USA > Maine > Knox County > Warren > Annals of the town of Warren; with the Early History of St. George's, Broad Bay and the Neighboring Settlements on the Waldo patent > Part 33
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from the obstacles thrown in his way by ministers of the stricter faith in some of the neighboring towns, who, abstaining from clerical intercourse with him, frequently preached and made converts in his parish. The number of these gradually in- creased, and on the 5th February, 1828, an ecclesiastical council, at their request, assembled at the house of William McLellan to consider the expediency of forming a second Congregational church in the place. A committee being sent to apprise the Rev. Mr. Huse of the measure proposed, and inquire if he had any objections, received an answer in writing, as follows ; " Gentlemen, in answer," &c. " I would observe Ist. that I think the formation of such a church would be productive of evil consequences, which you are capable of anticipating. 2d. I conceive it possible, that, in process of time, such arrangements may be made as shall be satisfactory to those professors of religion who have requested advice of council, without the formation of such a church."
Upon this, the council voted to adjourn for three weeks, to see if any such arrangements could be made, and expressed their unanimous opinion that, in case they could not, a new church ought to be formed. Mr. Huse had been led to believe some plan of union might be agreed upon, from an offer, which Mr. Mclellan was said to have made, to give him $1000 if he would resign his pastoral charge and leave the pulpit to a successor. Thinking the offer a liberal one, he proposed, through a friend, that, on receiving conditional secu- rity for that sum, he would, with the consent of his church and society, accept the offer. In answer, on the 12th, a writ- ten communication was made to Mr. Huse, in behalf of Mr. M. and his associates, stating in substance " that if you will resign the pastoral office, and your society will unite with us in settling such a minister as the Lincoln Association shall ap- prove, then we will unite with them in giving you $1000." This proposition met with no favor, as, though many were disposed to sacrifice much for the sake of a prosperous and harmonious society, they could not think of voluntarily sub- jecting themselves to the spiritual guardianship of any body of men, whatever. On the re-assembling of the council, therefore, a communication was received from Mr. Huse, stating the evils which he apprehended from the formation of another church, and that, in view of the proposition which had been made, he, and those whom he had consulted, thought that nothing farther need be done. The council declared their regret that no arrangement had been entered into, and that a different proposition had not been submitted to Mr.
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Huse ; but were " persuaded that no proposition which could have been conscientiously made, would have secured that union in the establishment of an evangelical ministry, which we devoutly and ardently desire." The council therefore proceeded on the 27th of February, to organize a church consisting of thirteen male, and ten female members. On the 15th March, Jesse Page was chosen the first deacon, and John Cutting, clerk ; and on the 20th of the same month it was voted " by divine assistance to maintain public worship the ensuing year, by getting what assistance we can from others and supplying the deficiency by a tax on ourselves." On the 17th May, 1828, the articles of faith and covenant then generally used in the Kennebec churches, with the ex- ception of the 8th article, for which the 10th in the Waldo- boro' creed was substituted, were adopted, and have since been printed.
On the 3d of May, a committee was chosen to confer with Rev. J. Huse, his church and society, respecting a reunion, This overture led to a large meeting of persons from both societies at the house of Dr. E. Buxton, to consider the sub- ject. The meeting was cordial and harmonious in favor of a union, and agreed that the best mode of effecting it, was, for all to become members of the old society, and, under its or- ganization as a town parish, to take such measures for sup- plying the pulpit as the united society should think proper. Some weeks after, informal information was communicated, that the new church did not think it safe to adopt the measure recommended, and had determined to form a separate relig- ious society. Accordingly, a meeting, called at the request of 29 persons, was held on the 4th Sept. 1828, when the per- sons present formed themselves into a religious society, to be known by the name of the 2d Congregational Parish in War- ren. A call to the Rev. Nathaniel Chapman of Bristol, to become their pastor for five years, having been declined, a similar one was given, Aug. 22d, 1829, to Rev. Samuel Stone of N. Yarmouth, who was installed Dec. 2d, with a salary of $400.
