city of Philadelphia on the third Tuesday in June, in the year of our Lord 1786, and for ever after once in three years, on the third Tuesday of June, in such place as shall be determined by the Convention; and special meetings may be held at such other times and in such place as shall be hereafter provided for; and this Church, in a majority of the States aforesaid, shall be represented before they proceed to business; except that the representation of this Church from two States shall be sufficient to adjourn; and in all business of the Convention freedom of debate shall be allowed.

II. There shall be a representation of both Clergy and Laity of the Church in each State, which shall consist of one or more Deputies, not exceeding four of each Order; and in all questions, the said Church in each State shall have one vote; and a majority of suffrages shall be conclusive. III. In the said Church in every State represented in this Convention, there shall be a Convention consisting of the Clergy and Lay Deputies of the congregation.

IV. The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England," shall be continued to be used by this Church, as the same is altered by this Convention, in a certain instrument of writing passed by their authority, intituled, "Alterations of the Liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in order to render the same conformable to the American Revolution and the Constitutions of the respective States."

V. In every State where there shall be a Bishop duly consecrated and settled, and who shall have acceded to the articles of this General Ecclesiastical Constitution, he shall be considered as a member of the Convention ex officio.

VI. The Bishop or Bishops in every State shall be chosen agreeably to such rules as shall be fixed by the respective Conventions; and every Bishop of this Church shall confine the exercise of his Episcopal office to his proper jurisdiction, unless requested to ordain or confirm by any church destitute of a Bishop.

VII. A Protestant Episcopal Church in any of the United States not now represented, may at any time hereafter be admitted, on acceding to the articles of this union.

VIII. Every clergyman, whether bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, shall be amenable to the authority of the Convention in the State to which he belongs, so far as relates to suspension or removal from office; and the Convention in each State shall institute rules for their conduct, and an equitable mode of trial.

IX. And whereas it is represented to this Convention to be the desire of the Protestant Episcopal Church in these States, that there may be further alterations of the Liturgy than such as are made necessary by the American Revolution; therefore the "Book of Common Prayer and Ad

ministration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England," as altered by an instrument of writing passed under the authority of this Convention, intituled "Alterations in the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England, proposed and recommended to the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America," shall be used in this Church when the same shall have been ratified by the

Conventions which have respectively sent Deputies to this General Con

vention.

X. No person shall be ordained or permitted to officiate as a minister in this Church, until he shall have subscribed the following declaration : "I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrines and worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church, as settled and determined in the Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, set forth by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in these United States."

XI. This General Ecclesiastical Constitution, when ratified by the Church in the different States, shall be considered as fundamental, and shall be unalterable by the Convention of the Church in any State.

The Hon. Mr. Duane, from the Committee for revising, etc., reported that they had, according to order, prepared a plan for obtaining the consecration of Bishops, and a draft of an address to the Most Reverend the Archbishops and the Right Reverend the Bishops of the Church of England, and were ready to report the same.

Ordered that the plan and draft now offered be received; which being done, and the same twice read and considered by paragraphs, was ordered to be transcribed.

The Convention then adjourned to 10 o'clock to-morrow morning.

WEDNESDAY, 5th October, 1785. The Convention met, according to adjournment; and the Rev. Mr. Provost read prayers.

Ordered, that the transcribed copy of the "Alterations in the Liturgy, to render it consistent with the American Revolution and the Constitution of the respective States," be read and considered by paragraphs; which being done,

Resolved, That the Liturgy shall be used in this Church as accommodated to the Revolution, agreeably to the alterations now approved of and ratified by this Convention. (1)

On motion, Resolved,-That the Fourth of July shall be observed by this Church for ever, as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the inestimable blessings of religious and civil liberty vouchsafed to the United States of America.

On motion, Resolved,-That the first Tuesday in Novem

(1) Neither of these, nor the alterations afterwards proposed, are printed in the Journal, as they will appear in the Book of Common Prayer, now in the press. (Note in original edition.)

ber in every year for ever, shall be observed by this Church as a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the fruits of the earth, and for all the other blessings of his merciful providence.

Ordered, that a Committee be appointed to prepare a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Fourth of July; and a Committee was accordingly appointed, viz., the Rev. Dr. Smith, the Rev. Dr. Magaw, the Rev. Dr. Wharton, and the Rev. Mr. Campbell.

Ordered, that the alterations in the Liturgy to be proposed to this Church, be read and considered by paragraphs; and the Convention made some progress therein.

The Rev. Dr. Smith, from the Committee to prepare a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Fourth of July, reported that they had prepared the same.

Ordered, that it be now received and read.

Ordered, that the said Report be read and considered by paragraphs; which being done,

-

Resolved, That the said form of prayer be used in this Church, on the fourth of July, for ever.

Then the Convention adjourned to 6 o'clock this evening.

WEDNESDAY EVENING, 6 o'clock.

The Convention met according to adjournment.

