Methodist class-leader, and to the time of his death a de- voted Christian. Under these genial influences George united, in 1812, with the Metliodist Episcopal Church. In 181G he commenced his useful career as a Methodist |)reacher, being then only nineteen years of age. He travelled circuits till 1821. and that year he took charge of Paris station, and the two following years of the sta- tion at Utica. So rapidly did the young, gifted preacher advance in his earnest pulpit efforts and devotion to the work, that he was appointed, in 1824, presiding elder of the Susquehanna District, which large district embraced all the territory contained in the Wyoming Conference previous to the General Conference of 18G8, and nearly as much more now witliin the bounds of the Central New York and Genesee Conferences. The same year he was elected delegate to the General Conference, and he was chosen a delegate to every General Conference since, except the last, during his lifetime. Early in his history the youthful preacher was drawn into contro- versy, and soon gave evidence of special talents in that direction. In 1825 he was challenged to a public de- bate by a Unitarian preacher at Kingston, Pennsylva- nia; so decisive was the victory in favor of the young champion of Methodism that his opposer was complete- ly vanquished. One year afterward he accepted a chal- lenge to write in a Universalist magazine, which event led to his first appearance as an author. In 1835 he was elected principal of the Oneida Conference Semi- nary. His uniform, well-balanced, strong mind, com- bined with the great interest and enthusiastic devotion he felt in the cause of education and the establishment of this young, promising seat of learning, peculiarly ailapted him to fill successfully this new, honorable sphere of usefulness. After four years of trials and la- bors as the head and controlling spirit of this now so well-known school, he determined to return once more to the active duties of the ministry, and was again ap- pointed to tlie eldership of the Susquehanna District, the early field of his achievements and triumphs. In 1840 he was elected editor of the Methodist Quai-terly Review, which position he filled with honor and credit to the Church for the period of eiglit years. Under his able management the lievieiv took its place among the first literary journals of tlie country, commanded the esteem and favorable criticism of the most erudite and cultivated scholars, and exerted a benign and salutary iufluence even beyond the pale of the ilethodist Epis- copal Church. In 184G the New York Central Confer- ence appointed Dr. Peck delegate to the great General Convention of the Evangelical Alliance in London, and in that extraordinary meeting the doctor took a lead- ing and prominent part in the deliberations. In 1848 Dr. Peck was elected editor in chief of the Christian A dvocate and Journal, published at New Y'ork, and he served the Church in that distinguished position for four years. It was during this period that the great political debates took place which at one time threat- ened to convulse the country into anarchy and rebellion. Being naturally averse to exciting yiolitical discussions and exhibitions of violent partisanship, and not liking the animus of the controversy on such subjects, he de- clined a re-election to the editorial office in 1852, and returned to his early home and the scenes of his earlj- ministr}' in the beautiful Valley of Wyoming, where he was cordially received by his many friends. He was successively made preaclier in charge of Wilkes- barre, Scranton, Providence, and Dunmore, and presid- ing elder of the Lackawanna District and Wyoming District. He was superannuated in 1873, and died May 20, 187G. In Church and Conference Dr. Peck was always eminent and useful, whether as counsellor or advocate. The faitiiful discharge of all important trusts committed to him insured for him a high posi- tion in the Church. He was conservative, but at the same time eminently progressive. Says one of his con- ten^poraries : "I view him as one of the most remark- able men of our times — one whose genius and pictj- are
indelibly stamped on the ecclesiastical polity and won- derful growth of the Church — whose wise counsels and herculean labors are interwoven in its development for the past fifty years. His whole life has been distin- guished by devoted love to the Church, and unswerving, loyalty to honest convictions of trutli. Young preach- ers have ever found in him a friend and counsellor — one to whom they could look as a 'father in Israel.' I have for the past twenty-five years mingled with all classes of professional and business men in our valley, but I have never yet heard one word of censure from preacher or layman against Dr. Peck, which fact I es- teem as the highest tribute to his manly Christian character." As a preacher. Dr. Peck ranked among the foremost and ablest pidpit orators in our country. The symmetrical structure of his mind, and his analytical powers, were of the highest order, combined with a clearness of perception and convincing force of unerring logic. Whenever the strong powers of his mind were brought into full play on a subject, and he felt the heavenly unction on his sympathetic heart, the effect of his preaching was overwhelming. His public labors included a period of sixty years. It thus appears that he entered the Methodist itinerancy in time to test his consecration and integrity by pioneer exer- tions requiring the heroism of the fathers. He "en- dured hardness as a good soldier," on very large cir- cuits, with no railroads or steamboats, in the new and uncultivated regions of the states of New Y'ork and Pennsylvania, travelling immense distances on horse- back, through forests, and in the midst of wild beasts and rude people, preaching in log -shanties, school- houses, barns, and groves, all without a murnuir, and taking his appointments without being consulted, and in the most unquestioning loyalt^^ He had therefore original experience in the great circuit system to pre- pare him for any other work to which he might be called. When stations were demanded and cautiously conceded, and George Peck was one of the younger men called to fill them, he was found to have the hab- its of devotion and study which they required. His library had grown (one can hardly tell how) to be large and valuable, and he was master of its contents. The progress in available scholarship which ministers of other churches made u-ith tuition, he made largely ivithovt. He preached two or three sermons every Sunday to the same congregation, with i'rcsh research and elabora- tions, characterized by thorough originalit}' and great spiritual power. He was besides a faithful pastor. He had marked success in revivals, and fully equal success in the nurture and edification of the Church. As a presiding elder he shrank from no hardships of travel or labor or discipline, and rendered available marked executive ability in every department of ofiicial re- sponsibility. As an educator he promptly qualified him- self to teach in studies nearly as new to him as to his students, and when he resigned the principalship of the seminary, he with imimpaired zeal pushed forward the enterprises of learning in the Church, and gave to young ministers the guidance and help of his large intelligence and ripe experience. In the most responsible editorial chairs of the Church he held with a firm hand all the historical positions of Methodism, and advanced everj' Christian enterprise in the true spirit of progress. When by reason of age he found his strength failing, in a calm, dignified manner he resigned the effective relations, and gracefully accepted superannuation. When complicated diseases gathered in strength upon him, he laitl him down to die with the same composure and dignity which char- acterized his most difficult life-labors when in health. The humility so marked in his history was more conspic- uous, mellow, and tender as he approached the cold river. Tlie faith which gave him a lifetime near the cross made him a concjueror in his struggle with the last enemy. Dr. Peck's published works are, Universalis?}! Examined (1826) : — History of the Apostles and Ecunyelists (1836) : — Scrii^ture Doctrine of Christian Verfection (1841;