not consist in making us more witty or ingenious, more subtle or expert in overreaching our neighbor than a Jew or Mahometan; but in furnishing us with juster notions of God and futurity, in tempering and adorning our minds with humane and virtuous motives, and thus rendering us worthy and useful members of society on earth, and qualifying us for the joys of heaven. And if it has not this effect upon us, how are we bettered by our profession? Or of what account is our orthodox faith? For as St. Paul observes, he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, so neither is he a Christian whose temper and conduct is not influenced by his belief in the Gospel. What a sad and fearful doom, then must await all those who thus trifle with their gracious Sovereign? Who make profession of Christianity, and yet persist in their iniquity? Who enter into covenant with the God of heaven, and immediately violate their plighted fidelity? As they wilfully reflect dishonor upon Christ and his holy institution, their guilt must be great, and their condemnation proportionably severe. For of some it is said, Christ will cut them asunder, and appoint them their portion with Hypocrites. And of what greater Hypocrisy can we be guilty than to assume the Garb of Religion without being possessed of its graces and virtues? To wear the form of godliness, and yet deny the power of it? Surely it must be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for such of us. For to whom much is given, of them the more shall be required. But, my friends, may it be our wisdom seriously to impress our mind with a realizing sense of the important privileges which are conferred upon us, and remember that we must shortly enter upon a never ending state of existence wherein we must be inconceivably either happy or miserable, and that according to our conduct in the present life. And may God of his infinite mercy, so touch each of our hearts, as to turn them to the wisdom of the just, that as we have named the name of Christ, we may all depart from iniquity, and adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, that when we meet before his seat of Judgement, we may give up our account with joy, and find a welcome into the pure mansions of endless bliss and glory. Through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed, all honour, glory, might, majesty and dominion both now and forever, Amen.

Mr. Hart preached at Worthington again in April, 1796. By this time a few additons were made to the number of local Churchmen by accessions from Wallingford, Bloomfield and other places. The first step towards organization of which we have any record was found among the papers of the late Samuel F. Talmadge of Berlin, a grandson of Doctor Daniel Steele. It was brought to public notice through the Rev. Henry N. Wayne of St. Mark's Church, and published in the "Morning Dispatch" of New Britain, issue of March 22, 1897. It is the most important paper in the history of the Church and we regret to say that the original appears to be lost beyond all hopes of recovery. The copy of it would probably have been lost forever had not Mrs. Shepard thoughtfully preserved a clipping from the "Dispatch." The "Dispatch The "Dispatch" was a short lived paper and no file of it is known to be in existence. The following copy of this document was taken from the said clipping:

"Barlin, Sept. 4, 1797.

Wee the Subscribers Being Desirous of Erecting an Episcopal Church in Some Convenant Place Whear all those who would Subscribe theair Names Should be Satisfyed in Setting of it. This is to try the mind of People to see how maney Subscribers theair will bee that is willing for to have a church and if theair is a Sufficant Number of Subscribers that are willing to Erect a Church. Then to warn a meeting of the Subscribers and to meet in some place most agreeable to all and to consult where it Shall be Set.

David Steel.

Nathaniel Dickinson.
Daniel Steel.

Stephen Webster.

John Watson.

David Dickinson.

Selah Beckley."

And so after these beginnings, it came to pass, that on the twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-seven; and on the eleventh day of the Episcopate of Abraham, by Divine permission,

Bishop of Connecticut, a site had been selected and "the stake" driven, preparatory to building an Episcopal church for the people of this vicinity. Forty-three persons subscribed the sum of $1,230.00, of which $685.00 was to be paid in cash and the balance in labor.

Mrs. Frances Deming, the widow of Captain Selden Deming, now residing on Church street, Newington, has the old record book, of about three hundred pages, 8 X 131⁄2 inches, but only thirty-five pages have been used. It is a substantially bound leather-covered book, now in good condition and has leather strings for tying the lids of the cover together. On one cover is written at the top "Prot Eps Parish Book of Records." At the bottom, other side up, is written "Church Book." The subscription paper is recorded first; and next we find the record of "a meeting of the inhabitants of the Episcopal Society in Wethersfield and Worthington, held at Mr. Elizur Deming's on Monday the 13th. of November, A.D. 1797." At this meeting they elected a clerk and a committee "to order the necessary business for said society, the year ensuing," and then adjourned to Dec. 7th of the same year, at which adjourned meeting they voted:

"That the Society go on to build the church where the stake is now set."

"That the house be fifty feet long, and forty feet wide.”

"That a steeple be built with the house," and six men were appointed a building committee.

A treasurer and collector were elected Feb. 5, 1798, and April 19, 1798, it was voted "That there should be a spire built to the steeple."

The church was so nearly finished by Mar. 25, 1799, that a business meeting is recorded as "held at Christ Church." This is the first record of the name of the church, and most of the meetings after this date are recorded as "held at Christ Church, in Wethersfield and Worthington."

At this time there were only two completed Episcopal Church buildings in the present Hartford County. St. Andrew's church at Bloomfield, and the church at Southington. Hartford had been long in building their church, but it was not ready for consecration until 1801. Granby was also building a church but