USA > Virginia > Sketches of Virginia : historical and biographical > Part 49
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He then proceeds to review two discourses lately issued from the press, from the pen of John S. Ravenscroft, Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina. These sermons contained much that is cordially received by all Christians ; but they also claimed for Diocesan Episcopacy the sole agency of God's covenanted mercy, thus denying the right and name of Church members to all professors of religion not within the pale of the Episcopal Church. These principles more or less openly avowed in the pulpit, for some preceding years in Virginia, now first appeared from the press. . In the year 1814, in a letter to Dr. Alexander, Mr. Rice says -"I am, indeed, apprehensive that we shall have a controversy in this State between Episcopalians and Presbyterians; but I hope, if this should be the case, that we shall act entirely on the defensive." The next year he says to Mr. Max- well, speaking of a meeting of Episcopal ministers in Richmond- "My congregation pretty generally attended. They were pleased too with most things in the ministers; but disapproved the keen spirit of proselytism manifested by them. This is active and ardent enough beyond all doubt, and you will very probably see a sample of it before long. This spirit will produce irritation and offence, which, I fear, will ripen into controversy." Mr. Rice had declined making any attack on Episcopacy in his Magazine, or to do any- thing by which he could be considered the aggressor. At length, to satisfy the public desire, he published his Irenicum in a pamphlet form, in which, in an exegetical manner, the passages of Scripture relating to Church Government and forms, were considered with much ability and a kind temper. In the review of the Bishop's sermon, with the same kindness and ability, he contests the High Church notions openly avowed, and shows succinctly that they were founded on error.
In the same month, December, 1824, in which the latter part of this review appeared in the Magazine, Bishop Ravenscroft preached by request, before the Bible Society of North Carolina, the annual sermon. In this he endeavored to show that it was dangerous to
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the best interests of the Church and the souls of men generally to circulate the word of God without some accredited expounder accom- panying. This sermon Dr. Rice reviewed, in his Magazine for April and May, 1825, endeavoring to show that the Bishop's argu- ment's were fallacious, and his fears of evil to be wrought by the free circulation of the word of God without note or comment, were groundless.
In the month of March, 1825, the Bishop preached in Raleigh a sermon on the study and interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of this sermon, published by the vestry of his church, was sent to Dr. Rice, with a communication, containing the following sentence - "I.forward by this mail, a printed copy of a sermon, preached to my congregation here, on the study and interpretation of Scripture -in which you will see my views on that subject - which you may refute if you can; and by which I am willing to test the soundness of those doctrines I have preached, and shall continue to preach to the good people of North Carolina, until shown to be erroneous by better and higher authority than that of the Editor or Editors of the Evangelical Magazine." This challenge was accepted by Dr. Rice, and a review of thirty-one pages, in the Magazine for the July fol- lowing, gave greater evidence of the power of his pen as a polemic than any preceding production. His view of the Bishop is thus expressed at the outset - " He is a firm and fearless man. Doubt- less he is sincere. He is persuaded that out of what he calls the church, there is no assurance of salvation : he does believe that it is ruinous to distribute the Bible 'without note or comment;' and therefore regardless of consequences, he is continually throwing himself on ground from which many a bold and able combatant has been beaten in times past."
Dr. Rice combats the Bishop's rule, viz. - " That interpretation of Scripture is to be followed and relied upon as the true sense and meaning, which has invariably been held and acted upon by the one Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ :" and shows that there has been no such interpretation or explanation preserved; that of the interpretation or explanation which the Church held for the first three hundred years only a few passages have been preserved; and that if the Bishop " by interpretation of every doctrine," has refer- ence to the ancient creeds, he shows there is no certainty that any creed, however short, claims origin higher than the second or third century. He brings forward Bishop Hooker in defence of the clergy - of his day against the charge of not preaching enough, as saying - The word of life hath always been a treasure, though precious, yet easy as well to attain as to find ; lest any man desirous of life should perish through the difficulty of the way ; and though the clergy did not preach they read the word of God publicly, and that was enough. After calling up the testimony of Bishop Horsley, that there is no need to a plain man for a church to interpret Scripture : and of Bishop Hurd, that the great principle of the Reformation is, that the Scripture is the sole rule of faith - that Daille, On the right use
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DR. RICE'S REVIEW OF BISHOP RAVENSCROFT'S SERMON.
