Samuel Mather

the eldest Son of Rich. Mather mention’d before, under the year 1669. nu. 289. was born at Much-Woolton in Lanc, 13. May 1626, transported with his Father and Family to New England 1635, educated in Harwarden Coll. at Cambridge there, took the degrees in Arts, returned into England in 1650, became one of the Chaplains of Madg. Coll. by the favour of Mr. Tho. Goodwin then President, and was, as tis said, incorporated in the degree of M. of A. tho no such thing occurs in the publick register. Afterwards, being known be a man of parts and gifts, he received a call to go to Leith in Scotland, to be there a publick Preacher. In 1655 he removed to Dublin in Ireland, where he became a Senior Fellow of Trin. Coll. and preached as a Lecturer in S. Nicolas Church there, and also before the L. Deputy and Council in his turn. At which time tho he was a congregational man, and in his Principles respecting Ch. Government a high Nonconformist, yet he was observed by some to be civil to those of the Episcopal persuasion, when it was in his power to do them a displeasure: And when the L. Deputy (Hen. Cromwell) gave a Commission to him and others in order to the displacing of Episcopal Ministers in the Province of Mounster, he declined it, as he did afterwards to do the like matter in Dublin, alledging that he was called into that County to preach the Gospel, and not to hinder others from doing it. He was a religious man in the way he professed, and was valued by some who differed from him as to opinion in lesser and circumstantial points in religion. After his Majesties restauration he was suspended from preaching, till his Majesties pleasure should be known, for two Sermons which were judged seditious, and being afterwards ejected and silenced for Nonconformity, preached to the brethren in privat so long as he lived. He hath written,

Wholsome Caveat for a time of liberty—Printed 1652. in oct.

A defence of the protestant religion, in answer to Fiat Lux. Dubl. 1671. qu.

An Irenicum: or, an Essay for union among Reformers. Lond. in qu.

The figures or types of the old Testament explained and improved. Dubl. 1683. qu. He died on the 29. of Octob. in sixteen hundred seventy and one,1671. and was buried in the Church of S. Nicolas within the City of Dublin, where he used formerly to preach a morning Lecture.