He sailed for England with his family in 1659, but the vessel put into Salem harbor on account of the weather, and he accepted an invitation to preach there for a year, finally settling as regular pastor of the church that his father had planted. He was ordained in August 1660, and continued there till his death. He was an active opponent of the Quakers, but subsequently regretted his zeal, and took no part in the witchcraft prosecutions of 1692. He was one of the most popular divines in New England, and at his death had been seventy-two years in the ministry. He published various sermons, the most well-known of which is his "Election Sermon" of 1663, "The Cause of God and His People in New-England," see http://www.classicapologetics.com/h/higgicause.pdf. He was the author of the "Attestation" to Cotton Mather's "Magnalia", which was prefixed to the first book of that work.