USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Pittsfield > Pittsfield, Mass., church and other records from manuscripts copied by Rollin Hillyer Cooke, Vol. II > Part 13
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P. 253
That the Church earnestly and affectionately en- treat their erring brother to return to them, to con- fess his wrong doings and to promise and practice future amendments, and appropriate christian character, and that in case he refuses and does not make satisfaction to the church by the second Wednesday in August proximo. this vote shall take effect and the said Willis shall be and hereby is excommunicated from the church. Voted that the within mentioned report be recommitted to the same committee for further action and to report at the adjourned meeting to be holden on the second Wednesday of August next.
Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church.
Aug. 10. Church met according to adjournment.
Dea. F. A. Pease in the chair.
The committee previously raised on the case of Mr. Oliver Brown, Mr. Allen Booth, Mrs. Eliza Bailey not being present to report, the meeting adjourned to the second day of Sept. next.
Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church.
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P. 254 Sept. 2. At a regular adjourned meeting of the first Congregational Church, the Pastor being called away on professional duties, the Rev. Dr. Humphrey acted as Moderator. On resuming the consideration of the case of Frederick A. Willis, with whom through its com- mittee the church has for a long time been laboring, to recover him from his neglect of christian duty, in absenting himself from public worship, from the commun- ion Table, and other unchristian walks, and his refus- ing to hear the church, or regard the most kind and faithful admonitions of his Brethren, and after having given him full notice, therefore
Voted, unanimously, that Frederick A. Willis, shall be, and hereby is, excluded from this church, and excom- municated from her communion.
Voted, unanimously, that the Pastor of the Church be requested to announce this vote publicly from the Pul- pit.
Voted, unanimously, that the other cases of discipline before the church be left in the hands of the committee, for further action, in hope that the individuals may return to duty, and to a christian walk.
Voted to adjourn to the close of the nest preparatory lecture, previous to our next communion season.
Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church.
1853
P. 255
Nov . 4. At a regular adjourned meeting of the first Cong. Church held at the lecture room this day, the Rev. Dr. Tood in the chair.
The Committee previously raised on the case of Mr. Oliver Brown, - Mr . Allen Booth and Mrs. Eliza Bailey having read their report, which report was accepted by the meeting.
Voted that the clerk be directed to direct the follow- ing vote to each of the above mentioned individuals. Voted unanimously that we feel deeply grieved that these our Brothers and Sister refuse to give heed to our admonitions and efforts to reclaim and to bring them back to the House of God and the table of Christ from both of which they have so long absented them- selves; that we feel that they have greatly dishonored our Saviour by so doing; that we feel that we have waited upon them and labored with them till there seems
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to be little hope; yet, we will 'still wait for their return to us by contrition before God, and confession of their sins before men, till the preparatory lecture preceding the next communion but that, if they do not, by that time, give evidence of penitence by meeting us in the way of confessing their past delinquencies, they will then be and are, by this vote excluded from this church.
P. 256
Voted to adjourn to meet at the close of the preparato- ry lecture to be holden previous to the next communion season of this church.
A true copy.
W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church
Dec. 20. At a meeting of the first Congregational Church regularly warned and held this day at the lecture
room. Rev. Dr. Todd in the chair.
The committee previously raised on the case of Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin being present were called upon and reported as follows:
Your committee have attended to the duty assigned them, have carefully examined affidavits and other papers deeply implicating the moral and religious character of Mrs. Martha Baldwin, which have forced upon us the painful conviction, that as the matter now stands, her request for a letter cannot be granted, consistently with the honor and duty of the church, and a sacred re- gard to the cause of pure and undefiled religion in this community.
We therefore recommend the adoption of the following preamble and votes.
Whereas Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin, a member of this church has applied for a letter of dismission and recommenda- tion'in the usual form, and
P. 257 Whereas she stands charged in various documents and affidavits, with conduct and familiarities, trenching upon the seventh commandment, and deeply staining her moral and religious character, therefore
i Voted unanimously that her request for a letter cannot be granted, while these charges lie against her, or till acknowledging the scandal which she has brought
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upon the church and the cause of Christ, or makes such a confession as the church can consistently with its solemn convenant engagements accept .
