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which is set forth in the act of the Associate Synod of Scotland, defining the connection of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania with said Synod, passed at Edinburgh, May 7th, 1788, which act has been appended to all the editions of the Testimony published since that time.

In this act, this subordination is declared "to have been from the beginning, no more than a scriptural union, according to the plan of Presbyterial church government."

The Associate Synod of North America held its first meeting in the city of Philadelphia, on the 20th of May, 1801. It was opened with a sermon by Mr. Marshall, who was chosen the first Moderator, and the Rev. Francis Pringle, who had come over from the General Associate Synod in 1799, was chosen the first Stated Clerk.

*

This event forms a new epoch in the history of the Associate Church in America. With it we intend to close our history for the present. We have now traced the history of the Associate Church, during the first half century of her existence in America. We have seen her struggling through a long infantile period; and at length, after many discouraging trials, attaining to some degree of maturity and strength. We have seen her beginning small, like a handful of corn in the earth upon the tops of the mountains, and again the fruit thereof shaking, to some extent like Lebanon. We have seen her gradually rising from a small beginning, two ministers coming over the Atlantic at the call of a few individuals, and these immediately attacked and denounced by those, whom, in this land, they might expect would at least have permitted them to remain in peace, if they would not take them by the hand. We have seen her struggling for nearly thirty years against various adversities and trials, from within and without her own pale, from removals by death of those who, in an eminent sense, seemed to be pillars,† from the defection and apostacy of others, yet still making advances, and like the vine from Egypt, beginning to extend her roots and spread out her branches. We have then seen her suddenly brought down and reduced to her original number. We have seen her again taking root, reviving and extending her branches comparatively far and wide; and amidst all her changes and trials, still holding, at least in her public profession, the same doctrine, discipline and practice for which the Secession Church first lifted up a distinct banner-witnessing both to small and great. Surely this is the doing of the LORD, and marvellous in our eyes,

* The New Castle Presbytery.

t Mr. Gellatly and others.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

AND

SERMONS.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE REV. WILLIAM MARSHALL.

WILLIAM MARSHALL was born about the year 1740, near Abernethy, in the county of Fife, in Scotland. His father was a respectable farmer; and for many years an elder in the Associate congregation under the pastoral care of the Rev. Alexander Moncrief, one of the four ministers who first seceded from the Church of Scotland.

Mr. Marshall having gone through the preparatory studies, was admitted into the divinity hall, under the inspection of Mr. Moncrief, of whom he always spoke with affection.

After attending the usual course of lectures, he was taken on trials by the Associate Presbytery of Perth, with a view to his being licensed to preach the gospel, and with the particu lar design of sending him to America. Mr. Pierie, also, was taken on trials at the same time, and with the same view. The texts given them by the Presbytery, to preach from, were suited to the occasion. That of Mr. Pierie was, (Isaiah vi. 8,) "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Mr. Marshall was to preach from the last clause," Here am 1, send me.' Mr. Pierie did not fulfill his mission; and soon afterward joined another religious denomination. The several discourses delivered by Mr. Marshall before the Presbytery were approved; he was licensed to preach, and immediately sent on a mission to Pennsylvania.

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He landed at Philadelphia in August, 1763. In October, 1764, the congregation at Deep Run, Bucks county, gave him a call to be their minister. The congregations of Octorara and Muddy Creek, also drew up calls for him soon after

ward. These three calls were presented to the Presbytery that met on the 1st of November, 1764, at Octorara. Presbytery agreed that Mr. Marshall should have his choice, except Mr. Henderson, who had it marked in the minutes, that he was of opinion that the Presbytery ought to decide the business. Mr. Marshall was informed that he might make choice of any of the three calls. He accepted the one from Deep Run; and gave as the reasons of his doing so, the unanimity of the people; their being formerly disappointed; their local situation rendering it difficult for the Presbytery to supply them with preaching. The Presbytery immediately gave him his trial discourses in view of ordination; which being delivered at an interim meeting and sustained, he was ordained at Deep Run, on the 30th of August, 1765. Mr. John Mason preached the ordination sermon, from John iii. 10, and fixed the pastoral relation.

Petitions for supply of preaching, being sent to the Presbytery from Philadelphia, Mr. Marshall preached there. In 1768, the congregation petitioned for the moderation of a call, which was drawn up for him, May 16th, and presented to the Presbytery on June 22d, the same year; with reasons for his removal. The Presbytery having cited the people at Deep Run to appear at their next meeting, delayed the consideration of the call till then. On the 31st of August the Presbytery met again, and heard the reasons of the congregation of Philadelphia for Mr. Marshall's removal, and those of the congregation of Deep Run against it. The decision was delayed till the next meeting; and was then further delayed until a meeting at Philadelphia, April 19th, 1769, when the Presbytery unanimously loosed Mr. Marshall from his charge at Deep Run, and presented to him the call from Philadelphia, which he accepted with this limitation, "that his installment be delayed till the Lord grant him further light about it." This was agreed to. For two years afterwards, he preached mostly in Philadelphia, and on the 30th of April, 1771, the pastoral relation between him and the congregation was fixed. Mr. Annan presided on the occasion, and preached from Isaiah liii. 11.

Mr. Marshall was the first of the Associate Presbytery that officiated in Philadelphia. The number of the people was small; and as they had no place of worship, he preached in a vendue store. A small farm house was afterwards occupied in Shippen-street; but this being limited by deed to a congregation in connection with the Burghers, and a contest about the property being likely to ensue, it was resolved to build

another place of worship. A lot of ground was purchased in Spruce-street, and the church erected in 1771. The expenses incurred were far above the ability of the people, few or none being in affluent circumstances. In order to lighten the burden of the congregation, recourse was had to soliciting subscriptions. Mr. Marshall was very diligent, and in a considerable degree successful in collecting money; yet notwithstanding the exertions made to obtain pecuniary aid, a large debt encumbered the congregation for many years.

In the contest between Britain and her colonies, Mr. Marshall was decidedly in favor of the latter. When the British army took possession of Philadelphia, in 1777, he was consequently obliged to take refuge in the country; where he preached mostly among his old people at Deep Run. The congregation of Philadelphia suffered much at this time from the evils of war. The church was made a hospital for the Hessians; the pews were torn down and destroyed, and the windows mostly broken; the people were scattered through various parts of the country, and several of them never returned. A good deal of Mr. Marshall's household furniture was carried off; so that when the British left the city in 1778, he and the congregation had the world to begin anew; and it was some time before the church was fully repaired.

No transaction in which Mr. Marshal! ever was engaged, was followed with so important consequences to himself, and to the church with which he was connected in America, as the opposition he made to a union with the Reformed Presbytery, or as they are commonly called Covenanters.

From the commencement of the American Revolution the ministers of the Associate Presbytery were unanimously in favor of it; and the ministers of the Reformed Presbytery took the same side. One difference between the two bodies seemed thus to be done away; and it was proposed to unite. A Conference for this purpose was held in Lancaster county, in 1777. Mr. Marshall. however, was opposed to this union from the beginning,* on any plan, but that of the Reformed Presbytery's giving an explicit approbation of the principles of the Associate Presbytery. He was against any compromise, or the drawing up of articles of union in terms of doubtful construction.

On the 13th of June 1782, the union with the Reformed Presbytery was agreed upon, by the casting vote of the Moderator, Mr. Proudfit. The minority protested and ap

See Introduction.

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