been deferred to some happier period, when, amid the leisure and tranquility of retirement, he could give his uninterrupted attention, and his individual strength, to its accomplishment. What then will be their surprise, when they find him opening his next letter to Mr. Erskine, under the date of April 14th, 1753, with the following annunciation,—" After many hindrances, delays and interruptions, "Divine Providence has so far favoured me, and smiled on my de"sign of writing on the Arminian controversy, that I have almost "finished the first draft of what I first intended; and am now send"ing the proposals for subscription, to Boston, to be printed." Let it be remembered, that the Essay on the Freedom of the Will, which, in the opinion of Dugald Stewart, raises its author to the same rank, as a metaphysician, with LOCKE and LEIBNITZ, was written within the space of four months and a half; and those, not months of leisure, but demanding the additional duties of a parish, and of two distinct Indian missions, and presenting also, all the cares, perplexities and embarrassments of a furious controversy, the design of which was to deprive the author, and his family, of their daily bread. So far as I am aware, no similar example, of power and rapidity united, is to be found on the annals of Mental effort.*

"After many hindrances, delays, and interruptions, Divine Providence has so far favoured me, and smiled on my design of writing on the Arminian controversy, that I have almost finished the first draught of what I first intended; and am now sending the proposals for subscription to Boston to be printed; with a letter of Mr. Foxcroft, to send thirty of those proposals to Mr. M'Laurin, with a letter to him; in which I have desired him to deliver half of them

* Sir Henry Moncrieff Wellwood, who had the MS Letters of Mr. Edwards to Dr. Erskine in his possession, while writing his LIFE of the latter, observes, "It was not, however, till the month of July, 1752, that he [Mr. Edwards] ap"pears to have resumed his studies, on the subject of Free-will; for, on the 7th "of that month, he writes Dr. Erskine, that he hoped soon to be at leisure, to resume his design." He then adds, “Whatever opinion may be held, with re“gard to Mr. Edwards' argument, it must appear astonishing to those, who "are capable of appreciating the difficulty of his subject, that, in nine months "from the date of this letter, (on the 14th of April, 1753,) he could write Dr. "Erskine, that he had almost finished the first draft of what he originally intend"ed." The passage, in Mr. Edwards' letter of Nov. 23, 1752, announcing, that he began to write in August, but was soon broke off; and had not, from that time, been able to put pen to paper, about the matter; and that he hoped, that God, in his providence, would favour him with an opportunity to prosecute the design; obviously escaped Sir Henry's notice. If he regarded it as astonishing, that Mr. Edwards should have been able to write the work in nine months; what would have been his views of the subject, if, after first reading the details of the Stockbridge controversy, he had then discovered, that it was written, not in nine months, but in four and a half.

to you, as you have manifested yourself ready to use endeavours to get subscriptions in Scotland. The printing will be delayed to wait for subscriptions from thence. I therefore request that you endeavour to promote and expedite the affair.

"Stockbridge affairs, relating to the Indians are, in many respects, under a very dark cloud. The affair of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, here, is almost at an end, as I have given a more particular account to Mr. M'Laurin. The Commissioners in Boston, I believe, are discouraged about it, and have thoughts of sending and settling a missionary in their own Country. The Correspondents of the Society in Scotland, have also determined to send a missionary there, and have chosen Mr. Gordon, a tutor of the College at Newark, for that end. Mr. Gordon is expected here at the beginning of May, to live at my house with Mr. Hawley, in order to learn the Iroquois language with him. It is probable that he and Mr. Hawley will go up, and spend the summer, in the Iroquois country.

"The Correspondents have also a disposition, that Mr. Brainerd should remove, with his whole congregation of Indians, to settle somewhere in the country of the Six Nations; and he himself and his Indians, are ready for it. 'Tis probable that something will be done, to prepare the way for it; and at least to see, whether the way can be prepared, or any door opened for it, this summer. Some of these Indians have a great desire, that the Gospel should be introduced and settled in their country.

"Some of the Stockbridge Indians have of late been under considerable awakenings,-two or three elderly men, that used to be vicious persons. My family is now in usual health. My daughter Burr, in New-Jersey, has been very ill, all the winter past. We last heard from her about five weeks ago; when it was hoped there was some amendment.

"My wife joins with me, in respectful and affectionate salutations to you and Mrs. Erskine. Desiring a remembrance in your prayers,

"I am, dear Sir,

"Your affectionate brother,

"and obliged friend and servant,
"JONATHAN EDWARDS."

The representations of the nephew of the opponent of Mr. Woodbridge, and those of the Commissioners of Boston, to the Society in London, the former hostile, and the latter friendly, to Mr. Edwards and his associates, were sent forward, and arrived at their place of destination, in due season. That gentleman had entertained an overweening estimate of his own influence, with the Board of Directors of the Society in London. They gave full credit to the statements of their own Commissioners, and

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sustained them, in upholding their missionaries and instructers. Perceiving, however, that an unhappy controversy subsisted at Stockbridge, relative to the mission, and knowing that their Commissioners at Boston were 150 miles distant; they endeavoured to devise a plan, by which, the existing evils might be remedied. Mr. Edwards, in his letter to Mr. Mauduit, one of their number, had observed, "What renders it the more necessary, that things "here should be under the immediate care of Trustees on the spot, "is, the misunderstanding and jealousy here subsisting, between "some of the chief of the present English inhabitants of the town, "which is one of our greatest calamities. Things, on this account, "do much need careful inspection; and therefore, the gentlemen "intrusted ought to be such, as are perfectly impartial, and no way "interested in, or related to, these contending parties." The plan, suggested by the Directors, was this, That eleven persons-two in New-York, two in Albany, one in Wethersfield, two in Hartford, one in Windsor, one in Suffield, one in Hadley, and one in Stockbridge, should be a Board of consultation, to advise their agents at Stockbridge, and to act, by correspondence, with the Commissioners; and they counted upon the preceding extract, as what had confirmed them in the measure.* At the request of the Hon. Mr. Bromfield, one of the Commissioners, Mr. Edwards, in a letter, dated Oct. 19, 1753, expressed his own views of the plan, and pointed out its inconvenience, if not utter impracticability. The Commissioners having expressed similar views to the Directors; the plan was relinquished. This was the result of the application to the Society in London.†

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, for the year 1753, having refused, by a very small majority, to restore Mr. Gillespie to the ministry in the kirk, and to his parish of Carnock ;an act of plain justice, which he would not ask them to render him; -Mr. Edwards addressed to him the following letter; a part of which, must have been sweet and consoling, to the feelings of suffering piety.

