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 REMARKS 
 
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 VFON A 
 
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 CHURCH CONSTITUTION. 
 
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 TORONTO: 
 
 PRnmD BT MAOLKAB * (XX, 
 KINO dTRXKT. 
 
 1867. 
 
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 REMARKS 
 
 uroN A 
 
 CHURCH CONSTITUTION. 
 
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 > * 
 
 In offering to the consideration of his brother Churchmen 
 in Canada these few observations upon the organisation which 
 he cbnceiyes best suited to supply tneir wants, the writer begs 
 tiiat it may bo distinctly under^ood^thttt he has not the 
 
 : slightest intention of reflecting in any way upon the proceed* 
 ings which have been already taken, in tne hope of more ef- 
 fectually uniting together the members of their communion r 
 that he does not feel at all comipetent to decide whether any 
 other arrangement than the one actually adopted, could have 
 been made, eitherwith respect to the last general assembly of 
 their body, or to the one which,' he presumes, will shortly be 
 summoned; that it would be, in his opinion, exceedingly un- 
 fair to subject the conduct of men in such a very peculiar and 
 anomalous position as that in which the bishops and clergy of^^ 
 this province have been and indeed are, placed, to anything g 
 
 ^ike severe or captions criticism ; and that he only pretends 
 to speak of these subjects with strict reWenc<e to the prc|sent 
 and probable^uture state of Upper Canada, viewing the clergy 
 and laity of the church residmg in this provinoe, simply m 
 the light of a body of Christian men, who are desirous of de- 
 vising some plan, according to which they may form them- ' 
 selves into a church, aUle, tb some extent at leasts to control 
 and assist the various scattei^ed congregations of whom they 
 are composed, and which, without some settled organisation 
 and discipline, threaten soon to be reduced to a state of abso- 
 lute isolation, remaining each one unknpwn to and uncared 
 for by the otl^er, and domg whatever may seem good in their 
 own eyes; a condition which willjj no doubt, be prononnoed a 
 most aeplorable ^e by all who are capable of appreciating the 
 vast advantages they may derive from" a sincere and cordial 
 
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 union, but one towards which they are fast verging, and into 
 whioh, nnless some speedy and effectual measures for their re- 
 lief can be taken, they are all but certain to fall. 'What he 
 designs, therefore, is— to point out, as bHeily and clearly as 
 he can. and without giving any opinion as to their absolute 
 inerit,^«r te, or venturing to assert that they are feasible or , 
 
 /even desirable elsewhere, the means which appear to him, 
 takinff into consideration tho manners and modes of thought 
 of their people, to be best adapted for enabling those Canadi- 
 ans who are anxious to assemble themsiplves together into a 
 
 V church to' be formed, as nearly^ possible, after the model of 
 the Ohurch of England, to carry out their intention. 
 
 He holds it to be an indisputable fact, whether or not it is 
 one to be regretted, that, in this age and country, no tribunal 
 will ever exercise a real, lasting, healthy influence, which is 
 not composed of the rq)reseniatives of the majority of those 
 over whom it claims jurisdiction, and he will not attempt to 
 disgnil^ that in his proposed church constitution, the authori- 
 ty which is to enforce compliance with its regulations, without 
 which the best constitution that ever was drawn up is but so 
 much waste f%)er, must be derived directly er indirectly from 
 the decision of the miyority of the members of the church, not> 
 merely of its ministers. / What is involved in the practical 
 Application of this principle, he will now proceed to show in 
 the following outlmes of the [proposed] constitutions and 
 functions of the congrentions and synods, glancing also at 
 the probable position and duties of tl^e bishops under the new 
 system. ■ ■ . ■-'- / . ■" . ■.' ■ ^ 
 
 i . . 
 
