unless the same should have been proposed at a previous

convention.

The whole body of the canons was reviewed, and underwent considerable alterations.

A committee was appointed, to address the Church in the different states. The objects in view, were to procure a more full attendance on future conventions, and to extend the Episcopacy to the western states.

"The Office of Induction," established by the last convention, was changed in name to "The Office of Institution," and rested on recommendation, not on requisition, as before.

The sense of the two houses was given on two points, which had created diversity of opinion and of practiceWhether a minister ought to officiate at the funeral of any person killed in a duel; and-Whether a minister should unite in marriage any person who has been divorced; unless it be on account of the other party's having been guilty of adultery. Both these questions were decided in the negative.

There was also introduced into the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, on recommendation of the Church in Maryland, the subject of marriage, as connected with the degrees of consanguinity and affinity. But on communication of the matter to the House of Bishops, it was, on their recom mendation, referred to a future convention.

Thirty hymns were added to the Book of Psalms and Hymns.

As ordained by a canon of the last convention, a pastoral letter from the House of Bishops to the members of this Church was drawn up by them, communicated to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, and there read.

On the rising of the convention, New-Haven, in the state of Connecticut, was appointed as the next place of meeting. The session was ended, by an attendance on the morning service of the day, which was the festival of the Ascension. P.

Agreeably to the aforesaid appointment, the next General Convention was held in the city of New-Haven, on Tuesday, the 21st of May, 1811. It continued in session until Friday, the 24th. Only Bishops White and Jarvis, of the House of Bishops, were present. The Church in nine states was represented.

They ratified the amendment to the constitution proposed at the last convention, restraining from alterations of the

liturgy, except such as may be proposed at one convention and determined on at another.

On the subject of the canons, nothing was done, except the repealing of the last, or forty-sixth of the canons, as passed at the last convention, entitled, " Providing for inaking known the Constitution and Canons of the Church."

The rule prohibiting the officiating at the funerals of persons killed in duels, was so far moderated, as to allow of the same, if, on any occasion, the party in question had manifested repentance.

There were some communications made in regard to the western churches, and the extending of the Episcopacy to them; but a plan to that effect was not yet matured. Further attention to the subject was committed to the bishops of this Church in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The attendance of so few of the bishops; three of the four absent bishops being prevented by bodily indisposition, and the remaining bishop being absent by indispensable engagements; it was agreed not to take up, at present, the important subject of marriages, within certain degrees of consanguinity and affinity.

A pastoral address was sent by the bishops to the other house, to be printed with the journal, agreeably to a requisition of the forty-fifth canon.

It had been expected, that on the occasion of this convention, there would have been a consecration of two bishops of the Rev. Dr. John Henry Hobart, chosen assistant bishop for the state of New-York; and the Rev. Alexander Viets Griswold, chosen bishop for the four states of Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode-Island. The expectation was disappointed, by the want of the canonical number on the spot. But the testimonials of the bishops elect were signed; and the two bishops present repaired with them to the city of NewYork; where, with the assistance of the Right Rev. Bishop Provoost, whose indisposition, although, with difficulty, permitted his attendance in the place of his residence, and with the assistance of Bishop Jarvis, the consecration was performed, by the presiding bishop, on the 29th of May, in Trinity Church, in the said city.

It was referred to the presiding bishop, "to address a letter, in behalf of this convention, to the venerable Society in England for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, informing them that the Church in the state of Vermont is duly organized, and in union with the Protestant Episcopal

Church in the United States, being placed under the jurisdiction of the bishop of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, and Vermont; that a board of trustees of donations to the Church has been incorporated in the state of Massachusetts; and that, in the opinion of this convention, the society may safely confide the care of their lands in Vermont to such attorney or attornies as may be recommended by the said board of trustees, and approved of by the ecclesiastical convention of Vermont."

When the convention arose, it was agreed to hold the next Triennial Convention in the city of Philadelphia. Q.

The next Triennial Convention was held, agreeably to appointment of that of 1811, in the city of Philadelphia, from Tuesday, the 17th of May, to Tuesday, the 24th of the same month, in the year 1814. The bishops present at it were, Bishop White, of the Church in Pennsylvania; Bishop Hobart, the assistant bishop of the Church in NewYork; Bishop Griswold, of the Eastern Diocese; Bishop Dehon, of South-Carolina; and, the second day of the session, Bishop Richard C. Moore, of Virginia.

