ly for the sake of entertaining and pleasing. Both Methodist layman and Papal head of the Roman Church declaim against the abuse of music in the sanctuary. The first writes in the New York Independent, "The greatest handicap of the Church is the false and harmful conceptions of the function of music in public worship. Music is appropriate and helpful in a service in so far as it is used by the members of the congregation to express their religious emotions. . As a means of entertainment it has no place at all in the distinctly religious meetings of the Church. . The concert room and the Christian sanctuary cannot be successfully combined under one management."

The Pope of Rome has undertaken lately to inaugurate certain reforms in ecclesiastical music in France by prohibiting exactly the same class of music, namely, the sentimental and operatic, of which the Methodist layman complains. Experience has shown that the only way to drive out the worse is to use the better. A child, and a person of unvitiated taste, will just as readily learn and sing a chorale as a waltz or two-step time, except that the latter, being the flippant repetition of a few-note theme and often of meaningless words, will not require as much mind or soul. Learn the worthy and noble and there will not be so much danger of the unworthy. The theoretical and practical may well be united for the congregation by the Pastor taking an augmented choir and using five or six hymns for a Vesper Choral Service. Let him precede the singing of each hymn and tune with a brief history and a few incidents and he will find that a new interest is connected with such a hymn. Four or five such services a year may very profitably be continued for years and afford the opportunity of saying many necessary things. The first and great commandment is to love God, so the highest object of Church music is to praise God. Dr. Stainer, who himself wrote much excellent Church music, says, "After all, the best tunes, and the ones we learn to love the most, are the ones our grandmothers loved."

In the matter of congregational liturgical worship we come to the very heart of the subject before us. The writer believes that ordinarily, the practical use of the Liturgy must precede any extended theoretical instruction. The congregation must use, and use well, before it is in a condition to judge. Not knowing the better how is it in a condition to decide anything in regard to

it? Here lies the difficulty. The congregation cannot judge rightly until it has used, and the Pastor cannot introduce a better Service until the congregation knows. Here again the Sunday School as the more malleable material is the better element to begin with. At the many and beloved festival seasons of our Church, the Sunday School can give the congregation a taste of a well-rendered liturgical Service. Often a temporary use may create a permanent love. As in one case the writer suggested that in a series of special sermons where sermon outlines and the Vesper Services were printed on the same sheet the congregation try the Vesper Service for three months and then if not satisfactory it would be possible to go back to the old (no) order. But when the three months were past, every one having found it possible to unite in the Service from the printed services, no one was willing to go back to the old. At the same place the Sunday School has been using for the last two years the music of the Gregorian Plain Song, and rendered it before the congregation at every festival occasion. It would be entirely feasible, if it were desirable, to introduce its use to the congregation.

Undoubtedly the introduction of liturgical worship should, when the congregation is fully settled in the use of it, and it is no longer a matter of dispute, be followed by full information on the principles, reasons, Scripturalness, etc., of such a Service. They should know the why and wherefore, not that they may necessarily enjoy it any more themselves, but that they may be able to give such reasons and arguments to others. Such information can only be given by the Pastor, either in his pastoral visitations or publicly in sermons, for it would seem almost impossible to reach the heart of the congregation through the printed page. He also is most interested in doing so. We may all feel the beauty of melody as it is carried by a single voice, touching our heart, but there is something in a harmonized chord that we can never get from a succession of notes, a melody. There is beauty, grace, blessing, in private devotion and prayer. In the worship of the congregation, where all states and conditions of men join there is not only an intensification of the individual's devotion. It has a new quality. It has become the Communion of Saints.

