An Introduction to the Episcopal Church

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH by JOSEPH BUCHANAN.Orginally published in 1935. Contents include: Preface . v CHAPTER. I. The Churchs History I II. The Churchs Government .... 13 HI. The Churchs Bible 19 IV. The Churchs Prayer Book .... 27 V. The Churchs Ritual .36 VI. The Churchs Doctrine 48 VII. The Churchs Moral Law .... 63 VIIL The Churchs Prayer Life .... 74 IX. The Churchs Sacraments 83 X. The Churchs Requirements .... 94 Appendices 101 A. Preparation for Confirmation . . 103 B. An Aid to Self-examination . .110 C. Prayers 112 D. A Partial List of Christian Religious Classics 116. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. CHAPTER I. THE CHURCHS HISTORY. IN THE course of History there have been many and various forms of religion, some of which no longer exist and a large part of which never pbtained more than local or temporary importance. oday there are eleven giving world religions, among which is Chris tianity. Much of its teaching and isolated beliefs may be found in these other religions, but in one thing it is unique it alone among all the revealed religions claims that God Himself made the revelation of Himself in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ, and thereby showed men what God was like and what God wanted men to be like and that He imparts to them today the strength necessary to fulfil this purpose, if they seek it according to His will. The other religions claim that the divine revelation came through a prophet, as in. Mohammedanism, or else through some lesser god, as in the ancient Hermetic cults, but never through the Supreme God Himself. Jesus Christ, in order to perpetuate the revelation which God had made in Him, gathered about Him self a group of disciples from whom He chose an inner circle which were known as the Twelve, and later as the Apostles. At the time of His death on the cross they all deserted Him, but after His resurrection He in spired them with new hope and they went forth to carry to the world the Gospel, die good news about the salvation to be obtained through faith in Him. For the first hundred years or so of Christian his tory the early disciples expected the imminent return of Christ from heaven in glory to judge the world. Consequently, they made no provision for the future or the carrying on of their message beyond their own generation. The early development of the Church came as a result of its adjustment to the fact of the de layed return of Christ, Hie first Jerusalem disciples continued to worship in the Temple, forming a synagogue of the Nazarene, which differed from the other synagogues only in their belief that Jesus Christ was the Messiah predicted by the Scriptures, and that He was about to return to judge the world and to set up His Kingdom. After the pej cution and death of St...