The foregoing official line was presented to bishop Jarvis by capt. Nathaniel Webb of Stamford, and what could he require more? his word and honor as bishop, and as president of the Episcopal church in Connecticut were pledged; the honor of the whole church in the state was pledged, but, alas! alas! he now throws off the mask-he breaks through all former engagements, and declares, "that a man who will make religion not only the servant, but the very scullion of a political faction, (meaning the republicans,) who are endeavoring to root all religion and authority out of the state, I am determined to have nothing to do with." He himself had made religion not only the servant, but the very scullion of the Presbyterian federal party, who were rising against the measures of our general government, and endeavoring to preserve a religious establishment in Connecticut, which I sincerely believe to be inconsistent with the equal rights of other denominations.

On the very next week after bishop Jarvis received the foregoing line from the bishop of New-York, he got some of the clergy, who were of his party, together in Litchfield, and in the night, without granting a hearing or trial, and actually without my knowledge, issued and published a paper, forbid ding me to preach in Connecticut. Against this paper I issued and published a solemn PROTEST, and declared it to be without authority, and of no force, because it was issued without the previous steps required by the authority of God's word, and the constitution and canons of the Episcopal church to which I belonged; because it was a violation of his most solemn vows of office, upon the condition of which he was ordained and made a bishop; because to issue a paper against any man without hearing or trial, and actually without his knowledge, was a violation of all civil and religious compact, was disgraceful to his office, was cruel, tyrannical, and oppressive in the highest degree and because the paper issued by bishop Jarvis against me, was a manifest and shameful violation of his word, and solemn assurance given to me, and to my pee ple, and to the world, as bishop of the state, and as president of the convention of the church, in Danbury, in 1803. the same grounds, the wardens and vestry, and ninety-one of

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 unanimous 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 doctrine 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 sare ? 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 ho ly 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 I 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 thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee, grant that the

ministers and stewards of thy holy mysteries, may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient unto the wisdon of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and grant, O merciful father, that thy people may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also that they may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord.-Amen."

Hear me Lord Jesus, not according to the imperfections of my own petitions, but according to the full meaning of that perfect form of words, which thou thyself in great mercy hast taught and expressly commanded, that when we did pray, we should say,

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, issued 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 solemn 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 30, 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 reasonable time to prepare and defend myself-meaning according to the canons of the church in that state to which they should decide I belonged.

Bishop Jarvis was a member of this House of Bishops, and a judge in his own case; common delicacy would have induced him to withdraw, but he did not. The clerical delegates 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 matter 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. Iremonstrated 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, Esq. 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 except in the presence

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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 misrepresentation, 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 frial in Connecticut.

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 paper, founded on the misrepresentations which he himself and 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; and by a vote of this meeting I was called, received, and ac