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"Ministers are living books, and books are dead ministers; and yet though dead, they speak. When you cannot hear the one, you may read the other." — Matthew Poole
On June 12, 1774, in the Isle of Mull, Scotland, Alexander McLeod was born. He came to the United States as a young man in 1792, and would go on to become one of the leaders not only of his own denomination, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, but was well-respected as a leading voice among all branches of American Presbyterianism.
His pastoral ministry, where he served at Coldenham, New York and in New York City, lasted from 1801 until his death on February 17, 1833, which was mourned by many. He was instrumental in confirming the RPCNA’s early institutional opposition to slavery. McLeod also contributed to the founding of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, among many other endeavors on behalf of both the kingdom of God and the common good, which have had a lasting influence that endures today.
McLeod played a role in the founding of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary beginning as early as 1807 (Robert M. Copeland, Spare No Exertions: 175 Years of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, pp. 19, 23). McLeod was additionally involved in the establishment of the American Colonization Society; with Samuel Miller he furthered the work of the New York Bible Society; with John Stanford he worked to establish the New York Society for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb; and with Philip Milledoler he helped to organize the American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews. He was honored with the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1809 at Middlebury College, Vermont. In 1812, he was unanimously elected to serve as Professor of Mathematics (replacing his first cousin, John Maclean, Sr., in that capacity) and as Vice-President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton), but he respectfully declined this invitation in order to serve his flock. In the midst of his regular preaching duties, he was also a prolific writer, publishing many works and contributing to many periodicals.
From his famous Ecclesiastical Catechism, he writes concerning the present disunity of the Church:
Seeing there are many distinct denominations of Christians, what is their duty toward one another?
To form one church of societies retaining their peculiar habits and prejudices, would only produce confusion, or substitute a base neutrality for Christian zeal It is the duty of every denomination to reform abuses, and endeavour, after conformity to the plan of church order appointed by Christ, that the Catholic Church may attain to the unity of the Spirit, and become visibly connected in the bond of peace.
In 2019, Log College Press republished one of McLeod’s major works, Messiah, Governor of the Nations of the Earth. Today, we remember that he was born almost 250 years ago and yet his voice still speaks to our generation.
