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

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198 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1749.<br />

disorderly <strong>in</strong> tlie time <strong>of</strong> public worship, that are above<br />

the age <strong>of</strong> 16 years before a Justice <strong>of</strong> the Peace." The<br />

younger disturbers were to be " set before the Deacon's seat<br />

as a public example," In March 174^, it was " voted that<br />

the young women that are seated <strong>in</strong> the front corner Pew<br />

<strong>in</strong> the Gallery be removed & the Pew be seated with young<br />

men." An absolutely ungallant vote, unless other seats<br />

were provided for the young women, <strong>of</strong> which there seems<br />

to be no evidence.<br />

The Controversy The coutroversy Concern<strong>in</strong>g the admission<br />

with Mr. Edwards, <strong>of</strong> uiembcrs to the church, the ostensible<br />

ground on which the dismissal <strong>of</strong> Mr. Edwards<br />

was based, began <strong>in</strong> 1749. This contention, so fully<br />

treated <strong>in</strong> Dwight's " Life <strong>of</strong> President Edwards," has been<br />

the theme <strong>of</strong> many able writers. Its historical details<br />

have been exhausted, but a general outl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> <strong>its</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal<br />

facts, to which it is impossible to add anyth<strong>in</strong>g essential,<br />

seems to be necessarj^. This chapter <strong>of</strong> history, while not<br />

at all creditable to <strong>Northampton</strong>, must needs f<strong>in</strong>d a place<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>its</strong> annals.<br />

The Great Awaken- Before enter<strong>in</strong>g upon that subject it may<br />

i°K- be well first to outl<strong>in</strong>e the Great Awaken<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

which left <strong>its</strong> impress upon the English<br />

speak<strong>in</strong>g world. It commenced <strong>in</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong>, and<br />

spread, not alone throughout the town and county, but<br />

encompassed New England, embraced the colonies <strong>of</strong><br />

America and extended across the ocean to England and<br />

Scotland.' The labors <strong>of</strong> Mr. Edwards had been abundantly<br />

rewarded. Thus far dur<strong>in</strong>g his i)astorate revivals<br />

had followed each other at <strong>in</strong>tervals, each more effective<br />

than <strong>its</strong> predecessor, till the fame <strong>of</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong>'s m<strong>in</strong>ister<br />

extended far and wide. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the fifteen years immediately<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g the death <strong>of</strong> his grandfather his earnest<br />

and powerful presentations <strong>of</strong> Gospel truth had borne<br />

almost constant fruit. This last and most powerful awak-<br />

en<strong>in</strong>g, which took place with<strong>in</strong> half a dozen years <strong>of</strong> that<br />

<strong>of</strong> 1735, already alluded to, was the most effective <strong>of</strong> any<br />

that had yet visited the New England churches. It began<br />

1 Alien's Life <strong>of</strong> Jonathan Edwards, p. 184.

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