History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1748.] COL. JOHN STODDARD. 175
to revenge himself iii)oii bis competitors. Tliongh he held
high judicial honors, they never elfaced his military title,
and he was most familiarly known to the end of his life as
Col. John Stoddard. A firm friend and welcome counsellor
of Rev. Jonathan Edwards, it is highly ])rol)able that a
different result might have been reached in that memorable
controversy, had he then been living. ^
Testimony of Thomas Tliougli liis duties Were multifarious, and
Hutchinsciu.
f;\^Q cares of official life incessant and ex-
acting, his fame as a statesman is eclipsed
by that of none of his contemporaries. Thomas Hutchin-
son, historian of Massachusetts, bears the following testimony
to his character —
:
" There have been but few men among us who have been more gen-
erally esteemed. His enemies would charge him with unconstitutional
principles, but at the same time allow he had an upright heart. He
shined only in affairs of importance, lesser matters would frequently
be carried against his mind by the little acts and crafts of minute politicians,
which he disdained to defeat by counter woi-king. He was
very early employed in public affairs. In 1713, he went as a comissary
to Quebec for the redemption of captives, and the several governours
to the time of his death entrusted to his direction the military affairs
of the county of Hampshire, which in time of war was peculiarly exposed.
Nor was his authority less in civil matters. Both military and
civil authority he used with great discretion. In this latter, in one
instance, he rather exceeded, extending it to ecclesiastical affairs of the
town of Springfield farther than he could well justify. Our best men
have sometimes exceeded in their zeal for particular systems, and have
endeavored to promote religion by invading natural and civil rights."
Case of Rev. Mr. The abovc allusiou to intermeddling in ec-
^i'*'^k- clesiastical affairs refers to the case of Rev.
John Breck of Springfield. In October. 1735,
Mr. Breck was charged with heresy, and an attempt was
made to prevent his settlement after a council of ministers,
convened for that purpose, had assembled. His opponents
first applied to the Court of Common Pleas for a warrant
to arrest the council, which the Justices refused. But they
afterwards issued one for the arrest of Mr. Breck, and he
1 Mr. Edwards states that he intended to submit to Col. Stoddard a full statement
of his peculiar views upon the question which cost him his pastorate, before taking
a decided stand upon it. but the occasion for such an exposition did not occur till
after the death of Mr. Stoddard.—Dwight's Life of Edwards, p. 314.
2 Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts, vol. 2, p. 386.
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