Voted unanimously that a certified copy of the above vote and preamble be forwarded to Mrs. Martha N. Bald- win by the clerk.
Voted unanimously that the following expression of the Church be entered upon its records, and a copy thereof sent to Mrs. Baldwin.
P. 258
You will see by the preamble and vote herewith communicated that the church cannot grant you a letter of recommendation and dismission as a member in good standing with us, from which follows, that the Church has a plain disciplinary duty to perform towards you, you stand charged with having written a certain letter to Nathaniel S. Dodge such as no woman could write to a man without putting herself wholly in his power, in which you style him your husband and yourself his wife and throughout carrying on the face of it, the strongest circumstantial evidence of criminal inter- course between you. An attested copy of this letter is before us, with ample written testimony, that it is your hand writing besides which we have your own acknowledgment in a letter written to your husband after your position that you first denied it to him and then confessed it. (Crossed in original record ) R. H. C.
You stand charged with having received the visits of the said Dodge in your chamber, sometimes two or three times in a day and evening, while you boarded at Mrs. Cooley's and commonly when your husband was away, and that one evening when he was out of town, and Mr. Dodge was with you in the chamber your door was found locked, and it was nearly an hour after that, before he came downstairs and left the house.
You stand charged in several affidavits with having been visited by Mr. Dodge almost every day, and often two or three times a day after you moved into your own house, and generally as before in the absence of your husband . It is testified that Mr. Dodge was seen re- peatedly climbing over the high stockade fence in the rear of your house on Fenn St. and entering the house from that quarter instead of in front as was most con- venient and natural. And your domestics, having their suspicions excited by his repeated visits testify that
Д.
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P. 259 they had noticed during that time what they believed to be signals from certain windows to Mr. Dodge, that Mr. Baldwin had gone out, and that very soon Mr. Dodge would appear and enter the house.
This is but an abstract of the testimony on which the church feel bound to proceed against you. It is the right of the accused in case of discipline, to ap- pear before the church and meet the charges whatever they may be, and when they can bring anything to re- but the evidence it is proper they should, but in this case the church cannot see what possible advantage you could gain by a hearing in the premises. The utmost you could do would be to deny the facts, which would be of no avail unless you could impeach the witnesses. As far as the Church can see, you are shut up to one course, and that is to make a full and humble con- fession of the guilt which you have brought upon your own soul, and of the reproach which you have brought upon the cause of Christ, and by so doing make all the amends in your power for the occasion you have given the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.
P. 260
This acting for the honor of Christ under his authori- ty, and in fulfilment of our covenant angagements to you we as a church of Christ solemnly admonish you to do, praying that God will give you repentance unto salvation, and warning you that so far as we can dis- cover the path of duty, nothing short of such a full and satisfactory confession as we have indicated above will excuse us from the painful alternative of cutting you off the Church.
Voted, unanimously, that whereas Nathaniel Dodge, a member of this church stands charged with a long course of scandalour intimacies with another man's wife.
Whereas the circumstantial evidence before the church is so full cumulative as to leave scarcely the shadow of a doubt of his having in that intercourse been guilty of violating the seventh commandment, by which he has brought great reproach upon the church and the cause of religion in this community.
Whereas he has left the country so that the ordinary steps of discipline cannot be taken with him.
..
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Whereas if he were here, the charges and proofs are such that he could neither explain them away now rebut them by any counter testimony.
Whereas public scandal has already rested too long upon the Church for not putting him out of her communion, and there is no reasonable prospect of ever reaching him by taking the steps prescribed, when it can be done, therefore,
Voted unanimously, Ist, that the said Nathaniel S. Dodge be and he is hereby indefinitely suspended from all church ordinances and privileges.
