Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-05
EDITOR'SBOOK TABLE
EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN RE-
EVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
Life and Times of Bishop
Whitc-The Makers OF
America.

DoDp. MEAD & Co. 1892. Makers
of America Series. PIP. 1879. 81.
For sale by West, Johnston X Go.
Looking at the names which the
"Makers of America include. bring
ing together Christopher Columbus
and Charles Sumner, We wonder
in some instances at the sub
iects of these monographs anu why
inst these have been selected. The lusti'
fication in the case Of Bishop William
White is that his career involves the his
tory of the first half-century OF the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in America.
"He was its first Bishop in the English
line. and 10 him for fifty years fell the
daty of guiding its growth aud presiding
over its councils" (Preface.l This
biography will be welcomed. therefore,
not only by all Episcopalians by confes-
sion, but also by those interested IN
church history and the growth aud ex-
tension of religious interests and OF a
powerful denomination within our Dor
ders.
William White was born in April
174s. in Philadelphia, the city where he
was 10 spend the most of his influential
and useful life. He was educated at the
new College of Philadelphia, the instltu-
ton in which Franklin had Interested
himself and which afterwards developed
into the University of Pennsylvania.
Graduating at II, for the next five years
he worked at some kind OF theological
course as best he could by reading-the
only substitute for theological training
ut that time in America. In ITO he
visited England in order to become or
dained as deacon at the hands OF the
Bishop Of London, who, in colonial
times. had nominal jurisdiction over the
American clergy and parishes. While
in London the young clergyman met
both DR.. Samuel johnson and Gold
smith and had occasion to discover the
great photographers well-known Tory
principles on the subject OF America.
THE Doctor was very civil" is
Young Whites account. "except in
one instance when he told me that,
had he been Prime Minister during the
then recent controversy concerning the
stamp act, he would have sent ship Of
war and levelled one Of our principal
cities to the ground" (p. 23). His con-
versation with Goldsmith turned on
1.-The Deserted Village" and the leading
idea il treated-the decay of the peasant
ry. The author insisted that the point
was incontroyertible, but that he had
written a poem on the subject and not a
pamphlet, because "a good poem will
BRING a hundred gu1neas, but the
pamphlet would bring nothing" Up. 2D.
No sooner had the young preacher re-
turned to America than the troubles be-
tween the colonies and Great Britain
began. Whites own views were positive
enough, but he was always moderate IN
his actions and counselled this with
others. He held that the late measures
of the English government contradicted
the rights which the colonists had
brought with them to the wilds of
America, and which were until then re-
spected by the mother country yet he
added that had the issue depended upon
him alone it would have been for sub
mission, with the determined claim OF
the right. When, however, his coun-
trymen in general had chosen the alter
native Of resistance, conscience dictated
to him to take the right side. So he
prayed for the King like good subject
until July 4, 1776, when, after his new
oath Of allegiance, he changed the petit
ton for his new sovereign. He was one
of two chaplains chosen by Congress.
BE remained in the Office of chaplain
while Congress continued to meet III
Philadelphia and until the final removal
of the government to Washington with
the advent OF the Jefferson Admins
tration.
The important work of Bishop Whites
career was the organization of the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in America,
and chapters iii. and iv. (pages 1868,
which deal with this part Of his life, are
the most important and valuable OF the
book. Just before the peace of 1873,
secured by jays treaty, despairing Of q
speedy acknowledgment OF independ-
ence and perceiving the ministry rapidly
approaching humiliation, he wrote
pamphlet on THE Case of the Epis-
copal Churches Considered. In this he
took most sensible views OF the expe-
diency and necessity OF the situation
and advocated the most liberal ideas
ideas, in fact, 80 liberal that in later
and prosperous times they were seized
upon as pretext OF opposition. While
preferring naturally, regularly estab
lished ordinances, he yet believed that
the paramount duty OF preaching the Cos
pei and worshipping God should go on
IN the best manner which circumstances
permitted, and so he favored Item
porary organization, which was to be
completed as soon as opportunity should
arise to obtain the episcopal succession.
But peace occurring before the year had
flown, the conditions no longer existed
and the article was withdrawn. Arrange
ments were thereupon made for gen
eral meeting in Philadelphia in Septem-
Der, 1856. to adjust preliminaries for
united action between the churches of
the several States, to organize parishes
and dioceses, to plan the framework
preparatory to seeking the ratification OF
the English Bishops.
Meanwhile, in 1888, the Connecticut
clergymen, acting for themselves, had
chosen Samuel Seabury as future Bishop
and he proceeded to England to obtain
conservation. but in despair of removing
the obstacles in the House of Parliament,
finally had recourse to the Primus of
Scotland. Thus there were two distinct
contemporary currents in the American
Church, and at first they diverged wide
ly and were only gradually brought to-
gether. The meeting in Philadelphia,
however, was arranging matters on Il
broader and sounder basis than the
Connecticut gathering in attempting
to effect an organization before electing
officers, besides inviting laity as well
as clergy to attend, suggestion urged
by DIR. White in order to extend the in
fiuence and authority of the proceed
ings-a commonplace now. but which