Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the first
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Episcopal bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, the second
Presiding Bishop of the
Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...
, and the first Bishop of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. He was a leading
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
in New York City during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
and a known rival of
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795.
Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
.
Early life
He was born in
North Groton (since renamed Ledyard), Connecticut, in 1729 in a home that still stands as a Historic Landmark on the corner of Church Hill Road and Spicer Hill Road in
Ledyard,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. His father, also Samuel Seabury (1706–1764), was originally a
Congregationalist minister in
Groton but was ordained deacon and priest in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
in 1730. Seabury, the father, was a rector in
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
, from 1732 to 1743, and of
St George's,
Hempstead, New York on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
from 1743 until his death. Samuel Seabury, the father, claimed as property a slave named Newport, who is documented in his will. Seabury, the bishop, was raised in an enslaving family.
He graduated from
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
in 1748 and studied
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
with his father. He studied medicine in
Edinburgh Medical School
The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the United Kingdom and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. It was esta ...
from 1752 to 1753 and was ordained
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
by
John Thomas,
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
, and
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
by
Richard Osbaldeston
Richard Osbaldeston (1691–1764) was a Church of England clergyman and Bishop of London from 1762 to 1764.
Life
He was born at Hunmanby in Yorkshire, a younger son of Sir Richard Osbaldeston, a prominent landowner and a rather inactive Member ...
,
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.
The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The see is in the city of Car ...
, on December 21 and 23 respectively, 1753. Seabury was
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of
Christ Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Christ Church or Christ Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
History
In 1701 English minister Thomas Bray formed the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) ...
, from 1754 to 1757, rector in
Jamaica, New York
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Springfi ...
, from 1757 to 1766, and of St. Peter's, Westchester (now the
Westchester Square
Westchester Square is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the eastern section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street, Blon ...
neighborhood of
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
) from 1766 to 1775.
Seabury and slavery
Samuel Seabury grew up in an economy based on slavery, and in a slaveholding family. His father legally owned at least one slave, Newport, who is marked in his will. Samuel Seabury became a slaveholder when he married Mary Hicks on October 12, 1756. Seabury's father-in-law, Edward Hicks, gifted his daughter with an enslaved woman. Edward Hicks promised the Seaburys a certain level of financial assistance and his failure to do so soon became part of a legal dispute. As part of the ongoing dispute in the 1760s, Hicks transferred the ownership of four slaves to Samuel Seabury. Hicks and the four enslaved people later moved into the Seabury home. After Hicks died, Seabury transferred three of the slaves back to the Hicks estate. Seabury continued to legally own one slave, Charles, as his property.
According to the 1790 census, the Seabury household in New London had three slaves. After the Bishop died, a probate inventory of his estate listed a 38-year-old woman, Nell, and a 9-year-old girl, Rose. Seabury's journal notes that Nell worked in the parsonage house at St. James's Episcopal Church in New London, where he and his daughter Maria lived.
American Revolution and dispute with Alexander Hamilton
Seabury was one of the signatories of the White Plains Protest of April 1775 against all unlawful congresses and committees and, in many other ways, he proved himself a devoted Loyalist. He wrote "Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress" (1774) under the pen name A. W. Farmer (standing for "a Westchester farmer"), which was followed by "The Congress Canvassed" (1774).
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795.
Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
responded to these open letters in "
A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress
''A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress'' was one of Alexander Hamilton's first published works, published in December 1774, while Hamilton was either a 19 or a 17-year-old student at King's College, later renamed Columbia University, in ...
, from the Calumnies of their Enemies". Seabury wrote a third "Farmer's Letter" entitled "A View of the Controversy between Great Britain and her Colonies" to answer Hamilton, and Hamilton completed the exchange by writing "
The Farmer Refuted
''The Farmer Refuted'', published in February 1775, was Alexander Hamilton's second published work, a follow-up to his 1774 ''A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress''.
Summary
In ''The Farmer Refuted,'' Alexander Hamilton addresses dir ...
" (1775).
The three "Farmer's Letters" are forceful presentations of the Loyalist claim, written in a plain, hard-headed style. Their authorship was long in question, but it is certain that Seabury claimed them in England in 1783, when he was seeking episcopal consecration. At the same time, he claimed authorship of a letter entitled "An Alarm to the Legislature of the Province of New York" (1775), not signed by the Westchester farmer, which discussed the power of what he viewed as the only legal political body in the colony. Seabury's clarity of style and general ease of reading set him apart from his ecclesiastical colleagues throughout his life.
