1785] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. I47 



them. Besides this the Evening Service would appear quite naked 

 witliout them. But 1 need not have written half so much to you on 

 this subject, only from a desire that we should by a candid exchange of 

 sentmients go through the great work committed to us, with the same 

 prefect agreement with which it hath hitherto been conducted ; and I 

 know you will make no change from what was done in Convention ; 

 unless in the exercise of the discretionary power given us, we can all, 

 as a Committee, agree upon the expediency of such change. 



As 1 said in my former letter, then, let the word " every" be struck 

 out of the rubric before the Litany, and let the rest of the rubric stand 

 as it is printed in the enclosed proof; and let the four prayers, and 

 indeed the whole Evening Service, stand also just as they are in the 

 same enclosed proof; with their several rubrics as they are, and there 

 will be sufficient latitude for any minister when necessary to omit the 

 Litany, and supply its place from the Evening Service ; which last 

 Service will look much better in this form. You will be pleased to 

 attend to such corrections as I have made, and particularly in the 

 prayer for "all sorts and conditions of men." The words "good 

 estate of the Catholic Church " have been objected to by our Convention 

 here, ist, because "good estate" maybe considered in a worldly sense, 

 and if taken in any other is but an awkward or antiquated expression ; 

 and 2dly, the word "Catholic" although intelligible enough to many, 

 yet it is not approved of by many others, on account of the vulgar 

 application of it to one particular Church. Now as this prayer for 

 "all sorts and conditions" is a general prayer, never to be used when 

 the Litany is used, why may not the Church be prayed for in the same 

 words here as in the Litany, viz.: "thy holy Church universal?" 

 And then the prayer will be, " more especially we pray for thy holy 

 Church universal, that it may be guided," etc. Or if you think it will 

 run better — "more especially we pray that thy holy Church universal 

 may be so guided," etc. 



One or the other of these corrections is desired by our Convention, 

 and I have given you their reasons, and if you will agree to the altera- 

 tion, I heartily concur with you, and think it will be approved by all 

 our body. 



I expect to hear from you by next week's post. Direct to me at 

 Chester by the Eastern Shore post. I have a great many people talking 



round me, and write in haste. 



Yours, 



Wm. Smith. 

 Rev. Dr. White. 



P. S. — Your two packets by post have just come to my hand. What 

 you propose as a rubric for the use of the Collects is proper. The other 

 parts of your letters are either answered in this and my former letter. 



