mutual council relating to those difficulties when they can do it on equal ground." This was the end of the matter in the Presbytery.

The Presbytery itself became extinct about 1800, giving place to the Orange Association. In November, 1805, in the midst of the storm which attended the birth of the Congregational Church in the College district, the so-called Presbyterian "Church at Dartmouth College," under the direction of President Wheelock and Rev. Professor Smith, undertook to review Mr. Burroughs's case and censure the Presbytery. But as they seemed likely to have been acting for a purpose (that will hereafter appear), and assumed to pass judgment ex parte on men, some of whom at least bore a high character for candor and moderation, after the lapse of so many years during which many of the persons familiar with the circumstances had passed away, particularly Professors Ripley and Woodward, both prominent actors in it, the Presbytery being extinct and the records lost, the vindication carries little weight; still less when we remember that Messrs. Wheelock and Smith at certain important crises were themselves actively assenting to and conducting the action of the Presbytery which they now condemned.

After the departure of Mr. Collins in 1796 the idea of reuniting the parties began to be discussed. In 1798 committees were appointed by both religious bodies with a view to a qualified union, and held a joint meeting at the new South Meetinghouse, June 20th, at which it was "mutually agreed that no objection remained upon the mind of any one against both societies meeting together in one place for public worship." Mr. Burroughs's church, however, declined to accede except upon condition that Mr. Burroughs should be retained as their pastor; that they should be at no expense on account of the new church; that they should retain separate church privileges and independent powers of discipline, and contribute in their own way to the support of the ministry and ordinances; that in future no one should be settled in the work of the ministry without the mutual consent and concurrence of said church on the one hand, and said society on the other; " and that they should be at liberty to discontinue the arrangement whenever any of these privileges should be infringed. Mr.

Burroughs's people coming in this spirit, it is not surprising that the arrangement was not consummated. It is noticeable that Mr. Burroughs and his people throughout this negotiation styled themselves "the Church of Christ under the pastoral care of Mr. Burroughs," and the other party "the society assembling at the new meeting-house." The explanation may be that the latter represented, not the old Collins church alone, but the parties controlling the new meeting-house.

It would appear from the following paper that a few months later another, though still unsuccessful, effort was made for a final union of the two churches.

At a meeting of the church in Hanover under the pastoral care of Mr. Burroughs, March 28th, 1799, warned for the purpose of taking into consideration the report of their committee in relation to measures for a union between the churches in said town, said report bearing date on the 5th of March instant: In relation to the council nominated and recommended for the choice of the church for the purpose in view, the church manifested their non-concurrence for the following reasons. First, because the persons nominated as members of the proposed council have heretofore took an active part in the matters to come under consideration. Second, because the way is not open for matters of this nature to come before any council chosen in the manner as proposed in the report of said committee, on account that the church belonging to the South Meeting-house remains under the control of the Presbytery; and of course the Presbytery have it in their power to disannul the doings of a council in relation to such matters as we should lay before them. EDEN BURROUGHS, Pastor. MEMORANDUM. — The above is a duplicate copy, taken this 8th day of June, 1802, lest the first copy might be lost or misplaced in some future time. Pr. EDEN BURROUGHS, Pastor.

In November, 1803, a quarrel arose between Mr. Burroughs's church and some of its members, growing out of a dispute with Mr. Lemuel Dowe as to his employment as singing-master, which continued a number of years, and resulted in several ecclesiastical councils. The first of which we have a record, held at Hanover Feb. 25, 1806,1 after a two days' session found that though Mr. Dowe had some reason to expect that he should be employed, no encouragement had been given by the

1 Present Rev. Asa Burton and Dea. Gershom Hinckley, Thetford; Rev. Thomas Page, Hebron; Rev. Thomas Worcester and Brother Jeremy Webster, Salisbury; Rev. David Dickinson and Brother Daniel Kimball, Meriden; together with Rev. Noah Worcester and Rev. Roswell Shurtleff. Mr. Burton was moderator, and Thomas Worcester scribe.

church that would amount to a moral obligation; that both sides had been in fault in the subsequent proceedings; and that they saw no reason why "all difficulties might not now subside and peace be restored." But that result was not attained.

Another council, held Sept. 8, 1806, advised a reunion of the two churches, and an attempt was made in November to accomplish it; but the existing turmoil in the church of Mr. Burroughs prevented. The quarrel being at last laid before the "Union Consociation," at a meeting held at Hanover, Oct. 13, 1807, the position of Mr. Burroughs was sustained, and in July, 1808, five of the disaffected members were cut off from the church. These were Lemuel, Rebecca, and Tryphena Dowe, and Nathan West, with Anna his wife.1

In May, 1809, the subject of reunion between "the two branches of the church" was again revived, and received the assent of the Burroughs church. The other at first declined it, but after some hesitation indicated, on September 30th, their compliance with the advice of the council "so far as respects a union of this church with yours; but it appears to us that it would not be for the interest of Zion, under existing circumstances, to receive Dr. Burroughs as our administrator, there being a large number of our church who think they could not feel privileged under his administration." About this time Mr. Burroughs, through the influence of President Wheelock, was invited to take charge of the so-called "church of Dartmouth College" in its Dothan branch, in Hartford, Vt. A council was called, which after submitting the matter to the "Union Consociation," advised his dismissal, Nov. 15, 1809; and the union of the two Hanover churches was consummated on a Congregational establishment with sixty-nine members, by a council convened May 16, 1810, at the house of Otis

1 It is told as an incident of the closing scenes of this quarrel that under the influence of the revival of church music (led largely by the Handel Society of the College) a new choir was formed by young people, members of the singing-school taught at the Centre by Mr. Gould. The next Sunday the new choir repaired to the meeting-house to find the old choir, with Captain Dowe at their head, holding the seats. They took seats in the side gallery, and when the hymn was given out, both choirs sang it, the old one to a fugue, and the new one to choral music.

2 The churches present by pastor and delegate were of Royalton, Bath, and Windsor.

* The council adjourned two weeks to take this advice, and “then to act on it.”

Freeman. From this point the existing church at the centre village dates its origin, and has preserved complete records. The official records of neither of its predecessors can now be found.1

1 Mr. Burroughs died in service at Dothan, May 22, 1813, æt. seventy-five, and was buried under a tablet in the graveyard on "Christian Street" in Hartford. His wife, Abigail, died four days before him. Of five children, three lived to adult years. Two were daughters, who were born and spent their lives in Hanover. Nabby, born May 23, 1780, married Richard Foster, and Irene, born Oct. 5, 1786, married, 1st, Stephen Kimball, and 2d, John Wright, an eccentric man popularly known as "Elder Wright," from his having posed in that character in some of his travels. Mr. Burroughs's eldest child, born in Connecticut, was the notorious Stephen Burroughs, whose great but misdirected talents were wasted in a distinguished career of infamy, as shown in his "Life," written and published by himself at Hanover, in 1798. Dr. Burroughs himself, with many eccentricities, possessed a strong mind, unusual power of extemporaneous preaching, and those qualities which make firm friends and bitter enemies. Apparently he loved controversy, and was rarely without it (Sprague's Annals of the Am. Pulpit).