In the matter of Church Architecture theory must precede practice; for when once a thought is put in stone and iron it is more apt to be permanent for at least fifty years. As we have

already indicated, the doctrinal and liturgical history of our Church in America may be read in the three eras or general styles of church buildings. If Ruskin has defined architecture as frozen music, we may certainly be right when we say that Church Architecture is faith and life done in stone. Every church building expresses something. Some time ago in going through a church that cost almost a hundred thousand dollars, built in the Byzantine style of the round arch, after going through ladies' parlor and gentlemen's parlor, and kitchen and dining room and stage with curtains, coming at last to the amphitheater "auditorium" the long-suffering visitor exclaimed, "O, Church of the Holy Bake-oven!" And it was no slander. The writer knows of a congregation which put a twenty thousand dollar addition to its old church building. A true churchly floor-plan was suggested by the Pastor and adopted by the congregation. Then that the prejudices of certain parties might be carried out the Pastor was excluded from the building committee and a committee appointed of which at least three members confessed that they had never been inside of any other Lutheran Church than their own old one. Those who know better have been compelled to apologize for conditions ever since. How can we expect our Church to have its proper influence until our members know what style of architecture is expressive of our faith and worship and why it is so? Why and where do we have an altar? Why we place baptismal fonts in our churches? What is the proper order of font, pulpit and altar, and why? These are the simplest and most fundamental questions, yet to many of our members are unsolvable enigmas.

How much there is to learn by our laity concerning our methods of working? How many or rather, how few, can give the reasons why we do not, and cannot join the denominations in their methods and ways of working? Is it only narrowness, bigotry and arbitrary selfishness which moves our Pastors to occupy the position which they assume? If there is no reason, or if the reason is not known, which amounts to the same thing for the ignorant, then it must be all that it seems. Pastors have good reasons for what they do. The people must know them if Pastors expect to hold them. How are our people to learn that the whole method and spirit of the popular revival meeting and system is foreign to our Lutheran Church? By pointing out that

the revival system is based on an altogether different view from the Church system. The revival system at least belittles, if it does not directly contradict, the grace which the child receives in baptism, the ordinary blessings of God's Word, the regular and orderly worship of God's House, the sufficiency of the regularly called pastorate. In short, it is the direct opposite, not only in practice but much more in spirit, of our Lutheran faith and worship and the Lutheran pastor or layman who would take part in them thereby denies everything he once confessed. What member of the Church that is well-informed can fail to see that the whole Y. M. C. A. movement with its disparagement of sacrament and ministry is a movement on the same principles and lines as the monasticism of the Middle Ages and will surely at last undermine the Church and teachings of Christ.

Nor can we forget that the demand for special weeks of prayer and the numerous requests for sermons on special subjects are all directly opposed to the Church Year which lies at the very center of our worship. All these things lead directly away from the Church with its pure faith and holy practice. And our people instead of standing in the attitude of apology should know how to propose something better. Until they do we shall not be able to occupy our rightful position. We cannot unite with other bodies, but if we had knowledge enough of our own position, our faith, our practice we might easily be leaders. We need above all things intelligence, clear perceptions along these lines. There are individuals and congregations who are in the clear in regard to these things. They are to be congratulated. They are our leaders. But there are many who are yet only moving toward the light. Let us help them all we can.

The ideal Church or congregation is that in which God is worshipped in spirit and in truth, which expresses that spirit and truth in the purest art forms, and which does it intelligently.

Warren, Pa.

A. B. MARKLEY.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SYMBOLISM AND ITS EMPLOYMENT IN THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH.

"THE invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made." This is symbolism. A symbol is something that, not being a portrait, stands for something else and serves either to represent it or to bring to mind one or more of its qualities; especially something so used to represent or suggest that which is not capable of portraiture; as an idea, state, quality or action. The oak is the symbol of strength, the sword of slaughter, the trident of Neptune, white of purity.

That symbolism is very beautiful, useful and scriptural is freely admitted by most scholars. This subject, therefore, needs neither formal introduction nor any apology. It is in the front among present-day questions of churchliness and artistic beauty. It must be considered. A new conscience concerning the arrangement and ornamentation of churches is making its voice. heard among thoughtful Christians. There is also a manifest awakening on the subject of the relation of Art, in its diversified forms, to the Church and her Services. This is a very significant tendency and should be encouraged by every lover of devout worship and true Art.

Symbolism is both a science and an art. As an historical science, it has a special field for investigation, which field has been indicated in the definition of the term, symbol. As an art, its province is to make practical application of these historical facts and principles to the Service and life of the Church. The origin of symbolism is very remote. Evidences of its existence are found in the earliest records of India and China, of Chaldæa, Assyria and Babylonia. In these ancient nations symbolism was always associated with the religious life of the people. We also