I/O LIFE AND CORRESrOXDENCE OF THE [l/S^ 



The hymns must be printed in a smaller letter, as many of the metres 

 are long. Attend well to the note at bottom of page 38. 



Bev. Dr. White to Rev. Dr. Smith. 



I'Hii.AnEi.ruiA, January 25th, 1786. 



Dear Sir : I have received your letter with the enclosed hymns ; of 

 which the time admits my saying no more at present, but that I make 

 no doubt of their being unexceptionable. If I have any remarks to 

 make, you shall have them in my next. 



As you have no objections to the method last proposed respecting the 

 psalms, I shall do whatever on a re-examination appears to our friends 

 here the best. 



I am afraid your proposals, concerning the tunes, are too late to be 

 accomplished without either spoiling what has been done or making an 

 addition in this article; which, by-the-by, will be much more expen- 

 sive than you imagined. However I shall accommodate it to your 

 ideas, as much as I should think you would yourself, were )ou on the 

 spot. 



I expect we shall finish the reading psalms this week, and that we 

 shall have the first sheet of the singing psalms ready for next post. 

 The wailing for it can be no injury in regard to the composing part, 

 but for the press work (which Mr. Hall considers as the principal), it 

 may put us back a little. 



In regard to the selections, instead of" the Venite, I believe they had 

 better stand as they are. You know the design is to introduce such 

 portions respecting the Messiah as could not be agreeably retained in 

 their old places; now the including some Scriptural sentences must 

 either supersede some of said portions or make this part of the service 

 too long ; at least this would be the case on Good Friday and Christmas 

 day. With regard to the reading psalms of those days I mentioned to 

 you, and reqi:sted you to look at them, that I had in a rubric at the 

 end referred to one portion of the Psalter to be read on all these festi- 

 vals at morning prayer, another at evening prayer, another for the 

 morning of the fast days, and another for the evening of the same. 



I have been considering the daily calendar ; and do not find that we 

 have any power given us on this head. Nevertheless the reading the 

 Apocrypha has been so old an objection to our Church, that I believe it 

 would be taken well if we were to substitute others. My plan for this 

 is to divide so many of the longer chapters as will make up for the 

 number to be expunged, which I find on examination may easily be 

 done. Perhaps, too, it might be well to divide as many chapters of the 

 Gospels and Acts as may be suited to the reading them over twice in- 

 stead of thrice in the year. Those from the Ejjistles may very well 

 stand as they are. I must request your opinion on this head. 



