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TOPIC: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 21b
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The chagrin and mortification, and entire loss of influence and
respect, consequent upon the indiscreet attempt to force Mr. Edwards
from Stockbridge, by buying out all the English inhabitants, and upon
its utter discomfiture, had, in its connexion with the infirmities of
age, such an effect upon the individual who made it, that he was soon
after induced to part with his property in that town, and remove to a
distance. His children, though somewhat disheartened by so untoward an
event, and now assured that if help came to them, it could not come
from Stockbridge, appear however to have resolved, that they would not
lose all their labour, and all their hope; without a struggle. The
commissioners in Boston, of the Society in London, were now to a man
firmly opposed to them, and resolved to resist them to the utmost. But
their kinsman who was a member of the Society in London, was well
acquainted with its board of directors, and had written to them in
behalf of his cousin. He had also applied to Mr. Hollis, to secure to
her husband the management of his benefactions. The latter gentleman
also, and the brother of the former, had considerable influence at
Boston, and this influence had now been exerted for a considerable
period, to procure the removal of Mr. Edwards. At the opening of the
general court, in the autumn, all the influence and all the efforts of
the family, and its friends, were brought to bear on this one point;
and representations most unfavourable to the character and
qualifications of Mr. E. were made to many of the principal men of the
province. The Annual Report of the resident trustee was drawn up with
a direct and immediate reference to this subject, and was read to the
legislature, when Mr. Edwards knew nothing of its contents, and when,
being at the distance of one hundred and fifty miles, he of course
could not at once answer it. Mr. Woodbridge, however, was on the spot,
as were the honourable commissioners of the Society in London, and
they made such counteracting statements, as the circumstances rendered
proper. Of this Report we shall take notice further on.
While Mr. Woodbridge was at Boston, he was informed, and that too most
incautiously, by the son of his opponent, who went thither in company
with his brother-in-law, the author of the Report, that the latter had
solicited his Excellency, Sir William Pepperell, governor of the
province, to write to England, and to use his influence, with the
corporation in London, that Mr. Edwards might be removed from the
office of missionary; and that Sir William had engaged to do it. On
this information, coming so directly, Mr. Edwards felt himself bound,
from a regard to his own reputation, and to the welfare of his family,
to address Sir William on the subject; which he did in a letter,
bearing date January 30, 1753 [55] . In this letter, after reciting
the preceding facts, as his apology for writing it, and mentioning the
great disadvantage under which he lay, in attempting to defend
himself, at such a distance, when he did not know what had been said
to his prejudice, he states, among other things, the following: That,
since the revival of religion in 1734, the family, with which the
writer of the Report was now connected, had discovered an unceasing
hostility towards himself, and his own family, notwithstanding the
best endeavours he could use to remove it; that they deeply engaged
themselves in the controversy at Northampton, on the side of his
opposers, upholding, directing, and animating them, in all their
measures; that two of them, especially, had been the confidential
advisers of the opposition, in procuring his dismission; that when his
removal to Stockbridge was proposed, the whole family, there and
elsewhere, opposed it, with great vehemence, though, when they saw an
entire union and universal engagedness in all the rest of the
inhabitants, both English and Indians, for his settlement there, and
that there was no hope of preventing it, they appeared as though their
minds were changed;--that the author of the Report, during the whole
controversy at Northampton, in direct opposition to the family, with
which he was now connected, had remained his zealous friend and
advocate; that he warmly advocated his removal to Stockbridge, and
expressed a strong desire of living under his ministry; (for the
evidence of which facts, he refers Sir William to two of the most
respectable gentlemen in the province;) that this confidential
friendship lasted until his connexion with that family, and then was
suddenly changed, first into secret, and afterwards into open
opposition; that he had personally blamed him for preaching to the
Mohawks, as intermeddling with what was none of his business, although
Mr. E. produced the note of the commissioners, expressly desiring him
to preach to the Mohawks, until a distinct missionary was appointed
over them; that the reason, openly assigned for the very great
resentment of the author of the Report, and that of his friends,
against Mr. Edwards, was, his having opposed the appointment of the
wife of that gentleman, as teacher of the female school, although he
neither said nor did any thing respecting it, until his opinion was
expressly desired in writing by the commissioners, and then, that he
opposed it on the ground, that it was impossible for an individual,
who had the care of two numerous families of children, to instruct and
govern the children of an Indian school;--and that, as to his
qualifications for the business of a missionary, his communicative
faculty , &c which were now denied, he could only appeal to those, who
had the best opportunity of judging, from their own
experience,--particularly, to every man, woman, and child, in
Stockbridge, that had any understanding, both English and Indians,
except the families of the opponent of Mr. Woodbridge, and of the
author of the Report. Mr. Edwards then adds, "Now, Sir, I humbly
request, that, if you had resolved on endeavouring to have me removed
from my present employment here, you would once more take the matter
into your impartial consideration. And I would pray you to consider,
Sir, what disadvantages I am under; not knowing what has been said of
me in conversation; not knowing, therefore, the accusation, or what to
answer to. The ruin of my usefulness, and the ruin of my family, which
has greatly suffered in years past, for righteousness sake, are not
indeed things of equal consideration with the public good. Yet,
certainly, I should first have an equal, impartial, and candid
hearing, before I am executed for the public good. I must leave the
matter, dear Sir, to your justice and Christian prudence; committing
the affair to Him, who knows all the injuries I have suffered, and how
wrongfully I now suffer, and who is the Great Protector of the
innocent and oppressed; beseeching him to guide you in your
determination, and mercifully to order the end."
