I

said I to them, "Why may not Mr. Holyoke's friends in Marblehead be allowed to build a house for him, as well as the church enjoy their inclination to settle me with them?" They said if it could be done peaceably, they had nothing against it. Upon which I asked, if any of Mr. Holyoke's Marblehead friends were in town. They informed me such and such were come to treat with him. I then desired they would seek them out, and appoint a meeting with them, either at Mr. Holyoke's, or my father's, and I would wait upon them, in the evening, and try if we could compromise matters. Accordingly all met at Mr. Holyoke's father's. told them what I had proposed; and after some discourse upon it among themselves, I said to them, "Gentlemen, if you can amicably agree that Mr. Holyoke shall settle among his friends, I will accept the offer of the church to settle with them; otherwise I know not how to comply with your request; for I do not care to fix in a town under the disadvantage of strife and contention." Mr. Holyoke then said, "If Mr. Barnard will go to Marblehead, I will go also; else not.” They presently fell into an agreement to build a new house for Mr. Holyoke, and my friends promised to use their influence with the town to consent to it; and so they parted good friends.

Upon the 9th of November, 1715, I removed, upon the people's desire, to Marblehead; the day before Mr. Holyoke's people first opened their new house, in which several neighboring ministers kept a day of prayer for the divine direction and blessing upon their intended settlement. In January following, Mr. Holyoke left his tutorship at the College, and came to live in Marblehead, and was ordained the next April. I carried on part of the labors of the Sabbath with my venerable father Cheever, till I was ordained, July 18, 1716. When we returned from the public to his house, the good man broke out, before all the ministers, Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace;" and having obtained help from God, I am continued to this day, ministering unto my people in much weakness, fear, and trembling; preaching none other things than what the Law and the Prophets, Jesus Christ and his Apostles, have made known; testifying both to Jew and Gentile, repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ.

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The 18th of September, 1718, I married Miss Anna Wood

bury, from Ipswich, an only child, whose parents were both dead; a young gentlewoman of comely personage, and good fortune, but above all, strictly virtuous, and of admirable economy; who is yet living, though now crippled by paralytic or rheumatic disorders in her right leg. It has pleased God to deny children to us; and we are satisfied with the divine allotment, which is always wisest and best.

After my settlement, I found my hands full of employment; for though Mr. Cheever preached one part of the day, for three or four years, yet all the work in the church government, baptisms, and visiting the sick of a large congregation, and attending the funerals, fell upon me; besides our stated lecture, in conjunction with Mr. Holyoke, the business of our Association, and often calls to special services in the churches. of the neighborhood; and for about five years before, as well as after the death of Mr. Cheever, the latter end of May, 1724, the whole work lay upon me.

At a time when the old North Church, which always had two ministers, was destitute of one of them, I happened to be in company, at the Rev. Mr. Wellsteed's, in Boston, with the honorable P. H. the chief man of that church. After some pleasant conversation, he said to me, "Mr. Barnard, would you be willing to leave Marblehead, and come to Boston?" Perceiving the drift of his question, I said to him, "Sir, I think it would be always best for Boston churches to seek throughout the country for the ablest and best qualified ministers they can find, and invite and fix them in their churches. Our fathers, in their early days, went into this practice; and I conceive there would be this advantage arising from it, (besides that of Boston's being well supplied,) that the young ministers of bright genius, settled in poor country towns, and cramped in their studies, would more diligently apply themselves to them, in hopes of preferment; and so all the churches might fare the better." Well, sir," said he, with seriousness and earnestness, "will you come to Boston, if we invite you thither?" To which I replied, "Though I think it will not be so well with us, until we go into the practice I have named, yet, sir, I look upon myself so strongly engaged to Marblehead, from their kind treatment of me, that no prospect of worldly interest shall prevail with me to leave them;" which put an end to the discourse upon this subject.

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The Rev. Mr. Holyoke lived in the strictest brotherly love and friendship with me in our two separate churches in Marblehead, till it pleased God, on March 23, in the year 1737, to remove by death the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Wadsworth from his Presidentship at the College, to a higher sphere of action and honors, among the blessed above; which necessitated the Corporation and Overseers to look out for another proper person to supply his place. Some of the Overseers and Corporation were pleased to propose it to me to accept of the Presidentship, informing me that many of them had their thoughts upon me. But I gave them to understand that, through long disuse, I looked upon myself so much unacquainted with college literature, as utterly incapacitated me for that service, and therefore, I could not, in prudence nor justice, accept of the offer, if it should be made to me; but I thought the Rev. Mr. Holyoke the fittest person for that station of any I knew in the Province. And attending upon President Wadsworth's funeral, I took the opportunity, at Cambridge, to mention the Rev. Mr. Holyoke to several both of the Corporation and Overseers; from which time he became a candidate for the place, the eyes of the people being generally fixed upon him. Some of the Boston ministers were ready to think that the choice should be made out of themselves, and could not well bear it that there should be any thought about those who lived in the country; and therefore made some exception to Mr. Holyoke, as that they should vote for him if it were not for his principles. In the midst of this public talk, I happened to be invited to Governor Belcher's table. While we were sitting together, before dinner, with a Boston minister present, his Excellency was pleased to ask me, who I thought was a proper person for a President. I readily answered, "In my humble opinion there is no fitter person in the Province than the Rev. Mr. Holyoke, of Marblehead." Upon which the minister present said, “I should think so too, were it not for his principles." I confess I was nettled; and said, "Sir, do you know of any bad principles he holds ?" He replied, "No; but he should be glad to know his principles." I then said to him, with some smartness," Sir, I am surprised that a gentleman of your character should insinuate bad principles of a brother, when you say you know of none; especially since that gentleman has been approved as a valuable minister among us for above

