Itikthlltilt "BX 5926 .V34 1841 Vail, Thomas H. 1812-1889. The comprehensive church, or, Christian unity and .^y/t:^ {'..J/.~jJ^"'y^ . \ Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2009 witli funding from Princeton Tlieological Seminary Library littp://www.archive.org/details/Gompreliensivecliu1841vail ^/^^r;^^^. THE COMPREHENSIVE CHURCH. "O GOD, THE CREATOR AND fPRESERVEK OF ALL MANKIND, MORE ESPECIALLY WE PRAY FOR THY HOLY CHURCH UNIVERSAL ; THAT IT MAY BE SO GUIDED AND GOVERNED BY THY GOOD SPIRIT, THAT ALL, WHO PROFESS AND CALL THEMSELVES CHRIS- TIANS, MAY BE LED INTO THE WAY OF TRUTH, AND HOLD THE FAITH IN UNITY OF SPIRIT, IN THE BOND OF PEACE, AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS OF LIFE. AND THIS WE BEG FOR JESUS CHRIST'S SAKE. AMEN." Book of Common Prayer ; Daily Morning and Evening Collect. COMPREHENSIVE CHURCH: CHRISTIAN UNITY ECCLESIASTICAL UNION. BY THE REV. THOMAS H.' VAIL, A. M. " There is one Body." Ephesians iv: 4. " Sola i^tur cathoUca eccleaia est, qua verum cultum reiinet. Hie est fona veritatis, hoc domicllium fidei, boctemplum Dei. . . . Neuiinem sibi oportet peninaci coiicertL^tiooe hlandiri; asiiur enim de viia et saluie. . . . Se 1 tamen, singuli quiqus ccslusse polis- •imumCbristianos, etsuam esse catliolicara ecclesiam putant." Lactautius. lost. Div. L. ir. ad fin. HARTFORD. PUBLISHED BY H. HUNTINGTON JR. 1841. Entered according to Act of Congress in tlie year 1841, by THOMAS H. VAIL, in tile Clerk's Office of the District Court of tlie District of Connecticut. PREFA'^ Much has been said and published, of late years, on the subject of Christian Union — not enough to accomplish it, but enough to shew that the minds of Christians are open to the inconveniences and dangers of sectarian divisions, and that their hearts are longing for some closer and happier communion than is allowed by the present divided state of the Christian Church. The many proofs presented daily, that Christians desire to be united, are en- couraging to our hopes, while, at the same time, there is discouragement in the fact, that the public mind seems to have settled down despondingly under the impression, that no feasible plan can be proposed for the accomplishment of its desire. The writer thinks, that a capital mistake has been committed in the course of enquiry which has been generally pursued on this subject. He thinks, that instead of endeavoring to strike out an entirely new system of ecclesiastical unity, the proper and only feasible course is to select, for the purpose of uniting within it, some system already established, and which realizes most nearly the idea of a Compre- PREFACE. hensive Church, and if it be not in every respect perfect, to improve it, if it will allow improvement, into perfection. It may be, there is such a system amongst us — a system, whose structure is capable of any modification, and in whose organization are instrumentalities by which it may be shaped into any form which the majority of the Christians in our country may desire. We believe there is such a svstem amongst us. The writer, as will be yjerceived, is a Protestant Episcopalian, and the prayer of his heart is: "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Yet he believes, that, in our day, there is a very manifest and sad departure from scriptu- ral unity, and that it is the duty of those who " love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," to return, if pos- sible, to a consistency with the scriptural precepts. We all realize the dissensions of Christ's Church, and suffer from them. If we can, let us remedy them. After an examination of the ecclesiastical sys- tems of various denominations, and a careful inves- tigation of the theory of his own Church, with a particular refei-ence to the practicability of Christian and ecclesiastical unity, the writer ventures to sug- gest the remedy alluded to. He does so with a confidence in the sympathies of his Christian breth- ren ; for they will approve his design. There ought to be more confidence between the members of the Lord's family, more of mutual and unreserved PREFACE. IX enquiry on the mode of effecting unity. The large deUberative bodies, which represent the intellectual and moral strength of the different denominations, ought to confer, and to correspond with each other on this subject, which respects certainly one of the most important present duties of the Church. The writer would be glad to see the highest Conven- tions of his own Church exhibiting first this exam- ple of Christian confidence, and even addressing memorials on the subject to the members and the representative assemblies of other denominations. It has been the lot of the writer to mingle much with intelligent Christians of different and opposing names, and from his