 First in order and in/ importance the" writer deems the pro- 
 blem of obtaining a gobd congregational organisation, and of 
 defining clearljr we rdLation which is to subsist between a con-., 
 gregation and its minister, and he thinks that, if this can be 
 satisfactorily solved, any error elsewhere will be, comparative- 
 ly speaking, M little ^portance. And here at the outset, a 
 somewhat jEtfotty qi^tion arises^ viz.: what particular part 
 or class of a congregation shall be considered as representing 
 the whole, either with re wd to other congregations or as 
 respects the right oif deoi£ng on its own domestic t^ncems. 
 It is clear that a sh(arp line must be drawn somewhere, as it is 
 obviously impossible to permit all who choose to c^ them- 
 
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 lelTM member! of ft 6ongreg»tioii, to jkmmis the right ofj 
 Toting on its affaun—ftt leMt if anj nsenil dieoipUne ii to be 
 m»int«ined ; and it further appean to the anthor that there 
 are but three olasiea who can aaranoe any reasonable preten- 
 sions to this privilege of representing the whole body to whioh 
 they belong. These are — 1st, the adults in constant attend- 
 ance; 2nd, the communicants; and 8rd, the pew or seat- 
 'holders. # 
 
 As the claims of the first-named class have been, on one or 
 two occasions, stronsly urged, and as they may appear to some 
 persons, at fimt sight, to be reasonable, it has boon thQUght 
 proper to insert it here, thoush the number of those who Com- 
 pose it, and the extreme dimJmlty which would be found in 
 oividing thom from mere casual attendants, seem to afford 
 sufficient p'ounds for excluding it from any further considera- 
 tion. With respect to the communicants, equal obstacles pre- 
 sent themselves, and, setting aside several serious moral con- 
 siderations which might be advanced against their being se^ 
 looted as the chosen class, the small proportion which they 
 usuidl^ bear to the whole congregation, alone constitutes in 
 the mmd of the writer a fatal objection to them. He there- 
 fore inclines to fall back upon the sole remaining class, and 
 would propose that the pew or seat holders should be con- 
 sidered, according to the old established English custom, the 
 proper representatives of the congregation ; that these aWne 
 should be entitled to vote, ana that an abiolute m^qrity of 
 the tf^Ao/tf number of votes should be made an indispensable 
 requisite to the validity of their proceedings. 
 
 * On this point, that an absolute majority of the whole num- 
 ber should be required) he lays very great stress, feeling as-/ 
 snred that unless ^B rule be laid down and rigidly adhered 
 to, as one of fundamental im|^rtanoe, no thoroughly effective 
 orsuiisation can be created, and that the meetings tnemselves 
 WW degenerate into mere hole and comer ci^als, destitute of 
 the moral weight on which their influence entirely depends. ■ 
 He believes, moreover, that, however unreasonable it may be 
 in monbers of a congregatioii to plead their own negligence, 
 in not attending the meetings for the various elections, as an 
 excuse for considering themselves unfettei:;ed by the acts of 
 men whom they had no part in selecting, yet that they will 
 
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 Boi fail to do M, and, what ia itill moro to the pnrpoae, will 
 be oertain, no matter 1m>w eloarW the fatilitj and nnfatnicifl 
 of noh a pretext maj be exposed, to remain, thoush ailenoed, 
 anoonvinoed, or at best will render a slow, unwilling aeaiat- 
 anoa, Tery inferior, both in qnalitj and quantity, to that whioh 
 might be obtained from the very same men, could they jbe 
 onoe indaoed in(,any way to take an actire share in congrega- 
 tional business, inasmuch as they would then feci in honour 
 bound to join cordially in carrying into effect the measni^es 
 recommended by the very agents whom they had themselves 
 appointed. 
 
 J.,, 
 
 As regards the distribution of the voties, a matter of very 
 eonaiderablo moment, the author would suggest that each 
 holder of a sitting should be entitled to one vote, of half a 
 pew to two, and of a whole pew^ to fou^ votes, and none al- 
 lowed to vote for morejhan one pew ; and he thinks that the 
 
 • reason for thus limitii^g the number of votes %hich any one 
 
 •individual can possess, will appear so obvious to evei^y one 
 who will consider the nature of such an assembly as a con- 
 gregation, and the necessity of jealously guarding affainst any 
 undue influence on the part of a few wealthy membffiMiiat 
 he need not enlarge further upon the point, but may 
 to describe the next ttj^ to be taken by the congregation, it 
 being thus settled who are to represent it in the first instance, 
 •id how. It will be observed that the case is supposed all 
 along, of a eongre^tion possessed of a church, or at least of 
 a buildhig divided into sittings, who are deeurous either of se- 
 curing to themselves, for the first time, a permanent minister) 
 or who, having had one, and having been deprived of his ser- 
 yiees by death or some other ctiose, wish to fill his place ; and 
 it may be as well to take this opportunity for hinting that, 
 
