Divine wrath; but while his conscience is convinced of these things, his heart rises up against them; and the enmity of his heart against God and his law rises in proportion to his conscience' being convinced of these things; and when he is brought to the last stage of preparatory work before regeneration, his enmity rises to the highest degree. He farther added, that God did not command or require the unregenerate to use any means but with a renewed heart, a gracious principle, or love to God. This occasioned much conversation with others, as well as with the candidate. But it issued in this. That there was no command of God to pray or do any other duty but with a perfect heart. God commands the sinner to repent, and he is to use means to convince him of sin with a gracious principle, and so in every other duty.

Speaking of the seals of the covenant, especially of Baptism when applied to adult persons, his words in his confession of faith are as follows, &c.- upon which much was said. The sum of which is this, That he must give a credible evidence of inward renewing grace, and be satisfied himself, or have a prevailing hope of his good estate, or his baptism is to be deferred :—and the same qualifications are to be looked for in admitting persons into full communion. Farther, he professed that only the infants of those who are in complete standing in the church, by which he meant those in full communion, are to be baptized.

When the examination was ended, each one was asked whether he could license the candidate. It was said, Yes, by almost all. And when I objected, and suggested my reasons, they appeared to have no weight with my brethren. Then I urged that they would defer the license for farther consideration, for I had never known, for thirty years, of but one instance of any being licensed without the approbation of every member present, and that proved a great uneasiness amongst us. I farther urged that it might be deferred for this reason: In licensing candidates, we act for the churches, and they depend upon our licensing them upon the known faith of the churches; and it is apparent upon examination, Mr. Emmons is not of the same faith, in some of the important doctrines of religion, we settled with our churches upon; and therefore we ought to consult our churches before we licensed candidates upon a different faith. But nothing I could say by way of argument and persuasion, availed any thing.

I was told, if I did not like the proceedings of the Association, I might enter my protest, with the reasons. Which was one reason of my writing as above, the first opportunity. This was signed, EDWARD EELS.

Middletown, Oct. 6, 1769.

This document produced a great excitement among the ministers in the vicinity of its origin, and by rendering Emmons, to use his own language, "a speckled bird," gave him, for a time, no little trouble. The excitement was finally allayed by a conciliatory creed which was drawn up for the purpose, and

signed by him and the Association. But its effect upon his mind was lasting as his life. It led him to reexamine the subjects of difference between him and his opponents; disclosed to him the fact that the clergy of his own State, whom he highly venerated, differed widely among themselves; and taught him the importance, not only of being fully persuaded in his own mind, but of being able to defend himself against the attacks of men in high places. After this, he naturally felt that he must stand or fall upon his own merits; that it was unwise, as well as wicked, to place implicit reliance upon the faith of others; that there was room for improvement in theological science, and a loud call in the providence of God for a more full and consistent exhibition of the truth. It is impossible to predict what would be the effect of considerations like these upon such a mind as that of Emmons. But there is little reason to doubt that they did exert a most important influence, in forming and developing one of the most interesting and prominent traits of his character.

The fearless and honest manner in which Dr. Emmons expressed the convictions of his own mind, constitutes a prominent feature in his character. He was as independent in the avowal of his opinions, as in the formation of them. He was careful never to throw out mere impressions, conjectures, or half formed opinions. But when his mind was fully made up on any doctrine or duty, he was never afraid to avow it. He was always confident that truth would bear its own weight. He felt the importance, as every wise man does, of exhibiting particular truths at a proper time, and applying them to proper subjects; or, in other words, of "rightly dividing the word of truth." Few ministers ever studied more to preach appropriately and timely than he. But he had nothing to conceal. He disdained to withhold a truth because it was unpopular. He did not fear the consequences of truth, exhibited in a scriptural attitude, and at a proper time, either to himself, to his hearers, or the cause of God. While he seems to have had a remarkably clear and comprehensive view of the great doctrines of the gospel, he appears also to have had an unusual confidence in the power of truth, as the instrument of the Holy Ghost, to accomplish its great designs. No man knew better than he the native opposition of the human heart to God, or the strength of this opposition when highly excited. And he was careful not unnecessarily to call it into action. But he never attempted to prevent its exercise by the concealment of the truth, or to allay its asperity by withdrawing from it the sword of the Spirit. There are many ministers, whose convictions are decidedly in favor of the most offensive doctrines that he ever taught, who 7*

VOL. I.

do not avow them as he did. In private conversation they admit the truth of God's decrees both of election and reprobation, and of his agency in the production of sin as well as holiness; but seldom or never name them in their public discourses. For some reason or other, they seem to shrink from the open and public avowal of their real conviction in regard to these things. But Dr. Emmons never adopted this policy. On all these and other unpopular subjects, his people knew his opinions, and the arguments by which they were sustained. He loved his people, and sought to please them; but he never would attempt to promote their pleasure by the concealment, or denial, or palliation of any unpleasant truth. He respected his people, and wished himself to secure their respect; but any favor or respect from them, which must be obtained by the least concealment of his honest convictions of truth and duty, he deemed too dear a purchase for him to make. He knew as well as any man that one way to benefit his people was to gain their good will and esteem. But he never hoped to do them good by any influence with them which a concealment of the truth would give him. There were times when the honest avowal of his opinions did excite the opposition of some of his people, and his faithful rebukes the resentment of others. This opposition and resentment he bore with submission and patience, considering them among the evils which he was called to suffer in the discharge of duty; and viewing them as far less, both in their effects upon him and them, than those which would ultimately result from an opposite course.

