Il6 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [1784 



think proper, they should unite in a General Ecclesiastical 

 Constitution on the following fundamental principles : 



I. That there shall be a General Convention of the Episcopal Church 

 in the United States of America. 



II. That the Episcopal Church in each State send Deputies to the 

 Convention, consisting of Clergy and Laity. 



III. That associated Congregations in two or more States may send 

 Deputies jointly. 



IV. That the said church shall maintain the Doctrines of the Gospel 

 as now held by the Church of England, and shall adhere to the Liturgy 

 of the said Church as far as shall be consistent with the American 

 Revolution and the Constitutions of the respective States. 



V. That every State where there shall be a Bishop duly consecrated 

 and settled, he shall be considered as a member of the Convention, 

 ex-officio. 



VI. That the Clergy and Laity assembled in Convention, shall delib- 

 erate in one Body, but shall vote separately ; and the concurrence of 

 both shall be necessary to give validity to every measure. 



VII. That the first meeting of the Convention shall be at Philadel- 

 ])hia, the Tuesday before the Feast of St. Michael next ; to which it is 

 hoped, and earnestly desired, that the Episcopal Churches in their 

 respective States will send their clerical and lay Deputies herein 

 proposed for their Deliberation. 



A committee was appointed to essay the-fundamental principles 

 of a general constitution. 



The following gentlemen were appointed : The Rev. Dr. Smith, 

 Rev. Dr. White, Rev. Mr. Parker, Rev. Mr. Provoost, Mr. Clarkson, 

 Mr. De Hart, Mr. Clay, Mr. Duane ; and they were likewise 

 desired to frame and propose to the Convention a proper substitute 

 for the State prayers in the liturgy, to be used for the sake of 

 uniformity, till a further review should be undertaken by general 

 authority and consent of the Church — Dr. Smith was chairman of 

 this important Committee. 



While at this Convention of the Church, in October, 1784, Dr. 

 Smith, with its other trustees, continued the good work, which 

 had been begun in May of the same year, of re-establishing the 

 corporation for the relief of the widows and children of the clergy. 

 The historian of the corporation says :* 



*John Willinm Wnllace, LL. D., in "A Century of Beneficence— 1769-1869." 

 Philadelphia, 1869, pp. 41, 42, 43. 



