could not be taken up at the last Convention, have been proposed as some of the Matters necessary to be more fully provided for in the Plan of Ecclesiastical Government, by the next Convention, and are here added for Consideration, viz.

I. That the Power and Authority necessary for reclaiming or excluding scandalous Members, whether Lay or Clerical, and all Jurisdiction with regard to Offenders, be exercised only by a Representative Body of Clergy and Laity jointly. II. That the Power of suspending or dismissing Clergymen from the Exercise of their Ministry, in any particular Church, Parish or District, be by the like Authority. III. That all Canons or Laws for Church Government, and all Alterations, Changes or Reforms in the Church Service and Liturgy, or in Points of Doctrine to be professed and taught in the Church, shall also be by the like joint Authority. [N.B. The fourth Article of the foregoing Declaration of Rights seems to provide for this-But it may be further explained, if necessary.]

Inserted in some Copies as a part of the foregoing Pamphlet, and added in others as a supplemental half-sheet, with slight variations in wording and typography, are the following "Additional Constitutions or Rules," important from their containing references to "General Conventions" and " Standing Committees," together with definitions of the rights and powers conferred upon the same.

At a CONVENTION of the CLERGY and LAY-DELEGATES, of the PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH in the State of MARYLAND, held at Chester, on the Fourth Tuesday of October 1784, in Pursuance of the Fourth Constitution made at a former Convention, at Annapolis, June 22, 1784.(1) THE following additional Constitutions respecting the future Discipline and Government of this Church, in ANNUAL or GENERAL CONVENTIONS, were agreed upon, viz.

I. GENERAL CONVENTIONS of this Church, consisting of the different Orders of Clergy and Laity duly represented (agreeably to the Fourth Constitution aforesaid) shall have

(1) From the copy in Harvard College Library, Cambridge, Mass.

the general Cognizance of all Affairs, necessary to the Discipline and good Government of this Church, including particularly the following Matters, viz.-The Power and Authority necessary for receiving, or excluding from Church-Privileges, scandalous Members, whether Lay or Clerical, and all Jurisdiction with Regard to Offenders; the Power of suspending or dismissing Clergymen from the Exercise of their Ministry in this Church; the framing, approving of, or confirming all Canons, or Laws, for Church-Government: and such Alterations, or Reforms, in the Church-Service, Liturgy, or Points of Doctrine, as may be afterwards found necessary or expedient, by our Church in this State, or of the United States in GENERAL CONVENTION. And in all Matters that shall come before the Convention, the Clergy and Laity shall deliberate in one Body; But if any Vote shall be found necessary, or be called for by any two Members, they shall vote separately; that is to say, the Clergy in their different Orders, according to their own Rules, shall have one Vote; and the Laity, according to their Rules, shall have another Vote; and the Concurrence of both shall be necessary to give Validity to any Measure.

II. Future Conventions shall frame and establish Rules, or Canons, for receiving Complaints; and shall annually appoint a Committee, consisting of an equal Number of Clergy and Laity, (including the BISHOP, when there shall be one duly consecrated, among the Number of the Clergy) which Committee shall have standing Authority, Government, and Jurisdiction, agreeably to such Rules as may be given them. for that Purpose, in all Matters respecting the Discipline and Government of the Church, that may arise or be necessary to be proceeded upon, during the Recess or Adjournment of GENERAL CONVENTIONS: All which Rules shall be framed, and Jurisdiction exercised in Conformity to the Constitution and Laws of this State for the Time being.(1)

(1) In the copy of these Additional Constitutions in the Collection of Early Journals in the possession of the Rev. Dr. Hawks, which, though evidently inserted after the rest of the pamphlet was printed, is continuously paged with the preceding sheets, the words "or general" in the heading, and "the following Matters, viz.," in Paragraph I. are omitted; the parenthetical clause "(of all Orders)" is added to the assertion of "the power of suspending or dismissing Clergymen"; and the words "or Rule" appended at the close of the paragraph. There are several variations in typography, which, as they do not at all affect the sense, it is hardly important to notice.

At the Convention of August, 1783, other business had transpired, beyond that which appears in the printed record we have above transcribed. In a letter from the Rev. Thomas John Claggett to his friend William Duke, subsequently a Clergyman of the Church, but at that time a preacher among the Methodists, under date. of "Upper Marlboro', September 20, 1783,"(1) the following paragraph occurs.

"I suppose you have long ago heard that the Clergy of the Protestant Episcopal Church met last month at Annapolis, and that we formed a bill of rights: chose Dr. Smith to go to Europe to be ordained an antistes, President of the Clergy, or Bishop (if that name does not hurt your feelings.) He will probably be back some time next Spring. In the mean time, we have appointed three of the Clergy on each Shore to license candidates for Holy Orders in our Church, to act as readers in the different parishes."

