The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-11
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Religion and Free Thought

That was an interesting essay which
the Rev. DR.. Eaves gave us in The Age
Herald recently on Charles Voysey, who
was elected from an Anglican curacy
about the middle of the last century for
a sermon against the idea of eternal pun
ishment and who some time afterward
founded the Theistic church," said an old
member of Birminghams Virginia col
ony
My attention was first called to a
Theistic society as a substitute for the
church when I was youth 40 odd years
ago, at the time Moncure d. Conway,
who was born in Stafford county. yir-
glnia, was living in London, where he
was pastor of what he called a Free
1heistic church. Conway was regular
correspondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial, and as his London letters always
mad a literary flavor, they were widely
read among cultured people. letter
appeared every week, and l subscribed
to the Cincinnati paper in order that
might see what Conway had to say.
Il knew Cohway's Virginia relatives,
and all of them, believe. were Episco-
palians. Moncure D., however. was a
very eccentric man, and he seemed to
have little to do with his people when he
grew to manhood. He went to Pennsyl-
vania for his college education, and before
the war came on he was a pronounced
abolitionist In Pennsylvania he entered
the Methodist ministry, but soon after
ward studied theology at Harvard and
left there a Unitarian preacher. He was
pastor of a Unitarian church in Cinein-
rati from 1856 to 1861. AS Cincinnati was
an abolition stronghold Conway gained
many friends there, but he did not achieve
great distinction until he had been living
in London for some years. AS he was a
free lacne in religion, l have no doubt
that he formed the acquaintance of
Charles yoysey. Their religious views
seemed to be much alike, although one
could never tell much from Conway's SER
mons just what he did believe, except
that he was against all creeds and all
church bodies that were called orthodox.
He was on intimate terms with many of
the great intellectual lights of Englnad.
1.-THE late Rev Moses d. Hoge, d. D.,
of Richmond told me of his attending one
OF Conway's services in London during
one OF his visits abroad. Conway hal
arranged liturgy which included read
ings from Plato, the Bible. Shakespeare
and Milton. The sermon that DR.. Hoge
heard was literary, but theologically It
was far from convincing. DR. Hoge said
that the congregation was made up of
long haired cranks-several hundred very
curious looking people. As the Richmond
divine was personal friend of Conway.
he waited after the services to have n
chat with him. Two members of this
Thelstic congregation seemed to be con-
sumptives. They were feeble and had
not long to live. They wanted some spir-
itua comfort from Mr.. Conway. DR..
Hoge said they seemed to yearn for pas
tora1 sympathy, but that Conway frankly
confessed that he had nothing to suggest
or advise. 1t was a dreary scene. Con-
ways doctrine put into practice was sim
ply ethical.
Conway published an autobiography
a year or two before his death. 1t is real
", valuable work for 1t tells us In
charming way much of Emerson, Haw-
thorne, Carlyle. Tennyson and other lit
erary immortals.''