thousand dollars shall have been contributed in any state, ten thousand dollars shall be required for every additional trusteeship. The seminary is empowered to establish branches; and it is understood, that a branch school is to be forthwith established at Geneva, in New-York. W.

Another business of similar importance was brought before the two houses-that of a missionary society, designed by the last convention, but so strangely instituted, that the gentlemen named as managers found themselves incompetent to the purpose of the appointment. There was now a new scheme proposed by the bishops, more complete, and in every respect more reasonable than the former. The scheme had the concurrence of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. X.

The House of Bishops sent to the other house, an opinion explanatory of the last rubric in the communion service, which had been interpreted by some as dispensing with the reading of the ante-communion service, if a sermon were to follow. This was not to be acted on by the house to which it was sent, and accordingly they only noticed the communication. Y.

The presiding bishop laid before the House of Bishops a report on certain subjects committed to him by the last convention. They were, the calculating of a table of the days on which Easter will fall for two cycles of the moon, the making of necessary alterations in the calendar, and the ascertaining of errors in the book published by Hugh Gaine, in 1793, and made the standard Book of Common Prayer. It was proposed in the report to appoint a joint committee to establish another standard book in the recess. The report was sent to the other house, and required nothing on their part except concurrence in appointing a joint committee, which took place. Z.

When the convention adjourned, it was after prayers by the presiding bishop, and a short address by him, expressive of the feeling which possessed him, at so happy a conclusion, and so different from what had been apprehended. Then followed the singing of the 133d Psalm, and the Benediction.

The next General Convention was held in Philadelphia, from the 23d to the 26th day of May, 1823. The bishops present, were Bishop White, of Pennsylvania; Bishop Griswold, of the Eastern Diocese; Bishop Moore, of Virginia; Bishop Kemp, of Maryland; Bishop Croes, of New-Jersey; Bishop Bowen, of South-Carolina; Bishop

Chase, of Ohio; Bishop Brownell, of Connecticut; and, (after his consecration) Bishop Ravenscroft, of North-Carolina. Of the two absent, Bishop Hobart was detained by sickness.

The Rev. Dr. William Wilmer, of Virginia, was chosen president of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. The Rev. Ashbel Baldwin was chosen their secretary, and the Rev. John C. Rudd, their assistant secretary. The Rev. William H. De Lancey was chosen secretary of the House of Bishops.

The Church of Georgia was received into the union.

The Rev. John S. Ravenscroft, elected bishop of the Church in North-Carolina, being duly recommended to the bishops by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, was consecrated in St. Paul's Church, and took his seat in the House of Bishops.

Sundry communications from Bishop Chase, of Ohio, were received through the presiding bishop, by the House of Bishops, and it was referred to the presiding bishop to answer them. AA.

At the convention of 1820, a committee had been appointed, consisting of the presiding bishop, the Rev. George Boyd, and the Rev. Jackson Kemper, to make a collection of journals and other documents, connected with the history of the American Church. They made a report, which was accepted. BB.

A canon was passed, regulating the admission of candidates for holy orders, and repealing the first paragraph of the seventh canon of 1808. CC.

Another canon was passed, prescribing the mode of publishing authorized editions of the standard Bible of this Church.

The two houses concurred in approbation of a report made on the subject of the Theological Seminary.

On the subject of the Psalms and Hymns, a joint committee was appointed, consisting of the presiding Bishop, Bishop Hobart, and Bishop Croes, the Rev. William Meade, the Rev. Samuel F. Jarvis, D. D. the Rev. William A. Muhlenburg, the Rev. Jackson Kemper, the Rev. Samuel Turner, D. D. the Rev. Richard S. Mason, the Hon. Kensey Johns, the Hon. Robert H. Goldsborough, John Read, Esq. Edward J. Stiles, Esq. Tench Tilghman, Esq. Francis S. Key, Esq. and Peter Kean, Esq.

A report was made by a committee appointed at the last General Convention, on the subject of a standard edition

of the Holy Bible. The report was accepted; and a mode was appointed of publishing authorized editions. The approved edition was by Eyre and Strahan (London) in 1806 and 1812.

A report was made of the proceedings of the executive committee of the Missionary Society. During the session, there was a meeting held of the society in St. Paul's Church. The report of the executive committee was approved of by both houses, and the printing of it was ordered. DD.

A message was sent to the House of Bishops, concerning the American Colonization Society. The bishops, considering it rather of a political than of a religious nature, declined the proposal of sending a delegate to an intended meeting of that body, but expressed approbation of their object. The resolve of the bishops was sent to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, and was there read and returned. Nothing further was done in the business. EE.