The first Bishop-Elect of Maryland was never consecrated. Opposition, at first from abroad, and subsequently from nearer home, delayed from time to time, and finally prevented the accession to the American Episcopate of the able and accomplished President of Washington College. The dissension arising from this matter served to depress the Maryland Church for a number of years; and the early Conventional history of the period immediately succeeding that embraced in the "Address" we have reprinted, is contained alone in letters, and fragments of letters, preserved among the Bishop White MSS., or in similar unpublished collections.

In close connection, as will be found by a comparison of dates, with the efforts of the Rev. Mr. Beach for a general ecclesiastical organization, the following preparatory steps

(1) Quoted in the valuable "Notices and Journals and Remains of Journals," &c., of the Church in Maryland, from 1783 to 1788 inclusive, first published from the papers of the Rev. Dr. Wm. West, as an Appendix to the Maryland Convention Journal of 1855, by the Rev. Ethan Allen, D.D.

were taken by the Vestries of the united churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's, Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, March 29, 1784. At ye House of ye revd. Dr. White, Rector of Christ's Church & St. Peter's.

In consequence of Appointments made by ye vestry of Christ's Church and St. Peter's as followeth:

"The Rector mentioned to ye Vestry, that he lately had a Conversation with ye revd. Dr. Magaw, on ye Subject of appointing a Committee from ye Vestries of their respective Churches, to confer with ye Clergy of ye said Churches, on ye Subject of forming a Representative Body of ye Episcopal Churches in this State, and wished to have ye Sense of this Vestry thereon. After some consideration, ye Vestry agreed to appoint Matthew Clarkson and Wm. Pollard for Christ's Church, and Dr. Clarkson and Mr. John Chaloner for St. Peter's."

And by ye Vestry of St. Paul's Church as followeth :"A Copy of ye Minute of ye Vestry of ye united Churches Christ's Church and St. Peter's, of the 13th of Novr. last, was, by ye Revd. Dr. Magaw, laid before this Vestry, and is as follows. (Here followeth ye above Minute.) The above Minute being taken into consideration, and this Vestry concurring in Opinon thereon, unanimously appointed Lambert Wilmer and Plunket Fleeson, Esqres., on ye part of this Church, to carry into Execution ye good Intentions of the aforesaid recited Minute."

The Clergy, together with ye Gentlemen named in ye said appointments, (except Matthew Clarkson, Esqre., and Dr. Clarkson, who were detained by sickness,) assembled at ye time and place above mentioned.

The Body thus assembled, having taken into consideration ye Necessity of speedily adopting Measures for ye forming of a Plan of ecclesiastical Government for ye Episcopal Church, are of Opinion, that a Subject of such Importance ought to be taken up, if possible, with ye concurrence of ye Episcopalians generally in ye States. They, therefore, resolved to ask a Conference with such Members of ye Episcopal Congregations in ye Counties of this State as are now in Town; and they authorize ye clergymen now present to converse with such Persons as they can find of ye above Description, and to request their Meeting this Body at Christ's Church, on Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock.

Adjourned to ye same Time and Place.

Christ Church, March 31. The Clergy and ye two Committees assembled according to adjournment (all ye Members being present except M. Clarkson, Esq., detained by sickness) and ye Body thus assembled elected Dr. White their Chairman.

The Clergy reported that agreeably to ye appointment of ye last Meeting, they had spoken to several Gentlemen, who readily consented to ye proposed Conference.

The Meeting continued some time; when it was signified to them, that several Gentlemen, who had designed to attend, were detained by ye unexpected Sitting of ye honl. House of Assembly, they being Members of that House. The Honl. James Read Esqre. attended, according to Desire.

After some Conversation on ye Business of this Meeting, it was resolved that a circular letter be addressed to ye Ch. wardens and Vestry men of ye respective Episcopal Congregations in ye State; and that ye same be as followeth, viz.Gentlemen:

The Episcopal Clergy in this City, together with a Committee appointed by ye Vestry of Christ's Church and St. Peter's, and another Committee appointed by ye Vestry of St. Paul's Church, in ye same, for ye purpose of proposing a Plan of ecclesiastical Government, being now assembled, are of Opinion, that a Subject of such Importance ought to be taken up, if possible, with ye concurrence of ye Episcopalians generally in ye States. They have therefore resolved, as preparatory to a general Consultation, to request ye Church-wardens and Vestry men of each Episcopal Congregation in ye State, to delegate one or more of their Body to assist at a Meeting to be held in this City on Monday, ye 24th day of May next; and such Clergymen as have parochial Cure in ye said Congregations to attend ye Meeting; which they hope will contain a full Representation of the Episcopal Church in this State.

The above Resolve, Gentlemen, the first Step in their Proceedings, they now respectfully and affectionately communicate to you.

Signed, in behalf of the Body now assembled,

WM. WHITE, Chairman.(1)

(1) From the original Manuscript in the handwriting of Bishop White, and preserved among his papers.