Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-15
ODDITIES IN SERMONS
ANNUAL OISCOURSES THAT ARE
PAID FOR BY LEGAClES.

The Lucky London Clergyman Who
breaches the Golden Sermon" Re
ccives a Fee of cI50--The Text Prob
lem of the ''Nuseurn Sermon"
Every year on Oct. Is is preached at
st. Catherine Cree church in Leaden-
hall street the lion sermon" 1t COM
memorates the escape. over two cen
turtles back, of then lord mayor, Sir
John Gayer. who while travelling in
the east encountered Il lion, which, on
his repeating the prayer of Daniel, al
lowed him TO pursue his way unmO-
Tested. In gratitude for his miraculous
escape the worthy citizen left direc-
tons in his Will that II commemorative
sermon should be preached annually,
together with sufficient money to carry
this bequest into effect.
Every Jan. 80 for 225 years has the
'Assheton sermon" been delivered in
the parish church of DOwnham. Ian
cashire. Over two centuries since Sir
Richard Assheton of Downham Hall
left Il legacy of ii a year, t. thereof
to be distributed among the poor and
the remainder to be paid to Il clergy
man for an annual exposition, on the
date of the testatOr's death. of Job
xix, %, %, and Colossians iii, 3, 1.
The 'Spital Sermon which is deliv-
cred every Easter before the lord may
or and corporation of London at Christ
church, Newgate street, originated in
an old custom by which the bishop of
London appointed some learned cleric
fn 6nlivnr a Of Do,rl'S,
Cross on Good Friday as n prelude to
three sermons on The Resurrection"
to be given at the pulpit cross in the
Spital on the following Monday, Tues
day and Wednesday by bishop, a
dean and a doctor of divinity respec-
lively.
The following Sunday at St Paul's
Cross another divine passed judgment
on these discourses, and on this occa-
sion the mayor and corporation, who
had on the preceding Monday and
Tuesday been CARRIED in scarlet, at
tended, as on Good Friday and Easter
Wednesday, robed in violet gowns
Ere their migration to Horsham the
boys of the Bluecoat school were al
ways present at the ''spital sermon"
Flower sermons are still to be
heard in more than one church. On
Whitsun Tuesday at st. James church, :
Mitre court. Aldgate, one of these is
preached, while at st. Leonard's |,
church, Shoreditcb. a botanical dis |
course is, in accordance with the will |
of Thomas Fairchild, who died in |
1929, annually delivered. At Stepney |
church the horticultural sermon" calls |
to mind the long past days when in
stead of being surrounded by thou
sands Of houses the church overtopped |
a country village with its quaint cot
tages and well tended gardens.
Annually on April 6 the inhabitants
OF Twyning, Tewkesbury, attend the i
church to hear sermon upon mar
rage preached in accordance with the |
bequest of lord of the manor. who /
in 1715 left a sum of money for this
specific purpose. The preacher him.
self receives 81, the parish clerk ) shil- 1
lings. while f3 los. is divided among I
the congregation. who last year num-
bered seventy-one.
The handsome fee of 16 guineas is
paid to the preacher of the accession
sermon" which each year on the ami
of the reigning monarch's &C
cession may be heard in Durham cathe
dral One unusual and. as some may II
consider, commendable condition at u
taching to this discourse is that its !