1786] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 19/ 



certificate and the table of contents, and to-morrow morning the re- 

 viewed forms. Tiie intervention of the newspaper has delayed them. 



I am yours, etc. 



Wm. White. 

 Rev. Dr. Smith. 



Rev. Dr. Smith io Rev. Dr. White. 



Chester, April 9, 1786. 



Dear Sir : We had a considerable majority of all our 



clergy (not many of the laity) at our Convention, and have agreed to 

 receive and recommend to public use the new book, as far as the power 

 of our State Church may be supposed to extend in our present unorgan- 

 ized State. A few alterations are proposed to be offered to the next 

 Convention. The Nicene Creed to follow the Apostles', with an "or 

 this.''^ A little alteration, or rather discretionary power in the admin- 

 istration of baptism, where the minister may have great numbers to 

 baptize together, and an addition to the consecration prayer at the holy 

 sacrament, for a blessing on the elements, which being only a few 

 words, and those extremely proper, and agreeable to the practice of all 

 other Protestant Churches, as well as what was in the first liturgy of 

 Edward VI. hath perfectly reconciled Mr. Smith* to our service and 

 will prevent any further division between us and the numbers of clergy 

 coming among us from Bishop Seabury and the Scots' Church. 



In the Scots' and Edward VI's liturgy the prayer was exceptionable 

 and leaning much to transubstantiation in these words: "Vouchsafe to 

 bless and sanctify these thy creatures of bread and wine, that they may 

 be unto us the body and blood, etc." The Scots' still stronger, viz., 

 "that they may become unto us the body and bloods The alteration as 

 we propose it is thus, beginning at the words in the consecration prayer, 

 "Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech Thee, and 

 vouchsafe so to bless and sanctify these thy creatures of bread and wine, 

 that we receiving them according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's 

 holy institution, in remembrance, etc.," as it now stands. This reads 

 as well as before, pleases all sides, and is certainly an improvement, as 

 there was before no invocation of a blessing on the sacred elements. 

 When you send the book to Mr. Parker, of Boston, before their ensuing 

 Convention, send him as from me, with the compliments of the Mary- 

 land Convention, the foregoing proposed addition in the consecration 

 prayer, and also notify our agreement with our New England brethren 

 in the restitution of the Nicene Creed. 



I beg by post at least one complete book. I have none at present. 

 The title I have not seen, and do not wish to alter, but it should cor- 



*The Rev. William Smith, of Stepney Parish, Somerset county, alluded to, supra, 

 page 186. See a sketch of him, by an able hand, infra, page 274. 



