Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/98

94 School, and he became a hearty co-worker in it, and preached a sermon at the opening. He became President of the Board of Trustees in 1756. He was one of the four representatives of Pennsylvania in the Congress at Albany in 1754; and in the year 1756, in a conference with the Indians at Fort Stanwix, he baptized several of them, of which he had record made in Christ Church registers on his return. Though thus in actual secular duties, and entitled Esquire in the organization of the Academy, he yet could not forego special exercises of his ministry. In the beginning of 1762 he resigned his Secretaryship, but continued member of the Council. In the same year, he consented to officiate regularly at Christ Church in young Duché's absence abroad seeking priests orders, and when the old incumbent Dr. Jenney died, he was elected Rector of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peters in December, 1762. This met the confirmation of the Bishop of London the following year. In this incumbency he continued until his resignation 23 September, 1775. He died 10 July following, and was buried in front of the chancel of Christ Church. The degree of Doctor of Divinity had been conferred on him by Oxford in 1770. In 1772 he sought the aid of two Assistants in his cure, in addition to the aid rendered by Mr. Duché, who had been Assistant from 1759, and the Vestry appointed on his recommendation two young graduates of the College and Academy, William White of the class of 1765 and Thomas Coombe of the class of 1766; and on his resignation he was succeeded as Rector by Mr. Duché who was of the class of 1757.

As Bishop White was associated with Dr. Peters in Church and in College, we may find a fitting description of him by the Bishop's pen. "Dr. Peters was a native of England he was then a young clergyman, of a respectable family in Liverpool, of an excellent education, and of polished manners  At an age turned of sixty, he gave up his lucrative offices, and became more serious in religious concerns than at any former period of his life; although his morals had been correct, his attendance on public worship constant and solemn, and his preaching occasional.  He adopted the notions of