Seabury's Miter: On the Bestowal of the Episcopacy and a Vision for a Restored Western Orthodoxy

The Historic Blue Velvet Miter Made for Samuel Seabury, Commemorating the Establishment of the American Episcopacy by the Scottish Nonjuroring Episcopal Church

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

Introduction

On November 14, 1784, Samuel Seabury was consecrated as the first bishop of the American Episcopal Church by bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church. This event may appear simply as a historic moment of ecclesiastical necessity, providing the American church with apostolic succession and independence. Yet, to limit its significance to practical outcomes is to miss the broader spiritual and theological implications. This act by the Scottish Nonjurors represented not just a transmission of episcopal authority but a rekindling of a vision that had animated a powerful tradition within the English Patrimony for nearly two centuries - the dream of a restored Western Orthodoxy in communion with the Eastern Churches, profoundly and completely realized in the Ancient Church of the West.

Seabury's consecration has become an important commemoration of the Anglican commitment to this orthodox Catholic ideal - one held by the Caroline Divines and Nonjuring Fathers who had sought, by both personal communion and theological concordats, to reestablish the British Church as part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, rather than as a mere subset of Western Protestantism. The vision of the Nonjurors, with their roots in a deep theological affinity with the Eastern Orthodox tradition, remains more relevant than ever in a modern world where liberalism and theological erosion have led mainstream Anglicanism away from this original apostolic mission.

Bp. Samuel Seabury in a Contemporary Depiction

The Nonjuring Vision: A Western Orthodoxy in Communion with the East

The Caroline Divines, such great fathers and scholars as William Laud, Lancelot Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor, and John Cosin, were champions of an version of Anglicanism that was deeply committed to patristic principles, ancient doctrine and catholic continuity. They envisaged an English Church that was orthodox in its liturgical, sacramental, and ecclesiological identity, distinct yet fully part of the ancient, universal Church. This vision extended very clearly into the Nonjuror movement, a group of bishops and clergy who, in 1688, refused to swear allegiance to the usurping Protestant King William III due to their loyalty to the deposed Catholic King James II. The Nonjurors found themselves exiled and persecuted, outside of Protestant imperial control, the lone inheritors of the Caroline zeal for an Anglicanism fully united with Orthodoxy, one that was instead grounded in fidelity to the apostolic and catholic faith.

The Nonjurors pursued this vision in earnest, as shown by their remarkable efforts to establish formal communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church between 1717 and 1767. They engaged in dialogues with Orthodox hierarchs, exchanging correspondence, theological documents, and eventually drafting a concordat, which outlined their common beliefs and practices. They rejected Protestant innovations and upheld core doctrines of the ancient faith, from the real presence in the Eucharist to the veneration of saints, aligning closely with Orthodox theology and practice, while maintaining local autonomy, apostolic succession, and the ancient connection to pre-Roman Celtic Christianity.

A Missed Moment: The Tragic End of the Concordat

In 1717, the Nonjurors met with representatives from the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchates to draft a formal agreement of communion. The concordat affirmed shared beliefs, including the Nicene faith, rejection of Rome’s doctrinal additions, and the mutual recognition of the two Churches as authentic parts of the Apostolic Church. However, this promising relationship dissolved due to a combination of geopolitical factors and internal struggles within Eastern Orthodoxy. Most notably, the Jesuit influence at the Patriarchal Court in Constantinople led to an eventual repudiation of the concordat. Despite this setback, the Nonjuring movement continued to hold fast to their original vision of catholicity and orthodoxy. Bishop Thomas Deacon, one of the last influential Nonjurors, championed this important goal even as the Anglican establishment drifted more and more towards Presbyterianism and heretical Calvinism. His writings on the liturgical practices of the ancient British Church, his translation of the Liturgy of St. James, and his commitment to Orthodox doctrines marked the Nonjurors as the true heirs of the ancient faith in the West, reflected in the official name that they chose for their Church – the Orthodox British Church!

