Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-05-31

end for which IL was built and To which a.
was dedicated, II was one OF the evils ~
the early stage OF society in this conn,
try, that no places We're considered 90
pecially sacred. The reaction from Re-
manism threw Professionalism TO tbs
other extreme. Our New England Pm
ritanism partook of this extreme char.
acter. IL Is said that no forms NJ
externals were consecrated, that Chris,
ianity resided in spiritualisms. n,
the heart alone, in the strong vvI
fixed on Christ, In the spirit constitptsG
temple Of the Holy Ghost. |, dis
dained all art, all beauty, all rhythm +,
the service and in the architecture NJ D..
ligion. 1t aimed 10 liherate the Sni,;.
aud set 1t free from the trammej. os
sense. II forgot that God had mad
certain laws of beauty and certain ruIa.
Of sacred propriety, before ever the N,
ganizatiOn of any church, and that M.
only is it no sin, but the highest exec,
lence, to conform to these essential prjn.
ciples Of harmony and fitness, in ali or-
outward 9arh and structure; princiD}e,
which even he has observed in paiptIno
the leaves and petals of a rose, in main,
ing and garnishing the forests, in shan.
ing the marvellous contour OF the nix
and in lifting the steep sides OF m.
mountains TO be strong and mass'v'
pillars of the azure dome. Il orp..
that Christ had once entered his Father.
house and scourged out the prosrs
hucksters who desecrated its sacred Ma.
ces. 1t forgot that he who said .bq.
God was a spirit, aud was to be wor.
shipped in spirit and in truth, was CON.
sumed with zeal and veneration for ,ba
sanctuary of God, In its haste to say
that attitude was not religion, it remem.
bered not that Christ himself knelt in
prayer, and so to avoid a journalistic er.
ror it rushed into spirtualistic absurd.
ty. 1t threw open the doors Of II,
churches to all secular uses. Our "a.
theirs followed the common custom, AMI
from the beginning this church has been
occupied for any purpose that five of is
prOprietors might indicate. 1t has been
the assembly room of State politlcg'
conventions, of public lectures, and o.
the House Of Representatives. The sir
IlOlSOlGl
with worldly combinations and pro.
fame disCourses and vehement debates
Sometimes, as | have stood in this place
on Sunday, have seen the mementoes
Of the previous night and week Of no.
discussion lying beside me, and felt the
sad associations lowering around me.
and have picked them up in my imag,
nation and almost EwOVan tham int
sermon, psalm and prayer"
But do not now complain of such
things. They are among the old things
that have passed away, and 10, all things
will become new. With all these draw.
backs l have thought we were well pro.
vided for, and have given God thanks
for these old spacious walls. The early
Christians wOrshipped in caverns Of the
ground. "In the tombs of dead men
did the only live religion find its habta.
ton in ancient Rome" The Star 0.
Christ "frst stood still over stable.
These old walls will always be dear to
me. Even the weather stains on then
are more sacred than the pictures which
the genius Of Angelo painted in the Sis.
tine chapel, or those with which Rapha.
Ell adorned the Vatican. To me thew are
associated with the earliest labor Of nv
ministry, with all the hallowed toll O.
my life, with the hottest aspirations and
devoutest hours of my earthly being
and with the dear faces that have wei.
coined every Christian word l have
learned to speak.