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corporated by an Act of the Legislature of Louisiana, approved March 25, 1844, and that said Act is satisfactory; but the application was not accompanied by all the documents required by the first canon of this diocese, adopted 16th Jan., 1839. Whether this informality should prevent the admission of St. James's into union with the Convention, is submitted by the Committee.
The Committee also examined the documents of the organization of St. John's Church, West Baton Rouge, and find them satisfactory, they being in strict compliance with the canon. They therefore recommend the admission of St. John's Church into union with the Convention.
The application of St. Mary's Church, Bayou Goula, in the parish of Iberville, was accompanied with the necessary documents, and we recommend its admission into union with the Convention.
The application of St. James's Church, Alexandria, in the parish of Rapides, was attended with the proper documents.
The application of St. John's Church, Thibodeaux, was attended with informal papers, but the Bishop verbally vouches for the correctness of its organization.
On motion, Resolved{italics}, That all the Churches reported by the Committee, to wit:
St. James' Church, East Baton Rouge,
St. John's Church, West Baton Rouge,
St. Mary's Church, Bayou Goula.
St. James' Church, Alexandria.
St. John's Church, Thibodeaux.
be admitted into union with this Convention.
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Whereupon, the Committee on the certificates of lay delegates reported the following persons as entitled to seats in this Convention:
St.{italics} Mary's{italics} Church{italics}, Bayou Goula.---John R. Thompson, T. H. Randolph.
St.{italics} James's{italics} Church{italics}, East Baton Rouge.---F. D. Newcomb, Alfred Gates, Geo. S. Lacey, Wm. Markham.
St.{italics} John's{italics} Church{italics}, West Baton Rouge.---John. P. Lobdell, J. Hereford, D. Duvall.
The following Annual Address was then delivered by the Right Rev. Leonidas Polk, Bishop of the Diocese:
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BRETHREN OF THE CLERGY AND LAITY,
WE are again permitted, by the good providence of our divine Lord and Master, to assemble as the Council of his Church, in that portion of "the field" committed to our charge. May His spirit preside over our deliberations, and direct us in all our doings, with his most gracious favor.
According to the requisition of the Canon, my first duty is to present you with a record of my official acts.
On the Monday following the adjournment of our last Convention, January 23, 1843, I proceeded, in company with the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of St. Francisville, to the house of a venerable member of his flock, residing in the country ; to whom, after an address to a large number of servants, assembled for the occasion, I administered the rite of confirmation. I proceeded the same afternoon to Jackson, where, after evening prayers by the Rev. Mr. Lewis, I preached.
Tuesday, 24.--Evening prayer was read by the Rev. Mr. Lewis, and I preached at Clinton.
Thursday, 26.--Under an arrangement with the Rt. Rev. Dr. Otey, provisional Bishop of the diocese of Mississippi, and at the request of the Rector, I proceeded to St. Paul's Parish, Woodville, in that diocese ; where I baptised one adult.
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Friday, 27.---In the same parish, after morning prayer by the Rev. Mr. Boyd, of Vicksburg, I preached, and confirmed two persons. In the afternooon of the same day, I confirmed one other person in the same parish.
Sunday, 29.---After morning prayer by the Rev. Mr. Ranney, I preached at Baton Rouge, and confirmed five persons. I also administered the holy communion, assisted by Mr. Ranney.
Sunday, February 5.---Read prayers and preached to the congregation, in Thibodeaux.
Thursday, 9.---Organized in that village, St. John's parish.
Sunday, 12. Read prayers and preached to a colored congregation in Lafourche Interior.
For the next month, I was engaged in making a visitation of the diocese of Alabama; during which I preached ten sermons, administered the holy communion four times, held five confirmations, at which I administered that rite to seventy-seven persons, and consecrated three churches.
Sunday, 19.---Read prayers and preached to a colored congregation on Lafourche.
Sunday, 26.---Read prayers and preached in St. John's parish, Thibodeaux.
Sunday, April 2.---I preached in Christ's Church, New-Orleans, in the morning, and in St. Paul's in the afternoon.
Sunday 9th.---Read prayers and preached for the colored people on Lafourche.
Easter Sunday, 16.---Read prayers and preached in St. John's parish, Thibodeaux, and baptised eight children.
Sunday, 23.---Held confirmation in New-Orleans, and admitted to that rite thirteen persons in the parish of Christ's Church, and twelve in that of St. Paul's. In the afternoon, I preached in St. Paul's.
Sunday, 30.---After morning prayer by the Rev. Mr. Stamer, I preached in Ascension parish, Donaldsonville.
