est in the college was transferred to persons in connection with the Methodist Episcopal church. This transfer was made chiefly by the local trustees of the college, in response to overtures from individuals and officers of the Methodist denomination, accompanied by promises of large endowments and a rapid increase of students and was urged forward by citizens of Carlisle as certainly promotive of the financial interests of the community. A petition was circulated by two members of the board, as one of them informed the writer, and signed by men in business, requesting the transfer to be made. Dr. David Elliott was then pastor at Mercersburg and a member of the board, but as we learned from him, received no notice of the meeting at which that action was taken. The whole property, grounds, buildings and library, were transferred without any consideration to their original donors; a most unwarrantable assumption and exercise of power. Judge Chambers, who was a Trustee of the College, in his tribute to the Scotch-Irish of Pennsylvania, says, "The Trustees of Carlisle and vicinity constituted its business board (or executive committee) for the management of most of the concerns of the College, and either discouraged by failures of measures adopted to sustain the College, or from unhappy dissensions amongst themselves, chose to give away the institution with all its property and corporate privileges, and then abandon their trust by resignation, to make their donation effective." Local trustees have been the plague of many of our colleges, with rare exceptions, proving a hindrance rather than a support to many of these institutions.

Had Dickinson College, in Presbyterian hands, been wisely organized and efficiently managed, it would, in all human probability, have become one of the foremost institutions in our country. There was no more favorable location or larger constituency for a successful college under Presbyterian control in all this broad land. The alumni of Dickinson College, while under Presbyterian patronage and management, took rank with those of the oldest and strongest colleges in the country.

Dr. Neill continued to discharge the duties of the secretaryship to which he had been elected for two years, when, on ac

count of his health, he asked to be released from that position and was succeeded by the eloquent and accomplished Rev. John Breckinridge, D. D.

In September, 1831, Dr. Neill was invited to take charge of the First Presbyterian church in Germantown, Pa., where he continued to labor faithfully and perseveringly in that then small congregation for eleven years as stated supply. During that time the congregation grew in numbers and in strength, manifested a good degree of zeal and liberality in the cause of missions, and in the support of the gospel, and has since become a strong and prosperous church.

In 1842 he returned to Philadelphia, where he spent the remainder of his days in supplying vacant churches and in missionary labors in some of the charitable institutions of the city. Though he neither had nor wished to have any more a pas toral charge, yet as he had strength and opportunity he continued to preach the gospel, in compliance with his ordination vows and from preference, and from the settled conviction of its divine appointment and benign influence upon the temporal and eternal interests of mankind.

In addition to his public services in the ministry, he wrote and delivered a series of lectures on the evidences of Christianity, prepared and published a volume of lectures on Biblical history, and a practical exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians, and an autobiography which has since been published by the board of publication, together with a selection from his

sermons.

Dr. Neill, in person, was tall and dignified. He was always calm, courteous and affectionate in his intercourse with his brethren, never frivolous nor in any wise unbecoming his character as a Christian minister and a gentleman. He was always an industrious and persevering student, a man of more than ordinary talents, various reading and scholarly culture. He had an enlightened and critical judgment, a chaste and simple style, and a thorough acquaintance with the doctrines of the church and was a firm believer in and defender of the Calvinistic system of religious truth.

Dr. Neill was no partisan, but uniformly cautious and con

servative and yet a man of intelligent convictions and fixed principles and very reliable. At the same time he was catholic in spirit and cherished a warm sympathy and affection for Christians of every name. In manifestation of this he requested that this sentiment, as held by him, should be published at his funeral and that ministers of different denominations should be invited to take part in the services. No one, said Dr. Joseph H. Jones, in his commemorative discourse, who ever enjoyed the benefits of his ministry, heard his sermons, and witnessed his daily conduct, ever doubted that Christ was his life, and to advance His kingdom was the main object of his existence. As he advanced in life and drew towards its close, there was in him a gradual increase of Christian zeal and earnestness. His prayers, addresses and sermons equaled those of the best days of his ministry, in strength of thought, propriety and correctness of language, and in arrangement and argument, while they greatly excelled them in earnestness, pungency, directness, unction and power. His many discourses uttered without manuscript, his talks in the lecture-room and at the communion table, could not be surpassed in tenderness, simplicity of manner and richness of evangelical truth. For him to live. was Christ and to die was gain.

At the end though his sufferings at times were great, his habitual language was that of submission, gratitude and praise. Having delivered his last message and given directions concerning his funeral in that same calm, dispassionate and collected manner which had been characteristic of him through life, he sank down and passed away August 8, 1860, in the 82d year of his of his age.

Dr. Neill was married February 25, 1811, to Francis King, second daughter of General Joshua King, of Ridgefield, Connecticut. She died October 13, 1832.

By each wife
William Van

On April 15, 1835, he was married to Sarah S. Elmer, only daughter of Dr. E. Elmer, of Bridgeton, N. J. he had children, among whom were two sons, Dyke and John S. Henry and several daughters. One daughter, Maria, died, in Carlisle, a peaceful death April 4, 1839. In August of that same year, his daughter Elizabeth was married

to David N. Mahon, M. D., of Carlisle, Pa. She died September 18, 1838, in Carlisle, and the remains of both lie buried in the old cemetery in Carlisle, Pa.

Rev. John Moodey, D. D.

This venerable and much-respected servant of God was born on the birthday of our National Independence, July 4, 1776. His ancestors were of the Scotch-Irish race of people. His father, Robert Moodey, Esq., was a native of the county of Derry, Ireland, and emigrated to this country about the year 1773, and settled in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. He was married to Miss Mary Hutchinson in January, 1775. He served in one or more campaigns as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He afterwards moved with his family into that part of Lancaster county which was subsequently set off and is now known as Dauphin county.

John's higher education was commenced here in a grammar school, under the care of Mr. Francis Hindman, who afterwards became a Presbyterian minister. He then came under the instruction of Mr. Andrew Mitchel, a pupil of Mr. Hindman, with whom he finished his Latin and Greek studies. After some time spent in reviewing and perfecting the studies over which he had gone, he entered the junior class in Princeton College, November, 1794, and graduated in September, 1796.

Having spent some time in teaching he commenced the study of theology under the direction of his pastor, Rev. James Snodgrass, August, 1799. At a meeting of the Presbytery of Carlisle, held in Chambersburg, April 9, 1800, the day after the ordination and installation of the Rev. Francis Herron, at Rocky Spring, Mr. Moodey and Messrs. Brady, Adair, H. R. Wilson and Amos McGinley, were introduced to Presbytery as candidates for the gospel ministry; and after careful examination as to personal piety, and their motives in seeking the office of the ministry, were received as candidates under the care of the Presbytery.

He was examined and licensed to preach the gospel with the brethren above named by the same Presbytery, October 9, 1801, and was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Crawford,