Samuel Seabury (1729-1796)

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Samuel Seabury (November 30th, 1729 – February 25th, 1796), was the first bishop of the episcopal Église of the United States of America, the second bishop " Presiding" and the first bishop of the diocese of the Connecticut.

History

Samuel Seabury was born in Ledyard, in the Connecticut in 1729. His/her father, who also prénommait Samuel Seabury (1706 - 1764), in the beginning Pasteur congregationalist of Groton, was ordered deacon and priest of the Église of England in 1731, and was vice-chancellor with New London in Connecticut, of 1732 with 1743, and Hempstead with Island Length, of 1743 until his death.

Samuel Seabury (the son) is graduate Université of Yale in 1748; he made studies of Théologie with his father; medicine with Edinburgh of 1752 with studied 1753; was ordered deacon by the bishop of the diocese of Lincon and priest by the bishop of Carlisle in 1753; he was missionary with New Brunswick in the New Jersey of 1754 with 1757, vice-chancellor with Jamaica, New York of 1757 with 1766, and St Peter' S, Westchester, now annexed to Bronx, of 1766 with 1775.

The revolutionary period

He was one of the signatories of the White Plains protest of April 1775 against all the illegal congresses and committees, and of good in other ways he showed a convinced loyal supporter, and wrote to the Free Thoughts one off the Proceedings the Continental Congress (1774) by A.W. Farmer (i.e a farmer of Westchester), which was followed of one second letter of the Farmer, The Congress Canvassed (1774), accepted an answer of Alexander Hamilton in its has Full Vindication off the Measures off the Congress, from the Calumnies off to their Enemies . A third letter answered this Hamilton' S View off the Controversy between Great Britain and her Colonies , in a treatment broader and more skilful than in the preceding lampoons. This third lampoon Hamilton answered by its The Farmer Refuted (1775).

These three " Farmer' S Letters" — a fourth was announced but it seems that it was never published — were vigorous defenses of claim pro-English, written in a simple style and hardware-headed; its author was a long time dubious, but it is proven that Seabury asserted them in England in 1783 when it sought to be made devote bishop. With same time, it affirmed being author of letter, which was not signed of the farmer of Westchester, which under the title of An Alarm to the Legislature off the Province off New York (1775) débatait capacities of this one, the single legal body politic of the colony.

Seabury was stopped in November 1775 by a group of Whigs, and was put in prison at Connecticut for six months. Its parochial work was destroyed and after having spent some time in Island Length it took refuge with New York City, where in 1778 it was named chaplain near the King' S American Regiment.

The episcopate

The March 25th, 1783, an assembly of ten ecclesiastics of the Church épiscopalienne in Woodbury in Connecticut, elects Seabury bishop. There was then no bishop Anglican in Americas for ordination, also it took the boat towards London on July 7th. In England however, its dedication was blocked because, ace as an American citizen, it could not pronounce any more the oath of allegiance to King d' Angleterre. Seabury then turned to the Scottish episcopal Église, whose bishops then refused to recognize the authority of the king George III. It was devoted to Aberdeen the November 14th, 1784. The birthday of its dedication is now a minor festival of the calendar of the episcopal Église of the United States of America and Église Anglican of Canada.

It returned in Connecticut in 1785 and is established with New London in Connecticut, becoming the vice-chancellor of the Church St James. The validity of its dedication was initially given year causes by some, but he was recognized as bishop officially by General the Convention of his Church in 1789. In 1790 Seabury also dealt with the diocese of the Rhode Island. In 1792 it joint with the bishops William White bishop of Pennsylvania and Samuel Provoost, which had received their dedication in England in 1787, and James Madison (1749 - 1812), which had received its dedication in England in 1790, to devote Bishop Thomas J. Claggett of the diocese of Maryland in 1792, thus linking the Scottish and English successions.

