2/8 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [I/SQ 



and Bishops of England, shall remain with the Right Rev. Drs. White 

 and Provoost, or either of them, concerning their compliance with the 

 above request, this Convention will address the Archbishops and Bish- 

 ops, and hope thereby to remove the difficulty.* 



These resolves were unanimously agreed to, as the report of the 

 Committee. 



The Committee, having finished the business committed to 

 them, rose and reported to the Convention the above resolves. 



On motion of Dr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Andrews, this report 

 was unanimously agreed to. 



Soon after this the Convention was adjourned till the 29th of 

 September, in order to allow an opportunity to Bishop Seabury to 

 assist in effecting a complete union. Dr. Smith now immediately 

 wrote to Bishop Seabury; sending at the same time a letter drafted 

 b)' him (Dr. Smith), and signed by a most respectable committee. 

 We give both from original drafts in Dr. Smith's handwriting: 



Bev. Dr. Smith to Bislwp Seabury. 



August 16, 17S9. 



Right Reverend and Dear Sir: I was happy to receive your letter 

 of 23d July, in answer to mine of the i3t]i, from New York, which 

 came to hand at a very critical moment, viz. : tlie first day of our Con- 

 vention, and enabled me to be more effectually instrumental in project- 

 ing and prosecuting, I trust, to a nobler issue, the plan of an ti/iwii of 

 all our churches, than your letter of a prior date to Bishop White, gave 

 us room to hope. The hea Zing and charitable idea oi "an efficacious 

 union and communion in all essentials of doctrine, as well as discipline, 

 notwithstanding some differences in the usages of churches," in which 

 your letter as well as mine agreed, and which was at the same time 

 strongly held up in the address of the Churches of Massachusetts and 

 New Hampshire, and also in Dr. Parker's letter, gave an opening at 

 last, as well by a new clause, viz., the second in our ecclesiastical con- 

 stitution, as by five resolves unanimously passed, to lay the foundation 

 of an union, whereon a superstructure may be raised, against which 

 even the gates of Hell shall never prevail. 



The fourth of those resolves, inviting you through the door so widely 

 opened, to meet us in the Convention at Philadelphia, adjourned for 



* This resolution had reference to the fact ah-eady mentioned in the text, that when 

 Dr. White and Dr. Provoost were consecrated at Lambetli, the English Bishops were 

 told that Dr. Griffith would follow them, and the English Bishops, as well as our own 

 then consecrated, expected that he would, and so that there would be three Bishops 

 ia America under the Anglican title. 