The formation of a second Congreg. parish and the pros- perous condition of the Baptist society, with its new meeting- house and bell, occasioned many withdrawals from the town parish ; and an apprehension began to be entertained by the remainder, that, reduced by farther secessions, they would soon find the payment of their minister's salary, small as it was, a burden too great for their reduced numbers. Lest this apprehension should hasten such an event, it was, April
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5, 1830, voted, " that A. H. Hodgman, S. Thatcher, and C. Eaton, be a committee to investigate the subject of the Rev. J. Huse's settlement, and put such articles in the warrant for a meeting at the time to which this shall be adjourned, as shall bring the whole subject before the town." At a subse- quent meeting, April 17th, a letter was received from Rev. Mr. Huse, which, after recounting the terms of his settle- ment, concluded as follows : -
" As it is apprehended by some, that the whole town col- lectively may be liable to be called upon to fulfil this con- tract, and as some of the first Cong. Society may fear that in consequence of the reduction of their number and the pres- sure of the times, the payment of my full salary will be burdensome to them -1 hereby declare my consent that the original contract should be rescinded ; provided said society shall deem it expedient under existing circumstances, and will make such provision for me as they shall consider them- selves able and disposed to grant.
" You are sensible, Gentlemen and Friends, that my nominal salary has always been comparatively small, and it would for many years, under the depreciated value of money, have been quite inadequate to my support, without the strictest economy on my part, the many gratuities of your now de- ceased parents (of grateful memory,) and the kind assistance from many of you.
" You will readily perceive that in my consenting to the ab- rogation of the original contract, I repose much confidence in you as inheriting the virtues of your fathers. The Master whom I serve has told me, the laborer is worthy of his hire, yet I would not be greedy of filthy lucre, nor be burdensome unto you, lest I should hinder the Gospel of Christ.
" Although I may lawfully desire and seek a comfortable support for myself and family, I would always wish my preaching and my practice should correspond by guarding against extreme anxiety for the morrow, fully believing that the same God who provideth for the raven and the sparrow, will care for me and mine.
" Having resided in town for a long time, and labored with you and with your fathers in the work of the ministry for more than thirty-four years, - Having been with you in circumstances of prosperity and adversity, and participated in your joys and sorrows, - Having had daily remembrance of you in my prayers to God, and received your kind attention in seasons of affliction, you will readily conclude I must naturally care for you. And believe me sincere when I
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commend you all unto God and the word of his grace, who is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among them who are sanctified.
" Your sincere friend and servant in the Lord,
" Warren, April 17, 1830." " Jonathan Huse."
It was thereupon voted "to accept the Rev. J. Huse's proposition to rescind the contract of the town with him as their minister, and in consideration thereof, to raise the sum of $250 for his support and incidental charges the coming year," at the same time allowing of his absence, if wished, for a time proportionate to the difference between that and his former salary.
On the 16th of Oct. 1830, in consequence of Mr. Stone's ill health, the contract between him and his society was also dissolved by mutual consent ; and the following spring, re- newed attempts were made to unite the two societies for the purpose of religious worship. Committees of conference were chosen, various propositions made, and some of them temporarily agreed to, but, from mutual jealousy, all finally failed. On the 23d of April a committee was appointed to settle and pay up all arrearages due Mr. Huse ; and the sum of $166,66 was voted to be raised for that purpose. A farther sum of $250 was voted for the support of the gospel that year, and a committee appointed to confer with the other parish and report a plan for expending the same. This referred to a proposition of a committee of conference, that, as an experiment to see how far the two societies could unite, both should, for one year, worship in one house, and each supply the pulpit during one half of that time. This plan having been rejected by the second society, the vote for raising the last named sum was, May 14th, reconsidered, the sum of $125 voted to retain Mr. Huse's services for six months, and a committee appointed to report at a future meeting a plan for supplying the pulpit after that time. Rev. Jacob C. Goss was invited, May 28th, 1831, to become the minister of the 2d Society on a salary of $450, but declined the offer, though continuing to preach for a time.