 .should the system here proposed be fortunate enough to meet 
 wi^ general approbation, it would probably be desirable, see- 
 ing i£mi most of the dergy of their churches are aimiiitantB, 
 for «oiijgregations to miSe some spedid arrangement inth 
 them, either by purohasiikg tiienr annuities, for such, it is pre- 
 iumed) they may virtnaUy. be considered, or dse to delier Uie 
 fidl carrying out of the phms here suggested till the dea^ or 
 
 temorwk of tne party so ciromnstanced/ . ' 
 
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 nft^la YetQm, hcrweyer, to the more immediate subj^et, ii «., 
 
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 the ivlMeqiimt prooMdinn of ike pnr holdfln. It ig pixmoMd 
 that % gmi«rftl mooting thottld be oalled, at whioh a oertain 
 •ubW of oAoan ihovld be olideeii, mj fix, who migbt be 
 diTided, for old oaitomi'i Mike, into two ehiirebwwdeoe Mid 
 four Teetrymen, imd ttTled in their oolleotiTe oepeoity, the 
 ▼eetiT ; who vre to fix the amount of the olergymui'i etipend 
 for the ensning year, and whoie chief bfuineai, of oonrae, will 
 be to proride the fiinds requisite for that porpoee, and for 
 keeping the ohnroh and parfonage, if there is one, in repair, / 
 and who will rely, for effecting these objects, noon the pow- 
 ,rent8, collections, and annual sabscriptions of tne congrega- 
 tion. Ghuroh books should be regularly kept, and. the sum 
 ▼oted |M the minister's salary should be regularly entered 
 upon them as a debt due to him, and whenever not Mlj paid 
 op should be transferred, always as so much due to him in his 
 private Oapaoity, to the next year's accounts ; and the writer 
 would ftirtber advise, that in settling the three chief, if not 
 tole, char^ upon the funds over whi3i the vestry are to have 
 ooBtrol, vii» : of salair, repairs of parsonage, and repairs and 
 neoetsar^ emnses of the church, the first claim should be 
 fiUfy satisfied before either of the others are attended to, and 
 the second before the thhrd. 
 
 Hiis oourse is deliberatdy reoontanended, not from any 
 feeling of indifference to th» state of tbe last, but for thut 
 nmple reason— that, since the dilapidated condition of their 
 dergymaiili finances or of his abode, mUike that of their place 
 of worship, are not neoeesarily brought vnder the notice of 
 his flock at frequent and stated intervals, they are hr less 
 Ukefy to leave the latter unattended to than the former—at 
 leas^ if tbere be any troth in the wise old proverb, which de- 
 dares that what the tm» doth not see^ the heart doth not 
 ffrievefor; andiftherf know ^at their deficiency in Christian 
 fiberali^ is to b^ eked out, not by the privations of thei^ inin-' 
 ister, irhioh they do not see, aqid may not hear of, but by the 
 mean aiid disgraoeftil appetnoOe of their ehurdb, whidi will 
 exhibit to them every week ofHtheir lives, the resiOils of ihar 
 Higgordli&oss staring them in the fkce. ^ ^ ^ 
 
 T'*.- 
 
 soH 
 
 In the oaie of a vaoaaqy ooooiringy the vestry aro to ooiB- 
 OHmicate with the synod of the diocese, whose course^ in the 
 event of receiving soch ^n application, will be herei^fli^^. 
 
