USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Waldoboro > History of old Broad Bay and Waldoboro, Volume 2 > Part 19
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On the whole, this was an important group of leaders, and probably as impressive a group of citizens as could be found in any small Maine town at any time in our history. These men and their followers all had a vested interest in the New Meetinghouse, and when, in 1830, they sought the privilege of holding services in the church when it was not otherwise in use, they innocently precipitated one of the most disgraceful struggles in the history of the Christian Church in the State of Maine.
I have no especial predilection for the details of an ecclesias- tical cat fight, but this struggle was a most illuminating historical episode. It reflected concretely the degree of sectarian prejudice, the bitter religious bigotry, and the social as well as the spiritual temper of those days. As such it furnishes us with a vivid realiza- tion of the strong gales of emotion rising from the unshakable certainties of these times.
In order to understand this struggle, a somewhat more de- tailed story of the origin of the meetinghouse is essential. This seems to have been begun as a project of the English-speaking people of the town, for at a meeting of the "inhabitants" held on November 29, 1819, a report drawn up by Isaac G. Reed advocat- ing the erection of the church was presented and accepted. General Denny McCobb, Dr. John Manning (both later Universalists) and Payne Elwell were appointed as a committee to invite and receive subscriptions. A superintending committee was also appointed con- sisting of Denny McCobb, Charles Samson, and John Manning (all Universalists) to oversee and forward the building of the church. In all these proceedings there was no evidence of sectarian feeling, which points to the possibility that the Universalist Society was a later organization, a reaction perhaps against the solemn Calvinism of the Reverend Mitchell.
At the outset men of liberal sentiments were active and united hand in hand with those of widely different views of religious faith. It was also fully agreed and understood, as appears in the original subscription paper and agreement, "that each subscriber or his assigns, should own said house in proportion to the sum
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severally by them paid," and by the several deeds given by Samuel Morse in 1822, as agent and attorney for the proprietors, Isaac G. Reed, and fifty others10 whose names are mentioned in these deeds, their several pews were conveyed to the several grantees "with right of free passage to, from and around said Meeting-house; and into and from said pew; and in and about the aisles, stairs and passages of said Meeting-house."
It appears then at a glance that the church was not erected by any particular society, body, or class of Christians to conserve any sectarian views, or to accommodate any one sect or denomina- tion more than another. There is no statement in any of the original papers that would lead to such a conclusion. The meetinghouse in fact was owned by forty-four individuals and divided into one hundred and twelve shares. Fifteen of these individuals were of the Orthodox Society and pew owners, holding in all forty shares. Six individuals were friendly to the Orthodox group and owned twelve shares. Twelve of the individuals, members of the Univer- salist Society, owned seventeen shares. The remainder of the pro- prietors and pew owners, representing forty-three shares, were connected with other societies and took no part in the management of the house. By far the largest minority group was the members of the Universalist Society.
Such is the background leading up to the disgraceful Sabbath of April 25, 1830. The members of the Universalist Society having been instrumental in the financing and building of the church, and being pewholders and part owners, desired to use the church on occasion for services at which a Universalist clergyman would be invited to preach. Accordingly they called a meeting of the other proprietors and pew-owners to convene at the church on Saturday, April 3, 1830, mutually to agree what part of the time the meeting- house could be used by them for purposes of religious worship. The meeting was held and their case was stated, but no expression of views could be elicited from the orthodox faction. Accordingly on April 17th they dispatched a letter to the Reverend D. M. Mitchell, the orthodox pastor, informing him of their intent to in- vite Elder Moses McFarland or "some other liberal Gospel Teacher" to preach in the house on the last Sabbath of the month.
This declaration fanned the smoldering embers of bigotry into flame and the Reverend Mitchell replied as follows:
Waldoboro, April 17th, 1830
To Dr. Manning Gen. McCobb &
Mr. Groton
Committee of the "First Universalist Society" in Waldoboro.
Gentlemen, - Your communication dated April 17th., was received this morning. I answer it without delay, that you may have seasonable
10It is of interest to note that nineteen of these names were German.
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notice of the course I intend to pursue, and govern yourselves accord- ingly.
