The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1865-08-03
The Late Rev. James Hoge, D D.

procure the number until this week Som,
condensed extracts from it will be interesting
to our readers, not only because of their in
terest in the man, but for the sake of tht
valuable lessons which such life teaches;
DR.. Hoge was one of the descendants O.
man who lived and died in Scotland during
the latter part of the reign of the Stuarts
His three sons emigrated to America during
the latter half of the seventeenth century.
William Hoge, the great grand father o
Dr. James Hoge, first settled in the neighbor
hood of Winchester, Virginia, where he died
and was buried in the graveyard of the 0pe
ouon or Cedar Greek Church. William Hog
married Barbara Hume, lady who, with hei
fathers family, came over in the same shiI
with him. Although these Humes were .
the same family with the historian of th'
same name, they were far removed from hi
wicked infdelity The grandfather of 4,
Subject of this sketch was Mr.. James Hoge
who died when he was between eighty anC
ninety years old The father, DR.. Moses
Hoge, was educated at Liberty Hall, nov
Washington College, and was President 9
Hampdeu Sidney College from 1906 until his
death in 1921. The chief fields of labor o.
this eminent servant of Christ were Hardy
Jefferson and Berkeley counties, in early life,
and afterwards Hampden Sidney College and
the churches in the counties of Charlotte,
Prince Edward and Cumberland. In all these
he has left name thatis like precious ointment
James Hoge, son of Rev. Moses Hoge
ID, was born in Moorfeld, Virginia, in
1884. Soon after he was licensed to preach
the gospel, he applied to the General Assem-
bly, for a commission to go out to Ohio as q
missionary, which was granted him in the
following terms 'ResOloed, That Mr.. Jane:
Hoge be appointed Missionary to the State OIL
Ohio, and the parts adjacent heretO!
DR.. Hoge settled on the Scoto river,
where Columbus, the Capital, now stands,
and saw the whole city grow up under his
eye. He organized church there, with
which he remained as pastor for more than
ffiy years. Many other churches went out
of it at different times, and yet the old
mother church continued strongest of all
As preacher he differed from his father and
two brothers in one respect His father was
exceedingly eloquent, drawing crowds to hear
him whenever he preached. His brother
Samuel was blessed with rich Imagination,
and John Blair is said to have been like a
meteor, brilliant and attractive. James never
attracted a crowd, but gathered around him
the elite and the learned, not by the brilliancy
of his imagination. the charm Of his elo-
ouence, or the beauty of his style, but by the
profundity of his thoughts, soundness of his
views, and strength of his logic. The Su-
preme Court adjourned on one occasion exs
pressly to hear him, and after his reno
Columbus the great majority Of the cl
goinq members Of the S,ate 5.egisSatur-
attended his preaching, it being very attract
i've to that class Of men. But he was never
so happy, perhaps, in any of his pulpit efforts
as on special occasions. 1t is said that the
sermon which he preached at the opening of
the General Assembly at Philadelphia in
1888 was mastery productions and yet the
report is, that he had to call up the line of
argument and every train of thought on his
way thither, for be had inadvertently lefkt
manuscript at home. 49,
"Without being personally handsome, DR..
Hoge possessed noble appearance and native
majesty that impressed every one that saw
him. He was tall and perfectly erect until
the day of his death.
There was something peculiar in his
looks that attracted every ones attention,
and when once observed, it was never forgot
ten. His great dignity forbade all levity and
undue familiarity. This was mistaken by
the young for that sternness of character
which tends to repel, but there was nothing
more erroneous ever entertained concerning
him. He was man Of strong affections
and keen sensibiities. His countenance, in
the company of his friends and relatives,
always beamed with the warmth and kindness
of his heart. He so unbent himself, at times,
as to amuse his guests with his ready wit and
playful repartee.
lie was not only free from the spirit Of
envy and jealousy, but possessed of most
eguaJle temper. No one ever saw him angry
or perturbed in the least degree. He was
always the same in sunshine and storms, in
safety and in danger. He remarked once to
a friend, that he never experienced the sense
of fear. This was partly owing to physical
peculiarities, and partly to that perfect love
which casteth out fear. He was always firm
and decided, but neither rash nor reckless.
He was also an exceedingly frank or can
did man in all his dealings He never waited
to be urged to do anything, but consented,
when asked, with unaffected simplicity, rare
ly found in any public man, or refused with
great promptness, if he was unable to COM
ply with the request. He never had policy
in anything he ever did, but great end to
accomplish, for he always acted from Chris
tian principles, and not from mere feelings
or personal motives.
His piety was not of the negative kind,
like that of so many in our day, but life in
the soul, principle that regulated all his
actions. His life was an embodiment of all
the truths he so ably preached from year to
year, and the result of hard labor and many
struggles. No aspirantin the school Of paint
inc lived more constantly under the shades
of Raphael or of Rubens, than he did under
the mysterious shadow of the Holy, Harm
less. Unde6led, and Separate from sinners.
No candidate for military glory ever drank
deeper into the enthusiasm of Caesar or a
Napoleon, than he did into the spirit of the
great Captain of our salvation He strove
oimitoto him in q II his imitobIe nerfections