High church
When Jonathan Swift was made dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Smedley pinned derogatory verses on the cathedral door, denouncing Swift. At that point, the Tory party was still in power in England, but the Whig party was ascendant. In 1715, just after the first Jacobite rebellion, Smedley was chosen to preach in for the Protestants. His sermon was full of invective for the High church position, and he accused the high churchmen of weakening the Church of England for an overthrow by the Roman Catholic Church, which was always scheming to take control.