Evening star., 1928-10-10

however. must be traced from the first
permanent settlement at jamestown In
1907. The very day after the settlers
landed they prepared for the coming
Sunday by hanging up an old sail,
fastening it to three or four trees.
Seats we're made of logs and bar of
wood between two trees served as a
pulpit Such was the first Episcopal
church in America, where Robert Hunt,
the chaplain of the expedition. preach
ed on the Sunday after Ascension day.
This" says Capt. John Smith, was
our church, till we built a homely thing
like barne. set upon cratchetS, COW
cred with RATS, sedge and earth, SO
was also the walls; the best of cur
houses were of like curiosity; but for
the most part fare much worse work.
tmanship that could neither well de-
fend from wind nor raine. We had
daily common prayer morning and eve
ming, every Sunday two sermons, and
every three months the holy COM
munion till our minister died; but our
prayers daily, with homily on Sum-
daies We continued two or three years
after, till more preachers came"
The little colony passed through evil
days. A relief expedition sent out from
England under Lord Delaware arrived
in the nick of time to prevent its
abandonment. The sudden appearance
of Delaware's ships at jamestown ap-
peared to the starving settlers almost
in the light of a miracle in answer to
their prayers. The expedition had set
out in two divisions, the first of which
was in command of Sir Thomas Gates
fThe first division had stormy pas
sage and when it finally arrived had
nothing to offer the settlers. The
~ Oaf 5,tnf
hungry men to feed, and there was no
food. When Gates arrived only so Of
the original 500 were still alive He
felt that the situation was hopeless and
loaded everybody on his ships to take
them to New Foundland. They alreadv
had started when the mastheads of
Lord Delaware's ships were seen down
the river.
The church was repaired and daily
service was resumed. PeWs were made
of cedar and an altar of walnut. Some
thing in the nature of an ornate cere-
n1onial was introduced, and the con-
gregation was colorful on Sundays with
the scarlet cloakS of the so Spearmen
who constituted Lord Delaware's body
guard.
BY the year 1919 there were 1000
,colonists living in IL settlements about
jamestown. In that year Sir George
Yeardley, then governor, called for the
election OF burgeSSeS, two from each
community, to meet in representative as
Sembly for the enactment of laws. The
Sneeting place was the church at James
town-a new building SO feet long and
20 feet wide. There was held the first
of all American representative as
Temblies. The session began on July
80, 1919, with prayer by the chap
lain, a Master Buck, that 1t would
please God to guide and Sanctify all our
proceedings to His own glory and the
good Of the plantation"
Laws Were Passed.
Laws were passed against idleness,
gaming. drunkenness and excess of
apparel" Plans were made for the
education of the children of the natives.
All ministers were instructed to make
an annual report of chriStenings,
burials and marriages. Church attend
ance was compulsory such of the men
as bore arms being instructed to bring
E11eir 'peices wordes, powder and
Ehotte." A curious regulation provided
that the taxes should be assessed at
service time, all single men being taxed
according to their dress, and all married
men according to the dress of their
ewiveS. Apparently there was consid-
5erable society" In the colony even at
This time. There had been one bril-
aiant wedding in the new church-that
of John Rolf and Pocahontas in 1914.
The wooden church was replaced in
u639 by brick church Sc feet long
and % feet wide, whose tower still
remains on the site of jamestown and
Is one of the historic Shrines of the
United States.
The strength of the Colonial church
throughout the seventeenth century was
in Virginia and Maryland. where it was
established by law. The Northern
colonies naturally displayed consider
able hostility to the Anglican discipline
Throughout this period-up to the time
tof the Revolution, in fact-the church
was badly handicapped by the lack
pf an American bishop with authority
TO act directly. The churches were
under the Bishop Of London, who was
represented in the colonies by commits
Bioners. The first of these was Rev.
Samuel Blair, appointed commissioner
Nor Virginia. When he arrived in 1850
e1e found 10 churches in the colony,
about half of which had ordained min
listers. Blair is particularly notable
as the founder of the College of Will
aiam and Mary at Williamsburg, the
first institution of higher learning in
this country
The college suffered heavily both In
The Revolutionary and Civil Wars and
only within the past few years has 1t
Fegained anything like its old position
IhroughOut the Colonial period it was
bn influential institution. 1t is remem-
pered among scholars as the birthplace
ct the oioest literary society in the
country the Phi Beta Kappa. Thomas
Jefferson and John Marshall were edu-
Gated there OF particular Importance
to the church which established 1t
Fere the number of clergymen who
came from its halls.
Missionaries on Visit.
An important step at about this time
was the establishment in England OF
the Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts From the
time of its formation the supply OF
clergy for the colonial church increased
greatly and much care was taken in the
selection of them. The first mission
aries OF the society, George Keith ano
John Talbot, made general visitation
of the colonies. They found so clergy
men of the Anglican Church in thi.
country, of whom II were in Maryland
and Is in Virginia. Three were in the
CarolinaS two in Pennsylvania, two In
New England and one in New York
In the CarolinaS for 20 years after
their settlement there was no visible
recognition of religion. The planter.
lived on large farms, each proprietor IN
the midst of his estate. In 1880, how
ever, Reginald and Millicent JackSo.
provided a church lot in Charleston
and a church soon was erected. Al
early rector, Samuel Marshall, was 81
well liked that the Colonial Assembly
appropriated to him and his successor
a stipend of $50 pounds and added a.
roman and four cows and calves"
Toward the close of the century there
Vere only four Episcopal church build
lnps outside Of Virginia and MARYLAND
--one each in Charleston, Boston. Phila
delphiA snd New York. The Puritan