A joint committee was appointed to report on the circumstances of different colleges in the United States, in reference to religious instruction given in them respectively, and on the practicability of establishing a seminary or seminaries for the education of youth, under the influence and authority of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The committee were the presiding Bishop, Bishops Bowen and Brownell, Rev. Dr. Wharton, Rev. Mr. Baldwin, Rev. Mr. Hooper, Mr. Kean, and Mr. Wilkins. FF.

The House of Clerical and Lay Deputies drew up a report on the state of the Church in the several diocesses, and sent it to the House of Bishops. That house returned it with their triennial pastoral letter, which was read.

There was a nomination of trustees of the General Theological Seminary, and a recommendation of further efforts for the increase of its funds.

During the session, a sermon was preached before the body by the presiding bishop, in St. Peter's Church, and a collection was made for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.

A plan was adopted for the defraying of the expenses of every General Convention.

The next meeting was appointed to be in the city of Philadelphia, on the first Tuesday in November, 1826.

As usual, the session was concluded with devotional exercises by the presiding bishop.

The next General Convention was held in St. Peter's Church, in the city of Philadelphia, from the 7th to the

15th of November, in the year 1826. All the bishops were present, except Bishop Moore, of Virginia; who, previously to the occasion, with the intention of attendance, had proceeded from that state to Hartford, in Connecticut; in which town he continued during the session, under the visitation of a very dangerous disease.

The Rev. Dr. Wilmer, of Virginia, was chosen president of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, and the Rev. Dr. Benjamin T. Onderdonk, of New-York, was chosen secretary; who, with permission of the house, appointed the Rev. George Weller, of Pennsylvania, assistant secretary. The Rev. William H. De Lancey, of the latter state, was chosen secretary of the House of Bishops.

The convention was opened by divine service, by a sermon from Bishop Bowen, of South-Carolina, and by the administration of the holy communion.

There was submitted to the two houses the organization of the Church in the state of Mississippi; which, being considered constitutional, the said Church was admitted into union, and a clerical deputy from it took his seat in the convention.

The most interesting business brought before the body, was that presented by the unanimous vote of the bishops, to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, for the shortening of the service in sundry particulars. This immediately produced a great excitement in the minds of many of the members, both clerical and lay; and it was especially a matter of surprise, that the proposal should come from the bishops, who had been thought by many too strict, and by none too lax in the requisition of conformity to the entire service. GG.

It would not appear from the journal, but is a fact which ought to be recorded in this place, that the proposal for abbreviation, as at first sent by the bishops, contained the limiting of the use of the litany to seasons and days especially appointed for humiliation. This occasioned so great a sensation in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, that the bishops tacitly withdrew their communication, and then presented it in the form in which it now appears on the journal, HH.

So far as regards the morning and the evening services, the proposed abbreviations were a permission to exercise discretion as to the number of psalms, and to the portions of lessons; provided, in regard to each lesson, there be at least fifteen verses. License was also given, in reference

to the calendar, that in churches in which there is the observance of what are called the prayer days, the minister may make his choice of a chapter intervening between one such day and another. The notoriety that the calendar was constructed with a view to a daily morning and evening service, is proof, that where this does not obtain, but there is service on Wednesdays and Fridays, it is conducive to edification to admit the proposed latitude. II.

Besides, the alterations in the morning and evening services, there were proposed two in the Office for Confirmation-both of them permissive. The first was a preface, confessed by all to be more suited to present times than that now in the book. The other was a prayer, substantially the same with the present, which was to remain, and the proposed alternative was because of offence taken in various places, at the following words in it liable to be misunderstood-“ and hast given them forgiveness of all their sins." For the preface and the prayer, see the Appendix, No. 33. KK.

In the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, there were not a few of the objectors, who would have found no difficulty as to the proposed alterations in the service, had they not been combined with a rubric, considered as requiring the recital of the ante-communion service, more explicitly than before. There was an endeavour to divide the two subjects; but this was impossible, as they constituted but one proposal from the bishops. In consequence of the adoption of the whole instrument, the sense of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies is now declared in favour of what the bishops have all along declared, and that unanimously, to be the meaning of the rubric, pronounced by so many to be dubious. LL.

After much discussion, the proposal of the bishops, comprehending the particulars which have been enumerated, was adopted by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, so far as is permitted by the constitution; that is, to be referred to the conventions of the different states, and to be acted on at the next General Convention. MM.

The business which may be thought the next in importance, is that concerning the Psalms in metre and the Hymns. On the first of these subjects, the committee were continued; no progress being made in it at this time. The other was brought to a consummation, the number being enlarged to two hundred and thirteen. There had been many meetings of the committee on that work; and

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