Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-07
DEATH OF REV. DIR. HOwEI

/ DEATH III Kew Dh. hO"EAALs
This affective event, for some time i'm
minent, occurred on Sunday at noon.
The spirit of the venerable servant Of
God released from its tabernacle of clay,
assembled to the presence of his Maker in
company with the prayers of the congre-
cation whose devotions he had so long
led The time was fit and the announces
ment in the house of worship was deeply
impressive, recalling to the mind the text
Of the last sermon of the deceased min
lister Finally, brethren, farewell. Be
perfect; be of good comfort; be of one
mind; live in peace; and the God of
love and peace shall be with you"
DR.. Howell was a native of North Caro-
lima, and in the sixty>eighth year of his
age. lie was in tie ministry for forty
three years, first after his ordination at
Norfolk, Va, whence he came to this city
in 1885, where he labored for fifteen
years. In 1850, he accepted call to
Richmond, Va, and was pastor of the
Second Baptist Church in that city until
recalled to his former charge in Nash
vile in 1851 where he continued
in service to the period, more than year
since, when he was stricken with paraly~
sis, under which he gradually sank. For
| a number Of sessions he was President of
the Southern Baptist Convention, and at
the time of his death was one of its
Vice Presidents. He had filed also, the
post of Vice President of the American
Baptist Historical Society. He was a
member of the Tennessee Historical
Society, and President of the Board of
Trustees of the Asylum for the Blind.
He was also one of the leading spirits in
the American Baptist Missionary Society,
and in conjunction with Manly, Jeter,
Fuller, and other Of the prominent minis
ters of the Baptist Church, impaired to
the disciples of that faith the enlarged
and liberal views which have made their
foreign missionary efforts so successful
His first published work, entitled the
"Terms Of Christian Communion, was
issued in 1874, and was republished in
England. In 1916 he prepared work
for the Baptist Publication Society, On
the " Deaconship: Its Nature, Quail
fications, Relations and Duties 1.-THE
Way of Salvation" was his next
work, which also ran through several
editions, and was very popular with
readers of religious literature A small
work entitled "The Evils of Infant
Baptism, followed, which was strictly
denominational in its character, we be-
lieve. 1.-THE Cross" written in 1854,
was published by the Southern Baptist
Publication Society, at Charleston, and
the Virginia Baptist Sunday School and
Publication Society, at Richmond 1.-THE
Covenants, published by the same socie-
ties was written in 1856.
Besides the published works of DR.
Howell, he has four works in manuscript
upon which great amount of thought
and labor have been bestowed They
are "Tbe Early Baptists Of Virginia,
dedicated to Archibald Thomas, Esq,
and written in 1857 "The Christology of
the Pentateuch,' as developed in the
Covenants, which was written in 1858,
and is an enlargement of and intended
to supersede the work entitled THE
Covenants "A Memorial of the First
Baptist Church of Nashville from 1890
to 1868, written in the latter year, and is
a lucid and interesting history Of this |
church, and is dedicated to the memory |
of Jeremiah Vardeman, James Whitsett |
and Garner McConico, pioneers in Ten
nessee, "The Family" written in 1865 |
and dedicated to the memory of Rev. |
John Z. Dawson, of Alabama, and is an |
enlargement of a series of lectures de- |
livered by the venerable author some
years ago, at a course of regular winter
lectures, in which the most eminent
scholars in Nashville took part
DR. Howell received his education at
Columbian College, District of Columbia.
He was man of decided ability, extern
siye erudition, and unblemished piety |
His sermons were weighty and impress
sive, and his writings are acknowledged |
as standard authorities His influence
in the large and powerful connection of
Christians to which he was attached, was
Justly great, and was manifest in the pull
pit and at the council board. His style
of oratory was peculiar, and to those who
heard him for the first time, not always
pleasing, but his thought was lucid and
the matter solid, and his efforts were often
truly eloquent The high order of talents
eyinced in his ministyations, and the
marked uprightness of his character, won
him the admiration and love of his pasto-
raj charges to an unusual degree In his
death, the Southern Baptist Church
sustains the loss of one Of its shining
lights, and this community one Of ifs
brightest ornaments. In every walk of
life, he was the good man, suave and
dignided in has intercourse with his fell
low men secluded from all secular
works foremost in charitable enter
prises tolerant and liberal in his views
firm in doctrine, and Jealous in the cause
of truth He filled the full limit of
well-spent career in the highest of
human eallings and has gone to his rest,
universally lamented
The funeral ceremonies win take place
10 day at . o'clock from the First Baptist