There being now no prospect of a union, it became a serious question in the old society what was to be done in the present posture of affairs. The church in general, and a portion of the society, were willing to acquiesce in the present state of things, provided it could continue. Some were inclined to join the new society, either on the ground of expediency, or from the predilections of a portion of their families. Others were of opinion that a bolder style of
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preaching, addressed alike to the undestanding and the heart, graced by the taste and eloquence of a young and accom- plished preacher, might attract hearers from its novelty, awaken the attention of the young, and give a new impulse to the society. To aid in an experiment of this kind, a sum was raised by subscription, and placed in the hands of the parish committee, who, after consulting with Rev. Mr. Huse, obtained the services of the Rev. Wm. L. Wiswall. This gentleman's discourses, Unitarian in doctrine, but insisting more on purity of life than correctness of creed, were taste- ful and powerful, awakening a new religious interest, and greatly increasing the number of worshippers. But it was still the old society, worshipping in the old meeting-house, and connected with old associations ; laboring, moreover, under an apparent want of cordiality on the part of the church and its pastor, and doubtful of its ability to sustain its new posi- tion. Having now become a small minority of the town, and finding it difficult to manage its affairs, mixed up as they necessarily were with those of the town, it was voted, April 9th, 1832, " that the first or town parish will take the form of, and organize themselves into, a poll parish, provided, by so doing they shall retain the rights and immunities which said first or town parish has been heretofore or is now en- titled to, and provided said poll parish so formed shall take the name of the 1st Congregational Society in the town of Warren." Under the new organization, $150 was raised by assessment. and, with the exception of a few dollars. paid to the Rev. Messrs. Wiswall and Goldsborough, who preached during the summer and autumn of 1832. Rev. Mr. Huse. who was for a time employed as a missionary in destitute places, continued for some time to hold occasional meetings. particularly at Oyster river. In 1833 and '34, no other preacher being employed, few meetings were held, many worshipping in the other society. and others contracting habits of dispensing with public worship. In the fall of 1834, a new impulse was given, by encouragement informally re- ceived. of obtaining aid from the Mass. Missionary Society, and $200 was promptly subscribed in the hope of sustaining public worship through the year ; but this hope was blighted by an unfortunate mistake in the employment of a clergy- man erroneously supposed to have been sent from that society ; the expected assistance was refused ; and no farther efforts were made.
Mr. Huse occasionally preached, and administered the sac- rament to the church, of which he is still the nominal pastor.
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His last meeting on record was held June 16, 1839, when two new members were admitted. £ Of all the members of the Association to which he belonged, Mr. Huse was the last to retire from the ministry, and is the oldest surviving mem- ber. His Church nominally subsists ; though its numbers are diminishing by death and removals. Since its formation, 47 have owned the covenant, 58 been admitted to full com- munion, besides the branch in Union, which consisted of Rev. Mr. True and eight others, who were received from the church in that town in 1823 and 4. The whole number of baptisms during his ministry is 306; the number of ordina- tions at which he was called to assist, 8 ; councils for the dismission of ministers, 3; and marriages solemnized by him, 195. His first baptism was that of William, son of Ichabod Frost ; the first funeral he attended, that of Boice Cooper ; the first marriage he performed, that of Alexander Lermond and Mary Andrews; and the first ordination he assisted in, was that of Rev. Mr. Riddel of Bristol. The house, prepared with so much alacrity at his advent, like the pastor, changed not with the changing fashion, and saw, un- moved, the more ambitious structures rising in its neighbor-
hood. At length, deserted and dilapidated, its windows broken by unruly urchins and affording free passage to the bat and the swallow, it was sold to J. L. Mallett, and removed to the present Rockland, where, converted to other uses, it is scarcely recognized.
