b17591053 The Project Gutenberg eBook, The English Church in the Eighteenth Century, by Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The English Church in the Eighteenth Century Author: Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton Release Date: October 2, 2005 [eBook #16791] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ENGLISH CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY*** E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Lisa Reigel, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) THE ENGLISH CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY by CHARLES J. ABBEY Rector of Checkendon: Formerly Fellow of University College, Oxford and JOHN H. OVERTON Canon of Lincoln and Rector of Epworth Revised and Abridged New Edition Longmans, Green, and Co. London, New York, and Bombay 1896 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION Page 1 b17591053 Although this edition has been shortened to about half the length of the original one, it is essentially the same work. The reduction has been effected, partly by the omission of some whole chapters, partly by excisions. The chapters omitted are those upon the Jacobites, the Essayists, Church Cries, and Sacred Poetry--subjects which have only a more or less incidental bearing on the Church history of the period. The passages excised are, for the most part, quotations, discursive reflections, explanatory notes, occasional repetitions, and, speaking generally, whatever could be removed without injury to the general purpose of the narrative. There has been no attempt at abridgment in any other form. The authors are indebted to their reviewers for many kind remarks and much careful criticism. They have endeavoured to correct all errors which have been thus pointed out to them. As the nature of this work has sometimes been a little misapprehended, it should be added that its authors at no time intended it to be a regular history. When they first mapped out their respective shares in the joint undertaking, their design had been to write a number of short essays relating to many different features in the religion and Church history of England in the Eighteenth Century. This general purpose was adhered to; and it was only after much deliberation that the word 'Chapters' was substituted for 'Essays.' There was, however, one important modification. Fewer subjects were, in the issue, specifically discussed, but these more in detail; while some questions--such, for instance, as that of the Church in the Colonies--were scarcely touched upon. Hence a certain disproportion of treatment, which a general introductory chapter could but partially remedy. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION Some years have elapsed since the authors of this work first entertained the idea of writing upon certain aspects of religious life and thought in the Eighteenth Century. If the ground is no longer so unoccupied as it was then, it appears to them that there is still abundant room for the book which they now lay before the public. Their main subject is expressly the English Church, and they write as English Churchmen, taking, however, no narrower basis than that of the National Church itself. They desire to be responsible each for his own opinions only, and therefore the initials of the writer are attached to each chapter he has written. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. (_C.J. Abbey._) Revived interest in the religious life of the eighteenth century, 1 Lowered tone prevalent during a great part of the period, 2 Page 2 b17591053 Loss of strength in the Puritan and Nonjuring ejections, 3 Absorbing speculations connected with the Deistical controversy, 4 Development of the ground principles of the Reformation, 5 Fruits of the Deistical controversy, 6 Its relation to the Methodist and Evangelical revivals, 7 Impetus to Protestant feeling in the Revolution of 1689, 8 Projects of Church comprehension, 8 Methodism and the Church, 9 The French Revolution, 10 Passive Obedience and Divine Right, 10 Jacobitism, 11 Loss of the Nonjuring type of High Churchmen, 12 Toleration, 13 Church and State, 15 Respect for the Church, 16 Early part of the century richest in incident, 17 Religious societies, 17 The Sacheverell trial, 18 Convocation, 19 The later Nonjurors, 19 The Essayists, 20 Hoadly and the Bangorian controversy, 21 The Methodist and Evangelical movements, 21 Evidence writers, 22 Results of the Evidential theology, 23 Revival of practical activity at the end of the century, 24 The Episcopate, 24 General condition of religion and morality, 25 Clergy and people, 25 CHAPTER II. ROBERT NELSON: HIS FRIENDS AND CHURCH PRINCIPLES. (_C.J. Abbey._) Contrast with the coarser