lighter punishment, as guilty of manslaughter: by which these Indians, and also the Indians of some other tribes, were greatly displeased, and disaffected towards the English. Since the last fall, some Indians from Canada, doubtless instigated by the French, broke in upon us, on the Sabbath, between meetings, and fell upon an English family, and killed three of them; and about an hour after, killed another man, coming into the town from some distant houses; which occasioned a great alarm in the town, and in the country. Multitudes came from various parts, for our defence, that night, and the next day; and many of these conducted very foolishly towards our Indians, on this occasion, suspecting them to be guilty of doing the mischief, charging them with it, and threatening to kill them, and the like. After this, a reward being offered by some private gentlemen, to some that came this way as soldiers, if they would bring them the scalp of a Canada Indian; two men were so extremely foolish and wicked, that they, in the night, dug up one of our Indians, that had then lately died, out of his grave, to take off his scalp; that, by pretending that to be a scalp of a Canada Indian, whom they had met and killed in the woods, they might get the promised reward. When this was discovered, the men were punished. But this did not hinder, but that such an act greatly increased the jealousy and disaffection of the Indians, towards the English. Added to these things, we have many white people, that will, at all times, without any restraint, give them ardent spirits, which is a constant temptation to their most predominant lust. Though I have but little success, and many discouragements, here at Stockbridge, yet Mr. Hawley, now a missionary among the Six Nations, who went from New-England to Onohquauga, a place more than 200 miles distant from hence, has, of late, had much encouragement. Religion seems to be a growing, spreading thing, among the savages in that part of America, by his means. And there is a hopeful prospect, of way being made for another missionary in those parts, which may have happy consequences, unless the Six Nations should go over to the French; which there is the greatest reason to expect, unless the English should exert themselves, vigorously and successfully, against the French, in America, this year. They seem to be waiting, to see whether this will be so or no, in order to determine, whether they will entirely desert the English, and cleave to the French. And if the Six Nations should forsake the English, it may be expected, that the Stockbridge Indians, and almost all the nations of Indians in North America, will follow them. It seems to be the most critical season, with the British dominions in America, that ever was seen, since the first settlement of these colonies; and all, probably, will depend on the warlike transactions of the present year. What will be done, I cannot tell. We are all in commotion, from one end of British America, to the other; and various expeditions are projected, and preparing for; one to Ohio, another to the French Forts in Nova Scotia, another to Crown Point. But these affairs are not free from embarrassments: great difficulties arise, in our present most important affairs, through the dispirited state of the several governments. It is hard for them to agree upon means and measures. And we have no reason to think, that the French are behind us, in their activity and preparations. A dark cloud seems to hang over us: we need the prayers of all our friends, and all friends to the Protestant interest. Stockbridge is a place much exposed; and what will become of us, in the struggles that are coming on, God only knows. I have heard that Messrs. Tennent and Davies are arrived in America, having had good success, in the errand they went upon. Mr. Bellamy is not likely to go to New-York, principally by reason of the opposition of some of the congregation, and also of some of the neighbouring ministers. I have heard, they have lately unanimously agreed to apply themselves to Mr. M'Gregor, of New-Londonderry, alias Nutfield, in New-England, to be their minister; who is a gentleman, that, I think, if they can obtain him, will be likely to suit them, and competent to fill the place. And I have heard, that there has been some difference in his own congregation, that has lately made his situation there uneasy. If so, he will be more likely to consent to the motion from New-York. "My wife joins with me, in respectful and affectionate salutations, to you and Mrs. Erskine. "I am, dear Sir, your affectionate and obliged brother, "P.S. In a journey I went to Northampton, the last April, I carried the foregoing letter, with others for Scotland, so far, seeking an opportunity to send them from thence to Boston; and there I met another letter from Mr. Prince, with a joyful contradiction of his former account of Mr. M'Laurin's death; which occasioned my bringing my pacquet home again. Nevertheless, after I had broken open, and perused this letter, I thought best to send it along, enclosed in a wrapper to Mr. M'Laurin; who, I hope, is yet living, and will convey it to you. 66 J. E. .6 Stockbridge, June 2, 1755." In the beginning of September, the danger became so imminent, that Mr. Edwards, at the request of the people of the town, addressed the following urgent letter to the Colonel of the County. Yesterday the English inhabitants of the town sent away a let ter, directed to you, to be conveyed to Hatfield, respecting the state of the town, stating that it was left very greatly exposed, by the drawing off of all the Connecticut soldiers; that Gov. Shirley, by his urgency, had persuaded away almost all the Indian inhabitants, fit for war, who objected much against going, on that account, that the departure of so many would leave the town, and their wives and children too, defenceless; that the Governour removed their objection, by promising, that a sufficient number of English soldiers should be maintained here, during their absence, for the defence of the town; and also, that we had just now information sent in writing, from Mr. Vanschaak, that two large parties of Indians are lately gone out of Crown Point, against our frontiers: and so entreating that soldiers may be speedily sent. But being informed to-day, that you are gone from Hatfield, and not knowing whether you will seasonably receive the aforementioned letter, I now, at the desire of the people, give you this brief information of what was therein written; earnestly desiring, that we may not be left so easy and open a prey to our enemies, who, we have reason to think, have the means of learning our situation, and are certainly preparing to attack some of the most defenceless of the frontier villages. We hope that the troops may be forwarded immediately; for, having no adequate means of repelling an attack, we have no security for a single day. "I am, respectfully, "Your obedient servant, "JONATHAN EDWARDS." In 1751, an anonymous