A rather rare oration given by Charles Chauncey Jun, son of Jonathan Edwards' "Boston nemesis" of the same name. Chauncey saw the Great Awakening as the spiritual tantrum of impulsive enthusiasts and regularly opined against Edwards, Whitefield, the Tennents, etc., He believed God was on His throne and establishing His kingdom through the means of grace, i.e. the regular functions of grace through preaching, teaching, broader education, and the salt of godly consistent lives. 

The son shares a similar vision. Here, before the Psi Beta Kappa Society at Yale [1797] he discourses on the progress made in the sciences, politics [with the Constitution and American innovations clearly in mind], and morality during the 18th century, and his projection for continued advances during the 19th.

The present copy, likely gifted by the author, was the personal copy of Noah Webster, who was a member of the prestigious society. Webster himself has made the inscription with the autograph unquestionably in his own hand. 

[Noah Webster] Chauncey Jun., Charles. An Oration Delivered before the Society of the Phi Beta Kappa; At their Anniversary Meeting, in the City of New-Haven, on the Evening Preceding Commencement, Anno Domini 1797. New-Haven. T. and S. Green. 1797. 34pp.

Good copy, with signature trimmed affecting autograph as shown, flotsam from old sammelband binding on spine and binding quite tender as a result. Textually clean with some foxing generally isolated to the last three leaves.