Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-03
THE NEWEST THING IN
CHURCHES.

Among the blessings showered upon
hardly apprcciative world by the
family Of Beechers not the least impor-
tant is an invention of Thomas X, the
brother Of Henry Ward, who lives at
Elmira, New York. This Doctor
Beechor shares the Plymouth's ideas
to the extent, at least, that any relig-
ion is better than none, and that any
thingi betterthan to preach to empty
benches Addressing his powerful
mind--was there ever Bcecher mind
that wasn't powerful in its way ?-to
the problem Of making the house of
God popular place Of resort, he has
invented, and will no doubt patent. n
style of church which we are sure
needs only to be known to become the
rage wherever Beecherism, in the mild
form propogated by Thomas X, has
votaries. A church constructed on
this principle is warranted to draw
crowdsin any weather, and it is as
serted by the local journal whence our
item is clipped that already the one in
Elmira has thrown the other great in
stitutions of the city, namely the Fe-
male Seminary and the Water Cure,
completely in the backgrounds. How
this can be will not be apparent TO
those who are familiar only with
churches constructed and managed on
the old.fashioncd plan, but we have
only to give details TO convince the
most skeptical.
Briefly stated the underlying prin-
ciple of the Elmira plan is the making
OF church as little like church as
possible. The great thing to be kept in
view is TO make religion and religious
association so subordinate to everything
else that men and women who are Sc.
duced within the walls Of the building
will never suspect for a moment that
they are in a sacred edifce. There
are parlors, furnished in the Eastlake
style the black walnut floors carpet
ed with rich rugs; the walls adorned
with no pictures that are likely to give
ofiense to the sensitive skeptic. Here
there is regular round of tea parties
kettle-drums, game suppers, and, for
aught we know, Germans, not to speak
Of such mild designations as sewing so.
cieties which do anything else but
sew. Convenient to this are the we'll
stocked pantry and kitchen, with all
the modern improvements, but the
flavor of religion is never obtruded in
the culinary department any more
than in the parlors. Some Of the El-
mira people, however, did not succumb
either TO the parlor or kitchen, and
were equally proof against lavishly
supplied reading room. So a billiard
room was thoughttully supplied for
the recreation Of tho young men, and
the tap of the cue and the kiss of the
balls arc now heard BY day and by
night. This again is supplemented by
cosy little theatre, playfully styleda
"romp room" in the guide books and
on the play bills At one end OF this
apartment are the scenery, drop cur.
tain, ,footlights, orchestra stall and all tho
other Indispensable adjuncts of a play
house. Here there are performances
of a varied nature, but as the regular
thing the children are assembled once
in two weeks for amusements in which
stage effects are not necessary, and
high old time they have. The Shake.
speare Club meets weekly in the read
ing room. We would like TO say some
thing about the place where Divine
service is held, but no reference is
made to it in the descriptions OF the
church furnished the public There
must be some closet or corner for this
thing
Enough has been said to show what
Doctor Beecher's invention is doing
for the cause of Christianity. Tho
idea is capable of indefinite expansion
and variation. The time has passed
when churches were used simply for
singing and praying. Those exercises
may be INDUCED in at discretion by
the ireeidc. A church is 20 be place
OF amusement, and, il IL is to be place
Of amusement, is not the Elmra
Beecher's plan better than Henry
Wards or Brother Talmadge's? Why
not give the young man his first les
sons under the pastors direction AZ
terwards, If he yearns for more steady
employment in that noble game, or if
he happens to be in a city where the
churches have not the Elmira improve
ments, he may drop in at the more
gorgeous establishments, where the
bar is handy and the winner sets up
the drinks. And why stop at square
dances in the church parlor, or comedy
in the church theatre, or billiards in
the church saloon? When these things
pail upon the young or they learn TO
go elsewhere for the same things on
large scale, new attractions may be
devised. Every church may have its
own card tables on the Saratoga plan,
or its weekly or monthly balls, or
variety show now and then, or its race
track within walking distance of tho
sacred edificc, membership in the
church society to entitle one 10 admis-
sion OF the grounds. Doctor Bcecber's
is happy thought. We commend IL
to Christians generally for careful con-
sideration. II may not please the old
school, but ii will bring recruits TO the
new, and soon the old landmarks will
be replaced entirely by those to which
the unrcgenerate can offer no objection.
Times.
An Irishman in Iowa was bitten by
q rattlc.snakc, but the liberal use of a
whisky cured him. Tho