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A History of American Christianity A History of American Christianity Author(s): Bacon, Leonard Woolsey (1830-1907) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: Bacon introduced his History of American Christianity at the very end of the 19th century. The book appeared just after the violence and controversy of the American Civil War, and just as that of racial segregation and the World Wars began to brew. In spite of this, Bacon's History highlights the glories and triumphs of Christianity's development in the United States. In particular, he focuses on how all kinds of Christians from many different countries have met and come together in America. He looks forward to a future in which these Christians can live united in faith.While some critique Bacon's History for its perhaps excessive patriotism, others appreciate Bacon's ecumenical vision. In any case, the book stands in a rather unique place in American history. By virtue of this, it tells the story of American Christianity in a way particularly refreshing for an American era characterized by the political polarization of the church. Kathleen O'Bannon CCEL Staff Subjects: Christianity History By Region or Country i Contents Title Page 1 Contents 4 A History of American Christianity. 12 Chapter I. Providential Preparations for the Discovery of America—Spiritual 13 Revival throughout Christendom, and Especially in the Church of Spain. Chapter II. Spanish Conquest—The Propagation, Decay, and Downfall of Spanish 16 Christianity. Chapter III. The Project of French Empire and Evngelization—Its Wide and Rapid 22 Success—Its Sudden Extinction. Chapter IV. Antecedents of Permanent Christian Colonization—The 31 Disintegration of Christendom—Controversies—Persecutions. Chapter V. The Puritan Beginnings of the Church in Virginia—Its Decline almost 36 to Extinction. Chapter VI. The Neighor Colonies to Virginia-Maryland and the Carolinas. 46 Chapter VII. The Dutch Calvinist Colony On The Hudson And The Swedish 55 Lutheran Colony On The Delaware—They Both Fall Under The Shadow Of Great Britain. Chapter VIII. The Planting Of The Church In New England—Pilgrim And Puritan. 64 Chapter IX. The Middle Colonies: The Jerseys, Delaware, And Pennsylvania—The 80 Quaker Colonization—Georgia. Chapter X. The American Church On The Eve Of The Great Awakening—A 91 General View. Chapter XI. The Great Awakening. 108 Chapter XII. Close Of The Colonial Era—The German Churches—The Beginnings 124 Of The Methodist Church. Chapter XIII. Reconstruction. 140 Chapter XIV. The Second Awakening. 153 Chapter XV. Organized Beneficence. 163 ii Chapter XVI. Conflicts of the Church with Public Wrongs. 172 Chapter XVII. A Decade of Conroversies and Schisms. 191 Chapter XVIII. The Great Immigration. 205 Chapter XIX. The Civil War—Antecedents and Consequences. 220 Chapter XX. After the War. 227 Chapter XXI. The Church in Theology and Literature. 241 Chapter XXII. Tendencies Toward a Manifestation of the Unity of the American 255 Church. Index 269 Indexes 287 Index of Scripture References 288 Latin Words and Phrases 289 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 290 iii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bacon_lw/history.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3582. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iv Title Page Title Page The American Church History Series. ii CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF DENOMINATIONAL HISTORIES PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CHURCH HISTORY General Editors Rev. Philip Schaff, D.D. Bishop John F. Hurst, LL.D. D.D., LL. D Rt. Rev. H. C. Potter, Rev. E. J. Wolf, D.D. D.D., LL. D. Rev. Geo. P. Fisher, Henry C. Vedder, M.A. D.D., LL. D. Rev. Samuel M. Jackson, D.D. LL. D. 1 Title Page Volume XIII American Church History iii A HISTORY OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY BY LEONARD WOOLSEY BACON New York The Christian Literature Co. MDCCCXCVII iv Copyright, 1897, by 2 Title Page The Christian Literature Co. v 3 Contents Contents CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. I.—Providential Preparations for the Discovery of America 1–5 Purpose of the long concealment of America, 1. A medieval church to America, 2. Revival of the Catholic Church, 3. especially in Spain, 4, 5. CHAP. II.—Spanish Christianity in America 6–15 Vastness and swiftness of the Spanish conquests, 6. Conver- sion by the sword, 7. Rapid success and sudden downfall of missions in Florida, 9. The like story in New Mexico, 12, and in California, 14. CHAP. III.