our struggles, and under the shadow of our infinite grief, we are thankful and hopeful, and, thank God, in 'love, and peace, and unity among ourselves.' ”—Parochial Report, May 20th, 1859. ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE DIOCESE. St. Mary's Church, Burlington, May 25th, A. D. 1859. This being the time and place appointed by the Constitution of the Diocese of New Jersey, for the Annual Convention, the Clergy and Lay Deputies assembled at 10 o'clock. Morning Prayer was said by the Rev. Messrs. Billopp and Merritt; the Rev. Messrs. Reid and Weld reading the Lessons. The Rev. Mr. Finch celebrated the Holy Communion, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Williams, the Rev. Dr. Stubbs, and the Rev. E. A. Hoffman. The Rev. John Kelly, rector of St. Paul's Church, Paterson, preached the Convention Sermon from 1 Cor. xiv. 8. For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? The services being concluded, the Secretary announced that a quorum of the Convention was present. On motion of the Rev. Mr. Dunn, seconded by the Hon. E. B. D. Ogden, the Rev. James A. Williams was unanimously elected President of the Convention. The Rev. Wm. Croswell Doane was elected Secretary. The Secretary appointed the Rev. Philander K. Cady his Assistant. On motion of the Rev. E. A. Hoffman, seconded by Cortlandt Parker, Esq., the following was unanimously adopted: WHEREAS, This Convention has assembled this day, under circumstances of peculiar solemnity, by reason of the recent decease of its late honored and beloved father in GOD, the Bishop of the Diocese, and cannot proceed to the ordinary business of the session without a tribute of affectionate veneration to his memory; therefore, Resolved, Unanimously, at this first opportunity of passing an order, that a committee of five-three clerical and two lay-members-be appointed to consider and report, what proceedings it is proper for this Convention to take, to testify their sense of the loss which this Diocese has sustained in its sore bereavment, and to do honor to the memory of their late Bishop. . On motion, Resolved, That the Rev. President appoint the Committee, of which himself should be the chairman. On motion of Judge Carpenter the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the election of the Bishop of this Diocese be made the order of the day for to-morrow (Thursday), at 1 P. M., and that a Committee of five, to be named by the Chair, be appointed to report rules of proceeding to be observed in that election. The report of the Standing Committee was then read, in which are the following: "Since the Bishop's death, the Standing Committee have held regular weekly meetings, and have endeavored faithfully to discharge the new duties imposed upon them as the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese. "Their first act, as such, was to assume in behalf of the Diocese, the entire expenses of the Bishop's funeral. "They have invited the Rev. Dr. Mahan to preach a sermon in St. Mary's Church, Burlington, on the evening of the first day of this Convention, commemorative of the late Bishop of the Diocese, and the invitation has been accepted." On motion, the Convention adjourned, to attend a memorial service and sermon in St. Mary's Church. MEMORIAL SERVICE. At 7 P. M., after Evening Prayer, the Memorial Service was held and sermon preached, which, at the request of the Convention, was afterwards printed. Its title page reads thus: "The Great-Hearted Shepherd.-The Sermon in memory of the Right Reverend George Washington Doane, D. D., LL. D., late Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey; preached by request of the Standing Committee, during the session of the Convention of the Diocese, in St. Mary's Church, Burlington, Wednesday evening, May 25, A. D. 1859, by the Rev. M. Mahan, D. D., S. Mark's-in-the-Bowery, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the General Theological Seminary.” The text is: "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."-ST. JOHN, xxi: 17. Thursday, May 26, 9 A. M. Morning prayer was said by the Rev. Messrs. Jaques and D. Brown, the Rev. Messrs. Goodwin and Arey reading the lessons. RESOLUTIONS OF THE CONVENTION. The Committee appointed to consider what proceedings it is proper for this Convention to take, in view of the death of their late Bishop, beg leave respectfully to report the following resolutions: 1. Resolved, That as becomes Christian men and members of Christ's Church, we do bow in humble submission under this chastisement of our Heavenly Father's hand; and both as a people and in our individual approaches to the Throne of Grace, do beseech Him to sanctify to us, and to the Church of His love, this His fatherly correction. 2. Resolved, That the remarkable mental and moral characteristics of Bishop Doane, his untiring, self-sacrificing and intense devotion of himself, soul, body, and spirit, to the cause to which he consecrated his life, and his eminence as a poet, an orator, and a divine, have identified his name with the history of the Church and the country, and highly distinguished the State of his birth; and that it is fit that his Diocese should take measures to erect some monument to his memory, worthy to perpetuate his fame. 3. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by this Convention, whose duty it shall be, without delay, either solely in behalf of this Convention, or in connection with any who may desire to share the honor, and having due regard to the wishes of his family, to carry out the above resolution. 4. Resolved, That we hereby express to the bereaved family of Bishop Doane, our deep and heartfelt sympathy for their bereavement, and our earnest prayers that God will give them consolation and support here, and in His good time grant to them a blessed re-union with their departed head, where sorrow and sighing shall be no more. JAMES A. WILLIAMS, The following were appointed under the third resolution: the Rev. Messrs. Dunn, E. A. Hoffman, and Merritt, and Messrs. J. C. Garthwaite, and A. Browning. MODE OF ELECTING A BISHOP. The Rev. J. W. Shackelford, Chairman of the Committee on the mode of electing a Bishop, offered the following report,, which was accepted and adopted: Resolved, That the election of a Bishop by this body, shall be without nomination or discussion of character, under the following rules: I. The vote shall be by ballot, one clergyman and one layman being appointed by the Chair, as tellers to receive and count the votes of the clergy, and one layman and one clergyman to receive and count the votes of the laity. II. The clergy and the laity, during the progress of the election, shall be seated separately, as may be directed by the Chair, the delegates of each parish being seated together. III. The clergy and the delegates of the several parishes shall, as called, respectively deposit their votes in the ballot boxes, the name of each clergyman and the name of each parish being distinctly announced at the time of giving the vote, but no one shall be deemed elected, without the concurrence of a majority of the votes of each order present and voting, and that a blank ballot shall be considered a vote. The Convention then proceeded to the election of officers, and the vote for members of the Standing Committee was taken by order. The vote of the Rev. Joshua Smith was challenged, but the challenge was not sustained by the Convention, the vote being: Ayes of the Clergy, 15; nays of the Clergy, 35. Ayes of the Laity, 25; nays of the Laity, 34. The hour of one having arrived, the order of the day was postponed until the completion of the election of the Standing Committee. The following were elected : STANDING COMMITTEE. Of the Clergy. Rev. James A. Williams, R. N. Merritt. Of the Laity. J. C. Garthwaite, D. Babbitt, M. D., On the completion of this vote, the Convention entered upon the solemnity of designating a Bishop for the Diocese. ELECTION OF THE THIRD BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY. After singing from the 61st Psalın: To Thee, O God of hosts, we pray, Behold the vineyard made by Thee, Which Thy right hand did guard so long; Do Thou convert us, Lord, do Thou And all the ills we suffer now, Like scatter'd clouds, shall pass away: Engaging in secret prayer, and uniting in selected collects said by the President, the Chairman appointed as tellers: For the Clerical vote. Rev. J. Kelly, P. J. Gray, Esq. For the Lay vote. R. Hamilton, Esq., The seats for the Clergy and Lay members of the Convention. were arranged by the Chair. The Convention proceeded to ballot for Bishop of the Diocese, in which, with several recesses, it was engaged till 12 M., of May 27th, when the Rev. Dr. Mahan withdrew his name, and the Convention proceeded to the 13th, and final, ballot. The following table shows the results of the various ballots: |
