Okay, now I must pull out the big guns, with thanks to Iain Murray. The following are quotes from the much valued secular historian and eminent late Harvard Professor Perry Miller. Sounds like he is a valuable source on the Puritans to me (note the sarcasm? It's friendly sarcasm!)

"The life of Edwards is a tragedy...Because of his faith Edwards wrought incalculable harm." (Jonathan Edwards, pp 16, 148).

"The people found (Edwards) a man of deception" Jonathan Edwards by above author, pp. 210-211.

"A more repulsive individual never influenced history" Jonathan Edwards by author again, p. 133.

Shouldn't an "objective" historian, so well-regarded have a bit more objectivity than that? I must agree with Pastor Murray in his much maligned but very readable and scholarly Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography.

Question for Mr. McFadden: Must Marsden be an effective spoken communicator to be a valuable scholar? Why , then according to your dear Professor Miller, we must write off America's greatest philosopher theologian! :-)

__________________
Kenneth A. Pierce
Senior Minister
Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA)
5301 Old Canton Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
(601)977-0774
www.tpcjackson.org