CHAPTER XI.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

First General Convention.-Various opinions in the Church.-Influence of Dr. White.-Prayer-book altered.-Address to the English Prelates.-Reply from the English Archbishops.Election and Consecration of two American Bishops.-Constitution of the Church revised.-Dr. Coke proposes a reunion of the Methodists with the Church.-Assistant Bishops appointed. The House of Bishops acquires the right of negative.-Increase of the Church.-Western country nearly lost to the Church.-Diocese of Vermont organized.-General Theological Seminary and Washington College instituted. -Bishop Chase and others consecrated.-The Church quadruples its numbers in twenty-four years.-Missionary Society established.-Alexandria Seminary, Kenyon College, and Kentucky Seminary instituted.-General Convention of 1835. -Missionary Bishops.-Death of Bishop White.-His cha

racter.

On the 25th of September, 1785, the first General Convention was held in the city of Philadelphia. Seven states were represented, namely, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. The Church had been thrown entirely on its own resources, like an

infant deprived of the sympathy and guidance of a careful parent. It might, therefore, be expected that many crude opinions would exhibit themselves in this assembly, and that little unanimity would prevail in regard to the course necessary to be taken in future. The former was actually realized; the latter was providentially averted. In the north, the ideas of Churchmen on the subject of Episcopacy were generally correct and well defined, by reason of their frequent collisions with the dominant body of congregational dissenters. In the south, where church government had not been so much a subject of controversy, many singular views existed. In Maryland and elsewhere, the doctrine was held by Episcopalians, that a presbyter can perform all the functions of a bishop, excepting confirmation and ordination. The opinion was common among those of the middle states that the laity possessed a right to sit in convention with the clergy. This was defended as a natural consequence of the principle of following the Church of England; and it was pleaded that in no other way could a substitute be provided for the parliamentary sanction to legislative acts of power. But on the other hand, it was maintained that the admission of the laity to an ecclesiastical synod was incongruous with every idea of episcopal government. This latter sentiment was held by Bishop Seabury and his clergy,

in common with the Episcopal Church of Scotland. Some again were anxious to defer all measures towards the organization of the Church until a regu-. lar episcopate should have been obtained; while others were ready to establish an ecclesiastical system, under the control of presbyters, until bishops could be procured.

The moderate and conciliatory measures of Dr. White, the Cranmer of the American Church, and then president of the convention, contributed much towards the settlement of difficulties, and the first convention was concluded with a degree of harmony greater than, under existing circumstances, could have been anticipated. During this convention the articles of union were ratified which had been proposed in the informal meeting at New York. An ecclesiastical constitution was likewise framed which provided for a convention of the Church in each state, and also for a triennial General Convention, consisting of a clerical and lay deputation from the several states. Considerable alterations in the Prayer-book were also proposed, of which some were in accommodation to the new government of the country; others were, perhaps, expedient as improvements, and a few not only unnecessary, but altogether improper. Finally, a document was drawn up by unanimous consent, addressed to the English archbishops and

bishops, acknowledging the past favours received from them through the Propagation Society, declaring the desire of the convention to perpetuate the principles of the Church of England, and requesting the prelates to consecrate to the episcopate those persons who should be sent with that view from America.

This address was forwarded to the Archbishop of Canterbury through the American minister, John Adams, afterwards President of the United States. Early in 1786, an answer was received, signed by the two archbishops and eighteen of the twenty-four bishops of England, in which they declared their wish to comply with the request, but wisely stated that they must delay measures to that effect until they should have become fully acquainted with the alterations proposed by the convention. A letter soon afterwards arrived from the two archbishops, expressing their disapproval of several alterations, but stating that they expected to obtain an act of parliament, under which, if satisfaction should be given, they would feel at liberty to consecrate for America.

In consequence of the receipt of these communications, two special General Conventions were held in 1786, in the course of which, the constitution framed in the preceding year was adopted with some amendments, a second address was directed to

the English prelates, and several objectionable alterations in the Prayer-book were removed. It also appeared that Dr. Provoost had been duly elected to the episcopate for New York; Dr. White, for Pennsylvania; and Dr. Griffith, for Virginia. The two former embarked for England in November in the same year, and on the 4th of February, 1787, were consecrated, according to an act of parliament, by Dr. Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury, and soon afterwards returned to America. Dr. Griffith was prevented by domestic circumstances from prosecuting his intended voyage, and tendered his resignation to the convention of Virginia by which he had been elected.

The triennial convention assembled again in 1789, and was followed by a special convention in the same year. During these sessions the constitution formed in 1786 was reviewed and new modelled. The principal feature now given to it was a distribution into two houses, one consisting of the bishops, and the other of the clerical and lay deputies. Bishop Seabury and the northern clergy attended on this occasion, and a permanent union of the Church was happily consummated. The Prayer-book was arranged as it now stands with the exception of a few minor alterations, and the addition of some occasional services. The canons were also established in a form which still

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