As I have been regularly introduced in to the Pulpit of the New Meeting House (so called) I shall hold possession of it until I am legally dispossessed.
If no special providence should prevent, I shall occupy said Pulpit myself "on the last Sabbath in this month," unless my Parish signify to me their determination to move to some other place of worship.11
I am, Gentlemen Yours D. M. Mitchell
In the face of this discouraging response the Universalists proceeded with their plans. The clergyman invited to preach on the Sunday of April 25th was the Reverend William A. Drew of Augusta. Mr. Drew on accepting the invitation promptly sent to the Reverend Mitchell the following note:
Augusta, April 21, 1830
Rev. D. M. Mitchell, Sir -
Having accepted an invitation from some of the Proprietors of the New Meeting house in Waldoboro, to preach in that house next Sabbath, and being informed that you have expressed an intention of preaching in the same place on that day, I have deemed it proper in order to prevent any misunderstanding or interference between us to address this note to you, - saying that I shall, by divine permission, be at the house of General McCobb on the evening of Saturday next, where I shall be happy to meet and confer with you in order that some arrangement may be mutually made as to the times of day at which our respective services shall commence. Trusting that such an interview may take place, and assuring you that nothing reasonable shall on my part be wanting to an amicable and satisfactory arrangement,
I subscribe myself Yours respectfully William A. Drew
It is doubtful if any degree of deference or courtesy could have prevented the orthodox faction from going to any lengths to check what they regarded as the profanation of the pulpit by an heretic. This was the real issue, even though when stating their case it was put on other grounds, usually the violation of property rights. Determined to defend the church against the heretics, they had been tightening their lines and mapping their strategy for the struggle. A number of meetings had been held for the purpose of consolidating the pewholders against the Universalist minority. At one of these sessions General McCobb had thought it fitting that a copy of the original subscription paper for building the meeting- house should be read. He made a motion to that effect and the paper was handed to Colonel Reed, the moderator. The copy hap-
11The papers in printed form bearing on this controversy are in the possession of Dr. Benj. Kinsell, 2713 Knight St., Dallas, Texas. All details of this episode are drawn from these papers.
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pened to have been made by a justice of the peace in red ink. It is alleged that in order to excite and prejudice his supporters, the Colonel held it up to view and exclaimed in a loud voice: "Gentle- men, look at this paper offered by these men. Here it is, attested in blood." The vote following immediately was against the paper being read. At a previous meeting of the Orthodox, a so-called Prudential Committee had been formed, made up of Isaac G. Reed, Abraham Cole, and George Allen. At the meeting here in qeustion another committee composed of Isaac G. Reed, Joshua Head, and Henry Flagg was appointed for managing the meetinghouse. The two committees shortly united to form a pulpit guard.
At this point we revert to the Reverend William A. Drew. When he reached General McCobb's house on Saturday evening, April 24th, he found awaiting him a note from the Reverend Mitchell objecting to their having an interview at General Mc- Cobb's house and suggesting that they meet at Mr. Mitchell's. Mr. Drew met the appointment promptly together with Dr. Manning and Colonel Miller. He found the Reverend Mitchell surrounded by Colonel Reed, John Bulfinch, Esq., and other members of the Orthodox group. Mr. Drew was cordially received, but all delibera- tions proved futile, and the minority party retired.
Firmly believing in their right to the use of the church for a Sabbath service, minority representatives proceeded to the house the next morning to make their arrangements, but they were not early enough. The documentary record follows:
To their amazement they found the pulpit door guarded by I. G. Reed, Esq., and four others, who represented themselves to be a guard to take care of the pulpit and prevent it from being occupied by any other than Mr. Mitchell during the day, from nine o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock at night. Dr. John Manning and General Denny McCobb moved towards the pulpit and found the door leading thereto filled up by Joshua Head, Esq., a man of well known size, who evidently in a violent temper of mind, said that he was placed there for guarding said pulpit, and that if McCobb or Manning or any of their Satellites .. . should attempt to enter, he should resist them with violence; telling Dr. Manning that he should not go into the pulpit unless he passed over his body, and that if he got into the pulpit, he would pitch him out of it neck and heels. He further said if it was not the Sabbath, he and Manning should have bloody faces!