Ordered, that the consideration of the proposed alterations in the Liturgy be resumed.

Ordered, that the same be again read and considered by paragraphs; which being done, and the alterations agreed to, Resolved, That the said alterations be proposed and recommended to the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the States from which there are deputies to this Convention.

Ordered, that the alterations made in the articles be again read; which being done,

Ordered that the same be read and considered by paragraphs; which being done, and some time spent thereon,

Resolved, That the Articles, as now altered, be recommended to this Church, to be by them adopted in the next General Convention.

Ordered, that the plan for obtaining Consecration, and the address to the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England, be again read; which being done, the same was agreed to, and are as follow:

I. That this Convention address the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England, requesting them to confer the Episcopal character on such persons as shall be chosen and recommended to them for that purpose from the Conventions of this Church in the respective States.

II. That it be recommended to the said Conventions that they elect persons for this purpose.

III. That it be further recommended to the different Conventions, at their next respective sessions, to appoint committees, with powers to correspond with the English bishops, for the carrying of these resolutions into effect; and that until such committees shall be appointed, they be requested to direct any communications which they may be pleased to make on this subject, to the committee, consisting of the Rev. Dr. White, (President), the Rev. Dr. Smith, the Rev. Mr. Provost, the Hon. James Duane, and Samuel Powell and Richard Peters, Esquires.

IV. That it be further recommended to the different Conventions, that they pay especial attention to the making it appear to their Lordships, that the persons who shall be sent to them for consecration are desired in the character of Bishops, as well by the Laity as by the Clergy of this Church in the said States, respectively; and that they will be received by them in that character on their return.

V. And in order to assure their Lordships of the legality of the present proposed application, that the Deputies now assembled be desired to make a respectful address to the civil rulers of the States in which they respectively reside, to certify that the said application is not contrary to the Constitutions and laws of the same.

VI. And whereas the Bishops of this Church will not be entitled to any of such temporal honors as are due to the Archbishops and Bishops of the parent Church, in quality of Lords of Parliament; and whereas the reputation and usefulness of our Bishops will considerably depend on their taking no higher titles or stile than will be due to their spiritual employments; that it be recommended to this Church, in the States here represented, to provide that their respective Bishops may be called "The Right Rev. A. B., Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in C. D.," and, as a Bishop, may have no other title, and may not use any such stile as is usually descriptive of temporal power and dency.

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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND RIGHT REVEREND THE ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY AND YORK, AND THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

We the Clerical and Lay Deputies of the Protestant Episcopal Church in sundry of the United States of America, think it our duty to address your Lordships on a subject deeply interesting, not only to ourselves and those whom we represent, but, as we conceive, to the common cause of Christianity.

Our forefathers, when they left the land of their nativity, did not leave the bosom of that Church over which your Lordships now preside; but, as well from a veneration for Episcopal government, as from an attachment to the admirable services of our Liturgy, continued in willing connection with their ecclesiastical superiors in England, and were subjected to many local inconveniences, rather than break the unity of the Church to which they belonged.

When it pleased the Supreme Ruler of the universe, that this part of the British empire should be free, sovereign, and independent, it became the most important concern of the members of our Communion to provide for its continuance. And while, in accomplishing of this, they kept in view that wise and liberal part of the system of the Church of England which excludes as well the claiming as the acknowledging of such spiritual subjection as may be inconsistent with the civil duties of her children; it was nevertheless their earnest desire and resolution to retain the venerable form of Episcopal government handed down to them, as they conceive, from the time of the Apostles, and endeared to them by the remem brance of the holy Bishops of the primitive Church, of the blessed Martyrs who reformed the doctrine and worship of the Church of England, and of the many great and pious Prelates who have adorned that Church in every succeeding age. But however general the desire of compleating the Orders of our Ministry, so diffused and unconnected were the members of our Communion over this extensive country, that much time and negociation were necessary for the forming a representative body of the greater number of Episcopalians in these States; and owing to the same causes, it was not until this Convention that sufficient powers could be procured for the addressing your Lordships on this subject.

The petition which we offer to your Venerable Body is,-that from a tender regard to the religious interests of thousands in this rising empire, professing the same religious principles with the Church of England, you will be pleased to confer the Episcopal character on such persons as shall be recommended by this Church in the several States here represented— full satisfaction being given of the sufficiency of the persons recommended, and of its being the intention of the general body of the Episcopalians in the said States respectively, to receive them in the quality of Bishops.

Whether this our request will meet with insurmountable impediments, from the political regulations of the kingdom in which your Lordships fill such distinguished stations, it is not for us to foresee. We have not been ascertained that any such will exist; and are humbly of opinion, that as citizens of these States, interested in their prosperity, and religiously regarding the allegiance which we owe them, it is to an ecclesiastical source only we can apply in the present exigency.

It may be of consequence to observe, that in these States there is a separation between the concerns of policy and those of religion; that, ac