Editor's note: This Circular Letter is from the Minutes of the East New Jersey Baptist Association, 1869, pages 29-32. The association met for its 28th anniversary with the North Baptist Church, Jersey City on June 1st and 2nd. J. Banard, D. D. was the Moderator and the Clerks were Rev. J. D. Merrill and Rev. W. D. Siegfried. The author of this Circular had written an earlier Circular in 1857. He had been elected Moderator of the association in 1865. - jrd
CIRCULAR LETTER, 1869
East New Jersey Baptist Association
By Rev. C. E. Wilson, Jr.
"Worship in Our Churches"How shall we worship? This question is at present receiving much attention. We do not purpose answering it in this letter, but merely offer a few thoughts concerning it.
Almost every nation or tribe of our race has its religious rites and ceremonies. They vary in character, according to the views which those who observe them may entertain of God. If these are gross and sensual, so will the worship be; if they are exalted and spiritual, it will share in their excellence. Christianity did not institute this religious duty, but through its revelations of God gave to the world a better understanding of its nature. Christ took the old stock and grafted on it a better variety of fruit. He took our religions instincts in their natural state and sought through them to establish within us right views and feelings toward God. And yet the followers of Jesus have always found it difficult to separate themselves entirely from the temples and altars of Paganism and Judaism. They are slow to learn that forms and ceremonies are in themselves worthless, and have a value only when they are expressive of the religious feelings of the heart. In all true worship the internal state must precede the external act - the form must adapt itself to the substance -- the shell to the kernel. Words are of no value unless wedded to thoughts. We do not first get our statements and then suit our ideas to them. Nor should we try to establish our forms of worship until we possess its spirit. We should first ask, What homage am I prepared to render to God? Not how shall I render it? What feelings of reverence and devotion do I possess? Not how shall I express them?
There is then a preparatory work to be done. True worship is based on facts. It is because of what God is, and for no other reason that we love and adore Him. We do not love our friends from a sense of duty. All possible obligations piled upon us cannot awaken our affections. We do not admire courage, justice and patriotism because we ought, but because we cannot help it. Nor can we worship God because it is required of us, but only because we have some realizing sense of His goodness and greatness. Without this no command, however binding, could he effectual. If we regard God as a being like ourselves, governed by the same passions and prejudices, it would be impossible for us to reverently esteem, love and trust Him. We must have true conceptions of the Divine character -- right views of God's justice, mercy and truth, and of his power, wisdom and love, if we would render Him devout and sincere homage. So also purity of heart and righteous living are necessary in order to the highest worship. Can a man who takes pleasure in sin and who is satisfied to be sinful; who is selfish, unjust and unmerciful, reverence a. being for His holiness and supreme goodness? I may with my life extol the virtues of a fellow man, but if I have no desire to possess those virtues myself, all my praise is a pure deception So all attempts to manifest a high regard for our Heavenly Father's moral excellence is a shameful mockery, unless in our souls we are saying, "Oh that I were more like Him."
To get ourselves ready to worship is not then so small an undertaking as we may have imagined. It is a preparation which cannot be acquired after we have entered the church doors on Sunday morning, but requires much thoughtful and prayerful effort . It involves a high religious culture, and such a moral elevation of our natures as will enable us rightly to perceive and esteem the Divine character.
And when we are thus spiritually prepared for worship there will be but little cause for anxiety in reference to what shall be its outward form. The overflowing heart wilt easily find a suitable way of expressing its emotions. The attempt of a certain class of Christians to entangle the church in a multitude of artificial ceremonies indicates on their part a mistaken notion of our religious wants. Such cumbersome machinery is not at all suited to that purity and depth of emotion which ought to characterize Christian worship. Deep feeling naturally expresses itself with simplicity. Its utterances are marred by all attempts at studied statement. I cannot conceive how a soul consciously dwelling in the midst of the great truths of God's nature can quietly endure the torture of these meaningless ordinances which Rome has invented, and which are so attractive to many beyond her pale. We need not question the sincerity of the friends and supporters of ritualism. They perceive the same great defects in our worship of which we are sensible, and are anxious to remove them. Their error consists in supposing that the desired reformation can be effected through such artificial means. These defects are more radical than they suppose. They originate in the heart itself, and are the result of a lack of spiritual religion. If we would remove them, the remedy must be applied to the disease and not to its symptoms - men must be made more spiritual.
Entire uniformity among Christians in their mode of worship is not however to be expected or desired. Men differ so largely in their tastes, habits and temperaments as to necessitate much diversity. Individuality must be permitted to show itself here as well as any where else. And yet we may reasonably expect of every man that he will make his form of worship the sincere expression of his feelings, and not a substitute for them nor a hindrance in their way. This is all we can ask.
