Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-09-14
Relation of Architecture to Religion.

hOidtioH VI HTCIiItoCluFe 10 nolIyiOH.
One reason for the success of the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher as a preacher is the
shape Of his church. 1t is as well arranged
as theatre for seeing and hearing. The
congregation is massed about tie speaker
Every member is in direct and sympathet-
ic relation with him. He, in turn is the
house, the focus Of the inspiration of the
entire assembly.
The same is true of the Rev. Mr.. Spur
gcon and his meeting house. He stands
upon a platform projected into the body of
the house, exactly in a position to carry
the whole worshipping congregation upon
his broad shoulders and he does it. 1t re-
quires a strong man to occupy such situ
alton; but, when he is adequate to it, there
is scarcely any limit to his power Imagine |
what Mr.. Sturgeon, or Mr. Beecher would |
do placed at the end of modern imitation
Gothic edifce, standing mere isolated hui
man specks in the remote tribune, with the |
congregation seated ina long parallelogram
Of pews-a formal, unwieldy column, with |
little magnetic glow in itself and removed |
from the sympathetic control of the speak |
er. The prcachingwould be at arm 5 length. |.
Nothing less than an angels trumpet would .
effect much.
And yet we modern protesting christians
in these blessed days ofthe revival Of Goth
ic architecture, are building houses Of wor-
ship no more adapted to our sort of wor-
ship than Puritan meeting house would
be to the mysteries of Isis. 4 Gothic inte-
rior is the noblest of the world, and it is
possible that it is a necessary part Of the
christian religion; but, if it is, good many
of Us are on the wrong track. We must
have Gothic church; a long nave, two
aisIcs and two rows Of pillars, which hide
/ the desk of the preacher from about an
/ eighth Of the congregation. The minister
stands in the apse-poor, helpless man
with his hearers in long and dim perspcct-
i've before him, and tries to preach. If his
voice can reach the end Of the column land
/ that generally wanders round the arches
and pillar, and reverberates in meaningless
/ echo his magnetism cannot He Is like
one beating the air, declining into space.
No wonder that the congregation find it
hard to listen We have not a word to say
against the Gothic only let Us be sensible
about it. Let us fill the apse with stained
glass pictures and n communion altar, and
sacrament house; let Us fill the aisles with
paintings, and chapcIs where we can sit
and mediate or kneel and pray when ser
vice is not going on; let Us hang the pulpit
on one Of the pillars of the nave, 50 that
the congregation may gather round it, and
form an atmosphere Of sympathy for the
preacher and for themselves.
1t is our belief that, if we do not change
the tendency of our architecture, it will
change our religion. Our High Church
friends are perfectly logicalin their tcnden-
cy to harmonic their services with their ar
chitecture. 1t Is possible that we mistake
cause for effect but the constantly express
ed and growing desire for form of wor-
ship in which the congregation all can Join
we notice, Is apt to come from those congre-
cations that are most fatally attacked with
the Gothic. They have placed their preach
er out Of reach and scattered themselves
out of sympathy, and now wonder what Is
the matter, why they have lost interest in
Sunday services. They want more social
form Of worship, something that their faith
ers did not have. Now, they have already
got something that their fathers didn't have.
for the early protestants, at least the Puri-
tans, never would thought of attempting to
conduct their form Of worship in houses
like our present ones. There IS a very large
and houriShing Lutheran church in the
Catholic city Of Munich but it, edifice Of
style Of the Catholic churches near; it Is
open and circular, so that the congregation
sit in mass together, forming one body in
singing and in hearing the sermon. Ifthey
sat in pillard Gothic house, it would be
quite proper for the minister, at one end
Of it, to busy himself with his prayers and
readings and vicarious performances, while
the congregation, in remote pews, read or
said their prayers, and kept such run ofthe
progress and the ministers service as they
r chose.
We won't touch the subject here of the
propriety ofmaking our worship more So
cial but we want to say that the CoHgre-
gational method is capable of being more
social than those who live in Gothic houses
admit. If the church is properly built,
and the minister is at all fit for his place,
the social feeling will not be wanting. Take
the Sturgeon congregation again for an IL
lustration. They literally join in every
thing that goes on. When thescripture is
read, they sit biblein hand. following every
word, and really take bible lesson. They
keep the bible in hand also during the SER
mon, look out all the references and follow
the preacher with the closest attention and
g most active sympathy. They all sing. APP
parently they all pray. There is no doubt
| that it is social worship to them.
Now, in our model Congregational church
the audience all sit so compactly that they
!, form a sympathetic company a common
thrill of devotional feeling is possible tC
: them, and they are so Immediately near tC
e and in connection with the preacher thai
. even his simplest talk has personal mag
netism in it. And as theysit in loving har
mony together, read the bible, sing tn,
Q hymns hear the sermon and look in eacI
= others faces occasionally, as the servic,
goes on, they have no Gothic sense of
F! want Of something in the exercises.