Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-09-27
CONCERNING FUNERALS.
CERTAIN UNCHRISTIAN PRAC.
TICES DENOUNCED.

TICES DENOUNCED.
The Rev. Mr.. Jenvey Indulges in
Some Plain Talk, and Tells Pat
ent Truths-He viii Not COun.
tenance Morbid Qualification nor
Funeral Addresses in His Church.
In Trinity Church, at Reno, last
Sunday, the Rev. w. R. Jenvey took
strong grounds against certain abuses
In connection with funeral services.
He said:
want to speak to you upon the
subject Of funerals. / want t. speak
plainly, and yet l want to speak in
all love and kindness. here solemn
ly protest that l am not referring to
single individual. or to a single
funeral. am speaking in general
terms, and I can do so all the more
freely a. the last three or four which
have taken place from this church
have been conducted quietly, rever-
emily, and without DESTINATIONS dis.
play.
In the first place, believe it to be
wholly and morally wrong to exhibit
corpse in church to the curious
gaze Of all. I sometimes wonder
that the insulted ghost of the dead
person does not haunt the dreams OF
the unthinking friends for permitting
such thing. 1t is wrong for two Of
many reasons. First, it is an insult
to the dead person. Think of the
pinched and wasted features: Think
Of the distressed and agonized ex-
preston which is often left after the
death agony is over: Think Of the
sickening odor which is often emitted
when modification has set in: Think
of the many disagreeable, horrifying
things which so often attend the dead
and decaying body of q departed
one, and then think of exhibiting
these to the rude and staring gaze Of
curious persons, who have no interest
whatever in the dead person, and
who only look at the corpse to crafty
the desire Of q morbid curiosity I!
Think Of these things, and then say
If you can, that it Is not an insult to
the departed one! What one of you
would want to be made such a spec
tacle of What one of you would
want 10 be exposed to the curious
gaze of mere sight-seers, when your
features were wasted and agonized;
when death had stamped every we'll
known expression: and when the
worms had made prey or your
body7 Not one of you! l am
morally sure of thatl Then what
right have thoughtless friends to do
for you that which yourself would
not permit if you were alive and
could speak for yourself? What
right have they to make spectacle |
of you when every fine sensibi.ity |
within you revolts at the thought ?
They have no right, and therefore it
becomes crying insult to the dead
one, and grave wrong.
Again, it is wrong, because it graft
fes and cultivates this morbid and
wrongful curiosity. How few Of US
realize how strong this passio On grows;
how soon the desire to see dead per-
sons increases. and how hurtful it Is.
The body is sacred thing of Gods
creation. 1t is not curious thing to
be gaped at by curious persons. l
believe it TO be wholly and morally |
wrong to exhibit it in church and,
being wrong, If course it ought not
to be done. ask therefore that the
custom be no longer continued 10
this church. l ask that it be no
longer expected, for it cannot be al
lowed. 1t is against the principles
Of the church, rs we'll as against the
dictates of good taste. The last
look should be taken at the house
That is the proper place, and there it
is perfectly right. No true friend
objects to going there. If they wish
again to see the remains of one whom
they have known and loved in life,
the house OF that friend is the proper |
place. The church certainly is not.
And, therefore, from this time on, in
this church, the lid of coffin can
never be lifted so that the pinched,
wasted, decaying, yet sacred body,
may be exposed to the rude gaze Of
curious sight-seers.
PRoMIsCUOUs ADDRESSES WRONG.
And again, l believe 1t wholly and
wrong to make promiscuous
funeral addresses. The reasons for |
this are obvious and strong. In the
first place, If the friends are In real
affection, they are in no mental con-
dition to listen. They are more or
less stupe6ed. Their thoughts are 90 |
that the words of an ad. |
dress fall upon unhearing aud un-
needing ears. In such a case an ad.
dress 10 manifestly out of place.
While il the friends are not in real
affection, then for even o stronger
reason, the address is out of place.
But still stronger reason for not
making promiscuous funeral ad.