Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/97

Rh Failing now work in the ministry, his energies found employment as Secretary in the Land Office, and for twenty-five years he continued in that capacity, becoming in fact the real estate agent for the Proprietaries. In this office, he attained great discretion, showing how well the confidence of the Penns in him was justified. Referring to this parochial controversy, Bishop White says of it: "It was said that Dr. Peters' acquaintance had been cultivated by the genteelest families in the city; but that, being no favorite with the then rector of Christ Church, the Rev. Archibald Cummings, he accepted from the proprietary government the secretaryship of the land office, which laid the foundation of a considerable fortune." Thomas Penn said of him a few years after this appointment, "he has always discharged it with great faithfulness and his understanding and temper render him very fit for such an office where he must transact business with a great number of ignorant people closely tied to their own interests." This was in 1741, when on the death of the Rev. Mr. Cummings, the Vestry of Christ Church recommended him to the Bishop of London for a license, designing to make him Mr. Cummings' successor in the Rectorship. The petition, however, failed; his connection with the proprietary interests led to jealousies lest such influence would prevail in the Church and mar its ecclesiastical independence. Peters submitted, to save contention, though his influence was so great in the parish as to have caused an entire independency of the Bishop's license had he in any way encouraged it. He became a member of the Vestry in 1740, and again from 1745–1752 and served the Church faithfully in this capacity for these years. His secular work meanwhile grew upon him, he being appointed 14 February, 1743, Secretary of the Province and Clerk to the Council. It was in this year that Franklin having drawn up his first plans for the establishment of a charity school relied upon Peters to take the matter in hand and become the head of the needed institution; but this Peters declined. On 19 May, 1749, on a suggestion from the Proprietaries, he was made a member of the Council and at once qualified. This year saw the consummation of Franklin's proposal for an Academy and Charitable