—French Christianity in America. 16–29 Magnificence of the French scheme of western empire, 16. Superior dignity of the French missions, 19. Swift expansion of them, 20. Collision with the English colonies, and triumph of France, 21. Sudden and complete failure of the French church, 23. Causes of failure: (1) Dependence on royal patronage, 24. (2) Implication in Indian feuds, 25. (3) Instability of Jesuit efforts, 26. (4) Scantiness of French popula- tion, 27. Political aspect of French missions, 28. Re- cent French Catholic immigration, 29. CHAP. IV.—Antecedents of Permanent Christian Colonization. 30–37 Controversies and parties in Europe, 31, and especially in England, 32. Disintegration of Christendom, 34. New experiment of church life, 35. Persecutions promote emigration, 36, 37. CHAP. V.—Puritan Beginnings of the Church in Virginia. 38–53 The Rev. Robert Hunt, chaplain to the Virginia colony, 38. Base quality of the emigration, 39. Assiduity in reli- gious duties, 41. Rev. Richard Buck, chaplain, vi42. 4 Contents Strict Puritan régime of Sir T. Dale and Rev. A. Whitaker, 43. Brightening prospects extinguished by massacre, 48. Dissolution of the Puritan “Virginia Company” by the king, 48. Puritan ministers si- lenced by the royal governor, Berkeley, 49. The governor’s chaplain, Harrison, is converted to Pur- itan principles, 49. Visit of the Rev. Patrick Copland, 50. Degradation of church and clergy, 51. Commis- sary Blair attempts reform, 52. Huguenots and Scotch-Irish, 53. CHAP. VI.—Maryland and the Carolinas 54–67 George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, 54; secures grant of Mary- land, 55. The second Lord Baltimore organizes a colony on the basis of religious liberty, 56. Success of the two Jesuit priests, 57. Baltimore restrains the Jesuits, 58, and encourages the Puritans, 59. Attempt at an Anglican establishment, 61. Commissary Bray, 61. Tardy settlement of the Carolinas, 62. A mixed population, 63. Success of Quakerism, 65. American origin of English missionary societies, 66. CHAP. VII.—Dutch Calvinists and Swedish Lutherans. 68–81 Faint traces of religious life in the Dutch settlements, 69. Pastors Michaelius, Bogardus, and Megapolensis, 70. Religious liberty, diversity, and bigotry, 72. The Quakers persecuted, 73. Low vitality of the Dutch colony, 75. Swedish colony on the Delaware, 76; subjugated by the Dutch, 77. The Dutch evicted by England, 78. The Dutch church languishes, 79. At- tempts to establish Anglicanism, 79. The S. P. G., 80. CHAP. VIII.—The Church in New England. 82–108 Puritan and Separatist, 82. The Separatists of Scrooby, 83. Mutual animosity of the two parties, 84. Spirit of 5 Contents John Robinson, 85. the “social compact” of the Pil- grims, in state, 87; and in church, 88. Feebleness of the Plymouth colony, 89. The Puritan colony at Salem, 90. Purpose of the colonists, 91. Their right to pick their own company, 92. Fellowship with the Pilgrims, 93. Constituting the Salem church, and ordination of its ministers, 95. Expulsion of schis- matics, 97. Coming of the great Massachusetts colony bringing the charter, 98. The New England church polity, 99. Nationalism of the Puritans, 100. Dealings with Roger Williams, Mrs. Hutchinson, and the Quakers, 101. Diversities among the colon- ies, 102. Divergences of opinion and practice in the churches, 103. Variety of sects in Rhode Island, 106, with mutual good will, 107. Lapse of the Puritan church-state, 108. CHAP. IX.—The MIddle Colonies and Georgia. 109–126 vii Dutch, Puritan, Scotch, and Quaker settlers in New Jersey, 109. Quaker corporation and government, 110. Quaker reaction from Puritanism, 113. Extravagance and discipline, 114. Quakerism in continental Europe, 115. Penn’s “Holy Experiment,” 116. Phil- adelphia founded, 117. German sects, 18. Keith’s schism, and the mission of the “S. P. G.,” 119. Lutheran and Reformed Germans, 120. Scotch-Irish, 121. Georgia, 122. Oglethorpe’s charitable scheme, 123. The Salzburgers, the Moravians, and the Wes- leys, 124. George Whitefield, 126. CHAP. X.-THE EVE OF THE GREAT AWAKENING 127- 154 Fall of the New England theocracy, 128. Dissent from the “Standing Order”: Baptist, 130; Episcopalian, 131. In New York: the Dutch church, 134; the English, 135; the Presbyterian, 136. New Englanders moving 6 Contents west, 137. Quakers, Huguenots, and Palatines, 139. New Jersey: Frelinghuysen and the Tennents, 141. Pennsylvania: successes and failures of Quakerism, 143. The southern colonies: their established churches, 148; the mission of the Quakers, 149.
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