Wisdom
of Solomon 1: 13–15; 2: 23–34; Psalm 130; II Corinthians 8: 7–15; Mark 5: 21–43
This is the homily given
at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania by Fr. Gene Tucker on Sunday, July 1,
2018.
“THE QUEST
FOR INDEPENDENCE AND ITS AFFECT ON ANGLICANS”
Oftentimes,
the events of the past are regarded by successive generations with admiration
for the good things that flow from those events. We human beings tend to
remember the good things about the past, often forgetting (or neglecting) the
struggles that were a part of those events.
This
week, the nation will celebrate its independence from England as we remember
the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
But
for many of those who were involved in the process of separating ourselves from
the mother country, there were significant dangers to be reckoned with, and a
good deal of personal exposure to the loss of property and welfare.
The
dangers that many in our new country faced were uniquely faced by members of
the Church of England, which is the mother church of our Episcopal Church
today.
It
would be good for us to remind ourselves of the unique situation that those who
were adherents of this branch of the Christian faith encountered as
independence was declared, and then won as the Revolutionary War unfolded.
We’ll look first at the circumstances that the Church itself faced, and then
we’ll look at the impact of the struggle for independence on three individuals
who were part of the Church: George
Washington, commander of the Army and, later, our first President under the
Constitution; Jacob Duché, who was Rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia, and
Samuel Seabury, first Bishop of the new Episcopal Church.
We
begin with the circumstances of the Church.
When
the British landed in Jamestown, in the Colony of Virginia, the first Anglican
celebration of the Holy Communion took place at Jamestown in 1607. (A church
still stands on that site today, commemorating this important event.) The
British took their Church with them wherever they went. (A consequence of this
policy is the Anglican Communion as we know it today, 38 autonomous churches
comprising about 80 million members, the third-largest family of Christian
churches.)
The
Church in the colonies was an arm of the British government. In some places,
the Church was established (one such example is in Virginia), where it was
supported by taxes. (This was also true of the church where I served as a
seminarian for two years: Christ Church,
Port Tobacco Parish. The church, which was founded in 1692, was supported by an
annual tax, payable in tobacco, an arrangement that continued for some years
after the founding of our new nation.)
But
the Church on this side of the Atlantic was hampered by the fact that there
were no bishops in the colonies. Consequently, someone seeking ordination would
have to make the trip to England to be ordained. Sometimes, the trip was made
twice, once for ordination as a Deacon, and then again for ordination as a
Priest.
It’s
not hard to see that the supply of clergy was a constant problem for the Church
in the colonies. Vacancies were frequent and widespread. Since a clergy
presence was often missing, the Vestries of the local churches often took over
a governing role. Lay involvement in the running of the affairs of the Church
was quite high. (This legacy remains in the Episcopal Church today, where our
governing entities are made up of bishops, clergy and lay members.)
When
the Revolution came about, Anglicans were faced with a difficult choice: For one thing, their Church was closely bound
to the British government, and – more particularly – to the king.
Understandably, some Anglicans were opposed to the creation of a new nation and
separation from England. But others – including many of the leaders of the
Revolution – were members of the Anglican Church. Some Anglicans who were
opposed to the Revolution fled to England. Others went to Canada.
Many
churches who had clergy prior to the Revolution lost their clergy once
independence had been declared. Churches sometimes stood empty, were in poor
repair, or were used as stables for horses.
That
was the situation that existed at the close of the Revolutionary War. It was
the task of the founders of the Episcopal Church to pick up the pieces, and to
craft a new identity which was separate from, but connected to, the mother
Church.
Now,
let’s turn our attention to the personal impact of the quest for independence
as we see it in the lives of three prominent members of the Church.
George
Washington: Washington was the commander of the
Continental Army, and then – upon independence, of the American Army. After the
adoption of the Constitution, he was our first President. But he was an active
member of the Church, as well. He served on the Vestries of some of the
colonial parishes that are still found today in Northern Virginia, just outside
of Washington, D.C.: Christ Church in Alexandria, Pohick Church a little
further south, and the Falls Church, which gave its name to the city in which
it is located. Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, is located on the western
side of the Potomac River, a few miles south of the nation’s capital. During
the war, many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence faced the loss
of their estates, and some actually lost them. Washington faced the same
possibility as well. In addition, Washington, along with the signers of the
Declaration risked facing the death penalty if they fell into the hands of the
British.
Jacob
Duché: Duché was Rector of Christ Church in
Philadelphia. Since Philadelphia was the site of the meetings at which the
Declaration was formulated and signed, Duché had the opportunity to play a
central role in the workings of the Continental Congress (and later, the
Congress of the new nation). He was appointed Chaplain of the Continental
Congress, a role he continued to play once the new nation had been formed. When
the Declaration was signed, Duché met with his Vestry, and it was decided that
prayers for King George III would be struck out of the Prayer Book, and
substitutions would be made to insert in its place prayers for the Congress.
(I’ve provided you with an example of these changes.)
Duché’s
act in striking through the name of the king was a treasonous act, for – upon
ordination in England – he had taken an oath of allegiance to the king. So when
the British occupied Philadelphia in September, 1777, Duché was arrested and
detained. Upon his release, he wrote a letter to George Washington, who was
then encamped with the army at Valley Forge. Duché urged Washington to give up
the struggle for independence and to seek terms of peace with the British. His
letter was meant to remain confidential, but soon, it became widely known.
Overnight, Duché went from being a champion of the cause for independence to
being a traitor. He was tried and convicted of high treason by the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.. His estate was confiscated. Duché left for England not long
afterward, where he served as Chaplain in an asylum in London. Duché was able
to return to America some years later, in 1792. He died in 1798.
Samuel
Seabury: Seabury became the first Bishop of the new
Episcopal Church when he was consecrated in 1784. But some aspects of Seabury’s
past stood at odds with some other Anglicans who had been leaders in the cause
for independence, for Seabury served as a chaplain in the British Army during
the Revolutionary War. In fact, he continued to receive a pension for his
service following the conclusion of the war.
Seabury’s
past highlights the differences that had to be patched up once the war was
concluded and independence had been won. Some in the Church favored independence,
others opposed it, while still others fled to England or to Canada. It was a
formidable task to overcome these differences in order to craft a new Church,
operating under new circumstances.
We
would do well to remember these struggles, and in
particular, the personal dramas of the people whose lives were caught up in the
events of 1776. We are the beneficiaries of their struggles today, and we are
blessed by them.
AMEN.
