ma95 James Family Papers and Sermons, 1808-1888 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by ma. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Amherst, MA
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Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarah Sorscher AC 2005. 2003-06-24 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 ma95 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Amherst College Archives and Special Collections James Family Papers and Sermons, 1808-1888 Finding Aid 1970s; revised 2002 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2003 Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview James, William, 1797-1868 James Family Papers and Sermons 1808-1888 5 archives boxes (2.5 linear ft.) Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Family correspondence and sermons documenting the family and career of William James as a Presbyterian minister in New York State. English. Biographical Note

William James was born in 1797. He was a graduate of Princeton. He preached for a time at Clarkson, N.Y. and assumed the pastorate of the Brick Presbyterian Church, Rochester, N.Y., in 1826. He resigned in 1830 to go to the Third Presbyterian Church at Albany, N.Y., where he died Feb. 16, 1868, aged 71. Rev. James was the half-brother of the theological philosopher Henry James, Sr., and uncle of the philosopher William James and novelist Henry James. His daughter, Elizabeth Tillman James, married Julius Hawley Seelye (Amherst College Class of 1849) in 1854.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

Family correspondence and sermons documenting the family and career of William James as a Presbyterian minister in New York State.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into four series:

1. Correspondence 2. Miscellaneous 3. Sermons with Bible Locations 4. Fragmented Sermons by Subject Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

There is no restriction on access to the William James papers for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in William James Papers [Box #, folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library

 History of the Collection 1970s; revised 2002 Search Terms James, William, 1797-1868. Brick Presbyterian Church (Rochester, N.Y.) Third Presbyterian Church (Albany, N.Y.) Mental healing--United States. Presbyterian Church--Clergy. Sermons. James, Henry, 1811-1882. James, Marcia Ames. Prince, Catherine Barber James. Seelye, Elizabeth Tillman James, 1833-1881. Seelye, Julius H. (Julius Hawley), 1824-1895. Emerson, Anna H. Seelye, 1866-1901. James, Marcia Lucretia Ames. Prince, William Henry. James family. Additional Information Related Material

Grace for Grace: Letters. New York: Dodd & Mead, [1874]. Copy in Amherst College Library.

Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE

Series 1, Correspondence, contains family letters. They are arranged first alphabetically by author's name and then chronologically. If the author of a letter cannot be determined, the letter is filed under the name of the recipient. Of particular interest in this series are the letters to and from the brothers and sisters of William James, which document the amputation of Henry James' (1811-1882) leg. Also of special interest are the letters from William James to Marcia Ames James, Catherine Barber James Prince and from Catherine Barber James Prince to Elizabeth Tillman James Seelye concerning mental health and its cures.

 1 1 Unidentified fragments: 1 letter to "T'Anna" [Anna Hawley Seelye Emerson?] possibly from Elizabeth Tillman James Seelye; 1 religious poem;1 letter fragment n.d. 1 2 Bixler, Elizabeth to Catherine B.J. Prince [1883?]-1886 1 3 Blumenthal, Rosa to Catherine B. J. Prince 1877 1 3 Butler, John S. to Elizabeth R.J. Seelye 1864 1 4 Emerson, Anna Hawley Seelye - 33 pp. diary N.D. 1 5 Holt, H.A. to Catherine B.J. Prince (1 letter); includes ANS, Martha Thatcher to C.B.J. Prince and AMS, Mary Lizzie Crawford to C.B.J. Prince 1876 1 5 Hotchkin, Fanny Page [?] to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (7 letters); to William James Seelye (1 letter, 1862) 1862-1864 1 6 James, Augustus to William James (1 letter) 1828 1 6 James, Henry, Sr. (1811-1882) to William James (1 letter) 1835 1 6 James, Jannett to William James - includes A.N.S. from Mrs. E. Smith (1 letter) 1830 1 6 James, John B. to William James (1 letter) 1828 1 7 James, Marcia Lucretia Ames - to Rachel Ames (1 letter); to Jannett James (1 letter); to William James, includes ANS to Mrs. Law (3 letters); to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye includes A.N.S. to Catherine B.J. Prince to E.T.J. Seelye (1 letter) 1825-1863 1 8 James, William - to Mlle. Catherine B.J. Prince (1 letter); to Mlle. Anne B.J. Edwards, Catherine B.J. Prince and Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (1 letter); to Ezra Ames (father of M.L.A. James) (1 letter); to Mr. & Mrs. McClennahan (1 letter); to Anne McB. J. Edwards (1 letter) 1850-1865 1 9 James, William - to Henry James, Sr. (1811-1882) (4 letters); to Jannett James (1 letter) 1835-1865 1 10 James, William - to Marcia L.A. James (4 letters); to William James, Sr. (1 letter) 1820-1826 1 11 James, William - to Catherine B.J. Prince (7 letters) 1856-1867 1 12 James, William - to [Catherine?] Sedgwick (1 letter); to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (1 letter); to Julius H. Seelye (1 letter) 1855-1863 1 13 James, William - to Sarah Seymour (3 letters) 1860-1862 1 14 Prince, Catherine Barber James - to William James (2 letters); to William Henry Prince (3 letters) 1850-1864 1 15 Prince, Catherine Barber - to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye, (15 letters); to Julius H. Seelye (2 letters); to William J. Seelye (2 poems and 3 letters) 1859-1865 1 16 [Unknown] to Catherine B.J. Prince, 2 letters 1848-1856 1 17 Prince, William Henry to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (7 letters); to Julius Seelye (4 letters) 1860-1864 1 18 Roberts, Charles to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (2 letters) 1868 1 19 Seelye, Elizabeth Tillman James to William James Seelye (1 letter) 1875 1 19 Seelye, Henry E. To Elizabeth T. J. Seelye (1 letter); to Julius H. Seelye (1 letter); 1852-1862 1 19 Seelye, Laurens Clarke to Julius Hawley and Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (1 letter); 1888 1 19 Seelye, Samuel to Julius H. Seelye (1 letter) 1862 1 20 Sen, Kashub Chunder to Mary Chamberlain (1 letter); to [unknown] (1 letter and 2 photos) 1875-1876 1 20 Shattuck, A.F. - to Julius H. Seelye (1 letter) 1868 1 21 Taylor, Chebad - to Sophia P. Humphrey (Mrs. Heman Humphrey) (1 letter); 1808 1 22 Warner, Margaret to Catherine B.J. Prince (1 letter) [c. 1870] 1 22 Wilson, Julia A. to Elizabeth T.J. Seelye (3 letters) 1860-1861 Series 2: MISCELLANEOUS

