Page:EB1911 - Volume 22.djvu/489

Rh strong preacher and vigorous personality, was consecrated bishop of Virginia in 1814. Both Hobart and Moore became interested in theological education; and their efforts to train clergymen resulted in the establishment of the General Theological Seminary in New York in 1819, and the Theological Seminary in Virginia, opened in Alexandria in 1824. The Churchman’s Magazine was started. Another evidence of expansion was the consecration in 1819 of Philander Chase (1775–1852), who became pioneer bishop of the West, first in Ohio where he laid the foundations (1824) of the “Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Ohio,” afterward called Kenyon College, at Gambier, and then in Illinois where he organized a church and founded Jubilee College. The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society was started in 1821. This centralized the mission work, and became the great agency in the growth and extension of the Church. Bishop Jackson Kemper (1789–1870) in the North-west, and Bishop James Hervey Otey (1800–1863) in the South-west, did important pioneer work.

The period between 1835 and 1865 was characterized by further expansion of the episcopate and the formation of new dioceses. Bishop William Ingraham Kip (1811–1893) went to the miners of California in 1853. The dioceses of Oregon and Iowa were founded in 1854; and Bishop Henry- Benjamin Whipple (1822–1901) was sent to Minnesota in 1859. The Church found its way into Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska and Colorado. In 1835 there were 763 clergymen; in 1850 the number had increased to 1558; and even in 1865 there were 2450. The number of communicants also grew from 1835, when there were 36,000; to 1850, when there were 80,000; and to 1865, when there were 150,000. During this period some beautiful church buildings were erected, notably Trinity church and Grace church, New York. The services were richer; stained glass was used; stalls for the clergy and choir were introduced, and the lectern was substituted for the old-time reading-desk. Other educational institutions were founded: Nashotah, Wisconsin, in 1842; Bexley Hall at Gambier in 1839; Racine College, at Racine, Wisconsin; and Griswold College in Iowa. When the Civil War broke out in 1861 the Church in the South met and formed a separate organization called “The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States,” but the Church in the North did not recognize the secession; at the meeting of the general convention in New York in 1862, the roll of the Southern dioceses was called, and though absent, they were still considered a part of the Church in the United States. This brotherliness was an important factor in bringing about a complete union between the Northern and Southern Churches after the Civil War; so the Church in the Confederate States had but a temporary existence.

The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States is governed according to the constitutions and canons adopted in 1789, and from time to time amended by the General Convention, which meets every three years. The General Convention consists of the House of Bishops, having as members all the bishops of the Church, and a House of Deputies, composed of four presbyters and four laymen elected by each diocese in union with the Convention; also one clerical and one lay deputy from each missionary district within the boundaries of the United States, and one clerical and one lay deputy chosen by the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe. The voting is by both houses acting separately and concurring. In the House of Deputies the vote is taken by orders, the clerical and lay deputies voting separately; and they must concur for a resolution to pass. This representative body legislates for the whole Church. Each diocese also has its own constitution and canons, by which it regulates its internal affairs, having also an annual diocesan convention, in which the clergy and laity are represented. A bishop is elected by the diocese, subject to confirmation by a majority of the bishops and standing committees of the different dioceses. Missionary bishops are elected by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies if the General Convention is in session; if not in session, by a majority of the standing committees. The presiding bishop of the Church was the senior bishop in order of consecration, until 1910, when an amendment to the constitution was adopted providing for his election by the General Convention. A special feature of the government of the Church is the power given to the laymen. In the parishes they elect their own clergyman; and they have votes in the diocesan convention and in the General Convention, and are thus an integral part of the legislative machinery of the Church.

The worship of the Church is conducted in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer, set forth in 1789, but changed from time to time as need has arisen. The preface states that “this Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential part of doctrine, discipline or worship, or further than local circumstances require.” This principle guided the Church in the early days, and continues in force. However, changes have been made in the direction of omission and addition. The Athanasian Creed is omitted, as well as all reference to the king and royal family. The Commination Service has been dropped. In the Te Deum, in place of “Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb,” is substituted “Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a Virgin.” Many verbal