PAGE 006:
devoted, should be furnished with such an account;
and your anxiety, as a Body representing the whole
church, to provide, by an express synodical act,
for perpetuating in this manner the remembrance
of his name, evinces a feeling of pious gratitude,
an ingenuous respect for departed merit — a magnanimity worthy of all commendation. The Christian Public will no doubt view it in this light, and
approve it.
For the honour you were pleased to confer upon
me, in committing to my hands the preparation of
the Biography, I beg leave to tender you my cordial
thanks. Without any affectation of modesty, I can
say, that I distrusted my own powers to execute
to your satisfaction the work assigned me; and for
some time, feared to undertake it. I felt, however,
that as the appointment had been altogether unsought — nay, had been made without the most remote suspicion on my part, that it was even in
contemplation, I ought not hastily and peremptorily
to decline it. And, when I reflected that your
request remarkably coincided with a similar one,
with which the venerable man saw fit personally to
honour me, in a private interview with him some
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PAGE 007:
years ago — a coincidence perfectly undesigned on
your part, as you knew nothing of the request
alluded to — the call of Providence in the case
appeared too strong I confess, notwithstanding my
fears as to my competency, to be disobeyed. Under the conviction of duty thus produced — encouraged, at the same time, by brethren for whom I
entertain a high respect — and hoping too that the
study of so excellent a character might prove, in
no small degree, beneficial to my own soul, I was
induced, at length, to venture on the undertaking.
I regret that my efforts to obtain materials for
the work have not been more successful; but still,
those supplied by a number of individuals, are considerable in the aggregate, and many of them, of an
important and interesting character. And, I would
here gratefully acknowledge the kindness in particular, of Col. Henry A. Livingston, the Doctors'
son, of Poughkeepsie; of Isaac L. Kip, Esq. of the
City of New York; of Dr. John B. Beck, of the
same city, and of his brother Dr. Theodorick R.
Beck, of the city of Albany, — grandsons of the late
Rev. Dr. Theodorick Romeyn, of Schenectady,
who was, for many years, the intimate friend and
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