Chap. 9. 



RELIGIOUS INSTlTUTIOiNS. 



199 



INCOME FROM THE PROPAGATION RIGHTS. 



EASTERN DIOCESE FORMED. 



have now taken possession of all these 

 lands, except some trifling pieces over- 

 looked by the sub-agents and not worth 

 contending for. 



Sucli is a condensed history of this 

 most singularly protracted and expensive 

 business. Perplexing as it has been to 

 tlie managers, it issues in " a valuable 

 consideration" to the Church. The gross 

 annual income will not vary much from 

 $3000. To each parish in the Diocese 

 sustaining and enjoying the full services 

 of a Clergyman the Agents appropriate 

 tlie sum of $50, — to two or more parishes 

 associated under one Clergyman, tlie 

 same sura. 



In 1831, on application of the Board of 

 Agents in conjunction with the Con- 

 vention of the Diocese, a new letter of 

 attorney was received from tlie society, 

 remodelling the Board in conformity to 

 change of circumstances. As constituted 

 by this instrument, it consisted of the 

 gentlemen whose names follow : — The Rt. 

 Rev. A. V. Griswold, D. D., the Rev. 

 Abraham Bronson, the Hon. Daniel Chip- 

 man, the Rev. Carlton Cliase, the Hon. 

 Jonatlian H. Hubbard, Dorastus Woos- 

 ter, Esqr. and Jonathan Hagar, Esqr. — 

 Again in the early part of 183!*, on simi- 

 lar application, the Rt. Rev. John H. 

 Hopkins, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese, 

 and the Rev. William Henry Hoit, were 

 substituted for Bishop Griswold and Mr, 

 Bronson ; the former of whom had ceas- 

 ed to have Episcopal charge in Vermont, 

 and the latter had removed to Ohio, Such 

 is the present Board, which for the trans- 

 action of its business meets annually on 

 the first Tuesday in February. 



For a time some of the friends of the 

 Church feared, that the litigation attend- 

 ing the recovery of these lands would oc- 

 casion prejudices sufficient to overbalance 

 the benefits to be derived from them. 

 But so it has not proved. To the extent 

 of the writer's acquaintance there exists 

 no hostility from this source, affecting 

 the Church's progress. 



We return to the more direct history of 

 the Church. 



Plans for the supplying of the Diocese 

 witii a BisJiop failing — the General Con- 

 vention, moreover, having enacted a 

 Canon, that no Diocese should be con- 

 sidered competent to choose a Bisliop 

 without si-v officiating Presbyters — 'the 

 subject was permitted to rest for several 

 years. Owing to this privation and some 

 other circumstances, tiie Churcli made 

 very little progre.^s and furnislied but 

 scanty materials for history in tlie first 

 ten years of tliis century — the Rev. Mr. 

 Bronson and tlie Rev. Mr. Chittenden 



being the only clergymen, whose names 

 appear on the journals of the convention, 

 which was regularly held during that 

 period. 



In 1809, a plan was formed in the con- 

 vention of Massachusetts to confederate 

 the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 

 New Hampshire and Vermont, for the 

 purpose of ciioosing a Bishop. This was 

 communicated to churchmen in tiiose 

 States, with a request that if they approv- 

 ed, they would appoint delegates to at- 

 tend a convention at Boston in the 

 month of May the year following. The 

 plan was unriversallj'^ approved. Mr. 

 Bronson, being the only clergyman in 

 this State, and no Convention at hand, 

 immediately referred the subject to the 

 Standing Committee, who were unani- 

 mously of the opinion, that great good 

 must result from such a measure. On 

 the 31st day of May, 1810, the Rev. Mr. 

 Bronson, the Hon. Daniel Chipinan of 

 Middlebury, Doct. Samuel Cutler of 

 Rockingham and John Whitlock, Esqr. 

 of Castleton, with the Delegates from 

 the other states contemplated, met at Bos- 

 ton and formed the Constitution of "The 

 Eastern Diocese." By that Constitution 

 it was provided, that the Convention of 

 the confederacy should assemble bienni- 

 ally, and that each of the four States 

 should be allowed a delegation consisting 

 of four clergymen, and four laymen 

 to be appointed by the Convention 

 thereof. 



Thus what was most anomalously call- 

 ed "The Eastern Diocese," was in fact a 

 confederation of Dioceses, which might 

 at any time fall to pieces and leave its 

 Bishop without a Diocese. This view 

 of the case was taken by the House of 

 Bishops, when Dr. Griswold was present- 

 ed to them for consecration. And accor- 

 dingly they declined proceeding, until, 

 in a conference with the Delegates from 

 the States concerned, they were assured 

 of that gentleman's havintr been elected 

 by a Convention of the cliurch in Massa- 

 chusetts, and that so far as aft'ected the 

 church in other States the election was 

 concurred in by their respective Conven- 

 tions. All this, however, was merely 

 oral; nor would so loose a way of doing 

 business on so grave an occasion give 

 satisfaction under the exact forms of tlie 

 present day. 



After the adoption of the Constitution, 

 as mentioned above, the Convention pro- 

 ceeded to the election of a Bishop. The 

 Rev. Mr. Griswold, a Presbyter of piety 

 and respectability from Rhode Island, 

 was put in nomination by the Rev. Dr. 

 Gardiner of Boston. The nomination 



