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

CHAPTER IV.
JONATHAN EDWARDS SETTLED AS COLLEAGUE PASTOR.
Pastorate of Rev. Rey. Solomoii Stoddai'd, tlie Venerable and
Mr. Stoddard. venerated minister, liad now reached liis
8'-^'' year, having passed by three years the
half centnry line of his pastorate. His life had been an
nncomuionly active one. Town and church had prospered
greatly under his spiritual lead, and he had grown old and
infirm in the service of the people.
" While the existing members of the chui'ch. with scarcely an excep-
tion, regarded him as their spiritual father, all the acting inhabitants
of the town, had grown up under his ministry, and had been accustomed,
from infancy, to pay a respect to his person and character, and
a deference to his opinions, such as children pay to those of a loved
and venerated parent." ^
Since his ordination the town had suffered the miseries,
uncertainties and vicissitudes of four Indian wars. Friends
and neighbors had been killed, wounded or carried away
captive ; houses had been burned ; seasons of want and
hardship had intervened ; and yet notwithstanding all
these discouragements the town had increased in wealth
and population, and great additions had been made to the
church. Always interested in the material as well as spir-
itual welfare of the town, zealous for everything that
tended to its pros]3erity, few questions of real importance
concerning its best interests, were decided without the approval
of the venerable pastor. The large congregation
was by no means harmonious, either in an ecclesiastical or
worldly point of view. Wrangling and contention were
rife, and rare tact and judgment were required to guide or
arbitrate between them. But with the expansion and in-
crease of the town came more arduous and exacting labors
1 Dwight's Life of President Edwards, p. 109.
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