Show fashionable religion Eelig lou ioa it would be very interest interesting inc inz to know exactly how new york spends its sabbaths Sab baths particularly when we wo remember that there are not churches enough to seat one half the population of the metropolis and that the places of worship which are open are with a few exceptions lever never more than half filled the roman catholics are very constant in their attendance at church but the poor protestant generally finds the temple tempie too fine the congregation too much impregnated with mammon worship and too splendid in altire attire for lie file proper understanding of the dispensation of him who was meek and lowly and had no place to laytis lay his head so the poor protestant falls into loose habits babits on sunday ile he reads novels or sleep sleeps and is speedily edily accounted among the ungodly that are to ba be c cast ast into the outer darkness whre wh re there is weeping and anti wailing and gnashing of teeth the churches as well as the theatres theartres the atres have followed the fashionable movement up town on all the tile avenues may ba be found religious edifices generally more able more suggestive of f the pomps and vanities of this w wicked I 1 eked world than of the pure pare and holy precepts which should be inculcated within their walls the gorgeousness of the edifice the the congregation the discourse of the fashionable prea preacher cher chef 1 the gems from the last improper opera oper aare are worked into sacred music for the tile choir all the these are the he elements of religion after the modern improved style fashionable religion is generally a good speculation in in a pecuniary point of view the pews are sold at auction after the fashion that barnum disposed of he the choice seals to hear jenny lind very large sums are netted in this way occasionally 0 f C asio nally the fashionable churches burst like other mercantile speculations one of the most exclusive situated in the fifth avenue is now in a tight light place financially speaking itis if is heavily in debt and in danger of being sold out by the she sheriff rifT it is a baptist church but the preacher is not exactly the type of him who wha preached in the wilderness of judea his raiment is not of camels hair but of the finest broadcloth his ins meat is something more elaborate than locusts and wild honey the water of his jordan comes from far away in the country and is carefully warmed for fear that the faithful might take cold in immersion ile he does not cry repent ye for the tile kingdom of heaven is at hand blut b nt he preaches pleasant dulcet discourses showing lle ile lie the whitest of hands the most moet immaculate of pocket handkerchiefs the most splendid of ambrosial curls curis i he is a sweet preacher for the ladies ladles and thoroughly understands the of modern christianity decidedly john the baptist would be astonished at his fifth avenue re representative presen i dative it is to be hoped that the bulls and bears of wall street will forget their quarrels for a while and come down handsomely tor lor the relief of the modern john the baptist it is a curione fact that the he reformation was brought about by the luxury corruption and effeminacy which crept into the bosom of the mother church and that now those who profess protestantism ism ar are e following in the same evil courses against which knox calvin and luther Jaun clied ched heir their thunders in simplicity of attire abstinent habits of 0 life and devotion to the interests of their flocks the catholic now stands pre emi nent on theother the other othen hand the tha representatives of the stern old puritans who could not bear the sight of a surplice are turning away to all sorts of abominations there is no more of the solid old cotton mather piety left among us there are velvet cushions ions lons artistic music sweet preachers nicely worded somnolent discourse discourses worshippers wor shippers rolled up iu russian sables and loaded with diamonds s splendid lulen did churches where the atmosphere is redolent with perfume perfumes and the iba very veny light shaded with many marly colored tints heavy floating debts crushing mortgage mortgages but not a drop of the manna of righteousness rih rit unless a poor sinner for a moment under fear of the mighty sexton offers up his lonely prayer in it a free seat sent such is fashionable reli rell religion lon ion in new york in these latter days read christs sermon oil on the mount and let us have a fashionable disco discourse with tile tho thirteenth for a text new york herald |