USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Berlin > History of the parish and town of berlin [Mass.] > Part 2
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Solomon Howe, Amos Sawyer, Silas Houghton, 2nd, Assessors.
Treasurer, Solomon Howe.
Constable, Stephen Pollard.
After the Treasurer and Constable were chosen, the col- lection of taxes was set at Auction to the lowest bidder, . nd was undertaken by Stephen Pollard, for $1.39 for collecting one hundred dollars, and in the same proportion for collect- ing the whole amount. His bondsmen were Mr. Adam Bartlett and Mr. Amherst Bailey.
Adjourned.
STEPHEN BAILEY, Moderator.
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BERLIN AS A PARISH.
The Rev. Reuben Puffer was settled as minister of the Parish in the year 1781, and continued as minister through its existence as a Parish, and as District, and as Town, until his death. His ordination took place on a little knoll east of the common, under a white oak tree, the meeting-house being unfinished and not suitable for the occasion. There is a house now standing on said knoll, built by myself on contract with Franklin Conant, and is the house now owned by L. Woodbury, the records say east of the meeting-house, and I know that it was where that house stands, from my mother who was present at the ordination.
It will be perceived by the records that at all the meetings called by the authority of the legislature, all the inhabitants qualified by law to vote in town affairs, were notified to meet for the purpose of organization. That the district superseded the parish, and in all their public affairs they acted as a town, except they joined with Bolton in the election of a representative, and were required to pay their proportional part of the expense of such representation.
BERLIN AS A TOWN.
The Town superseded the District, and was then inde- pendent, having no further relationship with Bolton ; in all their public affairs afterward they acted as a town, all their taxes for religious purposes were levied as a town, and the minister's salary was paid by the town. The twenty cords
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of wood due the minister by settlement was contracted for by the town, and paid for by the town.
In 1822 the old meeting-house was taken down by vote of the town and a new house built in its stead, and is the house now standing on the same premises. It was built by the town, and paid for by the town ; I am sure of it from the fact that after I became an acting citizen an article came up in a town warrant, at a legal town meeting to see if the town would relieve the committee chosen by the town to build the meeting-house, from personal responsibilities in- curred by them by hiring money for the use of the town, to pay for building the meeting-house, having given their own personal security for the same. The town did relieve them, whether by payment of money or giving the town's security, I am not sure, but sure I am the town did relieve them from their indebtedness. After the meeting-house was finished, the pews were sold at auction, and every man became pos- sessed of one, who apparently had means to do so, and nearly the whole town went to meeting, and every one ap- peared happy and contented. There was no discord, no contention, they were neighborly, peaceable and happy. They needed no locks or bolts on their doors ; everyones' property and rights were respected, and they were a happy people ; but that did not long remain, the serpent entered the Garden of Eden, and discord and unhappiness followed. Milton has it the serpent was found squat like a Toad at the ear of Eve, but the Savior baffled the serpent. At the time about which I am speaking, the serpent seems to have been obliged to change his tactics. The puritan age seems to have advanced too far toward the millenium ; the subtle serpent had to turn preacher to accomplish his purpose. If he had then been found, I think it would have been squat like a toad at the ear of Johnathan Edwards, President of Princeton College in New Jersey. He seems to have learned
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wisdom by watching divine purposes and proceedings. It was necessary for him to select a mind capable of perceiving and executing his purposes. He must conjoin himself to a su- perior mind, capable of receiving, consolidating and arrang- ing a code of laws, with penalties annexed, which were too horrible to be readily received in the mind as a theological system of belief, unless predicated and elucidated by a mind so ingenious as to baffle common perception and under- standing. Such a mind he found in Johnathan Edwards. He might have then said like Mark Anthony at the funeral of Cæsar (speaking aside) " Now let it work." It did work, and the work was comprehensive ; it convulsed puritan New England from center to circumference. The