In the last mentioned state, the Church had been for many years, more and more under a decline. On the decease of Bishop Madison, there had ensued a difficulty in the choice of a successor, until a few gentlemen, some of the clerical and some of the lay order, suggested the choice of the gentlemen mentioned above, who had acquired considerable popularity in the city of New-York; wherein there was a large congregation under his ministry. The defect of Episcopal maintenance was expected to be surmounted, by connecting the office of bishop with that of the rectory of a church recently erected in the city of Richmond, on the site of a theatre, destroyed a few years before by a fire, wherein a considerable proportion of the inhabitants had been consumed. The requisite testimonials having been furnished, Dr. Moore was consecrated in St. James' Church, Philadelphia, by the presiding bishop, assisted by Bishops Hobart, Griswold, and Dehon. The sermon preached at the opening of the convention, serving for the consecration also, was by Bishop Hobart, of NewYork. He supplied the place of Bishop Claggett, of Maryland, who was kept away by indisposition.

Bishop Dehon had been consecrated. October 15th, 1812. in Christ Church. in the city of Philadelphia, by the presiding bishop, assisted by Bishops Jarvis and Hobart.

There were three canons passed at this convention. One of them was concerning the alms and contributions at the holy communion. They are subjected to the distribution of the minister, or such person as they may be committed to by him. The provision was designed to limit munificence of this description to poor communicants, and to sustain a pastoral intercourse with them. The cause of interposition in this matter, was some proposals of appropriation said to have been made, for Church purposes indeed, but wide of the original design of the oblations at the Lord's table.

The next canon was explanatory of the twenty-ninth, guarding against the effect of its excluding from diocesan conventions and votès in the choice of bishops, of uninstituted ministers and deacons, where these are not excluded by the respective diocesan constitutions; and further, against the extending of the Office of Institution to gatherings of persons not bound together by a common interest in a place of worship.

The remaining canon was a repeal of so much of the forty-fifth, as requires the reading, in the General Convention, of the parochial reports entered on the journals of the different state conventions. The design of this, was to devolve on the Church in each state, the preparing of a report of its concerns. Accordingly, this was provided for by a separate resolve.

There was also entered on the journal an explanation of the nineteenth canon, which regulates the dress of candidates for orders, and other particulars relative to them. The explanation goes to the point, that such provisions are merely a guard against popular mistakes.

At the instance of the clerical members from the diocese of Connecticut, who acted under instructions from the convention of that state, the bishops gave their sense of some matters in the ninth canon, and in the fortieth. Their sense, which was sanctioned by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, is as follows:

The ninth canon having provided, that some literary qualifications, therein specified, may be dispensed with, in consideration of certain other qualifications of the candidate for the ministry, the bishops define the latter to be, a considerable extent of theological learning, a peculiar aptitude to teach, and a large share of prudence. The fortieth canon having referred to persons, who join a congregation of this Church from some other religious society, the bishops

rested the evidence of the membership of such a congregation on the two circumstances, of their being baptized persons, and of their possessing an interest in its concerns, by express or implied permission. But there is a caution against its being supposed, that a more definite mode for the same object may not hereafter be profitably adopted. It was thought proper, in this convention, to issue a declaration, that the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, is the Church formerly known among us under the name of "the Church of England in America." Accordingly, an instrument to this effect was drawn up by the bishops, and received the approbation of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies.

At the suggestion of the bishops, the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies joined them in an instrument, designed for the introduction of the posture of standing during the singing of any portion of the psalms or hymns in metre. This comely practice had recently been introduced in some of the congregations of this Church, in all of which, it was heretofore the custom to sit during that act of devotion.

In consideration of the scarcity of the Homilies of the Church of England, and of their being recognised by the articles of this Church, although with due regard to the diversity of local circumstances, the two houses made a provision, which has occasioned an edition of them in this country. In the event of a failure of this, they were to be provided for the use of candidates for the ministry, by the bishops, or other ecclesiastical authorities in the respective

states.

On the journal of the last Triennial Convention, the providing for an Episcopacy in the western states was held out as a desirable object. Intermediate circumstances having prevented the acting on this business, it was again held out as a matter to be kept in view.

On the same journal there was recorded a measure, designed to obtain from the Society (in England) for Propagating the Gospel, a legal title to lands in Vermont, originally appropriated for the Episcopal Church in those states, but vested in that society in trust. All proceeding in this business was suspended, at first by the circumstance that the necessary documents were not in preparation; and since, by the occurrence of the war.

* Published in 1815 by T. & J. Swords, and may now be had at the store of Swords, Stanford, & Co. New-York. Publishers.