Solomon Stoddard

Solomon Stoddard ( born September 27, 1643 Boston ( Massachusetts), † February 11, 1729 in Northampton (Massachusetts ) ) was a New England Congregational preacher. In September 1673, he was ordained in the Congregational church of Northampton, where he served until February 1727.

Family and kinship

The father of Solomon Stoddard was Anthony Stoddard (ca. 1614-1686 ), who came from London ( Middlesex ), and emigrated to New England. Solomon Stoddard was the son of Anthony from his marriage to Mary Downing (ca. 1619 -ca. 1646). Anthony Stoddard was a successful businessman and deputy judge in Boston from 1665 to 1684. A brother of Mary Downing was Sir George Thomas Downing, among others, served under Oliver Cromwell and on his property in London, Downing Street was built.

In March 1670 Solomon Stoddard married in Northampton Esther Warham Mather (1644 -ca. 1736) widow. Her first husband was Eleazer Mather (1637-1669), son of Richard Mather ( 1596-1669 ). Among the three children from his first marriage Esther came another twelve from the marriage with Solomon added.

Solomon Stoddard's son Anthony Stoddard (ca. 1678-1760 ) was pastor at Woodbury (Connecticut). The other son John Stoddard (ca. 1682-1748 ) was Colonel and represented Northampton in the capital Boston.

Stoddard's daughter Esther (ca. 1672-1770 ) married the preacher Timothy Edwards; the theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was her son. All five daughters of Stoddard married pastors. The daughter of Christian ( or Christina ) married William Williams sr. (1665-1741), one of the most famous pastors of Massachusetts. From this marriage came from, inter alia, Solomon Williams. The son of Solomon Williams, William Williams (1731-1811), signer of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

A son of Christina and William Williams sr. Israel was Williams, the merchant, judges, military personnel and Ruler of Hampshire was. Israel Williams was administrator of estate of Ephraim Williams, Jr., who died in 1755 at the Battle of Lake George and his fortune to the foundation of Williams College in Williamstown (Massachusetts ) donated. Ephraim Williams Jr. also wanted to ensure that all wrong, that the Indians in Stockbridge had been done, should be made ​​good by his will. A son of William Williams sr. from his marriage to Elizabeth Cotton was Elisha Williams, who worked at Yale University as a tutor, as Jonathan Edwards studied there and later in the mission in Stockbridge was with this in the conflict.

Career

1662 Solomon Stoddard graduated at Harvard, where he served as the first librarian of the institution for four years. Between 1670 and April 1672 Stoddard had a special, spiritual experience when passing the sacrament. He received a full and magnificent view of Christ and His great love that comes on the cross expressed in he act of redemption.

Professional life

Solomon Stoddard was for health reasons pastor in Barbados from 1667-1669 and followed a call to the Parish Office to Northampton (Massachusetts ), in place of Eleazer Mather ( 1637-1669 ), son of Richard Mather ( 1596-1669 ). Actually Stoddard wanted to run straight to London, when the invitation was extended. Stoddard was officially ordained in April 1672 a member of the Congregational church in Northampton and in September in 1673.

Stoddard had in his long service five times with spiritual awakenings experienced particularly revivalist ( 1679, 1683, 1696, 1712 and 1718). He has been seen and admired in Northampton for his gifts and his grace.

1725 convened the parish Northampton Stoddard's son Jonathan Edwards as an assistant. Edwards took over on February 15, 1727 the community. This later took over the former line of Stoddard regarding the Lord's Supper - understanding. When Stoddard died, were among 630 people to his parish.

Effect

1687 Stoddard published his much acclaimed thesis on the Last Day ( The Safety of Appearing at the Day of Judgment ). This was also a mentality difference between the ecclesiastical East ( Boston) and Western New England ( Northampton ) significantly. For Stoddard, the strictly oriented to the Calvinist federal theology, God was the absolute and only Sovereign, the East God was simply a rational being. Stoddard found the old Congregational principle that church membership should be limited to those who took off an article of faith, and that participation in the Lord's Supper is only open to those of what a conversion is evident, would not work with them in the border region. In addition, so far only parents who were themselves full members of the Church, to bring their children for baptism.

Solomon Stoddard was the most important preachers of his time in the Connecticut Valley, and one of the most important in colonial New England. He opened the Lord's Supper for all ( congregation ), which showed a decent way of life and had hope to be saved forever, even if they were not full member of the church ( church ). Stoddard was an advocate in the launch of the Half -Way Covenant, a more liberal church order of 1662 as an extension of the Cambridge Platform of 1648, which was based on the confession of Westminster, and was in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Congregational Synod of 1662 met at Harvard, where he studied as Stoddard. The goal of the Half -Way Covenant was to prevent more people to the church, because due to the immigration more and more people were only partially or not at the church and only a minority were ecclesiastical full members. Stoddard was theologically very sound, but still thought very practical. The Mathers in Boston, emanating more from purely theoretical arguments were shocked by his proposals. A later opponents of the so-called Stoddardeanism was including Charles Hodge of Princeton Theological Seminary.

With regard to the attainment of eternal salvation lay Stoddard in the traditional Calvinist tradition. He called people to conversion and to a life with Jesus Christ. Solomon Stoddard was generally influenced by the teachings of Cotton Mather. Stoddard asked at a later date by the people no public profession of faith more in order to become a member of the Church of Northampton. Northampton was one of the first parishes who took over the Half-Way. From 1677 Stoddard began to differentiate the degree of membership in His Church. Part - members had no right to vote and could not partake of the sacrament. Stoddard took from then on virtually everyone, at least as a partial member, in his parish on, except that obviously do not live as a Christian contemporaries. His goal was that the part of members would all turn aside under the influence of the preaching of Jesus Christ and full members.

Due to its great influence also the other parishes in the West ( Connecticut Valley ) have been shaped by it. Some historians interpret the new openness of the stoddardschen church politics as democratic, the other mentioned that Stoddard as the Kirchentribun became the tribune of the people, and therefore the whole thing is rather to be seen as autocratic. Stoddard organized a regional meeting of clergy, the Hampshire Association, which for the typical Congregationalism, strict autonomy of each congregation was somewhat relaxed. This was confirmed in the Saybrook Platform for Connecticut in 1705.