The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-07-03


1o i man s nl.elalli religious biped
No STRONGER argument could b advance
against Dareins ridiculous thsgry, that
MAJ IS Development d monkey, than
tho fact, that mon'lies, though resembling
E8n beings in s slight degree physically,
exhibit not the least religious tendency.
Nov mankind. ID ihSlr most savage state,
SHOW disposition towards religion Of some
son, idolatrous and extravagant though it
be. The religious sentiment isfhe invaria-
bic Characteristic Of humanity, wherever
found. embracing all races and colors from
the highestt to the lowest.
Hence, in the earliest ages, men we're
found worshiping in groves and caverns,
and erecting rude affairs and places Of a
sacred character, where priests performed
their pagan ceremonies, and the people as
sembled for worship according to the
bent Of their simple minds, unin-
formed by revelation. AS civilization
progressed and wealth accumulated, gOr-
eeous temples we're erected by the pagans,
On which were lavished all the skill Of the
architect and the painter, as history informs
US, and IS the magnificent ruins Of the East
and OF Greece and Rome attest.
with the first direct revelation Of God to
man. which took place at an early day and
TO his favored people, the Hebrews, rude
altars d loose stones were first built, and
the people worshipped in tents or in the
open air, in the shady groves Of the secluded
valleys or on the mountain tops. But in
after TIMES, by the express commandment
81 DietH Solomon constructed the great
Temple, which was the wonder of the
world. It was adorned with all that wealth
could furnish from the most remote regions,
gold and silver and precious stones. If
then the old Bible is to be credited as
authority, the great Maker of heaven
and earth is not opposed to costly and mag
nifcent structures, erected and dedicated
to his worship; on the contrary, they have
his express sanction. Christ, himself, did
not denounce the holy temple of Jerusalem,
but only the money changers, who defled
and polluted it. Accordingly as soon as
his followers became numerous, and rich
enough for the purpose, we sec them erect
ing Die and imposing structures for the
wors.sp Of God under the new dispensation
Of His viii. The magnificent churches,
built long ago, and now scattered through
out Christian Europe, bear witness to the
truth this. The reformers, thinking
that thee was a tendency in the Roman
Catholic Church to adopt some of the-more
gaudy and profuse ornamentation of pa
qanism, at first run off into the other ex-
IRENE, and, in their zeal, actually
demolished some of the noble Ca
thedrals, erected by the pious labors
of former times. Yet this unreasonable
Juror soon passed away, and the PrOtestants
adopted the imposing and beautiful emana-
tions Of Roman Catholic piety, and gladly
used them for their more simple forms of
worship. Not only this, but they them
selves proceeded to build church edifces,
almost rivaling in size and pomp and splen-
dor the great creations of Catholic genius
and perseverance,. St. Paul's, in London, is
but second to St. Peters, in Rome. The
NUMEROUS dissenters from the Church of
England at first, also, deprecated fine
churches and all ornamentation- But they
have gradually adopted it themselves, and
now the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the
Baptists, and other denominations have
churches in our cities and large towns, OF
truly magnificent proportions, which are an
ornament as well as blessing to their sew
eral localities.
Is there anything wrong in thisg We
think not. If it is right for us to
wear handsome and becoming clothing
when we can afford it, Iis it not right
that we should have handsome and impos-
ing buildings, dedicated to the worship of
God when we are able to build them with
out encroaching upon the necessary. CON-
forts Of ourselves and familiess and the sa-
cred funds, belonging to the common char
tiles Of the world9 That is our opinion.
We like to. see grand and beautiful
churches, with lofty towers and spires,
pointing heavenward and calling our hearts
and minds in that direction. They are the
most noble decorations, which our cities,
our towns and our villages can have. They
ere the best evidence we can.offer Of a high
degree Of civilization, and the more COM
modious and beautiful and lasting are these
structures, so much the better. Let them
go up all over our favored land, wherever
there can be found means for their con-
sf-,etion