Johnathan Edwards
Submitted by Night Wolf on August 20 1999 at 09:20:18
In reply to heh heh Submitted by Rue on August 20 1999 at 02:46:27
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The preacher you refer to was named Johnathan Edwards. He lived in Colonial New England and was typical of the types of thinking that caused the Salem Witch Trials. I'm not sure which of his two most famous sermons you are quoting from, but I think it's "The Future Punishment of The Wicked - Unmistakeable and Unavoidable" or perhaps "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God". Edwards was trying to whip up his congregation into a emotional state to bring in the Holy Spirit. He did in fact get them all worked up, but it was later ruled that he had done so by appealing to their animal side and was condemed. Probably one of the only times the Elders of that era were right about something. What is really creepy about Edwards telling everyone what would happen to them in hell is when you realize that he believed that the choice to be saved was not made by man, but by God. You had no say in it whatsoever. Man was born "Inately Depraved" and would got to hell unless God came to him and told him that he was saved. No wonder people back then looked so grim. And if my 11th grade english teacher, Mr. Lewis, is out there, I hope he's proud I remembered all this. Night Wolf |