John Sullivan Dwight Brook Farmer Editor And Critic of Music a Biography

at once interested in the society, and he threw himself most actively into the work of visiting and building up the congregation. Early in the next year he was asked to preach again at Northampton. He was invited to become the minister of the little Unitarian parish, and he was ordained in May. From the first the people were not wholly satisfied with Dwight's preaching and methods of work. It was only a little more than fifteen years before that the church had separated from the original parish of the town, which still strongly retained the impress of the work of Jonathan Edwards. Calvinism was strongly intrenched in the Connecticut Valley in 1820, and the worst features of the revival methods were still in vogue. Those who withdrew from the Edwards parish in 1823 were Unitarians of the most conservative type, and they were not prepared for other innovations than those they had already made. Into this town of Puritan traditions came a young man full of modern ideas and methods", a Transcendentalist when Transcendentalism was condemned everywhere, and one not contented until he had tried his own experiments and put his own devices into operation. There was much debate, long hesitation, and a final invitation, but with a considerable number lukewarm or opposed. It must not be understood, however, that Dwight was an extremist at this time. His long statement of belief furnished to the parish would now be regarded as conservative, and would doubtless suffice to ad... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.