San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-05-14

envy, York, Pennsylvania, which HI
entered in June, 1922, and prosecuted
the study Of Latin, Greek, mathe
MATES, etc. He next attended the
illogical institute at New Market
Shenandoah county, Virginia, for two
years, and soon after began his min
istry as u Luthraon preacher at the
same place, and also became principal
of the New Market Academy. Here
too, he married. (By the way w
should have stated in the beginning
that the volume before us opens will
good engraved likenesses of Mr.
Hoshour and his worthy wife,
In the spring of 1928, he received
a call to Lutheran pastorate a'
Smithsburg, Washington Co., Mary
land, and 1881 to that of Hagers'
town, tho county seat of said coun
ty. This was IN important and
creditable position, affording q
good salary and pleasant in all res
poets, untilit was ended by the crucial
test of the pastors life-a change Of
belief as to certain doctrinal points
on his part, the result of profound
convictions, and his consequent OK.
communication $50 10 speak), by the
Lutheran church.
The occasion was as follows. A
travelling "Campbellite proclaimer
named Webb about this time appeared
on the scene, preached with zeal and
effect, and challenged public debate
with ministers of other denominations
A "leader' of another denomination
who accepted the challenge, was de-
feated and afterwards immersed by
Webb. Those who opposed his views
became excited, and appealed to Mr.
Hoshour to meet the Campbellite
champion. Reluctantly he consented
to do so, and began investigating the
subject,notfor moment doubling but
the weight of authority was on his side.
But as he proceeded to investi-
gate he began to doubt; he found
Luther himself and some OF his lead
ing disciples declaring in favor OF
immersion. In short, in seeking ar
guments with which to meet his an
tagonist, our young Lutheran preacher
became convinced of the error OF the
professed creed of his church. This
was trying position, indeed. 10
use his own language:
The grave question was, What shat
I do? On the one side was q large
kinship, all staunch Lutherans hun
dreds, il not thousands OF kind friends,
in and outside of the Lutheran commu
non,, who would giyc verdict against
me, should l be immersed; cords of tho ten
tlerest kind would bo cut probably forever.
Besides, Ind wife and threo children to
whose substance and comfort was to see; /;
means to do this 10y In Lutheran ministry,
whereas on the other side of my immersion
all, as to pecuniary support was uncertain.
No one can understand the conflicts of mind
L endured could not remain in this pre-
dicament all my days. Ono Of two things
was to be done suppress my convictions and
stay in my existing church fellowship, or
follow them, and make transition to an un-
popular position. selected the latter, and
on the last Lords day of April, 1885, was
immersed in the vicinity of Hagerstown,
Md.
The anticipated results of this step
were fully realized. His wife did
not at first share in his views, and
when she heard he had been immersed
burst into flood of tears, which con-
tinued oil night. She thoughthe had
irrecoverably disgraced himself. The
report that "Hoshour had been
ducked" ran rapidly through Hagers-
town. We quote again:
Lutheran sisters visited Mrs. II. and ex-
pressed their tender sympathies for her IN
this terrible reverse. They looked askance
at me as the foulest apostate. When on
Monday morning "I went down town" mono
of my Lutheran friends deigned 10 recog-
nIze me. People of other denominations
showed ''cold shoulders," especially their
ministers all except the rector of tho Epis-
copal Church, Rev. Drane.
This once popular Lutheran preacher
was forthwith read out of the church
and thenceforward excluded from its
pulpits. He, however, went straight
forward in his course, and others, in
his wife, soon joined him. With
out expressing any opinion as to the
merits Of the doctrines under debate,
we always admired the course OF
Mr. Hoshour on this occasion in
standing firmly by his convictions OF
duty in the face Of temptations and
Of the most trying charac-
ter. There was revealed true man.
hood and the martyr spirit
In the fall Of 1885 himself and fam
ily emigrated 10 the West, stopping at
Centreville, then the county seat Of
Wayne county, Indiana Here, in
our boyhood, VIC first knew him He
resumed his txO-iold work of teach