The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-10

2Chron " IA: For the glory,of the Lord
had filled the house of the Lord"
Eek xiii 10: Thou son of man show the
house to the house of Israel, and let them
measure the pattern."l
Dean Trench once wrote little book
son the Study of Words" to show
how much information, how much his
tory, how much poetry and moral in
struction and even metaphysics are
packed away in the speech we so care
lessly use. That little book has been
revelation to many minds of the vast
contents of our language, the traditions,
customs and beliefs; the aspirations
and the thoughts which are preserved
to US in so many of our cOmmonest
words. It has seemed to me that we
could have no more fitting introduction
to this beautiful and impressive church
than to have our thoughts directed to
the lesson it teaches in faith and doc
trine, to the intelligent eye and
spirit. To most men and women
the wonderful significance of the
churches in which they gather from
week to week is utterly lost. How few
ever traced the evolution of the church
,difice. How few know why we wor-
hip in such building as we do and
lot another of different form and ar
angement and decoration. How few
cad the symbolism expressive of so
many Of the great truths of Christian
ity which speaks in all the features of
the building. Architecture" said
Goethe, " is frozen music" And Col
eridge made the still more graphic and
truthful remark: A Gothic church is
a petrifed religion" If you and could
always, when we enter this church, hear
that music and catch the lessons the
building itself has to teach, we should
make it serve its truest purpose.
"a purpose, let me say, which is high
er than the mere qualification of the
senses, and which aims to make the eye
teach the heart a lesson in religious
truth and sentiment. It is not mere
whim of the senses, that gives US this
church built into this form, with these
familiar arrangements, decorated and
adorned after this beautiful fashion.
Beneath all these externals there are
some very sacred lessons to which we
ought to open our minds and hearts.
1t would be interesting, if time
would permit, to trace the evolution of
our present church edifice from it's ear
lest point 1t is a fascinating story
which tells us how the early Christians,
looking about for proper room in
which to hold their meetings, found
nothing so well adapted to it as the
basilica, or public hall of ancient cities;
how the growing strength of their re-
ligion soon enabled them to build
themselves such houses of worship;
how the interior arrangements of these
basilicas determined the original form
to the churches; how time modified
but did not change these marks of the
Roman origin of these houses of our
worship; so that the chancel still pre-
serves the memory of the apse in
which the judges sat in the basilica;
the pulpit recalls the altar on which
Roman priests made sacrifice;
the seats of the clergy the benches on
which the magistrates used to sit; how
the basilica was transformed and for
ever given sacred meaning when it
was changed by the introduction of
transepts into the semblance of the
cross Of the crucifed Christ; how the
Gothic architecture glorified the basili-
ca once more into the most consum-
mate type of mans spiritual aspiration;
and how since the day in which the ca
thedrals were built, the building of
churches has been but little more than
repetition Of old forms and the imitation
of what has been. But this tale would
take too long in the telling. 1t would
be the history of the institutions and
outward life of the church from its
earliest days.
To-day we have in mind different
purpose. Let us take the church edi-
fee as we find it. Let US trace in the
lines as they have come into our hands
the intent of those who drew them.
Let US see what lessons of devo-
ton, of reverence, of faith, of
aspiration, of worship and praise, of
conservation and of fellowship, it ut
tiers to the intelligent heart from
the moment that we cross yonder
threshold, that ushers us from the busy
world into this home of spiritual rest.
L.
First of all, the church speaks to him
who enters its vestibule. He is met at
the very entrance with spiritual sug-
gestion. This is the house of God. 1t |
is the place of worship and of prayer
But the incomer held a moment, |
the very structure of the building
seems to say: Wait Do not enter
unprepared. Pat thought between
this glazing, staring outer world from !
which you come and that quiet, solemn
izing one to which you go. Make this