A digest of the proceedings of the conventions and councils in the diocese of Virginia, Part 19

Author: Dashiell, Thomas Grayson, 1830-1893
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Richmond : W.E. Jones
Number of Pages: 454


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"In determining what true churchmanship is, we of


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America must leave out of view all that is peculiar to our mother Church as an establishment, and any things in her which may have been altered after our Revolution. We may be allowed, and indeed are bound to have reference to the history of the reformation in England, the changes made in the Prayer Book, and the writings of the reformers; for all these are genuine evidences of the mind of those who shaped our articles and prayers.


"But besides these we have a very simple method of trying the true churchman, in those documents to which almost all declare that they appeal, as containing their views of doctrine and churchmanship, namely, our articles, liturgy and homilies, as we now have them; for though the two former have been subjected to several revisions, they are substantially the same as when first established. There are, it is true, those who seem disposed to erect another test or standard of orthodox churchmanship, almost elevating it to a level with that which is divine. They make, not the re- formation and the fathers of our Protestant Church, the judge and pattern, but the Church at some early period, and the writings of ancient fathers. They prefer to be called cath- olic churchmen or Catholics, thus inventing another name not found in Scripture, and using it even more improperly than the other; but as so many of them have of late years chosen to enlarge their title yet more, and become Roman Catholics, and as, with such exceptions, churchmen declare themselves willing to be tried by our acknowledged stand- ards, we shall pass by these unhappy deserters, and proceed to the application of the admitted test to all others.


"In the Prayer Book and homilies then we have the Church's doctrine, worship, polity, discipline and her bear- ing towards all other churches. Let us try the churchman by these, and in the order just mentioned.


"Ist. Who is the true churchman as to doctrine? Since


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God has chosen to save men by the foolishness of preach- ing, and to sanctify souls by the truth, we may well give this the precedence. The true churchman, if a minister, while, according to his ordination vows, he will carry every- thing to the Bible, making the law and testimony of God the rule of his faith and the substance of his preaching, will also have a conscientious regard to his subscription to the creeds which were completed at different periods, as they were called for, and to the articles, those more enlarged creeds, which were either drawn up or confirmed after due examination by men as competent, and we believe as much under the guidance of God's spirit, as those who executed the former, though from their length, and the variety of subjects embraced in them, the latter are more likely to be misunderstood, and even to be in error. They were not merely drawn up, in the first place, by a few men of learn- ing and piety, but have, during the last three hundred years, been subjected to reexamination by Bishops, other ministers and laymen, and been used and approved by mil- lions of God's people in the Episcopal Church in England, America and elsewhere, and highly approved by other mil- lions not of our communion. But little variety of opinion can be entertained as to the meaning of those great funda- mental doctrines which are the life and soul of them. If the same cannot be said of a few words and phrases in some of the offices, yet their general meaning is evidently in strict accordance with the articles. As the latter were de- signed to be, to a certain extent, expositions of the former, and set forth for the express purpose of determining contro- versies, the true churchman will see in all of them not yea, nay-that is different doctrines and palpable contradic- tions-but the same mind of the same persons, (for they were the work of the same persons,) and will, therefore, honestly esteem both, even though he might desire to see


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more clearness in some passages for the sake of concord. The true churchman will delight to see sound doctrine so well guarded, not merely by brief creeds, but by more specific articles, devotional offices and prayers. He will bless God that by such means greater unity is produced among her members than by all the infallible decrees of Rome, and that, in some good degree, false doctrines are kept out of our pale. He is not, however, required, in the face of all his- tory, to affirm that these or any other articles or prayers can prevent all heresy, but that they are admirably formed for this purpose, as numbers not of our communion can- didly acknowledge. He will not regard them as inspired, as some have done their symbolical books; he will not esteem them either as equal to Scripture, or as unerring interpreters of Scripture, but will love them as in his opinion superior to any human composition, either an- . cient or modern, as containing much of the very best which has come down to us from primitive times, as being the result of great piety, much learning, undaunted firm- ness, most laborious study, and as being worthy of most devout gratitude to that God, who, though he does not now inspire with unerring wisdom, as at the first, the expounders of Scripture, does still fulfil his promise of being with his Church to the end of the world, to preserve the sacred deposit of truth which was granted to it. Thus far and no farther can the true Protestant Episcopal churchman go, without going beyond our reforming fathers in England, and the reviewers of their works in this country. I need not add that the great doctrines which he will see in the Prayer Book, as the centre around which all others revolve, and which keep all others in their proper place, are those of the holy trinity, the atonement, the deep depravity of human nature, renewal by the Holy Spirit, justification by faith, and the sacraments as means of grace to those who use them


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faithfully. These must be received into an honest heart as the great doctrines of the Church; else, all other zeal in its behalf will not constitute us true churchmen. The reformers would have repudiated all such as mere formalists, placing them with those who cried 'the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we,' while the Lord of the temple was not in them by his spirit and his word.


