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

1728.] REV SOLOMON STODDARD. 53
October 4"', 1643. At the age of nineteen, having pursued
his prej)aratory studies under tlie famous Master Corlet, at
Cambridge, he was graduated at Harvard College, and the
same year was elected " Fellow of the House." In 1667, he
was chosen Librarian of the college, being the first incumbent
of that office, and held the position seven years. Impaired
health, induced by too close mental application,
caused him to accept the offer of Chaplain to Barbadoes
under Governor Searle, where he remained two years
preaching to dissenters. He returned to Boston a short
time previous to the death of Rev. Eleazar Mather. Accepting
the invitation to settle in Northampton, he became
a permanent resident of the place in 1070. Thenceforth
his life became part and parcel of that of the people to
whom he ministered.
His Position and Much of his biography, embraced in the
Influence in the historical details of his time, has already
ommuni >
.
"been spread upon these pages. During sixty
years of active service, he left an ineffaceable impress upon
the ecclesiastical, moral and business life of the town.
Established as pastor here within eighteen years of its first
settlement, and but ten years after the formation of the
church, he grew up with the community, molded and
shaped the religious education of two generations, and died
revered, honored and sincerely mourned. A discussion of
the position of the church at the time of his ordination,
and its action soon after, may be found elsewhere in these
volumes.' That which has been termed "Mr. Stoddard's
system," more particularly as relating to baptisms, but
which was in reality the outcome of the Synod of 1662,
having been adopted by the church ju-evious to his arrival,
was put into working order within two months of his settlement.
Before the close of the following January, more
than one hundred persons had taken the covenant, and a
large number of their children had been baptized. Within
the first six months of his pastorate, fifty children had received
this rite, and during the next four years one hundred
more were baptized. This half-way opening of the
church doors was soon followed by a still further widening
1 Vol. 1, pp. 213, 214.