"7. That on supposition the Reformed Presbytery should fall in with the views of the Associate Presbytery above expressed, no union could be formed or communion obtained till our scruples about the moral character of some of your members are removed. It gives us pain to condescend on these, but in a matter of so much importance, we must be plain.

"1st. It is a matter of public notoriety, that one of your members is frequently overtaken with drink, much to the prejudice of the ministerial character, and to the grief of the Lord's people.

"2d. Another of your members, who is under the higher sentence of excommunication, has settled himself without form or order into a society, as their minister, in a schismatical manner, and without scruple dispenses ordinances both more ordinary and more solemn, to those of en irregular character; and with convincing evidences of a malignant spirit, is fomenting strife and contention in a congregation under our inspection.

"Subscribed JAMES PROUDFIT, Moderator. "WILLIAM MARSHALL, Presbytery Clerk."

This was a plain and unambiguous document. It showed that the members of the Associate Presbytery approved of their professed principles. As yet, they had discovered nothing wrong in them, and they were resolved neither to abandon these nor profess others, the soundness of which they had not found proved by the word of God, for the sake of increasing the number of church members.

This plain declaration of the principles and views of the Presbytery, appeared necessary for restoring mutual confidence among the members themselves, and to have been attended with the happiest results. The interests of vital religion seemed to revive, by the Lord remarkably blessing sa cramental occasions in different places in the bounds of Presbytery. After a lapse of some months, an answer was received from the Reformed Presbytery, signed by the Moderator, as the deed of Presbytery, in which it judicially, and it appeared unanimously, refused to accede to the propositions of the Associate Presbytery.*

Thus, the whole scheme of forming a union seemed to be unanimously abandoned by both parties, and sincerely so, at least to all appearance, on the part of the members of the

* Vindication, page 24.

Associate Presbytery. Even Messrs. Proudfit, Smith and Murray, by whose votes the scheme was afterwards carried, secmed at this time heartily to concur. Mr. Smith was one of the committee who brought in the draft of the letter defining the terms upon which the Presbytery was willing to unite with the Reformed Presbytery. Mr. Proudfit, as Moderator, concurred in the measure, and signed the paper. Mr. Murray, although unable from bodily indisposition, as already noticed, to be present at the meeting of Presbytery at which the letter was adopted, afterwards fully expressed his concurrence as to the course pursued. In a letter to Mr. Marshall, dated May 12th, 1781, he thus expressed himself: "We had Mr. Clarkson with us last week, and I received from him all the particulars of Presbytery. I was glad to hear of so much harmony among you. May it be a token for good! I am afraid the terms you have sent to the Covenanters are too explicit to gain their approbation. But better to be explicit before union than to be so after it, and then differ. I am glad you let them know that we mean to continue our connection with the Associate Synod. May the Lord direct how to act for his glory, and for the church's good."

This apparent termination of the union seemed to give universal satisfaction. Many good men from the first had doubts concerning the warrantab eness of the terms first proposed— others were decidedly opposed to them as unscriptural. They furnished no evidence of any greater unanimity than had subsisted previously between the two bodies. Any previous difference of views between the members of the two bodies would have remained unremoved. But by the terms now proposed had they been agreed to, unanimity would have been secured. And if both parties really believed what they professcd, they could not be of one mind, until either these discrepancies were reconciled, or until both parties were satisfied that the points of difference were of no importance, or in other words, involved no scripture doctrine, because, according to the professed belief of both, nothing involving a scripture doctrine could be a matter of indifference. The standing of two of the ministerial members of the Reformed Presbytery was another obstacle, necessary to be removed before a union could be closed on scriptural terms. The one was lying under the public charge of frequent intoxication; and the other under sentence of the higher excommunication, and which had not as yet been removed in an orderly way.

At this time, the Associate Presbytery were unanimously in favor of explicit terms of union, so that if it took place, it

might not afterwards be a matter of dispute to define what were the principles of the united body; or which body had abandoned its principles in the union; or whether the united body was to be formed by giving up the distinguishing principles of both. And all the terms of union before these now proposed by the Associate Presbytery left these things in doubt. By the rejection of these terms the union then appeared to be at rest, and well would it have been for the peace of the church had it never been revived, until there appeared some actual evidences of real agreement in sentiment between the two bodies.

CHAPTER III.

Revival of the Union-Terms drawn and agreed upon by some members privatelySubject again introduced into Presbytery-Basis proposed-Objections statedUnion closed by the casting vote of the Moderator-Protest of Messrs. Marshall, Clarkson, and others-Remarks on the Union-The Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania continued-The organization of the Associate Reformed Synod -Remarks-Notices of those who voted for and acceeded to the Union.

We have already noticed that the Associate Presbytery of New-York had closed a union with the Reformed Presbytery, in the absence and without the knowledge of all the other brethren concerned; if their agreeing to the terms proposed at Pequa, 9th of June, 1779, can be called a union.

