Itisscarcelynecessarytogointoadiscussionhereoftheparticularpointsatwhich，ortheparticularmannerinwhich，thecanonofhonorificexpenditurehabituallytraversesthecanonsofmoralconduct。Thematterisonewhichhasreceivedlargeattentionandillustrationatthehandsofthosewhoseofficeitistowatchandadmonishwithrespecttoanydeparturesfromtheacceptedcodeofmorals。Inmoderncommunities，wherethedominanteconomicandlegalfeatureofthecommunity’slifeistheinstitutionofprivateproperty，oneofthesalientfeaturesofthecodeofmoralsisthesacrednessofproperty。
Thereneedsnoinsistenceorillustrationtogainassenttothepropositionthatthehabitofholdingprivatepropertyinviolateistraversedbytheotherhabitofseekingwealthforthesakeofthegoodreputetobegainedthroughitsconspicuousconsumption。
Mostoffensesagainstproperty，especiallyoffensesofanappreciablemagnitude，comeunderthishead。Itisalsoamatterofcommonnotorietyandbywordthatinoffenseswhichresultinalargeaccessionofpropertytotheoffenderhedoesnotordinarilyincurtheextremepenaltyortheextremeobloquywithwhichhisoffenseswouldhevisitedonthegroundofthenaivemoralcodealone。Thethieforswindlerwhohasgainedgreatwealthbyhisdelinquencyhasabetterchancethanthesmallthiefofescapingtherigorouspenaltyofthelawandsomegoodreputeaccruestohimfromhisincreasedwealthandfromhisspendingtheirregularlyacquiredpossessionsinaseemlymanner。
Awell-bredexpenditureofhisbootyespeciallyappealswithgreateffecttopersonsofacultivatedsenseoftheproprieties，andgoesfartomitigatethesenseofmoralturpitudewithwhichhisderelictionisviewedbythem。Itmaybenotedalso——anditismoreimmediatelytothepoint——thatweareallinclinedtocondoneanoffenseagainstpropertyinthecaseofamanwhosemotiveistheworthyoneofprovidingthemeansofa“decent“
manneroflifeforhiswifeandchildren。Ifitisaddedthatthewifehasbeen“nurturedinthelapofluxury，“thatisacceptedasanadditionalextenuatingcircumstance。Thatistosay，wearepronetocondonesuchanoffensewhereitsaimisthehonorificoneofenablingtheoffender’swifetoperformforhimsuchanamountofvicariousconsumptionoftimeandsubstanceasisdemandedbythestandardofpecuniarydecency。Insuchacasethehabitofapprovingtheaccustomeddegreeofconspicuouswastetraversesthehabitofdeprecatingviolationsofownership，totheextentevenofsometimesleavingtheawardofpraiseorblameuncertain。Thisispeculiarlytruewherethederelictioninvolvesanappreciablepredatoryorpiraticalelement。
Thistopicneedscarcelybepursuedfurtherhere；buttheremarkmaynotbeoutofplacethatallthatconsiderablebodyofmoralsthatclustersabouttheconceptofaninviolableownershipisitselfapsychologicalprecipitateofthetraditionalmeritoriousnessofwealth。Anditshouldbeaddedthatthiswealthwhichisheldsacredisvaluedprimarilyforthesakeofthegoodreputetobegotthroughitsconspicuousconsumption。
Thebearingofpecuniarydecencyuponthescientificspiritorthequestofknowledgewillhetakenupinsomedetailinaseparatechapter。Alsoasregardsthesenseofdevoutorritualmeritandadequacyinthisconnection，littleneedbesaidinthisplace。Thattopicwillalsocomeupincidentallyinalaterchapter。Still，thisusageofhonorificexpenditurehasmuchtosayinshapingpopulartastesastowhatisrightandmeritoriousinsacredmatters，andthebearingoftheprincipleofconspicuouswasteuponsomeofthecommonplacedevoutobservancesandconceitsmaythereforebepointedout。
Obviously，thecanonofconspicuouswasteisaccountableforagreatportionofwhatmaybecalleddevoutconsumption；as，e。g。，theconsumptionofsacrededifices，vestments，andothergoodsofthesameclass。Eveninthosemoderncultstowhosedivinitiesisimputedapredilectionfortemplesnotbuiltwithhands，thesacredbuildingsandtheotherpropertiesofthecultareconstructedanddecoratedwithsomeviewtoareputabledegreeofwastefulexpenditure。Anditneedsbutlittleeitherofobservationorintrospection——andeitherwillservetheturn——
