I have received my copy of Reasons for Loving the Episcopal Church, by the Rt. Rev. William Meade, D.D., Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Virginia, Pub'd by the PESPEK, (1858). The Table of Contents is as follows:
I. Brief History of the P. E. Church
II. Principle on Which the Reformation was Conducted
III. Worship of the Church
IV. Doctrine of the Church
V. Discipline of the Church
VI. The Church not Perfect
APPENDIX. Showing that the English and Continental Reformers were perfectly agreed as to the principle on which the Reformation was conducted.
The first chapter covers the history of the CofE from the New Testament era to the reign of EI, with brief mention of the CofE in America. I am skipping this chapter for now and have scanned the second. Right now I'm thinking I'll eventually scan the whole booklet (52pp) into a .pdf or some such and have a link on my blog so you can download it.
Because of the holiday, I'm going to have to postpone full editing of the current scan, however, here's the first paragraph, so you can get an idea of where Meade is going in the second chapter:
THE PRINCIPLE ON WHICH REFORMATION IN THE EPISCOPAL
CHURCH WAS CONDUCTED.
Having taken a rapid survey of those circumstances in the
history of our own and mother Church, which are well
calculated to endear it to the hearts of all her
ministers and members-being so many striking proofs of a
watchful providence over it-I now enter on an inquiry of
no little importance, especially at this time, viz., as
to the principle on which the English Reformation was
conducted. It is thought by some that she overvalued the
Fathers, and made the primitive Church too much her
model, and by others, that she retained too much of what
was held and used by the Romish Church. It is affirmed
that in this she differed from other Reformed churches,
who are said to have taken the Scriptures as their only
authority and guide, and to have discarded more entirely
all that was peculiar to the Romish Church. As to the
first charge-that of being so fond of the primitive
Church, as to have embraced some of its errors, it is
well to state that a very different one has been at
various times brought against her. The Romanists at the
Reformation, then the nonjuring bishops, with their
followers, who receded from the English Church, and
lastly the Tractarians of our day, have accused her of
showing great contempt for the primitive Church, by
discarding some universal opinions and practices thereof,
and thus violating Catholic unity. As to the second
charge, we shall show that it is entirely groundless, and
that the reformers of the English and Continental
Churches agreed perfectly in their estimate of the
Fathers and the primitive Church, and as to the adoption
of the Scriptures for their authority and guide; and that
in all which related to the faith, and the true worship
of God, the Church of England renounced all the errors
and superstitions of Rome as thoroughly as any other.
I. Brief History of the P. E. Church
II. Principle on Which the Reformation was Conducted
III. Worship of the Church
IV. Doctrine of the Church
V. Discipline of the Church
VI. The Church not Perfect
APPENDIX. Showing that the English and Continental Reformers were perfectly agreed as to the principle on which the Reformation was conducted.
The first chapter covers the history of the CofE from the New Testament era to the reign of EI, with brief mention of the CofE in America. I am skipping this chapter for now and have scanned the second. Right now I'm thinking I'll eventually scan the whole booklet (52pp) into a .pdf or some such and have a link on my blog so you can download it.
Because of the holiday, I'm going to have to postpone full editing of the current scan, however, here's the first paragraph, so you can get an idea of where Meade is going in the second chapter:
THE PRINCIPLE ON WHICH REFORMATION IN THE EPISCOPAL
CHURCH WAS CONDUCTED.
Having taken a rapid survey of those circumstances in the
history of our own and mother Church, which are well
calculated to endear it to the hearts of all her
ministers and members-being so many striking proofs of a
watchful providence over it-I now enter on an inquiry of
no little importance, especially at this time, viz., as
to the principle on which the English Reformation was
conducted. It is thought by some that she overvalued the
Fathers, and made the primitive Church too much her
model, and by others, that she retained too much of what
was held and used by the Romish Church. It is affirmed
that in this she differed from other Reformed churches,
who are said to have taken the Scriptures as their only
authority and guide, and to have discarded more entirely
all that was peculiar to the Romish Church. As to the
first charge-that of being so fond of the primitive
Church, as to have embraced some of its errors, it is
well to state that a very different one has been at
various times brought against her. The Romanists at the
Reformation, then the nonjuring bishops, with their
followers, who receded from the English Church, and
lastly the Tractarians of our day, have accused her of
showing great contempt for the primitive Church, by
discarding some universal opinions and practices thereof,
and thus violating Catholic unity. As to the second
charge, we shall show that it is entirely groundless, and
that the reformers of the English and Continental
Churches agreed perfectly in their estimate of the
Fathers and the primitive Church, and as to the adoption
of the Scriptures for their authority and guide; and that
in all which related to the faith, and the true worship
of God, the Church of England renounced all the errors
and superstitions of Rome as thoroughly as any other.
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