published, and is to be found in the eighth volume of his works.

In the correspondence of Mr. Edwards with his Scottish friends, he was, about this time, involved in an amicable controversy with one of their number, the Reverend Mr. Gillespie, of Carnock, in respect to some of the sentiments taught in the volume on "Religious Affections.” Mr. Gillespie called in question a number of the positions on practical subjects, taken by Mr. Edwards. This led to an extended epistolary discussion between the years 1746 and 1750, in which the clearness, the comprehensive views, and the excellent spirit of Mr. Edwards appear to great advantage. His superiority to his correspondent is very striking, and his defence of his own work highly instructive and satisfactory.

In the month of June, 1748, Colonel John Stoddard, a son of Mr. Edwards's grandfather and colleague, one of the most important members of the church at Northampton, was removed by death. On this occasion Mr. Edwards delivered a sermon from Ezekiel xix. 12, which was soon afterwards published under the following title; "God's awful Judgments in breaking the strong Rods of the Community." When the sermon was delivered and published, it is probable that neither the author nor those who solicited its publication, were adequately aware of the exemplification which was soon to be given of the justness of its title. Colonel Stoddard was one of the most venerable and influential men in Massachusetts. He was greatly distinguished for the vigor of his understanding, the energy and decision of his character, the fervor of his piety, and the steadfastness of his support of every thing friendly to evangelical truth and order. His removal was, indeed, taking away one of the main pillars of society. The greatness of his loss, and the want of men like-minded, the subject of this memoir was destined, in the course of a few short months, painfully to experience, in the troubles which arose to shake the church of Northampton to its

CHAPTER V.

Origin and History of his Troubles at Northampton. Publication of his Work on Church Communion. - Dismission from his Pastoral Charge. - Invitation to settle at Stockbridge.

UNTIL the year 1744, Mr. Edwards seems to have had a firm hold of the confidence and affections of his congregation. The friends of piety among them regarded him with the warmest approbation and love, and considered themselves as eminently favored with the labors of an able and faithful minister of Christ. Large numbers of them owned him as their spiritual father, and felt toward him that peculiar attachment which such a filial relation is adapted to inspire. And even the worldly and impenitent part of his charge, while they felt themselves reproved by the holiness of his life, and the purity of his doctrine, were yet proud of their minister, as, by the acknowledgment of all, one of the greatest and best men in the country. His consort and family, too, had won the affections of the people, and were eminently popular. Up to the year just mentioned, perhaps no minister in New England could be considered as more likely to live and die beBut

loved and honored by his congregation. more than once have the loudest "hosannas" of praise been immediately succeeded by the furious denunciation, "Crucify! Crucify!" This versatility Mr. Edwards experienced. In the year just mentioned, an event occurred, which in some degree alienated from him a number of individuals, and which, though somewhat remotely, yet undoubtedly prepared the way for that rupture, which terminated in his departure from Northampton.

The occurrence alluded to was this. It being credibly reported, that a number of the young people, members of his church, had in their possession licentious books, which they were employing for immoral purposes, he thought it his duty to take notice of the rumor; and, being satisfied that it was well founded, he prepared and delivered a solemn and pointed sermon against the sin charged on the young people. After the sermon, he communicated to the members of the church the information which he had received. They voted, with great unanimity, that the matter ought to be judicially inquired into, and appointed a committee of their own number to coöperate with the pastor in making the inquiry. But when the pastor, after the appointment of this committee, publicly read the names of the persons who were requested to attend the meeting of the committee either as accused persons, or to bear testimony against the accused, without discriminating the classes in which the persons named respectively stood, it appeared that there was scarcely a leading family in the whole town to which some of the persons summoned, either as inculpated, or as witnesses, did not belong, or were not nearly related.

This disclosure produced an immediate reaction. A majority of the church determined not to proceed in an inquiry which appeared likely to give pain to so many families, and to issue to the discredit of so many of their children; and, as attention to children furnishes one of the surest avenues to the hearts of their parents, so nothing is more apt to revolt and alienate, and even to produce intense hostility in the minds of parents, than any thing which threatens the character or the comfort of their children. The consequences were unhappy. A number of the young people were incurably disaffected to their pastor. Too many of their parents sympathized with this feeling. The discipline of the church was openly set at defiance. The hands of Mr. Edwards were greatly weakened. His ministry, from that time, was attended with but little success. The church manifestly declined both in zeal and in morals. And a foundation seemed thenceforward to be laid for that irritable and mutinous state of the popular feeling, which issued, in a few years, in