LIST OF THE CLERGY AND LAY DELEGATES, WHO ATTENDED THE CONVENTION. CLERGY. The Right Rev. PHILANDER CHASE, Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the State of Ohio. The Rev. JOSEPH DODDRIDGE, Missionary and Minister of St. James' Church, Cross Creek. The Rev. SAMUEL JOHNSTON, Minister of Christ Church, Cincinnati. The Rev. INTREPID MORSE, Minister of St. James' Church, Zanesville, and St. Paul's, Steubenville. The Rev. THOMAS A. OSBORNE, Professor of Languages in the Cincinnati College. The Rev. JAMES KILBOURN, (Deacon,) residing at Worthington. LAY DELEGATES. St. Thomas' Church, St. Clairsville, Ozias, Burr. Matthew Matthews. St. Paul's Ch. Steubenville, John C. Wright. ; : 1 PROCEEDINGS. Worthington, June 7th, 1820. This being the time and place, appointed by the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the State of Ohio, for the meeting of the annual Convention of the same, several of the Clerical and Lay Delegates attended in the Hall of the College edifice. Divine service was performed by the Rev. Joseph Doddridge; and a sermon, suitable to the occasion, delivered by the Right Rev. Philander Chase; after the administration of the holy communion, the following clergy took their seats. The Right Rev. Philander Chase, Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the State of Ohio. The Rev. Samuel Johnston, Minister of Christ Church Cincinnati. The Rev. Intrepid Morse, Minister of St. James' Church, Zanesville, and St. Paul's, Steubenville. The Rey, Thomas A. Osborne, Professor of Lan guages in the Cincinnati College. The Rev. James Kilbourn, (Deacon,) residing at Worthington. The Lay Delegates exhibited certificates of their appointment; which were read, and severally approved and the following took their seats. From St. James' Church, Zanesville, John Matthews; St. Thomas' Church, St. Clairsville, Ozias Burr; St. James' Church, Cross Creek, Bezaleel Wells; St. Peter's Church, Morristown, Noble Taylor; St. Thomas' Church, Dayton, Warren Monger; St. Peter's Church, Delaware, Robert Jamison; Trinity Church, Columbus, Benjamin Gardiner; St. John's Church, Worthington, Chester Griswold, Abner P. Pinney, and Matthew Matthews; St. Paul's Church, Steubenville, Bezaleel Wells and John C. Wright.' Agreeably to the 45th Canon of the General Convention, "providing for an accurate view of the state of the Church from time to time," the Right Rev. Bishop Chase delivered the following address: i MY BRETHREN; This being the day appointed, for the meeting of the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of Ohio, we have assembled here, for that purpose; and, have thus far, proceeded in supplicating the Divine aid and direction, in the important work before us. May our prayers be heard; may God be with us in all things, and at all times; now especially. In discharging my duty on this occasion, I need not speak to you of my pleasures or pains: of my pleasure, in meeting you, whom I so well know, and so sincerely respect; for of this, you must already be assured: nor of my pains, in reflecting on my poor abilities; for this would not make them any better. I shall therefore, proceed directly to the work assigned me, by the Canons; and that is to address the Clergy and the Laity; subjoining such an account of my own proceedings, since our last meeting, as may give a just idea of the diocese. My dear Brethren of the Clergy; we spend much of our time in preaching to others: will it not be becoming, on an occasion like the present, to preach a few words to ourselves? For that purpose I have selected a text: which, while it implies a deep knowledge of our own deficiencies, seems to press on us the necessi ty of doing all we can to supply them. It is written in II. Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things? When I shall have done with my sermon from these words to the Clergy, I hope a proper door will be opened, to say something appropriate to my brethren of the Laity. If all men, in their natural state, are corrupt; and so insufficient to do the will of God, that they can do no good thing, without "God's special grace preventing;" how much more conspicuous is this deficiency, in the Clergy, when doing the great work of the gospel ministry? The Apostle was speaking of the discharge of his duty, in preaching the gospel, in general; and especially in censuring the wicked, and encouraging the 6 good. In these, and all other official duties, he maintains that the ministers of Christ, in their proper characters, are accepted of God, through Jesus Christ. "We are, unto God, a sweet savour of Christ; in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one, we are a savour of death unto death; and to the other, a savour of life unto life." Then the Apostle asks, in the words of the text, " and who is sufficient for these things?" You see, then, my Brethren of the Clergy, that the Holy Apostle, in all the duties of the ministry, would direct us to the knowledge of our deficiencies and dangers; and thro' this, he would prompt us to a constant dependance on Divine grace; and to an unremitting use of the means of attaining it. "Who is sufficient for these things?" For the discharge of the manifold duties involving the fate of immortal souls, alas! who is sufficient? None;-none are sufficient of themselves to think any thing, as of themselves, much less to do what is acceptable; (as he a little further on adds) our sufficiency is of God." "but Let us then pursue the method pointed out by the Apostle; shewing how difficult and dangerous the priestly office is; and, from this difficulty and danger, argue the bounden duty, in every Clergyman, to seek aid from God, in all the means of grace. What, then, does God require in his ministers? That sufficiency, which is of God. What is that? The sufficiency, which every minister is bound to attain, by the manifold means of grace, which to that end, God has bestowed on him. viz: extensive knowledge; great prudence; and an undeviating holiness of life. My first item is extensive knowledge-Why? Because the Holy Scriptures have declared, that " The Priest's lips should keep, (or preserve) knowledge."He is to be, as it were a Treasurer, to have always in possession, not only what will serve his own personal use, but that of all under his care. His repository of divine knowledge must be such; so ample, so well preserved; and so well arranged; that the people, when obeying the injunction, which immediately follows, may never be disappointed. "The Priest's lips should |