Richard Mather
Richard Mather was a notable English Puritan minister and author, born in 1596 in Lowton, Lancashire, England. He began his career in education, becoming a master at a school in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, before transitioning to preaching at Toxteth Park Chapel. Mather was ordained in 1619 but faced suspensions for nonconformity, prompting his migration to New England in 1635 as a part of the Puritan exodus. Upon arriving in Boston, he became the minister of a church in Dorchester, where he served until his death. Mather was influential in the religious debates of his time, contributing to the formulation of church governance and discipline among Congregational churches. He played a key role in writing the "Cambridge Platform" and was involved in the creation of the "Bay Psalm Book," the first significant book printed in English in America. Mather's works, including various theological writings, reflect his commitment to shaping religious practices in the New World. He was married twice and had children, leaving a lasting legacy in early American religious history.
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Richard Mather
Clergyman
- Born: 1596
- Birthplace: Lowton, Lancashire, England
- Died: April 22, 1669
- Place of death: Dorchester, England
Biography
Richard Mather was born in Lowton, Lancashire, England, in 1596. Although his family was not wealthy, they were entitled to bear a coat-of-arms. He studied at Winwick grammar school where he was appointed as a master after his fifteenth year. In 1612, he left the school to become a master at a newly established school in Toxteth Park, Liverpool. He attended Brasenose College at Oxford for several months before he began preaching at Toxteth Park Chapel. In 1619, he was ordained there, but may only have been a deacon of the church. Mather was considered rather unconventional, and he was suspended from the church in 1633 and again in 1634 for nonconformity in matters of ceremony. Although he had a reputation as a great preacher, he was advised by friends that he needed to leave the country, and in 1635 he was among the pilgrims who embarked for New England.
Mather arrived in Boston in August of 1635. After his arrival, he became the minister at a church in Dorchester, which had been abandoned by its previous preacher. He served in the same church until his death. In 1642, he married Katherine Holt, with whom he had six children. After Katherine’s death, he married Sarah Story, the widow of the Reverend John Cotton of Boston.
Mather was involved in the religious discussions of the time which focused on the forms of worship and church government. He authored a number of works on ecclesiastical matters in New England. In 1648, as a member of the church council, or synod, Mather wrote the celebrated “Cambridge Platform” (published in A Platform of Church Discipline, 1649), a declaration of principles of church government and discipline for Congregational churches. He was one of three ministers who prepared the New England edition of the Book of Psalms, The Whole Booke of Psalmes (1640), known as the “Bay Psalm Book.” As well, he wrote several minor works, including An Apologie of the Churches in New-England for Church- Covenant, published in 1643, and A Catechisme: Or, The Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion, published in 1650.