Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-10-30

present gloomy situation or IN
church. which fills the mind .
= every one with dependency. who
:. Interested in dts welfare in New Cas-
: tie. The repairs OF the church ha
a ceased. No progress had been mad
In them for upwards of two month
D for want of funds; the building wa
r not protected against the weather
r part of the frame work of tn
Z steeple had been raised in the montl
of November preceding, without be
4 ing properly strengthened or sec
: cured; It remained exposed durinl
the winter, storms OF rain and SNOW
beating through It and into tn
/ tower, to the great injury Of the tim
bers and walls In addition to THU
= the zeal of several who had beer
} active In their exertions for the com
} pletion of the church. seemed to sub
side; creditors to whom the church
had become largely indebted were
urged and importunate IN their de-
} mands for the payment of theii
claims. and no prospect existed Of
; raising funds adequate to discharge
LNtINls i nt aAA1AAH VI AAAt kAAAA VI
were reduced to that deplorable con-
dition, that some with keen regret
had predicted its downfall. and the
dissolution of a congregation, which
although small in number had main
tanned and supported n constant sue
cession of Protestant Episcopal min
listers for one hundred and twenty
years; and during that long period
had from time to time assembled
within the venerable walls of I'm
manuel Church, for the performance
of divine service. Under these cir
cumstances the present meeting con-
vened.
THE liberal subscriptions made
! this evening for completing the
church, quickly dispelled the gloom
which surrounded us, and gave the
assurance Of the dawning Of
brighter day on the prospects Of
the Protestant Episcopal Church in
the town OF New Castle. The names
OF the donors are now recorded in
these minutes with lively feelings Of
gratitude; and II 1t ever unfortu-
nately 50 happens, that the church at
any future time. when those who
now support It. are sleeping in the
grave, should be reduced to that
low situation. from which 1t is now
raised, let those who read these
pages, remember. that the active.
jealous and united exertions and
unwearied perseverance of few,
have under the favor of the AL
mighty Ruler OF the universe, re-
built the church and made It place
worthy TO be dedicated to His ser
vice"
"At the meeting that night the
sum OF s1,7sO.0O was subscribed.
Upon the completion OF the work
the choice of pews was sold by
auction on October 25. 1922, and
this sale Of pews resulted in the
additional sum OF s1,5O0.O0 Here
then within a few months we see
subscriptions of nearly S3.5OO.0O.
This sale OF the right TO select the
pews must have been but sub
terfuge to keep their right hands
from knowing Of the generosity OF
their gifts. for we see the instance
OF one man subscribing four hun
dred dollars for the repairs in
March and bidding five hundred for
the right to select his pew Ono diff
ference from any other) when such
right carried no exemption from an
nual pew rent. These were large
sums one hundred years ago.
And so we arrive at the time |
designated for the conservation of |
this building. 1t seems a queer term |
to use in face of facts provable be- |
yond the slightest peudventure OF |
doubt, showing that for at least III
years before that date these identi- |
cal walls had in fact been used /
solely for the service of Almighty |
God. If there can be a consecra-
ton by use as well as by form.
surely that has been accomplished
by the long line Of holy men and
sanity women to whom these walls
we're ever a place of sure refuge
during that most trying century.
THE reason that the formal con-
secration was not earlier held. how
ever. is quite obvious. When these
walls were first erected and for al
Must u nuNAll GU years hAAtA AlltN Adu
been performing their sacred func-
tons. there was no Bishop in
America to so consecrate them. In
deed. the study of ecclesiastical con-
iitions before and Immediately af-
ter the revolution IS an interesting
one. Deprived of any connection
with the English Church by the
revolution with no church organiza-
ion, no bishops. no dioceses, the
ldherents OF the Episcopal COM
nunion consisted solely of scatter
ID parishes. struggling for mainte-
lance after being deprived OF the .
assistance formerly had from the
Society for Propagating the Gospel ,
n Foreign Parts, The removal Of
he control of Bishops especially in
he formation of the relation of rec
or and parish is well evidenced by .
he example set out in the minutes
" our own vestry. Prior to 1854
very rector of Emmanuel Church I
lad been a missionary named by I
he Society in England. In that !
rear Ameas Ross. having died, the r
desired to have Rev. {
Charles Henry Wharton as rector. {
Mr.. Wharton had been ordained a {
priest in the Roman Catholic Church
and no formula existed, in the alb {
ience OF Bishops. either to receive !
him into the Episcopal Communion
Or to install him as rector OF a f
parish. II has been stated that our q
own minutes record the first in {
stance Of the kind In the country. {
It was accomplished by the com &
oined efforts of Rev. William White. C