1 7^5] HEV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 1 3/ 



any one time, blessed with either wiser or better, since it was a church." 

 They set earnestly about the great work committed to them ; making 

 many important and necessary alterations in the morning and evening 

 service ; revising the various collects throughout the year, and render- 

 ing them more suitable to the epistles and gospels ; striking out un- 

 necessary repetitions in the service, and also such psalms and lessons of 

 the Old Testament, as appeared less suitable to the worship of a Chris- 

 tian church ; altering and amending the offices of baptism,, confirma- 

 tion, matrimony, visitation of the sick, and burial of the dead, in all 

 things justly exceptionable ; so that the whole service might thus become 

 more connected, solemn and affecting. 



This great reformation was, however, lost through the heats and 

 divisions which immediately followed, both in church and state, under 

 King William; and such hath been the situation of things that it 

 hath never since been resumed in the mother church, by any public 

 authority. 



Cut singularly to be admired and adored are the ways of Provi- 

 dence ! At the commencement of a new aera in the civil and religious 

 condition of mankind in this new world, and upon another great 

 Revolution about an hundred years after the former, all those proposed 

 alterations and amendments were in our hands ; and we had it in 

 our power to adopt and even to improve them, as might best suit our 

 circumstances in that part of our church, which the Lord hath planted 

 and permitted to flourish among the highways and hedges of this im- 

 mense continent ! 



To embrace such an occasion, we are certain that multitudes in the 

 mother church would rejoice ! And for us, not to have embraced it, 

 would have been ungrateful to our God, unjust to ourselves and our 

 holy religion, and unpardonable by our posterity. It hath been 

 embraced ! — And, in such a manner, we trust, as will carry our Church 

 through all the shoals of controversy, and conduct her into a safe and 

 quiet harbour ! 



What glories will shine upon the heads of our Clergy whom God 

 hath made instrumental in this good work ! How much shall our laity 

 be venerated for the candor, liberality, and abilities, which they have 

 manifested on this great occasion. Looking back upon the wonderful 

 things which God hath of late done for them, and forward upon the 

 long tract of glory which is opening before them as a people ; they 

 could not but consider that, after all their illustrious toils for the civil 

 happiness of their country, they had done but little for their posterity 

 if the great concerns of Religion were neglected ; knowing that right- 

 eousness only exalteth a nation, and that empires and kingdoms can 

 rise and flourish upon no other foundation, than Religion and Virtue. 



What now remains, lies with the body of our Church at large; 