twenty years." His Excellency then asked me, what I thought of Mr. Holyoke's qualifications. I answered him, "May it please your Excellency, I think the grand qualifications for a President are, a virtuous, religious man, a man of learning, a gentleman, and one of a good spirit for government; and all of these meet in Mr. Holyoke. He is universally known to be a virtuous, religious man; and were he but of common capacity with his brethren, yet his having lived fourteen years at the College, and the greatest part of that time a tutor there, gives him so much the advantage above others, as leaves no room to call in question his learning. That he is a gentlemen in his behavior, we all know, and so fitted for converse with all gentlemen strangers, who visit the College; and I know no man better qualified with a spirit for government, who knows how to treat his equals and inferiors with due civility, while he preserves a proper distance." "Well," said his Excellency, "Mr. Barnard, I agree with you in your qualifications of a President; and if a man had all the learning of Cicero, and sanctity of St. Paul, but was destitute of a spirit for government, he would not be fit for that place. But," said his Excellency, "will you vouch, Mr. Barnard, for Mr. Holyoke's Calvinistical principles ?" To which I replied, "If more than thirty years' intimacy, and more than twenty years' living in the same town with him, and often conversing with him, and scores of times hearing him preach, can lead me into the knowledge of a man's principles, I think Mr. Holyoke as orthodox a Calvinist as any man; though I look upon him too much of a gentleman, and of too catholic a temper, to cram his principles down another man's throat.” "Then," said his Excellency, "I believe he must be the man.”

May 30, 1737. The Rev. Mr. Edward Holyoke was unanimously chosen President of the College by the Corporation; and June 2d, as unanimously accepted by the honorable and reverend Board of Overseers. June 8th, a Committee from the Board of Overseers came down to Marblehead, to treat with Mr. Holyoke and his people about his accepting, and compliance with the choice they had made, and their relinquishing their right in him. His people met together about the important affair; sent for me to pray with them upon the occasion; and notwithstanding all that could be said to them, they voted not to part with him. Another

Committee from the Board of Overseers came to wait upon Mr. Holyoke and his people, if it might be, to obtain his removal to the College. The church and people had their meeting the day after the Committee came, and again sent for me to open their meeting with prayer to God to direct them in what was before them. I endeavored to adapt my prayer to their circumstances, and pleaded, if it were agreeable to the divine will that his servant should be fixed at the head of the College, he would please to overrule the hearts of his people to deny themselves for the sake of the more universal serviceableness and benefit of the country, and all the churches in it; leaving it to the infinitely wise and good God to make up to them abundantly, what, for his sake, they were willing to part with. And now they voted that their beloved pastor might remove to the College, if he saw cause for it.

July 31. My brother Holyoke gave his people to understand that he looked upon what had happened as a clear call from God to leave them; and accordingly took leave of his people, and went to Cambridge, to prepare for his removal; and accordingly, September 7, removed his wife and family to the President's house, and took the College under his care, which has greatly flourished under his administration; which, through the divine favor, he continues in to this day. After his removal, some persons asked his people, how they were persuaded to part with so valuable a man; who returned for answer, "Old Barnard prayed him away."

Mr. Holyoke's church and congregation having heard several candidates for the ministry, on the 2d of November kept a day of prayer, to seek direction and a blessing from God in the choice of another minister; the services of which were carried on by several neighboring ministers, and I preached to them upon that occasion. The 7th of November, the church and congregation met, and chose Mr. Simon Bradstreet, son of the Rev. Mr. Simon Bradstreet, of Charlestown, for their pastor; and on the 4th of January, 1737, he was solemnly separated to the work of the ministry and pastoral office in that church, by the laying on of my hands, and the hands of the elders, met in Council upon that occasion, who appointed me Moderator, and to give the Charge. The Rev. Mr. Bradstreet proves a most worthy, pious, devout Christian, and faithful pastor, aiming and laboring to win over his people to God, and Christ, and holiness; has the hearty