Every practice, as well as doctrine, which he thought to be in opposition to the word of God, he would fearlessly censure. It made no difference whether the practice was fashionable or unfashionable; whether its abettors were few or many; whether rich or poor; honorable or despised; friends or foes. No individual among his people could ever refer to him as favoring or conniving at, or as being indifferent to any vain amusement, or evil custom which prevailed among them. On the other hand, the friends of good order and sound morals, and all the friends of truth, could point with confidence not only to his example, but to his expressed opinion, and oftentimes to his unforgotten arguments, as authority against the practices which they wished to discourage.

He was not afraid to avow his dissent from the practices of the ministers and churches of his own order, whenever they appeared to him either unscriptural or unwise. If the majority of the ministers and churches were against him, and even if he were obliged to stand entirely alone, he ceased not to speak his opinion boldly, and to act in accordance with it. In regard

to the propriety of forming a General Association in this Commonwealth, he did dissent from the great body of his brethren in the ministry, and from many of his most highly esteemed and valuable friends; and while he cheerfully conceded to them the right of acting for themselves in regard to this great question, and uniformly treated them with the same cordiality as though no difference of opinion existed between them, he continued to avow his opinion on this subject as long as he lived, and to act in consistency with it. His principal objection to the General Association was, that it was liable to the accumulation of a power which would be dangerous to the independence of the churches. He was afraid of any very large ministerial or ecclesiastical body. He thought them unnecessary and of dangerous tendency, on account of the power which they would be able to exert over individuals, and churches. It was in his estimation a matter of great importance that individual ministers and churches should be able to think and act for themselves, unawed and uninfluenced by the decision of great and powerful bodies.

When Free Masonry was in all its glory, professors of religion entering its lodges, ministers of the gospel sanctioning its claims, and the multitude every where captivated with its gaudy appearance and pompous titles; he openly denounced the institution as dangerous to the country, as unfriendly to religion, and as an imposition upon the world.

He never liked protracted meetings. And although there was a time when there was scarcely a minister or a church of his own denomination, or any other which favors revivals of religion, that did not in some way or other give them countenance, yet he uniformly and decidedly opposed them. He did not doubt that they might be instrumental of much present good. He listened with interest to the accounts which were given of the numbers suddenly awakened and convicted, and candidly allowed that many by these means might be brought to a saving knowledge of Christ. But still he would say, they are an unauthorized measure, a human device, which will in the end do more hurt than good. Among the evils which he feared, was an undue excitement, which would lead ministers to give a distorted view of the gospel, by dwelling upon those points only which are suited to produce the greatest present effects; and the people to mistake the feeling of interest awakened by the peculiar circumstances in which they are placed, for genuine piety. He was afraid also, that these extraordinary meetings would create a disrelish for the common means of grace; and that the performances of ministers invited from a distance for the occasion, being, of course, if not their most

labored discourses, their most popular and interesting ones, would create dissatisfaction among the people with such as their own pastor, in other circumstances, would be able to preach. He used to say that a dreadful reaction would follow these proceedings; that in some cases there would be great stupidity; and in others great restlessness among the churches; that many churches would be divided, many ministers dismissed, many souls deceived by the encouragement of false hopes, and many sinners turned away in disgust from the ministry of the gospel. He conceded that much might be done to prevent these evils, by peculiar wisdom and care on the part of those who had the management of the meetings. But still he contended that they were a measure illy suited to the permanent welfare of the churches; a measure which the great Head of the church did not see fit to appoint, and which no degree of wisdom or effort on the part of men could render generally and permanently useful.

How far he was right or wrong in the views which he entertained in regard to this subject, the public now have a better opportunity to judge than either he or they had at the time when his opinion was expressed. The subject is here introduced merely for the purpose of illustrating the degree of independence with which he formed his opinions, and the fearless manner in which he expressed them.

The same traits of character are brought to view, in a most striking manner, by his opposition to the use of instruments in sacred music. In this respect, he was not indeed entirely alone; but he differed, and he was aware that he differed, not only from the great body of his brethren in the ministry, but from the professed followers of Christ generally throughout the world. But notwithstanding this amazing weight of authority against him, he adhered steadfastly to his own convictions, expressed them on all proper occasions without hesitation or reserve, and always acted in consistency with them. As long as he continued the acting pastor of his church and people, he prevailed with the choir to lay aside all instruments in the sanctuary, and to render unto God the tribute of vocal praise. And to their credit, as well as his, it ought to be recorded, that the want of instruments in their sacred music was never felt nor lamented.

The reader will doubtless inquire, how Dr. Emmons could carry into practice opinions of his own, which differed so widely from those of the religious community in general. The answer is, he always took care to express his convictions on every practical subject, and the reasons for them, in anticipation of the objections of his people. They always had before them