work was published in Edinburgh, entitled "ESSAYS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY, AND NATURAL RELIGION,"* of which Henry Home,† Esq. soon avowed himself the author. These Essays, though written by a member of the Church of Scotland, were regarded as decidedly sceptical in their tendency, and brought the author into some difficulties with the particular church with which he was connected. This led to a public discussion of the character of the work at large-particularly of the ESSAY ON LIBERTY AND NECESSITY. When this discussion was commencing, the ESSAY ON THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL arrived in Scotland. It was extensively read by men of speculative minds; and, though presenting a view of the subject wholly new, gave great satisfaction to men of all classes. Lord Kaimes and his friends, having read the work of Mr. Edwards, endeavoured to *The subjects treated of in this volume were, ATTACHMENT TO OBJECTS OF DISTRESS. LAW OF NATURE. LAW OF NECESSITY. BELIEF. PERSONAL IDENTITY. AUTHORITY OF OUR SENSES. IDEA OF POWER. KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE EVENTS. DREAD OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS IN THE DARK. OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEITY. + Soon after created a Lord of Session, with the the title of Lord Kuimes. show that the view of Liberty and Necessity, in the FREEDOM OF THE WILL, was substantially the same with that given by his Lordship. Mr. Erskine appriezd Mr. Edwards of this fact. In the following letter, the latter barely alludes to the work of Lord Kaimes, as a work of corrupt tendency. In a subsequent Letter to his friends, written in the summer of the following year, and now appended to the Treatise on the Freedom of the Will,* he examines the views of Liberty and Necessity by his Lordship, shows their entire discordance with his own views, as exhibited in the Freedom of the Will, and exposes their inconsistency, not only with reason, but with each other. This letter from a sense of justice to its author, was immediately published, in the form of a pamphlet, by Mr. Erskine, and produced a universal conviction, that Lord Kaimes had wholly misunderstood the view taken of Liberty and Necessity, by Mr. Edwards; and that his own views of it were at war, alike, with Reason and Revelation. Indeed, his Lordship himself appears to have been of the same opinion; for, in a subsequent edition, the Essay on Liberty and Necessity is said to have been much changed, as to present essentially different views of those important subjects. "To the Rev. John Erskine, Minister of the Gospel, at Culross, "Scotland. "REV. AND DEAR SIR, "Stockbridge, Dec. 11, 1755. "I last wrote to you July 24th, 1755. Since that I received. a letter from you, dated June 23, 1755, together with the Essays on the Principles of Morality and Natural Religion,† from Mr. Hogg, and the Analysis of the moral and religious sentiments of Sopho, from yourself. I thank you for your letter and present, and shall write a letter of thanks to Mr. Hogg, for his present by your hand, added to former instances of his generosity. I had before read that book of Essays, having borrowed Mr. Bellamy's, and also that book of Mr. David Hume's, which you speak of. I am glad of an opportunity to read such corrupt books, especially when written by men of considerable genius; that I may have an idea of the notions that prevail in our nation. You say that some people say, that Lord Kaimes' being made a Lord of Session would have been prevented, if Chancellor Hardwick and Archbishop Herring had seasonably seen his book. I should be glad to know *See Vol. II; pp. 290-300. Lord Kaimes had a much higher reputation, as a writer, fifty years ago, than at present. The perusal of his Essay on Liberty and Necessity, and of the remarks upon it, in the letter of Mr. Edwards, here referred to, will inevitably lead to the conviction, that, as a metaphysician, he was neither accurate, nor profound. + By Lord Kaimes. who this Chancellor Hardwick is, and what is his character. By your mentioning him in such a manner, I am ready to suppose he may be in some respects, of good character; and it is a matter of thankfulness, if a man of good character, and a friend to religion, be LORD CHANCELLOR. "As to our warlike concerns, I have not heretofore been. very particular in writing about them, in my letters to Scotland, supposing it highly probable, that you would have earlier accounts from Boston, New-York and Philadelphia, than any I can send you, living at so great a distance from any of the sea ports. Nevertheless, seeing you propose my sending you some account of the present posture of affairs, I would say, that it appears to me, that notwithstanding some remarkable favours of heaven, of which we are very unworthy, it has in the general been a year of great frowns of Providence on British America. Notwithstanding our success at Nova Scotia, and in having the better in the battle near Lake George, and taking the French General prisoner; yet, considering the advantages the enemy hath obtained against us, by General Braddock's defeat, especially in gaining over and confirming the Indians on their side, and disheartening and weakening our friends, and what we have suffered from our enemies, and how greatly we are weakened and almost sunk with our vast expenses, especially in New England, and the blood as well as money we have expended; I say considering these things, and how little we have gained by our loss and trouble, our case is no better, but far worse, than it was in the beginning of the year. At least, I think it certain, that we have attained no advantage, in any wise, to balance our trouble and expense of blood and treasure. The expedition to the eastward has been remarkably successful, but the other three expeditions, that against the French forts on the Ohio, that against Niagara, and that against Crown Point, have all been unsuccessful, as to their main designs. And though the army under General Johnson had a kind of victory over the French, and took the Baron Dieskau, their General, prisoner; yet we suffered very greatly in the battle, and the taking of the French General probably was the saving of his army. For, by telling a lie to our army, viz. that the French were in constant expectation of being greatly enforced by a large body, that marched another way, and had appointed to meet them near that place, our army was prevented from pursuing the enemy, after they had repelled them; which, if they had done, the French might have been under great advantages to have cut them off, and prevented the return of almost all of them to Crown Point, which could be no otherwise than through the water in their batteaux. Our army never proceeded any farther than the place of their engagement; but, having built a fort there, near Lake George, alias, Lake St. Sacrament, after they had built another near Hudson's River, about fourteen miles, on this side and |