consecrations for foreign countries. In 1789, an ecclesiastical convention assembled again, and was attended by Bishop Seabury, with the northern clergy. The whole terms of churchunion were now permanently arranged, and the liturgy was rendered very much the same that it has continued ever since. The canons also were placed in their existing state: so that 1789 proved a most important year in the American church. In the following year a bishop was consecrated for Virginia, by the archbishop of Canterbury. This was Dr. Madison, the individual originally intended for that see having resigned when prevented from sailing for Europe. The number of bishops consecrated in England, canonically necessary for transmitting the episcopal function, being now complete, three more prelates were consecrated in America. In 1796 a fourth prelate was consecrated there, to fill the see of Connecticut, which had become vacant by the decease of Bishop Seabury. Thus, when the eighteenth century closed, the North American church was in a state of complete organization and progressive popularity. But it had not hitherto overcome, to any great extent, the mass of sectarian prejudice which the bulk of the settlers brought from Europe, and established as a kind of heir-looms in their families. The episcopal clergy were little more than two hundred, and these were dispersed, commonly far apart, over the eastern states.2 A wide foundation was, however, deeply laid, and upon this, in the present century, a noble structure has risen rapidly, the happiness of America, the glory both of her and Britain. § 30. It is far from satisfactory to know, that religious dissensions furnished a principal opening for effecting the flagitious partition of Poland. The protestants had once formed a numerous and important party in that country, the ground being prepared for their doctrine by a copious infusion of Hussite opinions before Luther arose. But as time advanced, they became a very divided body, many of them adhering to the Saxon confession, but more still embracing the Swiss. Their 2 Caswall's America and the American Church, p. 184, Lond. 1839. Since the first edition of this work was published, an interesting and valuable volume has appeared from the pen of the Rev. Samuel Wilberforce, now bishop of Oxford, entitled A History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America. The first volume also has been published of another able and useful work, The History of the Church of England in the Colonies and Foreign Dependencies of the British Empire, by the Rev. J. S. M. Anderson. Use has been made of both these works. A second volume of Mr. Anderson's work was published in 1848. credit was also, at one time, seriously compromised by the extensive diffusion of Sociniansm in Poland. Hence the Romanists had a very plausible colour for treating them not only as men without any fixed religious opinions, but also as afflicted with a fatal leaning towards unquestionable heresy. They could likewise bring their own compact society to bear with ruinous effect upon a body so disunited and discredited. Hence the Dissidents, as Polish protestants were termed, became defenceless amidst the mass of their hostile countrymen, who took advantage of this condition to despoil them of political rights. They did not, however, tamely submit, but being powerless at home, their suit was urgently pressed upon the neighbouring courts of Petersburg and Berlin. At both it was a very welcome visitor, but especially at the former. Russia desired few things more than power in Poland, and therefore allowed the Dissidents, though really nothing more than a religious party, far from numerous, in a neighbouring kingdom, to have a regular agent in her capital, with whom the imperial ministers were in constant communication. Vainly did the Romish majority controvert the representations thus laid before the Russian government. Catharine, who then occupied with uncommon ability the throne of the Tzars, insisted upon a full restoration of the Dissidents to all their constitutional privileges. Such was, however, the storm occasioned by their claims at home, that all parties within the country became willing to see a compromise, and a partial restoration of their privileges appeared likely to give Poland repose. The empress no sooner became acquainted with a prospect so little in unison with her interest, than she stimulated the Polish protestants to rest satisfied with nothing short of unqualified concession, promising to aid them, if necessary, by an army forty thousand strong. The Romish party, aware of the support which its opponents were encouraged to expect, granted certain privileges to the latter, in the diet of 1766. But the Dissidents indignantly rejected them, pronouncing their actual depression a more promising condition than half measures of relief. Thus Poland, which urgently required certain civil reforms to protect her independence, was driven from arrangements to effect 3 The Socinians were expelled by a decree of the diet in 1658. Krasinski, ii. 396. them, by the violence of religious dissension. This the courts of Petersburg and Berlin took effectual care to prolong by a treaty bearing a very liberal aspect, concluded in January, 1767, binding the two governments to see a restoration of the Dissidents to all their ancient rights and privileges. An overpowering Russian force extorted this concession from a committee ostensibly authorized by the diet that assembled in October, 1767, and another diet, holden in the following year, confirmed it. But this latter diet was a mere mockery of constitutional forms: it was incomplete in the number of its members, and overawed by Russian bayonets.* Hence the Dissidents recovered their privileges at the price of their country's independence, and the Romish majority was plausibly supplied with a new cause for hating them, in their intimate connexion with a dangerous neighbour. That majority found, accordingly, no difficulty in organizing confederacies in opposition to privileges granted under such discreditable auspices. Thus Poland was thrown into an intolerable state of anarchy and violence to the great satisfaction of the neighbouring powers. Those ambitious governments watched its miseries until the year 1772, and then affecting to believe them incapable of domestic cure, while they were seriously prejudicial to their own interests, Russia, Austria, and Prussia moved armies in secret concert upon the distracted country, and partitioned it among themselves. • Ibid. 530. BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF THE EARLIER YEARS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.* § 1. Re-establishment of religion in France.—§ 2. Renewed observance of Sunday. -§ 3. Opposition to the French Concordat. — § 4. Papal coronation of Napoleon. -§ 5. Overthrow of the Pope's temporal power.-§ 6. Restoration of the Jesuits. -§ 7. Papal arrangements with France on the restoration of the Bourbons.— § 8. Movements for the removal of Romish disabilities in England. — § 9. Opposition to this removal.-§ 10. Formation of the Catholic Association.-§ 11. Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts.-§ 12. Removal of Romish disabilities. -§ 13. Cautionary provisions.—§ 14. Continuance of Irish agitation.-§ 15. Suppression of ten Irish sees.- § 16. Alterations in the English dioceses.-§ 17. Commutation of English tithes.-18. Restraint upon English pluralities.—§ 19. Reduction of English chapters.—§ 20. Colonial episcopacy.-§ 21. New academical institutions.-§ 22. American episcopalians. -§ 23. Continental Romanism. -§ 24. Religious movements in England early in the century.—§ 25. The Oxford movement.-§ 26. The German Catholic Church.-§ 27. The Free Church of Scotland. § 28. Concessions to Irish Romanism.-§ 29. The Pope's flight from Rome.-§ 30. Conclusion. - § 1. HOWEVER desirous the French republicans might be that Rome should not have another Pope when Pius VI. expired, the great bulk of those who professed its religion felt very differently. Austria gave effect to their wishes. The emperor procured a meeting of the dispersed cardinals at Venice, then an appendage to his monarchy, and they elected, on the 14th of March, 1800, Barnabas Chiaromonti to fill the papal see. |