1789] KEV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 285 



the propriety of investing the House of Bishops with a full negative 

 upon the proceedings of the other House.* 



The minutes of the Convention go on to tell us that the General 

 Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church, as now altered 

 and amended, was laid before Bishop Seabury and the Deputies 

 from the Churches in the Eastern States for their approbation and 

 consent, and that after a short time they delivered the following 

 testimony of their assent to the same : 



October 2, 1789. 

 We do hereby agree to the Constitution of the Church, as modified 

 this day in Convention. 



Samuel Seabury, D. D., Bishop of the Episcopal 



Church in Connecticut. 

 Abraham Jarvis, A. M., Rector of Christ Church, 



Middletown. 

 Bela Hubbard, A. M., Rector of Trinity Church, 



New Haven. 



State of Connecticut. 



Samuel Parker, D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, 

 Boston, and Clerical Dt;puty for Massachusetts 

 and New Hampshire. 



The minutes add : 



After subscribing as above, the Right Rev. Bishop Seabury, and the 

 Clerical Deputies aforesaid, took their seats as members of the Conven- 

 tion. 



Thus was the Uniox of the Church in America, through the 

 good efforts of Bishop White and Dr. Smith, achieved ! For this 

 inestimable service, even more than for their other great services 

 to her, their names should ever be honored by the children of the 

 Church. 



It is a remarkable fact that this great act of what we may call 

 national ecclesiastical independence, and of a more perfect ecclesi- 

 astical union was achieved in that very Hall where, on the Fourth 

 of July, 1776, — John Hancock placing his bold signature in the 

 front, — was made our national political independence ; that same 

 Hall where, on the 17th day of September, 1787, — "George Wash- 



* With this full negative the House of Bishops was invested by the Convention of 

 1808. 



