The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1907-10-30
ODDITIES IN SERMONS
ANNUAL DlscouRsEs THAT ARE
PAID FOR BY LEGAClES. ...

Ehe LnclEv LondOn Clergyman Who
ProaOhes tbs goodies SermOR" Re-
oeives . Fee OF R1BO-The Text Prob
hem OF the saAauseum Sermon"
Every year on Oct. 16 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 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 a commemorative
sermon should be preached annually.
together with sufficient money to carry
this beQuests into effeCA
Every Jan. 80 for 225 years has the
"Assheton sermon" been delivered In
the parish church of Downham, Lam
cashire. Over two centuries since SIR
Richard Assheton of Downham Hall
left a legacy of "A a year. f2 thereof
to be distributed among the poor and
the remainder to be paid to clergy.
man for an annual exposition. on the
date Of the testator's death, of JOl
xix, %, 26, and Colossians iii, 3, 4.
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
to deliver a sermon ut st. PauPs
Cross on Good Friday az a prelude to
three sermons on 1.-The Resurrection"
to be given at the pulpit cross In the
Spltal on the following Monday, Tues
day and "Wednesday by a 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 or this occa-
sion the mayor and corporation, who
had on the preceding Monday and
Tuesday been CARRIED In scarlet, at
tended, a. on Good Friday and Easter
Wednesday, robed in violet gowns.
Ere their migration to Horsham the
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, Shoreditch, q botanical dis
course is, In accordance with the will
Of Thomas FairchiId. who died in
1729. 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
q country village with its quaint cot
tages and well tended gardens.
Annually on April the Inhabitants
OF Twyning. Tewkesbury, attend the
church to hear a sermon upon mar
riage preached in accordance with the
6eQuest Of a lord OF the manor, who
in 1715 left a sum Of money for this
specific purpose. The preacher him
self receives FL. the parish clerk 8 shil-
linGs, while f3 los. is divided among
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
versary Of the reigning monarch's &C.
cessiOr may be heard In Durham cathe-
dral. One unusual and, as some may
consider, commendable condition at
taching to this discourse In that its
duration must not exceed fifteen min
utea,