churches which had until then been town organizations were after that split up into fragments. I say town organizations, and the missive letters sent by the Church in Berlin inviting to the Coun- cil for the settlement of Dr. Puffer, ministers from other churches, are said by the records to have been sent to Sud- bury, East Sudbury, Stowe, Northboro', Westboro', Shrews- bury, Boylston and Lancaster,-all towns, no allusion to Parishes. But the Edwards' doctrine created new ideas, and new churches consequently sprung up. Berlin had its Edwards' champion in the person of Dea. Dexter Fay, his phrenological organization fitted him for the work which he pursued, the organ of wonder large, and that of fear also prominent ; he pursued his work with the tenacity of a vet- eran. His mind appeared to be unbalanced, he could see one thing and others would pass by apparently unnoticed, or their value underrated, he seemed to have had the Edwards' doctrine " on the brain," all other ideas must bend to that. He construed that to mean, what I was told by one who at- tended school where he was teacher, thus all persons who have sinned are doomed after death to be cast into a fire more intensely hot than any earthly fire, and there remain
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forever without consuming, or the painfulness ever ceasing, unless redeemed before death from that penalty in the man- ner prescribed by Johnathan Edwards' theological scheme ; believing that he was indefatigable in proselyting and indoc- trinating his views upon others, not so much his equals, but those of inferior mental capacities compared with his own, he would enter houses when the male head of the family was absent, and by his ingenuity excite the fears of wife and daughters by his ingenious arguments and entice them away from their homes to attend meetings over which he presided, as chief manager,-disregarding the wishes of the husband and father,-thus destroying the peace of what had been happy homes. The father who had been accustomed, after his day's labor, to come to his home and find there a happy wife and daughters, with a table well spread with the com- forts of life, after partaking of which he sat down with his family, and during the evening apparantly enjoyed a fore- taste of heaven upon earth, suddenly found the scene changed ; instead, he found there a pandemonium, after Dea. Fay's stealthy entrance into his home in his absence. Dea. Fay could not see that discord was not Christianity, or if he could, he did not, and probably because his eyes were fixed on that terrible abyss described by Johnathan Edwards, but was never foretold or described by the Savior. He could not see that true christianity made persons more kind, more charitable, more affectionate, more loving, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, and that his course produced the oppo- site effect.
I well knew one man who had suffered by his course. I had daily intercourse with him for some years ; he had been Town Clerk many years, was a first-class millwright, and in every way a respected citizen. He told me that his family troubles were worse than a civil war, and were caused by Dea. Fay and his coadjutators. Another instance of improp-
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er interference was in a prospective marriage relation between a young lady and gentlemen, well known to each other, both worthy and respectable inhabitants of the town, and apparently calculated to produce a happy union. Dea. Fay persuaded the young lady to believe that her soul's salvation would be endangered by marrying a person whom he termed an Infidel. By frequent interference the attach- ment was broken off, and she lived and died what was termed a petulant old maid. The man whom she discarded did not marry until at an advanced age. I knew them both well and am sure they would have been useful citizens, and an ornament to the town, had not their own private affairs been interfered with. There were other cases I might mention, of improper interference, but I forbear.
Dea. Fay had a successful coadjutator in the person of Lady Puffer, the second wife of the Rev. Dr. Puffer. She was a woman of commanding presence, of friendly disposi- tion, and in every way calculated to be a pleasant compan- ion and neighbor. I know it from experience, which I will hereafter relate. She was a firm believer in the Edwards' theology. She was not the first woman who led her husband astray. By the persuasion of them and their friends, Dr. Puffer was persuaded to ignore as he did all his former asso- ciates in the ministry, who assembled and did take part in his ordination. He had exchanged with them, and his people had become familiar with their presence, were cdified by their eloquence, had often clasped with them a friendly hand, and they seemed almost like persons of the same family.