The pulpit was actually guarded during the whole day and until nine o'clock at night. The record continues:
At the regular hour for Mr. Mitchell's service Dr. Drew entered the church and took a seat with his friend Dr. Brown. When the ortho- dox pastor had finished and dismissed his congregation, Mr. Drew took a stand in front of the pulpit at the communion table and commenced his service to a large and respectable audience, and delivered a chaste, ju-
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dicious and elegant discourse amid interruptions arising from the disor- derly conduct of certain gentlemen. In the afternoon he held a second service amid further interruptions. It is recorded that some of the ortho- dox refused to rise and be uncovered when the Reverend Drew was in the solemnity of prayer. Others of Mr. Mitchell's supporters were in the galleries disturbing and insulting the females and other musicians when in the act of their devotions. Mr. Mitchell declared that he never felt his people so near his heart as he did during this transaction. It is stated to be a fact that Colonel Reed directed the bellman to ring the bell while Mr. Drew was in the act of prayer, which was at least twenty- minutes before the usual time of ringing for Mr. Mitchell's second meet- ing.12
The financial interest in the meetinghouse on the part of members of the Universalist Society from subscriptions and the purchase of pews ranged from the $200.00 investment of General McCobb down to the $26.00 of John Burkett. This represented a total investment of $830.00, a sufficient fraction of the costs of construction to give substance to the desire of the Universalists for an occasional use of the church. They had offered to dispose of their interests at cost, but when the offer was made to Deacon Elwell he took the position that to settle for what they had paid for the pews originally was too much, and furthermore that he as an individual had no power to act.
It is difficult in these times to understand the violent passions that arose from a desire and a claim seemingly so reasonable and just. Social and religious considerations were undoubtedly the prevalent motives, but in a large part the real issue was religious bigotry. A hundred years or more ago in Waldoboro a Universalist or Unitarian was religiously unclean, and there was but one correct church. The Lutherans were never an issue. Their Society was already in an advanced state of decay, but the Universalists did matter, and the other more evangelical sects mattered, and with the rise of the Baptist and Methodist churches in the village the same opposition manifested itself. Methodism especially was held at bay in the outskirts of the town for half a century before secur- ing a toehold in the village. The established church was the correct church both socially and religiously, and its dominance yielded at no point without a struggle.
For a number of weeks following the Sabbath of April 25th there was a quiet period in the affairs of the New Meetinghouse. On the 13th and 14th of May the Reverend Mitchell returned from a visit in Portland and Colonel Reed from a business trip to Wis- casset. In their absence they had seen an advertisement in the Wiscasset papers to the effect that the Reverend J. B. Pitkin would
12 Pamphlet from the Universalist viewpoint entitled: "The New Meeting House (so-called) in Waldoboro, April 26, 1830," in possession of Dr. Benj. Kinsell, Dallas, Texas.
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preach in the New Meetinghouse on the third Sabbath of the month. On Friday before this service Colonel Reed and a number of the leading members of Mr. Mitchell's church held a meeting at Deacon Morse's on Jefferson Street and drew up a bulletin which was dispatched at a late hour in the evening to the Committee of the Universalist Society. There follows an excerpted version of this bulletin:
Gentlemen, - We have seen an advertisement in the two Wiscasset papers etc. ... and have otherwise learned that on that day, you and your associates will attempt to get and retain the occupation of the meet- ing house by force and violence. ... We deem it our duty to warn you against violation of our rights, an infraction of the public peace and the disturbance of religious worship.
The subject of our present controversy is neither religious nor po- litical. It is simply a question of property and the right of occupying it, and the laws of the land have established a tribunal for its ultimate deci- sion. ... We in behalf of said proprietors offer to submit the decision to the Supreme Judicial Court at its next term in this county. ... We also on behalf of those friendly to the Rev. Mr. Mitchell's church and society, propose either to purchase your interest or to sell ours, on terms of per- fect reciprocity, and to give you for the property heretofore claimed by your society, seventy-five percent of the cost of the pews or to accept the same for ours. ..
In behalf of said proprietors, we again inform you, that the Meet- ing-House is in possession of the Rev. Mitchell and his church and so- ciety and will be occupied by them on the next Sabbath.