intercourse with them, as well as with the members of his own Church, he believes there is a prevailing misconception of the principles of unity, and that, if the principle herein advanced shall be generally understood, there will be a great progress towards a United Church, The common conception is too contracted. If he is not very much mistaken, the principles herein exhibited are familiar to comparatively few, and will to most minds suggest a train of reflections altogether unu- sual. It had been well, if the writer could have backed his reasonings by the influence of some personal authority or reputation. But, if he lacks that ad- vantage, his reasonings will have a fairer opportu- nity to test their force. He comes as a Christian man to communicate to his brethren something for PREFACE. their mutual benefit, something which, he hopes, they will cordially and frankly receive. He com- mends this outline of thought to the patient and ma- tured examination of the Christian public, and he will be glad, if some abler hand shall fill it up more elaborately, lie can say, with good Bishop Burnet, in the preface to his " Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles," although he applies to himself with diffi- dence the language of so distinguished a man : " I had no other design in this work, but first to find out the truth myself, and then to help others to find it out. If I succeed to any degree in this design, I will bless God for it ; and if I fail in it, 1 will bear it with the humility and patience that becomes me. But as soon as I sec a better work of this kind, I shall be among the first of those who shall recom- mend that, and disparage this." A few words arc due to his Episcopalian brethren particularly. Ever since he lias been in the dis- charge of his calling, both as a missionary and as a parochial minister, he has felt ahnost daily the need of some such book as this. He has been sometimes greatly surprised at the extreme misapprehensions prevalent in the community with regard to the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, when the means of better knowledge have so long been spread before the public. His familiarity with these misapprehensions has blunted the sense of surprize, while it has nourished a sense of continual regret and sadness. He has hoped to find his want P R K K A C K . Xl supplied, and has finally undertaken the task for himself, since the need is great, and it is hard to wait patiently for an uncertainty. There is, besides the members of the community at large, a class, and a numerous one — that of the- ological students, or candidates for orders — who might, as the writer's former observation and per- sonal experience has demonstrated, be much bene- fitted by some such work as this. It is required, indeed, by a general canon, that "the last examina- tion" of every candidate, prior to his ordination as deacon, must be " on Church history, ecclesiastical polity, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Con- stitution and Canons of the Church, and of the dio- cese for which he is to be ordained." Now, on Church history, ecclesiastical polity, and the Book of Common Prayer, especially the two former, the student may be very well informed, and his examin- ation satisfactory. But on the Constitution and Canons of the Church, his information is ordinarily slight, and his examination (if attended to) unsatis- factory, for this good reason, that he cannot study them except at disadvantage, because they are no where so arranged that he can associate them with the system of principles which they illustrate. Hence it is true, that most of our candidates for orders, even at their first ordinations, although they may be excellent scholars in the Scriptural, and what we may call the historical doctrines of their Church, do not have clear and accurate and defen- Xll PREFACE, sible views of their Church, as it is — as a practical and working system in the present day and in our own country. A treatise, like this volume, and es- pecially its sixth chapter, might be a useful manual to the class of students referred to, and a convenient aid to those who have the charge of their education in the department of ecclesiastical studies. Many excellent books have been written on many points in the system of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and illustrative of its peculiar doctrines and customs, with very great profit. But, after all, there is no work, which, in a plain, didactic style, devel- opes the system of the Protestant Episcopal Church as it is, which shows out the whole Church as an existing and operating system. There is no work which illustrates distinctly the comprehensiveness of the Protestant Episcopal Church, with regard to its adaptation to the