land in convention and to raise up the Church from the ruin into which the Revolutionary war had laid it. A Convention-the first, we may perhaps say, in the State of Maryland-was accordingly assembled at Chestertown, Kent county, November 9th, 1780. There were present: Rev. Samuel Keene, Rector of St. Luke's, Queen Anne's county. Dr. John Scott, Vestryman of Chester Parish, Kent county. Mr. John Kennard, Church Warden of Chester Parish, Kent county. Mr. Christopher Hall, Vestryman of Shrewsbury, S. Sassafras, Kent. Mr. John Brown, Vestryman of St. Luke's, Queen Anne's county. Dr. Smith was appointed President of this Convention. A petition to the General Assembly of Maryland for the support of public religion was read and approved, and ordered to be sent to each vestry in the State; and if by them approved, after obtaining signatures in their respective Parishes, it was carried up to the Legislature. The petition, which I presume was from the pen of Dr. Smith, was as follows: To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Maryland: The petition of the Vestry and Church Wardens of the Parish of county, humbly sheweth that it is manifest from reason as well as the clear light of revelation, that the worship of the Almighty Creator and Governor of the universe is the indispensable duty of his dependent creatures, and the surest means of preserving their temporal as well as eternal happiness, that where religion is left unsupported, neither laws nor government can be duly administered; and as the experience of ages has shown the necessity of providing for supporting the officers and ministers of government in all civil societies, so the like experience shows the necessity of providing a support for the ordinances and ministers of religion, because if either of them were left wholly dependent on the benevolence of individuals, such is the frailty of human nature and the averseness of many to their best interests, that the sordid and the selfish, the licentious and profane would avail themselves of such liberty to shrink from their share of labor and expense, and thereby render that which would be easy where borne by all, an intolerable burden to the few whose conscience and principles of justice would not permit them in this or in any other case to swerve from their duties, civil or religious. That our pious ancestors, the worthy and respectable founders of this State, convinced of the foregoing truths, and declaring that "in every well-grounded commonwealth matters concerning religion ought in the first place to be taken into consideration, countenanced and encouraged as being not only most acceptable to God, but the best way and means of obtaining his mercy and a blessing upon a people and country" (having the promises of this life and of the life to come), did frame and enact sundry laws for erecting churches and places of public worship, the maintenance of an orthodox clergy, the support and advancement of religion, and the orderly administration of its divine and saving ordinances. That the delegates of this State at the great era of our independence in free and full convention assembled for the purpose of establishing a new constitution and form of government upon the authority of the people, appearing in their wisdom to have considered some parts of the said laws as inconsistent with that religious liberty and equality of assessment, which they intended of their future government, did by the 33d section of the Declaration of Rights abrogate all such laws theretofore passed, as enabled any Courts on the application of Vestrymen and Church Wardens to make assessments or levies for the support of the religious establishments, but not with a view of being less attentive than their pious ancestors had been to the interests of religion, learning and good morals. On the contrary, by the very same section, an express recommendation and authority are given to future legislatures, "at their discretion to lay a general and equal tax for the support of the Christian religion" agreeably to the said declaration. That your petitioners are sensible of the many urgent civil concerns in which the honorable and worthy Legislatures of this State have been engaged since the great and trying period, and how much wisdom and deliberation are at all times necessary in framing equal laws for the support of religion and learning, and more especially amidst the horrors and confusion of an expensive and unrelenting war. But they are sensible at the same time (and persuaded the Honorable Assembly are equally sensible) that where religion is left to mourn and droop her head while her sacred ordinances are unsupported, and vice and immorality gain ground, even war itself will be but feebly carried on; patriotism will lose its animating principle; corruption will win its way from the lowest to the highest places; distress will soon pervade every public measure; our graveyards, the monuments of the piety of our ancestors, running into ruin, will become the reproach of their posterity. Nay, more, the great and glorious fabric of public happiness, which we are striving to build up and cement with an immensity of blood and treasure, might be in danger of tumbling into the dust as wanting the stronger cement of virtue and religion, or perhaps would fall an easy prey to some haughty invader. Deeply impressed with these momentous considerations, and conceiving ourselves fully warranted by our constituents in this application to your honorable body, having advertised our design without any objection yet notified to us, your