We are your very humble serv'ts Isaac G. Reed Abraham Cole
To this communication the Committee of the First Univer- salist Society replied in part as follows:
Gentlemen, - Your letter of yesterday to us . . . was duly received. Previous to commenting on the contents of it we would say that we act as a committee no farther than in behalf of those members of our Society who are proprietors in the aforesaid house, and that we can rec- ognize you only as proprietors in the same house, knowing of no law or right whereby you can be chosen . . . to control the occupancy of said house without our consent. It is our intention to occupy the Meeting house, for religious purposes to-morrow, agreeable to the notice which you have seen; but we have not heard nor can hardly believe that there has been any intimation given that we intend "to get and retain the occu- pation of the meeting house by force and violence," as you declare. ...
We thank you for "reminding us that we live under a government of laws which will not permit the rights of the humblest citizen or most odious society to be wantonly assailed or violated with impunity," - it is an evidence that you begin to be aware that you have gone too far in resisting us in the exercise of our rights in the house. ...
We deny that the Rev. Mr. Mitchell's church or society have had any "actual" or "legal" possession of the meeting house, excepting so far as members of said church and society are proprietors in the house.
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We think that with regard to the subject in dispute between us you misname the parties. With regard to your proposal of purchasing our property in the house, we answer that we should be willing as heretofore offered, to dispose of that property, agreeable to the valuation of three judicious, disinterested men, mutually chosen, or accept in that propor- tional part of time in the use of the house, which they might assign to us, and that this arrangement may be made, if agreeable to you, as soon as may be after tomorrow. This offer we hope will now be met on your part "with a spirit of liberality and accommodation". .
Having given sufficient notice that we wish to have use of the meet- ing house a part of the time, we expect to occupy it on the morrow undisturbed.
Respectfully yours etc. John Manning Denny McCobb James R. Groton
Waldoboro, My 15, 1830
No reply was made to this Universalist ultimatum asserting the determination of that society to hold a service in the church sometime on May 17th, but that Saturday evening the orthodox group convened at the home of Deacon Elwell and laid out its plan of defense. "The pulpit guard" was increased. It is said that some of them were posted at the meetinghouse late Saturday eve- ning. The others reported for service early in the morning. The narration of the episode continues:
The set up was the same as on the April Sabbath, other than that Joshua Head, Esq., had withdrawn himself further within the pulpit door and had two stout men who appeared to have been placed at the entrance to the door to receive the first attack if any should be made in attempting to enter the pulpit. Colonel Reed walked about and around the pulpit keeping his guard on the alert. At the usual time the Rev. Mr. Mitchell's congregation assembled. The Rev. Mr. Pitkin took a seat with his friend, the Honorable Benjamin Brown, and listened attentively to the discourse, together with a large number of Universalist friends. When Mr. Mitchell had closed his exercises and dismissed his congre- gation, notice was given that the Rev. Mr. Pitkin would commence his religious exercises and deliver a discourse to such as would be seated to hear him. He then took a stand under the pulpit at the communion table. He commenced his exercise by attempting to read a Psalm, but Colonel Reed and some of his Praetorian Guard approached him and threatened and warned him of the consequences that would follow if he proceeded with his exercises.
At the close of Mr. Pitkin's services, the congregation retired and reassembled in the afternoon. On the close of Mr. Mitchell's meeting Mr. Pitkin took his stand at the communion table as in the forenoon seeking a hymn or a Psalm with which to begin his service. The Rev. Mr. Mitchell rushed down from the pulpit with his large Bible in his hand and crowded on the left of Mr. Pitkin, apparently in a very ill temper of mind, opened his Bible, crowded himself up hard against Mr. Pitkin's chair, probably to get possession of the center of the table, with much confusion made an effort to find some place in the Bible to read. Unable to find the place he intended, he exclaimed to Mr. Pitkin that
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he was now agoing to commence with his Bible class. Colonel Reed and many of the other members of the church made use of the same threats, crying out, that you should now be prosecuted for your conduct in dis- turbing public worship. This drew folk from the pews, galleries and out of doors, the multitude en masse desired to know what was the disturb- ance. Mr. Pitkin rose and began his service by reading a Psalm or hymn. Mr. Mitchell, finding that he could not by his threats drive Mr. Pitkin from his stand, then proclaimed with a stentorian voice: "We are now disturbed in our worship, and I now dismiss my congregation." The assembled were soon quietly seated, and Mr. Pitkin proceeded with his exercises. The singing as usual was excellent and much praise is due to the choir of the Universalist Society for their acceptable aid and exem- plary deportment. An eloquent, solemn and classical discourse was then delivered to a large and respectable assembly, who listened with much attention.
