Story of Christ Church in Philadelphia, The. BOXED WITH …St. Paul's.
From The Library Of Eleanor Roosevelt
Roosevelt, Eleanor. A Short Account of St. Paul’s Church, Tivoli. By John Ross Delafield. Privately printed.
8vo.; gray printed wrappers; ER’s bookplate on front pastedown.
Boxed together with:
The Story of Christ Church in Philadelphia. Published by Christ Church (1953). Printed by 11th Hour Service of Philadelphia.
8vo.; illustrated paper wrappers; approximately 25 illustrations; ER’s bookplate on front pastedown; signed by John A. Roosevelt on the front pastedown.
First editions. The Short Account of St. Paul’s Church is a presentation copy, inscribed: Some of this may interest you. Robert A. Livingston. Livingston was a descendant of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, one of the original wardens of the Church, which was established in 1816. It was the first Episcopal Church in the northern part of Dutchess County, and Delafield’s pamphlet sketches its history, lists all of the Rectors, Wardens and Vestrymen, and explains the story behind the tablets and memorials that adorn the church walls.
Christ Church in Philadelphia dates back to 1695. In the Revolutionary era it was a place of worship for members of the Continental Congress (several signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried in its churchyard, including Robert Livingston and James Wilson). The pews of famous families are so designated: No. 58 is the Washington pew; the Penn family had No. 60; the Franklins No. 70; and Betsy Ross had No. 12. During the ten years that Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital, Presidents Washington and Adams both attended services there, even though Adams was a Congregationalist. A side entrance, close to the chancel, has been designated the Washington Door, and Presidents use it when they visit the church.
Much of the pamphlet is a proud summary of the church’s history and a description of its famous physical artifacts. It closes, however, with a powerful statement on modern problems—and a proposed answer:
Today evil is overpowering humanity with two integrated forces—tyranny and moral degeneracy. Tyranny has devastated the lives of millions of people through Fascism, Nazism, Communism and its other forms….Moral degeneracy, like cancer, is destroying the fiber of our society. Guile and favoritism replace honesty and integrity. Legalistic subterfuge replaces moral responsibility. Corruption infests every phase of life. Deceit, concealment, bribery, slander, and murderous force are accepted means, not only to attain evil purposes but in the service of worthy ends.
The answer to this alarming state of affairs, the authors contend, lies in affirming and guaranteeing the right of every individual to establish a relationship with God. “We believe that this truth is the only force powerful enough to defeat the evil confronting us.”
Provenance: Eleanor Roosevelt; by descent to her son; acquired by Glenn Horowitz Bookseller from Irene Roosevelt Aitken, John’s widow.
(#5114 / #5115)
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