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

1750.] DISMISSAL OF REV. JONATHAN EDWARDS. 221
that organization, to be lield the next '' Fryday," and to
pay them for tlieir trouble. Mr. Edwards liad gone on a
"journey down the country," and the precinct was in such
haste to have its mandates carried out that it could not
await his return. The precinct meeting was adjourned to
the 2'' of May.
Its Proceedings. Three days after, on the 20"', the church
was convened, and the question concerning
the expediency and propriety of the brethren acting without
the pastor in calling a council was under discussion.
A proposition was made by Mr. Hawley that seven persons,
ministers or laymen or both, should be summoned, not
as an ecclesiastical council, but as advisers, to consider
whether by some method pastor and church might not
consist together notwithstanding; their differences of
opinion. These men were to be mutually chosen from any
part of the county. This was the beginning of the end,
and after the proposal had been fully argued, it was
adopted by a great majority. A committee of five persons
was chosen to consider what "circumstantial alterations"
might be deemed necessary in the call, and the meeting
adjourned for one week. This committee was unable to^
agree, a majority of them holding the opinion that it
would be better to comply with the request of the pastor I
in reference to the residence of members, and so reported./
Apparently the church had become tired of the wrangle,
and at the adjourned meeting voted that the pastor should
be granted the privilege of choosing some members of the
council "' without the bounds of the county," and requested
him to notify a church meeting. Probably the meetingheld
in the absence of the minister, was not deemed legally
competent to act finally in the matter.
A Mutual Council Accordingly another gathering of the
Decided upon. cliurcli was held, and the i^revious action
ratified, with the qualification that it should
not have the "force of a precedent." The number to be
chosen from abroad was limited to two, with the privilege
of naming two others as substitutes. It was also decided
that the council should be one of churches, to consist of