"2dly. Let us see who is the true churchman as to the next point, viz: the worship of the Church. That it is a. most important and influential part of the provision made in the Prayer Book for the promotion of our salvation must be acknowledged, from the fact that in all ages so much care has been taken to make it as perfect as possible. God's ancient people had their prayers for the temple and the synagogue, some of which have come down to us, and may be read at this day. Our Lord and his disciples often joined in their use. Others were added from time to time, more suited to Christian worship. One given to us by our Lord himself, was incorporated into every office and liturgy of the primitive Church, and contains the substance of all other prayers into which it was amplified. With such high authorities, who can question the advantage of a public liturgy? and among the various liturgies which have been adopted from the earliest ages to the present time, who but must give the highest place to our own? With the Word of God, the experience of so many ages, and all the liturgies of by-gone days before them as their guides, how could such holy, learned and faithful men otherwise than succeed in producing a book which for three hundred years has ap- peared so excellent that but little alteration has been called for ? Is it weakness or superstition, or mere sectarianism, to rejoice in. it, to make our boast of it, to bless God for it, and to regard it as a glorious inheritance bequeathed to us by our forefathers, from which we will never part? What


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individual or number of individuals, however holy and wise, if set down to prepare a liturgy without making use of the helps and materials of past ages, could have furnished one which may compare with it? In proof of which, let the prayer for public worship drawn up by that most holy and most talented man, Richard Baxter, and offered as a substi- tute for the English liturgy, be examined. Nothing could more effectually have established the superiority of our service, than the proposition to supersede it by that well- meant effort, but most utter failure, of Mr. Baxter. When we consider also the efficacy of a liturgy for the use of minis- ters and people, in moulding the minds, establishing the prin- ciples, and directing the feelings of the worshippers, how can we sufficiently rejoice in having one of so holy, heart- stirring and sublime a character as our own? If it be true which has been said of the ballads of a country, that they have more power to form the character of its citizens than the statutes thereof, how much more true must it be of the prayers which are continually used, by comparison with any other provisions of the Church ? And who can but admire the spirit of our prayers? What book on earth save the Bible is so full of Christ as the Prayer Book? Every peti- tion is put up either to him, or through him. We fear to proceed more than a few short sentences in prayer, without stopping and calling on Christ to take our requests and plead for them with the Father. And need I speak of the spirit of adoption, the spirit of praise, of deep humility, of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, of earnest long- ing for more grace, which breathes throughout them ? How can such poor creatures, who have need of so many helps to prayer, otherwise than rejoice in such ? He that calls him- self a churchman, and delights not in her prayers, has taken a misnomer to himself.


"And yet, while the true churchman loves the Church's


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prayers, he is not required to deny that there may be and are other prayers, either extempore or composed, which are most acceptable to God, when the heart goes with them. He may delight to think that so many thousands of peti- tions, public and private, uttered in other words, are most prevailing with Heaven. He well knows that there were occasions when holy men of Scripture-Prophets, Apostles, and our Lord himself-while generally uniting in established forms, must have used others-some of which, indeed, are interspersed through the Bible. He knows that our fore- fathers engaged in no warfare against other prayers, whether extempore or composed, but besides expressly sanctioning such, by Rubric, in pastoral visits to the sick, used brief ones in the pulpit before and after sermons, specimens of which we have in connection with some of our homilies, and with many of the sermons of the old divines. Nor has it ever been attempted, either in England or America, to forbid what some practice even to this day. Nor has such practice ever led to the thought of superseding the liturgy of the Church by any other prayers. And if such liberty has been ever allowed in the pulpit and before the great congrega- tion, how much more on those occasions when the minister meets with a few of his people for prayer and exhortation in a less public way, especially when even then he shows his love of the Church's prayers by using a portion of the same? "3dly. Let us now inquire what the true churchman holds as to the ministry and government of Christ's Church.


"To him one thing seems to be clear, viz: that the Church of God, under each of its two great dispensations, has had divers orders of ministers in it. In the Jewish Church, be- yond dispute, there were the high priest, priest and levite. In the Christian, we are expressly told that Christ 'gave to his Church,' and that God 'hath set in his Church ' ministers of different orders, and for different purposes, as