While, then, we may have no fault to find with the forms of worship which our denomination has for the most part adopted, a few practical suggestions in regard to them may not be inappropriate.
1. Let them be observed with proper dignity. The worship of God is the noblest employment in which we can be engaged. It honors us more than anything else we do. It behooves us then to observe it in a befitting manner - to show by every word and movement that we are conscious of the sacredness and solemnity of the occasion. Our sense of propriety should at such times be especially acute, for never is a suitable deportment more necessary. It is the habit of some when in the house of God to assume a brusk and business-like air, and to go through the services with as little show of reverence as possible. They wish to avoid all appearance of cant or of affected sanctity. Now, their object is a good one, but their method of attaining it cannot be commended. Better bear the reproach of being sanctimonious than destroy the impressiveness of our worship by an appearance of irreverence.
2. Regard all the services as equally important. It is not unusual for church-goers to consider the first part of the services as dry and tedious, and to give a sigh of relief when the discourse is reached. Is it not a significant fact, that we are accustomed to designate all that precedes the sermon as the introductory services? Are they nothing more than this? Are the prayers, the songs of praise, the reading of the Scriptures, merely preliminary? Have they no value except to prepare the way for the coming discourse? They will of course be dry and tedious if they hold such a place in our estimation, and had better be dispensed with entirely.
It is not necessary in order that this part of the service may be rightly observed that more time should be devoted to it, but only that it should receive a stronger emphasis. Let it he crowded with meaning and devotion. Do not make it subordinate to the sermon, but co-ordinate with it.
It is deemed necessary by many clergymen to season all the exercises with the theme of the discourse, so they sing and pray the sermon as well as preach it. Doubtless harmony should pervade all our worship, but let it be by means of a paralellism [sic] rather than of rigid unity. God should be the centre of worship. Around Him all our thoughts should cluster. The sermon should contribute its part of the homage to be rendered, and the prayers and hymns their part.
3. Avoid all unnecessary interruptions. There is a reflex influence in sincere worship. The soul that engages in it cannot fail of being benefited. Leaving the narrow circle of its daily thoughts it lifts itself into the presence of God, and communes with the Infinite. Oh! the strength, the encouragement, the comfort, the inspiration we gather from these interviews with our Divine Father and Saviour and sanctifier. We always return from such sacred pilgrimages loaded with the richest gifts.
We cannot then afford to have the blessed impressions of these hallowed hours destroyed by mingling with our worship that which is entirely foreign to it. No matter how important these side matters may be in themselves, they have no right to intrude upon time consecrated to another and more sacred use.
The reading of unnecessary and secular notices may be instanced as an example of this kind of disturbance. The pulpit, in many communities, is a very popular advertising medium. Notices of lectures, concerts, festivals - of almost anything that may be handed in with a complimentary ticket, are expected to he read.
It may be the time is coming when our churches will pay their expenses by means of their advertising department. No doubt patent medicine venders and life insurance companies would gladly avail themselves of such an opportunity to aid in evangelizing the world. Is it not time this growing evil was abated? Why not substitute for it a bulletin board in the vestibule of the meeting-house, where the notices can be posted and read by all the congregation?
4. Let us be ready to make any changes in our mode of worship that may tend to its spirituality. Doubtless occasionally improvements could be made which would greatly add to the effectiveness of our services. Prejudice or habit should not hinder us from considering these, and if deemed advisable, from adopting them. Some of our churches have already made alterations in their religious exercises, and pronounce them beneficial. One of these permit me to refer to. Many have regarded it as a defect in our worship that not sufficient importance has been given to the reading of Scripture. To supply this deficiency they have introduced the method of reading passages from the Bible in concert or in alternate verses. Whatever may be said of this innovation, the question may very properly arise whether the ministry have rendered the old method as impressive as it might be, by previous earnest and prayerful study of the Scripture they intend to read publicly.
I have often thought that a silent prayer either before or after the sermon might be profitable. We find them very effective an revival meetings, and there is no reason why they might not be equally so in our ordinary services.
In conclusion, my brethren, let me say that it should be our aim to make our sanctuary services the very best possible. We do not consider anything too good for those we love and highly esteem. We gather for them the rarest flowers and pluck the ripest fruit and set before them the choicest viands. Shall we not manifest the same spirit in our worship? When we bow before the greatest Being in the Universe, let it he with the purest thoughts, the most fervent love and the deepest reverence - let us call to our aid all that is noblest and best within us, and summon our spiritual energies to their highest effort.
============= [This document was photocopied from the original at Princeton University (NJ), Special Collections Library. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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