Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-07-01

suffered much from intermittent fever,
which he speaks of as 'the epidemical
disorder of this country" In spite of
this and other hindrances he labored ON
successfully for more than thirty years.
Such was the growth of the parish under
his care in numbers and strength that in
176S or thereabouts this present church
was erected. 1t was day of substantial
building. The walls are two feet thick
and the timbers OF the roof, taken from
the virgin forest, are far heavier than
those that would be employed in similar
building to-day. The bricks, tradition
tells us, were brought from far-off Eng
land. may mention in this connection
that the communion silver still in use in
the parish was given probably during the
ministry of the Rev. Mr.. Reading by
Mrs. Rebecca Dyre, of New York City,
formerly member of this parish.
The labors of the Rev. Mr.. Reading
closed in the troublous days of the Revo-
lutionary War. Like many other clergy
men who had come from across the sea,
he felt himself bound by his oath to use
the prayer book of the Church of Eng
land in its entirety including prayers for
the King. This led to situation which
rendered the continuance of public SER
vices. impossible. The crisis came soon
after the declaration of independence.
We may quote his own account of what
took place within these walls on Sunday,
July 28th, 1776. "After the Nicene
Greed l declared in form that as had no
design to resist the authority of the new
government, on one hand, and as l was
determined, on the other, not to incur
the heavy guilt of perjury by breach Of
the most solemn promises, l should de-
cline attending on the public worship for
a short time from that day; but that for
the benefit of those who were in full and
close communion with me, for comforting
them in the present distress, for strength
ening them in the faith, for encouraging
them to persevere in their profession unto
the end, l would administer the Sacra-
ment of the Lords Supper on that day
six weeks, (September eighth.) had
purposed to say more on the subject, but
the scene became too affecting for me to
bear further part in it. Many of the
people present were overwhelmed with
deep distress, and the cheeks of some
began to be bathed in tears. My own
tongue fatered and my frmness forsook
me. Beckoning therefore to the clerk to
sing the Psalm, | went up into the pulpit,
and having exhorted the members of the
Church to hold fast the profession Of their
faith without wavering and to depend
upon the promises of faithful God for
their present comfort and future relief, l
finished the irksome business and Apo
auinimink Church from that day has
continued shut up"
Whether his intention of administer
ing the Holy Communion six weeks later
was carried out we do not know. He
died about two years after this, on Octo-
ber 10Th, ITS, and was buried near the
south entrance of the Church. The stone
upon his grave declares his many virtues.
Descendants of this man of God resided
in this parish for several generations.
After the war the parish resumed its
activities. The Rev. Joseph Couden,
rector OF St. Anne's, and Mr.. Philip
Reading were among Delaware's delegates
to the General Convention of 1889, and
so had share in framing the Constitu-
tion OF the American Church and in the
ratification of its Prayer-Book. The Rev.