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apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Al- though some of these were of short duration, and for special purposes, yet the principle of subordination and the fact of divers orders seem to be clearly established. As to the num- ber and precise office of those which were continued, there has been diversity of sentiment. At the time of the Refor- mation, the Pope, with his chief devotees, maintained that there were only two of Divine appointment, viz : priests and deacons, and that the Pope gave to the Bishops their pre- eminence over the presbyters. Some Protestants maintained that there was only one order of the ministry, though there were other officers to be helpers of the same. The wisdom and moderation of our Church on this subject is worthy of all praise. In her articles she affirms nothing positively or dogmatically concerning it, although so clear and strong on the great points of doctrine. She only declares the neces- sity of a lawful call to the ministry, in opposition to self- constituted teachers. But in the preface to her ordination services she exhibits the perfection of prudence, honesty and charity, in stating the grounds of her own decision and action. She there affirms her undoubting belief that from the apostles' times, that is, even during their days, and ever since, there were and have been these orders, viz: Bishops, priests and deacons-that while the apostles themselves were exercising their high and peculiar gifts there were these orders. In the services themselves she speaks of God as by his spirit and Divine providence appointing divers orders; not that Christ himself expressly appointed them with his own lips as he did the sacraments, ordaining the apostles to be of the first order, and all Bishops to be full and regular successors to them in office. On this disputed ground she did not venture. As to the precise amount of apostolic power granted to them she says nothing. That they were successors to the apostles in some things, as infe-


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rior ministers were in other things, she doubtless held, although the only occasion on which the term apostolic suc- cession is used, appears in an office (the institution of minis- ters) where it must comprehend all orders of the ministry, and refers to their descent from the apostles, not to the powers possessed by them. She must have been well aware that as prophets and evangelists had ceased to be used in the Church, and as deacons had been created by the apostles, the Holy Ghost moving them thereto, so there were those who believed that the apostolic office ceased with the first apostles, and that bishops, as a new order, were appointed to govern the Church, and therefore may she have avoided the introduction of that disputed point .*


* It may be thought that as for the most part the advocates of the apostolic succession, understood in its fullest sense, admit that some of the gifts of the apostles, as inspiration and miracles, ceased with them, and only the ordinary powers of government and ordination were con- tinued to the Bishops as their successors, and as the opponents also admit that, although like the office of deacon, the Episcopal office was a new one, established by the apostles under the direction of the Holy Ghost, yet it did succeed to some of the powers of the apostolic office, therefore the dispute is rather one of words or names, and not of much importance.


The opponents, however, think otherwise, and say that as the over- grown power of the Pope resulted from the doctrine of his succession to the alleged supremacy of Peter, so if each Bishop is to be regarded as a regular successor to the apostles, who had those great and unde- fined powers which were necessary to the first establishment of Chris- tianity, it may lead to a claim of much greater powers and privileges on their part than can consist with the rights of others and the welfare of the Church. This apprehension has been increased of late years by the high claims of tractarians in behalf of Bishops, who are declared by them to be the full successors to all the power, and channels of all the grace deposited in the apostles for the establishment and future govern- ment and sanctification of the Church. The opponents also say that the Church has not only rejected this doctrine, by subjecting Bishops to laws made not by themselves only, but conjointly by other clergymen


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" And now, if it be, or if we believe it to be, that God has . . not only thus showed his preference to a three-fold ministry among the Jews, but by his spirit and providence led the


and laymen, thus restricting their power, as was not the case with the apostles, but has carefully refrained from any language identifying the Episcopal with the apostolic office. A reference to the consecration service and other parts of the Prayer Book will show that they are cor- rect in the affirmation of a careful avoidance of any expressions identi- fying the two offices. The Bishops are indeed represented as doing some things after the example of the apostles-as in confirmation-and reference is had to the apostles in the consecration service; yet are the Bishops not declared to be of their order, not identified with them, as deacons and priests are with those who were first ordained to those orders. Let any one examine the various places, where, if this doctrine were certainly held by the Church, and intended to be taught, it would have been most easy, natural, and proper to introduce it, and yet see how it is avoided, and he must conclude that it is only a matter of private inference on the part of those who hold it, and from insufficient data. It may have been one of those doubtful points about which she chose to be silent, knowing that there was a diversity of sentiment. If the learned Dr. Barrow's testimony is of weight on this subject, the fathers themselves did not identify the two offices, as some have inferred from their language. See his able treatise on the Pope's supremacy. If the author is not mistaken, the writings of the reformers furnish abundant evidence that some of them made the same distinction. That Scripture which is most relied on for the identification of the two, is the promise of our Lord of being with the apostles to the end of the world. His presence with their successors in perpetuating the apostolic office and ordaining other ministers, is supposed to be the true meaning of that promise. Such does not seem to be sustained by the Church's teaching. In the homily on the Holy Ghost this promise is regarded as given to the whole Church, for the preservation of the faith. In the ninety-eighth hymn and in the institution office it is applied to all the ministers of the Gospel, no intimation being given that it was chiefly for the successors of the apostles in perpetuating their offices. The ninety-ninth hymn is a kind of paraphrase of that passage in Ephesians which speaks of the appointment of divers orders in the ministry, viz : apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.