The pieces Seabury wrote under the pen name A.W. Farmer in the ''Letters to a Westchester Farmer'' display not only Seabury’s Loyalism, but a particular view of social hierarchy and slavery. In “A View of the Controversy,” Seabury wrote that “liberty is a very good thing, and slavery a very bad thing” and later notes that “abject slavery” equated in some way with “cruel oppression.” In his Revolutionary writings, he indicated that slavery was a state that individuals, namely white Loyalists, must avoid. In this Seabury aligned with his rebel American counterparts, such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, though he was on the opposite side of the conflict.
Seabury was arrested in November 1775 by local Patriots and was kept in prison in Connecticut for six weeks. He was prevented from carrying out his ministry; after some time in Long Island, he took refuge in New York City where he was appointed chaplain to the
King's American Regiment
The King's American Regiment, also known as the "Associated Refugees", were a Loyalist regiment during the American Revolutionary War.
The King's American Regiment was raised on Staten Island in the Province of New York in December 1776 by Colon ...
in 1778. At the end of the war, he stayed in the United States; he moved to Connecticut and was loyal to the new government.
Ecclesial career
On March 25, 1783, a meeting of ten Episcopal clergy at the
Glebe House in
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,723 at the 2020 census. The town center, comprising the adjacent villages of Woodbury and North Woodbury, is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Woo ...
, elected Seabury bishop as their second choice (a
favorite son
Favorite son (or favorite daughter) is a political term.
* At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a ...
was elected first but declined for health reasons). There were no Anglican bishops in America to consecrate him and so he sailed to London on July 7. In England, however, his consecration was considered to be impossible because, as an American citizen, he could no longer take the
oath of allegiance to the King. He then turned to the
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
, although he had also approached the surviving
non-juring bishops in England, William Cartwright of Shrewsbury and Kenrick Price of Manchester. The Episcopalians in Scotland were and are not the established church; they were a legally recognized but oppressed church which refused to recognize the
Hanoverian kings. Earlier scandal had been caused by the presence of two
non-juring bishops in America in the 1720s (John Talbot and Robert Welton)
[Talbot was the rector of ]St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington, New Jersey
St. Mary's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal parish in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The original church was built in 1703. It was supplemented with a new church on adjacent land in 1854. On May 31, 1972, th ...
who were removed from their positions after being accused of schism in the Church of England in America.
Seabury was consecrated in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
on November 14, 1784 on the condition that he study the Scottish rite of
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
and work for its adoption, rather than that of the
1662 English prayer book. To the present day, the American liturgy adheres to the main features of this rite in one of its Holy Eucharist Liturgies. Seabury was consecrated bishop by
Robert Kilgour
Robert Kilgour (1714–1790) was a Scottish clergyman who served in the Scottish Episcopal Church as Bishop of Aberdeen from 1768 to 1786 and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church from 1782 to 1788. He was an outspoken supporter of the Jaco ...
,
Bishop of Aberdeen
The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nech ...
and
Primus of Scotland
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, styled "The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church", is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The current Primus is the Most Revd. Mark Strange who became primus on ...
;
Arthur Petrie
Arthur Petrie (died 19 April 1787) was the 37th bishop of the Diocese of Ross and Moray of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was one of the three bishops to consecrate Samuel Seabury
Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the ...
, Bishop of Ross and Moray; and
John Skinner,
coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...
of Aberdeen. The consecration took place in Skinner's house in Longacre, approximately 500 metres from the present
St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen
St Andrew's Cathedral (Scottish Gaelic: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Anndra), or the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church situated in the Scotland, Scottish city of Aberdeen. It is the Episcopal See, see of t ...
. The chair on which Kilgour sat to perform the consecration is preserved in Holy Trinity Episcopal Church,
Keith, Moray
Keith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile Chèith'', or ''Cèith Mhaol Rubha'' (archaic)) is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of 4,734.
Keith is historically in Banffshire, a name which persists in co ...
.
The anniversary of his consecration is now a lesser
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
on the calendars of the Episcopal Church (United States) and the
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church co ...
and other churches of the
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
.
