The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-02
Tho Proprictics of the Sanctuary.

tccmcd readers whose picty has taken
alarm at what they regard as the Dissertation
Of churches by improper entertainments.
They see in It one Of the crying evils md
scandals Of the time. and they want THE
SUN 90 cnlightcn the conscicnces of the clcr-
gyincn and dcacons who permit it.
We respect the motives which have
prompted the writing Of these letters. II is
well TO know that, even in this age OF indif-
forcntism. tdcrc are still left men who
cherish an old-fashioncd jealousy for the
name Of religion, and who are neither afraid
nor ashamed To- avow It, At the same time
we caution our esteemed correspondents
against the error Of setting IN their
own peculiar scruples as an infalliblc stand
ard ~ right and wrong 10y which to judge
the actions VI their ncighhors. They have
been brought up, ms their letters show,
to reverence the church rs n building wholly
distinct from all other buildngs-set apart
for holy uses, and not to be put TO other
uses without sacricgc. But many men and
women. reared under different Influences,
scout this notion of the church as mere SUI
pcrstiton-a relic Of the dark ages. wherein
mon built cathcdrals with no comfortable
pcws In Them and so big that the voice Of
] no IlIfNtUfIs UflWfNtI IlUuSN VI lung, tNNlb
possibly I'LL them. To these people church
Is only building, like any other, and they
do not hesitate to supplement the sermon
room with parlors and kitchens, and to get
all the comfort and jollity they can out Of
these unccolesiastical innovations. 1t is the
difference Of the point of view. and that
must always Ice generously allowed for in
making up Judgment.
Tho greater part Of our correspondents
deal with the oil and vcxcd question Of
church fairs. This has been pretty thor
oughly discussed in all its phases and THE
SUN need not. at this time, shed any new
| light upon It. Doubtless these peculiar en-
tortainmcnts are often open to criticism on
the score Of taste; probably 1t would be as
we'll lfthc games Of chance. which are pretty
constant feature, were cxcudcd moreover
! the prices asked are SO cXtortOnate, as q
rule, that one wonders the pretty sales
women do not blush at their own rapacity.
But, after all, people go to church fairs,
not to get bargains, but 20 spend their
money pleasantly; so, we dare say, there
is no great harm done even by the rallies
and the Rrab-bags.
Especially indignant correspondent writes :
chur hes into places Of amusement Its bad enough to
lod secular concerts In them, but when read la rHE
svS that young ladies OF the Baptist church in west
Twenty h street had termed the house OF worship into
rifle gallery thought such sacrcge should be prevent
ed Where is tins sort Of thing to stop HARD sHELLr
The entertainment which has excited our
correspondents .disapproval was certainly
peculiar, but we are quite sure that neither
| the fair contestants nor the applauding
spectators saw any harm in it. That being
SO. We suggest to our correspondent that
| possibly the rifle shooting may have pre-
vented the Baptist young ladies from doing
more serious mischief with the more dan
gerous artillery Of their sparkling eyes
A New Jersey correspondent is exercised
over the recent negro minstrel entertain
mcnt In Methodist church in Newark. He
writes
| "sr' for thank the Rev Mr. DAttY for his ring.
iu- protest AGAINST ihc dissertation OF h' church o> a
| str,llu- company 90 negroes II was time some one
spoke out on ih> subject ana an ola fashioned Meth
oiI-t IU,ut-u 60 uc-ro miu,t.cl SHOWS because be-
i.'r I,m o. hr sluil aul forbidden ly she Hluk of D-
| crtno Amt when negro minstrel shows are trou-ht
Htu tc church whore wor-up.lI ttnk 10 i, time Tor
Mcthyiists g. consider whittier thcy are duung
| "WtstiAN'
Is our correspondent sure that his feelings
ara not a little more wrought up than the
tine ministries were genuine negroes, and
not the lurncd-cork imitation They sang
plantation hymns for all our correspond
cut knows 10 the contrary i'm a devotional
and rcvcrcnt spirit bcntting the words and
the place II they also sang plantation
songs Of secular nature. they did not
dance plantation breakdowus they did not
get of bad puns, nor did they startlc the
echoes Of the sanctuary with the strains
IT My Grandfathcrs Clock The same
troupe, we are told, had previously given
the same entertainment before high digni-
taries of the denomination to which our cor
respondent belongs. May it no; bc that he
is q little more scared than hurt especially
II his principles prevented him from buying
a ticket to the concert?
To all our correspondents, and TO the
whole community, We recommend the cult
walton Of a spirit Of tolerant charity and a
distrust Of that Unbalanced conscientious
ness that strains at the gnat while 1t swal-
ow7 the camel.