JONATHAN EDWARDS'S SCOTTISH CONNECTION AND THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SCOTTISH EVANGELICAL REVIVAL, 1735-1750 Christopher Wayne Mitchell A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 1998 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3716 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License Jonathan Edwards's Scottish Connection and the Eighteenth­ Century Scottish Evangelical Revival, 1735 - 1750 Christopher Wayne Mitchell A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Divinity For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy St. Mary's College, University of St. Andrews January 1997 I certify that Christopher Wayne Mitchell has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No.1 (as amended), and is qualified to submit this thesis in application for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. v I was admitted as a research student under Ordinance 350 (General No. 12) on 1st October 1988 and as a candidate for the Degree of Ph.D under Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No.1 (as amended) on 1st October 1988. The following thesis is based on the results of research carried out by myself, is my own composition, and has not previously been submitted for a higher degree. The research was carried out in the University of St. Andrews under the supervision of Dr. D.W. Lovegrove and Professor James K. Cameron. In submitting this thesis to the University of St. Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for us in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide [italics] library or research worker. ABSTRACT In the second half of the twentieth century, the life and work of Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-century New England minister of Northampton, Massachusetts, has received increased scholarly attention. Questions of the nature and extent of his influence have informed much of this revival of interest. For two centuries theologians, philosophers and historians have claimed that Jonathan Edwards significantly influenced eighteenth-century Scottish religious thought, and yet little scholarly r.ttention has been invested in this area of Edwards's studies. The central focus of this thesis has been to shed additional light on this neglected but celebrated side of Edwards's life and ministry. This study is an investigation of the formative period of Edwards's Scottish connection. It began with the publication of his A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in Scotland in 1737 and his subsequent connection with the Scottish revival of 1742. The relationship was then further developed through the publication of five other major works of Edwards in Scotland during the years 1742 to 1749, and his correspondence with a coterie of evangelical ministers from the Church of Scotland. At the heart of this connection was the pursuit of true religion that undergird the ministries of Edwards and his Scottish counterparts. More specifically, the influence Edwards exercised on Scottish evangelicalism during this formative period was the result, first, of his articulation of a Reformed, evangelical and enlightened conception of true piety which he used to promote and defend the revivals and, second, the cooperation and support he received from the Scottish ministers he corresponded with. What this study shows is that the cooperative relationship between Edwards and his Scottish counterparts helped usher in a new era of Scottish Calvinism. With their combined abilities, creative·vision and enterprising spirit they forged a new evangelical paradigm £Or Scottish Calvinism. The revival was the catalyst for this new movement and Edwards was its theological architect. Scottish revivalists used Edwards's Faithful Narrative to inspire and promote the revival and his Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God to defend and manage it. Edwards's conception of true piety together with the revival helped redefine Scottish evangelical Calvinism by adapting it from its old didactic role within a godly commonwealth to a mission oriented role where the faith of the individual became prominent and the pursuit of sanctification, not salvation, defined the Christian's life. These emphases were further developed among Scottish evangelicals following the revival by the continuing efforts of Edwards and his Scottish friends. Prominent among these efforts were three additional works of Edwards and the international enterprise known as the United Concert for Prayer that was organized and orchestrated by Scottish evangelicals. One of the most far-reaching results was the growth of Scottish overseas missions. Finally, this study indicates that Edwards's revival writings provide an important starting point for understanding the theological and spiritual preoccupations of Scottish evangelicalism in the second half of the eighteenth century; and that Edwards's contribution to Scottish evangelicalism and modern evangelicalism generally cannot be properly understood withcut an understanding of his relationship to his Scottish correspondents. ACKNOWLEDGMENT At every stage of this work I received valuable help, and I am happy to be able to finally properly acknowledge the assistance I received along the way. First I want to thank Robert A. Krupp who introduced me to the study of ecclesiastical history. Little did he know at the time where it would lead. I am deeply indebted to Mark A Noll who first recommended the study of Jonathan Edwards and who has been a constant companion and encouragement over the years. lowe the idea behind the thesis to Professor Thomas A. Schafer, who during several early conversations stimulated my thinking and instilled a vision for the work that sustained me throughout the long process of research and writing. I am grateful to Jack Levison who suggested Deryck W. Lovegrove, of the University of St. Andrews, as a possible supervisor. He could not have chosen better. J.D. Douglas further encouraged me in the direction of St. Andrews, graciously received me and my family to the neighbourhood on Doocot Road, and offered welcome friendship and counsel. I am especially grateful for the constant flow of intellectual stimulation, humour, and good company that was given to me by my postgraduate colleagues David Currie and Maxie Burch. In addition, David and his wife Sue Currie, on more than one occasion went far beyond the call of duty to insure that the Mitchell family was well cared for. I should also like to acknowledge David W. Bebbington and David F. Wright who on several occasions offered assistance and encouragement. Thanks too must go to the following Libraries and their staffs without whose assistance the thesis would never have been completed: in Scotland the National Library of Scotland, the Scottish Records Office, New College Library, Edinburgh, Mitchell Library of Glasgow, and the Library of the University of St. Andrews; in the U.S. the Congregational Library and the Massachusetts Historical Society of Boston, Massachusetts, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Divinity School Library, and staff of the Jonathan Edwards Archive at Yale University, the Newberry Library, Chicago, and the Buswell Library and the Billy Graham Center Library of Wheaton College. Financial support came from a variety of sources not the least from friends and family scattered throughout the U.S. lowe to them more than I can say. Additional funding was received from grants from the Stewards Foundation and the Overseas Research Award of Great Britain. Special thanks must go first to my supervisors James K. Cameron and Deryck W. Lovegrove. I want to thank James Cameron for assistance and insights especially during the early stages of the work, and his for willingness to remain on as my supervisor after his retirement. I am particularly indebted to Deryck Lovegrove whose oversight was indispensable, and whose unfailing patience, encouragement and friendship will not be forgotten. Finally, I want to thank my wife Julie and my children Nisha, Joshua, Lukas and Jeremy who kept me sane and who always helped me keep things in proper perspective by reminding me that life was bigger than the dissertation. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AGA Acts of the General Assembly CH Christian History CL Congregational Library CMH Christian Monthly History FAST! Fasti Ecc1esiae Scoticanae GWH Glasgow Weekly History JEWorks Works of President Edwards JE(YaZe) Yale, Works of Jonathan Edwards MHS Massachusetts Historical Society Works Dwight, The Works of Jonathan Edwards TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction p. 1 Chapter 1 The Quest for True Religion: New England and Scotland p.9 Chapter 2 The Quest for True Religion: Edwards and Scottish p.45 Evangelicals Chapter 3 Catalyst: A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God p.87 Chapter 4 Critique of True Religion: The Distinguishing Marks of a Work p. 140 of the Spirit of God Chapter 5 The Epistolary Connection: 1743-1758 p.212 Conclusion p.274 Appendices A. ~Jonathan Edwards's Scottish Publications p.281 B. Subscriber's List: occupations p.290 Bibliogmphy p.292 1 Introduction Since the publication of ala Winslow's landmark biography of Jonathan Edwards in 1940, the number of dissertations written on Jonathan Edwards has almost doubled over each succeeding decade. 1 The number of published works on Edwards since the middle of the century has also reflected this trend. With the increased scholarly attention to the many facets of Edwards's life and work, have come questions of the nature and extent of his influence.