Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-11-18
Obituary.

| WRIGHT.-Died at Rural, Illinois, on the Iith
of October, 1869, Jane Broomhall Wright. The
deceased was born in Chester County, Penn
| sylvania, on the 18th of December, I79S, and
was consequently aged 10 years, mon tbs aud
| IL days at the date of her deaIh
| DIR. Huyett, who visited her during her last
| illness, says ''she died of acute Inflammation
| of tine bowels, caused by chron liberation and
pertoratton of the coats of the intestines."
| The deceased was born and educated in the So
ciety of Friends and believed with the Unita-
rian or "Hicksite'' members of the Society, in
| the unity of God; that God is Love-" aud that
"Gney that dwell in Him dwell in love-" Hence
she was the consistent and exemplary op poonent
of all wars, as contrary to both the spirit and
letter of the New Testament and especially to
that part of it embodied in Jesus Sermon on
the Mount. So strong were her convictions of
the truth of his fundamental doctrine of the
Society of Friends, that by her motherly Chris
tan influence, she prevented any of her sons
from training in the militia. A nd to the day of
her death she devoutly thankedGod that 40 son
of hers had imbrued his hands IN human blood
| in the late inhuman, cruel and anti Christian
war. The testimony which she believed. it to be
herChr1Stian duty to maintain against this war,
in the face of passion tOosscd nv ttude short
ened her days. But the glory will be hers, when
/ the Master shall say: "Well done, good and
faithful servant" in the cause of universal peace.
| Grant that the belief of the deceased In the
unity OF God is erroneous. Belief is not an act
of volition, Hence, there is no merit IN be-
liev: :ng any given religious dogma, n or demerit
| in disbelieying it. Belief is Involuntary 1t is
OF necessity, produced by early education, and
the evidence presented to the intellect for in
vestigation-the latter always, more or less
subject to the former, which we receive gener-
| ally without examination, from those whom
we honor and love parental supeIfors -
The character of the deceased on this irrefuta-
bic hypothesis, is not justly tarnished even for
an erroneous belief as TO the mode of Gods ex-
| istence, or the nature of His attributes-the
popular opinion that beliefs act of volition
to the contrary notwithstanding.
LII speaking of the life and character of de-
parted relations whom we love, we are prone to
vindicate their memories from unjust rep7oach
as the perpetrators of crimes against man or of
sins forbidden in the Scriptures.
The opinion is very popular (and entitled to
respect as all views honestly formed should bel
that the institution of the first day of the week
as the Christian Sabbath, is enjoined by scrip,
ture authority. If this is true, then it is unques-
t1onably true that the Dissertation of the first
day of the week, commonly called Sunday is a
sin in the sight of God which justly merits con-
dign punishment. The deceased believed this
institution to be of human origin and that If
was good one-eS n day of rest and recreation
and for las was her general practice) giving and
receiving social visits, The scripture texts nro
duced to prove that they enjoin the observance
of the first day of the week instead of the
seventh never satisfied her enquirng mind that
God required this observance as achristian dntV
of her, or of any of his children. Before the
deceased can be justly accused of desecrating
the Sabbath day, the accusers, if any are so rash
to least the first stone," must in sell iustifi
cation, produce the scripture record for the
change from the seventh day of the week 10
the first. But the deceased not only dish -lieved
in any scripture authority for q change of davs
but she believed, most tconscientiously belived
that it is sin to let any of Gods bounteous
blessings to man be wasted or DESTROYED by ne
glecting to save them on the first day Of the
week. -
trust that have. without giving offence to
those who hold other views, vindicated the life |
and character Of one who eschewed every vice |
and who practiced every womanly virtue that
ennobles humanity; and whose MEMORY is |
dearer to me than life with all its pleasures nm
alloyed.
The funeral of the deceased was conducted :, |
conformity with the usages of the Society of
Friends, save the singing of Pope's Universoi
Prayer which she admired as q sublime yersifi-
cation of Jesus Sermon on the Mount
Adieu-farewell-lov'd partner of my welded
life;
The fondest mother, the most frugal. loving
wife, s
Who watch'd and labor'd, with a mothers joy
and grief -....
To rear thy lov'd ones, and give all their wants
relief.
With virtuous care, thou portrayedst wrong and
"right'
With all thy children round, thy dying eyes to
close
And see thee smiling sweetly in deaths calm
repose, ~
Assures them that their loss is thy eternal gain
And mttigates the grief that IL cannot restrain
On earth, alas! thy smiling face no m ore ri
see;
And yet hope to meet thee in eternity
rms parting kiss, the last tnat to q ee can rive
WHO only for my joy and comfort wish'd to
Alas! thou can'st not untome, on earth retprn
From lips as pale and cold as the white marble
That tells thy last and lonely resting place on
earth
Thy age and thy demise, nativity and birth.
Rural, ILL.,, October 10. 1869.