeople, which,
| depending as it has chiefly on the laboring
people for support, restricted its early edi-
fees to plainness. Nor has this requirement
been overlooked in its finer creations. As it
has grown in wealth, it has increased the
architectural beauty of its churches, until
Church which in America includes but a
small portion Of what are termed the wealthy
classes, has furnished some of the finest archi-
tectural features in almost every large town
in America, and is apparently just at the
threshold of its progress in this respect.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Sec
tarianism can not suppress the emotions
nature. None Of any denomination can look
upon these edifces without grateful emo
tions, and feeling of pride that our city
has them. Such is the impression which
one receives in the fine church ofS Xavier,
which was dedicated to the service of God
last Sunday, with the impressive services of
the Catholic ritual, and with grand and in
spring music, which we would not profane
by the theatrical style of puffery with which
some of our contemporaries have commented
upon it; and such are some of the reflections
which arose az we looked up to its graceful
and lofty arches, the effect of which on the
mind is like that OF the lofty arches of the
forest, which would only be belittled by an
attempt to detail the features of the impress
i've picture.