"REV. AND DEAR SIR,

"Stockbridge, October 18, 1753.

"The last November, I wrote you a letter, and desired Mr.

*The Directors, knowing the characters of the respective individuals residing in these places, whom they designated; and perceiving, from an inspection of the map, that Stockbridge was nearly central to most of the places mentioned; appear to have supposed, that they might all meet there, without inconvenience.

↑ On this account only, is the plan worthy of being mentioned here.

Foxcroft to put up with it, for you, one of my Answers to Mr. Williams. After that, in the latter part of the winter, I received a letter from you, dated June 15th, 1752, with Milton on Hirelings; and duplicates of a Letter from a Gentleman in town, etc.; and Answers to the Reasons of Dissent, etc. I now return you my hearty thanks for these things. Since that, I have received letters from Mr. McLaurin and Mr. Erskine, with various pamphlets and prints relative to your extraordinary affair. I think, dear Sir, although your sufferings are like to continue, the General Assembly having refused to restore you to your former station and employments, in the church of Scotland; yet they are attended with many manifestations of the goodness, and fatherly kindness, and favour of the great Governor of the world, in the many alleviations and supporting circumstances of your persecutors; in that so many of God's ministers and people have appeared to be so much concerned for you; and have so zealously, and yet so properly, exerted themselves in your behalf; and have so many ways given their testimony to the goodness of the cause in which you suffer, and the unrighteousness of the hardships which you have been subjected to; and that even so great a part of the General Assembly, themselves, have, in effect, given this testimony for you, there being but a very small majority, but what openly appeared for the taking off of the censure of the former Assembly, without any recantation on your part, or so much as an application from you, desiring them so to do. You have some peculiar reasons to rejoice in your sufferings, and to glorify God on account of them. They having been so greatly taken notice of, by so many of the people of God; and there being so much written concerning them; tends to render them, with their circumstances, and particularly the patience and meekness with which you have suffered, so much the more extensively and durably, to the glory of the name of your blessed Lord, for whom you suffer. God is rewarding you for laying a foundation, in what has been said and done and written concerning your sufferings, for glory to his own name, and honour to you, in his church, in future generations. Your name will doubtless be mentioned hereafter with peculiar respect, on the account of these sufferings, in Ecclesiastical History; as they are now the occasion of a peculiar notice, which saints and angels in heaven take of you, and of their praises to God on your account; and will be the occasion of a peculiar reward, which God will bestow upon you, when you shall be united to their assembly.

"As to my own circumstances, I still meet with trouble, and expect no other, as long as I live in this world. Some men of influence have much opposed my continuing a missionary at Stockbridge, and have taken occasion abundantly to reproach me, and endeavour my removal. But I desire to bless God, he seems in some respects to set me out of their reach. He raises me up

friends, who are exerting themselves to counteract the designs of my opposers; particularly the Commissioners for Indian affairs in Boston; with whom innumerable artifices have been used, to disaffect them towards me; but altogether in vain. Governour Belcher, also, has seen cause much to exert himself, in my behalf, on occasion of the opposition made to me. My people, both English and Indians, steadfastly adhere to me; excepting the family with whom the opposition began, and those related to them; which family greatly opposed me while at Northampton. Most numerous, continued and indefatigable, endeavours have been used, to undermine me, by attempting to alienate my people from me; innumerable mean artifices have been used with one and another, with young and old, men and women, Indians and English: but hitherto they have been greatly disappointed. But yet they are not weary.

"As we, dear Sir, have great reason to sympathize, one with another, with peculiar tenderness; our circumstances being in many respects similar; so I hope I shall partake of the benefit of your fervent prayers for me. Let us then endeavour to help one another, though at a great distance, in travelling through this wide wilderness that we may have the more joyful meeting in the land of rest, when we have finished our weary pilgrimage.

"I am, dear Sir,

"Your most affectionate brother,

"and fellow servant,

"JONATHAN EDWARDS.

"P. S. My wife joins in most affectionate regards to you and yours."

The proposals, for publishing the Essay on the Freedom of the Will, were issued in Massachusetts, in 1753; but, in consequence of the kind offer of Mr. Erskine and Mr. McLaurin, to circulate the papers, and procure subscribers for it, in Scotland, the printing was postponed, until the success of their efforts was known. What that success was, probably, cannot now be ascertained. The work was published early in the year 1754, under the title of "A careful and strict Enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that Freedom of the Will, which is supposed to be essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame." This work is justly considered, as the most laboured and important of the metaphysical investigations, undertaken by the author. The subject, as will be obvious from the preceding title, lies at the very foundation of all religion, and of all morality. That it was also a subject of no ordinary difficulty, appears generally to have been felt, and in effect acknowledged; for, until the time of Mr. Edwards, it had never been thoroughly investigated, either by philosophers or theologians, though it was constantly recurring, in their reasonings on the great principles, connected with the moral government of God, and the character of man. Calvin, in his chapter on the Slavery VOL. I.

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