West, Stephen. An Essay on Moral Agency: containing Remarks on a late anonymous Publication, entitled, An Examination of the late President Edwards's Inquiry on Freedom of Will; The Second Edition, to which is added, an Appendix, by the Author. Salem: Printed by Thomas C. Cushing, 1794. Second Edition. [10834]
Full calf, missing spine title label, front joint has been filled in with glue at some time in the past, the end paper hinge for the front board is open. Rear joint cracked, end paper hinge good. 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches. American bookplate of Sir William Pepperell, notes on this below. [i]-xvi, [17]-252, [1]-61, [1 errata]. Text complete and very good; infrequent foxing. Good. Hardcover.
Evans 28070.
This second edition has 61 pages more than the first, consisting of the Appendix, An Appendix, to the preceding Essay; containing Observations on Dr. Dana's Examination of the late Rev. President Edwards's Inquiry on Freedom of the Will, continued.
This book is a response to James Dana (1735-1812), who published a critique of Jonathan Edwards on the Will, published in Boston, 1770.
"His Treatise upon Moral Agency, - a book which made a great impression in its day, and which will long be preserved in the libraries of the curious, as one of the most extraordinary specimens of subtle metaphysical reasoning." - Rev. Timothy Woodbridge, D.D., as quoted in Sprague's Annals.
Stephen West, D.D. (1735-1819), b. Tolland, Conn.; d. Stockbridge, Mass. West graduated from Yale College (1755); studied theology under Timothy Woodbridge; became chaplain at Hoosack Fort; and was ordained as successor of Jonathan Edwards in the Indian Mission at Stockbridge (1759). West soon had so many English parishioners that he turned over the mission responsibilities to others. At the beginning of his ministry he had embraced Arminian views, but the result of conversations with his friend and fellow-minister Samuel Hopkins, he became persuaded of the truth of the Calvinistic system, as understood and taught by Hopkins. This change in his preaching eventually led to a great number of conversions among his congregation.
"Not long after this change in Dr. West's theological views, he composed and preached a series of sermons, in which the subjects he had been brought to contemplate under a new aspect, were largely discussed. In 1772, he published the substance of these sermons in a work of three hundred duodecimo pages, entitled an 'Essay on Moral Agency."' The work was of course differently estimated according to the diversity of theological opinion; but all were agreed that it indicated great mental acumen." - Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. i., p. 549.
"Dr. West in appearance resembled a Puritan of the old School. He was most exact and uniform in his habits and work. His Christian character was one of strength, purity, simplicity and tenderness; his preaching was able, earnest, and eminently didactic - five hundred and four persons united with the Church during his pastorate. In theology, Dr. West was a Hopkinsian; in metaphysics, a Berkeleyan." - M'Clintock and Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (1894).
Dr. West was for nineteen years Vice President of Williams College, and served his church for over 60 years.
The bookplate: "(Anonymous). Sir William Pepperell. Armorial. Chippendale. Motto, Virtute patria tuemini. A beautiful plate. On a ribbon at the very top, Peperi. William P. Sparhawk, grandson of the first Sir William Pepperell, assumed his name and was created a baronet, Oct. 29, 1774. This was undoubtedly his plate. The vast estates of the family were confiscated in 1778, as they were Loyalists. The crown allowed five hundred pounds to Sir William." - Allen, American Book-Plates: A Guide to their Study with Examples (1894), no. 664.
