the document is in possession of the author. It is part of an act of the present convention, predicated on the requisitions of the archbishops. See for it the Appendix, No. 13.

The provision thus made by the convention, did not altogether relieve Dr. Provoost from the difficulty. Subscription was to be repeated in England, agreeably to the requisition of the archbishops, doubtless with the concurrence of the bishops generally. It was not probable, that the archbishop of Canterbury would accommodate to another form, without further consultation, which would at least have occasioned trouble and delay. Dr. Provoost candidly stated his situation in this particular to the archbishop, to whom the disclosure was evidently unexpected. After a short pause the author remarked, that if in England any changes should be made in the ecclesiastical institutions, by competent authority, and in themselves not contrary to Christian doctrine, the subscription of the clergy would not -it was supposed-be hindered by the ordination vows by which they were now bound. On a look of appeal to the archbishop for the correctness of this sentiment, he assented to it unequivocally. He would never have given a decision on the special case of Dr. Provoost: but the supposed case had so evident a bearing on it, that the scruple was dismissed. It had rested on the mind of the doctor, who, on a question of truth and honour, would not have erred on the side of laxity, in regard to promise to be pledged.

H. Page 28, Of Personal Intercourse with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Sundry matters having passed in this intercourse which may be thought connected with the subject of these sheets, the author supposes that it may be of use to insert in this place certain letters, which he addressed from England to the committee of the Church in Pennsylvania, with notes taken for another letter intended to have been written, if an opportunity had offered. The committee were the Rev. Dr. Samuel Magaw, the Rev. Robert Blackwell, and the Rev. Joseph Pilmore of the clergy; and of the laity, the Hon. Francis Hopkinson, Dr. Gerardus Clarkson, and John Swanwick, Esquire.

GENTLEMEN,

Westminster, December 6, 1786.

I think it my duty, and it is my inclination, to embrace the earliest opportunity of acquainting you with my arrival in England, and of the progress made, by the blessing of God, in the important business of my voyage.

On Thursday, the 2d of November, I embarked at NewYork, in company of my worthy friend and brother, Dr. Provoost. The next day we left land. After a passage, in which we had some tempestuous, although for the most part pleasant weather, we made the lights of Scilly, on Monday, the 20th of the same month, and the next day landed, in good health, at Falmouth. In giving this account of my prosperous voyage, I am happy in the conviction that I am writing to those who, as well from private friendship, as from their interest in the great concerns of the Church, will rejoice with me on the occasion, and join me in devout acknowledgments to Almighty God.

Owing to sundry incidents, we did not reach the metropolis until Wednesday, the 29th, when we made it our first business to wait on his excellency, Mr. Adams, who politely returned our visit, on the evening of the same day, and finding that it was our wish to be introduced by him to his grace, the archbishop of Canterbury, readily undertook the office, and named Friday for the purpose. Accordingly, on that day we accompanied Mr. Adams to the palace of Lambeth. His grace having received no intimation of the intended visit, was not at home. In the evening, Colonel Smith, the secretary of the legation, waited on him, to request the appointment of an hour: he named twelve o'clock, on Monday. At that time, we again accompanied Mr. Adams to Lambeth, where we had a polite and condescending reception, entirely answerable to the sentiments which we had been taught to entertain of this great and good archbishop.

After some questions on his part respecting our passage, we presented our papers: on which we were asked Whether we expected another gentleman, in time to be consecrated with us? In answer to this, his grace was informed, that the Rev. Dr. Griffith, the only gentleman recommended by the General Convention beside the present company, would not, in all probability, be over before the spring. Here I must note, that my saying of this was in consequence of a letter received from that gentleman after my embarkation.

Dr. Provoost then mentioned that there was a peculiarity in the charter of his church, requiring his presence at the annual election at Easter: on which his grace said, that he had no inclination to detain us so long, and indeed would give us no delay, provided our papers should be found satisfactory, which he presumed would be the case. But at the same time he apologized for his postponing of our business for two or three days, being engaged in some ecclesiastical business, depending before the privy council, and also in some concerns of a college, of which he is the visiter. He added, that when this was done, he would see us again. In the course of the conversation, the archbishop asked me, whether I had received the letter signed by himself alone, in which he had mentioned that three was a sufficient number to be sent for consecration, and whether we understood it to be the sentiment that three only should come. On his being told that the letter had been received, and so understood, he gave the reason-That as the present service was asked of the Church of England, in consequence of an extraordinary exigency, it seemed proper to do no more in the affair, than the exigency required, and to leave all subsequent measures for the continuing of our ministry, to be taken among ourselves.

