trate what has been related, the following letter from Joseph Hawley, esq. (a

was asserted that "unconverted persons, known to be such, have a right in the sight of God to the sacrament of the Lord's supper," candour will not infer that this is teaching "lying and hypocrisy."-The trae question is, What is the DESIGN of this ordinance? Is it a converting ordinance? Is the privilege of participation similar to that of attending a preached gospel? Or, on the other hand, was it instituted for the use of professed believers? In a strict sense of these words Mr. Edwards maintained, and we think very justly maintained, the latter sentiment; but his people, as long taught by a divine of no small celebrity, his own grand-father, and the ancestor of many other persons of considerable influence in the town, believed the former.

Now, supposing the ordinance to be designed by the institutor merely as a moral mean, not only of edification to strict believers, but also of conversion to baptized nominal christians; was not a plan which deprived their offspring of this privilege, likely to rouse their feelings to the utmost, as our's would be, were any to plead that our children were no longer admitted to sit under a preached gospel? A false principle, therefore, betrayed them into warmth and obstinacy of opposition, rather than a deliberate love of sin, or a total want of respect to their minister. They erroneously thought that baptism and the Lord's supper had the same design; and therefore, that those who did not renounce the one had a right to the other: not considering, that the former is a bond of general relation to the church universal, and the latter a bond of particular communion with Christ and his professing members.

gentleman who was very active in the transactions of this whole business, and very much a leader in it,) to the Rev. Mr. Hall, of Sutton, published in a weekly

4. That the people should be considered as more under the influence of a mistaken principle, imbibed from their infancy, (and not opposed by Mr. Edwards himself for about twenty years,) than filled with ingratitude and the love of sin, appears probable from his not discovering any wish to leave them. His great anxiety appears to have been, to convince them of their error in principle; but not to leave them as 66 an abandoned set." More urbanity of manners, and the cultivation of christian meekness, would have taught them to maintain their principle in a different way; and a greater superiority of mind, in examining long established customs by the light of revelation and just reasoning, would have taught them to renounce the very principle by which they were betrayed. But while that principle was not renounced, there was as little prospect of accommodation almost as between a Pædobaptist minister and an Antipædobaptist church, that rejected the principle of mixed communion, however excellent in other respects the character may be on both sides. And is it not highly probable, that this was the light in which the majority of the convened council viewed the matter? They attempted a reconciliation-not between an excellent minister and "an abandoned set" advocating the cause of immorality, but-between a valued man, minister, and writer, and a people who, though greatly benefited by his other labours, were not convinced by his reasoning in reference to an institute of religion.-W.

newspaper in Boston, May 19th, 1760, is

here inserted.

"REV. SIR,

Northampton, May 9, 1760.

"I have often wished that every member of the two ecclesiastical councils that for merly sat in Northampton, upon the unhappy differences between our former most worthy and reverend pastor, Mr. Jonathan Edwards, and the church here, whereof you were a member; I say, sir, I have often wished every one of them truly knew my real sense of my own conduct in the affairs that the one and the other of the said councils are privy to. As I have long apprehended it to be my duty not only to humble myself before God for what was unchristian and sinful in my conduct before the said councils, but also to confess my faults to them, and take shame to myself before them; so I have often studied with myself in what manner it was practicable for me to do it. When I understood that you, sir, and Mr. Eaton were to be at ColdSpring at the time of the late council, I resolved to improve the opportunity fully

to open my mind there to you and him thereon; and thought that probably some imethod might be then thought of in which my reflections on myself touching the matters above hinted at, might be communicated to most, if not all the gentlemen aforesaid, who did not reside in this county. But you know, sir, how difficult it was for us to converse together by ourselves, when at Cold-Spring, without giving umbrage to that people; I therefore proposed writing to you upon the matters which I had then opportunity only most summarily to suggest; which you, sir, signified would be agreeable to you. I therefore now undertake what I then proposed, in which I humbly ask the divine aid; and that I may be made most freely willing fully to confess my sin and guilt to you and the world in those instances which I have reason to suppose fell under your notice, as they were public and notorious transac tions, and on account whereof, therefore, you, sir, and all others who had knowledge thereof, had just cause to be offended

at me.

"And, in the first place, sir, I apprehend that, with the church and people of Northampton, I sinned and erred exceedingly in consenting and labouring that there should be so early a dismission of Mr. Edwards from his pastoral relation to us, even upon the supposition that he was really in a mistake in the disputed point: not only because the dispute was upon matters so very disputable in themselves, and at the greatest remove from fundamental, but because Mr. Edwards so long had approved himself a most faithful and painful pastor to the said church. He also changed his sentiments in that point wholly from a tender regard to what appeared to him to be truth; and had made known his sentiments with great moderation, and upon great deliberation, against all worldly motives,. from mere fidelity to his great Master, and a tender regard to the souls of his flock, as we had the highest reason to judge. These considerations now seem to me sufficient; and would (if we had been of a right spirit) have greatly endeared him to his people, and made us to the last degree reluctant to