Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-24

Oh inc uooiS VI the injected was Sic
ceeded by the red cross of fire over all.
or the stateliness and convenience Of
her halls, of the loneliness of her
many churches. the liberal accommoda
tons OF hospitals, the fullness Of her
rich shops and warehouses, the royal
Eess of her exchange" there was moth
ing left but strange maze and
labyrinth of naked steeples. useless
| chimneys and pitiful fragments OF
ragged walls. amidst perpetual heaps
OF ashes, stones and rubbish" The
great bishop warns his congregation
of peers (and. being of Charles the
Seconds time. one may rely upon II
that the most of them were wicked.
just the sort of creatures for his text
from Psalms vii, 2. 20 let the wicked
ness of the wicked come to an end.
| hut establish the just') that if the fire
| is an arrow from the CULVER of the
Lord. and if the plague is another
snaft there are many more for HIS
adversaries, the men of sin. He
| urges as the monitor of the lords who
| were supposed to be listening to him.
| that the greater the persons and hon
ors of the peers the more the necess-
| ity. as examples, that they be rehg-
ious, that they keep their names and
families from stain and blemish.
| While the lord bishop Of Chester in
cluded the great plague and the great
| fire under one discourse. announcer ioru
bishop. Seth OF Exon. got al these sam
peers a week iater tOct. 10. 1000. IN !.
way that seemed to please them SO mucn
| that they passed vote of thanks ana
| ordered the sermon published
| The scourgc of this great IRE. comlne
palling in all its phases that 1t Is not 10
| be wondered at that Il centralized APP
peal to the Supreme Being came from
the people like cry OF despair Eng
land, already terrorized by the plague,
made haste. by royal command. to put
into one day for fasting and prayer what
little religious sentiment remained WIN
the nobility. His lordships text was
| Ecclesiastes XII, g. The particular de-
| sign of this days observation" he began
| lis to humble ourselves under the mighty
| judgments. especially that late one III
| consuming with fire the ancient and noble
metropolis of the nation; and 10 en- :
deavor To appeasc the wrath OF Goa gone
| As to the scourgcs that mad befallen
| London the bishop considered that thcy
came ito awaken "A drowsie people. TO
rowse up Il LetharSic nation. to termt nj
a people settled upon their Lees. God
| has made a new thing in the midst of US.
he hath a work i'll our days which makes
| the ears OF All lntt near II 'iiStt
work not to be paralleled perhaps III al
the circumstances since the creation o.
| the world.
| He preached coura &C. and hope. and en-
crgy and activity in rebuilding tbs cay.
rejoicing. as he did SO, that the Lord
seemed to be on the side Of the nat ON,
though this hopefulncss was in face OF
the facts that a Dutch fleet had sailed mp
i the Thames almost to London. Durniiit
the shipping along the way-that II " -
| against the tcrrorS of fire ana pcstllcnHc
to. al SG,
| immoral coIrt. and addressed L. II par
! lament that had passed that infamous
measure for the persecution of ministers
| called the "nvc-milc act. All things
| considered, England never had worse
need for prayer, let alone the fasting.
These aotabc instances OF religious OBJ
serranccs ar" mentioned IN connection
! with the early church customs in TINS
country. because they affected TO an APP
prcCiable extent the spiritual ana mate
| rial interests OF the PuritanS throU-n
prosecutions in the old country or 10y
such loss OF property or relations MS 10
force people to cmiGrate to America. 81
| far rs concerned the feast ana fast day,
OF the immediate descendants Of the earl,
colnnists nothing of an extended charlc-
ter WAS done until i1St when there was
4 general Thanksgiving over the assured
establishment OF the republic. In l'SS.
when the constitution was adopted.
Wa shnyton recommended day for
general thanksgiving. Such a proclamd-
ton followed the suppression IN l's' OF
and again in 1873 when our second war
with England came to a successful con
cusion.
In presenting in 17Sa, a prayer-book for
use in the United States. the authorizes
of the Episcopal church suggested the
observance of the first Thursday of No
yember of each year as a day for thanks
giving and PRAYER. The custom was an
expansive one and was gradually adopted
by the governors of New England states.
becoming through family reunions on
such occasions a welcome festival rs well
as Il religious celebration of an unusual
" expressive character.
President Lincoln issued two national
pruclamations for days of thanksgiving
in 1867 and lsGJ-beCause of hountiiul
crops and of successes in battle. In 1s5i
came ii proclamation asking the nation
TO he thankful that the Civil War was
ended and peace assured. Every year
since there has been SO much. above all
disasters. for which to be- thankful. and
50 much gratitude as an annual growth
in the hearts of people yeIrninG TO eX-
press il in a more than ordinary way. ;ta
to confirm the days observance as be
ing "a national custom observed.
though not a statutory holiday in all pt
them. in all the states.