The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-15
THE PHILOSOPHY OF CLOTHING.
A PAPER WRITTEN AND READ BY
REV. t. J. BRIsTow AT A RECENT
MEETING OF THE SOMERSET
MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION.


MEETING OF THE SOMERSET
MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION.
AS mankind receives the true relig-
ion of Jesus Christ, and advances in
civilization il gives attention 10 cloth
ing. We are not now to consider what
might have been, if primeval innocence
had been maintained, and other condi-
tons also equal. The clothing of the hui
man body in a becoming manner is not
merely command, but almost an or
dinance of God. 1t was distinctly or
dered that the priests officiating in the
ancient Jewish Church which was Of
Gods appointment, were not only to
have person without mutilation or
defect, and to he strictly clean, but al
so decently clad. Later we find the
same thing in much higher sense;
for when our Lord healed the demon
lac, it is stated that she was found sit
in his right mind" Later the apostle
Paul, while speaking of the Christians
desire to be with Christ, says with
wonderful chastity mot that we
would be uncIothed but clothed upon
that mortality might be swallowed up
of life" In the "Apocalypse" the
| garments, symbolical of course, of the
Messiah, are described minutely as
''clothed in garment dipped in blood"
When the end shall come to terrestrial
things, the finality is described rs tine
folding up of a vesture. There is in
all this something suggesting thought,
so that about clothing there is "a deep
philosophy.
No picture of the home of the re-
deemed is complete without the
''white robes" We would say then
that God intended the human body to
be clad to meet all the requirements Of
modesty. 1t goes without saying
that different nations have ideas with
regard to this as far as the east and
west asunder, but the requirement
"Orientals'' say that trousers for men
are not modest, the fast and loud of
this and other nations say that bloom
ers for wOmen's wear are quite con
sistent. "The human form divine"
as il has been aptly called, may not in
its nudity as in the work Of the sculp-
tor incite to evil thoughts, bat the half
clad figure with its eXaggeration and
distortion of dress often will. We
have not the time here 10 discuss the
nude in art, except 10 say that where
the art is real and pure we have no Oh
lection; we must, however, deprecate
the growing practice of inserting in
books and periodicals photographs of
the nude human form. IL is shame
and disgrace, pandering as it does TO n
prurient curiosity, and to the baser
part of our nature. The purer the
mind and the higher the type of liv-
ing the less there will be of evil and
sensual suggestion in the dress of both
man and woman. To the pare it may be
said ''all things are pure" but it is also
true that we are to shun the appear
ance of evil; and Shakespeare, the
worlds greatest philosopher, well says
in Julius Caesar 81 firm that
can not be seduced ~ The best in
stinct will lead us to dress 50 rs to
avoid singularity and that it will he
more or less in harmony with our call
ing. 1t would not be heresy for a
minister to deck himself in all the
colors of the rainbow, but it would not
add to his reputation as a man of COM
mon sense. Obviously the railroad
conductor, the steamboat officer, the
mechanic, and all of any calling,
should wear clothes in harmony with
it. We here affirm that it is in good
taste, and better in every way Tor a
minister of religion to wear gown
while conducting public services.
Calvin and Luther both preached in
the Geneva gown, and it would be
hard to imagine either of them preach
ing in an every day business suit of
clothes. The clothing we as ministers
wear is some times ill-fitting, shabby
or carelessly arranged, and with the
rostrum now to preach from instead
of pulpit, there is often need of de
cent covering. | know that the best
of sermons have been preached by the
best of men, without these accessories,
but the carelessness or inadveTtence of
preachers dress has often spoiled, for
the hearer, a good sermon. The dis
play of jewels or expensive garments
in a church is vulgar, and hurts the
cause of religion. \ true woman, who
can afford these things and ought 10
have them, will wear palmer garb TO
church, and display the costly articles
at social functions. \ pastor of n we'll
to-do church in city in this state, re
quested the women of his congrega-
ton not to wear jewels or costly gar
ments on Sabbath evenings, rs he
wanted to get at the working people;
Ills itluC>t was Soiiil l'ilCu "ithi tiiS IL
suit being that many people in hum
BILE circumstances came to the Serv-
ices, and good was done.
There is much often that is pathetic
in the story that well worn and mend
ed garments tell of patient industry
and severe economy, even to the point
of self-denial and heartache. There
are noble wives, who in the endeavor
to make a meagre and insufficient in-
come go as far, in appearance at least,
as more liberal one, show more
heroism than any soldier on the field
of battle. In direct contrast to this
is the fop, who makes himself a lay
figure to display the latest fashions, of
whom it may be said, to use the words
of Beecher, "that such doubtless have
souls, but the guardian angels must be
keen-sighted to discern them.
In connection with the dress worn
in all ages there has been much mean
ing. We think, however, that the
least form of real pride is that of dress.
There may be the rankest pride and
ragged coat. The writer was once
Hospitality entertained by farmer in
a distant county, who was a man of
real wealth. His clothing could not
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