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 MiilMd, and upon obtai&ioff t&«ir r«p)j, Mre, if it be fftfom^ 
 »bl0. to call A mMting of th« pew aad Mat h#ldort, who biaj 
 ooniM' » diMratioQarj power upon them, or aot for theniMlfea, 
 M thej BMJ think fit— an abeoiute mi^oritj b^in^ reouuiito in 
 thii, M in ftll other meetings, to rstiff snj resolution. Ai 
 the (pnerftl meetings will be very few and important, rarelj 
 remiiring to be called tnore than twioe a year, it would bi 
 higbly desirable that a regular church book should be kept, in 
 wmch the names of the then occupants of pews or seats snoul( 
 be recorded, and that at the close of eacn meeting a copy o: 
 the resolution or resolutions passed should be inserted in it, 
 each signed by the voters forming the minority. It may b< 
 added, that it is intended to haTCtne pew and seat rents mad< 
 payable in advance, and that the time of the annual paymenti 
 should be shortly after the election of the vestry, whose dutj 
 it would be to strike the name of any pew pt seat holder, 
 who was more than three months in arrear, off the Ust oj 
 voters; and that, when it is said^ absolute minority is re- 
 quired, ai^ absolute majority of thi^ew or seat holders whc 
 have paid up their rents is meant, unoccupied sittings and de 
 fisnHing pew holders being in no way taJcen into account. Ii 
 appears to the writer that any two clergymen and Uieir 00ii4 
 mgations should be at foil liberty to effect an exchange if 
 they choose ; but the consent of the congregations can only be 
 oo|i8idered as granted, when, at a general meeting, a resola* 
 tion, sanctioning the proposed exchange, has been duly en- 
 tered upon the dmroh books and signea, as above-mentioned. 
 If, under any circomstances, the congre^tion should desire 
 to diij^nse with the services of their minister, a general meeU 
 ing must be called, and a resolution to that effect entered and 
 signed with Uie usual formalities, after whicb a written notide 
 must be given him, that in six months from the date of the re- 
 solution he must cease to act as their pastor ; and a notice of 
 diHmissal can oilly be cancelled by a similar proceeding to re- 
 verse it, at a subsec^uent meeting. In like manner, whenever 
 a clergyman may wish to resign his charge, he should, if pos- 
 sible, give six months' no^ce- of his intention. Finally, it is 
 prppoMd that the vestiy, any five pew, or twenty seat holders, 
 should be entitled, upon signing a written notice to that effect, 
 snd posting it upon uie ehurdi door for two Sundays previous- 
 ly, to summon a general meeting at any time they may think 
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 Htfin^ thai Mi forili hii idM of a iiilUbU cooMmtaoftil ; 
 org»niMUoii, it b«oom«f the tMk of the writer A9 emkavoiM^V ' 
 deTJ^e one for the eynod. thU. he thinki, ehooia oooiiM of 
 .the biahop, «x ofieio ohaimuui, «U the olerjgr in the diooete in 
 
 SrieiU* orderi and m aotnal employnient, and of one or more ' 
 elegfttee from eaoh congregation, to be choeen •■ follows :— 
 For oTery oongre^tion nombering more than fire hundred - 
 '^> '"^^ oontaining three hnndi'ed ooonpied and paid for - 
 sitWigB, two delegates are to be sent^ to be elected at a gene- 
 ral mseting of the^oters, and their election recorded as usual ; 
 for every con^egation or collection of congregations, 
 supportinff a minister, but containing less than the aboTe 
 number of sittings, one delegate; while erery. congregation 
 employing more than one clergyman is to be entitled to send 
 delegates in proportion to its numbers, e. ^., a congregation 
 containing sizteea hundred persons, with one thousand sStings' 
 occupied and -paid for, and which maintains three ministers^ 
 may send six delegates to the synb£^^ The clergy, i(i consider- 
 ation of their deeper interest, should be allowed, wherever 
 their flocks send two delegates along with them, a double vote, 
 80 that, thoufth fewer in number, their collectiye vote may 
 e<]|dal that of the laity. It appears to the author to be but 
 fair that this privileffe should oe conceded, and he would in- 
 cidentally remind them that there is more in it than meets 
 the eye ; for, as all who have erer witnessed a debate in 
 which such a priyilege was granted to either side well^know, 
 one hundred double vglee, though theoretically only equal to 
 two hundred single ones, are, practically spealong, very much 
 superior in value, as the chances of desertion, or at least di^ ' 
 vision in the campj increase greatly with any augmentation of 
 number. And here the wnter must enter W protltot agHnilt : 
 any such project being attempted in future as that oCsendihrVr 
 two delegates for each oongrention, one of whom is tob* " 
 nominated bv the clergyman himself. With whatever notive 
 ibis proposal may. have been mad^--and he is quite willing to 
 grant that whoever advised it "'did so under the belief that he 
 was thereby providing for the wdfare of the churoh^he must 
 say that it seems to him a perfect modkery to ii^vite the Udty 
 to take part in the deliberations of an assembly, in which 
 >hey know one lialf of their nominal repres^tatives are in 
 reality the mere puppets of the ekrgnr^ and that care has been 
 taken, in the event of any serious^iffiarenoe arising between. 
 
