Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER XVII.

STRUGGLE FOR THE EPISCOPATE.

Design of Archbishop Laud-Of Clarendon-Appeals of Rev. John Talbot -Subject for Convocation-Efforts of the Society-Petition from the Colonies - Gift and Legacies for Endowment of Bishopricks-Rev. S. Johnson and New England Clergy-Rev. Mr. Colebatch designed for Consecration-Exertions of Bishops Secker, Sherlock, Terrick — Drs. Johnson and Leaming-Rev. G. Craig-Bishops Ewer and LowthExertions of Granville Sharp-Of Dr. George Berkeley-Dr. Seabury— His Consecration-Renewed efforts to obtain the Succession through the English branch of the Church-American Prayer-Book-Election and Consecration of Bishops White and Provoost-Of Bishop Inglis-Growth and expansion of the Church.

THE anomalous condition of the Church in America, so long unprovided with episcopal government, has formed the subject of repeated observation in the preceding chapters. It seems, however, due to the importance of the subject, that the whole of it should be presented in one connected view, not only as forming a most interesting page of ecclesiastical history, but also, and especially, because it affords a lesson of useful warning for the future.

It was, as we have seen, in the year 1607, that Robert Hunt, an English clergyman, landed in Virginia with a party of settlers; but it was not until 1784, after the separation of the States from the mother country, that a single Bishop was consecrated for any part of the North

American Continent. Thus, for upwards of 170 years, and while so many new communities, of British origin, were growing to maturity, the Church was left unorganized-shorn of its ordinances-subject to every sort of disorder-and in a position of obvious disadvantage, as compared with the Nonconformist bodies. As early, however, as the year 1638, the sagacious mind of Laud had conceived a design for the remedy of an evil then at its rise, by sending a Bishop to New England; but the scheme was thwarted by the outbreak of troubles in Scotland. A similar proposal was made, soon after the Restoration, by Lord Chancellor Clarendon, and so fully approved by the king, that a patent was actually made out, constituting Dr. Alexander Murray, Bishop of Virginia, with a general charge over the other provinces. But this noble project, which, if carried into effect, would doubtless have exercised a sensible influence on the religious and political institutions of America, was defeated by the accession to power of the "Cabal" Ministry.'

The very first missionaries who were nominated by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, made strong and repeated representations on the necessity of sending out Bishops. Thus the Rev. John Talbot wrote from New York in 1702:-" We have great need of a Bishop here, to visit all the Churches, to ordain some, to confirm others, and bless all."

Again, the next year, he speaks of many falling away into dissent, for want of a lawful ministry; while those

1 Heylyn's Life of Laud, p. 347.

* Gadsden's Life of Bishop Dehon, p. 5. Secker states, from an examination of Bishop Gibson's papers, that the failure was owing to the endowment being made payable out of the customs.-Letter to H. Walpole. Works, vol. xi. p. 355.

who were willing and qualified to serve, shrunk from the loss and hazard of a voyage to England to obtain holy orders. He then expresses his assurance that—“Did our gracious Queen Anne but know the necessities of her many good subjects in these parts of the world, she would allow 1000l. per annum, rather than so many souls should suffer. Meanwhile, I don't doubt," he continues, "but some learned and good man would go further, and do the Church more service with 100%. per annum, than with a coach and six one hundred years hence."

Writing, in 1704, to his friend George Keith, who had returned home, he goes so far as to speak both of the right person to be appointed, and the mode of providing for him :-" Mr. John Lillingston designs, it seems, to go for England next year: he seems to be the fittest person that America affords for the office of a suffragan; and several persons, both of the laity and Clergy, have wished he were the man; and if my Lord of London thought fit to authorize him, several of the Clergy, both of this province and of Maryland, have said they would pay their tenths unto him, as my Lord of London's vicegerent, whereby the Bishop of America might have as honourable provision as some in Europe.”1

The other Missionaries concurred in pressing this subject upon the attention of the authorities at home. "Excuse me to the Society," says the Rev. Thoroughgood Moor, in 1704, "if I am earnest with them for a suffragan, and that they would have a particular regard to the unanimous request of the Clergy in all parts of America upon this account."

992

In the year 1705, a memorial to the Archbishops and Bishops was agreed upon, and signed by fourteen Clergy2 MS. Letters, vol. ii. p. 25.

1 MS. Letters, vol. ii. p. 23.

men assembled at Burlington in New Jersey, praying for the "presence and assistance of a suffragan Bishop, to ordain such persons as are fit to be called to serve in the sacred ministry of the Church, and stating, that they had been "deprived of the advantages which might have been received of some presbyterian and independent ministers that formerly were, and of others that still are, willing to conform and receive the holy character, for want of a Bishop to give it. The baptized,” they added, “ want to be confirmed." Thus appealed to, both publicly in formal representations, and privately in the correspondence of its Missionaries, the Society took occasion to embody the substance of these several petitions in a Memorial to the Queen in 1709, as follows:

66

"We cannot but take this opportunity further to represent to your Majesty, with the greatest humility, the earnest and repeated desires, not only of the Missionaries, but of divers other considerable persons that are in communion with our excellent Church, to have a Bishop settled in your American plantations, (which we humbly conceive to be very useful and necessary for establishing the gospel in those parts,) that they may be the better united among themselves than at present they are, and more able to withstand the designs of their enemies; that there may be Confirmations, which, in their present state, they cannot have the benefit of, and that an easy and speedy care may be taken of all the other affairs of the Church, which is much increased in those parts, and to which, through your Majesty's gracious protection and encouragement, we trust that yet a greater addition will daily be made. We humbly beg leave to add, that we are informed that the French have received several great advantages from their establishing a Bishop at Quebec.""

It was about this time that, as we are informed by his biographer,' a plan was proposed for sending out Dean 1 Appendix to Journal, p. 86. 2 Appendix to Journal, p. 139. 3 Scott's Life of Swift, prefixed to his Works, p. 98.

Swift, as Bishop, to Virginia; but it is needless to say, that no appointment was made.

In 1710, Colonel Nicholson, the Governor of Virginia, and a most munificent benefactor to the Church, expressed, in a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, his opinion, "that unless a Bishop be sent, in a short time, the Church of England will rather diminish than increase in North America."

1

Of course it was impossible but that a subject, so important in itself, and so constantly dwelt upon in the memorials and remonstrances of churchmen in America, should engage the attention of the leading authorities of the Church at home. And we are told, that, at a meeting held January 20, 1711, and attended by the Archbishop of York (Sharp), the Bishops of Bristol (Robinson) and St. David's (Bisse), Dr. Atterbury, prolocutor of the lower house of Convocation, and Drs. Smaldridge and Stanhope, to deliberate upon what measures it might be suitable to submit to the consideration of Convocation, Archbishop Sharp, after certain points had been agreed upon, would have "added another proposal concerning Bishops being provided for the plantations; but as my Lord of London, who had a right to be consulted first on the project, was not there, the thing was dropped."

We cannot help bitterly regretting that the Church of England lost the opportunity afforded by her last synodical meeting, of proclaiming the duty of planting the Episcopate in our Colonies.

The Society, however, stimulated by repeated appeals from the Missionaries, appears at length to have matured a

1 MS. Letters, vol. v. p. 94.

2 Life of Archbishop Sharp, by his son, Archdeacon Sharp, edited by the Rev. Thomas Newcome, vol. i. p. 352.

« PreviousContinue »