RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Protestant Episcopalians
treats (seasons of devotional retirement) for men or women, clergymen or lay people, in preaching missions, where they are invited thus to aid the parish clergy, and in guiding religious communities of women. Clergymen and laymen are received as visitors, for the purpose of testing their vocation, and for devotion or study, at the different houses of the society, and much devotional and doctrinal literature has been published by its members, who now number about forty. Abthur C. A. Hall. Bibliography: S. D. McConnell, Hist, of the American Episcopal Church, New York, 7th ed., 1897; S. Wilberforce, History of the American Church, ib. 1849; J. S. M.Anderson, Hist, of the Church in the Colonies, 3 vols., London, 1856; W. S. Perry, Historical Collections Relating to the American Colonial Church, 5 vols., Hartford, 1870-78; idem, Handbook of the General Convention of the P. E. Church, Giving its Hist, and Constitution, 1875-80, New York, 1881; idem, Hist, of the American Episcopal Church, 1687-1883, 2 vols., Boston, 1885; idem, The Episcopate in America, New York, 1895; H. G. Patterson, The American Episcopate, Philadelphia, 1878; W. White, Memoirs of the Protestant Episcopal Church, New York, 1881; R. E. Beardsley, Hist, of the Church in Connecticut, 2 vols., Boston, 1883; W. Benham, Short Hist, of the American Church, New York, 1884; J. G. Wilson and Others, Centennial Hist, of the P. E. Church in the Diocese of New York, 1785-1885, ib. 1886; L. Coleman, Hist, of the Church in America, ib. 1895; C. C. Tiffany, Hist, of the P. E. Church in the U. S-, ib. 1895; M. Dix, Hist, of the Parish of Trinity Church in . . New York, 4 vols., ib. 1898-1907; A. L. Cross, The Anglican Episcopate find the American Colonies, ib. 1902; Lucy C. Jarvis, Sketches of Church Life in Colonial Connecticut, New Haven, 1902; G. W. Peterkin, Hist, and Record of the P. E. Church in . . W. Virginia, Charleston, W. Va., 1902; D. D. Addison, The Episcopalians, New York, 1904; G. Hodges, 800 Years of the Episcopal Church in America, Philadelphia, 1907; W. Updike, Hist, of the Episcopal Church in Narragansett, R. I., 3 vols., Boston, 1907; A. B. Richmond, American Episcopal Church in China, Baltimore, 1908; Papers and Speeches of the Church Congress in Boston, May, 1909, New York, 1909; M. D. Haywood, Lives of the Bishops of North Carolina, Raleigh, N. C, 1910.
On doctrine, law, and polity consult: A. A. Benton, The Church Cyclopmdia, Philadelphia, 1884; J. A. Andrews, Church Law, Columbus, O., 1885; W. F. Hook, Church Dictionary, London, 1887; G. Hodges, The Episcopal Church; its Doctrines, Ministry, Worship and Sacraments, New York, 1892; G. H. Humphrey, Law of the P. E. Church, ib. 1895; W. J. Miller, American Church Dictionary, ib. 1902; F. W. Westcott, Catholic Principles as Illustrated in the Doctrine, Hist, and Organization of the American Catholic Church in the U. S., Milwaukee, 1902.
PROTESTANT FRIENDS. See Free Congregations.
PROTESTANT METHODISTS. See Methodists, I., 5.
PROTESTANT UNION (GERMAN) : An association of German Protestants for the revival of Protestantism in the spirit of Evangelical freedom and in harmony with the demands of modern civilization. The statutes of the society set forth its aims as follows: the development of German Protestant churches upon a congregational basis according to the special conditions governing the various countries containing a German population, as well as preparations for a combination of the Aims and national Churches; resistance to all Origin. hierarchic and un-Protestant tendencies within the different churches, and the preservation of the rights, the honor, and the liberty of German Protestantism; the maintenance IX.-19
and furtherance of Christian respect between the various denominations and their members; and the stimulation and furtherance of Christian life, as well as of all Christian undertakings that concern the morality and welfare of the people. The establishment of the association, in 1863, was due primarily to the alienation of both masses and whole classes from the Church, although in the majority of cases this was in no sense a denial of Christianity, still less of all religious faith. The chief reason for this estrangement was to be sought in the failure of the Church to adapt itself to modern culture; the efforts made in this direction in the early part of the nineteenth century were abandoned in the twenties, because it seemed as though the historic foundations of belief were being endangered, and a religious reaction set in which was afterward strengthened by political reaction. It was, however, held to be absolutely essential that the Church should be a friendly ally of modern civilization, on condition that this civilization should submit to the educational influence of the spirit of Christ. There must be unrestrained historical criticism of the sources of revelation; the Church must cease to be an organization of theologians and must concede all possible freedom to the work of laymen. On the other hand, those estranged from the Church must overcome their indifference and clearly recognize the real power of religion, of Christianity, and of the Church; they must understand that morality is based on Christianity.
To arouse the Church to the necessity for this reform was the task proposed by the Protestant Union. Various conflicts in the matter of church government and administration, as well as in reference to theological teaching, preceded the foundation of the Union and helped to explain its existence. In 1862 Daniel Schenkel (q.v.) issued a call to all liberal Christians to form a German Protestant party, and at the Durlach conference of Aug. 3, 1863, he urged still more earnestly the institution of a German Protestant congress to prepare the way for a general representation of all the German Churches, such as could not be offered by the Eisenach Conference (q.v.) or by the Church Congress. The Durlach conference unanimously accepted this proposition and invited a number of the most prominent men of the various German Churches to a meeting which was held Sept. 30, 1863, at Frankfort. Here the Protestant Union was founded. Any reputable person belonging to a Protestant church may become a member. It was originally provided that a congress should assemble each year, or as often as might be necessary; but since political events interfered several times, it was determined in 1883 that the general assemblies should be held biennially. Later, in 1901, it was decided that they should meet at least every three years. In 1904 the union had twenty branches with about 25,000 members, of whom 20,000 belonged to the Protestant Union of the Bavarian Palatinate. Headquarters are now in Berlin.
The activity of the Protestant Union has consisted principally in the stand taken in regard to certain ecclesiastical questions and in the reaffirmation and defense of the principles of the society; and
Protestant Episcopalians Protestantism