The Holy Nonjurors Being Forced into Exile by a Protestant Parliament, Here Shown Giving Blessings to the Pious Faithful as They are Marched to the Tower of London for Imprisonment

Seabury's Consecration: A Providential Fulfillment

Seabury’s consecration by the Scottish Nonjurors was a providential moment. In this act, the Nonjurors transmitted to Seabury not only the apostolic succession necessary to found an independent American Church but also a legacy of fidelity to an undivided, orthodox Christianity. This was the same Nonjuring Church that had sought communion with Orthodoxy, that had repudiated the secular intrusions of the State into Church affairs, proudly proclaiming "No King But Christ: No Church But Apostolic!" It is to their great credit that they had held fast to the catholicity of the ancient British Church and insisted upon its full restoration to outward Orthodoxy. Seabury’s episcopate was thus founded upon principles not of "Reformation" or "Protestation" but of restoration and continuity with the ancient faith.

The Scottish Episcopalians, direct heirs of the Nonjurors, imparted to Seabury a distinctly Orthodox and Catholic understanding of the episcopacy. Their version of the Eucharistic liturgy, the Scottish Communion Office, was directly influenced by patristic teachings and retained an Orthodox reverence for the mystery of the sacrament. The theological foundation laid by Seabury was a reminder that the American Church, though fully English in its heritage, was to be fully Orthodox in its doctrinal and historical identity.

The Nonjuror Legacy and the Mission of the Ancient Church of the West

Today, the vision of a restored Western Orthodoxy finds a custodian in the Ancient Church of the West. Unlike the mainstream Anglican Communion, which has often succumbed to liberalism and theological revisionism, the Ancient Church of the West seeks to fulfill the Nonjuring vision by upholding the doctrinal, liturgical, and apostolic foundations established in those formative years, returning to the ancient and apostolic vision of our patrimonial fathers. The Caroline and Nonjuring Fathers understood that the British Church was not merely a branch of Protestantism, but an important witness and remnant of the Undivided Catholic Church. Our Church, taking up this legacy, approach, succession and doctrinal commitments, has returned to communion with local Eastern Churches, respectful of and obedient to the ancient councils and fathers, and committed to the liturgy and sacraments as transformative encounters with the Divine. Through the Ancient Church of the West, the Nonjuring dream remains alive and dynamic. As we look back on Seabury’s consecration, we recognize that the episcopacy he received was not merely a tool of ecclesiastical independence. It was the continuation of a vision of a British Church, a Western Orthodoxy, standing shoulder to shoulder with its Eastern brethren in fidelity to the apostolic faith. The Ancient Church of the West, embracing the Nonjuring Fathers' doctrinal integrity, sacramental reverence, and apostolic continuity, fulfills this purpose today.

Conclusion: A Call to Modern Apostolic Fidelity

The commemoration of Seabury’s consecration is a call to restore the West’s orthodox heritage and renew the vision that defined the Caroline and Nonjuring Fathers. In our current age, where Anglicanism is fractured and compromised beyond repair, the Ancient Church of the West serves as a lighthouse of apostolic and orthodox continuity. We continue the work begun by the Nonjurors, reuniting the ancient churches of the East and West through doctrinal fidelity, liturgical reverence, and a firm rejection of theological innovations that undermines the unity of the faith around the world. Seabury’s consecration, therefore, was not just the beginning of an independent American episcopate. It was a reclamation of the British Church’s identity as a custodian of orthodox, catholic Christianity. In the Ancient Church of the West, we carry forward this legacy, not merely as an exercise in historical nostalgia but as a living witness to the truth of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, undivided and radiant in its witness to Christ.

COLLECT

Almighty and Everlasting God, who in every generation calls forth faithful shepherds to guard and guide Thy Church, we give Thee humble thanks for the consecration of Thy servant Samuel Seabury and for the holy vision of the Nonjuring Fathers, who sought the unity of Thy Church in faith, order, and truth. Grant that we, inspired by their steadfast devotion, may hold fast to the doctrine and fellowship of the Apostles and keep the faith once delivered to the saints. Strengthen Thy servants in the Ancient Church of the West, that we may walk in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, and in the hope of Thy everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.