forms of High Churchmanship in that age, 26 Robert Nelson: general sketch of his life and doings, 27 His Nonjuring friends, 31 Ken, 31 Bancroft and Frampton, 32 Kettlewell, 33 Dodwell, 34 Hickes, 36 Lee, 38 Brokesby, Jeremy Collier, &c., 39 Exclusiveness among many Nonjurors, 39 His friends in the National Church, 40 Bull, 40 Beveridge, 42 Sharp, 44 Smalridge, 46 Grabe, 47 Bray, 48 Oglethorpe, Mapletoft, &c., 49 R. Nelson a High Churchman of wide sympathies, 50 Deterioration of the later type of eighteenth century Anglicanism, 51 Harm done to the English Church from the Nonjuring secession, 51 Coincidence at that time of political and theological parties, 52 Passive obedience as 'a doctrine of the Cross', 53 Decline of the doctrine, 55 Loyalty, 56 The State prayers, 57 Temporary difficulties and permanent principles, 58 Nonjuring Church principles scarcely separable from those of most High Page 3 b17591053 Churchmen of that age in the National Church, 60 Nonjuror usages, 61 Nonjuror Protestantism, 63 Isolated position of the Nonjurors, 64 Communications with the Eastern Church, 65 General type of the Nonjuring theology and type of piety, 68 Important function of this party in a Church, 73 Religious promise of the early years of the century, 74 Disappointment in the main of these hopes, 75 CHAPTER III. THE DEISTS. (_J.H. Overton._) Points at issue in the Deistical controversy, 75-6 Deists not properly a sect, 76 Some negative tenets of the Deists, 77 Excitement caused by the subject of Deism, 78 Toland's 'Christianity not mysterious', 79 Shaftesbury's 'Characteristics', 80-2 His protest against the Utilitarian view of Christianity, 81 Collins's 'Discourse of Freethinking', 82-3 Bentley's 'Remarks' on Collins', 83-4 Collins's 'Discourse on the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion', 84-5 Woolston's 'Six Discourses on the Miracles', 85 Sherlock's 'Tryal of the Witnesses', 86 Annet's 'Resurrection of Jesus Considered', 86 Tindal's 'Christianity as old as the Creation', 86-7 Conybeare's 'Defence of Revealed Religion', 87 Tindal the chief exponent of Deism, 88 Morgan's 'Moral Philosopher', 89 Chubbs's works, 90-1 'Christianity not founded on argument', 92-3 Bolingbroke's 'Philosophical Works', 93-6 Butler's 'Analogy', 96-7 Warburton's 'Divine Legation of Moses', 97-8 Berkeley's 'Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher', 98-9 Leland's 'View of the Deistical Writers', 100-1 Pope's 'Essay on Man', 101-2 John Locke's relation to Deism, 102-5 Effects of the Deistical controversy, 106-8 Collapse of Deism, 108 Want of sympathy with the Deists, 110 Their unpopularity, 111 CHAPTER IV. LATITUDINARIAN CHURCHMANSHIP. (1.) CHARACTER AND INFLUENCE OF ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON'S THEOLOGY. (_C.J. Abbey._) Use of the term 'Latitudinarian', 112 In the eighteenth century, 113 Archbishop Tillotson:-- His close relationship with the eighteenth century, 115 His immense repute as a writer and divine, 115 Vehemence of the attack upon his opinions, 117 His representative character, 118 His appeal to reason in all religious questions, 119 On spiritual influence, 119 On Christian evidences, 119 Page 4 b17591053 On involuntary error, 120 On private judgment, its rights and limitations, 121 Liberty of thought and 'Freethinking' in Tillotson's and the succeeding age, 125 Tillotson on 'mysteries', 127 On the doctrine of the Trinity, 129 On Christ's redemption, 130 Theory of accommodation, 131 The future state, 133 Inadequate insistance on distinctive Christian doctrine, 140 Religion and ethics, 141 Goodness and happiness, 142 Prudential religion, 143 General type of Tillotson's latitudinarianism, 145 CHAPTER V. LATITUDINARIAN CHURCHMANSHIP. (2.) CHURCH COMPREHENSION AND CHURCH REFORMERS. (_C.J. Abbey._) Comprehension in the English Church, 147 Attitude towards Rome in eighteenth century, 148 Strength of Protestant feeling, 148 Exceptional interest in the Gallican Church, 149 Archbishop Wake and the Sorbonne divines, 149 Alienation unmixed with interest in the middle of the eighteenth century, 152 The exiled French clergy, 154 The reformed churches abroad:-- Relationship with them a practical question of great interest since James II.'s time, 155 Alternation of feeling on the subject since the Reformation, 156 The Protestant cause at the opening of the eighteenth century, 158 The English Liturgy and Prussian Lutherans, 160 Subsidence of interest in foreign Protestantism, 163 Nonconformists at home:-- Strong feeling in favour of a national unity in Church matters, 164 Feeling at one time in favour of comprehension, both among Churchmen and Nonconformists, 166 General view of the Comprehension Bills, 169 The opportunity transitory,