Seabury's consecration by the
non-juring Scots caused alarm in the British government who feared an entirely
Jacobite church in the United States, and Parliament was persuaded to make provision for the ordination of foreign bishops. Seabury's tenacity in the matter had the effect of making possible a continued relationship between the American and English churches. The problem was revealed not to be one of liturgical restrictions (the oath) but of political plans.
Seabury returned to Connecticut in 1785 and made
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
his home, becoming rector of
St James Church there. A meeting of his Connecticut clergy was held during the first week of August 1785 at Christ Church on the South Green in
Middletown. On August 3, the first Anglican ordinations on American soil took place at Christ Church in Middletown, and Henry Van Dyke, Philo Shelton, Ashbel Baldwin, and Colin Ferguson were ordained to the Holy Order of Deacons that day, with Ferguson being ordained priest on the 7th. Seabury said of Christ Church, Middletown, "Long may this birthplace be remembered, and may the number of faithful stewards who follow this succession increase and multiply till time shall be no more."
In 1790, Seabury also took charge of the
Diocese of Rhode Island. In 1792, he joined with Bishops
William White,
Samuel Provoost
Samuel Provoost (March 11, 1742 – September 6, 1815) was an American Clergyman. He was the first Chaplain of the United States Senate and the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, as well as the third Presiding Bishop of the Epis ...
, and
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
who had all received English consecration, thus uniting the Scottish and the English
apostolic succession
Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bish ...
s.
Contribution to liturgy
Seabury played a decisive role in the evolution of
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
in North America after the Revolution. His "
Communion Office," published in New London in 1786, was based on the Scottish Liturgy of 1764 rather than the 1662
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
in use in the Church of England. Seabury's defense of the Scottish service—especially its restoration of oblationary language and the
epiklesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in re ...
or invocation of the Holy Spirit in the Prayer of Consecration was adopted into the Book of Common Prayer with minor change by the Episcopal Church in 1789. The English 1552, 1559, 1604 and 1662 Books of Common Prayers of Consecration ended with the Words of Institution; but the Scottish Rite Prayer continued with an oblation, anamnesis, epiclesis, intercessions and doxology based on the ancient classical models of consecration prayers. The Prayer was a mix of Roman and Orthodox doctrines with some Calvinist elements. The English Rites focused on the memorial to the exclusion of sacrificial language in the Prayer of Consecration. Such sacrificial language as remained was placed at the end of the service in an optional Prayer of Oblation at which point the congregation made a self-offering beseeching God "to accept our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving." The removal of oblation from the prayer of consecration was done in order to avoid the suggestion that the Holy Eucharist was a material Peace Offering to God made by his Church in and with Christ with the very same sacrifice he had offered once for all and now made present as a sacrament. The restoration of the full Eucharistic Prayer taken from the Scottish Rite included the words, "which we now offer unto thee," after "with these thy holy gifts." The prayer continued after the oblationary words with, "the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make," in the American Prayer Book, thereby restoring the connection between "prayers and supplications" and the self-offering of the congregation with and through the consecrated elements. The changes fairly undid Cranmer's intentions of 1549 and 1552. The adoption of the Scottish Rite brought the Episcopal Church's eucharistic doctrine closer to the tradition of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The adoption of the Scottish Prayer of Consecration restored to the liturgy of the new Church the ancient doctrine from the mid-second century that the eucharist is the Church's sacrifice.
Seabury also argued for the restoration of another ancient custom, the weekly celebration of Holy Communion on Sunday rather than the infrequent observance that became customary in most Protestant churches after the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. In "An Earnest Persuasive to Frequent Communion", published in 1789 in
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, he wrote that "when I consider its importance, both on account of the positive command of Christ, and of the many and great benefits we receive from it, I cannot but regret that it does not make a part of every Sunday's solemnity." Seabury was ahead of his time, but within a century the custom of weekly 8 am
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
even in 'Low Church' parishes (in addition to the monthly 1st Sunday of the month Holy Communion) was rapidly spreading through many Anglican congregations under the impact of the
Liturgical Movement
The Liturgical Movement was a 19th-century and 20th-century movement of scholarship for the reform of worship. It began in the Catholic Church and spread to many other Christian churches including the Anglican Communion, Lutheran and some other Pro ...
. By the end of the 20th century, many other Protestant denominations had adopted weekly communion if this had not already been their practice (as with the Disciples of Christ).
Later life
In
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
in 1794, he established the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut, which later became
Cheshire Academy
Cheshire Academy is a selective, co-educational college preparatory school located in Cheshire, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1794 as the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut, it is currently the eleventh oldest boarding school in the United ...
