Noyes, Nicholas

Noyes, Nicholas a Congregational minister, was born at Newbury, Mass., Dec. 22,1647. He was educated at Harvard University, class of 1667, and immediately after graduation began to preach. He was first pastor at Haddam; in 1683 he became pastor at Salem, Mass., where he preached until his death, Dec. 13,1717. Mr. Noyes lived at Salem when the witchcraft excesses were agitating the community of that place. He was severe in his denunciations of the wild fanatics who believed in those extravagant supposed spiritual manifestations, and advocated their public prosecution. Later in life he saw the error of his course, and greatly regretted that he had been a party in the illiberal treatment of the poor fanatics. A letter of his, with an account of James Noyes, is in Mather's Magnolia. He published a Poem on the death of Joseph Green, of Salem (1715).