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

230 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [ir51.
Mr. Edwards Re- For Hiore than a year Mr. Edwards conmoves
his Family, tinued to occupy liis homestead on King
Street, and did not remove his family to
Stockbridge till October, 1751. The interval he spent between
Northampton and Stockbridge, having been installed
over the church in the latter place, in August. He
preached his last sermon here on the 13*'' of October, and
three days after set out with his family on the journey to
his new place of abode. Nothing is known concerning the
manner of his leave-taking, or who of his faithful friends
were present to bid him a sorrowful farewell. All that
remains relative to it is the following entry in the diary of
"''
Rev. Jonathan Judd of Southampton — : Oct. 16, met Mr.
Edwards and family at Lorin (?) Bartlett's, rid some miles."
It is gratifying to know that at least one faithful friend
cheered by his presence, the wearied divine as he severed
the last ties that bound him to the scene of his aspirations,
his triumphs and his tribulations. From that time onward
no evidence appears to show that Mr. Edwards ever
again preached in Northampton. However, as he had two
married daughters living here it is probable that he occasionally
visited the place. He made a journey to Northampton
in 1755, and no doubt came at other times to visit
his daughters.
Mr. Edwards, iu a letter to Rev. Mr. Erskine
Major Hawiey Arraigned.
of Scotlaud, Written in July, 1750, in a re-
view of the controversy with his people,
thus speaks of one of the most prominent among his opponents
: —
" The people, in managing this affair on their side, have made chief
use of a yonng gentleman of liberal education and notable abilities,
and a fluent speaker, of about seven or eight and twenty years of age,
my grandfather Stoddard's grandson, being my mother's sister's son, a
man of lax principles in religion, falling in. in some essential things,
with Arminians, and is very open and bold in it. He was improved as
one of the agents for the church, and was their chief spokesman before
the council. He very streniTOUsly urged before the council the necessity
of an immediate separation ; and 1, knowing the church, the most
of them, to be inflexibly bent on this event, informed the council that
I should not enter into the dispute, but should refer the matter wholly
to the council's judgment." ^
1 Dwight's Life of Edwards, p. 410.