PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH (prOt'es-tant e-pteko-pal chfircb).
1. Relations andOrganization. Before the American Revolution the organization now desig nated by the above title was known as"The Church of England in the American Colonies." It is a very curious fact that the name which has come to be official was never formally adopted by the organization itself. The first use of the title was in 1779, in Maryland, where a law was passed by the colonial government recognizing the identity of "The Protestant Episcopal Church" with the Church of England. In 1789 a Constitution was adopted which provided that there should be a General Convention of "The Protestant Episcopal Church." The name by that time had become quite firmly fixed, although never formally adopted. It has never been regarded by all persons as a particularly appropriate title. It seems to sug gest the idea of a sect, growing up in mod ern times, whereas this Church is a branch of the historic church. It traces its origin through the Church of England back to the days of the Apostles.
In the Preface to the Prayer Book adopted in 179o, it is stated that "the Protestant Episcopal Church is indebted, under God, for her first foundation and long continuance of nursing care and protection to the Church of England," and that "this Church is far from intending to de part from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline or worship, or fur ther than local circumstances may require." Whatever, then, is the history of the Church of England in the preceding centuries is also a part of the history of this church, and whatever argu ments may be cited for the apostolicity of the Church of England may be cited for this church. No one knows when Christianity was introduced into England, but the church was early estab lished there, so early that three English bishops were at the Council of Arles in A. D. 314, and in A. D. 325 English bishops attended the Council of Nice.
This independent branch of the Catholic Church in England resisted the gradual encroachments of the later Roman mission under Augustine, but was finally brought into subjection to the Roman obedience. Many protests were made from time to time against the usurpation of power over the English Church by the Roman bishops, but they were ineffectual until the reign of Henry the Eighth. His quarrel with the Pope led to the
overthrow of the usurped dominion which the Roman See had exercised over the English peo ple and their church, and the overthrow of this power in England facilitated the Reformation. In 1534 the Convocation of Canterbury declared that "the Roman bishop hath no greater jurisdic tion given him by God in this kingdom than any other foreign bishops." Other like declara tions followed, and at length the Church of Eng land emerged from the subjection and the errors to which she had so long reluctantly yielded. No new church was established at the time of the Reformation in England. There was simply a return to what was historic, and so this Protes tant Episcopal Church traces its origin back through the Church of England and finds itself a branch of that church which began with the Apos tles. It is historically connected with the church which existed in the very first ages of Christian ity. It is impossible to understand the spirit of the Episcopal Church and its attitude unless this much of its history is considered, for it places a h;gh value upon its lineage. It regards its his toric continuity as one mark of its divine origin.
In addition to this the Episcopal Church, in its older form as the Church of England, can claim to have been the oldest religious organization in this country. Englishmen were the discoverers of the mainland of North America, and there is reason to believe that the Cabots had English chaplains on their first voyages, as the younger Cabot did on the later voyages, so that the earliest Christian services held on this continent were after the manner of the Church of England. When the later English explorers turned their attention to establishing colonies in this new world they declared their purpose "to carry God's Word into those very mighty and vast countries." It is true that they failed in making lasting settlements, but their struggle was not in vain, for they drove the Spaniards from our northern coast, and opened the way for the later permanent English settlements. The first buildings for religious serv ices in New England and in Virginia were those of the English Church.