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APPENDIX.

( A. p. 14. )

TO THE MEMORY OF

THE REV. ALEXANDER GELLATLY.

While some have no delight but where the cup

Of worldly mirth incessantly goes round,

Others more wise, where sorrow's children droop,
With sympathetic hearts are daily found.

If e'er it ought availed, to view the grave
Of him whose memory virtue had perfumed,
It will not be in vain a sigh to heave,

Where GELLATLY, the faithful, lies entombed.

In blooming youth he felt the power of grace,
Which called him to communion with his God:
And made his feet, (though arduous was the race,)
Like feet of hinds* along the heavenly road.
Constrained by love divine, nor friends that weep,
Nor aught that had endeared his native land,
Nor all the dangers of the boisterous deep,
Could him detain, Columbia, from thy strand.

To speak in God's great name where'er he rose,
His words were plain, but of celestial worth;
For so a heart, with love of truth that glows,
And with the love of souls, itself pours forth.
Recalled by fancy to our view he stands,
With countenance majestic and yet mild,
He saith to sinners, "God entreats, commands,
And will ye not to him be reconciled?"

The intercourse, thought meeting thought, how sweet,
Among these poor who from God's house return,
While they the instructive passages repeat,

"Did not our hearts," say they "within us burn?"
Studious of life as well as doctrine pure,
He kept the steadfast tenor of his way;
Th' unchanging promise was his refuge sure,
Nor could a frowning world his heart dismay.

Habbakkuk iii. 19.

In converse, though his judgment was exact,
Yet wit and humor intermix would he,
And gentleness of mind he never lacked;
From learned pride and cynic sourness free.
But when he deemed it was a time to feel,
When truth divine lay prostrate in the street,
His kindling features would display a zeal,
Which oft appall'd the votaries of deceit.

Yes, Gellatly, their plan thou didst detest,
Who lightly of some words of Jesus deem:
The poor pretence of holding all the rest,
But ill concealed the baseness of the scheme.
The foes of truth thou firmly hast withstood;
Now thou'rt departed from the well fought field,
Still may there be, who with thy spirit endowed,
The panoply divine in Zion may wield.

Upon the church, (which was thy hourly care,)
While more and heavier ills were yet to come,
Than which thy generous heart could well endure,
Thy God and Father pitying called thee home.

What though she's fled whose lot with thine was joined?
What though her Anna (once an opening flower,'
That smiling sweetly seemed to be designed
Of thee a long memorial,) is no more?

What though ambition mock, because no place
The world allows thee in her rolls of fame?
Dear to the saints on earth while time holds pace,
And to the saints in light shall be thy name.
O'er sin the palm of victory thou hast gained,
With us it oft appears a doubtful strife;
But grace which high in thy salvation reigned,
Can make the perilous conflict end in life:
It can, it will, cries Faith; a gracious God
Hath given us life eternal in his Son:t
'Twas in this faith that Gellatly abode,
And by this faith the palm of victory won.

His grave stone bears the following inscription:

THE REVEREND AND LEARNED

MR. ALEXANDER GELLATLY:

Minister of the Gospel, Middle Octorara;

Who came from Perth in Scotland, into Pennsylvania, 1753,

And departed this life, March 12, 1761,

In the Fortieth and Second year

of his age.

"He endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and showed himself a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing

the word of truth." (2 Tim. ii. 3, 15.)

Mr. Gellatly left a widow and an infant daughter, neither of whom long survived him.

1 John, v. 11.

( B. p. 17. )

The following is the minute of the Synod on this subject: EDINBURGH, October 4th, 1770. "Which day and place, the Associate Synod appointed the whole minutes of the Presbytery of Pennsylvania, relating to the coalescence with the Burgher Brethren, to be deleted; and upon the Presbytery complying with this appointment, that the brethren, (viz. Messrs. Rodger and Smith,) appointed on a mission to America, take their seats in the Presbytery; but if the Presbytery refuse this, the Synod empower the said brethren, with any other brethren of the said Presbytery, of the same views with them, to constitute the Presbytery, as they shall sec cause." (Vindication of the Associate Presbytery, p. 7, 8.)

( C. p. 17. )

The following is the extract from the Minutes of the Presbytery, relative to this affair:

PEQUA, June 5, 1771.

"The Presbytery entered upon the consideration of the instructions given by the Synod to Messrs. Rodger and Smith, and after long reasoning on that head, and application by a brother to the throne of grace for direction, they found that in making the union with the Burgher brethren, they have taken some steps inconsistent with the subordination to the Synod, to which they have been and are subordinate; and they are determined that for the future they shall have no ministerial communion with them until they lay the case before the Synod, and receive instructions from them: but they do not judge it for edification, in their present circumstances, expressly to comply with the Synod's demand. Which motion was unanimously agreed to, by the Presbytery, and Mr. Rodger and Mr. Smith, reckoning that the Synod's demand was materially granted, and being extremely loath to pursue any measures which might impede general edification, took their seats in the Presbytery." (Vindication of the Presbytery, p. 8.)

( D. p. 54. )

The following queries, addressed to the Associate Reformed Synod, through the Moderator, by Messrs. Henderson, Smith and Logan, will show their dissatisfaction with the union:

"Queries for the peace of our minds and for the satisfaction of the minds of many Christian people, with whom we stand connected.

66

We crave that the Synod would be pleased to give us an explicit declaration of their mind on the following subjects, which we deem to be of importance to the peace and harmony of our churches.

"1. Will the Synod approve of the Act, Declaration, and Testimony, emitted by the Associate Presbytery of Scotland, 1736, for the worship, doctrine, discipline and government of the church, as containing a special assertion of truth and condemnation of error?

"2. Will the Synod approve of the Act concerning the doctrine of grace, of October 1741?

"3. Will the Synod adopt the declaration made by the Associate Presbytery of Scotland, respecting civi! dominion and the qualifications necessary to the being of a magistrate?

"4. Doth the Synod think that the renovation of the covenants, as practiced in the Secession church, is a renovation of the National Covenant and Solemn League?

"5. Doth the Synod profess themselves under the formal obligation of that covenant, considered as an ecclesiastic deed, to abide by the doctrine of the Reformation?

"6. Will the Synod give up the scheme of occasional communion, and confine church privileges to the members of our own church?

"SIR-As you are not disposed to permit us free debate on the important points of testimony that affect our religious profession, and as we wish not to create groundless divisions in the body, we crave that the Synod will take our names from their roll, that we may be at liberty to do the best we can, as the Lord shall direct.

"MATHEW HENDERSON,
JOHN SMITH,
WILLIAM LOGAN."

(E. p. 54. )

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE, &c.

Ir some can see no difference between us and the Associate Reformed Synod, this is easily to be accounted for. The matters of God are little and unworthy of notice to men who mind earthly things only. In what respects the present life, many are quick-sighted, who cannot distinguish between good

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