The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-10-02

CONVEX ion viii visit jamestown Island
where a chapel has been built on the site
Of the first permanent Episcopal church
IN America. On October the bishops will
assemble in old Bruton Church, at VIII
Harrisburg, Va. the church which is the
second oldest in America, and which in
herited Jamestown's congregation and its
historic Importance when that venerable
shrine fell into disuse. Ambassador
Bryce will present to the church a Bible
made by direction Of the King Of England
under the special supervision of Arch
bishop Davidson This Bible bears the
inscription: This Bible is presented by
His Majesty King Edward VII. of Great
Britain and Ireland, and Emperor of
India, 70 the church Of BrutOn, Virginia,
shrine rich in venerable traditions Of
worship, in solemn memories of patriots
and statesmen, and in historic witness of
the oneness Of our people President
Roosevelt has given a lectern for the
church, which was made under the special
supervision OF the Bishop OF Washing
ton. This lectern represents the Angel
Of Peace standing on a globe which is
guarded by the British lion and the
American eagle, while the English coat
of-arms Of the Washington family is
between.
Three hundred years have brought
many changes in the church, whose
progress and growth have kept step with
that of the nation. Where the James
town congregation did hang an avn
ing, which is an old sail. TO three or
four trees" and so establish the first
church OF this faith in the new world.
there are now 1880 Episcopal houses Of
worship in the United States. Where
good Master Hunt" with his optimism.
his patience and his indomitable faith
ministered alone to the little handful OF
homesick settlers. there are now $500
ordained ministers TO do the work. and
each has the encouragement of the op-
timism. the patience and the faith OF
the others. Where 105 disheavtened souls
gathered from their log cabins and came
TO the services under the flowing trees
in the spring Of 1907 there are now
S2o6oo comfortably housed people holding
church membership throughout the land.
and they are so many living monuments
10 that faith that made early James
town a possibility
The jamestown Church was not the
first contact that the Episcopal Church
had with the shores Of North America.
il was merely the first permanent cvi-
dence Of this contact On board John
Cabots ship was a chaplain who cele-
brated the Holy Eucharist on the icy
shores Of the New World on St Johns
Day. in December 1897. The first prot
E-Tu -Fg-Hr
minister of the Church Of England.
one WolfaH who came as chaplain with
Frobisher, In 1878, when with 100 people
that adventurer attempted to coIonize
North America. The following year Sir
Francis Drake explored the Pacific IN
'The Golden Hind" and touched the
shores Of California and Oregon. For
six weeks they We're ashore on Drake
Bay, and Francis Fletcher. chaplain of
the expedition, held communion services
there. In 1883 the church touched the
east shores Of America again, when Sir
Humphrey Gilbert made his Intellectual
attempt at colonization. and again in
1857, when the Inflated colony on Roam
oke Island was founded. and little Viz
GINA Dare, granddaughter of Gov.
White, was baptized. An Indian. Nateo
the first Of his people to receive bap-
usm in this church. came also under the
ministrations of this same CHAPLAIN.
though the chaplain's name has not been
preserved
Then came the jamestown colony. In
the same year another colony. though
one that was short-lived. was established
at Fort ST. George, Maine. near the
mouth of the River Sagadahoc. and COM
munion services We're held on August 70.
1901 Two years after Master Hunt held
his first jamestown services. Henry Hud-
son swung the PROV Of the Half Noon"
into the blue waters Of the river that now
bears his name. and as a thanksgiving
for their preservation from mermaids and
other unknown creatures Of the deep. a
communion service was held by the Eng
ltsh chaplain on board. Wherever the
flag Of England went IN those DAYS. the
church went also, and soon q path to
the New World was made. over which
missionaries, ministers, and church mem
bers passed into a land of promise The
first settler on the present site Of Boston
was Rev. William Blaxton "a clerk in
holy orders though there is no record
th 4 he ever preached there. while 10
q, nnah, 10 Charleston. to Philadelphia,
{ Z 20 dissenting New England the
cler 2 came, and built up, amid great
adyersities, their new faith in the Wild
erness.
They early identified themselves with
the educational and political interests of
the new land. The first social compact
guaranteeing personal rights to the col
onists was witnessed in the choir Of
jamestown Church. when the first repre-
sentative body Of American freemen.
chosen by their peers, met to deliberate
on questions Of State AS early as 1919
the religious people Of jamestown an
pointed committee % establish a school.
II was a member Of this church in Vir-
ginia who was the FIRST American to
leave his private funds for the founding
Of free school, Berry Symms of Eliza
beth County. making such a be1uest.
which was accepted by the general as
sembly in l6i2-I6l3. As early as 1864.
though sorely beset by Indian troubles.
the assembly of Virginia. sitting at
jamestown, made provision for a col
lege." the outgTowth Of this movement
being William and Mary College, estab-
lshed in 1856
Ministers Of the church early left an
impress on America and her institutions.
The Rev. Richard Hakluyt prebondarv
Of Westminster. famous rs a writer on
America, aided GosuoId and Martin Pring
IN their explorations and was one of the
patentees Of King James charter Of 1906.
In lll5 Dr. William Smith. of Christ
Church, Philadelphia. delivered a sermon
on The present situation in America, 9"
which so clearly set forth social and
political conditions that TRANSACTIONS were
made into German. Swedish. and Welsh.
INC CITY of London had ID 600 nnnins