The fraternal feeling between the English Church and the Protestant churches of the Con tinent, begun during the reign of Edward VI, continued through the reign of Elizabeth, James 1, Charles I, and the Commonwealth. Clergymen from other Protestant churches were received into the Church of England without reordina tion. It was not until 1662, under Charles II, that Episcopal ordination was made an essential for pastorship in the English Church. Under this monarch further changes were made in the prayer book—all of them of sacerdotal character.
(3) Two Contradictory Systems. Thus it has come to pass that there are two distinct and contradictory religious systems in the Church of England, and these have been inherited by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. The Articles of Religion are Protestant—the prayer book has Romanizing elements.
An attempt was made in 1689, under William III, to remove the sacerdotal features of the prayer book, and thus reconcile it with itself and with the articles. Political considerations defeated the attempt. The right of William to the throne was not universally conceded. Many of the clergy re fused to swear allegiance to him; any change in the service book was felt to be inopportune then ; and so the occasion passed.
3. The Protestant Episcopal Church. After the American Revolution, the American Episco palians organized, taking the name of The Protes tant Episcopal Church of the United States. The name indicates the doctrinal views of the Church at that time.
(1) Prayer Book of 1785. A revised prayer book—that of 1785—was set forth, and while that book was in use Bishops White and Provoost were Lambeth in 1787 by the Arch bishop of Canterbury.
(2) Prayer Book of 1789. The prayer book of 1785 was displaced in 1789 by the influence of Bishop Seabury, whose aggressive spirit overbore the gentle White. Bishop Seabury had been re fused consecration by the English bishops, and was privately consecrated by the Scotch non juror bishops in 1784, and, as appeared many years after, he had pledged himself to introduce the Scotch prayer hook into America. He kept his promise. It thus befell that the present prayer book of the Protestant Episcopal Church is some what more sacerdotal than the English.
(3) Fraternal Feeling. The great majority of Episcopalians, clergy and laity, in the early days of the republic were evangelical. Fraternal rec ognition of other Protestant churches by inter change of pulpits and otherwise, was common, and the sacerdotal and sacramental expressions in the prayer-book, though distasteful, were ignored or explained away. The constant teaching of the book, however, had its effect, and prepared the way for the changes which ultimately submerged the evangelical influence in the church.
(4) Denial of Orders. Before and after the American Revolution much annoy ance was caused by the introduction into pastor ates of persons from England, who pretended to be clergymen. To remedy this evil, wardens and vestrymen were forbidden to allow any person to officiate as a clergyman unless he had Episco pal ordination. This inhibition grew in time to be a denial of the validity of all orders except Episcopal.
(5) Division of Missionary Work. Next, the division of missionary work was disastrous to the Protestant party in the church. The for eign missionary field was assigned to low church men ; the home field to high churchmen. The money and men of the low church party were thus sent to foreign lands, where they could not af fect the councils of the church. The new dioceses in the western states were manned by high-church clergymen. The vote of a small diocese was as powerful in General Convention as that of a large diocese, and thus it came to pass that while a ma jority of the Episcopalians of the country were evangelical, the law-making power was sacer dotal.
(6) Prosecutions of Evangelical Clergymen. Then came prosecutions of evangelical clergymen. Canons were enacted and enforced which forbade exchange of pulpits with non-episcopal clergy men. The teachings of the prayer book concern ing baptismal regeneration were pushed to the front. Clergymen omitting phrases which they be lieved unscriptural were expelled. Many volun tarily withdrew. Young men of evangelical senti ments who were preparing for the ministry betook themselves to other churches or entered secular life. An effort was made by five bishops to se cure a modification of the baptismal office. It met with defeat.