OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21765, 3 April 1934, Page 9

OBITUARY

DR. R.' F. HORTON NONCONFORMIST LEADER (Received April 2. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 2 The death has occurred of Dr. Robert Forman liorton, eminent nonconformist scholar and leader. The late Dr. R. F. Horton was born in London in September, 1855, and educated at Shrewsbury and New College, Oxford, where he gained distinction in classics and literature. Later he received the D.D. degree. In 1879 lie was made a Fellow of New College, and until 1883 was lecturer in history. In 1880 he becaine minister of the Hampstead Congregational Church and thus began a ministry which lasted for half a century. Powerful as a preacher, Dr. Horton attracted many by his thoughtful sermons and modernist views. His ministry was never of the militant kind, but tended always toward tranquillity and reconciliation. In 189.'? he visited the United States and delivered the Lyman IJceeher lecture at Yale. Five years later he was made chairman of the London Congregational Union. In 1903 ho was chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, and in ]9oo president of the National Free Church Council. In 19L'< he made a tour of India and in lv»20 revisited the United Stales. An appeal which Dr. Horton made in 1920 for a conference of members of the Free. Churches was one of the outstanding features of his career. Therft existed, lie said, an intense desire for religion, but thoughtful people were put oti by the impossibility of reconciling the traditional orthodoxy with the knowledge which was common property to all. His aim was to get the Christian faith presented in a way which would commend it to those who were abreast of the knowledge of the day and were determined nor to stultify their intellects even in the interests of their faith. lu December. 1929, when Dr. Horton was 74 years old, he resigned his ministry. In 191S he had married Miss lsobol Violet Fiasden. then 20, whom lie had baptised in 1 er babyhood. A daughter was horn (<» them in 1928. Dr. Horton wrote moiv than 30 books, nearly all ou religious subjects. One of the exceptions was his autobiography which he published in 1917. MR. N. E. COXON SYDNEY JOURNALIST (lieocived April 2, 11.25 p.m.) SYDNEY. April 2 The death is announced of Mr. N. E. Coxon, a well-known Sydney journalist, formerly of New Zealand. Two ol his sons are in journalism at present.