Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-09

of pardon, grace and help, and bring the
same tribute of praise and Thanksgiving
for the mercy and goodness that is over
all Here then is way in which all our
laymen may de much by the heartiness Of
Their responses, to make our service i'm
pressive and affecting, profitable to all
who worship and all who are present.
And much may be done also by those
who have charge of the music in our
churches to make it such as it should be-
an assistance and help in common wor-
ship. Music in the church is not to be
judged by any merely professional or ar
tistic standard, but simply by that of its
fitness for the place which ii holds and
the uses which it is designed to serve
fill up the pauses between the parts of the
services, or az recreation after prayer
and instruction. Its purpose is not to
give pleasure, or to crafty the taste oil
amateurs. Least of all is it to display the
skill and attainments of the performers
Music for such purposes, legitimate
. enough, should be sought at home, or in
social gatherings, or in the concert room.
It is entirely out of place in church.
/ Muse in Gods house can only be law
fully used for the purpose to which that
house is Iconsecrated, the worship of God
1t should be like the rest of the service,
common. 1t should, therefore, be plain,
simple, full of tenderness and sweetness
Music in the secular style, that Is elabo-
rate, difficult of execution and of compre'
hension, which only few cultivated per-
sons can understand or appreciate, has
nothing to do with our Common Prayer.
1t is break, disturbance. We should
all of us feel the wrong that was done, if
an attempt were made to use some por-
lions of the service in Latin, or Greek, or
some language which only the learned
could understand And it is something
of the same wrong when portions of the
peoples service of song are set to music
which is far beyond their comprehension,
which they can only listen to as some
thing strange and unknown to them.
am thankful for the many indications
that better taste is beginning to regulate
this matter, for the increasing conviction
that, for the most part, congregational
music is that which is most accordant
with our Common Prayer.
What we want is music that is adapted
to the language of the Prayer Book, and
is, like it, simple, plain, devout and ten
der; like that of our old Gloria IN EpCek-
SlS, which has been so long in use and is
SO popular; Music that is the fit attend
ant and help to worship, and can arouse
the heart and make us feel the holy words
we utter.
Let those who have charge of the music
in our churches keep it ever in mind that,
the singing is not an element foreign to
the service; but part of it, which should
be always in harmony with its purpose
the worship of the congregation. Much
will thus be done to bring out the popular
uncultivated will feel that they have a
place in the songs and anthems of the
church, as well as in her collects and
itanies. And those of higher cultivation
will find higher qualification in the cor
rect taste which adapts all the musical
expression to its holy purpose, than could
be found in the most elaborate and artis-
tic performances in style which savors
only of this world, and of professional
display. Then there will be an addition
al attractiveness in our worship. And
many who come but seldom will be more
often drawn to our assemblies. And we
shall all be helped to join more heartily
in the praises as well as prayers which
are offered there.
I know this question of music in our
churches is often a difficult one, know
the clergy are too often wholly ignorant
of music and at other times only know
enough about it to make blunders, which
not unfrequently cause their worst paroch-
ial troubles. Therefore make my appeal
to the laity, 1t is for their right L am
pleading, for their inalienable right to
share in the common praise as well as
common prayer. The reformation vindi-
nataa thoir claim, to have the prayers in a
language which they could understand.
1t is step in the same direction to claim
for them, that they shall have music such
as is most adapted to their needs. That
which most helps Gods people in His
worship we may be sure is most accept
able to our common Lord, and will do
most to aid the extension of His Church
in the world.
In all our arrangements in regard to
the Church we should ever bear in mind
the character which Christ impressed up
on it when He gave it the commission to
L" make disciples of all nations" It is uni
versal, or Catholic. It is meant to in
clude all races, all states and conditions,
all ages of mankind; to be visible ex-
preston of the all-embracing love of the
Son of God, to meet all with the free
offers of Christ's great salvation, and the
consultations of the Spirit and the succors
of the Divine grace. It is because of its
connection with this great principle that
the question of Z" free churches" has be-
coma one of so much importance. As we
realize mo-c and more what tho Church
should be, according to our Saviour's in
tentioD, the owning or renting of seats in
consecrated buildings is seen all the
palmer to be wrong. Our Lord does not,
it is evident, intend this Church and its
blessings for the rich alone, or for them in
any special or peculiar manner; but on
the contrary, He takes pains to vindioate
the claims of the poor. He afirms it as
one evident proof of His kingdom, that
The poor have the Gospel preached to
them" He commended poverty to our
reverence. in that it was His own chosen
state in His soiourn in this world. His
apostle, st. James, rebukes as a great
wrong tho reserving of the best seats in
the Christian assembly for the wealthy,
and leaving the-poor to stand or to sit in
the less desirable seats.
In the Christian congregation, as our
Lord and His apostles would arrange it,
there would be no such distinctions, but
high and low, rich and poor, one with an
other, would meet together on the sa me
level, to worship the Lord, Who is the Max
er of them all, The free church, there
fore, in which there is no reservation of
rights to any privileged class, is that
which comes nearest to the Divine teach
ing in the Scriptures nearest To the ideal
of Christ's Catholic Church. The free
church is almost inevitably the form in
which Missionary Church can be ex-
tended. Her doors must stand invitingly
open to all, Her welcome to all must be
as broad and hearty as her Lords Come,
all ye that are weary and heavy laden"
And the free church is especially adapted
to meet the popularity of our age and
country. We are profoundly convinced
of the equality of all men in their civil
rights; that the manhood which is COM
mon to all is more than the distinctions
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