The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-12-08
For the Central Presbyterian.
A Memorial of the Rev Bennett
Williamson Moseley.
BY REV. ]. G. STEPHENSON, D. D.

Bennett Williamson Moseley was of
Presbyterian family, and both his parents
were highly esteemed for intelligence and
piety His father, DR.. Henry w. Nose.
ley, was an honored ruling elder In Peaks
congregation.
Bennett, the subject of our narrative,
was born in Bedford county, Va, Sep
TENDER 19th, 1886. At very early age
he gave satisfactory evidence OF saving
change of heart, and was admitted to the
full communion of the church on profess
sion OF faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He studied at Washington College
now Washington and Lee University
where he was graduated III 1856; and
in the same year he entered Union The
illogical Seminary, Prince Edward coun-
ty, Va.
The Pr sbytery OF Roanoke, having
been set off from the Presbytery OF West
Hanover, held its first meeting in Lynch
burg, Va, in the spring of 1859. At
that meeting Mr. Moseley was " licensed
to preach the gospel of Christ, as pro-
bationer tor the holy ministry" By the
same Presbytery he was ordained to the
full work of the gospel ministry, and in
stalled pastor of the congregations Of
Bluestone and Wyliesburg in 1860. For
time he served as chaplain in the
Confederate army: but was recalled to
his first charge before the close of the
war. Here he labored faithfully accept
ably, and usefully, till the year 1871,
when he accepted call to the pastorate
OF The congregation of New London,
within the bounds OF the Presbytery OF
Montgomery. Here the people of his
charge, without being numerous, were
widely scattered, and their pecuniary re
sources very limited. Hence, his salary
was meagre, and his labors were ardu-
Gus. He had, however, the satisfaction
of knowing that he did not labor in vain,
the growth of the church, both in num-
bers and efficiency, though not rapid, was
steady.
Atlength, in the fall of 1881, finding
his salary wholly inadequate to the sup
port of his large family, he accepted the
position of Principal of New London
Academy, which he thenceforward held
in connection with his pastorate. At
length, believing that the interests of the
congrega ion were suffering for want Of
render he asked for a dissolution of his
pastoral relation. Presbytery initiated
the constitutional steps, but before the
matter wa disposed of he was removed
to better world. June 9th, 1886, a
few days after the close of his fourth ses-
sion in the Academy, he was suddenly
attacked with paralysis, under which he
suffered till the 18th of September in
the same year, when he fell asleep In
Jesus.
Mr. Moseley was not widely known,
and his life was not eventful; but we feel
perfectly safe in saying he was, in the
best sense, a very remarkable man and
none who knew him well will dissent
from this opinion. Still, what made him
remarkable was not that, on rare occa-
things; it was that on all occasions he
said and did right and appropriate things.
A brief analysis Of his character, then,
we trust, will be neither unacceptable
nor Improbable 1t comes from one
who, however imperfectly qualified in
other respects, knew him for thirty years,
and knew him intimately during the lat.
ter half of that period.
The basis of Mr.. Moseley's character
was ness-strict, lofty, uni
versal cons3ientiousness As the SER
wants of Christ, doing the will of God
from the heart" That was the text; his
whole life was the sermon. Whether in
great things or small, no one suspected
HIM of intentional wrong, no one called
in question the purity of his motives
Among those who knew him, any such
imputation would have sounded like a
contradiction in terms. 1t was not mere
ly that he would not do intentional
wrong, it is scarcely possible to conceive
of man more careful to do right. Hence
be was always deliberate, always consid.
crate. No matter what the subject OF
the occasion, to speak or act without due
consideration seemed utterly foreign tc
his nature. He "pondered the paths o.
his feet"
Selfcontrol, imperturbable calmness
we believe, was universally regarded al
his most striking characteristic. No mat
ter what might happen in his presence
or be said in his hearing, no impassionet
exclamation escaped him, no gesture, nj
change OF voice or look betrayed the
slightest difficulty in maintaining perfect
self-control. This was 80 remarkable
that many people concluded that he wal