only one congregation was immediately concerned.

But in confequence of a general meeting for the purpose, in the fame year, there came out, The book of Common Prayer and Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies, as revised and propofed to the use of the protestant epifcopal church, at a convention of the faid church in the ftates of NEW-YORK, NEW-JERSEY, PENSILVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, and SOUTH-CAROLINA, held in Philadelphia, from September 27th to October 7th, 1785. Philadelphia, printed 1786.

Confidering the attachment of many to old forms, and the ftrenuous efforts now ufed to preferve a fteady adherence to them, there was a commendable amendment of them made at this time; though it fell fhort of the wifhes and endeavours of not a few among them, especially with refpect to the article of worship. For I am well informed, that there was a motion made in the convention, for an alteration in the litany,

litany, and particularly for retaining only the first invocation, and removing the three others, namely, thofe to God the Son, God the Holy Ghoft, and the holy and blessed Trinity.

In their preface, they have commendably inferted the different articles proposed for a review by King William's ecclefiaftical commiffioners in 1689, among whom were those excellent men, Tillotson, Burnet, Patrick, Tennifon, &c.

Two of the articles therein mentioned, to be reviewed, by thofe eminent men,

were,

"Whether the ATHANASIAN CREED may "not, confiftently with piety, faith and charity, be either wholly omitted, or left indifferent in itself?"

.6.

"Whether the articles of religion may not deferve a review; and the fubfcrip"tion to them and the common prayer, be “contrived, after some manner, less excep"tionable than at present ?"

But this american affembly did not stop here, and content themselves with mere

words and declarations. The 39 articles they reduced to 20.

They excluded not only the creed of Athanafius fo called, but the Nicene creed alfo.

In the apostles' creed, they omit the clause of Chrifl's defcent into hell; for which they affign the following reafon: "This claufe,

as Bp. Burnet, Bp. Pearfen, and other "writers inform us, is found in no creed, "nor mentioned by any writer, until about "the 5th century; and in the first creeds "that have this claufe or article, that of "Chrift's burial not being mentioned in "them, it follows that they underflood "the defcent into hell only of his burial or "descent into the grave, as the word is "otherwife tranflated in the bible. The, "Nicene creed hath only the burial, and "the Athanafian only the defcent into "hell."

You will judge, whether the liftory of what follows, with refpect to this american. epifcopal liturgy, tells to the credit of thofe who were concerned in fome counter-refor

mations,

mations, may I not ftile them, that were attempted, and fome that were actually made in it.

In the first convention of the proteftant epifcopal church, held in Philadelphia, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7, 1785, it was refolved to "addrefs the archbishops and bishops of "the church of England, requesting them "to confer the epifcopal character, on "fuch perfons as fhall be chofen and re"commended to them for that purpose, "from the conventions of their church, "in their respective states.'

In their fecond convention, held also at the city of Philadelphia in June, 1786, a letter was read from the Archbishops and Bishops of the church of England, notifying their approbation of the addrefs made to them, and defire of complying with the prayer of their address, but expreffing fome hefitation on account of a report of alterations adopted, or intended in the american. • liturgy; left they fhould be the inftru"ments of eftablishing an ecclefiaftical fyftem, which will be called a branch of "the church of England, but afterwards 66 may

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"may poffibly appear to have departed "from it eflentially, either in doctrine or in difcipline."

In their next convention, held at Wilmington in Delaware, Oct. 1786, there was read a letter from the archbishops of Canterbury and York, in which, after having mentioned their having received their American Common-prayer-book, &c. they exprefs themselves in these words; "The "whole of your communications was then, "with as little delay as poffible, taken into "confideration, at a meeting of the archbishops and fifteen of the bishops, being

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all who were then in London, and able "to attend; and it was impoffible not to "obferve with concern, that, if the effen

tial doctrines of our common faith were "retained, lefs refpect however was paid "to our liturgy than its own excellence, "and your declared attachment to it, had "led us to expect; not to mention a variety of verbal alterations, of the neceffity or propriety of which we are by "no means fatisfial; we faw with grief,

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that two of the confeffions of our chrif