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 the lay and el«ried •leBMnti, that efory lecond laj vote 
 ■hoold be readj to nestraliie the other. This tyttem onirht 
 to be put a stop to withovl fwrtiier delay; no intelligent man 
 can be deoeiTed by raoh » jiiggle; if the clergy do really de- 
 MW to seonre lay oo^yperatioft, ther most pre the laity a 
 b9n0 fd* vote, and any injadioioas friends ofthe church, who 
 are anxious by this de?ice to secure her from inexperienced 
 meddler^ ma;^ rest assured that, if they succeed, they will 
 only infose disgust and siiH»icion into the minds of many of 
 tiiett staunchest allies, and ultimately, in all lik^hood, en4^ 
 by depnvmg themselyes of eren those priyileges which ^ould^ 
 now be cheerfhUr assigned to them. When the synod as- 
 sembled. It would receive rMK>rts from the various congregar / 
 turns of the state of tbeir aiairs, for the purpose of ensurmg 
 r^gubnty in which it would probably be necessary to send 
 round circulars to the different Testries,« short time before 
 the annual meetintt of the synodA c(^y of one of which sup- 
 posed oroulars isliere inierted/for the bett<v mustration of 
 the writer's meaning, end also/te giving some idea of this im- 
 portSAt part of the synod's l^ihetions. 
 
 ^BOPOfiBDiuSU OF CIRCITLAB. 
 
 1. What is the iotid muiiber of nttiDgs in your ohuroh t 
 
 2. How many are <xMopied «Rd pMd for up to date of eireokr. 
 and of your election ? / 
 
 «. By what Q^Bb)^«if f<«em were you jointly or sevenOly, as Uie 
 
 etiemay be, 
 
 4, Hbye yen 
 meetoBg. held ~ 
 reeoided and 
 hokletsf 
 
 5. Wha^aakiy 
 
 eare that the piooeed»n« <^ eaoh geneni 
 ; the period y«(a have^beoi w office, were duly 
 I by an abadttte ni^oiity of tiie pew and scat 
 
 _^ did you vote your BUBistar f ^ 
 
 6. Islt^paiduplodateefeiifeglar? 
 
 7. ^^ot, how fiur is it IB anwar ? 
 
 ^•/T ^^ ■*■*• ^*"^ what aewroes it is made up, and hew much 
 "^tam firDm:ea«&f ' ; -v'^;.' t.i".: ■.. -v.- -.r . '■ ;;■ 
 
 I AretheiidiirohattdpanDaage(tfan3r)ittgoediepair|^^ - 
 
 Thes^ or do0umenta|Kf a timilar ttature, would, if properly 
 fiUed up, enahle ISm^ symod to inform itself of the material 
 •condition of the vaimBicepigregatiens almost at a glance, and 
 
 
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 to proparo Awt geoena report for the whole diooeie aooml- 
 »?;L ^^ ^-^ ',* .""7 ^ "'*^«^ th*t,-althoogl*»rt • 
 
 tton, It 18 nererthehM bighiy de*irsble to eatabUih ih«%S^ 
 mplo of m abwlrte mwority being required to giro effiS to 
 Miy reeotatioe, or, tf that cannot be, at least to 111 theTaL 
 important one*— anoh aa the adoption of the report, and ^' 
 • appointment of eommitteea. To resmne, how«v« ; thertnodT 
 aft« reeeirmK their report., woold proceed to conaidw w 
 
 rathor, as them wouH be made at all seaaona, and the mod 
 TOoM Beldom sit more than a few days each year, wenldari- 
 p~nt a staming eomnuttoe, headed ly the bUo^ to decile 
 
 TZ ^^TTi.'H'J"'''* "^"^ *• congregation «n.Iym, to 
 •tow thrt they had reaaonable grounds' f« mpe&rS be 
 always i^le to pa;^ at least a oertain fixed yearli' som to thdr 
 m|^tor?tius mininmm amount to be, u^JtlSoTMol 
 