purposes of Christian and Ecclesiastical Unity. These blanks the writer has endeavored to fill ; or rather, he has endeavored to exemplify, by short precedents, how these blanks may be filled. It is his impression, that a book, upon a plan similar to this, and better executed, might be useful in all our parishes, and might be very gene- rally circulated with much advantage, not only to the Protestant Episcopal Church, but also to the great object of Christian and Ecclesiastical Unity, which all true disciples of our Lord have so much at heart. It is necessary to take this practical view of our PREFACE. Xm subject, because, after all, it is the most important. In the history and institutions of a Church, whose track has marked the course of nearly two thousand years, there must be much to deeply interest the student ; and such an one, in proportion as he en- larges his acquisitions, will learn more and more of the minute causes of those institutions, and their connexion with the history of man, and the gradual development of the philosophy of the human mind. But the man of every-day life has often not the time nor the taste for such investigations. Besides, all his habits are practical, and concerned with his common and pressing interests ; and the question from him is : What is the system ? He cares not for its history nor for its remote causes. He wants to know only this — that the system is now practi- cal, that it will work well for him, that it does now suit his wishes and wants. Bishop Brownell, in the course of a recent address delivered by him to the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Connecticut, (holden in June, 1840,) has well ex- pressed this prevailing sentiment, when he says, (and the emphasis is his own) : " We love the Church as it is," — we love it as a practical system, working in and for our own day, working by and for ourselves. It is this view, practical and the most important to us, which we would present to our readers. The writer anticipates the possibility, that in some things he may not please all his brethren ; he PREFACE may not express precisely the sentiments of all. Some are for keeping their Church aloof and disu- nited from all others, and will have it, that there are in it no points of natural contact with other denom- inations. Some, of an opposite habit of mind, are for assimilating their Church as far as possible with one or another particular denomination which com- mands their sympathies. While others still have selected some particular denomination against which it is their hobby to oppose their Church. Now all these are more or less sectarian in their spirit. Certainly, they have no just perceptions of the comprehensiveness of their Church. We com- mend to them all our subject. Of one thing the writer is assured — he has assert- ed no facts which he does not prove ; he has ad- vanced no principle, which is not simple, and well- nigh demonstrable. Finally, he accommodates, with humility, to 'this place, the closing words of the preface of the Book of Common Prayer, which he prefers to the reader as expressive of his own hopes : " And now this work being brought to a conclusion, it is hoped the whole will be received and examined by every true member of our Church, and every sincere Chris- tian, with a meek, candid, and charitable frame of mind ; without prejudice or prepossession ; seri- ously considering what Christianity is, and what the truths of the Gospel are ; and earnestly beseech- ing Almighty God to accompany with his blessing PREFACE. XV every endeavor for promulgating them to mankind in the clearest, plainest, most affecting and majestic manner, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour." Note. The only errata affecting the sense, wliich have been noticed, are on pages 30, 3*2, and 33, where, in several places, the reader is requested, instead of Van Dijek, to read Van Dyck, and on page 60, in the sixteenth line from the top, instead of paternal, to read fraternal. "ALMIGHTY AND EVEK-LIVIN'G GOD, WE BE- SEECH THEE TO INSPIRE CONTINUALLY THE UNI- VERSAL CHURCH WITH THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, UNITY, AND CONCORD : AND GRANT THAT ALL THOSE, WHO DO CONFESS THY HOLY' NiME, MAY AGREE IN THE TRUTH OF THY' HOLY WORD, AND LIVE IN UNITY AND GODLY LOVE. GRANT THIS, O FATHER, FOR JESUS CHRIST'S SAKE OUR ONLY MEDIATOR AND ADVOCATE. AMEN." Book of Common Prayer. Prayer in the Order for the Holy Com- munion. TJ "^ V -r» /-« .., , ,^ ^TT r» HSOLOGICiL J CONTENTS CHAPTER I. No Christian Union without Ecclesiastical Unity— a Qomprehensiye Church apparently impracticable — desired by all — one to be proposed in this volume — principles of unity in the Apostolical and Primitive Church — Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches all consolidated— not comprehen- sive — ousht to return to primitive principles — a bad tiabit of the public mind — tlie true idea of a Church. 