There is ground for believing that all this action was premeditated and planned at the Saturday evening session at Deacon Elwell's and that the Bible class was the motive agreed upon. This class was made up of about sixteen females and a smaller number of males which held one meeting a month. The date of May 17th was at least two or three Sab- baths before their usual time of meeting.
Colonel Reed issued a letter defending the action of the ortho- dox group, which apparently has not been preserved. It is believed that this was the last outbreak of this disgraceful controversy, and that existing differences were settled by the purchase by the ortho- dox group of the proprietary rights of the Universalists, a settle- ment that was neither a freeze-out nor a squeeze-out, which seems to have been the expectation of the orthodox group. Thereafter the course of the Congregationalists was a serene and superior one for many years. But the battle had left its scars on all phases of village life, the orthodox had been worsted though their smug certainties had not been shaken by the intrusion of heresy. The religious views of this group, which explained the real nature of this bitter feud, was probably most truly revealed fifteen years later when one of the old orthodox pulpit guards, writing to his son Charles in Boston on the death of one of the Universalist leaders, registered the orthodox conviction of the times in the following words:
Old Mr. Groton has been confined all the winter and spring and now is upon the verge of the grave. He appears to have none of the bright hopes of the christian to gild the gloomy scene before him and to cheer him as he passes through the dark shadow of the valley of death, and no "rod and staff" to sustain and confort him in his gloomy journey to another world. Shadows and darkness upon his path. He is at times, allured by the delusive glare of Universalism and at other times sinks into the awful and hopeless doctrine that death is "eternal sleep." He has worshipped and served the world; and now his idol is demolished and he is truly without God and without hope.13
13Letter of April 24, 1845, in possession of Mrs. Warren Weston Creamer.
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Thus spake the orthodox mind of these days on the passing of a Universalist. This is perhaps not so much the revelation of an individual viewpoint as that of an epoch in New England village life. This mentality changed only with the passing of the genera- tions. To the end of its days it convened for two services on the Sabbath, and here in Waldoboro listened to the Calvinistic preach- ing of the Reverend Mr. Mitchell and his successors, while the younger generation housed by compulsion in the gallery pews focused its attention less on spiritual concerns than on the more amusing details of the services and the idiosyncrasies of the wor- shippers. Many years later Charles Reed, writing to his sister, Jane Ann, from the gold fields of California, fondly recalled such amus- ing incidents from his boyhood years in the old church, one of which is here noted in passing:
I think the appointment of George Allen was a good one, as I be- lieve him to be a good man and a Christian, even if he did used to sing so bad, when poor William [a brother] with his chilblains, I ditto, were obliged to go to "meeting" and hear him and Deacon Morse sing. But we had some amusement in seeing them try to see which one could get out first, but Deacon Morse always had the most "bellow" and gen- erally came out half a length ahead of the field.14
There was another phase to the parish these days - the som- ber phase emanating from the old certainties. The Reverend Mitchell in a letter to Mrs. Isaac G. Reed in Boston draws the curtain very briefly on the scene in Waldoboro in the mid 1830's. A paragraph follows:
There is quite a waking up in the church, especially in this neigh- borhood. Our meetings are crowded and very solemn. Monday evening the prayer meeting was at our house. It was dark and very muddy, but there were fifty persons present. We have Saturday evening prayer meet- ings to pray for a revival. The Gentlemen meet at Mr. Elwell's, - the Ladies at Mr. Morse's and Captain Cook's. Last Saturday evening there were eighteen or twenty at Mr. Morse's. This, you know, is a great change from what it has been the last season. What will be the end of these days we do not know, but we feel encouraged to hope for a revival.15
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