In the month of February, 1753, the building erected for the
instruction of the Mohawk boys, usually denominated the
boarding-school, took fire in a way unknown, and, with considerable
furniture in it, was reduced to ashes. Mr. Hawley had furnished a
chamber in the building, and resided in it. By this calamity, he lost
his clothing, books, and furniture. It was supposed, with some
grounds, to have been set on fire by design; and its destruction was,
for the time, a very serious interruption to the labours of Mr.
Hawley.
The Report of the Indian agent was read early in the session. It
contained various insinuations and charges, of a general nature,
against Mr. Edwards. Other charges were busily circulated among the
members, with the hope of procuring his removal. But it was well
understood, that Mr. Edwards was at a great distance, and had had no
notice of these charges. He had likewise a character for integrity,
too well established, to be shaken by general insinuations, or covert
attacks. Mr. Woodbridge, and the commissioners, were also on the spot,
and took care that the real state of things should be made known, and
the conduct of Mr. Edwards adequately defended. So effectually and
satisfactorily was this done, that, when Mr. Edwards received a copy
of the Report by Mr. Woodbridge, he appears also to have been
apprized, by his friends in Boston, that the design of his enemies, in
this attack, had been completely frustrated. What these insinuations
and charges were, we learn from his letter to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, written for the purpose of being communicated, if
he thought necessary, to the legislature. It deserves here to be
mentioned, as a singular and very kind dispensation of Providence,
that the author of the Report had, some time before, addressed a
letter to Mr. Edwards, while he was his friend, and when he hoped for
his co-operation; particularly, in the appointment of his son as
school-master to the Mohawks; in which he had either furnished the
means of contradicting the statements made in the Report, or had
expressly requested Mr. Edwards to do the very things, which he now
complained of, and made the ground of complaint. Of this letter Mr.
Edwards enclosed a copy; offering to forward the original, if desired,
and, at the same time, to substantiate every part of his own
statement, by numerous witnesses, of the most unexceptionable
character.
From his letter to the Speaker, it appears, that the writer of the
Report charged him--with introducing Mr. Hawley into the school;--with
introducing a master, in his absence, and when there was reason to
expect his return;--with doing this, when he had been at the expense
of a journey of his son of 260 miles, to procure Mr. Hawley as master
of the boys;--with introducing Mr. Ashley, the interpreter, as
assistant instructor;--and with opposing the appointment of his wife,
as teacher of the female school;--and that he also alleged, that the
school was in very desirable circumstances, until Mr. Hawley took it,
and that it then declined;--that the Mohawks had been discouraged,
through the conduct of the agents of the mission;--and that Mr.
Edwards was not qualified for his office, because, on account of his
age, he could not learn the language of the Indians.
