After the receipt of the first of the letters of the English prelates, and before the receipt of the second, the general convention assembled, agreeably to appointment, in Philadelphia, on the 20th of June, 1786. The principal business transacted by them, was another address to the English prelates; containing an acknowledgment of their friendly and affectionate letter; a declaration of not intending to depart from the doctrines of the English church; and a determination of making no further alterations, than such as either arose from a change of circumstances, or appeared conducive to union; and a repetition of the prayer for the succession. Before their adjournment, they appointed a committee, with power to reassemble them, if thought expedient, at Wilmington in the state of Delaware.

On the committee's receipt of the second letter, they summoned the convention to meet, at the place appointed, on the 10th of October following. The principal matter which occupied the body when assembled, was the question, how far they should accommodate to the requisitions of the English prelates.

The difficulty concerning the offensive article of the constitution had been done away, before the arrival of the objection of the archbishops. This objection, as already observed, was grounded on a misapprehension of the design of the article. But another objection had been made within the American church, on the score of there being no express provision for the presidency of a bishop in conven

tions and in ecclesiastical trials. This objection had gained so much ground, that, in the session of June, it had been fully satisfied: which had more than done away the ground of the censure of the prelates. The omission of the Nicene creed had been generally regretted; and, accordingly, it was now, without debate or difficulty, restored to the book of Common Prayer; to stand after the Apostles' Creed, with permission of the use of either. The clause in the latter creed, of the descent into hell, occasioned considerable debate; but it was finally restored. The restoration of the Athanasian creed was negatived. The result of the deliberations of the convention, was addressed to the two archbishops, with thanks for their fatherly attention to the church; especially in procuring legal permission for the conveying of the

succession.

The deputies from the several states were called on, beginning from the northward, for information, whether any persons had been chosen in the respectively, to proceed to England for consecration: when it appeared, that the Rev. Samuel Provoost, D. D. rector of Trinity church in the city of New York, had been chosen for that purpose by the convention in that state; that the Rev. William White, D. D. rector of Christ church and St. Peter's in the city of Philadelphia, had been chosen by the convention in Pennsylvania; and that the Rev. David Griffith, D. D. rector of Fairfax parish, Virginia, had been chosen by the convention there. Testimonials in their favour from the conventions in the respect

ive states, agreeable to the form prescribed by the archbishops, were laid before the general convention; who immediately signed, in favour of each of the bishops elect, a testimonial according to the form prescribed to them by the same authority. G.

The two former of the above named clergymen, having embarked together early in the next month, arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of eighteen days. On their reaching of London, they were introduced to his grace the archbishop of Canterbury, by his excellency Mr. Adams, who, in this particular, and in every instance in which his personal attentions could be either of use or an evidence of his respect and kindness, continued to manifest his concern for the interests of a church, of which he was not a member.

Before the accomplishing of the object of the voyage, there occurred the delay of a few weeks; owing to the archbishop's desire of previously laying before the bishops the grounds of his proceeding to the accomplishment of the business, in the early stages of which they had been consulted. The greater number of them were at their dioceses, but were expected to be in town at the ensuing opening of parliament; appointed for about the middle of January. Very soon afterwards, the fourth of February was appointed for the consecration.

On that day, and in the chapel of the archiepiscopal palace of Lambeth, Dr. White and Dr. Provoost were ordained and consecrated bishops, by the most reverend John Moore, archbishop of Canterbury. The

most reverend William Markham, archbishop of York, presented. And the bishops who joined with the two archbishops in the imposition of hands, were the right reverend Charles Moss, bishop of Bath and Wells; and the right reverend John Hinchliff, bishop of Peterborough. Before the end of the same month, the newly consecrated bishops sailed from Falmouth for New York; where they arrived on Easter Sunday, April the 7th, and soon afterwards began the exercise of the episcopacy in their respective dioceses. H.

On the 28th of July, 1789, there assembled the triennial convention; by whom the Episcopacy of bishops White and Provoost, of whom the former only was present, the latter being detained by sickness, was duly recognized. At this convention, there naturally occurred the importance of taking measures for the perpetuating of the succession: a matter, which some circumstances had subjected to considerable difficulty. The Rev. Dr. Griffith had been prevented by occurrences in his domestic situation, from prosecuting his intended voyage to England; and had given in his resignation to the convention in Virginia. In consequence of their direction, the resignation was notified to the general convention, on the first day of their entering on business. The doctor himself had come to attend it, as one of the deputies from Virginia; but his attendance was prevented by sickness, which ended in his dissolution, during the session. The subject of perpetuating the succession from England, with the relation which it bore to the question of

embracing that from the Scotch Episcopacy, was brought into view by a measure of the clergy in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. This body had elected the Rev. Edward Bass, rector of St. Paul's church in Newburyport, their bishop; and had addressed a letter to the bishops in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, praying them to unite in consecrating him. The last of these bishops, being the only one of them now present in convention, laid the letter addressed to him before the body, intimating his sincere wish, to join in such measures as they might adopt, for the forming of a permanent union with the churches in the eastern states; but at the same time expressing his doubt of its being consistent with the faith impliedly pledged to the English prelates, to proceed to any consecration, without first obtaining from them the number held in their church to be canonically necessary to such an act. This sentiment, which he also supposed to be entertained by the gentleman who had been consecrated with him, was duly respected by the body, while they manifested an earnest desire of the union alluded to; and, with a view to it, voted their opinion in favour of the validity of bishop Seabury's consecration; in which their president concurred.

In order to carry the sentiments of the convention into effect, they signified their request to the two bishops consecrated in England, that they would unite with bishop Seabury in the consecration of Mr. Bass: and they framed an address to the archbishops and bishops of England; requesting their approbation