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apostles to ordain Bishops, presbyters and deacons as officers in the Church, what need we more to decide our choice most positively, and make us adhere to it most unwaveringly. Can we consent to place on the mere ground of human ex- pediency, on account of the supposed advantages of epis-


After speaking of the three former, as having been at the first, it represents the two last as still continuing.


" In lower forms, to bless our eyes, Pastors from hence and teachers rise, Who, though with feebler rays they shine, Still mark a long extended line. So shall the bright succession run, Through all the courses of the sun, While unborn churches, by their care, Shall rise and flourish large and fair."


Our present Bishops, of course, must come under the denomina- tion of pastors, who are carrying on the work begun by apostles, prophets, and evangelists, which is not only the opinion of some judi- cious commentators, but seems to be supported by the consecration service, where we find the term pastor emphatically applied to Bishops. In that service, when, if ever, the Church would identify the apostolic Episcopal office, we find that the title of apostle is never given to the Bishop, nor the term apostleship ever used. The terms used are Bishop and pastor-the work of a Bishop-the office to which you are called-this administration, etc. Reference is indeed made to the apos- tles in the service, and lessons from Scripture are used which relate to them, and most properly too, for the Bishop's office and work come nearest to that of the apostles, and follow after it; but, as Dr. Barrow remarks, a dictator may appoint some one to succeed him in govern- ment, but not in the same office of dictator, that being only temporary.


From what has been said, we may surely infer that the Church does not require to be believed, as essential to a true attachment to herself, what she has carefully avoided to inculcate in her standards.


If we sincerely receive what she plainly teaches as to the Episcopal office, and those who fill it according to its requirements, and all men esteem them for their office, as well as work sake, we shall reap abun- dant benefits therefrom.


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copacy, that for which we think we can produce such an exhibition of God's will? Seeing that human nature, whether as to civil or religious concerns, is so much the same in every age, and that in every age subordination, divers orders and officers, both in Church and State, are required, can we think that this was an intimation of the Divine will only for a certain generation, and that other generations might at pleasure change it for one which seemed to be suitable to themselves? A true churchman cannot do this. He will love and respect that system which he believes to be God's will, for the government of his house- hold too much, to consent to any departure not justified by great necessity. But is it needful to go yet further in our belief of the Divine appointment of such a ministry, and say of it, as of the holy sacraments, that it is appointed by Christ himself, or, as of the holy law, that God spake these words and said; and that it can admit of no change what- ever without destruction to the whole, and that no diversity of opinion on the subject can be admitted? Is it necessary to true churchmanship, to a sincere and hearty approval of our ecclesiastical organization, and a zealous promotion of it, that we affirm there can be no other ministry whose labors are accepted and blessed of heaven, no other Church than that which has such a ministry? Then must we cease to claim fellowship on this point with our Anglican fore- fathers, must forget all the past history of our Mother Church, strike from the list of true churchman her Cran- mers, and Jewels, and Hookers, and a long line of her best Bishops and other ministers, who held no such opinion, but declared the very contrary.


"The well-known sentiments also of such fathers of the American church as White, and Wharton, and Smith, the chief reviewers of our Prayer Book, must be repudiated, and the language of its preface and other parts be entirely


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changed. If any think that they see a more exclusive doc- trine in God's Word, or in ancient tradition, they can only claim the privilege of holding it as a private opinion. To treat it, and require others to hold it, as the doctrine of the Church, in spite of all her history, and to denounce those as false-hearted and unsound who do not, is itself, not only a violation of Christian charity, but, as we conceive, of true Protestant churchmanship, since nothing can be clearer than that our reformers in England, and our fathers in America, who impressed their views on the articles, offices and other parts of the Prayer Book, as well as set them forth in other ways, only held that our Episcopal regimen was essential to the perfection, and not to the existence of a Church. And need we add, that when perfection is required as a true note or mark of a church of Christ, then will there cease to be one upon earth?


"4thly. Having considered what true churchmanship is in regard to order and polity, let us see what are its views as to the discipline of the Church.


"Godly discipline has ever been regarded as one of the notes or marks of a true church. Our Protestant forefathers charged the Church of Rome with being greatly wanting in this, and scarce deserving the name of Church by reason of such want. Discipline relates to the laws of any society, and the penalties of disobedience. All institutions must have laws for the good government thereof. Christ's King- dom has its laws and penalties. Many of them were expressly appointed by Christ himself. Others, in con- formity with the same, have from time to time been put forth by the Church. No true churchman can otherwise than acknowledge the obligation of obedience to such as are lawfully enacted. To obey the powers ordained of God, whether civil or ecclesiastical, when exercised according to his revealed will, is a most bounden duty. The ministers of




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