The New York herald., 1870-05-08
Church. Services o-Day-nfembors
Choirs ns Christian Worshippers.


The programme OF religious services to-day
Is an attractive one to the Christian, and we
trust it also Is to the sinner. Ample oppor-
tunity is offered for all to join in prayer, and
il is pleasant TO know that ones words Of praise
or supplication will be borne above COM
mingled with the harmonious strains Of music
and the melodious notes Of choir singers.
Whether il be Grace church or St. Stephens,
Trinity or st. Francis Xavier's, Church Of the
Messiah or Presbyterian, The music will be
the best obtainable Perhaps after the notes
Of the organ have ceased their reverberations
and the voices of the singers are no more
heard, some persons do not take kindly to the
serm on--look on it, in fact as little short OF a
bore. And this is one Of the reasons why
several of the minor denominations object to
organs and trained choirs, holding that they
merely crafty sensuous passion without
touching the soul. These rigid secsarians,
however, quite forget that the persons who go
to church for tho sake of the music are the
very ones who would keep away if there was
none. AS matters now stand salvation is
forced upon them. The sermon may bore
them, but they are compelled to listen to 1t,
and no matter how perverse and obstinate
sinners may be it is the duty Of the clergy to
drive the devil out of them, whether said sin
ners will it or not.
Believing, then, that organs and trained
choirs are useful and efficient appliances Of
divine service, by means of which many weary
footh.. FPS have been directed to the right path
after long travelling of the wrong, we give
them hearty support. What we desire is that
members Of choirs shall, without exception, be
something more Of Christians and less of pro-
fessional singers. 1t is true that they are
regularly paid to chant the praises Of the Lord
in soprano, contralto, tenor, basso and the
rest but whether the notes of these warblers
be worth the infinitesimal part Of mill each,
or the fraction of a dollar, or even a whole
dollar, is not the question. We propose that
after they have ceased singing they shall
set to praying or listening to the preacher, with
the balance of the congregation. How often
has it not been observed that the instant men,
bers Of church choir have finished a hymn
they settle down to cosey chat, passing their
little jokes with as much Indifference as if they
were not in place of worship, or as if they
had received information direct from Heaven
that they need not trouble themselvesAvith the
question of salvation? We do not mean to say
that majority of the members of choirs act in
this manners but that a minority, sufficiently
great in numbers to attract attention, do this
no person will deny. Indeed, we are assured
that at some of the churches social topics are
discussed in the choirs every Sunday satire
and criticism are INDUCED in, and pleasant
stories are told, between the pauses of the
music. Such levity and irreligion merit and
ever receive our condemnation We are will
ing to pay these people to sing us to heaven,
but we cannot undertake to pray them to that
happy home of the hereafter. They must do
their own praying; they must become Chris
tian worshippers. Conversation on social
matters and pleasantries are very good and
allowable things in their way, but they are not
appropriate at church. Let us trust the errng
members of choirs will heed this adm0nition,
behave better in the future and become faith
fnl and devout followers of Christ.