To these charges Mr. Edwards replied,--that he introduced Mr. Hawley,
because he was directed so to do, by the letter of the commissioners,
of Dec. 31, 1751,--that he introduced a master, in the absence of the
author of the Report, for two reasons, 1. Because he knew not when he
was to return; and, 2. Because the author of the Report, himself, in a
letter sent him by his son, requested him, at that very time, to
introduce a master into the school; of which letter he enclosed a
copy, with the offer of forwarding the original, if desired;--that,
when the author of the Report sent his son on the specified journey,
it was not to procure Mr. Hawley to be a master for the boys, but it
was, that the son himself might be the master; for evidence of which,
appeal is also made to the copy of the same letter;--that, as to the
appointment of teacher of the female school, he said nothing about it,
until expressly requested to give his opinion by the
commissioners;--that so far was the school from being in desirable
circumstances, before the introduction of Mr. Hawley, that the author
of the Report had, himself, represented it as having been, until that
time, in most lamentable circumstances, in the very letter of which he
enclosed a copy, in which he requested Mr. Edwards to introduce his
son into the school, in the room of the former master;--that the
school continued to flourish under Mr. Hawley, until his opposers used
their utmost endeavours to destroy it; for evidence of which, be
offers the testimony of the substantial inhabitants of the town;--that
Hendrick, and the other chiefs, and the Mohawks generally, had
expressly assigned their dissatisfaction with the conduct of these
individuals, as the reason of their leaving Stockbridge, for evidence
of which, he offers the same testimony;--and, as to his learning the
Housatonnuck language, that the author of the Report knew how the case
would be, before he recommended him to the office of missionary; and
that Mr. Sergeant, after fourteen years study, had never been able to
preach in it, nor even to pray in it except by a form, and had often
expressed the opinion, previous to his death, that his successor ought
not to trouble himself in learning the language. He then requests,
that the Speaker would communicate his letter to the Assembly, and
prays that honourable body, if they proposed to take any order on the
case, first to give him opportunity to meet his accuser face to face.
I have no means of ascertaining whether the preceding letter was, or
was not, read to the legislature. If not, it was because the
honourable Speaker, who was a personal friend of Mr. Edwards, found it
to be wholly unnecessary. And it can scarcely be necessary to inform
the reader, that the attack, made thus directly upon Mr. Edwards, and
indirectly upon all his associates in the mission, not only failed
altogether of its intended effect; but, by leading to a development of
the mercenary scheme, devised to divert, to the purposes of private
emolument, the consecrated charities of the province and of
individuals, recoiled with increased violence upon its authors.
Thus far the individuals, opposed to the Stockbridge missionaries, had
met with little success to encourage their efforts. They had looked
for help to various sources; to the Indians and to the people of
Stockbridge, to the commissioners and to the provincial legislature,
to Mr. Hollis and to the Society in London; and in every instance, so
far as the result was known, they had looked in vain. The
Housatonnucks had refused all intercourse with them. From disgust at
their management, a part of the Mohawks had actually retired, and the
rest were threatening to retire, to their own country. The people of
Stockbridge had, to a man, united against them. The commissioners were
equally unanimous, in sustaining the individuals whose overthrow they
had attempted. And now, before the provincial legislature, they had
made their great and united effort, and had failed. In the mean time,
Mr. Edwards was even more firmly established as the Indian missionary,
and Mr. Woodbridge as the schoolmaster of the Housatonnucks; Mr.
Hawley had not been compelled to resign his place to the son of the
resident trustee; the female school had not as yet been secured to his
wife, and obviously could not now be, unless secured to her in London;
and the stewardship of the three schools was not likely to be
conferred on himself. Such was the state of things in the spring of
1753. It looked as though the great struggle was over; and that the
party, which had hitherto acted on the offensive, would thenceforward
be quiet, from a conviction, that every hostile movement must issue in
defeat. The result justified this conclusion.
To Mr. Edwards, and his associates in the mission, as well as to their
friends, this result must have been in a high degree satisfactory. On
his arrival in Stockbridge, he found this controversy waging, and soon
discovered that it was a controversy between the friends and enemies
of the mission; between those who aimed at the real welfare of the
Indians, and those who endeavoured to use them as instruments of their
own private emolument; that one party relied on wealth, and office,
and influence, to carry its measures; and the other, on personal
integrity, a conscientious discharge of duty, and the protection of
God. For a time he avoided taking any part in it; and his own temporal
comfort, and the welfare of his family, seemed to require, that he
should persevere in the same course. But his conscience forbade it. He
must either sit quietly by, and see the charities of the province, of
the Society in London, and of Mr. Hollis, diverted from their
appointed course, to fill the coffers of private avarice; or he must
unite with those who were exerting their whole influence to prevent
it. In such a state of things, he could not deliberate, and, through
the divine blessing, he and his associates were now permitted to see,
that they had not toiled and suffered in vain.
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[52] The copy designed for Mr. Hawley was enclosed in the letter to
Mr. Edwards. Probably a similar vote was forwarded directly to Mr.
Woodbridge, as that gentleman always enjoyed their fullest confidence.
[53] Lay patronage was wholly rejected by the Scottish reformers, and
was not introduced by law until 1711. For a long period the law was
regarded as a public grievance, but is now submitted to.
[54] "Mr. Gillespie died, Jan. 19th, 1774, in serenity of mind, and
good hope through grace."
[55] This letter is too long for insertion.