But a change took place ; to show what influences pro- duced it, an anecdote may here be stated. There were al- ways two services held on Sunday, and the intermission be- tween was only one hour, and the elderly people who lived at a distance were unable to go home and return, hence they
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stayed over, and were wont to frequent the house of one Houghton, just south of the common. It had been rumored one Sunday that Dr. Lyman Beecher, father of Henry Ward Beecher, a prominent preacher in what was then termed the orthodox belief, would be there and preach, but instead of Dr. Beecher, Rev. Joseph Allen, of Northboro', a colleague of Minister Whitney, one of the original councilors at the ordination of Dr. Puffer, did preach, and when the elderly ladies, at noon, were assembled at the house of said Hough- ton, one old lady, wife of Dea. Cyrus Houghton, observed, " what wise preaching we had to-day, I could sit all day and hear such preaching as that." The ever-present Dea. Fay, happened to be there, and exclaimed, " do you call that good preaching, Mrs. Houghton." She replied, "I'm sure I do, don't you?" He replied, "I guess you don't know who it was." She replied, "It was Dr. Beecher, wasn't it?" "Oh no," said Dea. Fay, "that wasn't Dr. Beecher, it was little Jo. Allen of Northboro'." And little Jo. Allen and his associates were soon after that left out in the cold. The people were surprised and much grieved ; they longed to see their old friends and valued religious councilors, but they did not appear, instead they saw strange faces in the pulpit, except a few, such as Packard of Lancaster, Bucklin of Marlboro', and one or two others who took no part in Dr. Puffer's ordination. The people grew uneasy, and a petition was drawn up by Johnathan D. Merriam, or at his instance, and numerously signed by citizens, members of the society, and presented by said Merriam to Dr. Puffer, praying him to exchange with neighboring ministers, as he used to do. His reply was, " I cannot be dictated by my people in my old age ; I will supply my pulpit myself ;" and the people reluctantly acquiesced. They made no further effort during the life of Dr. Puffer. While the people acquiesced, Dea. Fay was ever busy, no labor or effort was to great to accom-
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plish the end he had in view. He used to go to market often, with hay and farming produce, with a pair of horses, starting in the afternoon, would drive all night, or until nearly morning, then stopping to bait, a little out from Boston, at daylight drive in and dispose of his marketing, his business done, he would start for home, instead of driving out a short distance and putting up for the night, as other teamsters did, he would drive clear home without resting the poor horses, and gave as an excuse, "there is to be a religious meeting at Berlin, and I must be there." The poor horses had to travel two nights in succession, and during the second night drawing their master, and wagon, and perhaps some other loading, with emaciated limbs ; he not seeming to remember that a merciful man must be merciful to his beast, that true christian duty requires that man should treat with kindness all the dumb animals the Creator has made, that are placed under his care.
I saw those poor horses once, attached to a wagon having a load of hay upon it, standing in the road a little east of the front of the meeting-house ; as I approached nearer I saw Dea. Fay coming from the direction of the house where the discord occurred, which I first mentioned, and approach- ing the horses, bade them go ; the horses did not start, and he applied the short lash of a whip which he held in his hand twice to each horse, and then they reluctantly started. I asked myself the question, can a man be a true christian, to wear down a pair of horses so that it took two smart strokes with a lash on each horse to make them start an or- dinary load, on level ground? I asked the question, but did not answer it.
Affairs remained quiet until the news came, Dr. Puffer is sick, and a gloom seemed to spread around. The listening car of the town was bent toward the parsonage. "Is he better?" was the inquiry, and " no," was the answer. In a
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day or two the bell tolled the knell of his death. The next day was Sunday, and his son-in-law, Rev. Lyman Gilbert, supplied his desk, while his remains lay cold in death, and the town was in mourning ; they had lost a valuable friend. Many of his then parishioners were joined in wedlock by him, many of them were baptized at the altar by him, and many of their parent's funeral obsequies were performed by him, and now he was gone, and universal sorrow prevailed.
But scarcely had his remains been interred, ere another scene commenced. The society called a meeting to adopt measures for the supply of the pulpit, which was then vacant. They chose a committee for that purpose, and the committee applied to the University School of Harvard College, for a candidate for that purpose, and a young man named Robert F. Walcut, who had just graduated from the school, was recommended to them, and they obtained his services as candidate. He preached a few Sabbaths, and the society held another meeting and voted to give Mr. Walcut a call for settlement. Up jumps Dea. Fay, "Whoever heard of the parish giving a minister a call? the church should give the minister a call, and the parish concur ; " which was a quotation from the records, made while the territory was a parish. It was not a parish then, it was a religious society in the town of Berlin ; it was supported and maintained by the town, and the town was the society, and the town did not agree with Dea. Fay. They owned the property, they built the house and paid for it, and defrayed all the expenses of the society, and as they had a right, they voted to settle Robert F. Walcut, and he was ordained as minister.
