CHAP. I.

Constitu

ed.

As proposed by the meeting held in October, tion fram- 1784, in the city of New York, a convention of clerical and lay deputies was held in the city of Philadelphia, on the 27th of September, 1785, from seven of the thirteen United States, to wit, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. The proceedings of this Convention at its meetings in 1785 and 1786, and of the Convention of 1789, are given by Bishop White in his Memoirs, including the Constitution as recommended by the Convention of 1785, amended in 1786, and finally adopted with additional amendments in 1789. In reference to the work of these conventions Judge Hoffman says, (Law of the Church, p. 93):

It was before stated that in September, 1785, "the delegates from seven States met at Philadelphia. On the first of October, 1785, the draft of 66 'an Ecclesiastical Constitution was submitted to the "Convention by the Rev. Dr. Smith, of Maryland, "the chairman of a committee before appointed. It

was read by paragraphs and ordered to be trans"scribed. Nothing further was done in that con"vention. The second General Convention met "on the 20th of June, 1786. The Constitution was taken up and debated. Several alterations I were made, and on the 23d of June it was unanimously adopted. The title and preamble are as "follows:

"A General Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

"Whereas, In the course of Divine Providence, "the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United

States of America has become independent of all "foreign authority, civil or ecclesiastical."

“The preamble then recited the meeting of depu"ties in New York, in October, 1784, and the recom"mendation to send deputies to Philadelphia in order "to unite in a constitution of ecclesiastical govern"ment, agreeably to certain fundamental principles expressed in such recommendation, and pro"'ceeded

"And whereas, In consequence of the said recom"mendation and proposal, clerical and lay deputies “have been duly appointed from said Church, in the "states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,

Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina; "the said deputies being now assembled, and taking "into consideration the importance of maintaining "uniformity in doctrine, discipline, and worship in the "said Church, do hereby determine and declare:"

"Then followed the articles of the Constitution. "Most of these are substantially the same as those "now in force, as will be seen hereafter, when they "are stated at length."

"The eleventh article was as follows:

'The Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal "Church, in the United States of America, when ratified by the Church in a majority of the states. "assembled in General Convention, with sufficient power for the purpose of such ratification, shall be "unalterable by the Convention of any particular "state which hath been represented at the time of "such ratification." (Bioren 25).

CHAP. I.

"On the 24th of June, 1786, the following recom"mendation was passed: "That the several state "Conventions do authorize and empower the deputies "to the next General Convention, after we shall "have obtained a bishop or bishops in our Church, "to ratify a general Constitution respecting both the "doctrine and discipline of the Protestant Episcopal "Church."

"On the 10th of October, 1786, an adjourned "Convention was held, at which the chief business was the consideration of letters by the Arch"bishops, and Bishops of England. The states of "Virginia and Maryland were not represented in this "adjourned Convention. Copies of the proceedings were ordered to be sent to the standing committees." "The next meeting of the General Convention "was in July, 1789. Bishops White, Seabury, "and Provoost had then been consecrated. The "former attended and presided. A committee was "appointed to take into consideration the proposed Constitution, and to recommend such additions and "alterations as they should think proper."

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"On the 1st of August, 1789, the committee reported the Constitution. It consisted of nine "articles, and it was resolved, 'That the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th articles be adopted, and "stand in this order, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and "that they be a rule of conduct for this Convention; "and that the remaining articles, viz., the 3d and "9th, be postponed for future consideration.'”

"On the 7th of August, the Convention discussed "the two articles which had been postponed, and

which, after amendment, were agreed to. The "Constitution was then ordered to be engrossed for "signing. On the 8th of August, it was read and signed by the Convention. Every delegate appears "to have subscribed it, except two from Delaware, "and one from Maryland. Both clergy and laity, "however, of these states were represented by those 'who did sign."

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"On the 5th of August, 1789, the following "resolves were unanimously passed:

"Resolved, That a complete order of Bishops, "derived as well under the English as the Scottish "line of Episcopacy, doth now subsist within the "United States of America, in the persons of the "Right Rev. William White, the Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, and the Right Rev. Samuel Seabury."

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"Resolved, That the said three Bishops are fully "competent to every proper act and duty of the Episcopal office and character in these United States, as well in respect to the consecration of other "bishops, and the ordering of priests and deacons, as "for the government of the Church, according to "such rules, canons, and institutions as now are, or 'hereafter may be, duly made and ordained by the 66 'Church."

This Convention was adjourned from August, "1789, to the 29th of September ensuing, in order "to meet the views of the churches of Massachusetts, "Connecticut, and New Hampshire. At that time "its labors were resumed. It was resolved, the "better to promote union with the eastern church, "that the General Constitution was open to amend

CHAP. I.

CHAP. I.

"ments and alterations. A committee was chosen "to confer with the Eastern churches. That com"mittee reported the assent of the deputies from 'those churches to the Constitution, except as to "the third article; and their readiness to unite, "provided that this article was so amended as to "authorize the Bishops, when sitting as a separate house, to originate any measures, and to negative 66 the acts of the other house. The committee re"commended the adoption of these suggested

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changes. The Convention agreed to them, mod"ifying the veto, however, so that a law might "be passed if still adhered to by four-fifths of "the House of Deputies. On the 2nd of October, "1789, Bishop Seabury and the Deputies from Con"necticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, gave "their assent to the Constitution as thus modified, "and the labors and cares of this Convention ceased."

The Constitution was duly signed in the following order, to wit: First, by the two bishops present, Bishops Seabury and White; next, by the deputies from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and then by all the other deputies. It would seem that the Constitution was regarded as dating and deriving its validity from this subscription of the full Convention, rather than from that of the 8th of the preceding August; and the sessions of the Convention were thus happily brought to a close, and a National Church organized, embracing all the Episcopal Churches of all the states represented in the Convention, with a Constitution that was satisfactory to and binding upon them all.