 ?•!*'"? f"' *^ »"• ^^ *• fMJaiythey propeeed to 
 ^ f" ^ «»t y«ar was already coUeotJd in WV.2i«r<^ 
 Si!?^***"'^ these p<rinti, it would ' be the duty of the 
 otomittee to J^ard to fliem a list of aU tie derg]^ who 
 had sent in aw names to the committee, or an, officer hk 
 pointed by them or by the synod for that pii»p<r"„ SrSi 
 rfempWment; and the coogrwiion, oV litW fte^S«L 
 
 diaiiMlves to whom the post was to be oftred. If the derS-- 
 
 would We to make • second sdeetion, and so on ^ *« 
 I»d-eih«Bted flw lis^ or obtained . 'miniBter. sSu1?m 
 
 dMxyman h.pp«i to l» dfaengaged rt the toe, 4e SSS^* f 
 tte oongreprtion, and the amount of wJuy oifa^,^Sdi be 
 m like murner set dowK &r the InOpectkm of^^IereTand 
 tte committee should from time toLe^«^itt3' S, 
 dergjmen were np<j,their list »not. KS«this<»m£»te£ 
 SotS^" ""•' **? ""4* *1» supervirion of thJ^^ 
 SL^,ri2?^.*» °"e8ti,|aJ<r«ll dmrges of improp» 
 ^ff *««*««* fcrongbt «g««t any of ^ d«»^ £d 
 AouM report unon ^ ,«me to tbe sjnoi at its «m^m^ 
 
 MM^two-ttBda of ^ whole number, ordw the otfeKGrnit 
 pwly to b* struA off the roll of the clergy of that dio^ f 
 
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 "hj ■*(iiS3^MS%s'-*H3i« H^Mkw. 'i. --^-a.**^!©- 1-:* <« ■a'Ji. ^ /-KiS^JfrW* v^--*.- -wfe -^ v„ ijcrw * -'-i «■ ^ fc*, .4* * ^ij^ -, riifr.ii f i^^' 
 
rv'''?''w 
 
 ■ -;,.,.■;„■■. -12 •:;■■ . ,-. ; . 
 
 ibonffh he miglit, if he pleased, Btill appeal to the grand 
 ejiMjia, irhieh will he presentlj deeoribed. It would be moet 
 deairable that each synod Bhomd he an incorporated body, and 
 that the title deeds of all churches and parsonaffes throughout 
 the^diocese, as also the control of the bishopnc endowment, 
 ihoald be in its hands ; nor, thongh a measure undoubtedly 
 ^requiring Tery careful preparation, does the writer tiiink 
 iDDiach duEicultT would be found in obtaining parliamentury 
 vBanetion ; while on the other hand, it would supply a much 
 needed material check, in the erent of a minister or congrega- 
 tion defying the authority of the synod, as' he or they could 
 ihen, if the matter war pushed to extremities, be not only ex- 
 ^>ell(Bd from the communion of the church, but deprived of 
 their place of worship 1»nd parsonage* ^e justice of such a 
 |)rooeedmg would be undeniable; and few, moreorer, either 
 of those who have already erected such edifices or may do cb 
 hereafter, would hesitate to entrust them to an assembly con- 
 Btituted as the one proposed, who would heyer have recourse 
 to compulsory measures, except when a minister, after hayine 
 been solemnly ac^ndged an unfit person for his pflBce, should 
 refuse to amt his parsonage, or to cease officiiiting in his 
 rpjhureh, ana should be abetted by his oonsregation 1q such re- 
 >!ii8aL It might be prudent, too, to insist on CTer^lergy- 
 man's signing a declaration before he is allowed to enter his 
 ^iMme on the synod's list, thit he will obejr the rules laid 
 in the oonstitution of the dmrch. 
 