From May 7th to June 18th, I officiated regularly in Lafourche, alternately serving the white and colored congregations of the parish. During that period, I adminstered the sacrament of Baptism to two children.
Sunday, June 25.---I read prayers and preached at Napoleonville.
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On the following day, I baptized a family of two adults and two children.
Sunday, July 2.---Read preayers and preached in St. Johns' parish, Thibodeaux.
From that time until the 1st November, was spent in the diocese of Tennessee; during which period I adminstered the sacrament of baptism four times, the holy communion four times, the rite of confirmation to two persons, and preached seventeen sermons.
Sunday, November 5.---I read prayer and preached to a congregation on board the steamer Westwood, while descending the Mississippi River.
From the 12th November to the 17th December, I served the congregations of St. John's parish, Lafourche Interior.
Sunday, December 24th, I held an ordination in St. Paul's church, New Orleans, and admitted Mr. John L. Gay, of the diocese of Alabama, to the order of Deacons; on which occasion I preached and administered the holy communion.
Chirstmas day;---I preached in Christ's Church, New Orleans, and administered the holy communion.
Sunday, 31st.---Read prayers and preached in St. John's parish, Thibodeaux. I also baptised five children.
January 1.---I laid, with the usual solemnities, the corner stone of a remarkably neat church in the village of Thibodeaux, for the use of the congregation of St. John's parish. It is built of brick and covered with slate, and is nearly ready for consecration. The promptitude with which the friends of the enterprise have acted is worthy of the highest praise. They will, within the period of a few months of its inception, have carried out their plan of erecting an exceedingly neat and commodious temple to the honor of God; have furnished it with the usual accompanyments, and presented it to His church for consecration, free of debt. It is a part of their plan to erect also a parsonage, for the accommodation of the clergyman, contiguous to the church. May the Lord abundantly reward them for the honor they have shown to his name.
On Sundays, 7th and 14th, I read prayers and preached in St. John's parish.
Sunday, 21.---I read prayers and preached in St. John's parish, West Baton Rouge, on which occasion I baptized one adult and one child. This parish has been organized within the present
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cese. During my visit, there was a meeting of the vestry and friends of the church, and measures were taken for the erection, at an early day, of a suitable church edifice.
Saturday, 11.---I read prayers and preached in the evening, in Opelousas.
Sunday, 12.---I read prayers and preached in the morning in the same place, and baptized eight adults and three children. In the afternoon, I baptized one child.
On the following day, I met the friends of the cause, when it was resolved to organize a congregation, and take steps for the building of a church. Here too our prospects of usefulness are very inviting. In and around Opelousas, there are many families of wealth and influence attached to our church, either from having been reared within her pale, or for other reasons, who are not likely to connect themselves very readily with any other. These need only the aid of a clergyman of the proper qualifications, to be united in a congregation, in which I doubt not there would be speedily found many humble and faithful followers of Christ.
In the afternoon of Monday, May 13th, I administered the ordinance of baptism to three adults and four children.
On the morning of the 14th, I administered the same rite to three children, one white and two colored.
On the evening of the 15th, I read prayers and preached in the Court-House at St. Martinsville.
On the morning of the 16th, after a few preliminary remarks, I administered, in the same town, the ordinance of baptism to five aduls and twenty-seven children,seven of whom were colored. Here too there are families enough attached to the church to form quite a respectable congregation. A parish has probably before this been organized, in which I have appointed two gentlemen to act as lay readers. In this place and Newtown, a village about nine miles further down the Te{circumflex}che, which I next visited, there is full employment for a clergyman; and I know of no field in the diocese, of the same extent, where a clergyman, particularly if he spoke the French language, could do more good. In Newtown, on the morning of the 17th, I administered the ordinance of baptism to three adults and three children.
Sunday, 19th---I read prayers and preached in Franklin.
Tuesday, 21st.---Baptised two infants in that neighborhood.
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In Franklin and its vicinity there are many persons who prefer the services of our church to those of any other, and who have resolved to take measures to erect a church edifice, and provide means for the support of a clergyman. This town is in the midst of one of the most fertile districts in the diocese; and the character of the population warrants the expectation, that the day is not distant when a flourishing congregation may, under the Lord's blessing, be established there.
Sunday, 26.---Read prayers and preached for the colored people in Lafourche.
Trinity Sunday, 2d May.---Read prayers and preached in St. John's parish, Lafourche Interior, in the morning for the white congregation, and in the afternoon, for the colored people. I also at the same time administered the ordinance of baptism to seventy children.