Seabury played a decisive part in the evolution of the liturgy Anglican in North America after the Revolution. Its " Communion Office, " published in New London in 1786, was based on the Book off Common Prayer Scottish rather than on that of 1662, the liturgy of use in the Church of England. Defense by Seabury of the Scottish service — in particular its restoration of the Epiklesis or the invocation of the Saint Spirit at the time the dedication of the communion — influenced first Book off Common Prayer adopted by the Church épiscopalienne in 1789. Beside the epiklesis, Seabury defended the restoration of another old habit: the celebration of Holy Communion Sunday rather than its (infrequent observance) which became usual in the majority of the Protestant churches after the Reformation. In " Year Earnest Persuasive to Frequent Communion, " published in 1789 in New Haven, he writes that " when I consider his importance, at the same time on the positive commands of Christ, and many and important benefit that we withdraw some, I can that to consider it regrettable that it does not form part of the solemnity of each Sunday (every Sunday' S solemnity). " Seabury was in advance over its time, but two centuries later the practice of weekly Eucharistie developed quickly in many Protestant congregations and Anglicans under the impact of the liturgical movement.

He died in New London the February 25th 1796, where its skin remains in a small vault with the Church St James. The Church also contains a stained glass which describes its dedication in Scotland. The portrait of Seabury painted by Ralph Earl, is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

He was an organizer of great talent and a right ecclesiastic. Its " Farmer' S Letters" the place among the best polemists loyal supporters during the American revolution and by also counting its religious prayers and its writings like one of the large Masters of style of this period.

Consécrateurs

Right Reverend Robert Kilgour, 39e bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney
Right Reverend Arthur Kneaded, 37e bishop of Inverness and bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness
Right Reverend John Skinner, bishop Coadjutor Aberdeen and bishop Orkney

Samuel Seabury was the first bishop devoted for the episcopal Église of the United States of America.

The family

His/her son Charles (1770 - 1844) was vice-chancellor in various churches with Island Length; and Samuel Seabury (1801-1872), the son of Charles was the vice-chancellor of the Church off the Annunciation in New York City of 1838 with 1868, and professor of biblical studies and interpretation of the Writings to the General Theological Seminary of 1862 to its death. William Jones Seabury (born in 1837), wire of the precedent, was him vice-chancellor of the Church of Annunciation, in New York City of 1868 with 1898, law professor and of ecclesiastical institutions to the General Theological Seminary as from 1873, and published a Manual for Choristers (1878), Lectures one Apostolic Succession (1893) and An Introduction to the Study off Ecclesiastical Polity (1894).

Commemoration

Samuel Seabury has a park named in his honor with the angle of the 96e street and Lexington Avenue on the island of Manhattan to New York City. The Parc was recently renovated in 2005 - 2006.

Works

Letters off has Westchester Farmer (1774-5)
The Communion-Office, gold Order for the Administration off the Holy Eucharist but Super off the Lord with Private Devotions (1786)
An Earnest Persuasive to Frequen Communion (1789)
Hamilton' S View off the Controversy between Great Britain and her Colonies ace " A.W. Farmer"

The Errors off Calvinism n.p. 1766 ST2

has View off the Controversy between Great-Britain and Her Colonies . New York 1774

Free Thoughts one the Proceedings off the Continental Congress New York 1774

The Congress Canvassed . New York 1774

Year Alarm to the Legislature off the Province off New York, Occasioned by the Present Political Disturbances . New York 1775

has Discourse one Brotherly Love, Preached before the Honorable Fraternity off Free and Accepted Masons, off Zion Lodge, At St Paul' S Chapel, in

New York, one the Festival off St John the Baptist, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven . New York 1777 SUI

has Discourse one II Tim. III. 16. Delivered in St Paul' S and St George' S Chapels, in New York, one Sunday the 11th off May, 1777 . New York 1777 SUI

St Peter' S Exhortation to Fear God and Honor the King, Explained and Inculcated: in Discourse Addressed to His Majesty' S Provincial Troops has, in Camp At King' S Bridge, one Sunday the 28th Sept. 1777 . New York 1777 Attributed although doubtful.

SUI

has Sermon Preached before the Grand Lodge, and the Other Lodges off Ancient Freemasons, in New York, At St Paul' S Chapel, one the Anniversary off St John the Evangelist, 1782 . New York 1783 SUI

Samuel, by Divine Permission , Bishop off the Episcopal Church in the State off Connecticut regarding political prayers n.p. 1785 Broad-side

SUI, ST2

Bishop Seabury' S Second Load, to the Clergy off His Diocess, Delivered At Derby, in the State off Connecticut, one the 22d off September, 1786 . New Haven 1786 SUI

Forms off prayer for the United States in Congress Assembled 1786 Only has fragment survive

The Address off the Episcopal Clergy off Connecticut, to the Right Reverend Bishop Seabury, with the Bishop' S Answer and, has Sermon, Before the Convention At Middletown, August 3D, 1785… Also Bishop Seabury' S first Charge, to the Clergy off his Diocess, Delivered At Middletown, August 4th, 1785. With has List off the Succession off Scot' S Bishops, from the Revolution 1688, to the present Time . New Haven 1786 The Charges is paginated separately.

