John Barnard
John Barnard was an influential American clergyman born in Boston in 1681. He graduated from Cambridge in 1700 and began preaching in Gloucester shortly thereafter. His early career included a significant tenure in Yarmouth, where he served as a pastor, particularly during the illness of the local minister. In 1707, Barnard was appointed an Army chaplain, which took him to locations such as Port Royal and Acadia. He returned to the U.S. in 1710 and faced challenges securing a permanent ministry due to his connections with the unpopular Governor Dudley. By 1714, he became a pastor in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where he notably emphasized the idea that government is divinely ordained and should be based on reason and understanding. Additionally, he encouraged parents to raise their children in a manner aligned with godly principles. Married in 1718 to Anna Woodbury, Barnard believed that their lack of children was part of divine intent. He passed away in Marblehead in 1770, leaving behind a legacy of sermons and hymns that reflected his theological beliefs.
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John Barnard
Clergy
- Born: November 6, 1681
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: January 24, 1770
- Place of death: Marblehead, Massachusetts
Biography
John Barnard was born in Boston in 1681. His parents were John and Esther Barnard. In July, 1696, he was admitted to Cambridge, in New England, which at that time was headed by Increase Mather, who was himself a noted religious figure. He graduated from Cambridge in 1700, and returned to his parents’ home where he continued his religious studies.
By 1702, he preached regularly in Gloucester, and in 1704, he starting preaching in Yarmouth when the pastor there, John Cotton, became ill. After two months in Yarmouth, he returned home, but returned in 1705, when John Cotton became ill again. He remained in Yarmouth until the spring of 1707, when he was appointed an Army chaplain by Governor Joseph Dudley.
His travels as a chaplain brought him to Port Royal (now Annapolis), and to Acadia (Nova Scotia). In 1709, he sailed to the island of Barbados, and from there, to London. Barnard returned to the United States in 1710, but found it difficult to find permanent employment because of his association with the unpopular Governor Dudley. By 1714, Barnard and Edward Holyoke became joint pastors of a church located in Marblehead, Massachusetts. This association was short-lived, and in 1716, the church divided into two, with Barnard and Holyoke both receiving full time pastorates.
John Barnard is best known for his sermons in which he reasoned that government is ordained by God, and therefore that only a government based on reason and understanding could be considered godly. In later sermons, he held that government was a contract between the people and those who governed them. Therefore, government positions must be filled by representatives who are able to uphold the good of the community. In another famous sermon, John Barnard called on parents to raise their children in a godly manner, believing that wisdom, reason, and good sense dictated that parents should lead their children to God. As well as his sermons, John Barnard wrote also wrote hymns. In 1718, Barnard married Anna Woodbury. They had no children, but Barnard believed that this was the will of God. John Barnard died in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1770.