The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-11

lures from the good old Presbyterian
style OF the Directory for Public Wor-
ship, such as sitting during prayers, ris-
ing during singing, repeating responsive
ly the Lords Prayer. These lettings
in had observed in Southern Presb4-
terian churches, but l had not remarked
in those churches any especial authorita-
tive observance of days.
Here, in the minds of all men, and
women, too, of advanced thought and
OF progressive IDEAS everything South
ern and all Southerners are old fogies and
Bourbons. l knew that before I came
here. But | had trained myself to be-
lleve that there was something so mighty,
so stringent in the cohesive power of a
pure Presbyterianism, that no detection
from the good, well-tried, long-tried ways
of church order would ever be possible,
at least in my day. There was such an
intense delight, such boastful pride in the
unadorned simplicity of our mode of
worship, in which we g!oried, as in con
trast with other denominations, I could
not believe it possible that our Church
ever could or would be willing to subject
itself to the suspicion or charge of aping
any other denomination in our public
worship. But have lived to see myself
mistaken. Time flies, the world moves
In this city there is Presbyterian church
in which there is a bastard litur-
gy, and the minister breaches in gown
and band. Well, I won't stop to argue
the proprieties ; state the facts. l be-
gan this letter with the purpose of telling
you how Presbyterians observe Christ
mas here. RcUenonS q nos naoutonS.
On Saturday all the churches published
IN the secular papers, in near juxtaposition
with the theatrical programmes, their
programmes of music for the coming Sab
bath day-Christmas- and due notice
thereof was announced from the pulpits.
In our church, which seats fifteen hun
dred people, every nook and corner was
packed. | never witnessed a denser
throng We have paid quartette
choir, the best in the city, for which we
pay seventeen hundred dollars, | ain
told. On this occasion, Christmas, this
fine choir was supplemented by splen-
did chorus of some thirty or more OF the
best male and female voices in the city
also some ten "stringed instruments"
(our old-fashioned people call them i'd
dSeS), big and little or violins and vio-
loncellos. The pastor reminded this i'm
mense congregation that they were in the
house Of God, and impressed upon them
the observance Of decorum and becom-
ing seriousness-that the services were a
religious service of song and praise =
whereupon the stringed instruments 5"
alone dashed off in an overture; then fol-
lowed the reading of few, very few
verses in the Psalms about praising God
on cymbals, and timbrels and StTinqed
instruments (the pastor emphasized the
Stran9ed a1aStrumentS); then followed a
grand quartette, chorus, and organ AdeStc
fde(es, and it was sublimely grand-old
Portuguese Hymn. 1t almost reconciled
me to the innovation-then followed
prayer-then another grand chorus of
voices, and stringed instruments, and or
gan, from Festival Of TIE Deum, and
so on, for an hour and half concluding
the performances with that grandest of
grand conceptions from Rosini's Stabat
Mater" Eafomn1atatS" This was the
crowning glory of the service of song"
and never equalled in my memory bv
any one since heard Jenny Lind sing it.
1t was gratifying exhibition of the self
control of the immense audience that thev
did not applaud. 1 felt myself that l
mast, and so did every one else, believe.
But after benediction the audience retired
reverently. But I doubt not that this
beginning is as the letting in of a
flood Of something else to sweep away
some of the old foundations of that sim
plicity and artles8nes8 which have long
distinguished and characterized the Pres.
byterian Church
| would not be understood as discour-
aging the higher culture Of sacred music,
and rendering the service of song as
beautiful and attractive as possible. I
most heartily concur with John Wesley
| believe it was, who said he did not
believe the devil ought to have all the
good music My Bourbonism in church
matters may be very disgusting, but let
us be one thing or another-viz., simple
and original, not complex nor "unsuccess-
ful imitators Of what we once prided
ourselves in despising
These straws show which way the
wind blows Our pastor is the most in
Huential divine, and our church the larp-
est in western New York. Henceforfb
such. musical performances will be imi-
tated by every Presbyterian church in
this Synod-then, what next? Q1ien
sabe 2 w p Il