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"More literary characters were members of this church 

 than of any in tlie province * * * He Avas esteemed and 

 beloved by the wisest and best part of the community. His 

 manne;r of preaching was grave, slow, and distinct. He had 

 not sufficient animation in his delivery but his sermons were 

 rational and judicious, calculated for hearers of thoughtful 

 minds, without that imction popular preachers have, and which 

 seems necessary to give a charm to public discourses. It was 

 observed also, by men of good sense, that Mr. Barnard's style 

 was not the most perspicuous. Plis favorite author was bishop 

 Butler, whose writings are more remarkable for masterly reas- 

 oning, than fine turned sentences. In the deistical controversy, 

 Mr. B. Avas superior to most divines, and he often made it the 

 subject of his public discourses. In his sentiments he was 

 considered as a follower of Arminius rather than Calvin ; he 

 was a semi-Arian of Dr. Clarke's school." 



Mr. Barnard published sermons at the ordination of his 

 brother Edward, in Haverhill, in 1743; of Josiah Bayley, at 

 Hampton Falls, 1757 : before the Society of Industry, 1757; 

 at Artillery Election, 1758 ; at ordination of Whitwell, in 

 Marblehead, 1762; at Election, 1763 ; Dudleian Lecture, 1768; 

 a Funeral Sermon on Rev. Peter Clark, Danvers, 1768. 



Mr. Barnard was the eleventh minister of the First Church 

 in the order of succession. The meetino; house was a huge, 

 old-fashioned Avooden edifice, with double galleries inside, and 

 stood where its brick successor stands, corner of Essex and 

 Washington streets, a spot consecrated to the worship of God 

 ever since the early days Avhen the devout Higginson thanked 

 God that " here in Salem we have plenty of preaching and 

 diligent catechising, with strict and careful exercise." A 

 drawing of the building is preserved in the Institute. 



Asa Dunbar. The colleague and successor of Mr. Barnard, 

 Mr. Dunbar, was born in Bridgewater, May 26th, 1745, grad- 

 uated at Harvard College in 1767, and Avas settled in Salem 

 July 22d, 1772. The little that is known of Mr. Dunbar and 

 his brief ministry of seven years, is highly favorable to his 

 reputation. Mr. Bentley alludes to him as "a man of genius." 

 Dr. Eliot speaks of his " extraordinary genius," and in the 

 "Notices of the First Church and its ministers," he is alluded 

 to as " this estimable man and minister." The Church records 

 mention him as " admirably qualified for a Gospel preacher." 

 It is probable that he preached to the acceptance of the more 

 intellectual and cultivated portion of the congregation, 



Mr. Dunbar's ministry was cut short by ill health. He 



