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West, Stephen, D.D.

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an eminent Congregational minister, was born in Tolland, Conn., Nov. 13,1735. He graduated at Yale College in 1755; taught at Hatfield, Mass.; studied theology with Timothy Woodbridge; became chaplain at Hoosack Fort; and was ordained as successor of Jonathan Edwards in the Indian Mission at Stockbridge in 1759. In a few years he gave up the Indian portion of his charge, and confined himself to the increasing body of English. He was dismissed in August, 1818, and died May 15, 1819. 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. He was a contributor to theological periodicals, and, besides several Sermons, the following are his publications: — An Essay on Moral Agency (1772; enlarged ed. 1794). Dr. Woodbridge calls this "one of the most extraordinary specimens of subtle metaphysical reasoning." — Duty and Obligation of Christians to Marry only in the Lord (1779): — An Essay on the Scripture Doctrine of the Atonement (1785): "less metaphysical and more popular than that on Moral Agency. It enjoys a high measure of favor with profound theologians" — An Inquiry into the Ground and Import of Infant Baptism (1794): — Dissertation on Infant Baptism; Reply to Rev. Cyprian Strong (1798): — Life of Rev. Samuel Hopkins, D.D. (1806): — Three Sermons on the Mosaic Account of the Creation (1809): — Evidence of the Divinity of Christ, collected from the Scriptures (1816). See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 1, 548-556; Cong. Quar. 1859, p. 41.