AN EPISCOPALIAN MISTAKE.
SOMETIME ago a correspondent sent the ICONOCLAST a
newspaper report of the "jubilee sermon" of a Rev. Mr.
Reed, rector of a Protestant Episcopal church, and
inquired if the statements contained therein were true. The
clipping has been mislaid, and I do not now remember
where Rector Reed is located; but I do know that his
statements, so far as I have investigated them, are arrant
falsehoods. He affirms that the American Republic is
the handiwork of Episcopalian patriots; that more than
two-thirds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
and an equal proportion of our generals, statesmen
and presidents have been members of that denomination.
As the sources of information regarding the religious views
of most prominent Americans are shamefully meagre, I
was inclined to regard Rector Reed's sermon as a
historical document of inestimable value. Being prone,
however, to act upon the advice of St. Paul and "prove all
things," I began a cursory investigation. Rector Reed
neglected to give the source of his information, and to
save me I could find but seven presidents, including
Washington, who were Episcopalians, and now Col. Patrick
Ford, of the
Irish World calls my attention to Jared
Spark's statement that the Father of his country
"withdrew himself from the communion service." Jefferson,
whom Rector Reed claims as an Episcopalian, was, as
every school-boy knows, an avowed free-thinker. The
Adamses were Unitarians, Garfield was a Campbellite,
Jackson, Buchanan, Cleveland and Ben Harrison were
Presbyterians, Lincoln was non-sectrian, Grant and
Hayes were Methodists, as is McKinley, while the religion
of several others is unknown. Rector Reed's other statements
stand examination as poorly as that relating to the
presidents. It is pretty safe to judge a church by its
clergy, and the clergy of the Anglo-American or Episcopal
church were tory almost to a man. As I have made
this statement before, and it has been flatly denied in the
Chicago press by an Episcopalian bishop, it may be well
to quote a few paragraphs from an article by Rev. Chas.
Inglis, entitled "State of the Anglo-American Church
in 1776." Inglish was at the time Rector of Trinity
Church, New York, and afterwards bishop of Nova Scotia.
His article may be found in Vol. 3, O'Callaghan's "Documentary
History of the State of New York." Inglis
says under date of October 31st, 1776:
Reverend Sir: The confusions which have prevailed in
North America for some time past must have necessarily
interrupted the correspondence of the missionaries with
the society. A short authentic account of them, and
of the Church of England in general, in this and the
adjacent colonies, may be acceptable to the society at
this most critical period. The success of his majesty's
arms in reducing the city, and driving out the rebels, the
15th of last month, affords me an opportunity of doing
this, as packets are now again established between this
port and England. I have the pleasure to assure you
that all the society's missionaries, without excepting one,
in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and, so far as I
can learn, in the other New England colonies, have proved
themselves faithful, loyal subjects in these trying times;
and have to the uttermost of their power opposed the
spirit of disaffection and rebellion which has involved this
continent in the greatest calamities. I must add that
all the other clergy of our church in the above colonies,
though not in the society's service, have observed the same
line of conduct; and although their joint endeavors could
not wholly prevent the rebellion, yet they checked it
considerably for some time, and prevented many thousands
from plunging into it who otherwise would certainly have
done so. . . . The present rebellion is certainly one
of the most causeless, unprovoked and unnatural that
ever disgraced any country; a rebellion marked with
peculiarly aggravated circumstances of guilt and
ingratitude. . . . About the middle of April, Mr.
Washington—commander-in-chief of the rebel forces, came to
town with a large reinforcement. Animated by his presences,
and I suppose, encouraged by him, the rebel committees
very much harassed the loyal inhabitants here
on Long Island. Soon after Washington's arrival he
attended our church; but on the Sunday morning, before
divine services began, one of the rebel generals called at the
rector's house (supposing the latter was in town) and,
not finding him, left word that he came to inform the
rector that "General Washington would be at church, and
would be glad if the violent prayers for the king and royal
family were omitted." This message was brought to me,
and, as you may suppose, I paid no regard to it. Things
being thus situated, I shut up the churches. Even this
was attended with great hazard; for it was declaring, in
the strongest manner, our disapprobation of independency,
and that under the eye of Washington and his army. I
have not a doubt but, with the blessing of Providence,
his majesty's arms will be successful and finally crush this
unnatural rebellion."
The ICONOCLAST is indebted to Col. Patrick Ford for
a transcript of Rev. Inglis' ebulition. It fully substantiates
the statement made by this journal some time ago
that the Episcopal churches were, during the revolution,
"nests of tories and traitors."