The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-10-05
Politencss I'm Churches.

P0l1tencSs In Churches. ..-
A great many very good people, who
profess to wish all mankind to come to
church and be improved and edited, un
consciously take the surest way Of prevent.
ing this desired result by making their par.
ticular pews and their consequently par.
tieHlar church as inaccessible as the reserved
seats at the Opera. Our own opinion is
that every church should be free to ell, and
that the hiring or selling at auction Of the
pews is, nOt IN accordance with the true
spirit Of Christianity. Still, as q means for
the. support Of the church, Let it be done :
and If done as it should be it will do no
happ SRut, good folks, is il not the least
ipfheswofld inconsistent to spend whole,
long day distributing tracts, and, in the
most earnest manner extorting poor wash.
erwomen, laborers' wives, and home heath.
en- of all accessible ranks, to come to church
and never mind their bonnets TO say.
and truly, MY good woman, the Lord does
not care what clothes you wear when you
worship HIM." and then to whisper in the
church lobby t. the usher, before service
"Mr. Smith, please don't show that very
comnonish person in the red shawl into
our pew another Sunday ?"
You know as well as do that If the re-
spectacle wasberwomap and decent labor.
ing man, and particularly the dear, good
colored person, and others whom YOU pat.
ronised last Saturday in cellar and attic,
were to presume upon your invitation. and
come en- naasse to the door Of your fashion.
able place Of worship, you would not be
particularly delighted. There is no room
in your pew or your neighbours; you want
these good folk to attend church, but not
your church.
Then, again, well. to- do or at least well
dressed strangers, drawn by the fame Of
your minister or by your fine choir, come
to visit yon. In young, struggling chuaches
these are welcome but in an old establish
Cd church the trouble of obtaining seat
would drive any ordinary mortal away.
We have absolutely Known people to leave
the door of q certain celebrated church in
this city while half the pews had vacant
seats in them, which the owners had not
politeness enough to offer to strangers
Any STEADY church-gocr must notice that
persons not accustomed to attend worship
regularly on the Sabbath, always enter
with an air expressive of doubt, and an
evident fear OF being turned out again. Ac.
customed to places of public apnusemeut.
the fact Of not having tickets gives them an
awkward feeling, not dispelled ~ bdne
walked up the middle aisle and down again
by the usher, and finally put away IN
corner pew behind q sea Of bonnets and
under the gallery, where the reverberation
ofahs bryan produces an unpleasant sing
ing in the ears, and where there is no
cushion.
If that sinner ever puts himself in the |
way ofbeing converted again we are mis-
taken. A kind, glance, friendly moving
to make room on somebody's part, would
have had the effect of bringing him back
Again, aud at laast- -ha--~S>Ala- have ae~.
away with the belief that church people
were polite and agreeable. Practice is bet |
ter=than precept, is an oh-pfoyerb and
true one and those who profess to wish to
see Christianity diffused over the whole
world, should rid themselves of the exclu-
sive fseliDg which would Danish stranger
from their own pew, until it had been
ascertained exactly who he was and what
profession was followed b., his -erand1athes.
-RsolSt Vdns in Sunday 7smss. SIS 4,