his Canonical residence, shall lay before the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese in which he designs to reside, a testimonial from the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese in which he has last resided, in the following form, viz. :"I hereby certify, that A. B., who has signified to me his desire to be transferred to the Diocese of , is a Presbyter (or Deacon) of this Diocese, in regular standing, and has not, so far as I know or believe, been justly liable to evil report for error in religion, or viciousness of life, during the three years last past."

When the ecclesiastical authority think proper, further statements may be added to the above letter.

Sect. 2. But in case the Minister desiring to be transferred, has been subjected to inquiry or presentment on any charge or charges of misconduct, thereby rendering the terms of the aforesaid testimonial inadmissible, he may nevertheless be transferred, if the charges have been withdrawn with the approbation of the ecclesiastical authority, or if he have been acquitted upon trial, or if he have been censured or suspended, and the sentence has had its course, so that he has been restored to the regular discharge of his official duties. And in all such cases, the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese concerned, shall, instead of the foregoing testimonial, certify to a statement of the facts, with as much detail as may be necessary to inform the ecclesiastical authority to which he desires to be transferred, of the true standing of the party.

Sect. 3. The ecclesiastical authority, in all cases under this Canon, is to be understood to refer to the Bishop of the Diocese, or in case there be no Bishop, to the majority of the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee, duly convened. And if the Clergyman desiring to be received, come from a State or Territory not in connexion with this Church, and having no Convention, then the above

testimonial or statement shall be signed by at least three Presbyters of this Church. Nor shall any Minister so removing, be acknowledged by any Bishop or Convention as a Minister of the Church to which he removes, until he shall have produced the aforesaid testimonial or state

ment.

Sect. 4. The above testimonial or letter of dismission, shall not affect the Canonical residence of the Minister receiving it, until he shall be received into some other Diocese by the Bishop or ecclesiastical authority thereof.

Sect. 5. Whenever any Bishop of this Church, or where there is no Bishop, the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee, shall give letters of dismission to any Clergyman of the Diocese proposing to remove into another, the Bishop, or where there is no Bishop, the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee, shall give notice of the same to the Bishop, or ecclesiastical authority to whom the letters of dismission are directed; and if the Clergyman to whom the letters of dismission are given shall not present them to the Bishop or ecclesiastical authority to whom they are directed, within three months after he shall have taken up his abode in the Diocese to which he has removed, the letters of dismission shall be null and void.

Sect. 6. The thirty-fifth Canon of 1832 is hereby repealed.

CANON V.-Amenability and Citations.

[Former Canons on this subject were the third of 1804; the thirtyfirst of 1808; the fourth of 1829, and the thirty-fifth of 1832.]

Sect. 1. Every Minister shall be amenable, for offences committed by him, to the Bishop, and if there be no Bishop, the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee of the Diocese, in which he is Canonically resident, at the time of the charge.

Sect. 2. Unless a State Convention shall otherwise provide, a Citation, to any Minister to appear at a certain time and place for the trial of an offence shall be deemed to be duly served upon him, if a copy thereof is left at his last place of abode, within the United States, sixty days before the day of appearance named therein; and, in case such Minister has departed from the United States, by also publishing a copy of such Citation in some newspaper, printed at the seat of government of the State, in which the Minister is cited to appear, six months before the said day of appearance.

CANON VI. Of the Mode of Publishing authorized Editions of the Book of Common Prayer, &c.

[Repealed by the ninth Canon of 1838.]

CANON VII.—Of the Mode of securing an Accurate View of the State of the Church from time to time.

[Former Canons on this subject were the eleventh of 1804; the forty-fifth of 1808; the third of 1814; the first and third of 1820, and the fifty-first of 1832.]

Sect. 1. As a full and accurate view of the state of the Church, from time to time, is highly useful and necessary, it is hereby ordered, that every Minister of this Church shall present, or cause to be delivered, on or before the first day of every Annual Convention, to the Bishop of the Diocese, or where there is no Bishop, to the President of the Convention, a statement of the number of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, and Funerals, and of the number of Communicants in his Parish or Church, and of all other matters that may throw light on the state of the same; and these Parochial Reports, or such parts of them as the Bishop shall think fit, shall be read and en

And every

tered on the Journals of the Convention. other Clergyman not regularly settled in any Parish or Church, shall also report to the ecclesiastical authority of his Diocese the occasional services he may have performed; and if he have performed no such services, the causes or reasons which have prevented the same.

Sect. 2. At every Annual Diocesan Convention, the Bishop shall deliver an Address, stating the affairs of the Diocese since the last meeting of the Convention; the names of the Churches which he has visited; the number of persons Confirmed; the names of those who have been received as Candidates for Orders, and of those who have been ordained, suspended, or degraded; the changes by death, removal, or otherwise, which have taken place among the Clergy; and, in general, all matters tending to throw light on the affairs of the Diocese; which Address shall be inserted on the Journal.

Sect. 3. At every General Convention, the Journals of the different Diocesan Conventions, since the last General Convention, together with such other papers, viz: Episcopal Charges, Addresses, and Pastoral Letters, as may tend to throw light on the state of the Church in each Diocese, shall be presented to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. A Committee shall then be appointed to draw up a view of the state of the Church, and to make report to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies; which report, when agreed to by the said House, shall be sent to the House of Bishops, with a request that they will draw up, and cause to be published, a Pastoral Letter to the members of the Church. And it is hereby made the duty of every Clergy.nan having a Pastoral Charge, when any such letter is published, to read the said Pastoral Letter to his Congregation on some occasion of public worship.

Sect. 4. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the

Convention of every Diocese, or of the person or persons with whom the Journals or other ecclesiastical papers are lodged, to forward to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, at every General Convention, the documents and papers specified in this Canon.

Sect. 5. It is recommended that the ecclesiastical authority of the Church in every Diocese, prepare a condensed report and a tabular view of the State of the Church, in their Diocese previously to the meeting of every General Convention, for the purpose of aiding the Committee on the State of the Church, appointed by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, in drafting their Report.

Sect. 6. The fifty-first Canon of 1832 is hereby repealed.

CANON VIII.-Of Defraying the Expenses of the General Convention.

[Repealed by the tenth Canon of 1838.]

CANONS

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Passed in General Convention, in Philadelphia, September, 1838.

CANON I-Of the Election of Bishops.

[Former Canons on this subject were the first of 1795; the second of 1808; the first of 1817; the second of 1820; the second of 1832, and the first of 1835.]

Sect. 1. Any Diocese in union with this Church, having at the time not less than six officiating Presbyters residing