Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-14

a
chnpiains obtrusiye. On the contrary,
they are respectful ana dcfefentlal, and
never commence their service until the
clergyman officiating has ended his. They
no doubt realize as fully as do the In
congruity. the unreasonableness OF
double service. II may he that By con-
ference between men equally DESTROYS TO
maintain consistency and the most edify-
ing way OF conducting funeral services
harmonious solution OF the problem can
be secured"
SERMONS AND ADDRESSES.
Lastly" said Or. Hoge. I'VE come 20
the consideration OF n question eboat
which different views are held. and yet
one upon which public opinion seems 10
b. steadily approaching an agreement.
mons or addresses as O part OF funeral
services which are entitled TO attention.
the most wegh;y OF them is the oppor-
tunlty the fgncral gives for reaching a
class OF men who rarely enter church.
but who may be touched by an appeal
made more ilnprtssiF by the solemnites
Of The occasion. Notwithstanding that
such opportunities do occur. there are
other considerations which seem TO over
balance this advantage IN the estimation
OF the Christian public III is
safe to say that the cultivated moral
sense Of the community IL less ana less
IN sympathy with funeral discoursea. one
great purpose OF such addresses, when
they were common, was the desire on the
part OF the pastor TO comfort the berePved
and TO impress the Lessons OF Gods Prov
dence in addiction. New IL is felt that the
appropriate time and place for sucn
ministries is In the home OF the bereaVed
after the funeral IS over. In the days
when funeral sermons were preached the
stricken family often eat silent during us
delivery until the preacher began his por-
traiture OF the life and character or the
deceased. and then Immediately there was
such audible distress as 10 show that the
anguish Of the bereaved was aggravated
by those well-meant attempts TO admins
ter consolation"
''Then. too" continued DR.. Hoge, "fune-
raj sermons and addresses have come into
disrepute because OF the unconscious exag-
geratlon which often characterizes the
portraiture Of the deceased. Men who
have had better opportunities OF knowing
him than the pastor had, and who have
been familiar with his social or business
life are often startled with the eulogiums
they hear from the pulpit. and they con-
clude that the preacher was either fgno-
rant of the real character of the de-
ceased or very careless IN his statements.
Great harm is sometimes done to the
impenitent by pictures of the joys OF the
deceased In the heavenly world. whose
death-bed repentance furnishsd the
preacher his only ground OF hope, ana
irrelEious hearers say II Is not worm
while to seek salvation while the world
is so full of attractions and when for
giveness can be obtained so easily at the
last moment. Many a preacher has UNI
done his own work by virtually contra
dieting at funerals what he had taught
in the pulpit at other times
LIVES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
DR.. Hoge said. in conclusion: "a good
life will speak for itself. ana needs no
funeral eulogium to keep II IN remem-
brance Good DIR. Peterkin. after forty
years Of sanity life in this city, VINO
had silent funeral, 90 far as addresses
Id Init M
gyric TO keep his memory fresh anc
fragrant In tins community.
"All classes of hearers may receive
salutary impressions from the Psalms and
such occasions, expressive of the short
ness and uncertainty of life, and they
are not likely to be made more impressive
by any words OF man; nor do the sublime
lessons of the fifteenth chapter OF First
Corinthians on the resurrection ana the
life Immortal need to be supplemented by
any human presentation Of the theme.
There are indeed occasions when the
emotion of sorrow is so profound ana
universal in the community as TO demand
the relief which comes from some ex--
preston of It, as when distinguished
Christian soldier, statesman, or philan-
thropist dies, and when the great lessons
Of the life of the departed should be en-
forced I'm the presence of the largest
audience that can be attracted. But even
then | would not have the address 10 the
puDlc MADE al the tlI1F OF the IuntIdl.
] once had the honor TO deliver an Grafton
i'm memory OF General Stonewall Jackson
but IL was on a week gay, and I'm the
Capitol Square Had General Jackson
been buried from my church, there would
have been a hymn, prayer and selec-
ton from Scripture, but not word Of
VIEWS OF OTHERS.
At the conclusion Of the paper II was
suggested that those present express
fbNYgacaltqs flQ question of funeral
reform. Rev. Pike Powers entirely agreed
with the sentiments expressed by Dr.
Hoge He himself could not see why the
ladies' in q bereayed family should wear
mourning any more than the men. Sure
ly, he argued II was not intended to
convey the impression that the fathers,
sons. and brothers did not feel as much
grief at the loss of relative as the
mothers, daughters, and sisters.
Dr. Tudor said that IL had never been
his custom in conducting funeral SER
vice to make any extended address.
A resolution thanking Dr. Hoge for his
excellent paper was unanimously adopted.
OTHER MATTERS.
During the business session Of the body
Rev J. J.. Spencer, of Nottoway. made an
earnest talk in favor OF establishing an
ant-saloon league. The league, ne SAID,
should be non-partisan In character, ana
no broken down politicians should be
Included among its members. No action.
however was taken in regard to the
matter.
The following resolution was offered and
adopted:
TIE Ministers Association of Richmond
an, Manchester having learned that the
Young Mems Christian Association or
this city is in great need of funds for It's
work we do hereby earnestly urge upon
all our people the necessity OF coming 10
the help OF this institution, which has
done and is still doing such great ana
noble work for the young men OF Klcn-
mOnd.
The meeting was closed with the bene-
dlction. which was pronounced by Dr.
Tudor.
OPPOSE THE APPROPRIATIONS.
While the Business Committee was con-
sidering matters to be brought before the
union, Rev Mr.. Bagby Informed the
body that the Baptist Preachers Confer
ence, having learned that the City Coun-
ell medtated making appropriations TO
denominational institutions in the city,
had determined to protest against such
action. and committee representing their
conference would present their protest
to the Council.
committee TO introduce new members
was appointed, consisting OF Rev. Messrs.
Cook, Bagby, and Goodwin.
resolution of sympathy and regard
for Rev. j. Calvin Stewart, who has
suffered so much from illness, was adopt
posed removal of Rev. j. X. Mason from
The city.
ChurIey's Aunt Here Tonight.
..,,,.a.,x..,- Amt which is nj the Acad-