Joshua Moody
Joshua Moody was a notable figure in colonial New England, born in Wales in 1633 and immigrating to the United States as a child. Settling in Newbury, Massachusetts, he was educated there and later graduated from Harvard University in 1653. Ordained in 1658, Moody became one of the first ministers of the North Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he was known for his commitment to maintaining the integrity and reputation of his congregation. His strong convictions led to a conflict with the local governor, resulting in his imprisonment for thirteen weeks after he refused to administer communion. Later in his career, he served as the assistant minister of the First Church in Boston and was an outspoken critic during the Salem witch trials, advocating for the rights of the accused. Moody is recognized for his writings, including "A Practical Discourse Concerning the Choice Benefit of Communion with God in His House" and an Election Sermon, with many of his sermons archived for their historical significance. He spent his later years in Portsmouth, where he continued to influence his community until his passing.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Joshua Moody
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: 1633
- Birthplace: Wales
- Died: July 4, 1697
- Place of death: Boston, Massachusetts
Biography
Joshua Moody was born in Wales in 1633. His family immigrated to the United States when he was child, and they settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1634. Moody’s father, William, was considered one of the founding fathers of the town. Joshua Moody was educated in Newbury, and he later attended Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1653, and became an ordained minister in the Congregational Church in 1658. He became one of the first ministers of the North Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and he served the church for many years.
Moody was interested in the reputation of his church, and its purity. He refused to administer the sacrament to two strangers, and for his refusal to administer communion as it was done in the Church of England, Moody enraged the English provincial governor of Portsmouth, Edward Cranfield. The governor had him arrested, and Moody spent thirteen weeks in the prison on Great Island. He was released with the provision that he no longer preach in Portsmouth.
On May 23, 1684, Moody became the assistant minister of the First Church in Boston, and he was invited to take charge at Harvard, but he declined the offer. In 1692, during the witch trials, he opposed the unjust accusations and violent treatment of the imagined offenders, and he aided in the prison escape of Philip English and his wife. His participation in this event resulted in his dismissal from the church. Moody spent the remainder of his life in Portsmouth.
Moody is best known for A Practical Discourse Concerning the Choice Benefit of Communion with God in His House, published in 1685, and an Election Sermon, published in 1692. As well, over four thousand of his sermons were collected into a manuscript. These sermons are preserved in the Massachusetts Historical Society archives.