Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/269

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Dr. Hoge said that he would prefer a small country charge, at least until he gained some experience, and had composed some sermons. Dr. Plumer requested a meeting of the faculty of the Theological Seminary, explained his wishes to the members, and sent for Dr. Hoge. They united in advising him to come to Richmond if he re- ceived an invitation. There was another small church in another county to which Dr. Hoge had been recommended, but an influen- tial elder opposed the call on the ground that he did not think the young minister qualified for the position.

LICENSED TO PREACH.

Dr. Hoge was licensed to preach at a meeting of the Presbytery in Lynchburg. The circumstances were without parallel. It was the same church in which his father had been licensed, and what made the event unique was that Dr. Hoge's father was Moderator of the Presbytery and gave the charge to his son. Thus three generations of the same family were connected by this strange sequence of ser- vices in the same church.

AS DR. PLUMER'S ASSISTANT.

It was in the year 1844 that Dr. Hoge was invited to Richmond by the session of the First Presbyterian church. The invitation was accepted, and an arrangement was made by which he was to assist Dr. Plumer until a lot could be purchased and a small church erec- ted, with the view of ascertaining whether another congregation could be collected in a new locality. The site on which the Second Presbyterian church now stands was purchased, a lecture-room built, a congregation gathered, and on the 2yth of February, 1845, Dr. Hoge was installed as pastor the Rev. Dr. Leyburn preaching the ordination sermon, Dr. Plumer delivering the charge to the pastor, and Rev. William Lyon the charge to the people. In a few months it was found that the lecture-room was too small for the needs of the congregation, and plans were adopted for the erection of a more commodious house of worship. Dr. Hoge went, with Mr. Samuel P. Hawes, to New York to obtain a model for the new church build- ing; an architect of that city was chosen, who drew the plans, in accordance with which it was erected. It was dedicated in the year 1848, a dedication hymn having been composed by the late John R. Thompson, and introduced into the hymn-book subsequently au- lorized by the Presbyterian General Assembly. In the process of le the edifice was found too small for the requirements of the con-