Mr. Robert Annan, who was the first to propose the union and its principal advocate, all along, was much grieved and disappointed at the failure of his scheme in the Presbytery of Pennsylvania.

He determined, if possible, still to effect it, and accordingly came to Middle Octorara, where Mr. Smith was then set. tled; Mr. Smith being about to dispense the Sacrament of the Supper, on the last Sabbath of October, of that year, (1781.) Mr. Annan offered his assistance on Saturday; Mr. Smith hesitated about employing him, as he was now in connection with the Reformed Presbytery. Mr. Annan told him if he did not employ him, he would go next day and preach for Mr. Cuthbertson of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Mr. Smith then agreed to employ him. Thus Mr. Smith on

his own authority and responsibility, entered into christian and ministerial communion with a minister, who was avowedly in another connection. This step on the part of Mr. Smith gave such offence to his congregation, that many communicants declined partaking of the ordinance on that occasion.* Thus both these men practically adopted the system of inter-communion, which has occasioned so much disturbance and confusion in several branches of the church since that time.

On the Wednesday following, the Associate Presbytery met at Pequa. The members present were Mr. Proudfit, Moderator, Messrs. Marshall, Clarkson, Smith and Murray, ministers; and Messrs. David Houston, John M'Kay, Robert Hunter, and William Bailey, ruling elders. Mr. Annan was, also, present, and a motion was made to grant him a seat, which motion did not prevail. Mr. Annan continued, however, to attend the mecting on that, and the succeeding day, until the Presbytery rose. After Messrs. Marshall, Clarkson, and the elders had retired, Mr. Annan, and the other members who remained, went into a Conference upon the subject of reviving the union. At this meeting, which was got up by Mr. Annan and Mr. Smith, the latter of whom had again become zealous for the union, it was agreed that those who were present should act for themselves in the matter of the union, without regard to the minds of their absent brethren.† To this step, though evidently a disorganizing and divisive course, the union scheme, doubtless, ultimately owed its success. Mr. Annan had now become determined to accomplish his object by some means; and if he should not be able to carry all the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania with him, he was determined to carry as many as he could :-to create a division among the members was necessary to fulfil this object. The Presbytery of Pennsylvania consisted at this time of seven ministerial members, viz: Messrs. Henderson, Marshall, Clarkson, Logan, Proudfit, Murray and Smith. And the three who remained after the above meeting of Presbytery, to confer with Mr. Annan, resolved to act independently of the other four. Divide and conquer, is a maxim, of the successful application of which, Mr. Annan was not ignorant. And as it was manifest no union with the Reformed Presbytery could be effected in accordance with the principles of the Secession Church, as stated in the propositions agreed to at Philadel phia, in April preceding, another plan was adopted by the brethren who remained at Pequa. A new set of propositions,

* Marshall's Vindication, page 25.

+ Mr. Annan's Narrative, page 15.

as a basis of union, was drawn up by them and transmitted to the members of the Reformed Presbytery, with a request to meet in Conference on the 29th of the next month, at Donegal.* With this request the members of the Reformed Presbytery complied. This Conference was attended by all the members of the Reformed, but by Mr. Smith only of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Annan, who was resolved not to return home until he effected the union, ' of which scheme he flattered himself as the author. At this meeting which took place on the 29th of November, 1781, the new terms were agreed to on the part of the Reformed Brethren, and, also, by Mr. Smith and Mr. Annan. Mr. Annan, having so far succeeded in carrying his favorite project as to have several members of the Associate Presbytery pledged to adhere to it, whether their brethren did, or did not, and thus having virtually divided the Presbytery of Pennsylvania, returned home. Mr. Smith, who was a man highly gifted, especially as a public speaker, directed all his efforts to secure a majority in favor of the plan, by the next meeting of Presbytery, which was not to take place until the ensuing summer. And in order to try the minds of the people, and to involve, and consequently, as far as possible, to secure those already favorably disposed towards a union on the principles now proposed; he and others fearing to await the decision of Presbytery began immediately to hold ministerial communion with the Reformed Brethren. This was the occasion of much confusion and disturbance in many of the congregations on both sides. The people became divided in sentiment; and confidence and affection cooled among the ministry. In consequence of the great confusion and disorder that now prevailed, it had been agreed that a day of fasting and humiliation should be observed by the members of Presbytery on the day immediately preceding their meeting for business, which was accordingly observed; Mr. Logan preaching in the forenoon from Lam. iii. 40, 'Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord,' and Mr. Clarkson in the afternoon from Isa. lix. 2, 'But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you

that he will not hear.'

The union was again brought up, notwithstanding the unanimity with which the Philadelphia propositions of April, 1781, had been adopted and considered as the ultimatum upon the subject. Several copies of the basis proposed by

* Vindication of the Associate Presbytery, page 27.