Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-05-15
Thanksgiving Services.
fWritten tOr the Gazette.I

4
Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia,
are the day Of fasting and prayer
ordered by the Continental Congress,
and the Thanksgiving services TO Al
mighty God for deliverance and our
enemies at the close of the Revolution
and of the war OF 1912, and the Christ
mas service attended by Gen. George
Washington upon his return home alter
having retired from the command OF
the Continental troops.
The service that was acid in the
sacred edi6ce on Monday, May 18th,
1907, will 20 down to pesterity as hsve
these other services. This service was
held 10 commemoration of the three
hundredth anniversary Of the settlement
at jamestown and Of the establishment
of the Protestant Church In America.
1t seemed most fitting to those In charge
of this service that such an one should
held in order that the younger genera
ton should realize in measure wnat
that settlement has meant to the pros
peritv of this broad iapd, and the
happiness of cur people. To the small
band of settlers and their immediate
successors is due the founding OF this
great republic, for was 1t not founded on
the rock of political and religious liberty,
and did they not fight for these princi-
Piles as no one else9
1t was also fitting that this service
should be held in this church, being the
only colonial church 10 Alexandria, and
the one around which so mach history
centers. The church Of Washington
and of Lee has q worldwide fame, and
this service brought many visitors and
strangers.
The rectors of the three Episcopal
churches In Alexandra united in con-
Quoting the service, which was attended
by large congregation which filled
the body of the church and the galleries.
The order of service was as follows:
Professional hymn, No. 491, "The
Church's One Foundation" opening
sentences and prayers were read BY Rev.
VIM. J. Morton, rector Of Christ Church;
Psalm 1O7 was read by Rev. P. 7.
Phillips, rector of St. PauPs Church,
which was followed by the Gloria in
Excelsis; Rev. Edgar Carpenter, rector
of Grace Church, read the lesson, which
was taken from Isaiah 43rd chapter,
verses II; this was followed by the
Benedic Anima Mea; the Apostles Greed
and prayers were read by Mr.. Morton;
HYMN No. 400, "With One Consent
Let All the Earth" written by Tate
and Brady in 1898. was sung to the tune
of Old Hundred; then followed an adj
dress by the Rev. P. P. Phillips, who
emphasized the fact that this little
band of 105 men were the "makers OF
the history of our land" and he con-
trasted this feeble band with the great
body OF ecclesiastics which assembled 10
Lembelh Palace, London, for the ex-
press purpose of making history, and
yet the former did so unconsciously,
little realizing the important step they
had undertaken In the development OF
the civilization of the world.
Rev. Edgar Carpenter followed. His
theme was the historical setting and the
events that led up to the emigration of
this band of pilgrims from their native
land to found home of religious and
civil liberty in wilderness, surrounded
by a savage foe. Step by step he brought
to mind tie incidents in the life of the
earliest colonists, from the humbIest be-
ginnings until they had built themselves
a substantial church Of brick and had
held the 6rst legislative assembly ever
convened, and how they had dared defy
the king and demand representation be-
fore taxation.
Hymn No. 472, 40, come, loud
anthems let us sing" written by Tate
and Brady 10 1898, WAS sung to the
tune OF Park street. This was followed
by an address by Rev. William j.
Morton, the rector of Christ Church.
The former speakers having dealt with
subjects more familiar to the students OF
early Virginia history, Mr.. Motions
theme was to correct some erroneous
notions as to the settlers themselves aud
of the colonial clergy. The statement
has been made by some that Virginia
was settled mostly by indentured serv-
ants and the criminal classes, and this
has been copied aud believed by many.
Such, however, was not the case, for, OF
the l05 men who settled at jamestown
that May morning, 81 we're classed as
gentlemen" BE paid a glowing
tribute to the sanity Hunt, who came
10 the first ship. BE admitted that
there were some, of course, as there aie
now, who were unfaithful to their VOWS
but the percentage then was as small as
it is now. He cited one instance, that
OF St. Paul's, Norfolk. In history Of
$50 years only Two OF their rectors we're
men OF blemished character, and one of
these, 0 drunkard, repented of his sins
before his death. The clergy have been
reported time and time again as un-
sympathetic with the patriot cause.
This was not so, for out of the 81 clergy
then in Virginia, only five we're known
to be loyalists, and these not aggressively
80. A sixth was accused OF being
partial 10 the mother country, the Rev.
Bryan Fairfax, but this has never been
positively proved, aud it is very much
doubted, as he was the friend OF WASH
ington, and after the war WAS made
rector of Christ Church, which surely
would not have been done had he not
been 10 thorough sympathy with the
cause of freedom. The laity, too, have
been grossly miSrepresented. They have
beSu pictured as a wild lot, whereas, when