He  was  invited  by  the  people  of  Northampton,  in
June,  1658,  to  preach  on  probation,  and  was  ordain-
ed over  the  Church  there,  June  23d,  1661.  "  Here
he  labored  for  eleven  years  in  the  vineyard  of  the
Lord ;  much  admired  as  a  man  of  talents  and  exalt-
ed piety,  and  as  a  zealous  preacher."  He  died  July
24th,  1669,  aged  32  years.  His  wife  was  Esther,
the  only  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Warham.  (See  page
498.)

1656.  Increase  Mather,  A.  M.,  brother  to  the
former,  was  bom  in  Dorchester,  June  21st,  1639.
He  was  ordained  minister  of  the  North  Church  in
Boston,  May  27th,  1669  ;  was  appointed  President
of  the  College  in  1685,  but  resigned  that  office  in
1701.  He  was  the  first  person  who  received  the
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  at  Harvard  College.
This  was  given  him  in  1692.  He  died  August  23d,
1723,  aged  85  years.
Dr.  Mather  was  a  man  of  decided  ability  and  en-
terprise, and  although  unpopular  with  a  small  por-
tion of  his  fellow  citizens,  his  counsels  had  great
weight  both  with  the  clergy  and  body  politic.  He
was  sent  to  England  as  agent  of  the  Mass.  Colony
(see  page  485),  and  had  great  influence  over  the
friends  of  New  England,  on  that  side  of  the  Atlantic.
