Matthew Bryan facts for kids

Matthew Bryan (who also sometimes used the name Brian) was an English clergyman. He was known as a "non-juror" and a "Jacobite preacher." He died on March 10, 1699.

Matthew Bryan's Life Story

Matthew Bryan was born in Limington, Somerset. His father, Robert Bryan, was also a minister. In 1665, Matthew started studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford University. However, he left before finishing his degree.

For about ten years, he worked as a minister in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Later, he became the minister at St. Mary's, Newington, which was his father's old church. He also gave afternoon talks at St. Michael, Crooked Lane.

Challenges and Accusations

In 1684, Matthew Bryan lost his position as a minister because of financial problems. That same year, he preached a sermon at Newington and St. Michael's. Some people claimed his sermon criticized the King's courts. He was accused of this before a legal court.

To show he was innocent, he printed his sermon. This printed sermon did not seem to contain any criticism. He dedicated it to Peter Mews, who was the Bishop of Winchester at the time. The archbishop was satisfied that the accusation against Bryan was false, and the case was dropped.

Becoming a Non-Juror

In July 1685, Matthew Bryan earned degrees in civil law from Oxford University. When William III and Mary II became king and queen, they required people in official positions to take special oaths of loyalty. Bryan refused to take these oaths.

Because he refused, he lost his church positions. He then became a minister for a group of people called "Jacobites." These Jacobites supported the previous king, James II. Bryan's congregation met secretly in St. Dunstan's Court, Fleet Street. This often caused him trouble. On January 1, 1693, his meeting was discovered. The names of about 100 people in his congregation were recorded, and Bryan was arrested. He passed away on March 10, 1699, and was buried in St. Dunstan's-in-the-West.

Matthew Bryan's Published Works

Matthew Bryan wrote several works, mostly sermons. A sermon is a talk given by a minister, usually about a religious topic.

His works include:

• The Certainty of the future Judgment asserted and proved (1685) – This was the sermon mentioned earlier that caused him legal trouble.
• A Persuasion to the stricter Observance of the Lord's Day (1686) – Another sermon.
• St. Paul's Triumph in his Sufferings (1692) – In the dedication of this sermon, he described himself as someone who shared in suffering, likely referring to his challenges as a Jacobite preacher.

He also wrote two poems that were included in a translation of the Encheiridion by Epictetus, which was published in 1702. Additionally, he republished a work by Humphrey Lynde called Account of Bertram the Priest in 1686.