Protestant Church of Jerusalem. See Je-
Protestant Confessions. See Confessions.
Protestant Episcopal Church. This is the legal title of one portion of the Church of Christ which has its local habitation in the United States of Amer- ica. The first part indicates its position relatively to the Roman Catholic Church, as protesting against the errors and repudiating the claims of that Church to su- premacy in doctrine, discipline, and worship; the sec- ond part of the title expresses its attitude towards other Christian bodies who have rejected episcopacy on the ground that it is not of divine origin, and, there- fore, not of universal and permanent obligation. The history of the Protestant Episcopal Church is conse- quently of more than ordinary interest, since, on the one hand, it has been compelled to resist the Roman Catholics and their progress, and, on the other, has been forced to maintain its position among Protestants, with- out being able to form any union or engage in any con- cert of action with them. In the present article it will be the writer's aim to give a tolerably full account of the history and progress of this Church, together with some supplementary statements and remarks in regard to its peculiar claims and adaptedness for the great work of evangelizing our country and helping to make the Gospel known throughout the dark places of the earth where heathenism prevails.
I. History.— Here a natural division suggests itself
at once, viz. : (1.) History of the period during colonial times to the close of the Revolutionary war. This pe- riod covers rather more than a century and a half, and during it Church people looked directly to the mother country for ministerial supply and religious privileges in general. (2.) The period after the Revolution, when efforts were successfully made to obtain the episcopal suc- cession from England, the Protestant Episcopal Church was duly organized, its liturgy, articles, constitution, etc., were adopted, and its bishops and clergy in different parts of the country were brought into union as one body, with the General Convention as its central legis- lative power. This period covers the years 1783 to about 1808. (3.) The later history of the Church, mark- ing its growth, increase in wealth and numbers, educa- tional efforts, missionary labors, and the like, with as full and accurate statistics as can be obtained of its pres- ent position and work.
1. Early and Colonial History. — In the latter part of the 16th century, Sir Humphrey Gilbert left England to endeavor to form a settlement in America. Among the motives avowed as influencing him were "the honor of God, compassion of poore infidels captivated by the devil (it seeming probable that God hath re- served these Gentiles to be reduced into Christian civility by the English nation), advancement of his honest and well-disposed countrymen willing to ac- company him in such honorable actions, and reliefe of sundry people within this realme distressed." Though Gilbert met with no success and was lost at sea, oth- er efforts were made by his half-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1584, in Carolina and Virginia. These too, though in the main unsuccessful, were not wholly with- out fruit. In 1G06 the Virginia Company obtained its charter, and in 1607 the settlement at Jamestown was begun. Among the articles and order of the charter it was expressly required that " the presidents, councils, and ministers should provide that the true word and service of God be preached, planted, and used, accord- ing to the rites and doctrine of the Church of England, not only in the said colonies, but also as much as might be among the savages bordering upon them." A cler- gyman of the English Church, Rev. R. Hunt, accom- panied the expedition, and with unwearied zeal, and with piety and devotion worthy the highest praise, labored in his vocation to the end of his life. Other godly men followed, especially Rev. A. Whitaker, who has been honored with the title "Apostle of Virginia." Through his agency the Indian maiden Pocahontas was converted and baptized, and proved herself of great service to the colony. " As the first colonists of Vir- ginia were exclusively members of the Church of Eng- land, the legislature of the colony decreed a provision for the clergy, at the rate of fifteen hundred pounds of tobacco and sixteen barrels of flour annually for each clergyman. As each new borough was formed, it was ordered that a portion of glebe land should be set apart for the use of the incumbent. Tithes were afterwards instituted. Discipline was enforced by laws which, it must be admitted, were unjustifiably severe; ami a per- emptory enactment was passed that none but ministers episcopally ordained should be allowed to officiate in the colony" (Hawkins). Early efforts were made to provide for the education of English and Indian youth by founding a college, and ten thousand acres of land were set apart, and large sums of money collected. In 1619, when Sir Thomas Yeardley became governor of Virginia, the legislature manifested commendable zeal in the same direction. The officers and agents of the Company were urged to train up the people in true re- ligion and virtue, and also " to employ their utmost care to advance all things appertaining to the order and ad- ministration of divine service according to the form and discipline of the Church of England, carefully avoid- ing all factious and needless novelties, which only tend to the disturbance of peace and unity." The most ear- nest desire was shown to convert the Indians to the