New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-17
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
IT'S HISTORY IN AMERICA.

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IT'S HISTORY IN AMERICA.
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Few men arc better qualified to write popular
xhsory Of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
United States Of America than IL the eloquent and
brosd.minded rector Of st. Stephens Philadelphta.
Though generally chased a. Broad Churchman.
be b able to place himself In sympathy with ell
tie schools Of thought In his denomination, and
70 award TO each Of them all the praise It deserves
Indeed; Il u sometimes difficult to tell from the
narrative what the personal bias Of the writer
L. Moreover, DR.. Mcconnell possesses that run
dsnental qualification of . historian, the ability
70 return into the past, 50 as to zee ana unoef-
sand III doubts and difficulties and problems as
they really presented Themselves to the men who
then lived. The result il book which will be
read with absorbing interest. not only by oil
Episcopalians but by intelligent Americans out
side Of the Episcopal Church.
There are many fragmcntary sketches OF The
Episcopal Church accessible to the historical STU
dent, and the History Of the Church" by Bishop
William Stevens Perry, is mine Of well-digestcd
facts: But the former do not give anything like
bulky and elaborate for the average reader who
may desire to learn in brief just how Episcopacy
came into this country, and what have been its
fortunes and vcissitudes. For all such readers
DR.. McConnells book is not merely the best book
available, but the only kind Of the kind in ex-
istence. And as the style is at once picturesque.
clear and elegant its publication will do much
to popularize the history of Church that. even
in these days Of federation, is regarded by some
few people ON exotic, foreign to American ideas.
To understand the genesis of American Chris
hanity 1t is necessary to know something about
the English Christianity from which it sprang.
And 50 Dr. Mcconnell gives a graphic sketch Of
the state Of religion in Great Britain just previous
to the settlement Of Virginia and New-Engand.
The revival of the Act Of Uniformity had made
England avery uncomfortable place for all Non
oonformists and this sufficiently explains the emf
grafton of so many of them to America and the
establishment by them Of a religious theocracy in
w-England. AS might be naturally expected.
tho members Of this thcocracy entertained feel
Ing Of bitter hostility toward the Church OF Eng
land, and for long time it was practically
prescribed sect. 1t was in Virginia that the Eng
lish Church first found lodgment. although it
Is worthy of remark that the Virginia colony, un-
like the New-England colony, was not avowedly
religious in its origin. 1t was, however, almost
entirely composed Of members of the Church of
England who loved their Church Loyalty because it
was English and perhaps, also. because, as some
one has said, it did not seriously interfere with
either their religion or their politics. As DR.. McCon-
nell observes the colony was simply little English
parish bringing its ministers, its Praycr-Book, its
customs and its thoughts to set them down in
the midst Of an unoccupicd land. The Mother
Church sent Bibles, Prayer-Books and communion
plate, and one society undertook to send over
women who would make fitting wives for the
colonial adventures.
The type of religion which thus grew up on
the banks Of the James was in its way quite rs
interesting as the theocracy of New-EnGland. In
1919 the first legislative assembly of the Vr-
ginia colony met and enacted certain laws relat-
ing to religion. Every adult was COMMANDED TO
attend church on the Sabbath Day. the penalty Of
absence being q pound of tobacco, or for months
absence fifty pounds. 1t was made obligatory on
all who titled the ground to pay tithcs 10 the
minister. Doctrine and worship were made uni
form. Marriages were to be solemnized by cler-
gymcn of the Church of England Ministers
were eXhorted not to drink to excess, or play
dice or cards for money. Each parish clergyman
was to have n hundred pounds of tobacco wear,
and every twentieth calf, pig and kid. And the
fee for marriage was put at two shllllngs; Tor
christening, nothing; for churching, one shilling,
and for buryng, one shilling. Finally it was made
obligatory on the members of the Legislature to
attend divine service upon the thyrdc beatLnge
Of drume," under a fine of two shlllin5s ana
sixpence. While the colony, through its Legisla
ture was thus avowing its religious principles. II
is interesting to know that Dutch vessel, by
strange irony, named the Jesus landed at
jamestown, and sold the first cargo of African
Dr MoCo has
the difference betmcen Puritan and Episcopal
enactments is worth quoting
They both trcspass upon what seems to us TO
I've liberty of conscience. But there Is an lnquis,
itary particularly Of interference with persona,
rights and savage religiOsity in the P9ritans
laws which Is not present in those OF the Church-
men. They approach. their task OF iaw-maklng
with radically different t:mpers ana purposes,
The Virginians were content when they HAD mace
such regulations as they deemed necessary 70 the
selves for the aHa se1e es
standing to fulfil their task fairly we'll. '. The
Purit,ns lcglslated for the Life eternal: M was
cSuset IT'S the sheep were marked and the goats
were branded. In Virginia sheep and goats were
was open to them BOTH Little by little the
Church relaxed its laws: and we must say also l1s
manners Plantation life grew easy and end aSu ur1
ant Theology never throvc in It, The clergy
began TO be planters on their own account, and
were content for the most part TO be GOOD men
and rood neiehbors Missionary zeal slowly died
out. The Dssenters built their meeting houses
undistarbcd, sometimes aided by the gift OF a
generous slice Of land from the parsons own
plantation. Colonel Esmond is fair typ" OF Inc
Virginia Churchman. who began TO he seen hall
q century earlier than Thackcray places hun
The colony grew to be peaceful, prosperous and
either in religion or morals. it's general loyalty to
Church and Crown remained unchanged When
the Commonwealth came, the Vir-lnlans utterly
Church in ENGLAND and ignored the Perfect
model Of the Saints" At the Restoration they
pursued the even tenor OF q way they had never
Interrupted When tho eighteenth cntury opened
the Church was recognized by law. and. upon
the whole, contained the people Of the c'dony.