Art. 9. There shall be no alteration of these articles, without the consent of two thirds of the members of the Association. New articles may be added by the same majority.

With earnest prayers for the peace and pros perity of Zion, and fervent hopes, that our designs and measures may be crowned with happy success, we subscribe our names to these articles.

JEDEDIAH MORSE. 1
EDWARD D. GRIFFIN.
REUBEN EMERSON.
JOSEPH EMERSON.

SAMUEL WALKER.
JOHN CODMAN."

BOSTON, 29th May, 1811.

He

1 Jedediah Morse, D. D., Charlestown. was born in Woodstock, Ct., descendant of Anthony M., who lived in Newbury, Mass., 1636. He was born in 1761, graduated at Yale College 1783, and installed, April 30, 1789; dismissed,

1821. He established, and was first editor of, the

"Panoplist," which merged into the "Missionary Herald; " was zealous for the Orthodox faith, particularly in regard to the election of the Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard College. He deserves the title of American Geographer. He first published "Geography Made Easy," 1784; "American Geography," 1789, which in 1799 appeared in two volumes and in many subsequent editions. In 1797 and 1804 he published the "American Gazetteer." published a Thanksgiving sermon, in 1795, 1798, 1799; Fast sermon, 1798, 1799, 1812; on the death of R. Carey, 1790; of Thomas Russell, 1806; Masonic sermon, 1798; Address to Andover Students, 1799; at the Artillery Election, 1803; History of New England, with E. Parish, D. D., of Byfield, 1804; Reasons why the Election of Divinity was opposed, 1805; at the African meeting-house, 1808; at the Ordination

He

of H. May, 1803; of J. Huntington, 1808; before the Society for Propagating the Gospel, 1810; at the Convention, 1812; before a Moral Association, 1812; Appeal to the Public on the Controversy concerning Harvard College, 1814; at the Annual Meeting of the Commissioners for Foreign Missions, 1821; Narrative of a Tour among the Indians, in 1820. His wife was granddaughter of Pres. Finley. One of his sons is known by the electric telegraph, two as editors of the New York Observer.

Dr. Morse was pastor of the First Church in Charlestown; Dr. Griffin of Park Street Church, in Boston. Reuben Emerson, of the Church of South Reading. Joseph Emerson, of Beverly, Samuel Walker, of Danvers, John Codman of Second Church, Dorchester.

The next meeting was held at Charlestown, Oct. 1811, with Dr. Morse. There were present: Dr. Morse, Dr. Griffin,Reuben Emerson, Joseph Emerson, Samuel Walker, and John Codman. Rev. Avery Williams, of Lexington, was present, and joined the Association. On recommendation of the General Association, this Association voted that "each member of the Association be requested to acquaint himself with the laws of this Commonwealth, respecting the due observation of the Sabbath,— to preach on the subject, to read the law in public, and to use his influence to have the law carried into effect." Brother Williams was also appointed to prepare a dissertation on the Sabbath.

The next April the Association met at Dorchester. The same members were present. Three new members joined. Samuel Gile, for many years a highly respected pastor in Milton, where he was a staunch champion of evangelical truth in the Unitarian controversy; Daniel A. Clark, the first pastor of the new church which had lately been formed at Weymouth Landing, who was a man of much power in the pulpit; and Richard S. Storrs, who had been settled over the first church of Braintree, as colleague with Rev. Ezra Weld, in the previous July.

At that time there existed in

Norfolk County a minister's meeting, comprising the clergymen of Braintree, Randolph, Weymouth, Abington, Bridgewater, and other towns. This meeting disappeared as new men came and connected themselves with what has since become the Norfolk Associa

settle Mr. Storrs in Braintree, according to the usual custom the candidate selected such as he wished to perform the written parts of the ordination His father, Rev. Richard S. Storrs, of Longmeadow, was to preach the sermon. Dr. Griffin, who had been his instructor at Andover, was prepared to give the charge to the pastor, -Dr. Griffin having been at Andover but a short time, and Mr. Storrs wishing to introduce him to the region south of Boston, and Mr. Codman, a neighboring minister, and a young man had come prepared to give the right hand of fellowship. But when the Council came together, they felt that their rights had been infringed upon in the principal part being assigned to strangers.

Accordingly, in arranging the parts for the public services, they set aside the previous arrangement, and permitting the father of the candidate to preach the sermon, assigned the other parts to men of their own number. Indignant at what he considered a great breach of courtesy, Mr. Storrs joined the Association, which had been formed by his friends.