.
He died in New London on 25 February 1796, where his remains lie in a small chapel at
St. James. The church also features a stained glass window depicting his consecration in Scotland. Seabury's portrait by
Ralph Earl
Ralph Earl (May 11, 1751 – August 16, 1801) was an American painter known for his portraits, of which at least 183 can be documented. He also painted six landscapes, including a panorama display of Niagara Falls.
Early life
Ralph Ea ...
is in the collection of the
National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. A notable portrait hangs at the
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...
, and a smaller painting is to be found at the College of Preachers on the grounds of the
Washington National Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the cap ...
.
Seabury was a superior organizer and a strict churchman. Seabury's "Farmer's Letters" rank him as the most vigorous American loyalist controversialist and, along with his prayers and devotional writings, one of the greatest masters of style of his period. His printed sermons and essays enjoyed wide readership well after his death.
Consecrators
![Consecration-of-Samuel-Seabury](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Consecration-of-Samuel-Seabury.jpg)
*
Robert Kilgour
Robert Kilgour (1714–1790) was a Scottish clergyman who served in the Scottish Episcopal Church as Bishop of Aberdeen from 1768 to 1786 and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church from 1782 to 1788. He was an outspoken supporter of the Jaco ...
, 39th
Bishop of Aberdeen
The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nech ...
*
Arthur Petrie
Arthur Petrie (died 19 April 1787) was the 37th bishop of the Diocese of Ross and Moray of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was one of the three bishops to consecrate Samuel Seabury
Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the ...
, 37th
Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness
The Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness is the ordinary of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness.
The bishop's seat ( cathedra) is located at the Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Inverness, Scotland. The current bishop is ...
*
John Skinner,
coadjutor Bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...
of Aberdeen
Samuel Seabury was the
first bishop consecrated for the
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...
.
Family
His brother
David Seabury
David Seabury (1885 – 1 April 1960) was an American psychologist, writer, and lecturer. While practicing as a consulting psychologist in New York City, he published fifteen books.
He founded the Centralist School of Psychology, was the founder ...
was a Loyalist who moved to
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
. He returned to the United States in 1806.
Seabury married Mary Hicks in 1756. His father-in-law Edward Hicks provided financial assistance to Seabury.
His son Charles (1770–1844) was rector in various Long Island churches.
A nephew, Seabury Tredwell, was the owner of the
Old Merchant's House in Manhattan, now a museum.
A grandson,
Samuel Seabury (1801–1872)
Samuel Seabury (1801–1872) was an American Protestant Episcopal clergyman, grandson of Bishop Samuel Seabury. He was born at New London, Conn., was ordained priest in the Protestant Episcopal church (1828), was editor of '' The Churchman'' ...
was an
American Episcopal clergyman, as was that Seabury's son,
William Jones Seabury William Jones Seabury (November 19, 1837 – August 30, 1916) was an American Episcopal priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and ...
.
Veneration
![Seabury Holy Card](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Seabury_Holy_Card.jpg)
On September 12, 1849, the relics of Samuel Seabury were
translated
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
to the Church of
St. James the Great in
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
, Connecticut, and buried under the
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ove ...
. The service was conducted like any other funeral from the
Prayerbook, but with particular solemnity.
Wisdom
Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, ...
5:1-17 was read along with the Psalm ''
Exurgat Deus'' as a Thanksgiving''.'' After the recitation of the
Nicene Creed
The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...
, the Rev. Dr. Jarvis gave the
benediction
A benediction (Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the expositio ...
. ''The Colonial Church Chronicle and Missionary Journal'' wrote about the service: "The venerable relics consisted of the entire skeleton of the departed Prelate, from which every other portion of the body had disappeared. The bones were in a good state of preservation; the head was uncommonly large, and not without some distinguishing characteristics, resembling those of the portraits. The sight of such a sacred memorial deeply affected the little circle of spectators who beheld in silence, and with heads instinctively uncovered. A company of brethren in the Priesthood were standing together over the dust of him to whom they felt in common the obligations of children, and the deeper reverence of spiritual sons for a patriarch of the Church, and a sore-tried confessor of the truth of God." Th
Seabury Societygives September 12 as an additional day of commemoration: The Translation of Samuel Seabury's Relics.
