large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_38
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
They stand, too, while the psalms and hymns are lined out, and as they sing them, very uncertainly and very incorrectly. THEY STAND TOO WHILE THE PSALMS AND HYMNS ARE LINED OUT AND AS THEY SING THEM VERY UNCERTAINLY AND VERY INCORRECTLY
o wandering eyes or whispered words. The deacons are in the "fore" seats; the elderly people are sometimes given chairs at the end of the "pues"; and the slaves and Indians are in the rear. To seat one's self in the wrong "pue" is an offense punishable by a fine. "Here is the church, and here are the people," as the old rhyme has it. What then of the services? That they are interminable we know. The tithing-man or clerk may turn the brass-bound hourglass by the side of the pulpit two and three times during the sermon, and once or twice during the prayer. Interminable, and, also, to the modern Sunday observer, unendurable. How many of us of this softer age can contemplate without a shiver the vision of people sitting hour after hour in an absolutely unheated building? (The Old Ship was not heated until 1822.) The only relief from the chill and stiffness comes during the prayer when the congregation stands: kneeling, of course, would savor too strongly of idolatry and the Church of Rome. NG MEN WHO ALLOW NO WANDERING EYES OR WHISPERED WORDS THE DEACONS ARE IN THE FOUR SEATS THE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES GIVEN CHAIRS AT THE END OF THE PEWS AND THE SLAVES AND INDIANS ARE IN THE REAR TO SEAT ONE'S SELF IN THE WRONG PEW IS AN OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY A FINE HERE IS THE CHURCH AND HERE ARE THE PEOPLE AS THE OLD RHYME HAS IT WHAT THEN OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE INTERMINABLE WE KNOW THE TITHING MAN OR CLERK MAY TURN THE BRASS BOUND HOURGLASS BY THE SIDE OF THE PULPIT TWO AND THREE TIMES DURING THE SERMON AND ONCE OR TWICE DURING THE PRAYER INTERMINABLE AND ALSO TO THE MODERN SUNDAY OBSERVER UNENDURABLE HOW MANY OF US OF THIS SOFTER AGE CAN CONTEMPLATE WITHOUT A SHIVER THE VISION OF PEOPLE SITTING HOUR AFTER HOUR IN AN ABSOLUTELY UNHEEDED BUILDING THE OLD SHIP WAS NOT HEATED UNTIL EIGHTEEN TWENTY TWO THE ONLY RELIEF FROM THE CHILL AND STIFFNESS COMES DURING THE PRAYER WHEN THE CONGREGATION STANDS KNEELING OF COURSE WOULD SAVOR TOO STRONGLY OF IDOLATRY AND THE CHURCH OF ROME
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
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download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb.flac