The Communion-Office, gold Order for the Administration off the Holy Eucharist but Super off the Lord. With Private Devotions. Episcopal Recommended to the Congregations in Connecticut . New London 1786

has Sermon Delivered before the Boston Episcopal Charitable Society in Trinity Church; At Their Anniversary Meeting one Easter Tuesday March 25,1788 . Boston 1788 SUI

has Preached Sermon in Christ Church, Philadelphia, Before the Corporation for the Relief off the Widows and Children off Clergymen At to their Anniversary Meeting, October 7th, 1789. Philadelphia 1789 SUI

Year Earnest Persuasive to Frequent Communion; Addressed to Those Professors off the Church off England, in Connecticut, Who Neglect That Holy Ordinance . New Haven 1789 SUI

The Duty off Considering our Ways. With Preached Sermon in Saint James Church, New-London, one Ashwednesday, 1789 . New London 1789

Year Address to the Ministers and Congregations off the Presbyterian and Independent Persuasions in the United States off America, by has Member off the Episcopal Church New Haven 1790 SUI
has Discourse, Delivered in St John' S Church, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, At the Conferring the Order off Priesthood one the rev. Robert Fowle, A.M. off Holderness, one the Festival off St Peter, 1791 . 1791 SUI
have Discourse Delivered before the Triennial Convention off the Episcopal Protestant Church At Trinity Church, New York, one the Twelfth Day off September, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety-Two. New York 1792 SUI
Discourses one Several Subjects. New York 1793
Samuel, by Divine Permission , Bishop off Connecticut and Rhode Island the deposition off James Sayre n.p. 1793 Broad-side

SUI

has Discourse Delivered in St James' Church, New-London, one Tuesday the 23d off December, 1794, Before year Assembly off Free and

Accepted Let us mass, Convened for the Purpose off Installing has Lodge in that City New London 1794

has Burial Office for Infants Who Depart this Life before they cuts Polluted to their Baptism by Actual Sin n.p. 1795 SUI

has off Discourse Delivered Before year Assembly Free and Accepted Masons, Convened for the Purpose off Installing off has Lodge in the City Norwich, Connecticut, one the Festival off St John the Baptist, 1795 . Norwich 1795

Samuel, By Divine Permission , Bishop off Connecticut and Rhode-Island… fund New London 1795 SUI

Samuel, By Divine Permission , Bishop off Connecticut and Rhode-Island… Prisoners New London 1795 ST2

The Psalter gold Psalms off David, Pointed ace They are to Be Sung gold Said in Churches. With the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer Daily

Throughout the Year . containing '' the Athanasian Creed, the Litany, special Prayers for occasions, Thanksgivings, and has Catechism '' New London 1795

Discourses one Important Several Subjects . New York 1798

Bishop Seabury' S Communion Office… with year Historical Sketch and Notes (Samuel Binder) New York 1883

Letters off has Westchester Farmer . (Clarence Vance, ED.) White Lime pits 1930

References

E. Edwards Beardsley, Life and Correspondence off the Rt. Rev. Samuel Seabury (Boston, 1881).
William Jones Seabury, Memoir off Bishop Samuel Seabury (New York, 1908)
Paul V. Marshall, One, Catholic, and Apostolic--Samuel Seabury and the Episcopal Early Church. New York: Church Publishing Incoorporated (2004).
Episcopal The Church Annual . Morehouse Publishing: New York, NY (2005).
Wilkinson, Todd. The Scottish Roots off the Episcopal Church . Scottish History Online . Accessed 14:49, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

External bonds

Scottish Roots off the Episcopal Church one the Scottish History website.
Samuel Seabury one Virtuology.com, Virtual American Biographies
Samuel Seabury page At Project Canterbury
Abstracts off Samuel Seabury' S sermons
Anglican Prayer Chaplet off Samuel Seabury

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