The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-05-04
An Interesting Letter.

Monday following Easter being the
long established time for iecting the
viestry in the Episcopal Church, in ac-
cordance with this usage an election
was recently held here, at which DR.,
Payne was elected v~estryman of the
church for the present year, and was
also appointed a delegate to the
Convention Of the Diocese soon
to meet in Chattanooga. On be-
ing informed Of his election and ap.
%pointment the Doctor responded in the
subjoined letter, which will doubtless
interest our readers:
EsTlLL SPRINGS, Tenn l
,a ..,s April IL, 1871.
Dr.. J.C. Shapard, Winchester:
Ny Dean Doctor Yours of the
18th inst. received, and contents noted.
While ! would have preferred that
some other person had been selected
as yestryman Of the church at Win
chester, yet / acknowledge with pro
found sensibility the compliment hes
towed, and when informed Of the time
Of meeting Of the vcstry, shall make it
a matter Of duty as well as pleasure, to
attend its deliberations. 1t will also
afford me qualification to attend the
Convention, which, you inform me,
meets at Chattanooga on the Gath
proximo.
dearly love the church
"Beyond my highest joy
] prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn VOWS,
Her hymns OF love and praise"
There is no man higher church than
am in assumption, and yet no one
less tainted with Tractarianism or Rit-
u~alistic lummery. l was raised an
Episcopalian, and educated in one Of
the colleges of the church (Keny on
While quite a young man l was n yes
trvman Of St. Paal's Church, Mis-
sissippi, which, from small beginnings
became one of the most flourishing in
the Diocese. But when l moved to
my plantation in Alabama, and since
my sojourn in Tennessee, | have been
deprived for over twenty years of reg
ular attendance upon her sanctuary.
NV love, however, for the church Of
nv fathers has never waned, but be
comes stronger as / grow older. But,
indeed, it could hardly he otherwise.
I am descended ESQ to speak, from
the Aaronic stock in the church. My
father, though often urged to take or
ders, only became Lay Reader-having
received Written authority from your
good Bishop Otey, when he had charge
Of the Diocese Of Mississippi, to exer-
else that office in Columbus when the
church there was in its infancy. My
grandfather was the occupant of "the
last Glebe" in Virginia, beneath
whose lordly oaks 1 myself first saw
the light. and in the halcyon days of
infancy heard the familiar intercourse
of the Moores, the Meads, the Ma
CURES, and other bright luminaries of
a past age. The "Glehes," you know
were all confiscated to the common
wealth after the revolution, reserving
the right of occupancy Of incumbents
during life.
l have the ordination papers OF my
grandfather (Woodville,) from Bisho!
White, and those of my great grand.
father, who, in 1764, was ordained to
exercise the ministerial office of Priest
in the province Of Virginia, by Richard.
Bishop of London. at his palace o
Fulham, upon his signing his declare.
tons of conformity to the Liturgy anC
usages Of the church as by law estab
lished. He, however, was a true pa
triot during the revolution, as is ovi
denced by a manuscript Thanksgiving
Sermon in my possession, preached af
ter the defeat of Burgoyne in l777.
If you have Bishop Mead's '"Ol(
churches and families in Virginia.
you will find mention of my father il
I'd volume, page 164, aud of my moth
er in I'd volume, page 81.
Excuse the rambling scrawl int
which l have been insensibly led.
Very respectfully, -.
JNo. j. w. PAYNE.