The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-02
No. 80.
HONOR TO HIS MEMORY.
THE TRIBUTE OF AN OLD FRIEND

late DIR. John A. Brosdus, who waA,
President of the Southern Bsptis.
Theological Seminary, in Louisville,
KY. DIR. Broadus had many warm
friends and admirers in this city, irre-
spective of creed, and in the audience
were noticed a lumber of Presby terian,
Methodist and Episcopal ministers and
laymen. The music for the occasion
was we'll selected and very beautifully
rendered by the choir OF the church..
Rev. DIR. William E. Hatcher presided
over the meeting, and after high tri-
butte to the memory OF DIR. Broadus, In
troduced Rev. DIR. j. Q. Hiden, who de-
liyered a brief address on DIR. Broadus
as q scholar and preacher.
Dr.. Hiden's address was brief but
pointed, and set forth In clear style tho
great ability Of DR.. Broadus, whether
in the capacity of careful student
and advancement OF Christianity or
speaking to large audiences the simple
story of the Cross.
DR.. Hiden said: The law of "hered.
ity' has made great stir in the phil
osophical world of late. do not Gym
pathize with the views of the extreme
doctrinaires on the subject, but there
is doubtless something in the law as
expounded by its more sober and RAJ
tional advocates.
Some forty-fve years ago, during my
childhood in Orange county, Va, I used
to hear of a Whig politician, Major
Edmund Broadus, who had evidently
given trouble to the Democrats across
the Rapidan, in Culpeper.
The great champions of Democracy In
that region were Governor William
Smith-"Extra Billy" he was familiar
ly called-one OF the adroitest politic-
ians and stump speakers that Virginia
ever produced, and ole Jno. s. Barbour,
one of tho most splendid orators in Con-
gress. Major Broadus was not a probes
sional man, and nobody ever -, -.
OF him as an orator, and yet tstiGsisS Two =
famous Democratic speakers found it
hard to hold their own. against his
plain, pointed, popular talks" to the
country people who assembled on court
day Ito hear the candidates" It was
largely through his influence that Gull
peper, which was ono of the "close
countless" was kept Tor years steadily
voting for Whig delegate to the Leg
islature. He was a staunch Baptist,
and in conducting the campaign he had
made up his mind that it was not right
to treat" the voters to "drinks"-a
practice which, l am ashamed to say,
was quite common among candidates
of all parties. His friends demonstrated
saying: THE party will be defeated
and you will lose your seat" But Ed
mund Broadus stood firm and was
elected. Indeed he was never defeated
in any contest before the people.
In John A. Broaduss Sermons and
Addresses" we have some work Of the
son of the old "wheel-horse of Whig-
gerry" in Culpeper, and the same Wig
orous commOn-sonse, and the same
absence OF mere display, the sama
- :. '''i' '''o - m puCJhg things, all 80
characteristic of the father, are strik-
ingly manifest in the son. In the ad-
OF Business" these qualities are pre-
eminently displayed. 1t is beyond all
comparison the best "all-around" dis
cussion Of the subject that have ever
seen.
AS scholar DR.. Broadus was equally
distinguished for breadth and for accu-
racy. He never ceased to learn. He
hungered and thirsted after more
knowledge. When Toy come from Ger
many loaded with Sanskrit, Broe dus
was soon sitting as a pupil at his feet,
diligently studying the strange old
tongue; for he had already seen that
it was the key to unlock the rich trea-
sures hid away in the vualts OF COM
parative philology, and it stirred his
scholarly soul to know that now, for the
first time, he had the opportunity to
become acquainted with the elder sis
ter of every language spoken and writ
ten in cultivated Europe, ancient and
modern.
AS New Testament scholar he was
especially pre-eminent. His intimate
acquaintance with the incest points OF
Greek is admirably applied in his com
n ttFrf
very genuine delight that read that
commentary straight through <.~5fy
soon after it left the hands OF th9 prin-
ter.
His simplicity was perhaps his most
marked. characteristic. Even when
speaking or writing on the most recon-
dite subjects, and for scholarly hearers
or readers, he used plain English. In
addressing an audience at the Univer-
sity of Virginia he used scarcely word
that would puzzle the plainest man.
ored old professor, .Gessner Harrison,
is almost childlike in it's simplicity,
and it is perhaps the noblest monument
erected by a son-inlaw to his father
in-law since Tacitus immortalized Ag-
ricola.
AS a preacher DR.. Broadus stood in
the very first rank in his generation.
His exegetical sense was, 80 far as I
know, unsurpassed. AS an expository
preacher | have not known his equal
Many OF his published sermons are
models of paiustaking and scholarly
exposition and yet they are singular
ly free from dry, technical PROFESSIONAL
details. They do not "smell OF the
lamp" But the thoughts seem to flow,
and, what is better, they do flow right
out OF the text in its proper connection.
Some Of these sermons I have heard
coming ''mended" from the lips of the
great preacher when he was In his best
mood. Others have road in pamphlet,
or in newspaper, 10 they have appeared
in one form or another, during the last
thirty-five years. But though the book
('Sermons and Addresses"j fell into my
hands just when | was in the throes Of
removing from one field Of labor to an
other | was compelled to find-almost
to make-the time to read it straight
through, with the keenest relish, from
cover to cover.
For about year / heard Brother
Broadus regularly, and l have often
said that | would prefer him, as q con-
stancy, to any preacher | ever heard.
He was gifted with fine imagina-
tion, and he used it with wonderful
skill, especially in realizing Biblical
| scenes, countries and characters. His
sermons on JOB" aud on "John the
| Baptist" were splendid monuments 10