been obtained; nor until the Candidate has been examined on the studies prescribed by the Canons of this Church. And should any such Clergyman, so ordained, wish to settle in any Congregation of this Church, he must obtain a Special License therefor from the Bishop, and officiate as a Probationer for at least one year.

CANON XXIII.-Of Clergymen Ordained by Foreign Bishops, or by Bishops not in Communion with this Church, and desirous of Officiating or Settling in this Church.

[Former Canons on this subject were the ninth of 1789, the fifth of 1804, and the thirty-sixth of 1808; see also, the twenty-fourth of the present Canons.]

Sect. 1. A Clergyman coming from a foreign country, and professing to be regularly ordained, shall, before he be permitted to officiate in any Parish and Congregation, exhibit to the Minister, or if there be no Minister, to the Vestry thereof, a Certificate signed by the Bishop of the Diocese, or, if there be no Bishop, by all the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee duly convened, that his Letters of Orders are authentic, and given by some Bishop whose authority is acknowledged by this Church, and also that he has exhibited to the Bishop or Standing Committee, satisfactory evidence of his pious and moral character, and his theological acquirements. And should he be guilty of any unworthy conduct, he shall be liable to presentment and trial. And in any case, before he shall be entitled to settle in any Parish or Church, as the Minister thereof, the Bishop or ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese must obtain satisfactory evidence of his respectable standing in the Church there; and he must also have resided one year in the United States.

Sect. 2. And if any such foreign Clergyman shall remove from one Diocese to another before one year have

expired, he shall not be allowed by the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese to which he goes, to officiate in said Diocese, till he shall have complied with the requisitions of the Canon concerning Ministers removing from one Diocese to another.

Sect. 3. And if such foreign Clergyman be a Deacon, he shall remain in this country at least three years, and obtain in this country the required testimonials of character, before he be ordained a Priest.

Sect. 4. When a Deacon or Priest, ordained by a Bishop not in Communion with this Church, shall apply to a Bishop for reception into the same, as a Minister thereof, he shall produce the testimonials of character, required in the first section of Canon XXI.; and shall also, not less than six months after his application, in the presence of the Bishop and two or more Presbyters, subscribe the Declaration contained in the Seventh Article of the Constitution; which, being done, the Bishop, being satisfied of his theological acquirements, may receive him as such.

CANON XXIV.-Of Ministers Celebrating Divine Service in a Foreign Language.

[The former Canon on this subject was the sixth of 1829.]

When a Clergyman coming from a foreign country, and professing to be regularly ordained, shall be called to a Church of this Communion, in which Divine service is celebrated in a foreign language, he may, with the approbation of the Bishop of the Diocese in which such Church is situated, acting with the advice and consent of the Standing Committee, or with the unanimous approbation of the Standing Committee, if there be no Bishop, and on

complying with the other requisitions of the Canons, settle in the said Church, as the Minister thereof, without having resided one year in the United States, any thing in the twenty-third Canon to the contrary notwithstanding. And when a person, not a citizen of the United States, who has been acknowledged as an ordained Minister of any other denomination of Christians, applies for Orders in this Church, on the ground of a call to a Church in which Divine service is celebrated in a foreign language, the Standing Committee of the Diocese to which the said Church belongs, may, on sufficient evidence of fitness according to the Canons, and by a unanimous vote at a meeting duly convened, recommend him to the Bishop for Orders, and the Bishop may then ordain him, and he may be settled and instituted into the said Church, without his producing a testimonial to his character by a Clergyman, from his personal knowledge of him for one year, and without his having been a year resident in this country, any thing in any other Canon of this Church to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided, That in both of the above cases, the person applying produce a Certificate, signed by at least four respectable members of this Church, that they have satisfactory reason to believe the testimonials to his religious, moral, and literary qualifications, to be entitled to full credit.

CANON XXV.-Of Episcopal Visitations.

[Former Canons on this subject were the third of 1789; the first of 1795; the fourth of 1801; and the twentieth of 1808.1

Sect. 1. Every Bishop in this Church shall visit the Churches within his Diocese, for the purpose of examining the state of his Church, inspecting the behaviour of his clergy, and administering the apostolic rite of confirmation.

And it is deemed proper, that such visitations be made once in three years at least, by every Bishop, to every Church within his Diocese, which shall make provision for defraying the necessary expenses of the Bishop at such visitation. And it is hereby declared to be the duty of the Minister and Vestry of every Church or Congregation to make such provision accordingly.

Sect. 2. But it is to be understood, that to enable the Bishop to make the aforesaid visitations, it shall be the duty of the Clergy, in such reasonable rotation as may be devised, to officiate for him in any Parochial duties which belong to him.

Sect. 3. It shall be the duty of the Bishop to keep a register of his proceedings at every visitation of his Diocese.

CANON XXVI.—Of the Duty of Ministers in regard to Episcopal Visitations.

[Former Canons on this subject were the eleventh of 1789, and the twenty-first of 1808.]

Sect. 1. It shall be the duty of Ministers to prepare young persons and others for the Holy Ordinance of Confirmation. And on notice being received from the Bishop, of his intention to visit any Church, which notice shall be at least one month before the intended visitation, the Minister shall give immediate notice to his Parishioners individually, as opportunity may offer; and also to the Congregation on the first occasion of public worship after the receipt of said notice. And he shall be ready to present, for Confirmation, such persons as he shall think properly qualified; and shall deliver to the Bishop a list of the names of those confirmed.

Sect. 2. And at every visitation it shall be the duty of the Minister and of the Church Wardens or Vestry, to

give information to the Bishop of the state of the Congregation, under such heads as shall have been committed to them in the notice given as aforesaid.

Sect. 3. And further, the Ministers and Church Wardens of such Congregations as cannot be conveniently visited in any year, shall bring or send to the Bishop, at the stated meeting of the Convention of the Diocese, information of the state of the Congregation, under such heads as shall have been committed to them, at least one month before the meeting of the Convention.

CANON XXVII.-Of Episcopal Charges and Pastoral Letters.

[The former Canon on this subject was the twenty-third of 1808.]

It is deemed proper that every Bishop of this Church shall deliver, at least once in three years, a Charge to the Clergy of his Diocese, unless prevented by reasonable cause. And it is also deemed proper, that from time to time he shall address to the people of his Diocese, Pastoral Letters on some points of Christian doctrine, worship, or

manners.

CANON XXVIII.—Of Parochial Instruction.

[The former Canon on this subject was the twenty-second of 1808.]

The Ministers of this Church who have charge of Parishes or Cures shall not only be diligent in instructing the children in the Catechism, but shall also, by stated Catechetical Lectures and instruction, be diligent in informing the youth and others in the Doctrines, Constitution, and Liturgy of the Church.