THE EPISCOPAL MANUAL. CHAPTER I. History of the Protestant Episcopal Church. THE tree of life, planted by our Lord and his Apostles, continued for a few ages to flourish in its primitive glory, and to bear fruit for the healing of the nations. But soon that "man of sin" arose, "who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (a) The claims to supremacy which were at first but faintly urged by the Bishops of Rome soon found an additional pretext in political and local causes. And then, the superiority *The name of Protestants originated in the year 1529, when a diet was held by the Emperor of Germany, in which the privileges formerly granted to those, who differed from the church of Rome, were revoked. The Elector of Saxony, the Marquis of Bradenburgh, the landgrave of Hesse, the prince of Anhalt, together with the deputies of fourteen imperial cities, entered a solemn protest against this decree, as being unjust and impious. On that account they were distinguished by the name of Protestants, an appellation which has since been applied indiscriminately to all the sects of every denomination whatever, which have revolted from the see of Rome. (a) 2 Thess. 2-2, 8, 4. See also Appendix No. 1. THE EPISCOPAL MANUAL. which had grown out of these circumstances, came to be enforced by the plea of a divine right, as attached to that see by the authority of St. Peter.-These pretensions were violently opposed by the other Bishops, who ap pealed in vain, to the undeniable fact, that no such preeminence had ever been conceded, or known in the church. The title of pope, which, in fact, merely sig nifies the name of father, was equally bestowed upon the Bishop of Rome, and those who possessed the other considerable sees.-About the seventh century, however, the prelates of Rome began to appropriate this title to themselves. And at length, the artful Boniface, who had resided at the imperial court, not disdaiping to in sinuate himself into the favour of the infamous Phocas, who had waded to the throne, through the blood of the emperor Mauritius, obtained from him, for the Romish patriarchs, the title of œcumenical or universal Bishop. This title was, at first, unaccompanied with any new powers. But the demands of ambition and power are insatiable, and the leaders of the Roman church were so little contented with the honours they had already ac quired, that Agatho laid claim to a privilege never before set up by the most extravagant of his predecessors, and asserted that the church of Rome never had erred, nor could err, in any point, and that all its constitutions ought to be as implicitly received, as if they had been delivered by the divine voice of St. Peter. pretensions were resisted by the Bishops of the other sees, and by several princes, but the power of the Roman These lofty pontiffs was now too firmly lodged to be shaken by arguments and remonstrances. . Henceforward, professing themselves to be the vicegerents of Heaven, they seemed resolved to invert, as far as possible, the declaration of the great head of the church, who had said that his kingdom was not of this world." aggrandizement, they moulded the church according to Intent only on their own the principles of such a corrupt policy as might best secure and preserve this great object. It does not consist with the design and limits of this work, nor would it be useful, to pursue, with a minute attention, the va was rious meanders of absurdity, into which the exuberance of human folly, superstition, and wickedness branched out, and which finally rendered it necessary for him, who purchased the church with his own blood, to apply it to the great process of the reformation. Suffice it to say, that almost every trace of her original features was obliterated, and her primeval grandeur confounded and lost beneath a mass of unmeaning ceremonies. A To correct these evils, the growth of that long and dark, night, which shed so baneful an influence on the human mind, and to reduce the ecclesiastical system to its pristine form, was the task of the reformers. work so vast and so delicate, required no common strength and skill. On the one hand, it was required to prune away all that spurious excrescence, which disfigured her form, and impaired her vigour, and on the other, to preserve unhurt the vital parts. It is common with mankind, in their oscillations of opinion, to go from one extreme to another; and hence, some of the essential characteristics of the church have been rejected, because, having belonged to the Roman church, they have been identified with popery. Our reformers were happily free from this weakness, and were desirous only of separating between those things which were truly erroneous and superstitious, and those that were truly scriptural and apostolical. The result of their labours is that admirable system of ecclesiastical polity, which distinguishes the Protestant Episcopal Church. Should it be inquired, upon what principle the separation of the Protestant Church can be delivered from the guilt of schism; it is sufficient to remark, that the Church of Rome herself is guilty of the schism, by requiring from us such terms of communion, as consist, neither with our conscience, nor the word of God; by substituting for doctrines the commandments of men; and by driving from her bosom those who chose to hearken to Carl rather than man. By adhering to her errors, ating anew the unscriptural dogmas of the middle ages, which had crept into her creed; she did, in fact, willingly renounce the true faith, and separate herself from that pure reformed branch, which God, by his marvellous power, raised up in the world. In the separation, the Protestant Episcopal Church carried with her, and has retained, according to the admission of Roman Catholics themselves, all the elements and essentials of a true church. They do, indeed, pretend to deny our jurisdiction, as we have thrown off our allegiance to the Pope of Rome; but they are constrained to admit the validity of our ministry and of all the functions thereto appertaining. * "I An objection may arise here in relation to the fact, that there is an apparent discrepancy between the system of polity which governs the Episcopal Church in this country, and the hierarchy of the Church of England, from which we boast our descent; that in the Church of America only three grades of officers, Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons are known, whereas in England there are Archbishops, Deans, and Archdeacons, &c. and the king is supreme head of the church. A slight consideration of this objection will serve to shew that t is founded on a misapprehension of the subject. máy securely conclude," says Hooker, that there are iat this day, in the Church of England, no other than the same degrees of ecclesiastical orders, namely, Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons, which had their beginning from Christ and his blessed Apostles. As for Deans, Prebendaries, Archdeacons, Chancellors, Commissaries, and such like names, which being not found in holy scripture, we have thereby, through some men's error, been thought to allow of ecclesiastical degrees not known in the better ages of former times; all these are in truth but titles of office, whereunto partly ecclesiasti *M. Courager, a Roman Catholic Divine, in a work on the subject, has vindicated the Protestant Episcopal ordination. Archbishop Carroll, of Baltimore, acknowledged that this point was beyond question, settled in our favour. There are few found now who would venture their reputation on the absurd story of the Naggs Head, See Burnet's History of the Reformation. |