Persecution for Religious Faith at Valley Forge. A Sermon Preached in the Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge, Sunday, July 5, 1931

First edition. Octavo. [12]pp. Printed stapled wrappers. Cover lightly toned and with a couple of tiny stains, lower staple partially oxidized and first leaf with a bit of light foxing and soil, very good. Inscribed on the title page: "To William H. Richardson, with the love of his old friend, W. Herbert Burk. Valley Forge, November 14, 1931." One might be forgiven for thinking, given the title, that the persecution took place in Colonial times. The grievances aired by the Reverend, however, are contemporary. After a patriotic introduction, he lays his claims: that visitors to Valley Forge have been prevented from visiting the chapel; that in 1929 the Park Commission voted to "consider the condemnation of the ground" purchased by the church; that there was pushback against their plan to construct Valley Forge's first statue of Washington on the chapel grounds; and that they were prevented from ringing the "thirteen Bells of the Star Spangled Banner National Peace Chime" during President Hoover's visit in 1931. His stance is unequivocal: "At Valley Forge religious freedom, won at tremendous cost, has been made a worthless thing!" Regarding the bells: "One poor preacher may not be able to withstand [jealousy and malice] when they are backed by political power, but when the people of America learn the truth, when they see the power of a Commonwealth prostituted to the persecution of the people of God, right will prevail." And regarding the vote to condemn the ground: "This conspiracy against the congregation of the Washington Memorial Chapel is against the Constitution of the United States, and is, therefore, treason." (He is here speaking against the Valley Forge Park Commission.) "Henceforth, every attempt to seize even the smallest fraction of this great heritage of free men and women, must be considered as only another form of religious persecution, so viciously begun, so perniciously maintained year after year." He appeals "to every honest-hearted American to come forward to defend our rights. ." A very interesting religious and political document, and rare. *OCLC* locates a few of Burk's sermons preached at the Washington Memorial chapel (all five copies or less), but no copies of this sermon. Burk (1867-1933), an Episcopal priest, was founding vicar of the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge, and his collection of Revolutionary War artifacts formed the core of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Richardson, to whom this is inscribed, is likely the author of the 1901 work *Valley Forge*. A nice association.…