of the Fathers, opened the eyes of intelligent inquirers, and led Chillingworth to establish for ever the old principle, that the Bible, and that only interpreted by our best reason, is the religion of Protestants - he sets in a clear light the truth that we cannot be governed by authority in our explanation of Scripture, further than that authority is derived from the Scripture itself.
He brings the review to a close with such remarks as these : - "Bishop Ravenscroft, in two sermons with which our readers are somewhat acquainted, set up the highest pretensions of High Church, and denounced all preachers who have not received Episcopal ordi- nation, as intruders into the sacred office, and as ministers of Satan. He also begs pardon for having in times past yielded to the preten- sions of a spurious modern charity, and promises hereafter to dis- card all false tenderness from his bosom. True to his purpose, on being requested to preach the annual sermon of the Bible Society of North Carolina, he delivered a discourse directly against the In- stitution, and all others of similar organization in the world. The great object of that effort of the preacher was to prove the insuffi- ciency of the Scriptures as a guide to heaven. This is followed by a fourth sermon, in which he fills up his system, and tries to per- suade us that we must acknowledge the Church as the authorized interpreter of the Bible. We have been made to understand that the Episcopal clergy of North Carolina follow their Diocesan. We know that sentiments of a similar character are boldly advanced in New York by a man of learning and talents; and that the wealth of the richest Church in the United States is pledged for their sup- port. We have satisfactory evidence too, that influence from abroad is made to bear on the religious character of our population. In a word exertions are made to extend opinions among us, which we do conscientiously believe to be injurious, both to Church and to society. We therefore felt it to be our imperious duty to point out, plainly and frankly, the errors held by these brethren, and show as well as we could to what they tend. We have not for one moment, ever thought of laying any thing to their charge but bad reasoning, and mistaken apprehension of Scripture. If we have in any instance misapprehended the meaning of Bishop R., it has been our misfor- tune, not our fault. In conclusion, we cannot help saying we have heard that Bishop R. has been sick. We pray God to have mercy on him, restore his health, prolong his days, and make him a bless- ing to the Church over which he is called to preside. We hope yet to hear of his taking the lead in the glorious work of charity in which Christians in this latter day are engaged." He thus ended the review, believing with " the ingenious Bishop Hurd," that when any branch of the Protestant Church left the sure ground that "the Scripture is the sole rule of Faith," and took in its, place the Scrip- tures as interpreted by the Fathers, the mismanagement was fatal- that the discussion would be in a dark and remote scene, and no cer- tuin sense could be affixed to their doctrines ; and any thing or every thing might, with some plausibility, be proved from them.
DR. RICE'S REVIEW OF BISHOP RAVENSCROFT'S SERMON. 409
Bishop Ravenscroft felt himself called on to notice this review of Dr. Rice, and sent forth a pamphlet with the following title - The Doctrine of the Church vindicated from the misrepresentations of Dr. John Rice ; and the Integrity of Revealed Religion defended against the no-comment principle of promiscuous Bible Societies. By the Right Reverend John S. Ravenscroft D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, 8vo. pp. 166. Raleigh, printed by J. Gales & Son, 1826.
Dr. Rice commenced his review in the Magazine for July, 1826, thus, - " This is probably the most polemic title page that has been printed for the last hundred years." He then states succinctly the relative position of the two churches, the Episcopal and the Presby- terian ; the beginning of the controversy on church order; that it was at the time when "there was not courage to avow exclusive claims and pretensions, there was a secret agency, the object of which was to spread the opinion, that the Presbyterian Church is not a Church of Christ. It was not difficult for those who chose it to trace this underground work to the very commencement;" and that was, as we learn from a letter to Dr. Alexander, soon after his removal to Richmond. In carrying on the review he says - " But we wish it to be distinctly understood, that we design to pursue the uniform policy of that Church, of which we have the honor to be members. We make no attack on Episcopalians - under the full conviction that the Episcopal Church may be fairly separated from High Church pretensions. If, however, we have mistaken the case ; and this thing cannot be ; theid we are prepared to maintain that the prevalence of that Church in this country is far, very far from being desirable."