 ' 'fiueh would be the form and functions of the diocesan 
 ^ynocto, while, as for the grand synod abore alluded to, it is 
 
 pMposed to compose this of all the bishops in Upper 6anada, 
 
 the1>i8hop of Toronto, as head of the oldest diocese, presiding, 
 ' iuid of deleffatee from the various sjjgaods, elected by the 
 i'.€lergy and Uy representatives, in the projportion of one for 
 ;^ every ten, each8e^ateten,of course, sendmg one, and every 
 
 cl«rgyman possessing a double vote counting for two. . Its 
 xbii^eiB wovld be simply to^issue a general report of tiie^m- 
 \4itiott, material and otherwise, of the church in UppOT^Ifma- 
 \ da, the necessair statistics bebg fiimished by the minor 
 
 iynods ; to decide finally in all appeals made by olermien, 
 V, ijvfaD had been etnick off their list by one of tiiese ; and, if it 
 rJUm fit, to ord^, but only by virtueM^ absolute two-thirds 
 ] Of^te, that the appellant should also be atmck c^ the list of 
 
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 any other synod, suppomng he had entered his name t^er^lL ' 
 and off the list of the clergr of Upper Camada, kept by oH«r 
 of the grand synod, on which the names of the dergyttitti^ 
 seekinj^ employment in the Tarions dioceses are set <Io%ilI . 
 'lists beinff duly forwarded from the different synods for ihi3« 
 purpose, from which any con^egation is, if it pleases, tb haT«' 
 the right of making its selection, on forwarding to the proper ' 
 officer or committee of the grand synod, a properly attested 
 certificate, proving that thev had satisfied their own diocesaa^ 
 synod, of their capability of supporting a minister. It mutt 
 be provided, howevor, that, if any clergyman should be struck ' 
 off the list of one synod, and admitted upon that of another, 
 his name, although not therefore to be strudc off the list of 
 the grand synod, is not to bo sent to a congregation making 
 such an application, since, though one diocese cannot preten3 
 to dictate to another, no single congregation Oi^t to be al- 
 lowed to set itftelf in opposition to the £cree of a synod. 
 
 As respects the bishops, their special duties would be, 4 
 overlook the training of candidates for the ministry, to ordaiii ~ ^ 
 and confirm, besides inspecting "the general condition of the 
 diooesej presidins over and attending the synods, a^id acting 
 as chairmen of the committees. T&j would stand in mm 
 the same rdation to the synods as the dergy in general 
 to their congreaations, would be selected by them %i like 
 m^er by an absolute nu^ority of the voters, might exchange 
 or be dismissed by^ them; only, in this case, a oietfr yeari 
 notice should be given, in order tiiat the next-synod might, if 
 disposed, have the opportunity of reconadering the jpa^. 
 But^tiiey could not be degraded, sare by an absohite two-> 
 thirds vote of the graKd synod, before whom" oon^lainiit 
 agaiMt them must be deddecL To this sketch of the potitioa^^ 
 and fiinctions of the bish(^ under lihe proposed consfitutionw 
 It only remainsto add, that, should such a one ever be adopted, 
 and^acts of incorporation, based upon its provisi<ps, grantecl 
 to the different sy&ods, a elapse should be introduced, givinr 
 permission from time to time to make such changes in itiS 
 ^ht be thought proper ; but requiring that before any taetir 
 <mange could be effected, a resolntipn contdining the propoeedi 
 alterstoon, must be ptased fork two successive yeats by aa aW 
 solirte two-thirds majority in each of the diocesan synods, anct 
 in the third year by an iJwolate majority 6f the grand synoctr 
 
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''^-T-;'^""'^""%'T' '*V-'-' ''\V'- * ^^H^^'"' "'f*'^^. ^'''^'''■■. 
 
 
 
 Wiill ihif iMt jproTifo conoliidet the aathoir'i plan for tlie 
 emMpwt aafformniMUoik of an EpiaoopaluM Ohuroh in 
 F^SSi ^^ *^wrag^> ^ow Uying down hi« pen, be could 
 ll| iP iti|1 i tiod tp hwre made a few remarke upon one or two 
 BM^eii of general intereety-^euch ae the expediency of some- 
 wl|#t iMgtheninjS the period of the deaconate, the appoint- 
 ment of tnTellm^ misaionariei) &o., yet as thie woJ[d be 
 
 FWPJ? /'^•P^' ^^**^ ■ eiH^)lv the setting forth of a 
 mtoh of a ohoroh oonstitution, and as these questions will 
 ftU^tlMB the peenltar jurisdiction of the synods, he will not 
 tax tf^ Mtienee of m readers with anything beyond a brief 
 rewiipMetpoii of the lea4ing features of his s<£eme, which may 
 l^.^lli^fnie(| Injto these four postulates t 
 
 . ■ . , . '■ ■ ■ ■•% 
 
 I pUk, That tibe Uty most hare % contrelling voice, directly 
 cuei|i4iroet]yi Ilk the ipOTemment.ef the Church vhioh they form. 
 
