Samuel Mather (Independent minister) facts for kids

Samuel Mather (born 1626, died 1671) was a special kind of religious leader called an Independent minister. He was born in England but moved to New England with his family when he was young. Later, he returned to England and then lived in Scotland and Ireland. He became a teacher at Trinity College, Dublin. After 1662, he was a nonconformist minister in Ireland. This means he didn't follow the official church rules of the time.

Samuel Mather's Life Story

Early Life and Education

Samuel Mather was the oldest son of Richard Mather. He was born on May 13, 1626, in a place called Much Woolton, near Liverpool, England. In 1635, his father took him to New England. There, Samuel studied at Harvard College. He earned his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1643. He then became a fellow at Harvard, which meant he was a teacher and researcher there. He was the very first Harvard graduate to become a fellow at the college.

Ministry in England and Scotland

After becoming a preacher, Samuel Mather went back to England. In 1650, he became a chaplain at Magdalen College, Oxford. This was a time when England was a republic, known as the Commonwealth. He often gave sermons at St. Mary's church.

In 1653, Mather left his chaplain job. He was chosen to go with government officials to Scotland. Their job was to announce and put into action the Tender of Union, which aimed to unite England and Scotland. He lived in Leith, Scotland, for two years, where he preached.

Life in Ireland

Samuel Mather later moved to Ireland with Henry Cromwell, who was an important leader there. In 1654, he became a Master of Arts at Trinity College, Dublin. He was also appointed as one of the senior fellows, meaning he was a senior teacher.

On December 5, 1656, he was officially ordained as a minister. This ceremony took place in Dublin. He preached every morning at St. Nicholas's church. He also preached every six weeks as a chaplain to the lord-deputy, a high-ranking official. Samuel Mather was known for being kind to other religious leaders, even those he disagreed with.

When the monarchy was brought back to Ireland in 1660, Samuel Mather was suspended from his duties. This was because he had preached against the old church ceremonies being brought back. He then went back to England. He found a job as a minister in a small church in Burtonwood, Lancashire. However, he was forced to leave this job in 1662 because of a new law called the Uniformity Act 1662. This event is known as the Great Ejection.

After this, he returned to Dublin. He started a new church group that met at his house. Later, they built a proper meeting-house. In 1664, he was arrested and put in prison for preaching at a private meeting. But he was released soon after. He was asked to move to Boston, Massachusetts, but he chose to stay in Dublin. He passed away in Dublin on October 29, 1671, and was buried in St. Nicholas's Church.

Writings

Samuel Mather wrote several books and essays. Here are some of them:

• A Wholesome Caveat for a Time of Liberty, published in 1652.
• A Defence of the Protestant Religion, published in Dublin in 1671.

After he died, his brother Nathaniel Mather published two more of his works:

• An Irenicum: or an Essay for Union among Reformers, published in 1680. This book was about trying to bring different religious groups together.
• The Figures or Types of the Old Testament, published in Dublin in 1683.

Family

Samuel Mather married a woman who was the sister of Sir John Stephens. They had four or five children. Sadly, all but one of their children, a daughter named Catherine, passed away when they were still young.