THE PLYMOUTH CHURCH, ROCHESTER.

During the last few years the different religious denominations of Rochester have manifested a special interest in the subject of the increase and improvement of church edifices. The necessity for their multiplication has been evident, from the rapid increase of the population, and the almost complete suspension of enterprises of this nature for many years. Accordingly several of the more flourishing denominations of the city, have within a recent period, engaged in earnest in this work, affording evidence in the results, of a creditable christian liberality and providence.

At such a time, with an awakened and general interest in the subject, the crisis seemed favorable for CONGREGATIONALISTS to combine for a similar object. An effort was therefore commenced, and is steadily progressing, designed to introduce into this city the orthodox Congregational polity of New England.

The corner stone of "The Plymouth Church of Rochester," was laid on Thursday, September 8th, 1853, by the Rev. O. E. Daggett, D. D., of Canandaigua, a large concourse of people being present. The following clergymen also took part in the ceremonies: Rev. W. G. Howard, of the Second Baptist Church; Rev. J. B. Shaw, D. D., Brick Pres. Ch. ; Rev. A. C. George, First Methodist Ch. ; Rev. J. H. McIlvaine, First Pres. Ch., Rochester, and Rev. J. H. Dill, Cong. Ch., Spencerport.

The Church is eligibly and centrally situated on the corner of Troup and Sophia Streets, and the accompanying engraving proves that it will be substantial and attractive.

The dimensions of the building are as follows:

Length of outside, exclusive of tower and buttresses, 137 feet. Height to the top of the cornice,

35

Square of the tower, including the walls and buttresses, 30
Height of the tower, including the spire,

225

In the rear, and forming part of the main building, is a Lecture-room, 35 feet by 77.

The Church is built in the Norman style of architecture, from plans by Merwin Austin, Esq., Architect.

The Association who have undertaken this work, design forming a Congregational organization, as soon as the state of the building will admit of its being used for public worship.

It is with great reluctance that we defer to another volume of the Year-Book, an account of the Church of the Puritans, New York, and the Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. It was hoped that both edifices would appear-the one in its external beauty, the other in its interior grandeur, as filled with its compact masses-in engravings equal to those of the Church of the Pilgrims, and the Plymouth Church of Rochester; but these, with a history of their growth and success, as well as other interesting matter, the size of this volume, and the want of time, compel us to omit. We therefore reluctantly conclude this part of our work with a very brief account of

THE CONGREGATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

NEW-YORK AND BROOKLYN.

The first Congregational Association in the city of NewYork, was organized in 1825, under the name of "The NewYork Independent. Association," which was subsequently changed to "The New-York Congregational Association," or as it was frequently called by abbreviation, "The New-York Association." This body at one time had between twenty and

thirty members, gathered from a wide circuit in South-Eastern New-York and in New Jersey.

Several years later, another association was formed under the title of "The New-York City Association;" but there being no occasion for the existence of two similar bodies in the city, a convention of Congregational ministers, and of delegates from Congregational churches in Southern New-York, Long Island and New Jersey, was held in January, 1837, at which it was resolved to form a new association under the name of "The New-York Congregational Association," the second organization under that title. This body was composed chiefly of the members of the first New-York Association, the New-York City Association, and the Long Island Association, all which consequently became extinct. The new association was quite respectable in numbers, although the churches connected with it were comparatively few and feeble, and it was represented annually in the General Association of the State.

But, in the year 1842, this body was accused before the General Association of error in doctrine, and a neglect of discipline; and in the year following, the General Association, having failed to receive satisfaction through a committee appointed to examine the charges, resolved that, unless the New-York Congregational Association would investigate "certain things touching the character and standing" of one of its members, and also purge itself from certain alleged errors in relation to the doctrine of "sinless perfection," said Association should be แ regarded as out of fellowship" with the General Association, as an ecclesiastical body." This resolution was to take effect at the close of the current year. The New-York Association, at its meeting at Poughkeepsie, in October, 1843, refused to comply with the direction of the General Association; but at a subsequent meeting, held January, 1844, determined upon its own voluntary dissolution as expedient, in view of the opprobrium into which it had fallen, and the act of dissolution was accompanied with a solemn expression, on the part of the majority present, of their "disapprobation of the doctrine of sinless perfection attained in this life, as held and propagated by some