He then enters on the subject at large, and goes over the whole ground of the Episcopal controversy, with as much minuteness as could be compatible with the space afforded in twelve numbers of the Magazine. At the close of the fourth number, which appeared in the Magazine for October, he says, "it is due to ourselves and readers to state the reason why this review lies under the disadvan- tage of appearing in fragments-at long intervals. The truth is simply this : the writer's daily avocations are fully sufficient to occupy the time and attention of at least three men of his calibre. He is therefore obliged to write in ends and corners of time, by sentences and half sentences, otherwise he must neglect much more urgent duties. For his own sake and that of his readers he wishes the case were otherwise. But as he was called on to notice the Bishop's book, he thought it better to write in these unpropitious circum- stances, than not at all." This statement of the Doctor is true as it respects his great pressure of business. Yet his reply to the Bishop is one of unusual ability and power and research. He goes over the whole ground of controversy between the Bishop and the Bible Society ; and the Bishop, as a diocesan of the strictest sort, and the Presbyterian Church; and also that between the Bishop and himself. The whole production is a masterpiece of polemics. The
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Bishop was an open, fearless man-a high churchman. He wrote strongly but unguardedly. The Doctor showed himself far his superior in Theological literature, and caution, and the suavity of contro- versy. He shows from history, and fair deduction of argument, founded at last on history, that the High Church notions of the Bishop are inimical to the advancement of true piety, and even the existence of godliness, and are opposed to civil liberty ; and will either govern the State as Pope, or be allied as an Establishment ; and that they are all founded on error in the interpretation of Scrip- ture, and the misconstruction of historical facts and the opinions of the Fathers.
CHAPTER XXXII. -
JOHN H. RICE, D. D. - HIS AGENCIES, 1827-1829. 1
DR. RICE yielded with reluctance to the necessity which imposed upon him the duties of an agent. In a letter to Dr. Woods, of Andover, he states the circumstances.
"New York, June 5th, 1827. * '"During the last year the pressure on me was so heavy that for five months I had a continual headache, and my nerves be- come so irritable, that the click of a penknife, or the scratching of a stiff pen on paper, after an hour's confinement, was just like a strong shock of electricity through my brain. I may say that half of my time was spent in torture. I felt that I must either give up this great enterprise in which I am engaged for the South, or sink under the load which was pressing on me. The Lord just at that very time put it into the hearts of a few of my beloved friends in New York to raise a fund to support a young man who should assist me. But his support is only for two years. In the mean time, we must endeavor to get a permanent establishment for him, or for some one else, or I shall again be left alone. The house which we have built has cost $8000; the library about $8000. Our invested fund does not amount to $15,000; and the situation of about $2000 of that is such, by the will of the donor, that we receive nothing from it. So that I have to depend for my sup- port now on the interest of twelve thousand dollars. I have sacri- ficed my little estate, in order to establish and support a religious printing press in the South. So that I have found it very difficult to live through the year. We have a subscription at the South of twenty-five thousand dollars ; but that was purposely conditional, so that none of it is binding unless we can raise two professorships. In a word, the state of things is such, that if the brethren abroad will help us, we can get along, and a seminary will be built up to
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bless the southern country. But if they cannot stretch out a hand for our aid, we shall have to struggle along for years, doing but little ; and the result must be, that I shall sink prematurely to the grave through the excess of my labor. If some one could be pre- vailed on, by a donation of ten or twelve thousand dollars, to fill up the partially endowed professorship, which is now affording me half a living, it would be a relief from permanent embarrassment, of the most important character."
