History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

.' another
220 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1750.
Lower Associatiou At a preciiict meeting held on the 2"'' of
Applied to. April (after two adjournments without busi-
ness), it Avas voted to " apply to the associa-
tion of the lower part of the county for advice whether it
were best to comply with Mr. Edwards' terms respecting
the choice of a council." This body was to meet at Springfield
Mountains on the following Wednesday. Mr, Josiah
Pomeroy was appointed messenger to present the request of
the parish, and Major Ebenezer Pomeroy and Major Joseph
Hawley were designated to prepare the document. The
precinct then adjourned till the 10"' of April. In order that
the association might fairly understand the case, Mr. Edwards
sent a communication to a member of the association
setting forth his views. At the precinct meeting held on
the 10"', the letters of the association to the pastor and pre-
cinct were presented, and the former also offered a letter
which he had addressed to one of the deacons. Neither of
these documents have been preserved. This meeting was
composed of but forty-four persons, and the only business
accomplished was to request Mr. Edwards to call a church
meeting to consider the question at issue, and adjourn to
the 17"'.
Its Advice Rejected. The suggestions offered by this association
nowhere appear, but from a sentence in
Mr. Edwards' report of the church meeting, called in
accordance with the latest vote of the precinct, the inference
may be drawn that its purport was to call another
council to decide about inviting members of tlie definitive
council, from other counties. At the church meeting the
advice of the association was read and discussed, and by a
/vote of one hundred nine to fifty-six it was decided not to
admit members from other
previous council.
counties, and also not to call
I
Deacons Warn a On the 17"' of April the prcciuct met again.
Church Meeting;, ^ud a letter from Rev. Mr. Clark of Salem
was read. No copy of this communication
remains, but in it he undoubtedly declined to undertake to
answer the arguments of Mr. Edwards. It was voted to
apply to the deacons of the church to warn a meeting of