The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-25
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
June 25-F0urth Sunday After
PentecOSt.
The Religious Programme To-Day-Herald Reli-
gious Correspondence Faith Of the Society
Of Friends = Tho Synagogues and the
Womsn-corner Stone Cersmonies-Re-
ligious Notes Personal and General.
Services To-Day.

Mr.. Thomas Gales Foster viii speak before the
Society Of the Splrtualists at Lyric Hall, morning
and evening.
Rev. Charles B. Smyth breaches before the Ameri-
can Free Church at the University morning and
evening.
Rev. DR.. Sheer, of Baltimore, and Rev. Andrew
Iongacre win preach at the Central Methodist Epis-
copal church on Seventh avenue
Rev. W. w. Newell Jr. discourses at the Forty
second street Presbyterian church.
Rev. Il. G. Sweetser speaks abo1r Little Foxes
at the Bleecker street Universalst church.
Memorial services in memory OF Major Morris X.
Barker will be held this afternoon in the Fortythird
street Methodist Episcopal church Rev. L. H. King
viii onlciate.
Rev. A. p. Graves the Evangelist. win preach at
Plymouth Baptist church at both services.
Rev. John E. Goodman will give sermon at both
services at Trinity Methodist Episcopal church.
Rev. Merrill Richardson will preach morning and
evening at the New England Congregational church.
AT the Seventh Presbyterian church Rev. G. 3.
Bell will preach in the morning and Will be Installed
pastor in the evening.
"Deatnbed Repentance and 'srhe Passing World:
The Abiding Doer' are the subjects selected by Rev.
DR.. Altman at the Spring street Presbyterian
church.
Rev. c. s. Harrow breaches at ST. Luke's Metno-
dist Episcopal church.
Rev. William France, OF Scotland, will preach this
morning in the Tompkins Avenue Presbyterian
church. Brooklyn
Tho SynnGogues and the Female Singing
Question.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Having perused your valuable paper OF the IL til
inst, found therein endorsed The discourse OF Dr
vidayer delivered Saturday previous in the Thirty
fourth street synagogue. In conclusion you express
your surprise at the non-ntroduction OF an org an
and female singing In the choir in that synagogue,
asserting that there is not only nothing against 1t
but everything In It's favor in the Bible, and
understand in the writings or the ancient rabies
also. Allow me to acquaint you with the fact that
-four or five months ago copy, written by the Rev.
DR.. yidaver, permitting and consenting to the for
mula OF female singing was issued to each OF the
members OF that synagogue to look over, and, II
able to find any objection its validity to set it
before the meeting, for which q certain day was
fixed.
Having shown copy to the Rev. Mr.. Abraham
Harfeld, particular friend OF mine pious and I'M
Obtrusve resident Of this city. his indignation
reused against the author of that copy referring to
the admissbIlity OF female singing in the cnoir and
Immediately wrsAe q counter-dssertatton to his
ividavers) assertions, thereby disannihiatng them
Rnd preventing the fact Of its being realized.
Inaye at the present moment in my possession
both the Rev. Dr. Waivers assertions and the Rev.
MIR. Harteld's counter-dissertaron; but both being
frequently interminged with quotations in the
Hebrew language am prevented from transmitting
you the copies Of the latter. With reference 10
your saying there is nothing against the Introduction
but inversey. everything IN Its favor in the Bible
and writings OF the ancient rabbis, allow me to
hand In you few extracts OF DR.. Waivers quota
TONS whereby he admits Its legal Introduction. and
the Rev. Mr.. Harfeid's counter-dlssertation or the
same quotations. whereby the admissIbilfty OF that
Introduction Is strongly and emphStcay prohibited.
The reverend Doctor saws. TT is evident that all
the authorities are only prohibiting TO listen to all
profane singing or talking OF females, which might
lead immortality, and which Is not only forbidden
IN place OF worship, but in all other places and at
ali times. AS for females singing sacred songs OF
praise and hymns" he continues, ''neither the
Taimud nor the later rabbies have ANY law for or
against It. As for the Biole,n ne says, 1--WE find
singing conformity with men the praises OF the Lord,
viz:
And Miriam began her song to them. Sing ye unto the
Then sang DEBORAH and Barsi- - ,!ndgeshel
ing ~eSsn SPOKE. III SSroa - 's .- =. ..-
They had ali SINGING and singing H.,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
With reference TO the above quotations from the
Bible says the Rev. Mr.. Haneld, they are quite con-
Trajectory to his tyidavers) aim.
FrstL..And Miriam began her song to them"
menced TO sing a divine song" and closes at the
termination of that song Then after the men had
came out, followed by all women. and began her
song 10 them. She tMIriam) net only would not
presence, that her voice may not even be audible BY
Them.
quote the words OF klai YaSar, Shoitm 8, Wills
Ii possible that DEBORAH would sing conlontly with
Barak, though being her husband, for she must have
known that she was prohibited from singing with
hun IN pubic - ''Ihe true explanation" con-
10 the translation OF "Don Abarbanele" and ''Ra6.
hin Loeb Ben Gershon,n who say that the Hebrew
word "yatashsr'' does not mean "And she sang"
hui s.vala, shar,u lana che composed the hymn
and gave 1t to Barak 10 slng. Fort was necessary
that the divine song' should be composed by
THIRD "And jeremiah" H. chron:p 1.-THE verse
runs husband jeremiah iamcned for JOSIAH
III their lamentations TO TINS day, and made them an
ordinance III Israel and behold, they are written III
The lamentationsn Every singing man and singing
woman does not mean vocal singing OF any Kind
whatever. il says plainly that they spoke, which
Composed a aKina9" nam or hymn of amentation~it
having then been national calamity-klZ the
death OF KING Josiah they wrote ~ IN the book OF
tive synagogues.
Foa,1Il@Psalns lxviii., 25-.'Pirst came singers"
This verse. which he tDr VidaveIl brings as refer
ence 10 the admissDility Of female slnglnE, Is
most decided proof against him. II shows that
an ans vocal amusement CONFORMITY with men; Tor the
verse is pecally DIVIDED INTO three compartments,
PLAYERS ON instruments followed, and Lastly came
women, among whom were players OF uinbrcls"
Although separated from the males they were not
permitted TO take part IN the singing, but nstrl-
mentally. Tor the females were best acquainted with
the unDIe, ana played on that instrument more
exqulsiiely than the men, tSee Moses Mendels.
sohnis "BeorrB
FUrh-Ezrah H., e5 The sixty-fourth verse in
forms US that "tne whole congregation together
tnat lelt Babylon was forty and two thousand three
hundred and three score.u Why Is II
not said IN tins verse; In the
following, that there were among ''themr
singing men and singing women, THIS indicates
unto the fact that was not necessary, for 10 Is
understood that they knew the law, and would
therefore not violate II by having conoint musical
intonation Of male and female. But In the follow.
Ing verse, sixfy-nfth, Is expressly mentioned that
among the slaves twno were OF both sexes there
were two companies OF singing men and singing
women. The masters those VINO are mentioned In
the preceding verse, sixtvfourtb,) were impressed
with fear lest they should violate the law; they
therefore set among them two companies OF sing.
fng men and singing women respectively for each
Sex. Nehemiah is but q repetition OF the same.
Thus according 10 sacred Scripture the singing