Then Dea. Fay and his followers seceded-and like the prodigal of old, left their Father's house-instead of asking for the portion of goods that fell to them, they took without leave all they could lay their hands upon. They plundered the closet underneath the pulpit, of the sacrament service of
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silver, plate, and other utensils, which until then had been considered safe ; and also carried off the church records. Those who remained at home, not being pugnacious, did not fight for the recovery of their property, but applied to a magistrate for a writ of replevin, and got Lyman Moore, then Deputy Sheriff of Lancaster, to serve the writ, which was done, and the property brought home to its lawful owner, and has remained there ever since.
Notwithstanding the secession, Robert F. Walcut was or- dained, and during the ceremonies a small patch of plaster- ing, which had been loosened by the entrance of water through the belfry, fell from the ceiling upon the floor just back of the singer's seats. The sudden crash during the stillness of the ceremonies produced a startling sensation in the audience, but the cause was soon known, and nothing further thought of it then.
It was afterwards echoed and re-echoed at the corners of the streets,-for poll-parrots, like children and fools, are apt to disclose the expressions of wiser ones, spoken in unguard- ed moments. The next day we heard sounding in our ears, "The walls cried out, 'Ha! Ha ! Ha ! Ha!'" At the next corner was heard what seemed to be an echo, "The walls cried out, 'He ! He! He ! He!'" The re-echo we will wait awhile for.
The Church divided, the majority going with the seceders, the choir also divided, and Merrick Houghton, who had been their chorister and teacher for many years, went with them. He was one of the first of singers in his day, and having great influence in the choir, naturally took others with him. The leadership of the old choir fell upon Amos Sawyer, Jr. There was naturally a competition between the two leaders for the services of one of the best soprano singers I ever heard, and fifty dollars bonus, paid her by Sawyer, retained her in the old choir ; so she told me while
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sitting at table with herself and husband in her own house. She remained in the choir until her removal to Ohio, several years afterwards. Houghton remained in the other choir several years, and then removed to Amherst and became a noted singer and leader in Amherst College.
The seceders built a small house and settled a man by the name of Baldwin as minister over them ; and he remained with them two years, and then asked for dismissal which was granted. They then chose a man named Burdett, who re- mained about the same time. After his dismissal, Mr. Clark was installed as Pastor, and he was succeeded by Robert Carver. In the meantime, Mr. Walcut had asked for dis- mission, and it was granted, and David R. Lamson filled his place, remaining several years, and was cotemporary with Mr. Carver. This was about the time the anti-slavery and temperance movements came up. Mr. Lamson was the greater champion of Anti-slavery, and Mr. Carver and his society were greater champions of the Temperance move- ment. They both sympathized with each other, to a certain degree.
Mr. Lamson's people were much offended at his too fre- quent allusions in his sermons to Anti-slavery and Temper- ance. I have frequently heard his people say, that they did not want "Rum and Niggers," " Rum and Niggers" preached to them all the time. They also objected to the too fre- quent intimacy between Mr. Lamson and Mr. Carver on the subject of Temperance.
About this time I buried my first wife under very distress- ing circumstances. Mr. Carver and myself always having been friendly as citizens and neighbors, he wrote me a letter, the first part of which was sympathetic, after a half-page of words of condolence, he changed his effort to proselyting. He wrote thus : "Could you see the plain, simple views we entertain of religion, you would see that it is the very thing
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you need now." He continued in other language of similar import, the design of which was to lead me into an approval of their peculiar Theological views. I replied to his letter ; inasmuch as it was a sympathizing letter, I accepted it with gratitude, but with its doctrinal efforts I had no sympathy. I further said, "As to your plain, simple views, I am well acquainted with them, as with those of every other denomi- nation of which I ever heard. I have made special efforts to ascertain the principles of those doctrines and theories, - but I find none so good as the Bible itself, and I think that is all sufficient for human belief and guidance." My reply drew forth another letter from Mr. Carver in which he iterated and reiterated all the stereotyped phrases concerning faith and some other matters.
