Identifier: historyofnewyork01loss (find matches)
Title: History of New York City : embracing an outline sketch of events from 1609 to 1830, and a full account of its development from 1830 to 1884
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Lossing, Benson John, 1813-1891
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : Perine Engraving and Pub. Co.
Contributing Library: Columbia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: The Durst Organization

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the voice of the preacher in full force to hishearers. Upon the pulpit was a square cushion of velvet for the P>ibleto rest on, with heavy silk tassels at each corner. The pews, withstraight, high backs and narrow seats, forbade all lounging, or even realcomfort ; they seemed to have been contrived for doing penance. On each side of the pulpit in special pews sat the six elders and sixdeacons, in a position to bring the whole congregation under their in-spection. These twelve men, wrote a regular attendant on theservice there sixty years ago, 4i seemed to the youthful and irreligiousportion of the congregation the incarnation of cold, relentless piety,deserted of every human frailty. . . . When one rose, they allstood up ; when one sat down, they all followed suit, as if acted uponsimultaneously by an electric wire. Their black dress-coats seemed tohave been made by one tailor ; their white neckcloths cut from onepiece of cambric, washed, ironed, and folded by the same laundress :
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FIRST DECADE, 1830-1840. 83 the bow-knots, even, seemed to have been adjusted by the samehand. * When the sermon began the twenty-four eyes of the dozen elders anddeacons were fixed on the minister, and the younger portion of thecongregation felt a relief, for irregularities would not be seen by thesedevout worshippers while the sermon lasted. They sat as motionlessas statues/ says Dayton. The terrors of the bottomle ss pit pro-claimed by the uncompromising Brownlee ; the beatitude of the blesthopefully dwelt on by the gentle Knox ; the pressing invitations torepentance heralded in powerful tones by the more youthful andimpulsive De Witt, were alike unavailing to produce the slightestvariation in the stereotyped countenances of these twelve leading-dignitaries of the Middle Dutch Church. There was no organ. In the space under the pulpit stood the choris-ter with a tuning-fork, who pitched the tune and led the congregationin singing, sometimes twelve stanzas with the Doxology. In thatc

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