Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-08-18

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to defer from day to day. for the present We s'np
suhu, the proceedings, so far as We have rece''e'
> them, to the consideration Of our readers
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: BISHOP MEADE'S NEW WORK.
o,n CuuRcHgs, MINISTERS AND FAMILIES OF VIR
olsI.. BY Bishop Meade Philadelphia: j.
L;ppncott g. Co. .. vols, 1857. For sale by Jas
Woodhouse, Main street, Richmond.
The history Of the Episcopal Church in Virgni'
ba, been from The very beginning most interesting
and even,ful one. The Church commenced win IN
first settlement of the first colony, aud the Church
history of Virginia, until the revolution was intimate
~ bl,pded with the moral social and political history
of the coloay A history OF the New Ehgiana co
lunier without history Of the Purltans' would Ds
not unlike the play of Hamlet with Hamlet omitted
The ,ams nav be said of Maryland in connection
with the Catholic chapters Of her early history.
multitude of able and jealous dlvines, echoaSs ano
historians have sought in innumerable volumes
pamphlets and discoveries, to keep green the memo
nv of the stern aud hard religious enthusiasts VINO
PLANTED the germ of future States ut Plymouth ROCK
and the history of the Puritan Church in America
| n, familiar as household word. The same may oe
aid of the Catholics who have in the histories OF
De Courcey, aud of John Culinary Shea, done ample
Justice to Lord Baltimore aud the early CATHOLIC
colony of Maryland.
| But of that church which, two hundred and nifty
years ago. established ito first Parish ut Jamestown
the seat of the FIRST civil aud religious establishment
on the shores of North America, but little Is known
Hsniues Statutes at large mutilated parish records
crumbling old churches, the unpublished Journals OF
dead minister's files of musty newspapers, fragments
| nva min
es in old magazines and historical registers, have
bseu until now tue only SOURCES from which Know
ledge OF the esry history Of the Episcopal Churcn 10
Virginia could be procured 10 true hata few vol
umes Of trash, called Histories OF Virginia have
pretended TO give Us information respecting the early
history OF the Episcopal Church OF Virginia. but 'hsif
nntbors were too destitute botE OF learning and Ill.
Sustry TO do mora than furnish tdeir readers with
bald compilations Of earlier historians. Indeed. q
ae crea, and noble State OF Virginia no history has
vet been written, although Mr.. Charles Campbell OF
Petersburg gave to toe world, some ten Years ago.
| most faithful and perfect ''skeleton OF history
which, for his own fans and the credit Of the State,
We hope 10 see one IF these days. "pumped out 10
the dimensions OF TWO goodly volumes.
Laborious, gifted aud conscientious men are now,
We are rejoiced to 6nd each 10 hs appropriate line
auarryius the ore ard collecting the materials from
which great history Of our State may hereafter oe
written. Gricsby, Washington, Robinson, Randolph,
the lamented Maxwell in his Historical Register
,ha. able but sluggish antiquarian Charles Campbell
and Others have already prepared much valuable ma
| terial for the hand of a master workman. Tho two
elegant octave volumes before us. containing up
wards OF one thousand volumes OF Church History.
have long been needed for without full and clear,
and impartial history Of the Episcopal Church in
Virginia, 40 reliable aud perfect history OF the State
can ever be written.
And as the history of every State, consists in part
of the history Of the great men aud iustrous FAINT
lies of such STATE, the volumes before us will be rau-
able as social no. less than religious history Of
the State.
Bishop Meade having, il we mistake not, filled since
1879, the offices of Assistant Bishop aud Bishop OF
the Diocese Of Virginia, has beeu able to collect ma
t.rials for history Of the Episcopal Church and
families of Virginia, which would not have besn &C.
eessbls to any ei,e. Not on ly was ths work
with him one of love, but many others, both of the
clergy as we'll as of tbs laity have aided him by
contributions aud assistance Materials not yet lost
to history bu. inaccessible to the ordinary historian
have been placed at his disposal. An acquaintance
with every old Episcopal family, and annuel risi-
tatious Of all the parishes in bis diocese eoatled
him to rescue from destruction, at least from ob-
vou, many mutilated and Wondering record. The
descendants of hundred old families furnished the
author with old records papers aud documents never
before published.
lie has studied the history OF his Church aud
it's early pastors aud members, amidst the old
Episcopal Churches, and copied from many q
forgotten Tombstone, and neglected parish regis
ter Nor do the researches Of the venerable
author appear to have been limited to the
cords of our own State. The archives of Parlia.
ment, and of Lambeth and Fulham Palaces, the au
thor states, have. through the kindness OF frends.
furnished many important, dseply interesting, and
hitherto unpublished documents belonging to the
early history of the State and the Church of Virginia
With materials 30 abundant it was impossible for
gentleman Of Bishop Meads eminent ability, and
vigorous aud classical dcton, to have prepared any
thing but most valuable aud scholarly work.
The distinguished author has done more than
make tue volumes before usan invaluable repository
of facts for tn. historian and the etudent. lie has
made it ntert sting to the general reader by the in
PRODUCTION Of many sketches of the early Clergy and
laty Of the State and by occasional well.written
narratives of curious events long since forgotten.
We regret that the limits of newspaper notice
will prevent us from publishing few extracts from
the volumes before us. Tie history of many of the
parishes especially those of Middesex, Gloucester,
Jamestown. Westmoreland, Accomac, Williamsburg,
Fredericksburg, Northampton aud Augusta, are deeply
interesting. The notices of Much!enburg, the soldier
and minister, Of Bishop Moore, and of many others
Of the clergy before aud since the revolution. are
very valuable and entertaining. The sketches Of the
first families OF the State, aud OF the old Episcopal
Churches, ARC also valuable aud authentic. Not the
least entertaining portions Of the Bishops volumes,
are those In which the vices aud improprieties Of the
Colonial clergy asled without mercy, and full
aud true history Of their hcrss racing, gambling.
drinking and lewdness is furnished for the benefit OF
the more decorous aud respectable clergy of the |
preseut day. loo picture which the author has |
painted Of those old reprobates of colonial times,
Of their dsreputabls clerks aud hardswearias vesir
mer, is nearly good as ANY of Macaulsy's hits a,
the old clergy Of England.
Indeed, one OF the e7ea: recomme rIa:iops of
Bishop Meads work. is its fearless ,ruthfulness, !
whether he happeus to be deaas with either the
clergy or the laty OF the Episcopal Church.
Besides the valuable information which the 20. !
umss before US contain, relative TO tue subjects !
about which they profess to trest they contain much
valuable research in all that relates to the early Gov
eno's OF the State and to the history OF the !essia
ZION OF colonial times in Virginia IN almost every
county OIL The State the aa;ho. eitne- by personal
eAa'nustion' or through thu kindness CT edacs,..t |
aud in'e'ssn' msn, appears to have collected mate
riai Tor his work as Important as i. is v...abie.
Iness volumes coataiu very excell.u, and faithful |
soS'av'nss OF nearly ~ the old CHURCHES, and q: