CENTRE FOR NeWFOUNDLAND STlll>lfS TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY BE XEROXED Evangelicalism in the Anglican Church in Nineteenth-Century Newfoundland by Heather Rose Russell A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department ofReligious Studies Memorial University ofNewfoundland November, 2005 St. John's Newfoundland Library and Bibliotheque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de !'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-19393-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-19393-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a Ia Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par !'Internet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve Ia propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni Ia these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a Ia loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur Ia protection de Ia vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ant ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans Ia pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract Evangelicalism, a Protestant movement whose beginnings can be traced to eighteenth-century Great Britain, had also a vital presence in Newfoundland from 1819 to 1844. This thesis studies the three main Newfoundland-based Church ofEngland Evangelicals, Aubrey George Spencer, Thomas Finch Hobday Bridge, and Robert Traill Spence Lowell. During this period, Newfoundland was not a diocese of its own, but part of the larger diocese ofNova Scotia until 1839 when Newfoundland and Bermuda became a separate diocese with Spencer as bishop. The distinguishing hallmarks ofEvangelicals, in comparison to other religious groups, have been defined by David W. Bebbington. The thesis, therefore, seeks to use Bebbington' s characteristics to determine the Evangelicalism of Spencer, Bridge, and Lowell. Bebbington' s four characteristics are: the urgent need to accept Christ as one's personal saviour and experience a change of life and heart ( conversionism), tireless ministerial, educational, and benevolent activities, including an active opposition to Roman Catholics and other religious competitors (activism), a deep reverence for Scripture as the supreme religious and ethical norm (biblicism), and beliefin Christ's death as the central salvific event to secure salvation ( crucicentrism). Chapter One begins by examining the state-of-the-question. This is followed by a brief explanation of each of Bebbington' s characteristics, not only as Bebbington himself defines them globally for all Evangelicals, but also as each one affected the Newfoundland context. Chapter Two examines Missionary Societies, an integral element of the conversion-oriented and educational activities of Evangelicals. While such societies as the Church Missionary Society and the American Home Missionary Society are briefly explored, a more detailed 11 examination is allotted to merchant Samuel Codner's Newfoundland School Society, not only because of Spencer's and Bridge's involvement, but also because the society represented Great Britain's first successful attempt to educate the poor children ofNewfoundland. Chapters Three through Five, which represent the main portion of the thesis, deal with Spencer, Bridge, and Lowell. Each chapter begins with a short biography, followed by an exploration of their work and thought, employing Bebbington' s characteristics as a guide. Included in this examination are ecclesiastical, educational, and benevolent activities that encompass not only their missionary labours, church work, educational work, and societal involvement, but also their active opposition of Roman Catholics and Tractarians. Their thinking about conversion, the value of Scripture, and the issue of Christ's death are also included. Throughout, sermons, treatises, letters, novels, and other writings are used as sources. Each chapter concludes with a discussion to what extent these men were Evangelicals. Chapter Six sums up the major findings. The conclusion of this thesis is that these men were all Evangelicals, but each one varied as to his religious or ethical emphases. Lowell, for example, did not explicitly promote conversionism and its doctrine of assurance, but was all the more virulently opposed to Catholicism. Also, Spencer and Lowell championed the Bible as a means of private devotion, whereas Bridge did not. The demise of Church of England Evangelicalism in nineteenth-century Newfoundland began with Bishop Spencer's departure for Jamaica and his replacement by the Tractarian Bishop Feild. Hence, the religious climate in nineteenth-century Newfoundland shifted away from Evangelicalism, although it was never totally extinguished. Where applicable throughout the main body of the thesis, Feild's views are compared to those of Spencer, Bridge, and Lowell. Table of Contents Chapter One -- Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 State-of-the-Question ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Conversionism ........................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Activism ................................................................................................................. 9 1.3 .1 Anti-Catholicism and Anti-Tractarianism ................................................ 12 1.4 Biblicism ............................................................................................................... 18 1. 5 Crucicentrism ........................................................................................................ 21 Chapter Two -- Societies ........................................................................................................ 24 2.1 Missionary and School Societies Around the World ............................................... 25 2.2 The Newfoundland School Society ........................................................................ 31 2.2.1 Establishment and Early History .............................................................. 32 2.2.2. Growth and School Developments ......................................................... 38 2.2.2.1 Opposition from Bishop Feild .................................................. .43 2.2.2.2 Temperance .............................................................................. 45 2.2.2.3 Anti-Catholicism ..................................................................... .46 2.2.3 Funding and Gratuities ........................................................................... .49 2.2.4 Sermons Preached Towards Its Aid ........................................................ SO 2.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 51 Chapter Three- Aubrey George Spencer............................................................................... 54 3.1 Biography............................................................................................................. 54 3.2 Activism ............................................................................................................... 55 3.2.1 Missionary in Newfoundland, 1819-22 ................................................... 56 3.2.2 Missionary and Archdeacon in Bermuda, 1822-39 .................................. 59 3 .2.2.1 Ecclesiastical Activities ............................................................ 60 3.2.2.2 Educational Activities .............................................................. 62 3.2.3 Bishop ofNewfoundland and Bermuda, 1839-43 .................................... 65 3.2.3.1 Ecclesiastical Activities ............................................................ 66 3 .2.3 .1.1 Visitations ................................................................. 70 3 .2.3 .1.2 A New Theological Seminary.................................... 72 3.2.3.1.3 A New Cathedral.. ..................................................... 74 3.2.3.1.4 Conclusion to Spencer's Ecclesiastical Activities ....... 76 3.2.3.2 Involvement with the Newfoundland School Society ................ 78 3 .2.4 Anti-Catholicism...................................................................................