We now return to the 2d society. This had hitherto held its meetings, chiefly, in the Court-house, but measures were now taken to build a meeting-house. After different sites and plans were examined, it was decided in June, 1831, to locate the house where it now stands, and to give Wm. Hovey $200 for half an acre of land for that purpose. The house, which seems to have cost $350 more than the pews sold for, was dedicated Jan. 16, 1833, when a sermon was preached by Rev. D. M. Mitchell of Waldoboro'. On the 9th of March, 1833, by a united vote of the church and society, Rev. Edward F. Cutter of Portland was invited to become their pastor with a salary of $500. This invitation was accepted ; and, May 8th, the ordination took place. On this occasion, the sermon was preached by Rev. Bennet Tyler, D. D. then of Portland. In consequence of ill health, Mr. Cutter was absent through the summer and autumn of 1834, and his place supplied by Rev. Messrs. Powers and Jackson. On his return, his popularity and usefulness increased with the increased prosperity of the church and society for some years.
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He was particularly active in the cause of temperance, which had now made such progress, that the church voted, Nov. 6, 1837, " that every person becoming connected with this church will be expected to sign the temperance pledge, and its violation regarded as a subject of discipline." The pledge adopted, extended to strong beer and wine as well as distilled spirits.
But the pastor's zeal in this cause, perhaps, with other trivial circumstances, was, after a time, allowed to mar the harmony which had thus far prevailed. After witnessing the efforts of Rev. Mr. Ilsley for the Baptists about the same time, and of the Methodists, who a little later held stirring meetings in different parts of the town, several members of Mr. Cutter's church, charmed by the en- thusiasm manifested, and recollecting their own success on former occasions, encouraged, at their protracted meetings, ex- hortations by females and other means of excitement, which Mr. Cutter discountenanced as irregular and contrary to Con- gregational usage. A want of cordiality upon these and per- haps other points, seems to have arisen between a few mem- bers of the church and the pastor, with whom the remainder coincided. Some private scandal and ill feeling were mixed up with these matters, which finally induced Mr. Cutter, March 26, 1844, to tender his resignation, and request the church to unite with him in calling a council for advice in the present situation of affairs. Upon this, the church voted, 22 to 3, not to accept the resignation, and, 26 to 2, to refer the matter to a council, the number of members present being 29. The council, chosen one half by the church and the other by the pastor, assembled April 11, 1844, and, after read- ing a statement from Mr. C. of his labors, successes, and dis- couragements, his own views of present difficulties, and cer- tain letters formerly communicated by him to the church, concerning his own and their duties, called upon the disaffect- ed members to state the causes of their dissatisfaction with their pastor. Three brethren expressed their views at length, " that their pastor had been wanting as to the amount of his pastoral labor, that he had pursued a course suited to discour- age meetings for prayer, and that he had been accustomed to make remarks in church meetings calculated to grieve the Spirit." These views the counsel considered limited to a few, and wholly unfounded. It also decided that a pastor must exercise his own judgment in respect to pastoral visiting and extra meetings, and in church meetings resist all irregularities in manner, and correct all mis-statements in doctrine and exhortation ; that no member can rightfully dictate to him in
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these respects, nor consistently meet with other denominations, nor engraft upon Congregationalism, usages and modes for- eign to its spirit. This result, sustaining the pastor in all his positions, was publicly read the ensuing Sabbath, by Rev. R. Woodhull of Thomaston, who earnestly exhorted all parties to acquiesce, and cordially unite as formerly in promoting the cause of religion in the place.
But the wound was not to be so easily healed ; the cool- ness of the disaffected continued, and April 5th, 1845, Mr. Cutter presented a request for his dismission, and the calling of a council for the purpose. On the 14th of the same month, he communicated to the society his intention of re- signing his pastoral charge, and requested that the contract between him and the society be dissolved at the end of the parochial year. Upon this, a large committee was appointed to see if, by leave of absence for recruiting his health or other arrangement, Mr. C. could be induced to change his determination. In consequence of this conference, it was agreed, " that the Rev. Mr. Cutter should continue his ser- vices, with liberty of being absent for recovery of his health three months that year and four Sabbaths cach subsequent year, with a salary of $600, the conditions to cease at the option of either party. The year having passed away, April 13, 1846, the question of raising a salary of $600, was put and decided in the negative, 11 to one. It was then voted to raise the sum of $500, provided Mr. Cutter would accept the same. This offer was kindly but decidedly declined, not indeed on account of the insufficient sum, but because he saw little encouragement to hope that his longer continuance would be advantageous to the society, and because, by the sale of the house* in which he had resided, he had been obliged to break up his family and had no prospect of ob- taining suitable accommodation for them here. The follow- ing vote was then passed; "voted that, however much this society regret to have said contraet reseinded, they do not feel at liberty to refuse a request so decidedly made, and hereby agree that said contract be ended at the expiration of the parochial year, according to the request contained in said letter." The church acquiesced in this decision, and united with Mr. C. in calling a council for advice in the matter. This council, May 12, 1846, decided that under the circum- stances, it was advisable that the relation between Mr. C. and
* This belonged to Dea. Page, and was unexpectedly sold to J. Payson.
