The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-19
History OF the Pr0te slant Episcopal Church
N America.
BY SAMUEL, LORD BnHoP OF OXFORD.
From the London News, Oct. %

1t would be difficult to find more complete con-
demnatlon of the church OF England than Is con-
tanned Iii the pages OF this volume. The facts
brought together by the Bishop prove most unde-
nably that from the time OF the first colonisaton
of America until the revolution the church OF
England was, either from want of zeal amongst Its
dgntaries, or want OF expansion IN It's system, or
too intimate connexion with the State, or teo
great an indulgence In party politics, utterly with
out power will to provide for the due extension
or perpetuation OF Its doctrine and discipline In
that continent. These conclusions are honestly,
and without any attempt to shlrk them, brought
forward by his lOrdship. From MSS. letters in the
Fulham library. written by members OF the church
In America from the letters OF Bishop Berkeley,
to supply some of the wants which neglect had
occasoned from sermons, pamphlets, and histories,
the Bishop of Oxford has proved that no religious
society ever failed SO thoroughly in establishing
their faith In a country as the church OF England
has failed in America. The author admits this
TACT TO Its fullest extent and supplies his hearers
with plentiful data on which they may found con-
cluslORs. One instance will suffice. At the be-
ginning OF the eighteenth century the following,
appears from contemporary documents, was the
state OF the church In the colonies:
In South Carolina, there 1900 souls besides
negroes and Indians living without any minister Of
less Of any religion In North Carolina, above 5000
souls without any minister any used
baptized nor the dead buried ia any Christian form
Virginia contained above 40 COO souls, divided into
40 parishes, but wanting nearly half the number Of
clergymen requisite. Maryland contained above
rs 00 divided into twenty six parishes but wanting
nearly half the number Of ministers requisite In
Pennsylvania Gays Colonel Heathcoe) there are at
least souls Of which not above 7V0 the
church; and there are not more than $50 communi-
cants. In New York government, We have 80 900
eeuls, at least, of which about 200 frequent the
church, and We have about 450 commandments. In
Come ctcut, there about SO 500 souls, OF which,
when they have minister rmong them about $50 fire.
quent the church, and there thirty. five commu.
ncants. IN Rhode Island and Marriage nsett there
about 10000 souls, of which about $50 frequent tne
church, and there are thirty communicates. In Bos.
ton and Pscataway there are about $4,000 souls of
which about coo frequent the church and l2o the So
| Of our church in North America.
The Bishops remarks upon a statement simi-
lar to this IN another part OF the volume, lead to
his own explanation of the causes OF this short
coming
state Of things The power of Christ's truth could
not be worn out. That church which had hitherto
subdued all people, rude or polished, against whom
| the had gone forth, had she lost her empire over
mems hearts? She who had conquered the con-
queroIs Of the great Roman empire, and gathered
hlood-who had invaded her dominion into the faith
| and hope Of the people whom they conquered-she
seemed in the West not only to have lost her subdu
ing might but to be powerless to retain her hold
| upon her own. 1t Is not very difficult to find the
cause for this great difference. Her planting in
Heretofore, the great aim of her founders, IN any
| country, bad beer to make her truly indigenous to
reproduce her out Of the people amongst whom she
had come. For this end, she was sent ferth COM
p!ete-a living germ-wth all the powers Of repro
duction in herSef To this, the greatest work Of
Christians, the boldest and truest hearts were
| moned and he who won and held band Of con-
veIts to her Lord, was consecrated bishop Of the
church amongst them If he went not out in that holy
character. Thus he could, at once, ordain new pas
tors and evangelists from amongst his converts.
Such the equipment ofPothnusof old, when, with
amongst the Gsuls the seed Of the kingdom and the
church Of Lyons was his glorious harvest So Boni
apostle Of Germany. But wholly unlike this was our
| equipment Of he church in America We sent out
individual teachers, with common bond Of visible
maintained them there like the garrison Of q foreign
church, and the consequence was, what might have
been foretold, the church languished and almost
passed away.
Strange as 1t may seem, then, the cause of the
admitted utter failure of the church OF England in
America was the want of bishop. 1t had its en-
dowments, in some of the colonies at least, like
the church In the mother country-its churches
were built, Its doctrines were professed, by those
IN authority but it could make no way, because
1t had no bishop. "Hinc llle lachryme." From
this cause proceeded all the complaints waited
across the Atlantic, and which are now buried
| amongst the manuscript lumber at Fulham, wait
ing to be disinterred by diligent seekers after
ruth or theory, like the Bishop of Oxford.
The bishop, 1t must be remarked, has constructed
a theory out OF these materials, and handles it
with all the skill of practIsed dlsputant. The
use he has made of this discovery requires few
| remarks.
| In the first place, assuming that this want of a
bishop is The true of the lnetiicency of
| the church in America before the revolution, to
| what injurious conclusions are we led as to the
value, IN spiritual point view, of the two re-
naming orders OF the church mlnistry-the priest
hood and the diaconate! The most important re-
suits have been obtained In America and in other
places, by ministers of various denominations act
ing under sense OF their responsibility to no one
but their Maker. Each minister has labored in
the sphere assigned him, and has owed the great
ness OF the result produced to his own efforts alone
and nothing to the system of which he was part.
In the Church of England alone this cannot be
achieved Is the holiness OF the priests utterly un-
productive, unless bishop is on the spot to COM
munlcate some mysterious energy to it! Or is it
the fact that no holiness Is to be expected from
priests, unless 1t is drawn out by the rays from the
bishops couatenance There is nothing esteem
ed essential to salvation In the English church
which cannot be performed as well by simple
priest as by bishop. The priest administers the
sacraments breaches, and gives consolation to the
sick. He has all power to perform every thing
necessary for the completion of ministerial duty
how is 1t, then, that his efforts are palsied without
the presence OF bishop? This is a mystery
which BISHOP Wllberforce does not attempt to
| solve. 1t is one, however, which involves fear
iul charge against the English church.
Again, assuming once more the bishops theory
| TO be true, how is 1t the want was never sup
Pied! What terrible reproach is II to the minis
tiers OF the Church OF England In America, that
they continued to exercise their functions seepiy
without ever themselves making hearty, united
appeal to the church of the mother country, or per-
suading their focks of the necessity of bishop
to the perfection Of the church The laity were
even hostile to the introduction of an American
| bishop.
When Says our author) the Virgnian clergy who
might naturally be thought ready to unite in this
appeal flor bishop were called together by their
commissary in April It'll for its consideration so few
appeared in council that the question postponed
second summons brought no more than twelve
majority OF whom, after opposite decision agreed
to appeal to the king in favor of American spis-
copate But against this vote two at first and ulti-
matey four out Of the twelve protected publicly and
such was the feeling OF the aity that these four re-
ceived the unanimous thanks OF the lower branch Of
the Vrg house Of legislature for their wise and
ll-tmed opposition to the pernicious project for
introducing an American bishop"
| But leaving the American clergy burdened with