Middletown Township.

doubt, but the evidence tends to establish a prior date for the building, inasmuch as early in that year it is mentioned in a gift to the "Protestant Dissenters" by Dr. Isaac Watts, who, learning of the house of worship in the "backwood," manifested his interest in the welfare of the struggling congregation by sending to them a folio copy of one of Baxter's works. The inscription in this volume reads:

"This Book, called M^r Baxter's Directory, was given by y^e Reverend D^r Isaac Watts, of London, to the Protestant Dissenters, usually Assembling for Worship at Middletown Meeting-house in Pennsylvania, that people who came from far & spend their whole day there may have something proper to entertain themselves with, or to read to one another between the seasons of Worship, morning and afternoon; & 'tis for this end intrusted to y^e care of (the) Protestant Dissenting Minister who preaches there, and to his Successors, to be used by him or them in their weekly Study, when they please, and to be secured & devoted to the Use of the Congregation on y^e Lord's days."
"Jan^y 30th, 1735/6."
"The Book is committed to the care of M^r Benj. Hawley to be carried over to Pennsylvania, and after he has kept it in his own hands and made the best use of it for six months, that is till the 30^th of July next, he shall deliver it to the hands of the present Protestant Dissenting Minister for the purposes before mentioned."

The congregation attending this church was scattered, and some of the persons most constant in attendance on the religious exercises - whenever they were held therein, generally once a month, for there was no regular pastor until 1770 - would walk, women and men, often ten or twelve miles to church, and the like distance returning; or if, as was frequent, the distance was twenty miles, would ride thither on horseback. On a winter Sunday these pious people would sit for hours in the cold church listening to the clergyman, whose sermon made up in length whatever it might lack in originality of argument. The pastor in those early days preached twice to the same congregation on the Sabbath, there being an hour's intermission, when those present would partake of a slight repast, which had been prepared the day before and carried in baskets to the church.

On May 10, 1762, Robert McClellan conveyed to William Lindsay, Hugh Linn, James Lindsay, John McMinn, James Black, Charles Linn, Joseph Black, James Hemphill, and Thomas Trimble, three-quarters of an acre for the use of a Presbyterian Church thereafter to be erected.

The second church edifice, which was of stone, was erected shortly after this date, and Dr. Smith records that the venerable Thomas Dutton, in 1860, told him "that the present meeting-house was built in the time of his grandfather (Richard Dutton), and that he, although a Quaker, subscribed money towards its building, as he was willing that the Presbyterians should have a suitable place to hold their meetings in."¹

The church building thus erected had no fireplace in it or means provided for warming the building in cold weather, hence the female members of the congregation who could afford such luxury would have a foot-stove, which would be filled with charcoal, and thus they could warm their almost frozen feet and listen to the minister at one and the same time. It has been said that the old log house was used as a place for the session of the church to assemble in, and after it was no longer required for religious exercises, a chimney-place was built, and on the hearth, on Sunday mornings, a bright fire would be made, so that those who were delicate could warm themselves by its cheerful blaze.

In 1770, Rev. James Anderson, the first regular pastor, was called, prior to which date the church was dependent on supplies. He was at that time about twenty-one years of age, and here he remained during the stormy days of the Revolution, doubtless advocating a separation from the mother-country, for the Presbyterians were, as a rule, earnest advocates for that measure, and we have every reason to believe that to the Pennsylvania line, or Irish line, as it was often called, from the young men attending the religious services there, Middletown Church furnished its full quota of soldiers. Dr. Samuel Anderson was a son of the first pastor of Middletown Church, but he was not born in Delaware County, although I would be glad if it should prove that I am in error in this assertion, for Dr. Anderson was a man of whose nativity Delaware County can be justly proud. Rev. James Anderson died in 1793, his ministry at Middletown covering almost his entire manhood life. From 1793 to 1801 the pulpit was dependent on supplies, but in the latter year Rev. Thomas Grier, a graduate of Princeton, was installed