The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-09

81, the Protestant Episcopal Church.

cr.,ra are tones lnNl NJ llHt SIX Nv HctIl W
al .i,hin tho arid province OF theology. but
,".M rcoIy have social bearing Of the most
N,,,nt and interesting character. aud en-
,ns eneer study OF the secular historian.
40 the inquiries. for instance. into the
80 the Independents. the Quukers. and An
r"..,i.,s I'm the seventeenth century. the Wes-
sD"an moycmcnt in the eighteenth, and more
p.aa,lv the phenomena which proceeded and
=, ,,liowed the disestablishment Of the
.s.l,csn Church in Ireland Germane In
10 than one respect to the last named sub
-. uoud DO an effort to define the precise
.,,uJs in matters Of discipline and doctrine
..por by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
rated States and 10 trace its manifold vicissi-
,nlas from inchoate collapse to vigorous vital
A., sinco the American Revolution. Here is an
orgsngaton beset with rivals and enemies on
Aha right hand and on the loft which impeaches
abe truth and validity OF many catholic tenets
wbue il denies the more sacred functions of the
,riestly Office 10 other Protestant sccts which
uselfschismatic, donounces schism. and which
.anctioning in Its own creed n certain qunntum
nj heresy. refuses to tolerate moro uncompro-
missing herciics. How does it happen that n
syatem so nicely poised between extremes has
oontrived To keep its balance without the prop
Of vast cnd1wmcnts or the UNFOLDING OF the
state2 BY what exercise Of foresight and dis.
cretion or by what happy concourso OF circum-
stances has it succeeded in escaping the normal
results Of discstabishment and disendowment.
Of political ACKNOWLEDGMENT and social eclipse
Some help toward the solution OF this curious
problem is supplied by DR.. J. A. SPENCER in a
sketch Of the Protestant Episcopal Church in
Che Unitcd States. which is appropriately ap-
pended TO the reprint Of a History ~ tie Church
ofEag'aud by Canon PERRY lHarpersl
. To Elizabeth who boosted that she tuned
her pulpiis - 10 Charles. who forbade discus.
sions on predestnation; to George. who pro-
hbhed drbnte on the Holy Trinity IL would
have seemed a naked contradiction in terms 10
Ascribo substantial identity TO a branch OF the
Anglican Church after its divorce from the civil
power. Nevertheless. DIR. Spencer PROFOUND.
ing \ fundamental tenet OF his communion.
Anirms the Protestant Episcopal Church. which
has its local habitation in the United States to
b. the legitimate successor Of what was known
prior to the cousummaton Of our national indie
pendence ns the Church Of Eng in America
The writer. sketch. therefore. properly begins
with the earliest efforts Of tho Anglican clergy
In the work II evangellzing tho Western World
and although in his statement OF tho local-
ties where the English Church obtained a
scoting some omissions will be noted. we
o., forth We IRE reminded that in the
charter Of the Virginia Company II was ex.
pressly required that the true Word and SER
vice Of Col bee preached and used according to
the rites and doctrine Of the Church Of Eng
land" and that aregularly ordained clergyman
aoNnpanied the earliest expedition. One Of
the first measures Of the settlers at James
iowa was g. take thought for tho endowment
Of the Colonial Church. Not only WAS portion
Of glcUe Ian -st apart in each new borough for
The use oi "a" Incumbent. but tithes were pres
entity Instituted. together with an annual allow
hnce OF fifteen hundred pounds of tobacco and
sixteen barrels Of -four for each clergyman.
The colony had not been founded dozen years
when steps were taken 70 provide for clerical
educniion by establishing \ college AT Hcnrico.
and considerable sums 81 money were collected
In England icr the PURPOSE. Within half a CEN
tury the number of parishes had incrsase ed to
nifty. and although after the Restoration. some
popular Disturbances were provoked by rigor-
pus enactmcnis against dissentcrs. the growth
OF the Virginia Establishment was only tempo
rarily checked. At tho beg inning Of the Revolu-
tion there were In the colony Of Virginia l64
churches and chapels. whereas according 10
che Episcopal statistics for ls7T-s there are nj
this day but lG6 in the States Of Virginia and
West Virginia combined.
Although the neighboring colony OF Mary
1and was founded by Roman Catholics on the
principle Of perfect federation. yet the Anglican
elergy speedily acquired a dominant influence.
owing mainly to Immigration from Virginia and
prohtsd by tho so-callei Protestant revolution
which took place at st. Marys on the accession Of
William Of Orange. Four years later the Church
~ England was established by law the province
being divided into thirty parishes. and tithes
ior the support of the clergy being imposed
upon every inhabitant. whatever his religious
opinions. Although the Application OF this or
dnance was resisted by the Roman Catholics
and Quaker- with some success. 1t was recorded
d. 1880 that out Of some thirty thousand inhab-
ttnts in Maryland at that date the majority
were in communion with the Church OF Eng
Hand. Pass ng to the Carolinas we find that dur
ing tho first half century OF their existence as
ar undivided province. while John Locke's
Grand VI 'de' IL Government was in nom
ina op'rn IA. the larger part ~ the coloniss
N"re diss"nters. and a visit from John Fox had
given notable Impulse 10 the propagation OF
Q'aIer t"u"'- IN the northern district. On the
clsp.a'' mont, however. Of the proprietary sys-
~. IS IN rr- %! the crown in 1929 the Church
O. Las.Anl wa- formally established. but con
tLuel t, lui much difficulty in coping not
only with Tine paak"rs and other English secta-
rlcs IN ih' northern lut also with the HUI
Gn"not srt 'rs IN the southern province. So. too.
ir Georgia tA- large almixture Of Lutherans.
h,r'yla' ana 'otrh Presbytorians rendered
H. pnop' iA-raeiable to Church discipline.
Ia eur i-tt is worth recalling that John
wesley, ".o was parish minister IN Savannah.
eY'AeeI 80 mu n slrictncss In enforcing the
rnbris' and engendered such acrimonious
's"nsion- among the colonis,s by his en-
i'f"m'ni Church discipline that the future
h'lr " .h' Methodist revolt was obliged to
tA1o" pi tla dust Of his feet as he phrases it.
no B" leave Georgia in disgust. On the other
mani. George Whtencd who stirred UP 50
H1'h "N'.t meni by his fiery z.al in England
AAi VI" 'r'-crn colonies, seems TO have been
IrAat"eI o. Georgia. for the effective ischarge
o. H'h le<uHr functions as a clergyman OF the
Ih1ron oi England.
l"ru ~ uow 20 the moro northerly portion Of
our '"rri' r W" find tho Anglican Communion
i'"Iy "iiaining precedence in the province
. ~ l'f, after its seizure from the Dutch.
a. lL Inst rector 81 Trinity parish invested
'A " Np"',- VI vicarous authority over the
it .''h ! cler.y as the commissary OF the
Ash"p 90 l.ou ION. Az 10 tho Jerseys DR..
hh'n."r -."Id have kept In view the distlnc-
u'N '.'V'-a ih" eGst ami the west province.
~ F"."r. constituting tho controlling Gle