Series 2, Miscellaneous, is very small but contains six copies of an engraving of Albany, New York circa 1847.

 1 23 List of times awake/asleep of William James [c. 1868] 1 24 News clippings [2]; religious brochure [2] N.D. 1 25 Engraving of Albany, NY [6] [c. 1847] Series 3: SERMONS WITH BIBLE LOCATIONS

Series 3, Sermons, is organized by the passage in the Bible that is the subject of each sermon.

1 26 Deuteronomy 14.2 on chosen people, national responsibility - ca. 63 pp. 1 27 Psalms 46, on evils of natural constitution, social condition - ca. 25 pp. 1 28 Psalms 84.11 God is sun and shield, spiritual and eternal life - 2 pp. 1 29 Psalms 90.8-9 in conjunction with Hebrews 10.38 prayer of Moses the man of God, Israelites journey - ca. 36 pp. 1 30 Psalms 43.7 in conjunction with Proverbs 28.27 on giving to the poor - 5 pp. 1 31 Jeremiah 2.11 false gods and misplaced glory - 24 pp. 1 32 Micah 4.2-4 nations of world will learn the way of the Lord - 9 pp. 2 1 Matthew 5. 14-16 in conjunctions with Romans 13.8 -10 light of the world - ca. 43 pp. 2 2 Matthew 22.37 moral perfection, love of Lord with heart, mind and soul - ca. 59 pp. 2 3 Matthew 25.34-40 kingdom of Lord to those who believe in Christ, faith, and charity - ca. 26 pp. 2 4 Luke: 15.29-30 faithful son, lost son, killing of fatted calf - ca. 22 pp. 2 5 St. John 6.51 living bread from heaven, eat and live forever - ca. 17 pp. 2 6 Romans 1.16 be not ashamed of Gospel, power of God for salvation to believers - 7 pp. 2 7 Romans 1.28 sin, prevention, choice - 16 pp. 2 8 Romans 5.12 one man's sin passed onto all men - 7 pp. 2 9 Romans 6.1-7 justification of faith, sanctification -25 pp. 2 10 Romans 8.2 law of sin, law of spirit of life - ca. 45 pp. 2 11 Romans 8.13 live through spirit not flesh and mortify deeds of body. - 23 pp. 2 12 I Corinthians 1.22-23 Jews require a sign, Greeks wisdom - 24 pp. 2 13 I Corinthians 1.24 power and wisdom of God - 2 pp. 2 14 I Corinthians 2.1-4 manner necessary to make Gospel effectual - ca. 40 pp. 2 15 I Corinthians 9.24 sacrifices to promote Gospel - 15 pp. 2 16 I Corinthians 14. 20-21 cannot follow Lord and Devil both, reconciliation 5 pp. 2 17 II Corinthians 4.4 light of glory of God, darkness of World - 4 pp. 2 18 II Corinthians 5.20-21 reconciled to God, to be made the righteousness of God in him - 16 pp. 2 19 Galatians 2.20 die with the crucified Christ but lives because he lives in us - ca. 50 pp. 2 20 Ephesians 5 be followers of God, mystery of Christ and church - 9 pp. 2 21 Philippians 1.27 be one spirit, one mind striving for faith of Gospel - 28 pp. 2 22 Hebrews (1.11-12?) perseverance of believers - 20 pp. 2 23 Hebrews 3.12-14 evil heart of unbelief, confidence steadfast to end - 21 pp. 2 24 Hebrews 11.1 faith constant perseverance - 40 pp. 2 25 I John 3.2 sons of God, when He appears we will like Him - 15 pp. 2 26 I John 3.3 every man that hopes to God is purified - 5 pp. 2 27 I John 3.19-20 condemnation - 7 pp. Series 4: SERMONS (SUBJECT LISTINGS ONLY)

Series 4, Fragmented Sermons by Subject, lists sermons by subject only; related topics are grouped together. An attempt has been made to place scattered sheets in their proper subject category. No attempt has been made to collate the sheets within these folders since the sermons were often rewritten several times.