petitioners therefore most earnestly and humbly pray. That an act may be passed agreeably to the aforesaid section of the Declaration of Rights, for the support of public religion by an equal assessment and laws, and also to enable the vestry and church wardens of this parish, by rates on the pews from time to time, or otherwise, as your wisdom shall think fit, to repair and uphold the church and chapel and the churchyard and burying-ground of the same. All which your petitioners conceive may be done not only for this parish, but at the same time, if thought best, for any other parish within this State (which it is believed earnestly desires the same), by a single law in a manner perfectly agreeable to the liberty and wishes of every denomination of men, which would be esteemed good Christians and faithful citizens of the State. And your petitioners, as bound, shall ever pray, etc. On motion, it was resolved that the church formerly known in the province as the Church of England, should now be called “the Protestant Episcopal Church." Dr. Smith has had the credit of having given this name to the church; but if a statement made by the Rev. James Jones Wilmer be correct, it is apparently without sufficient foundation. In a letter dated May 6, 1810, from the Rev. Mr. Wilmer to Bishop Claggett, he writes: "I am one of the three who first organized the Episcopal Church during the Revolution, and am consequently one of the primary aids of its consolidation throughout the United States. The Rev. Dr. Smith, Dr. Keene and myself held the first convention at Chestertown, and I acted as secretary." He also states in this letter that "he moved that the Church of England as heretofore so known in the province be now called The Protestant Episcopal Church, and it was so adopted."-See Md. Archives. CHAPTER XLI. DR. SMITH PREACHES A NEW YEAR'S SERMON IN ST. PETER'S CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA PROPOSES GENERAL WASHINGTON AS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY-GENERAL WASHINGTON'S LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE TO DR. SMITH-DR. SMITH TO CESAR RODNEY-DR. SMITH PREACHES A FUNERAL SERMON AT THE BURIAL OF MRS. COUDON-PREACHES, IN MAY, 1781, A FAST SERMON IN CHESTERTOWN, AND IN DECEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR A THANKSGIVING SERMON-EXTRACTS FROM THESE TWO LASTDEATH OF JOHN WEMYSS-EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE GRAND LODGE THE AHIMAN REZON. NOTWITHSTANDING his new enterprises in Maryland, Dr. Smith maintained, in continuing strength, his old attachments in Philadelphia, and his diary tells us that on the 1st of January, 1781, he was in that city, by appointment, to preach a New Year's sermon in St. Peter's Church, the church of his consecration, as we may call it, and even beyond Christ Church of his special love. His text seems to have had a special suggestion from his own lately eventful history. It was in those striking verses in St. James' Epistle General: "Go to now, ye that say to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year and buy and get gain; whereas, ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? it is even a vapor, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that."* * Chapter IV., verses 13, 14, 15. While in Philadelphia, he attended a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, on January 19th, and proposed General George Washington as a member; the General was elected, and Dr. Smith was appointed to notify to him the fact. The General soon afterwards thus politely acknowledges the honor: General Washington to Dr. Smith. HEAD-QUARTERS, Passaic Falls.* SIR: I am particularly indebted to you for the obliging manner in which you have executed the trust reposed in you by the American Philosophical Society. An excuse for the little delay that attended it could have only found a motive in your politeness. All the circumstances of the Election are too flattering not to enhance the honor I feel in being distinguished by the fellowship of a Society so eminently respectable. I warmly unite with you in the wish that the happy period may speedily arrive which will enable all the members to devote themselves to advancing the objects of this most useful institution. I am, Sir, with very great respect, Y' Most Obedient Humble Servant, TO REV". WILLIAM SMITH. GEO. WASHINGTON. Returning in a short time to Maryland, we find Dr. Smith engaged in his work of corresponding, preaching and teaching. Dr. Smith to Cæsar Rodney, President of the State of Delaware. CHESTERTOWN, Maryland, Feb. 8th, 1781. SIR: When I had last the honour to wait on your Excellency at New Castle, I informed you that I had left in the hands of Mr. McWilliam, Jr., the Draft of a Bill for the Wilmington Lottery. As Mr. Read, on whom we chiefly depend for getting this Bill forwarded, may be engaged in the House when the Post passes through New Castle, and not so easily found as your Excellency, I have taken the Liberty to request that if it be not too much trouble for yourself to inform me the State and Progress of the Bill by return of this Post. You will be pleased to desire or direct Mr. Booth to do me that favour. I thank your Excellency for that gentlemanlike, liberal and candid regard which I am well informed you have been pleased to pay to my good name, when called in question by prejudiced or narrow-minded *This letter, which is in the collection of Colonel Frank Etting, is not dated; but, as the election was on the 19th of January, 1781, the letter must have been written soon afterward. |