Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-09-04
REV. EssCg-iEso "a. FaASoN, F.. ''

srytr.cs s-S..,rEsc Memorial Sermon
delivered, by Bishop Atkinson SIC
for. the Diocesan Convention.
TEcssI sn wilmington is MAY, 1921.
THE death of minister of Christ,
long known, highly distinguished, ant'
much beloved, justifics mere full and
minute memorial of his life and char
acter than would be appropriate in the
case OF persons not singled out from
their feliow-,nen by these q1a;lfca-
tons. Lev. Richard Sharp Mason,
ID. d. whose loss we now Gep'ore,
was a man entitled to stand on TINS |
ground. He was born in the island OF |
Barbados on the Goth day Of Decem-
her. 1875, and was therefore at his |
death in the 10Th year of his age. Like |
most other heightened men, he dearly |
loved his native soil, and thought with |
pleasure and pride of his birthplace, |
end such feelings were not without |
Justification. Barbados is of all the |
West India Islands the most thorough |
" English. It best retains the we'll |
ordered social system, the industry,
tie refinement, and, by consequences,
the prosperity Of the mother country.
Whatever was associated with Barba-
does found favor in DR.. Mason's eyes,
and he liked men the better, as i had
the good fortune to know, If even their
ancestors had lived in the island he
loved.
In early youth, however, he was
brought to this country by his
parents, and his education was com
Dleted in Philadelphia. In that city
he vas admitted to the Deaconate
by the venerable Bishop White, in
tie year 1877, and III the ed year OF
his age. He soon after became rector
of Christ church, Newbern, in this
Diocese, and in the year 1920 received
priests orders by the apostolic hands
of the RI Rev. Richard Claiming
Moore, in st. Pauls church Edenton.
| In this too he was fortunate, for OF
| all the fathers Of the American church,
none were more deeply, more justly.
and more universally honored, and
| loved than those two Bishops White
and Moore. DR.. Mason remained NJ
Newbern some ten years, and during
that time was not only a faithful parish
priest, but very active, and self de-
nying missionary. The church had
then scarcely any footbold in this bio
cese, beyond the limits Of Newborn,
Wilmington and Fayetteville. And
yet here and there. there were scatter
| ed individuals and families who loved
her,
s'Who prizsI her heavenly ways
| "Eer sweet con- munion, solt1nn .Cws,'
! "ber hymns OF love, aud praise"
To these DR.. Mason re;o:ccd TO min
;ster, he sorCGt them out IN these Sc
| Guided neiEi OOrhOods, and by Them,
and by heir children, he was affection
ately ana Srsstefi yremembered. Inlny
annual visitations to Pitt and Beaufol
counties, especially old men and wo-
men, have been accustomed to ask me:
flow is Or. Mason? h. II was who
first preached among us the gospel as
the church holds it; he it was who led
ne to seek the kingdom Of God, and
His righte0u ness
In the year 1923 his reputation for
ability and learning Lal become SO
high that be was elected President of
Geneva, now Hobart, College, il the
| State OF New York, which office he ex-
changed, in 1880, Tor tHat of President
o. Newark College, III Delaware. In
1910 he became rector OF Christ's
| Church, Raleigh, and fulfilled the du-
ties of that charge until the day of his
| death. Dr.. Mason was a man whom
it was impossible to know and not to
respect. lis mind was clear, strong,
and luminous; his knowledge was
very varied, very extensive, and above
| which [ esrG cially admired III him, and
I beitiyc = 10 have been the result of
! his moral, as well as h:s intellectual,
constitution. lie loved tl-ssfh He alb
Lored falsehood, i'll any shape, whetll-
er Of distortion, exaSgeration, or am
bigui Y. Whether it were historical
fact, theological dogma, or do
nestle incident, lie studied to
represent 1t exactly as it was, and his
mind being very clear and his memo
~ unusually retentjve, he succeeded
remarkably in doing this. There were
very few SUBJECTS on which men are
called OF 20 think and act, which lie
could lot 90 something to elucidate.
| From the herd III the gar'en to the
subhmest mysteries OF theological
| speculation lie had that to say to which
wise and learned men would not bat
! DO well 10 listen. Ills character was
! marked by great strictness Of princi-
| pies, and yet, at the same time, graced
by genuine tenderness Of feeling
No man abhorred anything that
was mean. OF false, or low, moro
| than he did, no man maintained
! the cause OF right and duty more
| firmly, while, at the same time, 30
man cultivated with more care the do
| jnestic charities. As husband and
father, it would be difficult to equal,
| perhaps impossible to excel him; and
| III these relations he met with a cor
responding measure of love and veneer
alton. Goethe says, somewhere in his
writings, speaking, I believe, Of tho
| Vicar of Wakefield, that in no posi-
ton did human nature appear to more
| advantage than III the person OF an
English country clergyman, surround
ed by his family and flock. The re-
mark would be apt to occur TO one
visiting at DR.. Mason's house.
As preacher, too, lie remind
ed me Of an English clergy
man. Like theirs, his sermons
We're grave, thoughtful, learned and
instructive; lighted up by none Of the
| false fires Of fanaticism, but animated
by the steady glow Of a reasonable, re-
igious and earnest faith.
How he was honored in this Diocese
/ need hot tell Convention of North
Carolina. Elected for many years,
unanimously [ believe, President of
this body, President Of The Standing
Committee and Deputy to the General
Convention, the Diocese manifested
throughout his whole connection with
1t, its undated confidence in him, and
N the general councils of the Church
he occupied q high position as de,
batter, theologian and as q gentleman
of great courtesy of manner, and great
purity Of principle. His last hours
were such as became SO good a life
When he learned that death was at
hand, he expressed desire to partic-
ipate i'll the Blessed Sacrament of the
Body and Blood of Christ our Lord.
Bishop Lyman who administered that
sacrament to him, bore witness in a
sermon that he delivered on a SUNDAY
succeeding the death of DR.. Mason. to |
the feryOr with which that Good nan