At the meeting in April, 1812, it was "Voted by ballot, that the Rev. Professors Stuart and Porter of the Theological Institution, Andover, and the Rev. Messrs. Sanborn, Reynolds, Bates, and Huntington be permitted to subscribe the constitution any time between this and the next stated meeting, and that they be considered, upon subscribing, members of the Association." Whether these gentlemen ever met regularly with the Association does not appear "Brother Clark was requested to prepare a discourse upon the subject of the Consociation of Churches," which was read at the next meeting. Mr. Storrs also read at a subsequent meet

1 Another account says it was on account of a strong jealousy of Andover, which then existed, but soon disappeared.

ing an article on the question, "Is it expedient to form consociations of churches in Massachusetts proper at this time?"

The next meeting was appointed with Dr. Edward Griffin, on the last Wednesday of October. He, however, was engaged, on that day, at the ordination of Rev. Daniel Huntington, at Bridgewater, and the meeting of the Association was postponed for two weeks. During the subsequent ten years, changes took place in many of the churches throughout these towns, and the new pastors quite generally joined this new Association.

The next April, the meeting was held with Rev. Reuben Emerson, of South Reading. His brother, Mr. Brown Emerson, pastor of the South Church of Salem, was present, and joined the Association.

At that time, the Essex South Association was in existence; but a majority of its members were decidedly Unitarian in sentiment. Rev. Messrs. Joseph Emerson, of Beverly, and Samuel Walker, of Danvers, had previously joined this new enterprise. Several years subsequently, however, Brown Emerson, in connection with Messrs. Walker and Joseph Emerson, and the ministers of Marblehead, Lynn, and other neighboring places, joined the Essex South Association. The evangelical part of the Association coming to be the majority, they passed certain votes, which led the Unitarian portion to withdraw, leaving the old records and name of the original Essex South in the hands of the evangelical ministers, where it has continued to the present.

By that movement, the Union Association lost its membership in Essex County. Rev. Mr. Emerson, of South Reading, soon after connected himself with the Andover Association, though retaining his nominal connection with this. It would seem to be about this

time that the name was changed to "The Union. Association of Boston and Vicinity." This occurred, October, 1816.

Previous to this, we have records of a meeting held at Beverly, with Rev. Joseph Emerson, when Brown Emerson and Samuel Walker were appointed delegates to the General Association. Rev. Samuel Dana, of Marblehead, is spoken of as present at the meeting. The subsequent meeting, April, 1814, was held with Mr. Walker, at Danvers. Brown Emerson was scribe. Dr. Samuel Worcester was present, and took part in the discussion of the following questions:

"1. When all the minority, from an acquaintance with the candidate, are satisfied with his faith and experience, it is the opinion of this Association, that they ought to enter a formal remonstrance against the refusal of the right

1 "No ecclesiastical council, called even for the simple purpose of ordination, could act harmoniously and with satisfaction to all parties. The different views of the members frequently caused jealousies, discussions, unpleasant delays, and great dissatisfaction. Some desired no examination of the candidate, as to sentiment and experience, but his own voluntary statement. Some were unwilling to go, in their inquiries, beyond certificates of moral character and church fellowship. It was even contended, by some, that, when a council was called to introduce a man into the ministry, and ordain him as a pastor and teacher, their whole business was, to ascertain whether he had been so called to the work, and had so answered the

of examination, and join in the ordination.

"2. When all the minority are dissatisfied with the candidate, they are bound to protest against the measures of the majority, and take no part in the ordination.

"3. When a part of the minority are satisfied with the candidate, and the other part are dissatisfied, the last are obliged to withdraw.

"4. When a part of the minority are satisfied with the candidate, and the rest have no possible evidence, either for or against him, the latter, as the case may be, may join with the former, in assisting in the ordination, on the ground of testimony."

We are now come to the second era in the history of the Association, during which it went by the name of "The Union Association," more fully, "of Boston and Vicinity." This period lasted till after the Boston ministers formed the Suffolk Association, which first appears on the minutes of the General Association, in 1823. The name of the Union was changed to Norfolk in July, 1826. During the greater part of this period, the Union comprised the ministers of Charlestown, Boston, and the towns south of Boston, namely, Dorchester, Braintree, Randolph, Weymouth, Sharon, Bridgewater, Abington, Middleboro', Taunton, Easton, and Stoughton.

