Matthew Barker facts for kids

Matthew Barker (1619 – 25 March 1698) was an important English minister and politician. He is known for his ideas about how nature shows us God's existence. He also played a part in English politics during the 1600s.

Matthew Barker's Life Story

Early Life and the English Civil War

Matthew Barker was born in a place called Great Cransley in Northamptonshire, England, in 1619. We don't know much about his parents. He worked as a school teacher in Banbury, Oxfordshire. This was until the English Civil War began. This war was a big conflict in England between the King and Parliament.

When the war started, Barker became a preacher in London. He strongly supported the Parliament side in the war. In fact, he was asked to give a special speech to the House of Commons (a part of the English Parliament) on October 25, 1648.

After the war, England became a republic, meaning it had no king. This new government liked Matthew Barker. He was known for being fair and not extreme. This helped him gain favor with the government led by Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell's government made Barker an assistant in London.

After the Monarchy Returned

Later, the English monarchy (the King) was brought back. This event is called the English Restoration. After this, Matthew Barker became a "Nonconformist." This means he did not follow the official Church of England. Instead, he started his own church group in London.

After another big change in government called the Glorious Revolution, Barker worked to bring different religious groups together. These groups were called "Dissenters" because they disagreed with the official church. To help with this, he wrote a book called Flores intellectuales. It offered advice for students who wanted to become ministers.

Barker's most famous book was Natural Theology. In this book, he tried to show that God exists by looking at the natural world. He believed that nature's design and workings proved God's presence. Matthew Barker passed away in London in 1698.