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the church be dissolved ; at the same time, they expressed their " entire confidence in Rev. Mr. Cutter as an able and faithful minister, and hoped the church and society might soon obtain another pastor who should preach the Gospel as ably, plainly, affectionately, and successfully."
In April, 1847, after an interval in which there had been but occasional preaching, it was voted to raise $500 for the support of the Gospel, and have the pulpit constantly sup- plied. The Rev. Franklin Davis was employed, and, being unwilling longer to continue in an unsettled state, was, by a united vote of the church and society, ordained Oct. 6, 1847; when a sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Pond of Bangor. Mr. Davis, not having been sufficiently encouraged, in March, 1849, requested a dismission, which was obtained by the intervention of a council. At the annual meeting in April, it was voted to raise $500 by subscription, and authorize the committee chosen for that purpose, to contract with the Rev. Nathaniel Chapman to supply the pulpit six months or a year, as they could best agree. This was done, and his ministry still continues.
In this church, down to 1849, the whole number of mem- bers had been 171, of whom 18 had died, 29 been dismissed to other churches, and one excommunicated for misconduct, leaving the number at that time in the church, 123 .*
Within the last ten or fifteen years, additions have been made to the Methodist denomination, and, once or twice, a preacher of that order has been assigned for a portion of the year to this town ; but, as we are not aware that any separate church or society has been organized, we are unable to give particulars.
* Rec. of 1st and 2d Cong. Ch. and Societies. Town Records, &c.
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CHAPTER XX.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TWO PRECEDING CHAP- TERS, FROM 1820 TO 1850.
AMONG the benevolent and other societies formed in the place between 1820 and 1850, one for the relief of the Greeks was constituted February 10th, 1827, and contributed between $100 and $200 for the purchase of provisions sent from Boston under the care of Dr. Howe. The first Bible Society in the town was organized August 31st, 1825, and its claims frequently presented, particularly by Rev. J. Huse, as one in which all sects and parties could unite. At a still ear- lier period, under the auspices of the same clergyman in con- nexion with Messrs. Fuller and Whiting, a Sunday school society subsisted several years ; but about 1831 separate schools were formed in each denomination. The first lyceum or debating society was established in 1827 or '8, and, embrac- ing most of the liberally educated, professional, and other in- quiring men, continued to flourish for some years, and occa- sionally attract large audiences. The interest in this having subsided, another was got up in 1840, for the purpose, in addi- tion to its other advantages, of furnishing its members with the principal periodicals of the day. The young men's lyceum was formed about the same time, and the mechanics' association in 1842. Among the subjects discussed by these societies, or by itinerant lecturers, phrenology carly, and mes- merism more recently, attracted attention ; whilst the spirit- ual knockings so rife in some places now, have not yet come to disturb our quiet population.
The first temperance society in this town was organized in 1828. From the preceding pages, and the table of licenses appended, it will be seen that the use of ardent spirits has been coeval with the settlement of this river. For many years, however, they were used only on extraordinary occa- sions either of fatigue or conviviality. Regarded as a mark of hospitality, their use extended with the increase of pros- perity, and, at the close of the last century, had become al- most universal. The evils of intemperance were scen and deprecated ; excessive drinking was denounced from the pul- pit ; but moderate drinking was everywhere practised, and everywhere commended. A tavern, or store of goods, with- out ardent spirits, would have been ridiculed as an absurdity.
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