toassureusthattheexpensivesplendorofthehouseofworshiphasanappreciableupliftingandmellowingeffectupontheworshipper’sframeofmind。Itwillservetoenforcethesamefactifwereflectuponthesenseofabjectshamefulnesswithwhichanyevidenceofindigenceorsqualoraboutthesacredplaceaffectsallbeholders。Theaccessoriesofanydevoutobservanceshouldbepecuniarilyabovereproach。Thisrequirementisimperative，whateverlatitudemaybeallowedwithregardtotheseaccessoriesinpointofaestheticorotherserviceability。
Itmayalsobeinplacetonoticethatinallcommunities，especiallyinneighborhoodswherethestandardofpecuniarydecencyfordwellingsisnothigh，thelocalsanctuaryismoreornate，moreconspicuouslywastefulinitsarchitectureanddecoration，thanthedwellinghousesofthecongregation。Thisistrueofnearlyalldenominationsandcults，whetherChristianorPagan，butitistrueinapeculiardegreeoftheolderandmaturercults。Atthesametimethesanctuarycommonlycontributeslittleifanythingtothephysicalcomfortofthemembers。Indeed，thesacredstructurenotonlyservesthephysicalwell-beingofthememberstobutaslightextent，ascomparedwiththeirhumblerdwelling-houses；butitisfeltbyallmenthatarightandenlightenedsenseofthetrue，thebeautiful，andthegooddemandsthatinallexpenditureonthesanctuaryanythingthatmightservethecomfortoftheworshippershouldbeconspicuouslyabsent。Ifanyelementofcomfortisadmittedinthefittingsofthesanctuary，itshouldbeatleastscrupulouslyscreenedandmaskedunderanostensibleausterity。
Inthemostreputablelatter-dayhousesofworship，wherenoexpenseisspared，theprincipleofausterityiscarriedtothelengthofmakingthefittingsoftheplaceameansofmortifyingtheflesh，especiallyinappearance。Therearefewpersonsofdelicatetastes，inthematterofdevoutconsumptiontowhomthisausterelywastefuldiscomfortdoesnotappealasintrinsicallyrightandgood。Devoutconsumptionisofthenatureofvicariousconsumption。Thiscanonofdevoutausterityisbasedonthepecuniaryreputabilityofconspicuouslywastefulconsumption，backedbytheprinciplethatvicariousconsumptionshouldconspicuouslynotconducetothecomfortofthevicariousconsumer。
Thesanctuaryanditsfittingshavesomethingofthisausterityinallthecultsinwhichthesaintordivinitytowhomthesanctuarypertainsisnotconceivedtobepresentandmakepersonaluseofthepropertyforthegratificationofluxurioustastesimputedtohim。Thecharacterofthesacredparaphernaliaissomewhatdifferentinthisrespectinthosecultswherethehabitsoflifeimputedtothedivinitymorenearlyapproachthoseofanearthlypatriarchalpotentate——whereheisconceivedtomakeuseoftheseconsumablegoodsinperson。Inthelattercasethesanctuaryanditsfittingstakeonmoreofthefashiongiventogoodsdestinedfortheconspicuousconsumptionofatemporalmasterorowner。Ontheotherhand，wherethesacredapparatusissimplyemployedinthedivinity’sservice，thatistosay，whereitisconsumedvicariouslyonhisaccountbyhisservants，therethesacredpropertiestakethecharactersuitedtogoodsthataredestinedforvicariousconsumptiononly。
Inthelattercasethesanctuaryandthesacredapparatusaresocontrivedasnottoenhancethecomfortorfullnessoflifeofthevicariousconsumer，oratanyratenottoconveytheimpressionthattheendoftheirconsumptionistheconsumer’scomfort。Fortheendofvicariousconsumptionistoenhance，notthefullnessoflifeoftheconsumer，butthepecuniaryreputeofthemasterforwhosebehooftheconsumptiontakesplace。
Thereforepriestlyvestmentsarenotoriouslyexpensive，ornate，andinconvenient；andinthecultswherethepriestlyservitorofthedivinityisnotconceivedtoservehiminthecapacityofconsort，theyareofanaustere，comfortlessfashion。Andsuchitisfeltthattheyshouldbe。
