Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-22
HISTORY OF EPISCOPAL
CHURCH IS PORTRAYED
Elaborate Pageant Given in Conp.c.
ton With General Convcn-
tion mt st. Louis
[Bx Assnciatnd pra.s

iBy Associated Press
81. LOUIS. MO. October 2l.-The
history of the Protestant Episcona1
church and it's doctrine of contin,,itv
from apostolic times were portravn,,
AT the Coliseum here on "Wednesday
night IN church pageant. given by
inc Episcopaiian churches of St Louis.
ana Witnessed by the delegates and
visitors to the general convention Of
the church. now in session here.
TO each parish church in ST. I.ouis
had been assigned n scene In III.
pageant. and for months the members
or the various parishes had worked
ON their parts. In all, more than 900
persons took part.
The pageant began with the orrnni
eaton Of the church i'm apostolic times.
and then showed the church in Tho
British Isles, it's history during the
pre-Rcformation era, and tho contest.
between tho throne and the papacy fol,
supremacy, the breaking away from
inc Roman Church in the reign OF
tiehrS Vii. the planting of. the
Protestant Episcopal Church as part
OF the Church of England in tho United
states, and the history OF the church
in modern America
The spectacle was divided into nine
groups, each composed of three To five
scenes The first group PORTRAYED tho
beginning of the apostolic church. and
the scenes represented the Day or
fentecost as described in the Book OF
Acts; the first church council. that II
Jerusalem, also recorded in the Book
or Acts. and the missionary Journey
of the Apostle Paul to Athens.
The alliance between the church and
.ne roman government was portrayed
IN the second group, the subtitIes be-
ing The Vision of Constantinc.' "Tbc
Nicenc Council and est Ambrose md
Theodosius"
The next group gave the beginnings
OF Christianity in the British Isles. and
briefly illustrated the history of tho
British church before the. Saxon con
quest of England and the relapse or
England into pagauism
INTEREST OF POPE AROUSED
by ENGLISH SLAVES
Group No. 1 told Of the conversion
OF the pagan English by missionaries
sent out by Pope Gregory. The scenes
illustrated how the interest of Pope
Gregory in the Anglo Saxons was
aroused by the presence OF English
slaves In the Roman market. and por-
trayed the relation between ST. Angus
tine. sent out by the Pope to evan
gelizc the English. and the ancient
British church.
What is characterized In ecclesiasti-
cal history as the Loss OF Liberty by
the Church" was illustrated In the
NTH group. This told the story or
the murder Of Archbishop Beckett, of
canterbury, rs result OF his contest
win the King. OF the signing OF the
Great Charter, and the beginnings of
the Reformation under the preaching
of Wyclife
inc next group portrayed the strug-
gle with the p2pacy for dominance OF
the English Church, and the subtitlcs
were "Caxton's Printing Press" Eng
land Repudiates Papal Supremacy"
The Coronation of Edward SIXTH" and
the Turning of Cranmer, Archbishop
of Canterbury"
The modern spoch of English Church
history was introduced in the next
group, styled The English Church Re-
gam Her Autonomy" This group DOR
trayed the conservation of Archbishop
Parker. Queen Elizabeth receiving news
or nor deposition by the Pope and the
presentation OF the Bible to King
James |.
COLONY At JAMESTOWN
ILLUSTRATED IN SCENE
The history OF the church in America
was told in the eighth and ninth
SrouPs. onc scene illustrated the Eng
llsh preaching at brakes Bay, Cal.
another the colony at Jamestown, Va.
ana another the mission of the So
ciety for the Propagation of the GOSPEL
10 North America
Other scenes illustrated the signing
of the Declaration Of independence. the
ordination OF Bishop Seabury. the carly
work or bishop futile in Montana. to
which he was missionary bishop be-
tore he became Bishop OF Missouri, and
the general convention OF this year.
Bishop Tuttlc, now presiding bishop
OF the church. took part in the scene
representing his early work in Mon
tana.
Many Of the scenes were extrcmelv
elaborate, and in every case the cos.
tuning was as nearly historically cor
rect as possible. One OF the most
elaborate series of scenes was that
Illustrating The vcgaining of autonomy
by the Church OF England The scene
opened with dance, presided over b.
Queen Elizabeth. During the dance the
chamberlain handed the Queen docu-
mcnts Withdrawing from her rccog-
niZation by the Church of Rome The
Queen tore the documents To pieces, and
of"r'cd the dance To proceed.