The Newtown bee., 1907-11-15
The Newtown Bee.
 Newlown. Friday. November IS, 1897.
l75th Birthday. Christ Church of Bedding Fit
 tinsly Celebrates.
Continued from Page 8.

i slfuctlOn.
 Tradition has preserved few incl
 dents in his experience during the war
 of Independence.
 Shortly after the Declaration of h. dependence. the Episcopal clergy of the colony. fearing to continue the use of the Liturgy as it then stood. praying for the King and royal family. resolved to suspend the public exercise of their ministry. All the churches were thus for time closed. except those under the care of MT Beach. who continued to ofiiciate as usual. although warned to desist and threatened with personal violence if he continued. The stories of his i'll treatment at the hands of mis- taken or hot-headed Patriots may have been exaggerated. but that he was warned and publicly threatened can be proven by exhibits of indisputable evi- dence in the possession of this parish.
 We have an original paper, in which the five Selectmen and two Justices o the peace of Redding over their sigma lures, addressed this letter of remon- strance to him:
 Reverend Sir" "We have no dis position to restrain or limit you or oth- CTS in matters of conscience, lut, un- derstanding that you in your Public Worship still continue to pray that the King of Great Britain may be strength ened to vanquish all his enemies, which manner of praying must be thought a great insult upon the law, authority, and people of this state, as you and others can but know, that the King of England has put the people of these United States from under his protec- tion, declared them Rebels, and is now at open war with said states, and con- sequently are his enemies. Likewise you must have understood that the American States have declared them selves independent of any foreign power. Now, Sir, in order that we may have peace and quietness at home amongst ourselves, we desire that for
 
 the future, you would omit praying in public that King George the third, or any foreign prince or power, may vanquish and the people of this land your compliance herewith may prevent you trouble.
 We are, Reverend Sir, with due re- spect your obedient, humble Servants, Lemuel Sanford, William Hawley, Jus tices. Hugh Sanford, Seth Sanford, T. Benedict, John Grey and William Heron. Selectmen of Bedding.
 We have attached to memorial tab let the bullet, which had it reached its mark would have ended the career of this brave pioneer of the church. The inscription reacs: "This bullet was fired at the Rev John Beach while officiating in the Ante-Revolutionary church of this parish and was found lodged in the sounding board, when that church was taken down and the present edifce erected. Pausing for moment the venerable pastor repeated these words to the alarmed congre- gation: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in He'll" The bullet is preserved here as relic of his loyalty to the church. The story of this attempt to intimidate if not to kill MT Beach is well-known to most of us. A squad of soldiers had gathered before the open door of the church and by one of them bullet was fired which lodged in the sounding board foot or more above the head of the venerable preacher. Other stories of persecution at Newtown and elsewhere are told. All his trials were met with the same Christian fortitude as was the one here memorialized. The time has come when we cal afford to deal fairly by the actors on both sides of the strife which severed these colonies from Great Britain, that they might in Gods providence become greater than Brit ain. In the veins of many, if not most of us, flows mingling of the blood of loyalist and patriot, and we may say that the true men on both sides were loyal to principle and lovers of their country.
 He was not the less so who looked upon severance with Great Britain as the sure ruin of the Colonies, than he who was ready to die for principles of 1 her government, which were not uni versally accepted until they had been settled and established as the rich out come of that fiery trial. The history of the church affords few more noble examples of life long service than that of MT Beach. Such life work could not fail of abundant fruit. His minis try had spanned a period of 50 years and there must have been a thankful satisfaction in the present and in a re- view of the past. In 1732 he had begun work here which called for wonder full exhibitions of fortitude and pa- tience, his flock but five families, with no church and surrounded by pre- ju- dice, now he has within his parish more thon 2QQ connno11nicantc Suralu hic