The trials and success of Dr. Rice, on this agency, can be best understood from extracts from his letters written while absent from home. These supply the place of a journal, and are more life-like, as conversations with one as deeply interested as himself in building the seminary. He first attended the General Assembly in Phila- delphia in May, The Theological Seminary, west of the Alleghanies, was located at Alleghenytown, and Dr. Janeway chosen Professor. The Assembly resolved - " to approve and ratify the arrangements which have been made for placing the Theological Seminary, hereto- fore confided to the care of the Presbytery of Hanover, under the immediate care and joint direction of the Synods of Virginia and North Carolina. 2d. That the Assembly will sustain the same rela- tion to the seminary, and exercise the same species of control over it, under the recent arrangements, as they proposed to do by thier act of the last year, in its state as then existing. 3d. That here- after the seminary shall be denominated -- The Union Seminary of the General Assembly, under the care of the Synods of Virginia and North Carolina." The Assembly commended the interests of the seminary to the active patronage and support of the churches at large, and especially of the churches within the bounds of the Synods which have it under their care.
As chairman of the committee to adopt a pastoral letter, he pro- duced one worthy of circulation in a tract form. The two leading sentiments are- "They who agree in the great' truths of the gos- pel and of church government as expressed in our Confession of Faith, ought not only to love as brethren, but heartly co-operate for the glory of God and the salvation of souls: and The im- portance, yea, the necessity of exhibiting plainly and distinctly the truths contained in the Bible, and depending on their instru- mentality alone to effect the conviction and conversion of sinners ; there is no value in religious feelings unless they are excited by distinct views of divine truth. It is only the plain, simple doctrines of the Bible, carried to the understanding and conscience by the Holy Spirit, which can sanctify the heart of man and make him fit for heaven."
In a letter to Mrs. Rice from New York, June 1st, 1827, he says : " I was persuaded we could do little or nothing at this time in Phila- delphia ; and I would not have the name of that city to a trifling subscription for our seminary. My plan then is to fix on a' time when we can operate without the impediments of the General As- sembly, or any interfering scheme of any magnitude. To this end
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DR. RICE'S AGENCIES.
it will be necessary to write beforehand to the leading men of the city, that they may keep themselves in reserve for our object. This would have succeded well this spring, had not my letters to Mr. Ralston, Mr. Henry and others, been received just after they had pledged the whole of their charitable fund for the year to the American Sunday School Union. Indeed some of them had gone beyond their annual sum at least a thousand dollars. And these. were the men, too, who are looked to in Philadelphia as examples, and whose lead is followed by all others. I presume there will be but two classes at the seminary this summer. The first class will. pursue the study of Greek and Hebrew, as they did last winter. The second will go on with their study of the Bible; writing essays on the various topics, or heads of Divinity, in order pretty much as before. Besides I wish them to read Dr. Alexander's book on the Canon of the Scripture. I wish the students to form a society, the object of which shall be to give them exercise in the exposition of the Bible. The general plan I have thought of is, for a portion of Scripture to be selected, on which a member of the society appointed. for the purpose, shall prepare an expository lecture, to be read at the succeeding meeting. The other members of the society shall read in the original, and study as carefully as possible the same, passage, and so be prepared to discuss any difficulties that may be found in the passage, and refute or sustain the exposition, and re- marks contained in the lecture. This is the best plan of an associa- tion for a Theological Seminary that I have heard or thought of. But a theological debating society, of the character of a college debating society, I cannot think of without utter repugnance, and even a feeling of horror."
"New York, June 5th, 1827.