On the last Sunday, May 9th, I read prayers and preached for the colored people in Lafourche, and administered the ordinance of baptism to six adults.
I closed my labors for the conventional year by administering the holy communion in Christ's Church, New Orleans, on yesterday morning.
The following is a summary of my labors since the last Convention:
I have preached on 102 different occasions. I have baptised 43 adults and 159 children, in all 202; ordained one clergyman; consecrated seven new church edifices, and laid the corner-stone of one other; admitted one candidate for orders; received two clergymen by letters of dismission from other dioceses; transferred one; administered the holy communion 17 times, and confirmed 210 persons.
The clergyman ordained was the Rev. John L. Gay, of the diocese of Alabama. He was, for the sake of convenience, transferred to this diocese for the purpose of ordination, and has since been re-transferred.
The clergymen received into the diocese are the Rev. A. H. Lamon and the Rev. Charles Fay. The former was transferred by Bishop Kemper from the diocese of Indiana, and is officiating in a newly organized parish in West Baton Rouge. The latter was received from the diocese of Georgia, on letters of dismission
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from Bishop Elliot, and is officiating at Bayeu Goula. They are both rendering highly acceptable services to their parishes.
The Rev. Mr. Renouf, of the diocese of Massachusetts, officiated with much satisfaction in Franklin, St. Mary's parish, for about six months during the past year, and we are not without hope that his valuable services may be again secured.
The Rev. Mr. Stamer, of the Church of England, has officiated also for nearly twelve months in the parish of Ascension. He has recently left for the diocese of Ohio.
The Rev. Mr. Steele, of the diocese of Tennessee, is officiating in the parish of Caddo, at Greenwood.
The Rev. Mr. Wall, of the diocese of Mississippi, is employed in the instruction of youth in the College of Louisiana.
The candidate for orders is Mr. David Kerr.
The whole number of clergy laboring in the diocese is eleven. of whom, nine are canonically resident.
Four new parishes have been organized during the ecclesiastical year, viz: St. John's, Lafourche Interion; St. James's, Alexandria; St. John's, West Baton Rouge; and St. James's, East Baton Rouge; in all of which, church edifices are in a course of erection, or soon will be.
In regard to the action of the Missionary Committee, and the Committee on the subject of relief for superanuated and infirm clergymen, reports will be made to the Convention.
In reviewing the operations of the year, and the general condition of the diocese, we have great reason to be grateful to Almighty God for his blessing. Instances of his favor towards us as a church, have been constantly multiplying, and it cannot be doubted that yet greater blessings are in store for us, if we be faithful to the trust committed to our care. Our chief want is an increase of laborers; the people are not only willing, but desirous to receive them; and the difficulty of securing such as are willing to cast in their lot among us from abroad, suggests to me the duty of again pressing on the clergy the importance of seeking out suitable young persons from among ourselves, who may be trained up for the church.
As the past year has been one of more or less agitation in the church and world at large, upon the subject of the faith and order of the gospel, it may be perhaps expected I should at least advert to the topics in discussion. My own reviews were well known to
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you before I was invited to take charge of your diocese, and have been explicitely recorded in the address delivered in 1842, on the occasion of our first meeting after my election. In those views, I have great pleasure in knowing the clergy of the diocese, as a body, united most cordially. They steadily adhere to the truth and appointments of the Gospel, as set forth and embodied in our liturgy, articles and homilies. Their conviction is that our blessed Lord organized, ordained and commissioned a church, to which he entrusted the work of the conversion of sinners, and the confirmation of the faithful. To this church he has committed his written word, to be faithfully dispensed by it, as that sure warrant of Holy Scripture, so containing all things necessary to salvation, that whatsoever is not read therien, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man to be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite to salvation. In the execution of this duty, they feel it incumbent upon them to teach the people, that the condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God; that they have no power to do good works (pleasant and acceptable to God) without the grace of God by Christ preventing them; that, if they are ever accounted righteous before God, it must be only for the merit of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by{italics} faith{italics}, and not for our own merits or deservings; albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necesarily of a true faith, as good fruit from its appropriate tree; that among these fruits are to be numbered, not only charity towards our neighbor, and purity in ourselves, but that piety towards God, which shall constrain us cheerfully to submit to, and partake of, those sacraments ordained of Christ, not only as badges of christian profession, but as certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in him. In a word, the clergy of the diocese, adhering as they do to the plain and understood sense of our written standards, are not likely to expose themselves, with any degree of justice, to the charge of either extreme of opinion, against which, as a church we have so firmly protested. Our confidence is, that