The Minutes of the General Association for 1819 mention S. E. Dwight as

call, as to lay the foundation of an ecclesiastical relation and a legal contract, and then to sanction the relation, and confirm the contract. The consequence was, that those ministers who heeded the apostolic direction, 'to lay hands suddenly on no man,' were sometimes not permitted to make the requisite inquiries to satisfy their minds whether the candidate did or did not possess the required qualifications for a Christian bishop. Hence, divisions sometimes ensued: at least, great delay was occasioned, and often great offence given."- Memoir of John Codman, D. D., p. 180.

the delegate from "Union." And in the Report on the State of Religion, say, "Union Association is composed of fourteen churches in Boston and vicinity."

The following names appear as connected with the Association in 1819:

Jedediah Morse, D. D., of Charlestown,
James Sabine, of Essex St. Ch., Boston,
Sereno Edwards Dwight, of Park St.,"
John Codinan, of Dorchester,
Reuben Emerson, of South Reading,
Samuel Gile, of Milton,

Richard S. Storrs, of Braintree,
Daniel Huntington, of Bridgewater,
Luther Sheldon, of Easton,
Thaddeus Pomeroy, of Randolph,
Jonas Perkins, of Weymouth Landing,
David Brigham, of East Randolph,
Ebenezer Gay, of Stoughton,
Wm. Coggswell, of Dedham, and
Phillip Coloy, of Middleboro'.

Joseph B. Felt, of Sharon, and Samuel Spring, of Abington, joined in 1822; Chester Isham, of Taunton, in 1824; Josiah Bent, Jr., of North Weymouth, 1825; Jona. Curtis, of Sharon, in 1825; Erastus Maltby, of Taunton, in 1826.

At the meeting in July, 1822, Messrs. Fay (successor of Dr. Morse), Coggswell, of Dedham, and Dwight, of Park Street, were dismissed, to join the Suffolk Association, just then formed. This took away all the membership north of Norfolk County, and led to another change of name, in 1826, when it was "Voted, To change the name which this Association bears to that of 'Norfolk Association.'" In 1827, another delegation went off, - Messrs. Colby, of Middleboro', and Maltby, of Taunton, to form, with other minis ters, the "Association of Taunton and Vicinity." From that time to the present, the active membership of the Asso'ciation has been confined chiefly to the eastern half of Norfolk County, and the northern part of Plymouth County.

The original membership of the body was six. The present membership is forty-two. One hundred and seven

teen clergymen have been connected with the Association.

The moderators have been Rev. Reuben Emerson, Rev. Jedediah Morse, D. D., 1811-1819; Rev. John Codman D. D., 1819-1831, and 1833-1848; Samuel Gile, for 1831-2; Rev. R. S. Storrs, 1848. Previous to 1831, the oldest member was moderator. Subsequently, the office has been filled by ballot.

The scribes (who have acted as treasurers and statistical scribes), have been Rev. John Codman, D. D., from May, 1811, to April, 1819. Rev. Daniel Huntington, from April, 1819, to April, 1822. Rev. Jonas Perkins, from April, 1822, to April, 1825. Rev. Samuel Spring, from April, 1825, to April, 1827. Rev. Josiah Bent, Jr., from April, 1827, to April, 1832. Rev. David Sanford, from April, 1832, to April, 1838. Rev. Samuel W. Cozzens, from April, 1838. to April, 1844. Rev. Wm. A. Pea-. body, from April, 1844, to October, 1849. Rev. Samuel L. Rockwood, from October, 1849, to April, 1855. Rev. D. Temple Packard, from April, 1855, to April, 1857. Rev. Theodore T. Munger, from April, 1857, to 1859. Rev. F. R. Abbe, from April, 1859, to April, 1863. Rev. L. Root Eastman, Jr., from April, 1863, to October, 1865.

The churches originally mentioned by the connection of their pastors with the Association, were six, namely: The First Church, in Charlestown; Park Street Church, Boston; Church in So. Reading; Dane Street Church, Beverly; Church in Danvers; Second Church in Dorchester. The following other churches have been similarly connected. They are given in the order of joining: Church in Lexington; Church in Milton; First Church in Braintree; Union Church, Weymouth Landing; South Church, Salem; First Church, Randolph; First Church, No. Bridgewater; Church in Easton; First Church in Stoughton; North Church, Middleboro'; Essex Street Church, .