P. 261
Voted unanimously, 2nd, that the clerk of the church be directed to transmit by letter a certified copy of these doings to Mr. Dodge, if his address can be obtained, and request his prompt acknowledgment of the receipt of the same .
Voted unanimously, 3rd, that if he does not within six months appear before the church to answer to the afore- mentioned charges, or transmit in writing a satisfactory confession to the church he shall then by virtue of this act be finally excommunicated.
Voted that this meeting be now dissolved.
A true copy - Attest
W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church 1853
P. 262 Dec. 30. At a regular adjourned meeting of the first Congregational Church held at the lecture room, the Pastor being absent on professional duties, the Rev. Dr. Humphrey was called to the chair.
The minutes of the last meeting having been read by the Clerk, Mr. Allen Booth, one of the cases of church dis- cipline in the hands of the committee appeared before the church, and made a verbal confession and the follow- ing action was taken.
Whereas Mr. Allen Booth has appeared before the church and made a confession of his unchristian life and breach of covenant engagements, and promised a reformation, and is ready to make such a confession before the church as may be required of him, therefore
Voted unanimously that the case of Mr. Allen Booth be deferred for further action until the next church meet- ing to be holden at our next preparatory lecture preced -
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ing the next communion of this church.
Mr. Oliver Brown and Mrs. Eliza Bailey, the other cases of church discipline having been duly notified of the action taken at the last meeting requiring them to ap- pear before the church in answer to certain charges made against them, did not appear in answer to the charges nor in the way of confession, therefore, they are by virtue of an act unanimously passed by this church Nov. 4, 1853, excluded from this church.
P. 263
Voted to adjourn to meet at the close of the preparato- ry lecture to be holden previous to the next communion Season of this church.
Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church 1854
March 3. Church met according to adjournment. The Pastor read a communication from Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin embracing a protest and confession which was laid upon
the table. After some discussion G. C. Burnap, Walter Laflin & F. W. Pease were appointed a committee to ex- amine the communication from Mrs. Baldwin and to recom- mend a course of action for the church to take in the matter, and to report at an adjourned meeting.
On motion walter Tracy and H. G. Davis were appointed a committee in the case of Allen Booth and that they have further conversation with him.
Voted to adjourn to meet at this place two weeks from today at 2 o'clock P.I.
Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church
P. 264 At a regular adjourned meeting of the first Congregation- al Church held at the lecture room this 17th day of March 1854. The Rev. Dr. Todd in the chair.
It being suggested to the church that perhaps in their treatment of Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin's case, their pro- ceedings undersignedly unintentionally had not been in so strict order as they might have been, therefore the following paper was laid before the church to prevent any possible objections on this score.
To the First Congregational Parish of Pittsfield.
Dear Brethren:
Whereas on the application of Mrs. Martha N.
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Baldwin for a letter of dismission and recommendation to a Cong. Church in New Haven. - The Church raised a committee and whereas it may be thought that in so do- ing the church acted irregularly, though not intending so do to, therefore we, members of said Church do here- by charge Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin with scandalous and unchristian conduct, which involved the violation of her marriage vows, in her intercourse with one Nathaniel S. Dodge and especially as evidenced by her writing a letter to said Dodge, a copy of which is now before the church.
Signed - H. G. Davis Walter Laflin G. C. Burnap
The committee appointed by the First Church in Pitts- field on the 3rd day of March 1854 to take into con- sideration the communication of Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin to this Church, embracing her protest against the course pursued toward her by the church, and her con- fession to the church, respectfully report
That after careful & earnest xamination of the whole subject & after freely & fully advising with ministers of the gospel in whose good judgment they have the utmost confidence, they feel compelled to conclude that the confession of Mrs. Baldwin is not such as this church ought to receive as satisfactory in her case, and for the reasons following, viz:
First, the confession does not cover the sentiment of the letter written by her to Nathaniel S. Dodge in which she refers to their proposed journey to Anapolis, in which letter she styles herself his "most devoted wife"! - addresses him as her "husband and only love", and uses other expressions, which indicate a violation, and utter disregard of her marriage vows.