Seabury is celebrated with a
commemoration
Commemoration may refer to:
*Commemoration (Anglicanism), a religious observance in Churches of the Anglican Communion
*Commemoration (liturgy), insertion in one liturgy of portions of another
*Memorialization
*"Commemoration", a song by the 3rd a ...
in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
on
November 14
Events Pre-1600 1601–1900
*1680 – German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.
* 1770 – James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile.
* ...
, and his consecration is honored with a feast in the
Episcopal Church (USA)
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
and the
Anglican Church in North America
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba ...
on the same date. The observance is also found in other Anglican churches including the
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church co ...
''
Book of Alternative Services
The ''Book of Alternative Services'' (''BAS'') is the contemporary, inclusive-language liturgical book used in place of the 1962 ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) in most parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, ...
'' and the
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
''Revised Scottish Calendar, 1991''. The Rt. Rev.
Arthur Cleveland Coxe
Arthur Cleveland Coxe (May 10, 1818 - July 20, 1896) was the second Episcopal bishop of Western New York. He used Cleveland as his given name and is often referred to as A. Cleveland Coxe.
Biography
He was the son of the Reverend Samuel Hanso ...
, the Bishop of Western New York, composed a poem
Seabury's Mitre for his commemoration. This poem has since bee
set to musicby the Seabury Society to be sung as an anthem on Seabury's Feast Day.
There have been several
Anglican Devotional Societies which have borne Bishop Seabury's name committed to his veneration, the earliest dating to 1844 and the most recent being reestablished in 2019 by members of the
Anglican Church in North America
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba ...
.
Honors
Seabury Hall, at
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, is named after Samuel Seabury. An Episcopal seminary,
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (SWTS) was a seminary of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, located in Evanston, Illinois.
It ceased operations as a residential seminary granting the Master of Divinity degree in May 201 ...
, memorializes his honored position in the church.
Bishop Seabury Academy
Bishop Seabury Academy is a private, co-educational, Episcopal middle school and high school (grades 6–12) in Lawrence, Kansas. The school is accredited by ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) and is a member of KSHSA ...
in
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
, and
Seabury Hall
Seabury Hall is a private college preparatory school in Makawao (on the island of Maui). It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1964 and serves middle and high school students. Seabury Hall has been designated as a U.S. ...
in
Makawao, Hawaii
Makawao is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakala on East Maui, the community is known for being the hub of the "Upc ...
, are private schools, affiliated with the Episcopal Church, that also honor Seabury in the naming of their schools.
Publications
*
Letters of a Westchester Farmer' (1774-5)
*
' (1786)
* ''
An Earnest Persuasive to Frequent Communion'' (1789)
* ''Hamilton's View of the Controversy between Great Britain and her Colonies'' as "A. W. Farmer"
* The Errors of Calvinism n.p. 1766 ST2
* A View of the Controversy between Great-Britain and Her Colonies. New York 1774
* Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress New York 1774
* The Congress Canvassed. New York 1774
* An Alarm to the Legislature of the Province of New-York, Occasioned by the Present Political Disturbances. New York 1775
* A Discourse on Brotherly Love, Preached before the Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, of Zion Lodge, at St. Paul’s Chapel, in New York, on the Festival of St. John the Baptist, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven. New York 1777 SUI
* A Discourse on II Tim. III. 16. Delivered in St. Paul’s and St. George’s Chapels, in New-York, on Sunday the 11th of May, 1777. New York 1777 SUI
* St. Peter’s Exhortation to Fear God and Honor the King, Explained and Inculcated: in a Discourse Addressed to His Majesty’s Provincial Troops, in Camp at King’s Bridge, on Sunday the 28th Sept. 1777. New York 1777 Attributed although doubtful. SUI
* A Sermon Preached before the Grand Lodge, and the Other Lodges of Ancient Freemasons, in New-York, at St. Paul’s Chapel, on the Anniversary of St. John the Evangelist, 1782. New York 1783 SUI
* Samuel, by Divine Permission, Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the State of Connecticut
njunction regarding political prayersn.p. 1785 Broad-side SUI, ST2
* Bishop Seabury’s Second Charge, to the Clergy of His Diocess
ic Delivered at Derby, in the State of Connecticut, on the 22d of September, 1786. New Haven 1786 SUI
* Forms of prayer for the United States in Congress Assembled 1786 Only a fragment survives
* The Address of the Episcopal Clergy of Connecticut, to the Right Reverend Bishop Seabury, with the Bishop’s Answer and, a Sermon, Before the Convention at Middletown, August 3d, 1785...Also Bishop Seabury’s first Charge, to the Clergy of his Diocess
ic Delivered at Middletown, August 4, 1785. With a List of the Succession of Scot’s Bishops, from the Revolution 1688, to the present Time. New Haven 1786 The Charge is paginated separately.
