The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-06
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Inc paper OF the Rev. Prof. Roswell
D. Hitchcock, D. D., of Union Theologi-
cal Seminary, New York, brought up in
the Council the question as to whether
the service of the Presbyterian Church is
not too "bald" We were told that CAL
win and Luther and Knox were liturgists,
and that there is nothing in the Presby-
terrain system which is incompatible with
a hturgical service. There was evident
y an element in the body that favored
the communication of some liturgical
leaven to our Presbyterian worship, and
a yet larger number who favored dis
cretionary action in the matter on the
part of individual congregations, among
the latter, Prof Calderwood of Edin-
burgh, Principal Grant of Canada, Dr.
Plerson of Detroit, and Prof. Bruce of
Glasgow
The word bald was applied to the
service several times, and the feeling en-
tertained by those who used it and those
who sympathised in plain English was
that something should be done to make
the service more attractive"
The value of introducing this some
thing to make the service more attrac-
tive" was a secret discovered by Rome
long,ago, and one re-discovered in more
recent times by the Ritualistic or Roman
lzing Journalists of the Church of Eng
land. On the same plea we have it urged
upon us to introduce fine music and
plenty of it into the Church worship, and
to appeal to the eye at the same time
with floral decorations and robes and
pictures and colored windows and can
dies.
The outcome of making the service
more attractive" may be witnessed on
several distinct theatres where the sub
ject has been worked out; to wit, in the
Russo Greek Church, in the Roman Cath
Ollie Church, in the Armenian Church, in
the Ritualistic branch of the Anglican
Church
The trouble about these schemes for
making the services more attractive is
that in proportion as the fancy is tickled,
the soul is starved AS the pageant
grows, spiritual-mindedness decays. AS
the attendance increases, the religious
sentiment weakens.
If you have to fix the attention of an
audience by making them read verse
as sort of echo to one just read by the
minister, the attention secured is not a
concentrated, but mechanical, attention,
and responses given in this way, as a
matter of fact (however plausible the the
DRY may beg, are rolled out by congre-
CATION with very little realization of
what they are saying, and with a rapid
ity that does not permit an understand
ing of what is read by the eye. We have
studied and observed this thing for many
years with a real desire to reach correct
conclusion.
A fixed form of prayer necessarily,
with the mass (not with ally, degener-
ates into mechanical operation, greater
or less in degree.
We do not deny that to certain class
Of minds it is more attractive" to have
a varied and complicated service; it re-
quires less mental effort there is an APP
pearance Of having worshipped but that
spectacular display, or fine music, or many
pastures, or reading and reading back,
touches the deeper spiritual conscious
ness-penetrates the last retreats of the
conscience, kindles the flames of the
holier affections, or stirs the exercises of
a soul specifically awake to the claims of
religion-we do not believe.
We do not mean by this to convey the
idea at all that many of the loveliest and
most devoted Christians have not wor-
shipped in this way some of the bright
est names in the annals of our common
Christianity rise up before us to contra
dict such thought; but their religion
was not, we think, the product of such
surroundings; it was deep-seated prin-
ciple that Aourished even in spite of in
Auences that were not helpful in their
public worship.