On the members of the church in Stamford, issued and published their solemn protest against the paper of bishop Jarvis issued against me, and declared it without authority and void. the same grounds, the church in Branford, in East Haven, in Northford, and in many other places issued and published their solemn protest against the said paper issued against me, and declared it wholly without authority and void. At this time, I had removed from Branford to Stamford, and had, by the unaaimous vote of that parish, become their minister. And here I make a solemn appeal to the conscience of every person who had lived under my ministry in the state of Connecticut, or of New York: have I not diligently read and expounded the holy scriptures of the old and new testament, as opportunity offered? have I not endeavoured to fashion my own life and others, according to the doc trine of Christ, and to make myself a wholesome example to his flock? have not always reverently obeyed my bishop in all things which were according to the authority of God's word, and the canons of the church, and submitted myself to his godly judgment, founded on the sarre? have I not faithful. ly endeavoured to banish and drive away from the church all erroneous and strange doctrines which were contrary to God's word? have I not been diligent in prayers, in reading the holy scriptures, and studying the same, and in administering the sacraments, laying aside the study of the world and of the flesh? have I not endeavoured to set forward quietness, peace, and love among all christian people, and especially among those who were committed to my charge? and were your congregations ever larger, were the people ever more edified, were your parishes ever more prosperous, than while in my care? and where is the person, man or woman, who will say that to them, and in their presence, I have not conducted like a gentleman and a christian? even the false witnesses themselves, on whose account 1 have suffered imprisonment, and the loss of all things, have constantly declared my innocence, except while under the influence of my personal, political, and religious enemies. "O, Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send the messenger to wrenore the wau hafava then publ Arvis iss void. against Stamle to the do ty of Go ed nyse not faith e church ary to Gol ding the istering and of t ness, peac ally amo re your co ore edibe ho will sa witnesse prisonment ed my inne zonal, pol ministers and stewards of thy holy mysteries, may likewise so Hear me Lord Jesus, not according to the imperfections of Our Father who art in heaven, &c, CHAPTER V. A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH CONTINUED From the aforesaid paper, issued and published against me by bishop Jarvis, I appealed to the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, assembled in the city of New York, 1804. by way of Petition, and after stating my case, prayed them to decide, 1st, to which state I did canonically belong; 2d, that a paper, i-sued and published by Bishop Jarvis, against me without hearing or trial, and wholly without my knowledge; contrary to the authority of God's word and the established order of the Episcopal church; inconsistent with his most solema vows of office, and in violation of his word and honor, publicly pledged as bishop, and as president of the Convention of the Church in Connecticut, might be recalled ; and 3d, that if any one had whereof to accuse me, I might be served with a copy of all and every charge, together with the proof, and that i might have a reas sonable time to prepare and defend my self-meaning accor ding to the orous of the church in that stule which thes Bishop Jarvis was a member of this House of Bishops, anc a judge in his own case; common delicacy would have in duced him to withdraw, but he did not. The clerical dele gates from Connecticut were admitted to a hearing, and I was called in. They stated that I had called two conventions in Connecticut, one in Wallingford, and one in Branford, and that I had invited some of the leading democrats in Connecticut to attend, and was endeavouring to encourage democracy and to oppose the Bishop. I denied that I had ever called any convention in Connecticut, other than a meeting of the people in my own particular care; or that I ever had used any undue influence in politics, and that I was so far from opposing the Bishop, that I had for the peace of the church, obtained documents from New-York, such as had never been required from any other clergyman, such as he was not authorised by any canon of the church to require, and such as the bishop and committee of New York were not authorized to give. They then brought on the inatter respecting Mr. Perry's certificate, see page 19. This certificate was taken from among my papers in Derby, the year before, without my knowledge or consent, and now they denied that there ever was such a paper. I remonstrated against any trial, except in the state to which I did belong, and according to the canons. I remonstrated against calling that up against me as a PRIEST which took place before I was a Deacon; against permitting a matter to remain 12 or 14 years which was censurable, and then after my witnesses were