The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-24
Anaersp1s gntellige,1esr.
Church Manners.
BY CHARLES F. DEEMS, LID.

Church Manners.
BY CHARLES F. DEEMS, LID.
1. If your pew be rented and some
stranger be in it, never show him out,
nor allow your countenance to exhibit
the least regret at his being in your seat.
In YOUR heart thank God that he is there
and no matter in what rags he comes,
keep him there and have a member OF
your family take his place. Find q seat
among those who know you. Those who
are near you and discover your condition
will make room for you rapidly. :,
2. If it be free church, put yourself
in the hands of an usher and say not one
word. Set down where he seats you.
he has studied the church and congre-
CATION and knows best. If you insist on
seating yourself, you may enter pew
in which you will leave only one vacancy
then if q man and his wife come and
wish to sit together you separate them.
If there be anything special in your case,
az hardness of hearing or a weak limb,
then you should inform the usher and let
him select your seat.
8. In dressing for church prepare your
self to throw off your wrappings when
you enter your pew. If you have on
clothing to protect you against the cold,
and then enter the church warmed with
stoves or register, you will soon become
uncomfortable and restless. Study how
you are to be as comfortable in church
as in your ewn home, and not let any
false modesty prevent you from rising 70
pull off your overcoat, or saque, or
shawl. ~.
4. TAXI care how you use fans. Nine
tenths of fanning is unnecessary. You
would be more comfortable if you would
sit still and keep very quiet. The most
tanning is an expression OF general lussi.
ness Of temper. Moreover, it may annoy
your neighbor. We heard a physician
say "that he thought that large amount
of the prevalent neuralgia was due to the
use of fans in church, and fell not on
those who famed, but upon some OF their
ne:ghbors.n ssI got little good OF the
sermon Yesterday, because of the lady
who sat next to me, who tanned me un-
til was almost in a shiyer." what
would you think of your minister if he
should fan himself while preachingY
5. Conform to the ussges of the con-
gregation; stand whel they stand; kneel
when they kneel. If you are stranger
do not make haste to change your posi-
ton. Do not rise, nor sit, nor kneel,
until you discover what. is done N the
congregation. In your church it may
be different. You may be accustomed
to kneel Just after singing hymn. But
some Sunday may find you in church
where the congregation might, aftertthei
singing of the hymn and before the prayer
continue standing until they have repeat
ed the Creed. It would be awkward tor
You to sit down or kneel, and be COM
pelled to rise to repeat the Greed, or keep
in posture which would make you con-
spicuous.
6. Be attentive to strangers. If you
are settled in church keep supply of
hymn. books and Bibles and hand them
to those who are strangers. Extend
your hand to the stranger at the close OF
the service. Invite him to come again
and occupy your pew. Offer to make
him acquainted with your pastor. It is
no excuse for you to say that you 90 not
know him." That is your very reason
for speaking to him in church.
It was burlesque, perhaps, upon cast
iron manners, when it was related that
a Frenchman saw man drowning and
declined to give him help because they
had not been introduced" "The rich
and the poor meet together and the Lord
is the maker of them all" And any two
persons meeting in church are, according
to Christian ethics and society etiquette,
justified in speaking with each other on
the subject Of religion. Two men in the
"Corn Exchange" who live next door to
each other uptown, and never exchange
visits, and never speak to one another
elsewhere do not hesitate either to ad.
dress the other down in the market, in
regard to purchasing or selling thou
sand barrels of -four.
Lastly. Do not commence to gather
up your outer garments until the entire
service has been concluded. A short
time since, we were in one of the best.
known churches in America, whose pop
ular pastor closed the services by saying:
SHOW let us close by singing the long
measure doxology, pronounce the bene-
diction, and resume our overcoats. =" The
programme struck us as correct, and its
imitation as practical; but we greatly
regret the state of church manners which
made the pastor think such thing ap.
propriate.-&. Louis Advocate.