The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-11-29

zoo Will Christianity is now what
it IS, and its present faith, worship
and influence are such as they are, by
virtue OF the struggles and trials and
failures and triumphs Of the past.
We speak Of the earlier and purer
ages; doubtless they were purer, in
the sense that the few prosecuted
Christians were closer to their Mas
ter. But the world which He came
to save was infinitely further from
Him. The Martyrs did not die in
vain; the Apostles did not preach to
no effect; the Church has not existed
during ali the centuries in order that
the gates CT hell might prevail against
1t. The great, the good, the noble
lives of the past have gone to their
reward. They are in peace, where no
evil can touch them. But the power
and influence of their godlv lives still
perVade the intellectual and spiritual
atmosphere in which we dwell. The
| light Of their example, like the light
of the sun. diffused and reflected in a
thousand unnoticed ways, fills our
| lives with a warmer glow: their coun-
sells of wisdom, their words Of warn
ing and hope, still come to us in the
memories and traditions Of past out
Of which springs all that is best Of the
present.
t. For all Gods human family are
one. We are not merely individual
and independent personalities. No
man can point to any one quality or
achievement Of his life and say hat is
his and he owes it to no man. We
are bound together in a wonderful
whole, ani Use and fall, triumph and
suffer, rejoice and weep, in the eX-
perlenccs Of the one great family.
At this moment the people of this
country, while pouring out tears and
treasures for the awful calamity of
our brethren at Galveston. are strug-
Cling with the dark problems Of our
duty to our fellow men in the East.
And no man in this Christian land
dares to stand up and say that we
may deal with them merely for our
own advantage. We feel and admit
his claim to our ustice and our be-
nevolence. And the love which
stretches across seas and continents
goes back into the past also. We
love and honor all those who are gone
before. We give God humble thanks
for the good examples of all those
who having departed this life in faith
and in love do now rest from their
Ia bOrs
II. At this time we give most high
praise to Almighty God for the life
and for the death of His faithful ser
want, William Shepard Pettigrew, for
thirty years Rector of this Parish.
He was born in Tvrrell county, North
Carolina, Oct. 3rd, 1918; was ordained
Deacon by Bishop Atkinson in St
James Church, Wilmington, Jan.
31st. 1869, and was ordained Priest
in the same place, by the same noble
prclate. Trinity Sunday, June 18th,
1870. For one year after his ordina-
ton to the Deaconate he ministered
at St David's Church, Scuppernong,
and the surrounding country. In
January, 1870, he became Rector OF
the Church Of the Holy Innocents,
Henderson. and in February began
holding monthly services in st. John
Church, William msboro - becoming
Rector very shortly thereafter. March
31st, 1873, he became Rector of the
Church Of the Good Shepherd, Ridge
way, and in the following October he
resigned charge of the Church in Hen
derson and fixed his residence at
Ridgewav. In 1882 he began to hold
Sunday afternoon services at Middle
burg, and in 1888 the Chapel at that
place was built. The rest of his life
was given to the service OF these
three congregations. ST. John
Church, Williamsboro, he took in
February, 1870, the Church Of the
Good Shepherd, Kidgeway, in 1873,
and the Church of the Heavenly Rest,
Middleburg-w may say in 1882.
He went to his final rest from the
Rectory in Ridgeway, July, 9th,
1900.
Mr.. Pettigrew was not selfmade
man, God made him. And God made
him through generations OF worthy
and honored ancestors preceding him.
His name indicates French eNtrac-
ton, and his family is said to have
come from that country, by way OF
Scotland and Ireland, to America,
where they settled first in Pennsyl-
vania They were French Protes-
tants, or Hugueonots, and, as was
usually the case, had conformed tc
the Church upon coming into Great
Britain. James Pettigrew. however
the Emigrant, had become a Presby-
terian, about the time of his settle
ment in America and brought his
family up most strictly in the riglc
discipline of the old Calvinists. While
residing at hambersburg, Pa, il
l743 his son Charles was born. lr
1755 the family removed to Lunen
, burg county, Virginia. In 1860 they
removed to Granville county, NORTH
Carolina. on GRASSY Greek. and Jane:
Pettigrew is said to have given the
land on which Grassy Greek Presbv
terian Church was built, and to have
: been one Of the elders of that cOngre
: CATION. In 116S the family removed
, to South Carolina, where 1t has beer
represented ever since in each gene
ration bv distinguished and brillian
. descendants. though | believe che
, name is no longer eNtant in that State
When the family removed from Gran
| Vile Charles Pettigrew. young maj
of oftwentv-tive, remained. He had bee,
educated under two distinguished
teachers Of this section. James Wad
dell. Wirt's famous Blind Preacher.
, in Virginia, and Henry PariIlo, il
North Carolina. He became a teache
J himself. first in Granville and But
, counties. and then in 1913 as maste
Of the old Edenton Academy. Elthe
before removing to Edenton or yer,
| shortly thereafter. Charles Pettlgre'
] returned to the Communion of tn
5 Church which his father had left, AM
f shortly before the Revolution he wa
: ordained in England Deacon an
f Priest by the Bishop Of London, an
| the Bishop of Rochester and license
l by the Bishop Of London for tn