Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-01-21

From church all forms ana IRON cFecus,
Body and soul we now have freed;
We live in love without discorl,
We now are frcemen in the Lord.
Thank God, the world has near outgrown,
Dark thoughts by Calvin sown;
Elections dogma, too, it lulls,
Helrs no more paved with infant skulls.
Arminians preach milder hell,
Sulphurous waves no longer swell;
Now churchal suppers, with oyster stewS.
Are means of grace the Churches use.
Church fairs, lotteries, are the 60,
Church tea-parties, and Church-tableau:
The Church now serves ice-crcam and cake,
And does it all for Jesus sake.
They'll serve You coffee, good roast beef.
Though of all sinners you are chief
Church oysters, stewcd or on half shell.
Have virtue now to save from hell.
They sell at fairs, too, nice boquetS,
For which the Church beau roundly pays;
The Church postmistress for Il quarter,
Love letter has for every daughter.
Birthstone has lost its ancient charm,
Aud split foot devils do no harm:
Corncd beef, baked beans, now take thcll
place.
And grab-bags. too, are Il means of grace.
Church buildings once were holy places.
Where God. twas thought had dwelling
| places,
But modern Christians, one perccivcs,
Have made the place like den Of thieves.
There they eat, drink, and buy and sell,
| Have jolly times as you know WELL
Christ, from the temple of the Lord,
| The traders drove, with whip of cord.
Church buildings now are the showcase,
| Where millincrs, their choice goods place,
Where drcssmakers their skill do show.
| Where butterflies of fashion 90.
| The humble, homeless NaZarenc,
Feels not ut ease 'mong them ] wcen;
Those tongues that babbled gossip rare,
| Are quite unused to humble prayer.
| Billiards and dances soon you'll see,
| The chiefest means of grace will be,
For bugbears now have failed to draw
| The people to the Church's nav.
Twas sinful once to play at cards,
None went to races but the hards;
But now the saints can euchrc you,
Parsons own trotters not 4 few.
When on the boulevard they try
Their horses, when the dust does ily
When once the parson takes his seat,
BE sure you'll find him hard TO beat.
Some city parsons chew and smoke,
And drive fast horses, crack the joke:
Through long vacations Europe visit,
And send home letters most exquisite.
To hear them laugh you would not think,
Their friends were standing on the brink
Of that sulphurous lake called hell,
Where rcprObatcs and devils dwell.
They used to preach 'gainst Sunday labor,
NtS Slll " NlSlJ HtiltSl
One Wesleyan preacher, it is said,
Would not on Sunday comb his head.
Twas sin to read or sin to look,
Save in Bible or religious book
But now, the Sunday news they read,
And visits tally with their creed.
Religion once as fine as silk,
Forbade the selling Sundays milk.
And Sunday shaving by the barber,
Were sins the clergy would not harbor.
The theater was door to hell,
The devil did the thing propel
The MINISTRIES, too, were satans's imps.
The circus-rders devils pimps.
Now, Churches are their great providers,
Their children go TO see the riders;
Church members, rich in gold and stocks,
In theater own private box.
An organ was wicked thing
To praise the Lord let people sing;
BY proxy now, the sacred fire
Flows through an organ, and paid choir.
Jewels and plating Of the hair,
They were forbid the sisters fair;
And once they wore the Quaker bonnet,
Without Il bow or flower on it.
Now sisters up the broad aisle bounce
With rustling silks, and lace and founce;
With sparkling diamonds all aglow,
At the Lords table kneel so low.
Our Baptist friends their old time sheep
In river washed; but now they keep
Their Jordans in mighty box,
In which they plunge the orthodox.
The Church is in transition state,
A mighty change doth her await:
And while she rubs her sleepy eyes,
The outside world grows truly WISE
Thank God, the old things pass away;
Now We behold brighter day;
Old superstition takes her flight,
To hide herself in caves, from sight.
We now behold the rising sun.
A glorious dawning has begun,
And over this benighted world,
Our banner of light shall be unfurled.
Meath its pure folds We'll join the fight
For manhood's veal, for womans rights;
The God above. will be our shield,
While in his strength, Truths sword we WELD,
With truths strong subsoil plow, Wen try
To break the soil so hard and dry;
And then broadcast we'll SOW good seed,
Reap In due time full sheaves indeed
We walk the paths the angels trod,
That leadeth nearer to our God;
We know our Fathers living hand
viii lead us to the heavenly land
sgee Blue Laws Of Connecticut.
tSisters Of the Methodist Chur0hes