by Canons, framed by the General Convention.
These Canons regulate the mode of elections of Bishops, declare the age
and qualifications necessary for obtaining the orders of Deacon or Priest,
the studies to be previously pursued, the examinations which each
candidate is to undergo, and all other matters of permanent legislation.
Deacon's orders cannot be conferred on any person under the age of
twenty-one, nor those of Priest before that of twenty-four. A Bishop must
be at least thirty years of age. Prejudices have prevailed against the
Episcopal Church, and probably still exist in the minds of some persons,
from an impression, that Episcopacy is not congenial with a republican
form of government, and the civil institutions of our Country. But, that
this is an erroneous opinion, will be evident, to any one who will
carefully and impartially examine the subject. It will he seen, from what
has been stated above, that its Constitution is founded on the
representative principle, and is strikingly analogous to the form of
government of the United States. "In the _permanent_ official stations of
the Bishops and Clergy in her legislative bodies, our own Church," says
Bishop Hobart, "resembles all other religious communities, whose clergy
also are permanent legislators. But, in some respects, she is more
conformed than they are to the organization of our civil governments. Of
these, it is a characteristic, that legislative power is divided between
two branches. And it is a peculiar character of our own Church, that her
legislative power is thus divided. Again, a single responsible Executive
characterizes our civil constitutions. The same feature marks our own
Church, in the single Episcopal Executive in each Diocese, chosen, in the
first instance, by the Clergy and representatives of the Laity. Nor are
these the only points in which the Bishop of our Church may feel pleasure
in asserting the free and republican constitution of our government; for,
in our ecclesiastical judicatories, the representatives of the laity
possess strict coordinate authority,--the power of voting as a separate
body, and of annulling, by a majority of votes, the acts of the Bishops
and Clergy."

The doctrines of the Episcopal Church are contained in the Thirty-nine
Articles of Religion, subjoined to this notice. See Book of Homilies, the
Canons of the Church, Archbishop Potter's Discourse on Church Government,
Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, Daubeny's G