Radio Script #977

Little Talks on Common Things
June 10, 1973

Although we are told that allover the nation church attendance has been dropping off and religion is in decline, I am sure that there are many listeners to this program who believe, as I do, that religion has a significant place in life. What one person’s religious faith happens to be should be respected by all of us, however much we may disagree with him. So on this program I have referred at some time to every denomination that has organized churches in Maine, and everyone of them is doing good work.

Today, just to show how a church operated 200 years ago, I want to share with you some information I have gleaned from the records of one of Maine’s very old churches, the Baptist Church at Berwick, founded in 1768. That church happened to be of the Baptist denomination, but the way it was conducted was the same as many other groups of organized Christians in sparsely settled northern New England before the Revolution.

Like almost every other 18th Century church, this one at Berwick was unyieldingly Calvinist. They believed in eternal damnation of those not already chosen to be saved. One of their articles of faith read: “All the elect were personally chosen by God before the foundation of the world.”

It is often said that our colonial churches believed that God had revealed himself once for all in the accepted Bible and that with that book revelation from on high was forever closed. That is not true, as witnessed by another article in the Berwick statement of faith. It said: “We will endeavor to perform all our duties toward God and each other according to what is or shall hereafter be made known to us.”

It is well know that, when members of a church had personal disagreement, the church did its best to settle the case within the fold and not have it go to the courts. In such cases, the church tried to keep the proceedings secret, but that was nearly impossible, for people 200 years ago liked to talk with the neighbors just as people do today. Nevertheless the Berwick church has this regulation: “It shall be a matter of discipline for any member to disclose a church secret.” However, those secrets were spread upon the church records, so that 200 years later we know many of them.

In July 1769, there was a dispute between two members, one contending that the other had trespassed upon his property, broken down his fence and let his cattle damage a garden. The church thought they had the matter on the way to settlement, when one of the contestants charged the other with breach of the tenth commandment. Lest you have forgotten what that tenth commandment is, let me remind you that it says, “You shall not covet anything that is your neighbors.”

The church advised a new survey of the line between the two properties, but one of the contestants would not agree to that. A year went by and the church concluded that this recalcitrant member was at fault, that he had accused the other of running a wrong line, but had not proved his case. When the member thus reproved simply absented himself from services, the church excommunicated him.

In 1772 two members were likewise called before the church. Let us see exactly what the record said. “The church met to hear what proofs Bros. E and G had to present against each other. No proof was forthcoming from either side, but Brother E admitted he had taken some imprudent steps and was sorry. Finding in scripture that no action can be received against an elder except before two or three witnesses, the church was powerless to suspend the alleged offender from communion, and told him all lay with his own conscience in this particular matter.

In 1794 the church needed new communion dishes. So it was voted to purchase some vessels for the communion table. Joshua Emery made the largest subscription, 12 shillings, and he was chosen to make the purchase. The total subscribed by 13 persons was two pounds, seven shillings, six pence. Emery got the vessels in Portsmouth at a cost of two pounds, five shillings.

The colonial churches were always on the watch for backsliders. The Berwick records of December 18, 1794, contain this item: “Some charges have been brought against the church because of the loose living of several of its members. It was decided to notify those members and order them to appear before the church.” When that vote was carried out, the church concluded that all except one of the accusations was unfounded, and in that one case the offending sister acknowledged her fault and was forgiven.

When the Berwick church did act on a disciplinary case, there was no doubt about the action. Anyone could see exactly what the following letter meant that was directed to one of the members in 1798. “This is to signify that you are cut off from the fellowship of this church. Your unspiritual conduct, particularly this day in church meeting, by showing a hard spirit, unwilling to be governed by your professed brethren, and reflecting upon the church in bitter language, has forced this church, agreeable to the laws of Christ, to withdraw their fellowship from you. We hope you will see your error, repent and return to the Lord.”

