The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-03

It's start-GoVernmen Like Thai
Of the Nation-Few Changes in the
Methods.
The Oldest Protestant church in the
United States, says the New York
hines, will celebrate its three hun
redth anniversary this year. 1t was
April, Just three centuries ago, that
10 first company Of Virginia cOf0nists
uttered Chesapeake bay and. disem.
BARKING at a little peninsula to which
hey afterward gave the name of
jamestown, erected the first building
h this continent dedicated to the serv-
Be Of the Christian religion according
the forms and tenets Of the Church
England Episcopal church. This
ear the triennial session of the gen
raj convention of the Protestant Epis-
opal church will be held In Rich
bond, Va, and the occasion will be
narked by special celebration COM
'hemorating the 800 years of Episco-
balianism in this country.
: The FIRST Jamestown church, whose
sercentenary will be celebrated this
fear, was no more than an old sail
fastened to four trees, with seats made
bf logs beneath, and a bar of wood
Between two trees for pulpit.
This was our church." wrote John
Smith, until we built a homely thing
like barn, set upon crutches, COW
bred with RATS, sedge and earth, so
WAS also the walls the best Of our
houses were Of the like curiosity; but
Ior the most part fare much worse
workmanship that could neither well
befend from wind nor rain" The
preaching of sermons in this church
was not much favored by the colonists
apparently, for John Smith adds: "The
preacher did aske me II it weare my
pleasure to have sermon; hee said
lee was prepared for it. made an
were that our men were weary and |
hungry and that hee did see the TYNE |
u the dale was farr past--and that If
pleased him, wee would spare him |
Ill some other tyne"
Early Days Of Church.
Dean Hodges of the Cambridge
theological school, points out that
With this jamestown settlement as
ucleus the Episcopal church in this
ountry existed mainly in Virginia and
Iaryland during the seventeenth GEN.
lry, and was administered by COM
lissione-s Of the bishop of London.
. the eighteenth century 1t appeared
all the colonies and was fostered by
Missionaries Of the Society for the
of the Gospel in Foreign
arts. The lack of bishop in this
ountry, however, was keenly felt
nong the clergy and laity of the Is
lurch and numerous petitions were
mt to England all through the colon
period to have this lack remedied.
ut 1t was not until 1884 that the
st bishop, DR.. Samuel Seabury. was t
nsecrated at Aberdeen, Scotland, /
ID sent to the United States. c
The growth of the Episcopal church a
America during the colonial period O
rs slow, owing to the fact that the v
ijority of the colonists, coming from v
lgland in search Of religious free v
m, viewed the Church OF England In a
s. country with undisguised enmity. n
us, outside of Virginia and Mary N
i'd, It was only in New York that &
} Episcopal church was Hospitality a
lcomed. The Dutch founders OF n
s colony naturally had no quarrel g
n the latter church When the
'vinces came into English posses \
n, the Dutch Reformed Congrega-
a shared with their Anglican breth-
the church at the Battery, the
tch worshipping there In the morn 81
, the English in the afternoon.
During the Revolution. 81
'urCg the revolution the Episcopal er
rch in general was considered q in
y company-and this nothwith- IN
nding the fact that such revolu- rio
larry leaders as Washington, JEFF m