3 1 God is love; nature of God's moral judgment - 25 pp. 3 2 Faith of children, love of a parent - 13 pp. 3 3 Spirit of prayer, condition of salvation - ca. 75 pp. 3 4 Trial of Christian virtue (Christian probation) perfection of Christian virtue - ca.75 pp. 3 5 Temptation ca. 80 pp. 3 6 Temptation ca. 70 pp. 3 7 Sermon on mount as bulwark of Christianity - ca.25 pp. 3 8 Life and consciousness of life - ca. 20 pp. 3 9 On discipleship - 15 pp. 3 10 God's elect and their trials, experience of church of God - 75 pp. 3 11 Family as sole depository of early promise - 40 pp. 3 12 Gospel clears mystery of God's creation - 75 pp. 3 13 Ministerial labors - 25 pp. 4 1 Natural and spiritual nature of man - 50 pp. 4 2 Inward and spiritual manifestation of God - 60 pp. 4 3 Apostasy - 10 pp. 4 4 Reformation principles - 11 pp. 4 5 Hypocrisy - 10 pp. 4 6 Charity - 15 pp. 4 7 History of Christian religion (Isaiah 51), spirituality of church and divine life, resurrection of believers, natural man, Gospel and regeneration - 50 pp. 4 8 Gospel probation, and its end and moral process, second trial of humanity, nature of love, 2nd probation, method of Holy Ghost. - 80 pp. 4 9 Heaven - 40 pp. 4 10 Church - 30 pp. 4 11 House of God under New Testament - 5 pp. 4 12 Truth in Bible, trust in Lord, confidence in man. - 60 pp. 4 13 Justice - 9 pp. (Psalms 121) 4 14 Preaching profession, seed of Gospel, power of God, truth of Gospel - 16 pp. 4 15 Atonement, moral wants of soul, moral act by which it is appropriated, law - 50-pp. 4 16 Nature of spiritual life, Divine Nature - 80 pp. 4 17 Nature of death of Christ, revelation - 35 pp. 4 18 Light, conscience, death, sin - 35-pp. 4 19 Paradise, fall of man, God's moral kingdom, nature of religion, power of Divine perfection. - 80 pp. 4 20 Nature of life, God is our sun, perfection of Divine Nature - 55-pp. 4 21 Worldly interests, Gospel, true destiny of man, everlasting life, and mortification - 31 pp. 4 22 Living Church, endearing to keep unity of spirit in the bond of peace ( Ephesians 4.3) - 4 pp. 4 23 The lamb's wife, discourse of sanctification - 20 pp. 4 24 Body of Christ, dead to law - 177 pp. 4 25 Nature and punishment of sin - 105 pp. 4 26 Law of sin and death in human nature - 11 pp. 5 1 Bondage of children of God - 7 pp. 5 2 Freedom, bondage, deliverance - 38 pp. 5 3 Spirit of life, creatures of God shall be delivered from bondage of corruption - 20 pp. 5 4 Moral perfection, regeneration, man's will, conscience and affection. - 25 pp. 5 5 Holiness of creature/God, union between soul and God, origin of law, regenerate nature - 100 pp. 5 6 Justification, sanctification, moral impossibilities - 5 pp. 5 7 Justification by grace, power of God redemption of Christ, sanctification of believers, death of sin - 85 pp. 5 8 Revelation, development of science, socialistic and utilitarian theories. - 56 pp. 5 9 Infinite of everlasting - 15 pp. 5 10 Divine perfection (intellectual, moral, social) son's of God - 20 pp. 5 11 Moral constitution of man, nature of soul, soul's relation to God - 8 pp. 5 12 Soul of man - 18 pp. 5 13 Divine law, fear of punishment, nature of religious sentiment - 65 pp. 5 14 Edification of believers, Judaism vs. Christianity - 55 pp. 5 15 Old Testament, Jewish people, Moses, promise of Savior - 35 pp. 5 16 Early churches, Judaism and Christianity, essence of faith - 30 pp. 5 17 Immortality brought to light in Gospel, change in state and character of man - 15 pp. 5 18 Spirit of the Gospel in a nation - 20 pp. 5 19 Nature of Gospel - 120 pp. 5 20 Power of Gospel, temptation, Christ head of church and church human body - 110 pp. 5 21 Spontaneous affection, exhortation, life above - 30 pp. 5 22 Miscellaneous, assorted pages from sermons - 75 pp.