Richard Mather

son of Tho. Mather by Margaret his wife, was born at Lowton in the parish of Winwick in Lancashire, an. 1596, educated in Grammar learning in the School at Winwick, distant about 4 miles from Lowton, and thence was called to teach a publick School at Toxteth Park near to Leverpool in the said County, an. 1612, where pretending to receive a new light within him, was converted to godliness, an. 1614. Thence he went to Oxon and was admitted a Student in Brasn. Coll. 9. May 1618, being then about 22 years of age; where he met with some that had been his Scholars, and became acquainted with a most zealous and godly Divine, from whom he gained much in his studies. Afterwards being invited by the people of Toxteth to take upon him the ministry there, he returned into his own Country, and preached the first Sermon among them on the 30. of Nov. following, and about that time married Catherine daughter of Edward Holt of Bury in Lancashire. For 15 years, or more, he preached every Sunday at Toxteth, and on Tuesdays at Prescot, and was much frequented at both places by the precise party. But so it was that he being a severe Calvinist and little or no friend to the Church of England, he was suspended for nonconformity to ceremonies, an. 1633, but quickly restored, and soon after was suspended again by the Visitors when they visited Chester Diocess. In 1635 he, with his family, left Lancashire and removed to New England, where putting in at Boston, in Aug. the same year, the People of Dorchester in that County gave him a call to be their Minister: Whereupon setling at that place, he continued among them in the labourious work of the Gospel to his dying day. He hath written,

These two things pass under the name of the Elders of New England, but Mather was the author of them.

Answer to Mr. Charl. Herle and to Mr. Sam. Rutherford; wherein is defended the congregational way of Church Government, and how it differs from the Presbyterian. Lond. 1646. qu.

An heart-melting exhortation, together with a cordial consolation, presented in a letter from New England to his dear Country-men of Lancashire, &c. Lond. 1650. in tw. Tho the name of Will. Tomson a Lancashire man born and Pastor of Braintry in N. Engl. is set to this book with that of Mather, yet Mather was the sole author of it, as his Son hath informed me.

A Catechisme: or, the grounds and principles of Christian religion, set forth by way of question and answer, &c. Lond. 1650. oct.

Sermons on the second Epistle of S. Peter—They were transcribed by him for the press, but are not yet made publick.

Treatise of justification. Cambr. in N. E. 1652. qu. He also prepared for the press.

A defence of the Churches in New England—Written against W. Rathbond Minister of the Gospel: And had a principal hand in drawing up The platform of Church discipline, agreed unto by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches assembled in the Synod at Cambridge in N.E. an. [•] 648. He also left behind him a Ms of his composition, to prove that the power of rule and government in the Church belongs only to the Elders, and not to the Fraternity. At length after he had spent the greatest part of his time in the zealous Ministry of the Gospel, surrendred up his pious Soul to him that first gave it,1669. on the 22. Apr. in sixteen hundred sixty and nine: whereupon his body was buried at D [•] rchester in New England before mention’d. He had several Sons that were Nonconforming Ministers as (1) Samuel, whom I shall mention among these writers under the year 1671. (2) Nathaniel sometimes Minister of Barnstaple in Devonsh, afterwards at Rotterdam in Holland, now Pastor of a congregation in London. (3) Eleazer, who died Pastor of the Church at Northampton in N. Engl. after he had been a preacher there eleven years. (4) Increase, or as he writes himself in his lat. books, Crescentius Matherus, born at Dorchester in N. E. educated in Harwarden Coll. in Cambridge there, and thence, after six years standing, removed to Ireland, where in Trin. Coll. near Dublin he proceeded Mast. of Arts 1658 aged 19 years or thereabouts. In 1661 he returned to his native Country, was elected President of the Coll. wherein he had been educated, an. 1681, and in May 1688 he came into England to acquaint K. Jam. 2. from the principal Gentlemen in N. Engl. the state of his Subjects in that territory, whose civil liberties and properties were then invaded in an intolerable manner. This person who is also now, or at least was lately Pastor of a Church at Boston in his native Country hath written several things as (1) Discourse concerning the mystery of Israels salvation, on Rom 11.26. Lond. 1669. oct. (2) The first principles of N. Engl. concerning the subject of Baptisme and Communion of Churches Cambr. in N. E. 1675. qu. (3) A brief history of the war with the Indians in New England, from the 24 of June 1675 (when the first English man was murthered by the Indians) to 12 of Aug. 1676, when Philip alias Metacomet was slain, &c. together with a serious exhortation to the Inhabitants of that land. Boston in N. E. 1676 qu. Afterward, reprinted at Lond. (4) Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry Sermons Lond. 1674. oct. (5) The divine right of Infant baptisme asserted and proved from scripture and antiquity. Bost. in N. E. 1680. qu. (6) Practical truths tending to promote godliness in the power of it. Bost. in N. E. 1682. (7) Diatriba de signo filii hominis, & de secundo Messiae adventu, &c. Amstel. 1682. oct. (8) An Essay for the recording of illustrious providences: wherein an account is given of many remarkable and very memorable events, which have hapned in this last age, especially in N. England. Boston in N. Engl. 1684. oct. with his picture before it. (9) Discourse concerning the person, office and glory of Jesus Christ. Bost. in N. E. 1686 oct. (10) De successu Evangelii apud Indos in Nova Anglia, Epistola ad cl. virum D. Joh. Leusdenum Ling. Sanctae in Ultrajectanâ Academia professorem scripta. Lond. 1688. in one sheet in oct. (11) The wonders of free grace: or, a compleat History of all the remarkable Penitents that have been executed at Tyburn, and elsewhere, for these last thirty years. To which is added a Sermon preached in the hearing of a condemned person, immediatly before his execution. Lond. 1690. in tw. &c. This Mr. Mather who is a person of learning, candor and civility, hath a son by his wife, the daughter of the famous Mr. John Cotton of N. England, named Cotton Mather, now Pastor of a Church in Boston, and in great reputation among the people, in N. Engl, author of Late memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions, clearly manifesting, not only that there are witches, but that good men (as well as others) may possibly have their lives shortned by such evil instruments of Satan. Lond. 1691. sec. Edit.