25 CHAPTER II. The Church described in the New Testament as one — proved by Ephesians iv. 4 — notice of Van Uyck's " Christian Union." 30 CHAPTER III. Definition of Sectarism — what it is not — what it is — essentially hostile — not realized. 34 CHAPTER IV. No necessity for divisions in our day — apology for the Continental Reform- ers — reply to several alleged advantages of divisions and objections to unity — the Word of God decisive. 37 CHAPTER V. Evils of Sectarism — it disobeys a divine command — involves the conse- quences charged upon unity — produces a false idea of the Church — extends and perpetuates error — wastes the energies of the Church — prevents the con- version of the world— is the most efficient obstacle to Christian Union. 40 XVlll CONTENTS . CHAPTER VI. There must be a Comprehensive Church — its fundamental principles — deterinined by the nature and objects oftlie Church — universality and uni- ty — liberty and law — comproniise and conformity — contrast between the Comprehensive Church and sectarism. 47 CHAPTER VII. Notice of certain denominational peculiarities — a Comprehensive Church for our age and country practicable- digression — importance of considering the subject — a state of division a state of sin — indilference the cause of its continuance — Christians should be in earnest to do their duty — return from digression — no existing Christian denominations should be excluded from the Compreiieusive Church, neitlier Dissenters nor Protestant Episcopa- lians—a question for pious Dissenters. 51 CHAPTER VIII. Is there now in the United States a Comprehensive Church, combining into one harmonious system the " distinctive peculiarities" of all the denom- inations? — Is it any Church of Dissenters'? — Is it the Protestant Episcopal Church ? — a plan of unity proposed — the writer's apology for his proposition — the existing system of the Protestant Episcopal Church, proposed as a basis of Christian and Ecclesiastical Unity — may appear strange — a candid judg- ment solicited. 57 CHAPTER IX. EXAMINATION OP THE PKOTESTaNT EPISCOPAL CHURCH AS IT IS. The Protestant Episcopal Church proposed as the Comprehensive Church — proposition explicit — to be sustained by facts — Christian and ecclesiastical unity a solemn subject — the truth sought — all love the truth — the partizan in religion the enemy of God and man — the reader invited to look at the outlines of the system of the Protestant Episcopal (.'hurch as a system for Christian and ecclesiastical unity — examination to be distributed through twenty-one Sections. Oi Section I. — Definition of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. It is not the Church of Rome — it is not the Church of En {land— it is a Christian and Protestant American Church — at Unity with the ancient and universal Church of Christ. C5 Section IF. — Members. Clergy and laily — always connected in ecclesias- tical legislation and in divine worship — Bishops commonly distinguished from the other clergy by their title of oliice — all Christians may be members of the Protestant Episcopal Church. " 79 Section III. — Territorial Divisions. The Protestant Episcopal Church co-extensive with the United States — all one Church — its unity represented in the General Convention — Diockses the sub-divisions of the whole Church— represented in Diocesan Conventions— combination, forraatiou, CONTENTS. XIX (dze, and Episcopal charge, of Dioceses — independence of Dioceses — present number and names of Dioceses and tlieirBishops — Parishes the sub-divi- iions of Dioceses — independence and rights of Parisiies — parochial officers — the territorial divisions of the Protestant Episcopal Church convenient for unity. 80 Section IV. — Laws. All written — made by the whole Church — laws of the General Convention — laws of the Dioceses — the election of wardens and vestry, and tlie use of the clerical dress coiuuion customs — liberty in every thing not defined by law — clear laws advantageous for unity. 