The New York herald., 1869-01-31
Fashions and Fa-hiop.h,c el,urc,,..

How fmperous, how strange, how unavoidable l.
thai governing power OF every day life known a.
fashion The strongest nteects bow 90 its dicturns
apparently with the readiness a. the lesser
lights OF the world but perhaps this spirit OF self
accommodation to the whims and fancies OF fashion
arises from very natural desire to rid themselves
OF the wearsomeness OF constant opposition or
from innate dislike 70 appear singular ana so to
excite an amount Of attention 10 themselve. which
is undesirable and unpieasing to them. Tnat uids,y
goddess, Fashion, rules less ali classes OF
socety permeates through ali ITS pores and exercise,
immense influence among high and low rich ana
poor sometimes for good, sometimes FOR evil. she
sppears clad In blue and all shades of that color i'm
mediateiy prevail she applauds de6stdi1e and
every one hastens 20 hear the last new crnfese 10
throw bouquets at her feet and TO declare that she
sings merrefRe; she goes 10 church, and all fer
attends the church on second OCCASION and on
the following Sunday the sacred edincs she has
deigned TO patronize Is totally unable TO accommo
date the crowd OF w0r3hlppers that flock TO IT.
doors. Pews rise rapidly TO q premium, the minis
ter Is IN ecstacies and the unfortunate sud
denly discovers that his olce h no sinecure; while
at the same time neighborlng ministers surprised
and chagrincd 20 pews formerly well and regularly
1lcd nov without occupants These bygone celebrities
care not TO own. even to themselves that some more
winning shepherd has robbed them OF their nocks
and so, casting about here aud there Tor excuses 70
their 0DtOur f'Ogre ning their upbfaidngp into the
wide open lap OF Fashion. Aud in most cases they
are right. Ihs running about nom church Ia
churcn; thls paying hfst Episcopatan aud then
Presbyterian has no origin IN resl religious feeling:
ft springs simDly from sefnapo-ss iInaRinary ne.
cessity OF going with the siream--of doing pre-.
cisely what their next door ne4Chbar does tinaed
with longing for new eXcltemcnl~.
AS we were vending our way % our custpuarg
place Of worship last sunday morning our attention.
attractcd To the crowds ~ persons entering the
Presbyterian church at the corner oT Nineteenth
street and Fifth avenue, the minister of which l. the
Rev. DR.. Hail. This church used not 20 De ~ crowd.
ed, 30 we determined TO enter In order to see for
ourselves what are ats peculiar actions We con.
fess, after remaining throughout the service we
were unable to discover them. There was no beau
tiful music; the prayer half hour loug which the
minister offered, exhibited considerable foryor but
man announced az the beginning OF his sermon that
u was his intention 10 preach on the subject OF natu-
raj and revealed religion we pricted up ears an.
ticipating discourse somewhat out Of the ordinary
run OF sermons though we sre at loss 10 I'd
why the preacher should have thought it necessary
10 apologize TO his congregation for diating ION so
dry and unpopular subject" But we were sadly
tudes he launched out into Q discussion on
sprituasm, then attacked the traditions o
tho Roman ana Anglican communious, ane
asserted that the traditions OF the early fathers
Of the Christian Church should be classed IN th'
same category with those of Llvy ana Ptolcmy
vaurng them only az literary productions liable 10
error. We are not teachers OF religion; u Is no
uentiemons premises We can only record our dis
appointment that he should have 20 sadly wandered
nom hts starting point.
Encounternga friend "a We left the church VI
inquired "How n n that this church IL so much BET
ter Ied than u used 70 be some time ago for caf
see nothing unusually attractive either IN the music
the general character of the services or ths eoQueae'