This is, gentlemen, to the best of my recollection, the substance of the conversation; and we shall be daily in expectation of renewing our intercourse with his grace.

Having paid our respects in the first place to the archbishop, we were of opinion that it was our duty to wait on the lord bishop of London; his lordship's predecessors having been the diocesans of our Church; although we understood, that the present bishop-the venerable Dr. Lowth

had undergone a decay of his great talents, as well as laboured under gievous bodily complaints. Accordingly we waited yesterday on the Rev, Mr. Eaton, his chaplain, by whom I had been hospitably entertained when formerly in this country. Mr. Eaton, after much conversation concerning the affairs of our Church, stated to us his lordship's situation, mentioning, among other things, his debility of mind to be such, that although he should answer a question properly and pointedly, yet he might in half an hour, forget both the question and the answer: and his indisposition was so considerable, that a morning might be appointed, and yet, when the time should come, his lordship might be incapable of receiving us. These things he thought it necessary to mention, but doubted not that there would be named an

early day for our introduction. Accordingly, in the evening, we received a note from Mr. Eaton, appointing to-morrow morning for the interview.

I have the pleasure of acquainting you, gentlemen, that we find from many, who had conversed with the archbishop before our arrival, of there not being the least doubt of our Church's having retained the essential doctrines of the Gospel, as held by the Church of England.

These, gentlemen, are the particulars, which I have thought it important to convey to you. By the next packet I intend, if it please God, to acquaint you with any further progress that may be made in the business committed to me; and I remain, in the meantime, with my prayers for your health and happiness,

Your affectionate brother,

and very humble servant,
WM. WHITE.

The Committee of the Protestant Episcopal Church
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

P. S. I trust there will be no occasion, that my friends should write to me after the receipt of this. But they will not expect, that in the present stage of the business, I should fix the time of my leaving England.

GENTLEMEN,

Westminster, January 1, 1787.

I embrace the opportunity of the packet of this month, to communicate to you the present state of the business, on which I am in England.

Between the writing of my last and our hearing from the archbishop, there intervened about a fortnight: during which Dr. Provoost and myself had been informed by several who had seen his grace, particularly by the lord bishop of Oxford, that our papers were satisfactory. The delay was accounted for, by certain business that required immediate attention. At the end of that term, we received an invitation from the archbishop to dine with him on the 21st. We accordingly attended; and had every reason to be satisfied with our reception and entertainment. His grace did not introduce the subject of our application to him, until our leaving the company, when he stepped aside with us, and mentioned, as near as my memory serves, to the following effect-That having, from the beginning,

consulted the bench of bishops on this business, he was desirous of taking their opinion, as to the manner of accomplishing it-That he had shown our papers to a few who were in town-That he expected to see more of them in a short time-And that he would then see us again. We have not heard from him since; for the greater number of the bishops are still at their respective dioceses, although expected to be in town soon.

In my last I mentioned our intention of waiting on the lord bishop of London, as an instance of the respect which we thought due from us, to the successor of the former diocesans of America. We accordingly attended on the day appointed by himself, and were courteously received by this celebrated prelate, who expressed himself gratified by our waiting on him, and asked for our address, as intending to see us again; which, however, can hardly happen, as his lordship has been since taken extremely ill, and, I believe, continues in imminent danger.*

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I fully expected to have mentioned to you, gentlemen, by this opportunity, the time of the accomplishment of the pose, for which you desired me to come. Although disappointed in this, I can express to you my full persuasion, that the delay does not arise from any cause, which can defeat our object.

With my constant prayers for yourselves and our whole Church, I am, gentlemen,

Your affectionate brother, WM. WHITE. The Committee of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania.

P. S. January 2. This morning, the lord bishop of Landaff did us the honour, on his coming to town, to call on us, without waiting for our being introduced to him, and to desire us to appoint a day for our dining with him. I mention this, to enable me to confirm the sentiment already expressed; because his lordship, not only showed the utmost

* We We probably saw this eminent man on the last day on which our visit could have been received. His appearance was that of health, and he followed us to the head of his stairs, without any appearance of debility. We understood that he had a violent return of his disease (the stone) the next day; and he died very soon after our departure from England. In the conversation of about an hour which we held with him, he made various inquiries concerning America, and was the most pointed on the subject of slavery. On being informed of the then late act in Pennsylvania for the gradual abolition of it, he answered with strong emphasis-That is a very good measure.