New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-22
CREMATION.


THE BODY PRESCRIBED By THE BIBLE.
TO the EdttOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: | herewith hand you a letter which has
been forwarded to me by lady who favors urnburia
Her earnest style will be appeal to others OF
her sex who may thus be induced to speak out
Respectfully, URN
Heto York, April 16. 1874
DEAR SIR: My plea for addressing you is the interest
You have always taken in Cremation. subject 10 when
my attention has been for time directed In con
nection with friends. have closely followed your
proceedings aud hope that the earnest thanks OF
lady may not be altogether unwelcome to YOU
had the misfortune TO lose many Of those dear
me- and my suffering has been greatly increased Dy
dread OF their awakening to sense Of the dank OF the
pit Weakness percnance but life IL 40 slow TO accept
DEATH And tho fears have entertained for myself
have amounted to terror TO dlsmay, when connected
with them
To the cultured mind the idea of nhumation becomes
especially horrible when It's current has been
turned aside and ITS perceptions dmmed and rendered
morbid through grief Then awful dreams rack the stih
nights; the brightest days engender uncouth images
Then to think of the CHASTITY spectacle about
which the busy denisens of ears bosom gather Then
the fair marbles of cemeteries recall those "whlted
sepuchres" OF Scripture which indeed appear beauu
full outward but within full OF dead mems bones ana
Of all uncleanness" Then the rich blossoms, clustering
about those shafts to the distorted Thought as
unclean birds of prey batening on the dead mass below
Can the anguish Of such visions be portrayed Add "
this the knowledge of gradual change which even the
reasoning Of calmer moments cannot refute and VIII
be readily conceived that cremation should come IKE
gospel to relief with its promises OF speedy as
iniregatiOn This revived creed az may so call III
shows fire. of all clean elements most clean, connect
ing e the rehner Of soul with DEATH the purifier OF
the body. Fitting emblems, tly linkedi From CUT OF
the dark depths Of grief bitter than the gloom OF
DEATH the mourner may question innitude Of the de-
parted spirit, associated with none but peacerui
thoughts, knowing that the dead lie where the ~inds
of heaven" cannot visit them too roughly"
Now and then some recently bereayed person, who
would fain grasp the relief thus proered heard to
ask does wrong to dispose OF the body
III otherwise than Christ did ~ To SUCH it can but be
said that nowhere in the Bible any special method OF
disposition commanded the chapters OF laws
given by God 20 his chosen people through Moses As
concerns our Lords burial must reverently own
that He died not as we die His body knew the
decay which must suer. Has He not especially
said through inspired writer "-neitner shalt thou
suffer thy Holy One TO corruption"
would say conclusion that the moderate tone taken
by prominent advocates OF cremation and their
explicit desire that the public test and Judge Of their
proposition recognized representing the honesty
always popular in reform fairly based upon us own
merits. Allow also to express our pleasure that the
motion made by a gentleman whose name has been
hitherto unknown in connection with this movement ito
the effect that dead be scateredJ
promptly ignored The dignity OF this calm reputation
properly but firmly manifested in the motion being
dropped should be very conclusive to intelligent pub
lie well that the agitation Of any reform brings TO
the surface barely informed extremist who weighs
neither words ideas the heat OF the moment.
8ebo- York, April l5 1915
AN ENGLISH BISHOPS OPINION.
OF Interest in connection with this remarks
made by the Bishop of Manchester in the conservation
of the land recently added the burial ground
nection with the Church OF st. Peters, Halliwell,
Bolton:
After having referred TO the present practice Of dis
posing of human bodies, the Bishop said II had been
proposed by eminent London ply stefan that instead
OF buryDg bodies IN the grOund-a practice winch was
valuable landwe should burn dead bodies and It was
question OF the cremation OF bodies, instead
of their nterment. He felt a sort OF shudder az the
when tine idea would have become familiar
to their minds, ana in 100 years 1t
might perhaps, become the custom for bodies Ia
be burned. People who had believed In immortality
had previous times burned the bodies gt .ne,r ,ea
they believed in burning the bodies OF their dead Gre
nation certainly quite decent the Practice
nterment for anything that he saw and urns cOnlnn
the ashes OF the dead picturesque than cor
fins. He simply, however referred TO the subject De-
wished his dsaseociate the
from physical conditions Could they suppose That
il would impossible for God 10 raise body
at the resurrection needs be, out OF elementary par
cles winch had Liberated by the burning, than 1t
would raise up body from dust and from the ele
ments OF worms The OmnipOtence OF God ls not lin
ted and He would raise the dead whether He has 70
raise bodies OF Churchman'S whether He mas
call remains, like the remains OF some ancient
Romans. out OF urn in which they were deposited
1900 years ago.
URN-BURlAL POSSIBLE ONLY IN CITIES.