I replied to the second letter, stating my views of true faith. "I believe in an active, ever-working and ever-present operative faith. Faith without works is dead, being alone ;" and added, "show me thy faith without works, and I will show you mine by my works." I then said, "I think you had better stay in your own fold, and take care of your own sheep ; there is work enough for you to do, and I think you had better do it, instead of going into other folds and steal- ing away their sheep and lambs."
The next time I saw Mr. Carver, he did not look me quite square in the face, but after a few kind words from me, and civil, neighborly respect, without reference to religious belief, we became friendly as before, and were ever so afterward. My belief was unchanged, and I suppose his was also.
Soon after this little episode, Mr. Lamson asked for dis- mission, and left. It was not long after Mr. Lamson's dis- mission, before Mr. Carver also left, for what reason, I know not. Both Societies were then without a stated minister, and remained so for six months or more. The Unitarian Society employed Mr. Bucklin of Marlborough, who was
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considered a moderate Orthodox. The other Society had also supplied their pulpit by daily hire. I was then Super- intendent of the Unitarian Sabbath-school. I had ever felt sorrowful over the separation which had taken place. I always had longed to see them united again. I had resolved never to do anything which would tend to continue the discord, but to do everything which my feeble influence could do to re-unite them.
I was then and ever had been on most intimate and friendly relations with Mr. Bride, who was at that time Su -- perintendent of the other school. I said to my friends, " This is foolish, to pay two Orthodox ministers, when really we are hardly able to maintain one. Why not let us propose to the other Society to employ a candidate, and all come here to meeting to hear him, and see if we cannot settle him. I also talked with Mr. Bride. After some consulta- tion, both Parishes held meetings and each chose a commit- tee who were to meet each other in consultation. The Unitarian Parish chose for their committee, my uncle, John Bartlett, who was Deacon of the Church, my uncle, Asa Sawyer, who had been my predecessor for many years in the Sabbath-school, and myself. We met a similar committee from the other Parish, and it was agreed that a candidate should be obtained, and application was made to New Ha- ven, and they sent us a man named Herrick, and after preaching three Sabbaths, he came to me and said that he come for the purpose of uniting us ; that he believed there were good people in all denominations. He was going to be very liberal, and have in us all united, and we would be a happy people. Said I : " If we settle you, are you going to exchange with the neighboring ministers, as our Rev. Dr. Puffer used to do." "O ! No !" said he, " I can't do that," "Why not? " said I. "Why !" said he, " if I do they will turn me out of the Association." "Ah!" said I, "you
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are bound with Sampson's green withes, are you? If I be- lieved as you have expressed yourself to me, I would strip off those green withes, and throw them to the four winds. I would come out free and do what was right if the Heavens should fall."
That was a wet blanket for him ; he preached one Sabbath more, and then set his face toward New Haven, and I have not seen him since.
We next employed a man by the name of Henry Adams. He gave very good satisfaction. He appeared to be a pleasant man, and apparently would make a good townsman and citizen, and seemed to be very generally approved. To settle him there must be a process of formal uniting. A Parish meeting was called to consider the mode of uniting. There seemed no legal mode of uniting except by signing the book of membership of the Unitarian Parish, and that could not be properly done except in open Parish meeting, or at the office of the Parish Clerk. I knew of nothing im- proper being done at the time, but have since learned that the book was taken from the Parish Clerk's office by some member or members of the returning parish and carried around through the town, and recruits drummed up and pledges made that if a tax should be levied, their taxes should be paid for them, if they would sign the book and come forward and vote. Not content with what they could find in the town, they carried the book out of town. I did not know the fact at the time; if I had have known it I I should have acted differently. There was another fact I will here state. The two Committees met at the house of Mr. Bride to make preparations for the installation of Mr. Adams. While so met, my uncle observed : "The fact is I have changed my principles, I am willing to own I have changed my principles." I was astonished, poor old man, he had long defended his faith. For many years he and his
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