New-York tribune., 1896-01-31
OBITUARY.


THE REV. DIR. WILLIAM H. FuHNEeo'
phuadelphia. JAN 3o-The Rev. DR.. william H.
Furness pastor emeritus Of the Flrst on''a'ia"
Church. of Philadelphia. died to-day at MS nome III
this city His death was sudden ana was uue ~
heart failure He had eaten breakfast as USUAL anu
was apparently in good health Ihe seizure ioi
lowed shortly after the meal and he breathed MS
last resting in the arms Of his son. Dr' roracc
Howard Furness Funeral services will be heid IN
the First Unitarian Church on Saturday morning.
conducted by the Rev. DR.. Robert Collyer.
william Henry Furness was born In Boston April
%. 1872 He was graduated at Harvard In lS2o ana
entered theological study at the Harvard Dvinlty
school which he finished In 1923 In January 1879.
he was ordained pastor of the First Congregational
Church in Philadelphia-the year OF the estaDilsh-
rent of the American Unitarian Associatioh. roi
dfty years Dr. Furness remained In charge oi .hi'
church. retiring in 1875. He by no means re.ieu
from active service In his denomination IN tha'
year however, for since then he has frequently
I'm churches various parts of the country
retaining in astonishing degree the ihte'ectuai
and physical vigor that distinguished him through
out his life. - ,,a
much literary work in his long life lie was also
an active worker in the ant-siavery cause peio'e
tho war For several years Dr. Furness had oeeh
the Oldest surviving graduate OF Harvard uhNe'-
slty and the senior clergyman in the Unitarian ue
rominatIon The theological position OF DF fuinsSs
was peculiar belonging as he dd 10 tle eM.a e e'
humanltaran school, distinguished from ma 81, VI
c,hanning Peabody and Norton lie accepteu lur M
rhe most part the miraculous facts OF the NV, Nv
Testament vet accounted for them by the mora nioIa
and snirifai forces resulting from the pre-emiheit
character of the Saviour. who, in MS view, - an
vailed form of humanity. His books reveal d
highly cultivated intellect impeIled Dy eh'hu9'd'''
ardor and enriched BY glowing fancy; .,rro,
From 1885 to 1891 Dr. Furness edited an annual
entitled The Dladem. He was the autnor %
..Remarks on the -Four Gospels " Ns39). Jesus ana
His Biorraphers GS30. Domestic Wo mp
nsiN * History of Jesus" QSJC). Dlscourses
HS;2 "1'houghts on the Life and Character OF jesus
nS %azareth7' Gs5D The Veil Partly Lifted anu
iee,s Recoming Visible " GS6D. The unconscil 9us
ruth OF the -Four Gospels " 0s6D. Jesus. CS.D'
THE Power OF Spirit Manifest IN Jesus OF Naza, ,
roth Qs77) THE Story OF the Resurrection loIi
Once More 0SS5) and Verses. Translat.oiis s a,a
Uymns' dSSG He also made many uahslatonss ~
from the German. including Schubert , MiIol d oi
Nature" Gems Of German verse, Juiiu9 ni a. az"
Otbor Tales" and Schenkers "CharacterDiid Jesu
a reply TO Renan. His version OF SchIicr oois ,s
Of the Bell' has been highly praised as one OF 'he
best In English. , - so,arol dIs,In-
g,shed children. Howard Horace Fumes, ms Ms % so,
l. one of the most famous OF modern Shd" q,
scholars Ills daughter. Mrs Annis Lee M,S'e'ii iiJis
we'll known as A translator from the ,Ieriidil
son William Furness won DISTINCTION az -, a pp I'd
trait painter His daughter, Helen rae iiom A'u'
had also made studies In Shakespeare OF Nd'De'