1789] ^''-^^^ WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 29I 



recommend it for adoption. The next day he informed the House of 

 the document entrusted to him, and of its variations from the better 

 known office of the Church of England. A storm began to brew, and 

 hoarse whispers about popery reached his ears. He rose in his place, 

 and, exclaiming, "Hear — [pronouncing it Heyrc\ — before ye judge," 

 began to read. Dr. Smith was a superb reader and withal had just 

 enough of a Scotch brogue to make his tones more musical and his em- 

 phasis more thrilling. He soon caught attention, and read his paper 

 through without a single interruption, his hearers becoming more and 

 more absorbed and charmed. When he had finished, the new office 

 was accepted with acclamations. Wherefore, if there is anything in 

 our Communion Office which Churchmen of the present day delight in, 

 not to say glory in, they should hold the memory of Dr. William Smith 

 in cherished admiration. If he had not read the office into the accept- 

 ance of the House over which he presided, a cold, hard vote might 

 have consigned it, with the Athanasian symbol, into what the Orientals 

 used to call "The Castle of Oblivion."* 



The whole book was finally ratified by both Houses; and a 

 committee, consisting of Dr. Smith, Dr. Magaw, Dr. Black well 

 of the clergy, with Francis Hopkinson and Tench Coxe of the 

 laity (Bishop White, of the House of Bishops, consenting to ad- 

 vise with the committee), were appointed to superintend the print- 

 ing of the new book, either in octavo or in folio, or in both, and 

 also to have an edition published "to contain only the parts in 

 general use and the Collects of the day v/ith references to the 

 Epistles and Gospels." 



The preparation of a Selection of Psalms, to be used instead 

 of the Psalms for the day, at the discretion of the minister, origi- 

 nated in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies ; and, I presume, 

 was suggested by Dr. Smith, who, knowing that the Psalter as 

 arranged in the Proposed Book was not acceptable to Bishop 

 Seabury, Dr. Chandler and some other persons — and adhering to 

 his own opinion that the Psalms for the day as fixed in the Psalter 

 were confessedly not always appropriate for a mixed assembly — 



* This anecdote, in substantial form if not in circumstantial variety, receives con- 

 firmation — if, indeed, coming to me from the source which it does, it needs any con- 

 firmation — in what Bishop White tells us. He states that "the great change made in 

 restoring to the consecration prayer the oblatory words and the invocation of the Holy 

 Spirit, left out in King Edward's reign ; " met, in the House of Clerical and Lay Depu- 

 ties, with the disposition, in a few gentlemen, to oppose it, " which was counteracted by 

 some pertinent remarks of the President." (Memoirs, 2d edition, page 154.) 



