EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PROTESTANT, is the title of that portion of the Chris tian church in the United States which, before the revolution, was a part of the church of England. Its history is naturally divided into two periods. I. During colonial times. The settlement of Jamestown was commenced in 1607. Its charter required that the true word and service of God should be preached, planted, and used according to the rules and doctrine of the church of England, not only in the colonies, but also, as far as possible, among the savages around them. Rev. R. Hunt labored in his voca tion with piety and zeal to the end of his life. After him, Rev. A. Whittaker acquired, by his devoted exertions, the title, "Apostle of Vireinia." Under his instrumentality Pocahontas was converted and baptized. As the 'first colonists in Virginia were all members of the church of England, provision was made for ministerial support by allowing 1500 lbs. of tobacco and 16 barrels of flour, per annum, to each minister, and by setting apart in each new borough a portion of laud for a glebe. Tithes were subse quently introduced. None but ministers who had received episcopal ordination could legally officiate in the colony. The officers and agents of the company, in their efforts to promote morality and religion, were exhorted "to employ their utmost care to advance all things appertaining to the order and administration of divine service accord ing to the form and discipline of the church of England, carefully avoiding all factious and needless novelties, which only tend to the disturbance of peace and unity." As an endowment for a college, 10,000 acres of land were given and a large amount of money was collected. Great zeal in behalf of the conversion and education of the Indians was felt, and a strong hope was cherished that the contemplated institution would be very useful to them. But, in 1622, they conspired against the English and murdered many of them. This embittered the minds of the survivors, and arrested all plans for their advancement in education and religion. During the next half .century, owing to political disturbances and other causes, religion greatly declined throughout the colony, so that in 50 parishes nearly all were destitute of glebe, parsonage, church, and minister. In 1685, Rev. James Blair came as missionary to Virginia, and having been appointed commissary to the bishop of London, exerted. during an administration of more than 50 years, a very great influence in restoring and enlarging the work of the Episcopal church. By his efforts the college of William and Mary was founded in 1692. The colony of Maryland, founded in 1633 by lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic, with 200 families and several priests, offered free admission "to every person professing to believe in Jesus Christ." At lord Baltimore's death, in 1676, there were 10 counties and 16,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom were Protestants. On the accession of William of Orange, " a Protestant revolution" took place, and a royal governor was sent into the colony. In 1692, the church of England was established by law, the province was divided into 30 parishes, and tithes for the support of the Episcopal min isters were imposed on every inhabitant, no matter what were his religious preferences and creed. Dr. Thomas Bray was appointed commissary of the bishop of London for the province of Maryland. By his efforts before leaving England, the societies "for promoting Christian knowledge," and "for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts," were established. After his arrival in Maryland he entered with zeal into his work, and was active in having a bill passed, in which it was provided, "that the Book of Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments, with the rites and ceremonies of the church according to the use of the church of England, the psalter, and psalms of David, therein contained, be solemnly read by all and every minister or reader in every church, or other place of public worship, within this province." Dr. Bray's actual residence in Maryland was soon interrupted, but his zeal in behalf of the church of England, as established therein, continued to the close of his life. At this date a majority of the inhabitants are reported as in communion with that branch of the church.—In the colonies of Carolina and Georgia Episcopal churches were planted and continued to flourish. New York was first colonized by the Dutch in 1615, and, in its religious opinions and forms, was Presbyterian. In 1664, it was seized by the English.
After this, precedence was given to the church of England, and a tax levied for its maintenance. Trinity church, New York city, was. founded in 1696; its first rector, Rev. W. Vesey, was also for half a century commissary of the bishop of London. This corporation is now celebrated for its great wealth. In New Jersey the early settlers were principally Quakers, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists; but all other Christians enjoyed entire religious liberty. Missionaries of the society for propagating the gospel worked earnestly and with good effect in the establishment of Episcopal churches. In Pennsylvania the first church of this order was Christ's church, Philadelphia, founded in 1695; and at various other points missionaries of the English society engaged in suc cessful work. The first colonies of New England, composed chiefly of English Puritans and Separatists, who came to America mainly to escape the restrictions and oppressions to which they had been subjected by church laws at home, sought to exclude episcopacy. Because of the severe measures adopted for this purpose, and from other causes, for 60 years after the landing of the pilgrims there were no Episcopal churches in New England. In 1679, Charles II., on the earnest representation of some of the inhabitants, had one built in Boston. From that time, through the efforts of the English missionary society, some progress was made. Missionaries were sent to various points, who were honest, faithful, and laborious in traveling and preaching the gospel. If the church Of England had appointed bishops for the colonies, the growth of the denomination therein would doubtless have been greater and more rapid. II. After the attainment of national independene,e. At the beginning of the revolution there were in the middle and eastern states about 80 Episcopal ministers, many of whom had received a large part of their support from the English society. After the war, aid from that source was, of course, withdrawn. Many of the ministers and people had adhered to the crown during the struggle, and at its close left the country. Soon after, the landed endowments of the church of England in Virginia were lost, and Episcopalians were thrown on their own resources. They were poor, and their prospects were not briglit. Two things were necessary—to secure union among the churches of the several states, and to obtain bishops. The first was accomplished by the formation of the general convention, which has ever since been accepted as the governing body of the Episcopal church in the United States. The first American consecrated to the episcopal office was bishop Seabury, who, about 1785, obtained consecration from Scottish bishops. In 1789, William White and Samuel Provoost were consecrated, by the archbishop of Canterbury and other English bishops, as bishops of Pennsylvania and New York; and, in 1790, James Madison was consecrated, also by English bishops, as bishop of Virginia. In arranging the order of common prayer the English prayer-book was retained, with such alterations as the political changes had made necessary, and with some other modifica tions. It came into immediate use, and has since been maintained without material alteration. The Episcopal church having thus early organized itself, in accordance with the new life of the country, soon began to increase. It is now strong in large cities and flourishing towns; has many adherents among persons of wealth and culture; and, aided by its complete and zealous organization of the church as a missionary society, not only continues to increase in the older states, but also extends its churches and dioceses over all parts of the land. It is steadily subdividing its dioceses, and is con sidering the expediency of arranging them all, according to geographical position, into four provinces, to he united under a council that shall meet once in a fixed term of years. The doctrine of the American Episcopal church is that of the church of England, "which while it receives the Holy Scriptures as the ultimate rule of faith, does not throw them open to the varying interpretations of every man's private judgment, but explains them by the creeds, by definitions of Christian doctrine made by the general councils, and by the aid of traditions which it believes to have come down through an unbroken line of teachers from the apostles themselves." The growth of this church during the present century is shown in the following table: