History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1752.] SELECTION AND SETTLEMENT OF A NEW MINISTER. 237
Mr. Fariand Called. Duriiig twelve Sal)b;iths previous to June
17'", 1751, Mr. John McKinstry' preached
and Mr. Daniel Farrand officiated thirty Sabbaths, to February
13"', 1752. His preaching was quite satisfactory, and
in September, 1751, when he went to New Jersey to attend
commencement, tlie parisli voted tliat he shoukl be requested
to return and preach longer as a candidate, it being
the "almost universal desire of the parish that he sliould
return hither as soon as may be." He did return, and occupied
the- pulpit till February 13"', 1752. On the 29"' of
April, he was invited by a " very large majority" to settle.
Afterwards there was a " polling of the members of the
meeting," and eighteen persons voted in the negative. He
refused to accept the call, and finally settled in Caanan, Ct.
"Sorrowful ciroum- After the refusal of Mr. Farrand different
stances." clergymen were employed as they could be
obtained during that year, but their names
do not appear, and undoubtedly the people were destitute
of preaching much of the time. In a letter written November,
1752, Mr. Edwards touches upon the position of
affairs in town during this period : —
••The people of Northampton are in sorrowful circumstances, are
still destitute of a minister, and have met -with a long series of disappointments,
in their attempts for a re-settlement of the ministry
among them. My opposers have had warm contentions among themselves.
Of late, they have been wholly destitute of any body, to preach
steadily among them. They sometimes meet to read and pray among
themselves, and at other times set travellers or transient persons to
preach, that are hardly fit to be employed." -
The Aggrieved The agitation caused by the recent contro-
Brethren. vei'sy that couvulscd the church and parish
did not immediately subside. Its influence
undoubtedly retarded the settlement of a new pastor. For
a time it destroyed unanimity of feeling towards any can-
didate proposed, and must have had an unpleasant effect
upon the minds of the clergymen who were invited to the
pastorate. That there was a difference of sentiment exist-
1 Rev. John McKinstry was born in Sutton, wa.s graduated from Yale College in
1740, and ordained pastor of the second church in Springfield (now Chicopee\ in lT5i2.
He did not preacli here as a candidate.
'2 Dwight's Life of Edwards, p. ")18.