87 Section V. — Government. Democratical — representative — parish meet- ings — the original sources of govermnenl — their various powers — how com posed — elect wardens and vestry — powers and duties of these officers — an instituted rector is chairman — elect lay delegates to the Diocesan Conven- tions. Diocesan Conventions — their duties and powers — meet annually — composed of clergy and laity — mode of conducting business — the Bishop the Chairman— elect standing committees — duties of these committees — elect clerical and lay deputies to the General Convention — Genekal Conven- tion — its duties and powers to provide general legislation and promote unity — composeii of bishops, clergy and laity — meets triennially — is in two houses, each has a veto on the other, each equal — House of Bishops — how composed — senior Bishop presides — mode of conducting business — House of Clerical and Lay Deputies — how composed — mode of conducting business — the vote by a division of orders — by this the clergy and laity have a veto upon each other — the next General Convention — comments — analogy be- tween the ecclesiastical institutions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States and the civil institutions of the United States — govern- ment of the Protestant Episcopal Church very comprehensive — primitive — combining the three elements, the Episcopal, the Presbyterlal, the Congrega- tional — a just system — broad enough to unite all Christians. 89 Section YL— Ordination and duties of Ministers. Three orders or de- grees of ministers — Deacons tlie lowest- Presbyters next — Bishops the high- est — rules concerning ordination — Candidates for orders — testimonials of Standing Committee — preparatory steps of a Deacon — of a Presbyter — of a Bishop — all promise conformity to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church— duties of ministers — explained in the ordinal — as commonly understood — scope and variety of clerical influence — tlie judgment of all denominations hero approved. i09 Section VII. — Rin-hts of the Bishops and Clergy. Each order has a separate right in legislation— a right to fulfil its duty without restraint — ordi- nary rights— those of the clergy well understood — those of the Bishops misun derstood— proper to explain— their riuhts all defined by the laws of the Church — no arbitrary official power of Bishops — they cannot be oppressive — for several reasons — from the organization of the Church — they are subjects of discipline^under public opinion — depend on the clergy and laity — are elected by the Diocesan Conventions — subject to their control — tiie Bishops are good and trust worthy men — electeti for this reason — we appeal to their character — are thankful for tliem — the system of the Protestant Episcopal Church a medium between extremes— invites to unity. 115 Section VIII — Jidmission to the Sacraments. Principles of Church membership important — two sacraments — admission to Baptism — requisites — Belief in the Scriptures — and earnest self consecration to the service of Christ — no requisites beyond the spiritual character of a Christian — adinis- eion to the Lord's Supper — through Confirmation which is the resumption of the Baptismal obligation — Sacraments open to all true disciples of Christ — free as the Saviour's blood— the Church has no right to restrict them from any who love their Lord — the clergy bound to administer them — liable to punish- ment if arbitrary — no substitution of human traditions in place of the Divine commandments — the sacraments of the Protestant Episcopal Church open to all Christians in our land. 131 XX CONTENTS. Section IX. — Creeds. Enumeration of the creeds of tlie Protestant Episcopal Church — in what respects llie creeds are obligatory upon the members of the Church — the laity — the clergy — the Apostles' creed only to be believed and confessed, ex animo— the creeds may be changed by the ma- jority of tbe whole Church in the General Convention — the benefit of the creeds — why the Church requires any creed — no other more minute and explicit than the Apostles' creed, ought to be required for admission to the sacraments — the system of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in regard to creeds, favorable to the discovery and the security of Christian trulh — the Protestant Episcopal Church fitted for the union of all Christians who love their Lord supremely, and each other aftectioiiately and forbearingly. 127 Section X. — Doctrine. The doctrine of the Protestant Episcopal Churcli scriptural and practical — enumeration of some prominent doctrines — refer- ence to standards — the position of the Protestant Episcopal Churcli in rela- tion to doctrines coimec.ted with the philosophy of religion — the thirty-nine articles — especially the seventeenth article — controversies concerning them — formerly — now ceased — benefit of the controversy — history of the articles — their sense in the English Church — to be literally and liberally interpreted — quotations from Bishop Burnet and Bishop White — both Calvinists and Arminians always in the English Church — subscriptions of the clergy — history of the articles of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States — established in 1801 — are articles of peace — both Calvinists and Armi- nians in the Protestant Episcopal Church — members of this Church free to be either, and to discuss tlieir opini