Here is another, similar letter sent to a member in the year 1800: “We are grieved with you for your untender and unscriptural conduct. As we have verbally treated with you as the scriptures direct, but you appear deaf to your professed brethren, continue to wound the cause of Jesus and contradict the solemn professions you have made before God, angels and men, we are forced by the rule in God’s word to admonish you to your duty, hoping you will repent and return to it. You are therefore suspended from all privileges of the church until satisfaction is made.”

In 1801, the Berwick church decided to codify its rules of discipline, that is, to set down specifically in writing how members were to conduct themselves. Just imagine any church in 1973 trying to enforce the rules adopted in Berwick 169 years ago. But make no mistake about it, in those days they did intend and did honestly try to enforce their own rules.

One article set up a study committee of three to inquire into difficulties between members and attempt to reach settlements. Only if the committee failed would a case come before the whole church. Another article declared: “Every offense stubbornly persisted in shall result in suspension or excommunication.”

“The following offenses are regarded as deserving of excommunication: heresy, or a denial of the precious doctrines of divine grace, of the trinity, of resurrection and final judgment, fornication, covetousness, idolatry, drunkenness, lying, extortion, walking disorderly and being irregular in life and conversation; disturbing the church peace and causing division in the church, failure to attend church meetings and ordinances.”

While the records do not usually reveal the exact cause of dispute between members, we find in some instances the explicit case is spelled out. Such was one that came before the Berwick church in 1804. This is what the record says:

“The origin of this difficulty was that Brother H went to Mr. N, not a member of this church, to get some rocks for the underpinning of his new house, which N’s son Gilbert had told Brother H could be procured. When Brother H came for the rocks, the son, Gilbert, was absent, but the father led Brother H onto the ground of Brother E, and Brother E complained to the Commonwealth for trespass by Brother H. The action was brought and Bro. H paid the costs, though he felt the action against him was unjust. The church now holds Brother E at fault for complaining to the Commonwealth in a case against a fellow member of the church, without first meeting with the brethren to try to effect a settlement. The church also holds Brother H at fault for paying the costs without first consulting the church. We also find Brother E grievously guilty of making harsh speeches and refusing to hear his brethren, and we conclude that he ought to make full confession to the church.”

Some of the disciplinary inquiries were of a delicate nature. In July 1831, the record tells us: “Charges were brought against Miss Mary H on account of reports that she is pregnant and had so acknowledged to some of the sisters. It was found that her conduct is especially vile in that she is ready to swear that an innocent man is the father of the child. It was unanimously voted to excommunicate her.”

In 1776, the year of American independence, the Berwick church erected a two-story meetinghouse, with porch in front and galleries on three sides with hard-seated pews and no heating. That building burned in 1811 and a new one was built at a cost of $1, 000 and was dedicated on August 31, 1813.

Of course our colonial churches had other concerns besides discipline, but we must admit that it was the disciplinary cases that filled most of the pages in the old records.

We have a few minutes left that I want to use to speak about the finds one can come upon if he takes the time to walk over some of Maine’s abandoned roads. I say walk because the kind of road I mean is so grown up with bushes that no car can get through.

A few years ago I walked through such a road – a short one – down on the Pemaquid Peninsula, which is one of the oldest settled areas of Maine. Suddenly I came upon an old cellar hole with the inevitable lilac bush beside it. Nearby were stones that showed what had been the foundation of a barn. A large flat stone marked the top of a well and all along both sides of the road were stone walls. Just beyond the cellar hole I came upon a long abandoned family cemetery. Not a stone was left standing, but with a little rubbing some of those lying flat revealed their inscriptions. One was that of an old gentleman who had died in 1794 at the age of 81, and nearby was the stone of a six year old child.

What a story those stones and the old cellar could tell if they could speak – stones of a once prosperous farm, a frame house, a big barn, oxen, horses, cows and sheep – and seemingly endless days of hard work to care for it all, and especially to put up those big stone walls. Today the buildings and even the road are gone, the graves are neglected, the people forgotten.

But they were of the rugged stuff that made our State of Maine.

Year: 1973