Five Sermons

In Short

Five Sermons collects five major addresses delivered between 1888 and 1889 by Henry Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota. Spanning national centennial celebrations in the United States and international church gatherings in London, the book combines American historical narrative with an urgent call for global missionary action. Whipple defends traditional apostolic order while championing practical Christian service among marginalized populations, including Indigenous Americans and urban laborers. The text survives as a vivid document of late-nineteenth-century religious thought, blending patriotic memory, institutional history, and an earnest appeal for social justice.

The Story

The volume opens in October 1889 at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, where Whipple reflects on the century-long history of the American episcopate. He traces the roots of American self-governance to the 1619 Jamestown assembly, which protected local Indians and established early education. He recounts the colonial struggles of Church of England ministers, the founding of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts in 1701, and the key role of leaders like Samuel Adams, who set aside Puritan anti-episcopal bias to call for open prayer at the Continental Congress. Whipple details the consecration of Bishops Samuel Provost and William White in London in 1787, arguing that the Church provided crucial moral architecture for the fledgling republic. Turn-of-the-century challenges—such as urban poverty, industrial competition, and intellectual skepticism—must be met not with harsh denunciation, but with active Christian compassion.

The narrative shifts to the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. Whipple chronicles the harrowing path of the Revolutionary War, citing Washington praying in the woods at Valley Forge and Benjamin Franklin moving the constitutional convention to pray when debates ground to a halt. National survival, Whipple argues, depends entirely on maintaining a moral foundation. He warns against class divisions, political corruption, and the loss of religious faith, pointing to the horrors of the French Revolution as a counter-example.

Expanding his scope to global enterprise, Whipple highlights the spread of foreign missions. He recounts the life of David Livingstone, who died on his knees in an African hut after fighting the slave trade, and whose devoted followers carried his body nine months to the coast so he could be buried in Westminster Abbey. He describes progress in Japan, China, and the frozen expanses of North America, where bishops travel thousands of miles by snowshoe and canoe to preach to indigenous communities.

Addressing the Lambeth Conference in London, Whipple speaks to the shared destiny of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. He frames the Anglican communion as a uniquely balanced instrument capable of healing Christian divisions through its commitment to the sacraments and ancient creeds. Finally, speaking to the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, he urges individual believers to practice personal, brotherly outreach rather than harsh judgment. He closes with an anecdote about philanthropist George Peabody, who discovered late in life that the Holy Communion was not a badge for saints, but a divine gift for every humble seeker.

How It Unfolds

The colonial foundation Whipple outlines the origin of the American Episcopal Church, tracing its growth from early assemblies in Virginia through colonial persecutions to the establishment of the American episcopate after the Revolution.

The test of nationhood Reviewing the American Revolution and the drafting of the Constitution, the author attributes national survival to divine providence and highlights the prayers of leaders like Washington and Franklin during moments of deep crisis.

The global mission field The focus widens to international evangelism, illustrating heroic self-sacrifice through the life of David Livingstone in Africa and missionary bishops working in the Arctic and Asia.

The call for Christian unity Delivered at Lambeth Chapel, this section frames the Anglo-Saxon church as a unifying force intended to heal divisions across Christendom without imposing speculative dogmas.

Personal ministry and devotion The closing address emphasizes direct, loving outreach to individuals, reminding believers that true service requires personal faith and quiet sacrifice rather than institutional rhetoric.

The People

Henry Benjamin Whipple The author and preacher wants to awaken his listeners to their moral and missionary duties. He sees rising materialism and social friction as grave threats, and he ends his addresses with passionate appeals for unity, practical charity, and personal devotion.

George Washington Presented as the ideal Christian statesman, Washington wants to secure the independence and stability of the young republic. He faces naked troops, empty medicine chests, and political division, ultimately succeeding through steadfast prayer and reliance on providence.

David Livingstone The Scottish missionary wants to heal "the great sore of the world"—the African slave trade—and bring the Gospel to the interior of Africa. Facing disease, isolation, and hostile terrain, he dies on his knees in prayer, leaving behind a legacy that inspires his native followers to carry his body across the continent.

Samuel Adams Initially a staunch Puritan opposed to an American episcopate, Adams puts aside religious differences during the First Continental Congress to propose that an Episcopal minister open their sessions with prayer, choosing national unity over sectarian conflict.

George Peabody The wealthy philanthropist gives his fortune to fund southern schools after the Civil War but hesitates to participate in Church sacraments, believing them reserved for perfected saints. Upon learning that communion is a free gift of grace, he humbly receives it in his mother's church.

In Its Own Voice

"Puritan as I am, I move that the Rev. Dr. Duché, minister of Christ Church in this city, be asked to open this Congress with prayer." — Samuel Adams setting aside religious differences at the First Continental Congress.

"I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convinced I am that God governs in the affairs of men." — Benjamin Franklin appealing for daily prayer during the Constitutional Convention.

"The Great Spirit has called me. I am going on the last journey. I am not afraid, for Jesus is going with me and I shan't be lonesome on the road." — A dying Native American warrior expressing his peaceful confidence in faith.

What It's Really About

Five Sermons argues that human institutions—whether civil governments or religious bodies—cannot survive without a living moral foundation rooted in faith and practical brotherly love. Whipple confronts the growing industrial inequalities and intellectual skepticism of the late nineteenth century, insisting that denunciation and rigid theology will never solve social ills. Instead, he points to active self-sacrifice, non-sectarian cooperation, and personal outreach as the only effective responses to human suffering. The book addresses the central tension between formal institutional tradition and vital, compassionate action, demonstrating that true spiritual authority is earned not through hierarchy, but through humble service to the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten.

Why Read It Today

This collection appeals to readers interested in American religious history, nineteenth-century church movements, and the rhetoric of Gilded Age social reform. The style is clear, urgent, and deeply earnest, characteristic of Victorian pulpit eloquence at its most elevated. While the prose flows easily, modern readers may find the text's period attitudes—particularly its unquestioning belief in Anglo-Saxon cultural destiny and its nineteenth-century missionary framing—reflective of its era's specific worldview. Nevertheless, the volume offers a fascinating primary-source perspective on how historical memory, national identity, and religious obligation intersected in late-nineteenth-century America. Whipple’s vivid historical vignettes and sincere commitment to social justice give the sermons a lasting, human resonance.