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Chapter 2: The Sacred Cause of Liberty
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Elizabeth S. Browne Cause of Liberty The Sacred 2 A close look at the situation of the Anglican Church leading up to and during the American Revolution shows the complexity of individual decision-making needed at that time. For the ten years after 1765, the situation became only more difficult, as the move to independence from Britain evolved. Members of the Anglican Church in America were especially conflicted ; even more so were the clergy, who upon their ordinations had sworn an oath to serve God and King. ἀ e attitudes of three clergymen connected with St. Peter’s are noteworthy because of the different approach each took to what he saw as the sacred cause of liberty, both political and personal. Jacob Duché Representatives of twelve of the thirteen colonies met as the First Continental Congress for the first time in Philadelphia in September 1774 to determine a course of action with regard to fundamental differences with King George III and Parliament. ἀ e congress convened at Robert Smith’s newly completed Carpenters’ Hall, down an alley off Fourth and Chestnut Streets. ἀ e assistant rector of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter’s, the Reverend Jacob Duché Jr., was invited. John Adams later wrote to his wife, Abigail: When the congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay of New York and Mr. Rutledge of South Carolina, because we were so divided in religious Jacob Duché 38 St. Peter’s Church: Faith in Action for 250 Years Jacob Duché praying at the Continental Congress, 1774, in a stained glass window at Christ Church, Philadelphia. (Photo by Will Brown. Courtesy of Christ Church) sentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians, and some Congregationalists, that we could not join in the same act of worship. Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said, he was no bigot and could hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue, who was at that time a friend to his country. . . . Accordingly the next morning Mr. Duché read several prayers . . . and the collect for the 7th of September, which was the 35 Psalm. You must remember that this was the next morning after we heard the terrible rumour of the cannonade of Boston. I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seemed as if Heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read that morning. After this Mr. Duché unexpectedly struck out into an extemporaneous prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present. Psalm 35 begins, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” It continues in a similar vein until near the end, where the psalm implores: “Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord! Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.” As a result of Duché’s stirring prayers, he was named chaplain of the Continental Congress, in spite of his presumed allegiance to the English crown. Duché was an unlikely rabble-rouser. A proper young Philadelphia gentleman , he was the son of Jacob Duché Sr., a wealthy merchant and former mayor of Philadelphia; the great-grandson of a French Huguenot refugee whose son came to Philadelphia at the time of William Penn; and a member of the first graduating class of the College of Philadelphia in 1757. He continued his studies at Cambridge, was soon ordained a deacon in London, and returned to Philadelphia in 1759 to be the assistant to the Reverend Dr. Jenney at Christ Church and St. Peter’s, participating in the opening service of St. Peter’s in 1761. He was also named a professor of oratory at the college. Duché married Elizabeth Hopkinson, and his father gave them a grand new house at ἀ ird and Pine Streets, diagonally across from the new [3.235.227.36] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 23:29 GMT) Chapter 2: The Sacred Cause of Liberty 39 Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said, he was no bigot and could hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue, who was at that time a friend to his country. . . . Accordingly the next morning Mr. Duché read several prayers. . . and the collect for the 7th of September, which was the 35...