2nd . In her letter to Dr. Todd of Oct. 16th, 1852 she limits her admission of an exchange of notes with Mr. Dodge to those "on topics in relation to books she loaned & kindred subjects" while She totally denies having written the letter above referred to. In
her confession she says "I confess that not only in conversation with him (Dodge) but also in the exchange of familiar written communications, there were ex- pressions which I never ought to have allowed and which I now remember with shame and sorrow". If she intends
P. 265
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P. 266
this confession to cover the letter above referred to she ought specifically to acknowledge it, and to con- fess the falsehood of her former denial of it. If she intends to refer merely to other notes, there is still an implication of previous falsehood, in having denied that notes of an objectionable character have been ex- changed with him. The confession is carefully worded, and while we may not assume to judge the motions of the heart, it carries under all the circumstances, the appearance of disingenuousness & insincerity.
" The Committee see no sufficient reason for the protest presented by Mrs. Baldwin inasmuch as the church by . its action of 20th Dec. 1853, and in the letter then adopted & sent to her, fully and distinctly recognize her right to appear before the church and meet the charges made against her; the suggestion to her of another course, being only advisory & in no way, in intent or act, barring her right to a full hearing in the case and if in the action of the church there is the appearance of irregularity, or of a prejudging of the case, the church utterly disclaim any such intention, & feel conscious that all that they said, in said letter, was meant in kindness to Mrs. Baldwin. The Committee further recommend that this church inform Mrs. Baldwin that they cannot receive her confession as sufficient & satisfactory & that they furnish her with a statement of the charges made against her, notifying her of their readiness to give her full opportunity to defend herself against such charges, and for that purpose citing her to appear before them at a time & place fixed for the hear- ing & defense.
Signed - G. C. Burnap Walter Laflin Franklin W. Pease
Voted that the following expression of the church be entered upon its records, & a copy thereof sent to Mrs. Baldwin.
P. 267
The first church in Pittsfield have received your letter of Feb. 25th, containing your protest against the action of the church by their letter to you of 20th Dec. 1853, and also what you call your "free confession of the sin of which you are conscious."
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After a careful & earnest examination of the case, the Church are compelled to say that your confession is not satisfactory, when taken in connection with your previous written denials, the subject of matter con- tained in the charges made against you in our letter of Dec. 23, 1850, and inasmuch as you do not in your confession refer specifically to the most important of those charges, and thus leave the church in doubt whether you intend that your confession shall or shall not embrace these offences charged.
1
The church would further say to you that we see no occasion for the protest which you make against its proceedings as presented in our letter of 28th Dec. 1853 inasmuch as in that letter we fully and distinct- ly admit your right to appear before the church in your defence and if we admit that the suggestions to you of a different course were not strictly regular, yet those suggestions were merely advisory & could not bar your right, previously admitted to appear be- fore the church in your defense, and if in the action of the church there is the appearance of irregularity or of prejudging the case, the church utterly disclaim any such intentions & feel conscious that all that they said, in said letter was meant in kindness to you. That you may avail yourself of such right we now state to you the charge that is made against your christian character, viz: That while you resided in Pittsfield & were a member of this church you were guilty of scandalous & unchristian conduct involving a violation of your marriage vows & obligations as evidenced in your improper intimacy with one Nathaniel S. Dodge and especially as indicated by the following letter written by you to him.
P. 268
"Tuesday morning 11 o'clock
"Did I not know you would be disappointed should you receive no note I should not write you dearest; for really my minutes are every one needed for my child- ren; but with double diligence will I work for them & give you my only love a few brief moments. Do you know dearest I have not one work of yours to comfort me? Before going out this morning I threw the last note in the fire and now I fear I am to be interrupted
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as my peaches have come & I have promised to assist Mrs. McKay by paring them. Darling, what a school of self control will our journey be to us ! how necessary yet how next to impossible!
