United States—Clergy—Biography. I. Title.
Published with assistance from the Annie Burr Lewis Fund.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marsden, George M., 1939–
Jonathan Edwards : a life / George M. Marsden.
p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-300-09693-3 (alk. paper)
1. Edwards, Jonathan, 1703–1758. 2. Congregational churches— United States—Clergy—Biography. I. Title. BX7260.E3M412 2003 285.8%092—dc21 [B] 2002013611
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To a generation of Edwards scholars who made this work possible
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of
the power may be of God, and not of us.
—II Corinthians 4:7
Contents
List of Maps ix
Cotton Mather's Map of New England x
Chronology of Edwards' Life and Times xiii
Preface xvii
Note on the Text xxi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. A Time to Be Born 11
Chapter 2. The Overwhelming Question 25
Chapter 3. The Pilgrim's Progress 44
Chapter 4. The Harmony of All Knowledge 59
Chapter 5. Anxieties 82
Chapter 6. ''A Low, Sunk Estate and Condition'' 101
Chapter 7. On Solomon Stoddard's Stage 114
Chapter 8. And on a Wider Stage 133
Chapter 9. The Mighty Works of God and of Satan 150
Chapter 10. The Politics of the Kingdom 170
Chapter 11. ''A City Set on a Hill'' 184
Chapter 12. God ''Will Revive the Flame Again,
Even in the Darkest Times'' 201
Chapter 13. The Hands of God and the Hand of Christ 214
viii Contents
Chapter 14. ''He That Is Not with Us Is Against Us'' 227
Chapter 15. ''Heavenly Elysium'' 239
Chapter 16. Conservative Revolutionary 253
Chapter 17. A House Divided 268
Chapter 18. A Model Town No More 291
Chapter 19. Colonial Wars 306
Chapter 20. ''Thy Will Be Done'' 320
Chapter 21. ''I Am Born to Be a Man of Strife'' 341
Chapter 22. The Crucible 357
Chapter 23. The Mission 375
Chapter 24. Frontier Struggles 395
Chapter 25. Wartime 414
Chapter 26. Against an ''Almost Inconceivably Pernicious''
Doctrine 432
Chapter 27. Original Sin ''in This Happy Age of Light
and Liberty'' 447
Chapter 28. Challenging the Presumptions of the Age 459
Chapter 29. The Unfinished Masterworks 472
Chapter 30. The Transitory and the Enduring 490
Appendix A. Genealogical Table of Edwards' Relatives 507
Appendix B. Edwards' Sisters 510
Appendix C. Edwards' Immediate Family, from His Family Bible 511
Notes 513
Credits 601
Index 603
Maps
Southeastern Section of Cotton Mather's Map of New England, 1696 x
Central New Haven, 1748 92
Edwards' World as the Embattled American West 384
Southeastern section of Cotton Mather's map of New England, 1696
Chronology of Edwards' Life and Times
Edwards' Times
Edwards' Life
1685 Louis XIV revokes Edict of Nantes, Protestants persecuted, many flee
1688–89 ''Glorious Revolution'': William and Mary succeed James II of England, a Catholic
1701 Founding of Yale
1702–13 Queen Anne's War
1703 Born October 5, East Windsor, Connecticut
1704 Indians sack Deerfield, Massachusetts
1706 Birth of Benjamin Franklin
1707 Union of England and Scotland under the name Great Britain
1712 Slave uprising in New York City
1714 George I of the Protestant House of Hanover succeeds to English throne
1715–16 Jacobite rebellion in Scotland, to place James III (the ''Pretender'') on the throne, suppressed
1716–20 Undergraduate at Yale College
1720–22 M.A. student at Yale
1721 Cotton Mather promotes smallpox vaccinations in Boston
1721 (spring) Intense religious experiences begin
1722 (August) to 1723 (April) Pastor of church in New York City
1723 (summer) Home at East Windsor
1723 (November) to 1724 (May) Pastor of church at Bolton, Connecticut
xiv Chronology
Edwards' Life
Edwards' Times
1724–26 Tutor at Yale (illness fall 1725)
1724–25 New England vs. French and Abenakis in Father Râle's War
1726 Called to assist his grandfather Solomon Stoddard in Northampton
1727 (July) Marries Sarah Pierpont
1727–60 King George II
1729 Death of Solomon Stoddard; Edwards becomes full pastor
1730–41 Jonathan Belcher governor of Massachusetts
1734 A Divine and Supernatural Light preached
1734–35 Northampton and Connecticut Valley awakening
1735 Treaty at Deerfield prepares for founding of Stockbridge
1734–35 Breck Case
1737 A Faithful Narrative brings revival international attention
1738 Charity and Its Fruits preached
1738 John Wesley begins Methodist revivals in England
1740 George Whitefield's tour of New England sparks Great Awakening
1740–41 Land Bank agitation in Massachusetts
1741 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God preached
1741 Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God
1742 Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England
1742 Great revivals begin in Scotland
1742 Sarah's ecstatic experience
1742 Northampton covenant
1744 ''Young folks' Bible'' case
1744–48 French phase of King George's War
1745 Capture of French fortress, Louisbourg
1746 Religious A√ections
1745–46 ''Young Pretender,'' Charles Edward Stuart, is defeated after invading Scotland and England
1747 An Humble Attempt
1747 Visit and death of David Brainerd
1746–57 Jonathan Belcher governor of New Jersey
1748 Death of daughter Jerusha
1749 Life of David Brainerd
1746 College of New Jersey founded
1750 Dismissed from Northampton pastorate
1751 Settles in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, as pastor and missionary to Indians
Chronology xv
Edwards' Life
Edwards' Times
1752 Franklin's electrical experiment with kite
1752 Georgian calendar adopted by English
1754 Freedom of the Will
1755 Drafted The End for Which God Created and The Nature of True Virtue (pub. 1765)
1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755–63 French and Indian War
1758 Original Sin
1758 Installed as president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University)
1758 Dies of smallpox inoculation