* The Communion-Office, or Order for the Administration of the Holy Eucharist or Supper of the Lord. With Private Devotions. Recommended to the Episcopal Congregations in Connecticut. New London 1786
* A Sermon Delivered before the Boston Episcopal Charitable Society in Trinity Church; at Their Anniversary Meeting on Easter Tuesday March 25, 1788. Boston 1788 SUI
* A Sermon Preached in Christ Church, Philadelphia, Before the Corporation for the Relief of the Widows and Children of Clergymen at their Anniversary Meeting, October 7, 1789. Philadelphia 1789 SUI
* An Earnest Persuasive to Frequent Communion; Addressed to Those Professors of the Church of England, in Connecticut, Who Neglect That Holy Ordinance. New Haven 1789 SUI
* The Duty of Considering our Ways. A Sermon Preached in Saint James Church, New-London, on Ashwednesday, 1789. New London 1789
* An Address to the Ministers and Congregations of the Presbyterian and Independent Persuasions in the United States of America, by a Member of the Episcopal Church New Haven 1790 SUI
* A Discourse, Delivered in St. John’s Church, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at the Conferring the Order of Priesthood on the Rev. Robert Fowle, A.M. of Holderness, on the Festival of St. Peter, 1791. 1791 SUI
* A Discourse Delivered before the Triennial Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Trinity Church, New York, on the Twelfth Day of September, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety-Two. New York 1792 SUI
* Discourses on Several Subjects. New York 1793
* Samuel, by Divine Permission, Bishop of Connecticut and Rhode Island
egarding the deposition of James Sayren.p. 1793 Broad-side SUI
* A Discourse Delivered in St. James’ Church, in New-London, on Tuesday the 23d of December, 1794, Before an Assembly of Free and Accepted Masons, Convened for the Purpose of Installing a Lodge in that City New London 1794
* A Burial Office for Infants Who Depart this Life before they have Polluted their Baptism by Actual Sin n.p. 1795 SUI
* A Discourse Delivered Before an Assembly of Free and Accepted Masons, Convened for the Purpose of Installing a Lodge in the City of Norwich, in Connecticut, on the Festival of St. John the Baptist, 1795. Norwich 1795
* Samuel, By Divine Permission, Bishop of Connecticut and Rhode-Island…
haritable fundNew London 1795 SUI
* Samuel, By Divine Permission, Bishop of Connecticut and Rhode-Island…
lgerian CaptivesNew London 1795 ST2
* The Psalter or Psalms of David, Pointed as They are to be Sung or Said in Churches. With the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer Daily Throughout the Year.
lso containing the Athanasian Creed, the Litany, Prayers for special occasions, Thanksgivings, and a CatechismNew London 1795
Discourses on Several Important Subjects New York 1798
In popular culture
Seabury appears briefly in the 2015 musical
''Hamilton'' written by
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...
in the song "Farmer Refuted".
He was played in the original cast by Thayne Jasperson.
See also
*
*
List of Episcopal bishops of the United States
The following is a list of bishops who currently lead dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States and its territories. Also included in the list are suffragan bishops, provisional bishops, coadjutor bishops, and assistant bishops ...
*
Historical list of the Episcopal bishops of the United States
*
William Jones Seabury William Jones Seabury (November 19, 1837 – August 30, 1916) was an American Episcopal priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
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*
*
*
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External links
*
*
*
Scottish Roots of the Episcopal Church' on the Scottish History website
at
Project Canterbury Project Canterbury (sometimes abbreviated as PC) is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999 with a grant from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, and is ho ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seabury, Samuel
1729 births
1796 deaths
People from New London, Connecticut
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18th-century Anglican bishops in the United States
Loyalists in the American Revolution from Connecticut
American bishops
Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Episcopal Church in Connecticut
American military chaplains
People from Hempstead (village), New York
British North American Anglicans
Anglican saints
American Revolution chaplains
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
People of colonial Connecticut
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18th-century Anglican theologians