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

234 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1754.
feeling in that body. In another letter Mr. Edwards states
that there were " about 20 heads of families, besides others,
women and young people, who appeared openly against the
proceedings of the town." These were the men who voted
against dismissal, notwithstanding the social ostracism that
pursued all who publicly adhered to him. The position in
the community of those who befriended the pastor at this
time, is summed up by Mr. Edwards. He says: — "A
person by appearing my friend at Northampton, even so
much so as openly to discountenance my being turned out
of the pulpit, exposes himself to the immediate persecution
of his neighbors, and perhaps of his nearest friends."^
It appears that only a score of men throughout the whole
town had the courage of their convictions, and dared to
brave public sentiment in that time of prejudice, strife
and contention. Their names are worthy of preservation,
but only a few of them can now be positively identified.
Mr. Edwards himself names Col. Timothy Dwight and Dr.
Samuel Mather. Mr. Sylvester Judd records the follow-
ing : —
Samuel Kingsley, Nathaniel Strong, Benjamin Ly-
man, Joseph Allen and Benjamin Sheldon. To this list
also belong the names of Major Timothy Dwight and
Elihu Parsons, who both in 1750, married daughters of Mr.
Edwards. Tradition and conjecture add the names of Dea,
Samuel Lyman, Dea. Stephen Wright, Daniel Clark, Simeon
Clark, Capt. John Baker, John Baker Jr., Ebenezer
Clark Jr., William Clark, Capt. Roger Clap, Major Jonathan
Clapp, Joseph Bartlett and Increase Clark. ^
1 Dwight's Life of Edwards, p. 467.
3 See Appendix.