Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
ON
MORALS 4aR MANNERS
WRITTEN FOR THE DrsrArcH.1
BY A CLERGYMAN.

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH-1
Good manners are desirable everywhere
and praiseworthy anywhere. They are su-
premely important in church. Religion
should infuse solemnity into worship in all
its parts. The church should be school of
decornm. Nevertheless, it may be doubted
whether critic could find anywhere more
scope for criticism, or a satirist more ma
terial for satire than is supplied by some
churches.
To begin with the minister. Mark how
often he is restless and inattentive when not
directly engaged in leading the congrega-
ton. Who has not seen him leave the
pulpit after entering it and skip down to
whisper to some officer in the pew? While
seated and waiting for the service to begin,
he sometimes mods familiarIy to this or that
friend TO right or left. If a brother clergy
man is in the pulpit with him they chat
during the voluntary by the choir. What
utter lack of reverencel What an object
lesson in bad manners, visible and de-
moralizing to the entire assembly!
The example of ministerial indecorum
naturally corrupts the singers yonder in the
ShOlE lOlbs AS SOOu db LuclE uuIleb dES ulo~
charged-sometimes while they are pro-
ceeding-their by-play is marked and re-
marked. When they seat themselves the
curtains are drawn. Behind the curtains
strange scenes are enacted. The soprano
places box of caramels on her lap. draws
novel from her pocket, and regaIes her
palate and her mind at the same time.
The orgsnist scribbles notes to the con-
tralto. The basso goes to sleep. Mean
time the tenor slips out and speeds away
whittier?
All are alert, however, and in their places
when the last hymn is reached, and the cur
tains are drawn back to display the quartet
once more. True, the basso's hair is un-
kempt; the soprano is chewing suspiciously,
as though she had not had quite time to dis
pose satisfactorily of that last caramel; but
the organist is seated at the keyboard; the
contralto stands demurely in her place,
while the tenor exhibits an amount of shirt
front calculated 10 mislead observers into
imagining that he means to make clean
breast of it all
What wonder that the congregation, sand
wiched between such pernicious examples,
should be ill-bred and inattentive. When
the preacher is oblivious, when the choir
mistakes the house of God for free-and-
easy 10 IL sITdnRe LHdL Lne peOple Whisper
and ogle and interchange notes and nod as
sent to the sermon in the wrong places? In
some churches the officers are in the habit
of gathering about the door in the rear of
the pews during the devotional services to
hold an informal meeting. They interrupt
worship by stage whispers or untimely
laughter. But are there not side rooms in
which they might meet? Have they not
regular time and place for official gather
ings?
Many sexton is a perambulating nui-
sance. Fussing here, seurrying there, he
distracts attention by his obtrusiveness.
And why will he move to the accompani-
ment of squeaking shoes?
In some quarters, this matter Of church
manners needs reformation. Some scribe,
who writes with the pen Of Swift; some
genius, who dips his pen in the ink of Ger
vantes, should arise to describe and, by de-
scribing, annihilate these abuses Better
still, pray that the spirit of true worship
may descend upon the scene. In this mat
ter of good manners, judgment should begin
at the house of God. We do not affirm
that what is true of some churches is true
of all. By no means. Most churches are
exemplary in these regards. We emphasize
the word some. But the offenders are nui-
sances to be abated.