Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-25
SING IN SURPLICES.
This innovation Takes Well With the
Monumental Congregation.
DR.. HUNTER ON IKVEHpEUAEcE.
He prencbes a Powerful Sermon Against
the Evil of Drink-ingcrsof's
Lecture Touched Upon.

ON sunday morning for the first time
a surpliced choir rendered music IN
Richmond church. For months the Monu-
mental had been arranging 60 have such
n feature. AID the innovation took ex-
ceeding well with the large congregation
which nlled that church upon the occa-
sion TO which reference has been made.
The Monumental has just been ma
terially improved and beautifed inside,
and Il presented a very appropriate APP
pearance for the rccently-!nstaled ad-
iunct. The organ. which is one OF the
finest and most powerful I'm the
city, has been removed from the
gallery TO the right Of the chancel
The chancel has been enlarged so as TO
give ample room for the surpiice choir
and eight rows OF seats were provided
for that body OF choristers Besides this
the chancel railing has been entirely re-
moved. and so has also, the first row
of pews. but this seating capacity has
been provided in the gallery. from which
the organ and former choir were re-
moved.
The services at the Monumental on sun
day morning were unusually attractive
and interesting Mr. Phil 5. Powers, the
organIsi. or choirmastcr. had arranged
a special musical programme. and 1t was
rendered 10 the delight Of the large audi
once which attended the services. The
uroceSsional and occasional were most
striking features OF the supplied choir.
Each chorister was attired in the surpiice
OF black and white. and the quantity
gowned singers added greatly TO the
solemnity OF the occasion.
Rev. T. S. Stickney, rector OF the
the church. preached a most appropriate
sermon. He took as his text the eighth
verse Of the thirty-second chapter OF
isaiah "But the liberal deviseth liberal
things. and by liberal things shall he
stand" The discourse was both able and
Impressive, and dwelt upon the LIBERAL |
ism and unity Of the Church. In the |
course Of his remarks Rev. Mr.. Stickney
spoke Of the stand that the Episcopal |
Church could take I'm such unity. He
referred TO differences in the Church of |
the sixteenth and the nineteenth centu- |
rics and spoke briefly of the thlrty-nine |
obligations that ministers in the English |
Church have TO sign, which now are not !
signed by the clergy Of the American |
Church His argument was both forcible |
md eloquent.
The superb musical programme consist |
ell of the following: 30 Come. O Come. |
Emanuel" Jesus. the Very Thought OF |
Thee, Jerusalem the Golden" Onward. |
Christian Soldier Send out Thy Light" |
''Te Deum," by Dixie.
CURSE OF INTEMPERANCE.
Rev. A. c. Brown presiding elder OF |
the Richmond District, preached at |
Trinity Methodist church in the morning. |
His theme was Salvation Through |
Christ" and the discourse was both in |
teresting and able
At night the pastor, Rev. ]. S. Hunter. |
delivered an interesting and profitable |
discourse on "Intemperance; Its Curse |
and Its Cure" The text was from
Second Kings. tenth chapter and ninth |
verse; But who slew all these?" After |
briefly narratng the circumstances con- |
nected with the text, the speaker asked |
what was Staying our common humanity |
10 such an appalling extent? 1t is not |
pestilence; IL is not war, for we are at |
peace. and neither pestilence nor war |
cut such wide swath In the ranks OF |
men. The great curse Of this age and |
or this land is intemperance. We do not |
fully appreciate its magnitude because |
we become hardened by the pictures al |
ways before us. Then the effects of the |
curse are gradual. and we fail to connect |
effect with cause as we do when a per- |
son Immediately expires from the effects |
OF poisonous drug. This curse harms |
the bodies OF men. and thus their minds |
are impaired. Our almshOuses and asy-
lums are teeming with inmates from this |
greatest OF curses. II demoraizes man,
inhames passion. causes lawlessness. and |
fills our prisons with criminals One hun |
dred thousand men I'm the United States |
annually march down the road TO physl- |
cal, mental, social, and. worst OF all, |
20 spiritual ruin and death. 1t kills mems |
souls. Then the speaker introduced sta |
tistics TO prove the alarming extent of |
the curse. In the United States there are |
2n,il9 saloons. or one to every .27S peo- |
pie. or one TO every 30 voters Various |
other figures were Introduced, as was the |
testimony Of eminent physicians, public |
officials. etc. to demonstrate that Intern
perance Is the blight of our age and our |
civilization.
SHALL WE DO NOTHING?
The speaker then took up the second d. |
vision OF his subject: Shall we do no. |
thing TO cure this dreadful curse? When |
fatal and contagious disease appears on |
the threshold of our land we take effec- |
tive measures 10 stamp 1t out. This curse |
Is worse than pes,ilence. We should do |
our might TO stay the further ravages /
OF this blight One means of cure is 70 |
!nstill the principle of personal total abb |
siinence from intoxicating beverages All |
moderate drinkers do not become drunk |
ards, but AL drunkards were at first |
moderate drinkers. Here the preacher |
forciby argued that II is mans duty |
- forego ady indulgence which may be |
seemingly harmless TO himself II |
his example contributes to perpetuating |
custom or habit inimical to his fellows |
IN general. Another effective means OF |
cure Is legal prohibition Of the liquor
traffic. Government should not license |
uaihc that initiates against the COM |
mon veal. Lord Chess erfeld, speaking in |
Parliament, referred to The saloon keep
ers as artists In crime" and declared |
the "vials OF destruction should be
broken" The objection urged by some |
that prohibition would deprive the gov
eminent OF necessary revenue was rid- |
culed and r.dded, the speaker closing
this argument with the ringing words: |
IF the life OF the government Is depend
ent upon revenue from debauchery Of |
It's citizens, then perish the gov ernment,"
10 watch there was an audible "Amen,"
Prohibition does not infringe on personal |
liberty, but on personal license. Here Is
distinction not generally made. The |
speaker here gave several pointed Illus
tratiOns IN support of the contention that |
prohibition does not Invade personal IL |
beriy. In answer TO the clalm that men
cannot be leglaated into morality. the |
speaker maintained that the object OF all |
civil law Is = make men outwardly moral |
fer the peace and welfare OF society. You |
can lcgisate men into morality. but not |
into religion; here lies the distinction. He |
rlnlcuiet tia trite excuse. prohibition |
does not prohibit" and cited the fact |
OF The intense opposition Of the liquor /
dealer 70 all prohiDtOry legislation There |
must. OF course be a public sentimsn |
sufficient 10 enforce a law 20 make Il ef- ,
feciNt. and wherever there have been
pTohihiiory laws with this sentiment back |
oi them the result has been beneficial |
Ee cited Instances. In Mississippi In par |
ocular where there are only six we; /
counties Temperance societies aid In the |!
cure OF this evil. chiefly In that they help |
70 create healthy public sentiment on |
the subject. ana aid IN instlling into the |
minds Of the young temp france princi-
pies
hui after AL the greatest cure Is the cd |
gospel OF the Son Of God. The Gospel |
" not antsg0nisiic 10 the other mems |
useuss d~.ndced. they are aids in it--but |
WIS - the great cure for all OF human!,y's |
woes This Will reach men when every
hing else fails
The speaker closed hls fna discon.a. by