The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-05-03

|
lowed as tue burial-place of Eadgar and
the two Eadmunds. The Normans also
learned to reverence it as holy fame,
and invested it with many fond tradi-
tions. The legend of the visit of st.
Joseph Of Arimathea to Glastonbury
is of mcdiaeval creation. "There is no
other spot in Britain continues Free
man, (which, like this, gathers around
it all the nublcst memories alike of the
older (thc British) and the newer
dwellers i'm the land. What Glaston-
bury has to itself alone and without
rival, is its historical position as the
tie, at once national and religious, which
binds the history and memories Of the
British race"
In the history of Glastonbury We
see the infancy of Christianity in Brit
ain and latterly the practical union of
the British Church with that of the
Saxon and the Norman-tc be known
in later history as the Ecclesia Angli-
cana-the Church of England.
The Church of America to-day is
the daughter of that same Church of
England, which represents both Brit
ish and English Christianity. And as
there was peculiar fitness in the
choice of the Kettle pattern for the
Peace Cross, erected on Mount St.
Alban, the site Of the Washington
cathedral that is to be, so is that fitness
enhanced and made still more complete
(St. Alban being the proto martyr of
the British Churcb) by the fact that
the bishops chair or cathedra in that
cathedral is made of stones which have
been borne across the great Atlantic
from the ruins of the ancient British
monastery of Glastonbury. What a
rush of historic memories must such a
fact conjure up in the mind of every
thoughtful man! The planting ofthese
venerable and historic stones, so as to
form the cathedra of the Bishop of
Washington, recalls to our minds that
memorable episode in the annals of
Israel, when, in the days of Joshua.
they were commanded by the Lord to
place twelve stones in the bed of the
Jordan to be perpetual witnesses unto
them and succeeding generations ofthe
miraculous crossing of the Jordan.
And do not these stones of the Glas-
tonbury Cathedra help us to bridge
over that wide gulf of sixteen centuries
which lies between the national cathe-
dral Of the capital Of the United States
of America and the cradle of British
Christianity = between Washington
cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey or
Bangor Wydrin?
How the stones which now form the
Glastonbury Cathedra came to he pre-
sented to the Bishop of Washington is
soon told. In the summer of 1897
there was held in London what is
known as the Lambeth Conference of
all the bishops of the Anglican Com
munion throughout the world, which OF
course includes the American Church.
One of the most memorable meetings
of that august assembly was that held
in the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey.
Within the roofess pile which once
had sheltered the Christian tombs of
kings and saints, and amid the bare
walls of the ruined and desoIate fabric
wherein had echoed solemn hymn and
chant, were assembled the official rep
rcsentatives of all the national
Churches throughout the world which
trace their spiritual lineage from the
ancient Church of Britain.
1t was sou!-inspiring scene, which
left a lasting, indelible impression on
the minds of all who were privileged
to witness it. The diocese of Wash
ington was represented on this historic
occasion by its pres mt and first bishop
Speaking Of it the bishop writes: "No-
body who was present will ever forget
the scene. All met in the parish church
Of Glastonbury. There a procession
was formed headed by long line of
surpliced choirs, followed by more than
five hundred clergy, the rear being
brought up by over one hundred bish-
ops fir m all parts of the world Both
bishops and clergy were in their robes.
Moving slowly through the streets of
Glastonbury they reached the ancient
abbey. The service which followed
was absolutely unique. Within the
picturesque ruins on the green sward
and beneath the bri ght sun of sum-
ill'l 'fty luiS NtSJ dSSculbldOc WIS
gathered. The bishops sat in that
part OF tie abbey ruins which had once
been the choir. The clergy occupied
the front part of the nave, while the
surpliccd choir filled the transepts.
The remaining space within the bare
walls was occupied by the vast assem-
bly, which had met there, while others
seiz' every coign Of vantage to wit
ness the proceedings-some gazing
the ruined windows, or stand |
ing on mounds formed of the grass !
covered ruins. The Bishop of Bristol
CDR. Browne) was the preacher on this
historic occasion. He dwelt on the
ancient history OF Glastonbury, and |
told us how it represented, as it were,
the connecting link between Kettle and