52 o'clock P. M. Could you see me now denrest, I know you would say, dear wife don't write, you really seem too weary. I am indeed very weary, still I may not see you alone this evening, & I would not have you leave with a sad heart, after I have been loving you with all my soul, as I have this day.
The peaches demanded my instant attention, and from the time I left writing this morning till 4 o'clock (with the exception of the time spent at din- ner, & the half hour afterward while in his absence I waited for you) I have been occupied in passing them, and now I have backache, headache, all sorts of aches, except an aching heart. Thank God that today
P. 269 I have not. He went down to see Mrs. Dodge after dinner & learned you had gone to Lenox. Oh darling
1 in these absences, do you love me as I love you? Are you in very deed all truthful to me? Do you know how little I know of you these past few days? Do you know how I am hungering & thirsting for the manna of your daily allowance of affection, such as I used to receive in no stinted measure? Oh darling, you are very dear to me & ever do I pray that you may he all my living, idolizing heart would ask for the object of its intensest affection. I have been think-
ing whether it would not be more to her, for us to leave you at Anapolis, and we return to Baltimore and wait for you. When I spoke of her preparations and asked if George was nearly ready this morning, her countenance assumed such a woe-be-gone expression I could not but feel she might at that time wish to be alone. But that you shall decide darling. He has returned with the children from a drive & I can no longer write, but that I am with all my powers your most devoted wife.
M. T. "
"P.S. All night long will I be true to you and love you only as your own M. T. "
The charge which is brought before the church by our brethren H. S. Davis, Walter Laflin & G. C. Burnap is now presented to you that you may know what is alleged against you, and that you may have full opportunity to meet the charge & prove your innocence, for which purpose we hereby cite you to appear at the Lecture Room
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P. 270 of the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield on Tuesday the 2nd of May at 2 o'clock P. M.
Voted to adjourn to meet at this place May 2nd 1854 at 2 o'clock P.M. .
A true copy Attest W. M. Root, Clerk of the Church. 1854
May 2. Church met at the lecture room according to
ad journment . Rev. Dr. Todd in the chair.
The case of Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin having been called up, and discussed, the following votes were passed, viz:
Whereas in an application of Mrs. Martha N. Baldwin to this church for a letter of dismission and recommenda- tion to another church in which she recognizes the ex- istence of well known reports against her moral & christian character; and
Whereas in order to act on said request understandly the Church appointed a select and impartial committee, at the head of which was the venerated Dr. Humphrey, to investigate these reports, - to report the facts in the case, and advise what course of action the church ought to pursue; and
P. 271
Whereas, this committee, on careful examination, found overwhelming proofs, that Mrs. Baldwin was guilty of a long course of scandalous intimacy with Nathaniel S. Dodge, and of violating her marriage vows; and that these proofs were full, direct and irrefragable, con- sisting of written testimony and affidavits. That she was in the habit of making private signals in her windows, by which Dodge knew when her husband was gone out, and which immediately brought Dodge to her house, sometimes at the usual entrance, and sometimes over a high stock- ade fence in the rear; that she was once at least in the evening, when her husband was out, locked up with said Dodge, in her chamber for an hour; That her viola- tion of her marriage vows is indicated, by writing to Dodge the scandalous note recorded under the doings of this church at their last meeting, and in those charges against her.
The evidences of the fact that she did write this note are
1st. Its internal evidence.
2nd . Her confession that she was in the habit of writing shameful notes to Dodge.
3rd . Affidavits of the man who found the note,
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of the man who copied it, of the man who gave it to Mr. Baldwin the husband of said Martha N. Baldwin of the individuals who saw the original and compared it with her (to them) well known handwriting, and who testify that it was hers, and this is a correct copy.
4th. Her own confessions that her husband showed her a note, read it to her, she took it, and saw the handwriting, and requested him to destroy it.
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