dead, and when it was impossible to bring forward any living testimony, to bring it up against me, that it was hard, it was unjust; besides the matter had been fully inquired into in the time of it, by bishop'Provoost, who was the proper authority, and was dismissed by him as unworthy of notice. Bishop Jarvis handed to the delegates who were present from Connecticut, a number of papers, among which was a letter from Samuel Woodruff, sq. and they laid them before the House of Bishops. I requested counsel and was refused-the House adjourned. At evening I called and requested to see some of the papers which were handed in against me; whereupon they "resolved that nothing shall be done in the business ercent in the presence ops, have cal de ng, an Conve Brank s in C age der had e a meet of both parties." I then addressed a letter to the Right Rev. Bishop White, President of the House of Bishops in NewYork, in Sept. 1814, and objected to any decision or determination of the said House of Bishops relative to me, any farther forth than as it respected the diocess to which I did canonically belong, that I might meet the charges, if any there were, according to the constitution and canons of the church; and then immediately left the city and state of New York. After I was gone, and when both parties were not present, they formed and published an opinion founded on falsehood and misI ever representation, relative to that certificate and my conduct in Connecticut, which was represented as highly dishonorable; but at the same time decided on the first point, that I was a a clergyman not of New York, but properly of Connecticut, and that it was to them that I was exclusively amenable. On the 2d point, as astonishing as it may seem, they approved of the conduct of Bishop Jarvis in Connecticut, i. e. I suppose he approved of his own doings. On the 3d point, they directed documents to be furnished to both parties, as a ground of trial in Connecticut. vas so ace of th ch as b such ash equire, a ere not t up agains unjust; & The very next month I sent in my petition to the bishop and clergy of Connecticut, praying for a trial according to to the canons of the church, on what they had alledged against me in New York; and at the same time I sent in articles of complaint on the uncanonical, immoral and wicked conduct of Bishop Jarvis, and pledged myself to prove them, if they would give me an opportunity. My petition was not acted on, and Bishop Jarvis, again without hearing or trial, and without my knowledge, issued and published another e-time of paper, founded on the misrepresentations which he himself and and was de rvis hand cut, a nu nuel Wook of Bishops adjourne his party had made to the House of Bishops in New York, and which they had referred to Connecticut for trial. My articles of complaint remain with the Secretary to this day, untried and uninvestigated. Soon-after this last paper of Bishop Jarvis was published, a meeting of the Episcopal Society of St. John's church, in Stamford, was legally warned, to call and settle a minister; this meeting I was called, received, and ac knowledged to be the regular, ordained, and settled ministe and rector of St. John's church in Stamford, and they agree to pay me at the rate of $558 a vear, during my natural life any order, de termination, or decree of the bishop and clergy to the contrary notwithstanding. About one hundred lawfu voters of that parish were in favour of this vote, and 7 agains it. These 7, except one, were near relations and family con nexions of Bishop Jarvis; they claimed that they, seven were the society, and owned the church and property; and that the hundred had, by their vote ipso facto ceased to be churchmen, and had forfeited all right and title to the church and property. On this ground they sued me at law, for trespass, in going into their church and preaching, after the bishop had forbid me. On trial I claimed that the bishop had no authority to forbid any clergyman, or to silence or degrade him. It was then incumbent on the plaintiff to shew what authority the bishop had; and to do this the bishop's vows of office, on condition of which he was made a bishop, and the constitution and canons of the church, must be introduced in the court. Before any person can be made a bishop in the United States, le must make this promise, viz. “In the name of God, Amen." I, A- — J"chosen bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church" (in Connecticut, or whatever state it may be,)" do promise conformity and obedience to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Protestant EpiscoSo help pal Church in the United States of America ; me God through Jesus Christ." Among other things, he promises. "that he will, by the help of God, diligently exercise such discipline as the authority of God's word, and by the order" (tha is, by the constitu tion and carons)" of this church is committed to him." lu confirmation of this oath and promise, he takes the sacrament of the Lords supper, and on these conditions with others. he is ordained and made a bishop ;(see the consecration of bishops in the book of Common Prayer.) By this the bishop has to authority to exercise any disci forbid silence devrade, or even to censure any |