" Alas, these trials are severe on our feelings. But they ought to be borne patiently, for they are endured in a good cause, and for an all-important object ; and of all people in the world you and I ought to be most ready to do any thing for the cause of our Lord. He has so blessed us, and made our lives so happy, that all we have and are is the least we can think of offering to him in return. I now have a little apprehension that we shall not make out very well, because we have no party spirit. I see clearly that while all the brethren appear to regard me with great personal affection, neither of the parties are entirely cordial to me. The Princeton people apprehend that I am approximating to Auburn notions; and the zealous partizans of New England Divinity think me a thorough- going Princetonian. So it is ! And while there is much less of that unseemly bitterness and asperity which brought reproach on the church in past times, I can see that the spirit of party has struck deeper than I had ever supposed. And I do fully expect that there will be either a strong effort to bring Princeton under different management, or to build up a new seminary in the vicinity of New York to counteract the influence of Princeton. One or the other of these things will assuredly be done before long unless the Lord
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interpose, and turn the hearts of the ministers. This evening is appointed to hold a meeting of the ministers and the friends of the seminary, and as soon as possible I will let you know the result. If it turns out trifling, I will soon come home; if the prospect is en- couraging I shall feel it to be my duty to stay and reap the harvest ; for what is to be done must be done soon. Perhaps in another year no man who is not a determined partizan will be able to do any thing."
"New York, June 12th, 1827.
" My health is still improving, I think, but the business I am on is extremely wearisome to the flesh, and still more to the spirits. After all this, being a beggar goes strongly against my Virginia feelings. After a good deal of talking and labor, we have obtained a hearty, unanimous recommendation of our object from the body of the New York clergy. It is said to be the only thing in which they have been unanimous for more than a dozen years. I am not able to tell you how much we have obtained, or may consider as pledged, because several who were about to subscribe have delayed, at our request, in hope of getting others to join them, so as to raise their subscriptions to $500. Let the seminary continue in prayer that the Lord may bless our efforts, and make them sufficient. I have proceeded more slowly in making applications, because it is indis- pensably necessary that we should proceed successfully. ยท If we do not get our professorship filled up during this season, I apprehend from the course of events that we shall stick fast. I have yet got no money. All is subscription for the permanent fund."
"New York, June 15th, 1827.
"The work I am in is painful. It is extremely laborious ; it excites the feelings, and exhausts them of course more than preaching or study. I often have to call on one man three or four times before I can find him in ; and then after hearing my story he says, 'I will think of it, and you can call again in a day or two, when I will let you know what I can do for you.' In this way I have to work from week to week. Nothing but the good cause, and the necessity of the case, could induce me to continue here another hour. But the thing must be done, and done now. Next year we shall have no chance at all. The people here are only waiting for me to get out of the way to bring forward other enterprizes. We have obtained subscriptions to the amount of $6000. We hope in the next ten days to get about $14,000; and I cannot think of leaving New York till then. I shall receive the proceeds of Mr. Little's scholarship, and an appropriation for four young men besides - I hope for six."
"New York, June 19th, 1827.
" Yesterday I walked about ten miles, and among all the calls which I made found only one man at home ; and he insisted that I should give him time to make up his mind on the subject. I went home
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with feet swelled and corns aching, thinking I could not stir this morning. But Providence is gracious, and I feel that I can do more by one half in a day than when I first began."
"New York, June 22d, 1827.
" Mrs. Caldwell has set to work to raise one thousand dollars for the seminary, which I think she will give her name for, the next time I see her. Mr. and Mrs. Tappan have agreed for the present to give $1000. Eleven men have each engaged to give $500 - making $5500. About ten have promised $250. This may be considered as the amount of what has been positively promised. A number of gentlemen have the subject under consideration ; but they are slow in coming to a determination."
"New York, June 26th, 1827.
"Wet weather, and other causes have impeded my progress. But the most troublesome thing of all is the slowness of the people to decide on the case before them. Every man requires me to make two visits. And to find him twice I have to go on an average six times to a place. And then I have to talk so much ; and it is mostly the same story. You know how this exhausts me. You cannot think how much jealousy and party spirit are in the church here. The feeling respecting atonement, and subjects connected with it, is stronger than I ever saw; and the dispute is all about things not directly treated in the Bible. I am more and more convinced that our plan is the right one, and that it is necessary for the peace of the church that we should succeed and do well."
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