Life before 1833: Charles Inglis and the vitality of the High Church tradition
Noting that the extension of the episcopacy to North America was necessary in order "complete the Polity of the National Church in this country", Inglis also emphasised the ordained ministry as of divine institution, with "the intention of our Lord in appointing these different orders" being "to promote the salvation of souls". In light of this, "Theology is the subject which should chiefly engage a Clergyman's time and attention", with particular attention drawn to "the primitive Fathers" and "the Apostolic Fathers", "which every clergyman should read".
He called his clergy to conformity to the BCP, an early expression of the "rubrical conformity" promoted in English and Irish High Church circles in the early decades of the 19th century, described by Nockles as "a Laudian pattern":
As Clergymen of the Church of England, you are under solemn engagements to conform to the Liturgy, Offices and Rubrics contained in the Book of Common Prayer ...
I must therefore request, and solemnly injoin you to observe a strict conformity to the Liturgy and Rubrics. This is a duty, from which no man can release you. You will find that it will be conducive to your usefulness, and to the benefit of religion. It is proper and necessary in the Clergy of our Church, every where, and at all times - it is peculiarly so in our situation.
Regarding Baptism, the concern of Inglis was to ensure the solemnity of the Sacrament:
It gives me concern to understand that the practice of administering Baptism in private houses prevails so much in some parts of this Diocese, that few children, in those parts, are brought to the Church to be baptised. These, amongst other, bad effects must follow this practice - it will diminish the solemnity of this holy Sacrament; and people will gradually lose a sense of its nature, design, benefits, and obligations thereby laid on the Baptised and their Sponsors. It will be considered as a mere outward ceremony, which custom has introduced, and be observed from custom only.
On the Holy Communion - and contrary to the oft-quoted and entirely atypical six communicants in St Paul's Cathedral on Easter Day 1800 - Inglis pointed to the "general practice" of monthly celebrations:
The Church of England requires that every Parishioner shall receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at least three times in the year, of which Easter is to be one. That they should have an opportunity of doing so, this Ordinance should be administered, not only at the three great feasts, Christmas, Easter, and Whitsunday, but as often as besides, as may be convenient. The general practice is, to have the Communion the first Sunday of each month; or once in six weeks - a practice which you would do well to introduce, if hitherto omitted.
Confirmation - previously absent, of course, from Anglican life in the North American colonies because of the lack of an episcopate - he robustly promotes as a practice of the "primitive Church", restating the normative robust Anglican theology of Confirmation during the long 18th century:
When Children, and others more advanced in years, are thus duly instructed, so that they can give an account of their faith according to the Catechism; they may then partake of that scriptural and beneficial Rite of Confirmation, which I shall hereafter, with God's assistance, administer in the several parts of this diocese, and elsewhere in my extensive charge, to such as are properly prepared. This Ordinance was religiously observed in the primitive Church, and attended with salutary effects - may it be productive of similar effects among us, and help to revive a spirit of true religion among us.
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