§ 180. Corporation, how formed. Any seven or more persons of full age,
citizens of the United States, and a majority of them being residents of
this state, who shall associate themselves for the purpose of founding
and continuing one or more free churches, may make, sign and
acknowledge, before any officer authorized to take the acknowledgment of
deeds of land to be recorded in this state, and may file in the office
of the secretary of state, and also of the clerk of the county in which
any such church is to be established, and record as provided in section
three of this chapter, a certificate in writing, in which shall be
stated the name or title by which such society shall be known in the
law, the purpose of its organization, and the names of seven trustees,
of whom not less than five shall be persons who are not ministers of the
gospel or priests of any denomination, to manage the same; but such
certificate shall not be filed, unless with the written consent and
approbation of a justice of the supreme court of the district in which
any such church shall be intended to be established, to be indorsed on
such certificate.