 !i .' 
 
 184 That, all things considered, the will of each congre- 
 ^OB id beet ezpusssed by the yote of an absolute majority of 
 
 ./ii 
 
 $Af Tha* e^efjr eongr^gation is entitled to choose its own 
 mniisler, pirovide4 tlMy select him from among those whom 
 the OsMral iunembliet of their Church have certified to be 
 ail ioitaUe persond far suck a post ; and that they are also 
 m^HM, by panty ftf reaaoning, to dismisB him or allow him 
 t0 — ^ ' 
 
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 ,^Tk$^ in Ordtir to enable a Synod to exercise an effectual 
 eontfol 0irir ita own oler|^ and laity, it should, beudes its 
 mem mmenes^ besseis some material dieck upon them, sneh 
 •• #^iiipiliii ^ dbel.iphieb has he«i soggested. 
 
 A'.- 
 
 J&mmt iineeogolseaihe priaoipleB implied in the above^ no 
 vsm^ Cnrareh gOTemment, the writer b^eres, can ever be 
 ^Mvdy established in Canada ; whether an organisation based 
 i^oft them he theoreticalbr p^eet or noty wiser heads must 
 dMsde; for himself he wiU only svir that had he not considered 
 ommeasiuM ii4iieh he has profMMd, just and feas^^^^^ 
 n#mr hune adTocated them, aiid that, as the more he feftects 
 |^(m the uparently mysterious oonduet of the Savioitr and 
 Hii.^pbstleB, in leaving behind them ndther a settled km- 
 
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 as4^5»SV:i-v.fev;;i;; 
 
 
"T.fr? 
 
 1 ' /WP. 
 
 It 
 
 9 
 
 penctiidii of reHgiona instraotion nor ft fixdl form of Ohoroh 
 goyemment, ihe more he is oontinoed that these rem»rkabl«s. 
 omissions on their p«rt, conirtsting, too, io itronj^ly with whftt . 
 might have been expected firom Jews, refolted from the diotatei ' 
 of a more than human wisdom, ind that bj abandoning these 
 matters so unreservedly to the discretion of their successors^ 
 they plainly intended that it shottld be understood that eadi ; 
 Ohorch) in each separate country, is fblly justified in adopting! 
 that outward form of government which may best accora witS .. 
 the customs and institutions of thU people among whom it itsj 
 
 § laced— he feels persuaded that it is the interest, if not the ' 
 uty, of the Churchmen of Canada, in framing rules' and repu- ,^ 
 lations for their cdnduct in this important matter, to remembor ' 
 that they live in the midst of a nation accustomed to setf-' 
 government through the medium of thdr own representativeei 
 and one which wiU not tolerate evett the semblance of arbitrary 
 puiiishment inflicted for the holding of an erroneous relijgious 
 belief ; and that moreover as good citiiens, which, as Christian 
 men, they are doubly bound to prove themselves, they ousht 
 to be very careful when they set about oreoting such an ** un^^ 
 perium in imperio," as every well organised Chur<^ in truth 
 IB, how they wound even the pr^dieei of thdir countrvmen, 
 or, more esjpedally^ how they cause their National Leflpbiatlire^^ 
 to .regard them with an evil eye, which it can hardly heqp doings' 
 if it perceives a large body \ra its robjeots habitually acting it^ 
 variance with those upon which its own power is b^ed. .. 
 
 ■[ ■ ■.,■;. ; ■ I ■ : ■ •■■ '■'■■ ■■■^'^ 
 
 ' Trusting that, even if behave failed in eonvindng his readers 
 of the propriety and practicabilitv of^ his views, he may perhaps 
 be fortunate enough to supply them with one or two usend 
 hints ; or;, if noliiing else, to stimulate some one among theitt 
 to undertake the fask wMch be has endeavoured in vain to 
 accomplish, and which sll must admit it is most desirable should 
 in some way or other be performed, the author will non: bid 
 them adieu, wi A but one parting request to each, 
 
 << Si qud T^ffW& fectins iatis, 
 CandiduB imperti, si non, his utere meoom." 
 
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