The National tribune., 1907-10-03
EprscorALrAN1sM- IN AMERICA.

the church is timely The best evi.
ldence that the church has divine
mission and is needed by the country
/ is that it has survived influences AM
idetriments which would have ruined
ianything not having so high mission
While other denominations have had
their periods of storm and stress, these
things, and an experience that every
development having it's roots among
the people must endure before achiev-
| ing prominent and lasting growth
| Unlike the Presbyterian, Methodist
and other churches. the Episcopalian
| pie and developed therefrom naturally
| and normally. 1t was first established
| in the South as part of the po-
litical and social system of the old
country. and it suffered all the disad-
vantages that came from its connection
with the Government and forced i'm
position upon the people. In Virginia,
Maryland, North and South Carolina
and Georgia, the church was legally
established with the civil governments.
1t was then at the worst period in the
Church of England's history, since il
had degenerated from being church
in the spiritual and sacred sense and
was merely a machine to provide places
for the young sons of aristocratic fam
lilies and squeeze taxes out of the peo-
pie. The Civil Governments of the
Colonies were corrupt and rapacious in
the extreme, as we all know who read
history. and the colonists had abundant
reason for their frequent rebellion
against the Royal Governors who We're
squeezing them as remorselessly as did
the Impoverished noblemen whom
Spain sent to the new world to fill their
pockets. Such names as Arlington,
Berkeley, Botetourt, Dunmore ami
others of the Royal Governors which
are now perpetuated in the designa-
ton of Virginia Counties were in their
day the synonyms for cold-blooded ra-
pacity. The rectors sent from Eng
land to administer the parishes were
not a whit behind the Royal Governors
in grasping everything in sight, and
the object OF sending them over was
that they might enrich themselves.
Andros, the first Royal Governor of
Massachusetts, attempted to introduce
the church into that colony, but met
such stern resistance from the Pres
byterians that he was compelled
to desist. While there were English
churches built for the accommodation
of. those around the Governors court,
Coy. Andros was unable to establish
parishes with their tithe-gathering ma
chinery which had been such bitter
ness to the Southern colonies. Only
in Connecticut did the church have
spontaneous and natural growth in
New England. 1t was started by two
distinguished Congregationa!ist clergy
men, who became dissatisfied with
their denomination and went over to
Episcopalianism, being ordained in
London. From Connecticut Episcopa-
lianism spread slowly to other parts
of the country, but saw the Winter of
its discomfort come in the Revolution.
Dendence there were only six ministers
in New England outside of Connecti-
cut. In New York the Episcopal
Church gained a foothold when the
country passed over to the English
in 1864, but as the mass of the people
were strongly attached to the Dutch
Church, the Episcopalians were for a
long time confined to the immediate
circle of the Royal Governor.
In the grant to-NWilliam Penn a pro-
vision was made that Episcopal
churches might be instituted upon the
petitions of 20 persons, and that these
should be allowed the free exercise of
their religion. The first church was
organized at Philadelphia about 100.
and drew its membership largely from
dissatisfied and seeding Quakers
In Virginia the Episcopal Church
had history full of battle and vicis-
STUDIES. 1t was at first the only one
allowed in the colony. All the grantees
of land were ardent supporters of it;
parishes were established to compel
every man to give a portion of his
yearly revenue to the support of the
rector" and generally the bad ecclesiag-
teal practices of those bad old days
were carried out vigorously. The rec
tor of the parish was a civil magistrate
and had power over the persons and
goods of his parishioners. As the back
country filed up with Presbyterians
Congregationalists, Baptists and Dis
senters generally, these renewed the
fight which they had been making in
England against the supremacy and
the exactions of the Black Prelacy.'
| 1t was long and bitter struggle but
brought to the front such men as Pat
rick Henry and Thomas Jefferson and
started with strength the movement
which eventually led to independence
In the Revolution most of the Episco-
palians took sides with the Crown
while the Presbyterians, Congregation
alists and Baptists were Revolutionists
consequently the church suffered
greatly in prestige and influence by
the result of that struggle and the con.
clusion of the war saw it reduced to its
lowest ebb.
There were ardent, farseeing spirits
| however, who would not believe thai
their Church was eXtingushed and VIII.
planned an Independent American