The motion was seconded and passed in the affirmative.
Accordingly next morning he appeared with his clerk and in his pontificallibus
robes and read several prayers. After this Mr. Duché, unexpected to everybody
struck out into an extemporary prayer which filled the bosom of every man
present. I must confess I never heard a better prayer or one so well pronounced
with such fervor, such ardor, such earnestness and pathos, and in language so
elegant and sublime for America, for the Congress, for the Province of
Massachusetts Bay, and especially the town of Boston.
It has had an excellent effect upon everybody here.
Several of those who attended were greatly affected by Duché’s prayer and
commented upon it, including Samuel Adams, Joseph Reed, and Samuel Ward. 69
Silas Deane recorded: The Congress met and opened with a prayer made by the
Revd. Mr. Duché which it was worth riding one hundred mile to hear. He read the
lessons of the day Scriptures which were accidentally extremely applicable, and
then prayed without book about ten minutes so pertinently, with such fervency,
purity, and sublimity of style and sentiment and with such an apparent
sensibility of the scenes and business before us, that even Quakers shed tears.
In fact, so strong and compelling had been the prayer
that: Mr. Ward of Rhode Island moved that the thanks of the Congress be give to
him Rev. Duché for his services which was unanimously agreed to; & Mr.
Cushing & Mr. Ward were appointed a Committee for the purpose. It was then
moved that he should be requested to print the prayer. However, for reasons
noted by delegate James Duane, Congress decided against printing and
distributing the prayer because: It being objected that as this might possibly
expose him Rev. Duché to some disadvantage, it was out of respect to him
waived.
Congress felt that the prayer had such a strong
pro-American flavor that if a transcript of its words fell into British hands,
Duché could be in danger. Notice, however, that according to the delegates’
records, not only the prayer, but also the “lessons” had strongly impacted the
Congress. The “lessons” were the daily Scripture reading from the Psalter
which, in the high-church tradition, had been selected years actually,
centuries in advance. Yet the one for that day was unusually relevant.
