Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-05-31
RELIGIOUS FADS.


not always easy to draw. In general, !
fad denotes a petty fashion adopted,
however undesirable and offensive IN
itself, simply because others adopt it.
Now, good deal might be said about
the folly. the waste of time, thought and
money, which is involved in trying to
keep up with the changing fashions in
dress and equipage. All serious-minded
persons deplore the dissipation of mind
and the weakening of moral stamina
which almost necessarily 60 with the
habit of changing ones ways for the
mere reason that Others have done so.
Yet so long as the habit has reference
only to superficial matters of life, it may
be regarded as comparatively harmless;
but when religion becomes drawn into
this same whlrl of change for the sake of
change, the case is more serious. Reig-
ion, If there is any reality in it, is some
thing essentially fixed and permanent;
and the expression of the religion. though
more susceptible of variation than the
substance of it, ought yet, 1t would seem,
to be characterized by a good degree of
permanency. At all events, if changes
are introduced they should be determin.
ed by real prompting of religious life
and feeling, not by an apish desire to
initiate somebody else. The very
thought of making religious things a
matter of fashion cannot but be repug-
nant to every truly religious mind.
Yet it is difficult not to think that in
the matter of religious forms mere fash
ion plays not inconsiderable part The
recent tendency in our non-lturgical
churches to adopt liturgical forms can
hardly be imagined to be the unadulter-
ated product of changed religious
spirit. There are too many indications
of its being largely, If not wholly,
prompted by the impulse to initiate
This is shown especially by the fact
that, as Is generally the case when men
| try to Initiate others, either the worst or
the least important things are the ones
initiated. Thus, if we consider the part
which the congregations bear In the in
nOvatiOns, we find that the principal
thing Is the responsive readings of the
Scriptures, which is precisely the least
edifying and most unesthetic feature of
the Episcopal service. and one which the
Episcopal church itself is doing its best
to get rid Of by substituting for it re-
spOnsve singing by a double choir The
psalms are productions which can APP
proprately be sung, and probably were
largely sung responsively in the ancient
Jewish services. But they were never
designed to be read responsively. Sing
ers can pronounce their words together
and the effect of the melody and har
mony Is inspiring and elevating, every
participant helps every other, But
when multitude of persons undertake
to read in concert, every one, instead o
being helped by the others, i distracted
and disturbed. 1t is impossible for then
to keep together. One hears voices %
every quality around him. not harmon
ous even if they pronounced their word
together. but making the confusion
worse COMPOUNDED by reading at differ
ent rates of speed. If the object be t,
receive lively impression of the meanin!
of the words read. hardly Il worse meth0r
could be devised. But if this is not tn
object, what is it: We are sometime
told that it is desirable that the cOngre
CATION should have more to do in tn
Sunday service. and this responsive read
ing is something which they can dc
Well, of course, the congregation shout
do something; but if they listen after
lively TO the Bible well read and well e1
pounded, and make an application of tn
truth TO themselves, they do "A great det
more than when they merely stand u
and make confused noise. If tn
prompting cause of the introduction c
this new feature into our religious Sc
vices were IA strong desire to take part
!, the worship Gas we are often todd, the
that desire would manifest itself, MOI
t decidedly than it does, in a movemel
, to secure a more general participation {
the congregation in the musical part {
i the service. For people can sing togetl
e er tremendously and edifyingly. Tn
T is the one thing which a multitude ca
;. do together effectively and estheticall.
1 And yet there seems to be no-eilort
J. increase or improve this feature of OF
; religious services, but rather the tende
=. cy is to delegate it more and more to II
/. choir.
Il Some of the fads of the choir may
:, mentioned. First, the Amen fad. 1t
$ getting to be thought the stylish thin
l. to close every hymn, whatever may
i the tenor of it, with "Amen." VIII,
). Undoubtedly because the EpiscOpalia
o do so. 1t is certainly not because it adj
IS anything 10 the sense or the impressiy
ness of a hymn. 1t is not because the