The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-29
Ought Ciergymen to Wear Moustaches

This question is now agitating the Church
papers Of England. and il is perhaps time
that it should engage attention in the United
States. Certain members of the ministerial
profession here are hazardlng the expert
ment of wearing moustachcs, aud the young
men who are entering the Church may be
likely to follow their example.
The Greek priests. after the Oriental
fashion, wear full beard, and, provided they
are men ofdignity of bearing and benevolencc
OF countenance, they present very i'm
pressive apostolic appearance, though
sometimes, We regret TO say, their looks
belle their characters. Father BJERRING,
the pastor Of the Russo-Greck Church in
New York, is n TALL finely built, and cner-
getic looking priest, and his full and sym
metrical auburn beard adds greatly to his
physical beauty A few Episcopal clergy
men also cultivate their moustaches and
suffer their boards To grow, but the majority
OF them show a clcan-shaven face or one
more or less disiigured by artificially
cut mutton-chop whiskers, or rendered as
attractive as it can be made by clipped
boards, while no hair is suffered to grow on
the upper lip.
Bishop HOPKINS OF Vermont who, taking
him all in all, was the best looking as he
was one Of the ablest prelates in his Church,
used to wear fine beard, and DIR. SAMUEL
OsGooD, one Of the handsomcst priests in
the Episcopal communion, though recent
recruit, exhibits very shapely beard when
he has an opportunity to expound theology
or social ethics from the pulpit. DR.. CHAPLIN.
the Unlversalist pulpit orator, wears "A good
deal OF hair Oh his face; but BEECHER though
he let's his hair grow long on his head, takes
pains TO shave IL down to the stump on his
face. DIR. POTTER Of Grace Church, other
wise the handsomest clergyman in New
York, has only trim little whiskers. DIR.
JOHN HALL and Dr. WILLIAM ADAMS Of the
Presbyterian Church are close shavcrs, and
DIR. ORMIsToS Of the Dutch Reformed Church
is content TO be distinguished alone by his
| electric head Of hair. DR.. WILLIAMS and
DR.. BRIDGEMAN, of the Baptist faith, also
shave clean. as also does Dr. VINCENT Of the
Presbyterian Church, though his luXuriant
head of hair and vigorous youth suggest
that il he chose he might cultivate beard
which would rival Father BJEREINGs. DR..
HoUGHToN OF the Episcopal Church of the
TRANSPORTATION has no beard, whiskcrs, or
moustache, and Bishop PoTTER's striking
countenance is not relieved by the white
beard which would add to its venerable APP
pearance. DR.. MORGAN DIX. the rector of
Trinity Church, is as clcan-shayen as Car
dinal MCCLosKEY, and looks very like Ro-
man Catholic priest. DR. JoHS CoTrOS
SMITH, the Low Churchman, leaves little hair
on his face, and the younger TYING, who be-
longs TO the same school, compromises with
unbecoming mutton-chop whiskers. Dr.
MORGAN OF st. Thomas's Church resorts
daily to the razor, though he keeps u trim
pair of whiskers, and his assistant. Dr.
COURTNEY, has clean-shaven face. DR.
HOWARD CROSBY cultivates whiskers only,
and in that respect is like Dr. SToRRs Of
Brooklyn. But the number of ministers
hereabouts who wear boards and nous
taches is very small though some such
there are
In the Roman Catholic Church a clean
shaver face is the rule among the priests,
though II his health requires it priest may
get permission to wear his beard. and in
the Oriental countries prevailing customs
are not interiered with. Several of the
orders Of monks wear fine boards. and they
oftentimes let them grow very long.
Church regulations not forbidding, there
seems 10 be no good reason why clergy
man should not escape from the thraldom
of his razor. If man can raise Il good
| beard and a handsome mOustache, he will
ordinarily improve his appearance by wear
ing them. AS he grows older they will add
much to the dignity of his face, and help
to set off the benovolence of his features
And both dignity and bcncvolence are ex-
| pccted to mark the bearing OF minister
A beard too, will hide weak chin, ii the
man has it, and a mOustache will help to
conceal a long upper liz, which, unadorned,
might impair the beauty and symmetry of
the face BY suffering the hair which ma
ture provides for the covering OF the throat
and the lower part of the face TO grow, n
man also gains a protection against cold
and, moreover. he looks more like sensi-
BILE masculine being
1t is true the women OF tho churches
might at first feel offended at the sight of
boards and mOustaches on their favorite pas
toral advisers, heretofore close shaven but
| 1.-THE wearing of them should become fashion
! able among the clergy, the feminine dsci-
! pies would soon como TO regard them as i'll
| dispcnsable badges Of the ministerial Office,
Just like black coat, a white cravat, and "A
well brushed hat II is indeed, not so very
many years since n moustache could not
safely be worn by a New York merchant or
bank clerk Thirty or thirty-ive years ago
a man who Vcnturod to cultivate one WAS
regarded as an Outandlsh foreigner, "A
ilashy and disrcputable sort Of person, an
eccentric individual, or loose bohemian.
Moustachcs stood IN the way Of Il mans
getting credit and II bank president who
did not shave his upper lip would have been
looked ON us monstroslty. In those DAYS
the ppulent people, whom KEARNEY now
call, lrohcrOus or leecherOus bondhuldcrs,
ana nu are also known in this less formal
time IA coupon clippers, used to wear dress
coats in business hours, and they all took
pains to shave closely every morning before
they started out. Now the vast majority OF
men. rich and poor. cultivate their NOUS