236 LIFE AXD CORRESrOXDENCE OF THE [1786 



Dr. White immediately by letter informed Dr. Smith of the 

 communications received from the two Archbishops, and that the 

 Committee of Correspondence, to whom power had been given to 

 call a General Convention, had called it to meet at Wilmington, 

 in Delaware, on the loth of October, 1786. Dr. Smith replies as 

 follows : 



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



Lancaster, August iSth, 1786, 4 o'clock v. m. 



Dear Sir: At Carlisle, on my return from Juniata, on the 15th 

 instant, I received your letter giving me an account of the last com- 

 inunications from the two Archbishops of England. I had never any 

 doubt but that on seeing our Book, such great and liberal Prelates as 

 they are known to be would take a pleasure to protect and patronize our 

 Church, as a great and growing branch of their own. 



I presume any advice I could give concerning the calling of the Con- 

 vention would be now too late, as a majority of the Committee have 

 approved the measure. If that be the case, I can have no objection 

 either to the time or place of meeting. But I can see little use in giving 

 the Convention the trouble to meet in pursuance of anything which you 

 have mentioned to me from the letter of the Archbishops. There can 

 be no doubt of a general compliance Avith the alterations they recom- 

 mend (the Athanasian creed excepted) whenever any new edition of the 

 Prayer Book shall be directed by a convention having ecclesiastical and 

 spiritual authority to ratify a book for our Church. And till such con- 

 vention can be had (which certainly will not be next October) ^ye have 

 already determined not to enter upon the consideration of any amend- 

 ments or alterations whatever. Should we take up those hinted by the 

 Archbishops, how shall we refuse to go upon those also which have been 

 proposed by different State Conventions? And may we not then at the 

 end of next Convention, at Wilmington (could we possibly get seven 

 States together in October), leave our Book in a far more exceptionable 

 point of view with those Prelates, and many of our own Church, than 

 it now is? For I think it stands now with as few objections to it both 

 in America, and for what appears, in England, as ever it will. There 

 are also some things proposed or recommended by the Archbishops 

 which cannot be complied with by some States at all, or at least not 

 without calling their conventions, and perhaps altering some part of 

 their ecclesiastical constitutions, all which would require more time 

 than to October, and probably would be productive of much confusion. 



However, you and the other members of the Committee will find me 

 ready to meet every difficulty, and to do my utmost for the general 

 good of the Church, but I think we have no difficulties left unless we 

 create them among ourselves. 