Itisnotonlyinestablishingadevoutstandardofdecentexpensivenessthattheprincipleofwasteinvadesthedomainofthecanonsofritualserviceability。Ittouchesthewaysaswellasthemeans，anddrawsonvicariousleisureaswellasonvicariousconsumption。Priestlydemeanoratitsbestisaloof，leisurely，perfunctory，anduncontaminatedwithsuggestionsofsensuOuspleasure。Thisholdstrue，indifferentdegreesofcourse，forthedifferentcultsanddenominations；butinthepriestlylifeofallanthropomorphiccultsthemarksofavicariousconsumptionoftimearevisible。
Thesamepervadingcanonofvicariousleisureisalsovisiblypresentintheexteriordetailsofdevoutobservancesandneedonlybepointedoutinordertobecomeobvioustoallbeholders。Allritualhasanotabletendencytoreduceitselftoarehearsalofformulas。Thisdevelopmentofformulaismostnoticeableinthematurercults，whichhaveatthesametimeamoreaustere，ornate，andseverepriestlylifeandgarb；butitisperceptiblealsointheformsandmethodsofworshipofthenewerandfreshersects，whosetastesinrespectofpriests，vestments，andsanctuariesarelessexacting。Therehearsaloftheservice(theterm“service“carriesasuggestionsignificantforthepointinquestion)growsmoreperfunctoryasthecultgainsinageandconsistency，andthisperfunctorinessoftherehearsalisverypleasingtothecorrectdevouttaste。Andwithagoodreason，forthefactofitsbeingperfunctorygoestosaypointedlythatthemasterforwhomitisperformedisexaltedabovethevulgarneedofactuallyproficuousserviceonthepartofhisservants。Theyareunprofitableservants，andthereisanhonorificimplicationfortheirmasterintheirremainingunprofitable。Itisneedlesstopointoutthecloseanalogyatthispointbetweenthepriestlyofficeandtheofficeofthefootman。Itispleasingtooursenseofwhatisfittinginthesematters，ineithercase，torecognizeintheobviousperfunctorinessoftheservicethatitisaproformaexecutiononly。Thereshouldbenoshowofagilityorofdexterousmanipulationintheexecutionofthepriestlyoffice，suchasmightsuggestacapacityforturningoffthework。
Inallthisthereisofcourseanobviousimplicationastothetemperament，tastes，propensities，andhabitsoflifeimputedtothedivinitybyworshipperswholiveunderthetraditionofthesepecuniarycanonsofreputability。Throughitspervadingmen’shabitsofthought，theprincipleofconspicuouswastehascoloredtheworshippers’notionsofthedivinityandoftherelationinwhichthehumansubjectstandstohim。Itisofcourseinthemorenaivecultsthatthissuffusionofpecuniarybeautyismostpatent，butitisvisiblethroughout。Allpeoples，atwhateverstageofcultureordegreeofenlightenment，arefaintoekeoutasensiblyscantdegreeofauthenticformationregardingthepersonalityandhabitualsurroundingsoftheirdivinities。Insocallingintheaidoffancytoenrichandfillintheirpictureofthedivinity’spresenceandmanneroflifetheyhabituallyimputetohimsuchtraitsasgotomakeuptheiridealofaworthyman。Andinseekingcommunionwiththedivinitythewaysandmeansofapproachareassimilatedasnearlyasmaybetothedivineidealthatisinmen’smindsatthetime。Itisfeltthatthedivinepresenceisenteredwiththebestgrace，andwiththebesteffect，accordingtocertainacceptedmethodsandwiththeaccompanimentofcertainmaterialcircumstanceswhichinpopularapprehensionarepeculiarlyconsonantwiththedivinenature。Thispopularlyacceptedidealofthebearingandparaphernaliaadequatetosuchoccasionsofcommunionis，ofcourse，toagoodextentshapedbythepopularapprehensionofwhatisintrinsicallyworthyandbeautifulinhumancarriageandsurroundingsonalloccasionsofdignifiedintercourse。Itwouldonthisaccountbemisleadingtoattemptananalysisofdevoutdemeanorbyreferringallevidencesofthepresenceofapecuniarystandardofreputabilitybackdirectlyandbaldlytotheunderlyingnormofpecuniaryemulation。Soitwouldalsobemisleadingtoascribetothedivinity，aspopularlyconceived，ajealousregardforhispecuniarystandingandahabitofavoidingandcondemningsqualidsituationsandsurroundingssimplybecausetheyareundergradeinthepecuniaryrespect。
