New-York tribune., 1900-12-10
BISHOP POTTER CRITICAL.
CONDEMNS RICH MEMS MAUsoLEUMs, IN
A SERMON AT THE ASCENSION
MEMORIAL CHURCH.

The annual memorial service OF Ascension
Memorial Church. In West -third-st..
west OF Broadway. was held last night. The ser
vices were conducted by the Rev John F. Steen.
the rector, and the musical programme was
under the direction OF Henry E Duncan. or
ganist Of the Church OF the Heavenly Rest.
The church was originally mission OF Ascen-
sion parish and it was erected as a memorial
Of the departed members OF that parish At
the service last night the names Of fifteen de-
ceased members Of the Kings Daughters were
read, the congregation standing.
The sermon preached by Bishop Potter.
who took for his text Joshua xiv. % and 81
in which Il is related how Joshua put up a stone
to be a memorial Of the covenant between God
and his people. The power OF association. the
Bishop said one OF the greatest forces in
the world. 1t stimulated the acute action Of
the memory. vision. apprehension and criticism
He referred TO the tablet in Chester, which tells
that King Charles stood on that spot and
watched the defeat Of his army. and TO the food
Of tragic historical memories it called up. He
continued:
You go into shop. house. a saloon-that
IS. you go into a saloon. and you'd better stay
anee Of the place the character of the people who
Delong there They don't need TO tell you the kind
OF people they They have already given them
serves away" 20 use our vulgar phrase. They have
termined law of action and reaction between the
spiritual man and his physical environment. We
CANT get away from il Some of you here are. as
I am sprung from the children OF children's chill
oren or members OF the Society of Friends. Now
the FRIENDS sprang from a very noble conception,
a protest against certain tawdry ceremonials. The
result OF that protest is that the planest place in
the world is Friends meeting house. Their action
was one OF the finest exhibitions given OF
mems completely purging themselves OF all vani-
woman n the world should be influenced throw
away her wedding ring because such adOrnments
are sometimes made the subject OF foolish super
! stuon-as they sometimes are. think you Will
agree with me that good deal that We value would
be lost.
Some day some nan with the courage OF his con-
book the extrava gancies and grotesqueries that
everywhere to be IN American cemeteries.
Some men with ancestral associations try 10
build themselves into the history Of the future oy
building costly mausoleums Just who died
recently built al cost OF a quarter Of a mill
ion dollars Think Of it-a quarter Of million COL
lars for housing the carcass OF one man! I think
the time will come when will not only see
Alright but VIII describe such a thing as II ought
( to be described.
Because OF the value OF association, rejoice that
lished this saints day. I don't know just what
authority he has for doing II, and l am not sure
what ought 10 do myself. but 1 bless II, and do
not ban IL.
: wish also 10 congratulate you upon the success
achieved IN the recent improvements OF this build
/ ing. II I had been asked in advance would have
! conserve the virtues Of old building. don't
I know whether you know IL, but this building has
3 some OF the older virtues-including Old-fash-
iOned gallery. ! am glad you did not take out the
gallery, and are so heightened out that worship IS
act OF faith IN sense not originally intended
/ you have also done well not 20 have the building
smeared all with the hideous polychrome that
/ - so common nowadays. and for using instead a
simple unity Of tint You have of the
I most dignihed church edihces in New-York