M A T 
Tncreafing our concern with every thing ground u§. It 
enlarges the comprehenfion of the foul ; for it offers for 
contemplation the laws of the univerfe. It prepares the 
ftudent for an acquaintance with the human mind ; for 
the ftriftnefs with which its inveftigations are conduced, 
prevents that vvildnefs of theorizing which is the bane of 
fcience, and forms the habit of cautioufly atrending to 
phenomena, in order to afcertain the general laws which 
regulate them. It aids the caufe of religion ; for it nccuf- 
toms the mind to feek for the caufes of obferved appear¬ 
ances, and leads it from defign and regularity to infer an 
intelligent Fir It Caufe. 
MATHE'O (St.), a town of Spain, in the province 
of Valencia: twenty-feven miles fouth-fiouth-weft of Tor- 
tofa. 
MATHEPOU'R, a town of Hindooftan, in Guzerat: 
thirty miles ncrth-welt of Puttan Siimnaut. 
MA'THER (Increafe), an eminent Anglo-American 
nonconformift divine, was born at Dorchefter in New 
England, of which place his father was minifter, in the 
year 1635. After having been initiated in the elements 
of grammar-learning, he purfued his academical (Indies 
at Harvard-college, in Cambridge, w here he was admitted 
to the degree of B.A, in 1656. During the following 
year he took a voyage to England ; whence, after vifiting 
his friends in Lancafliire, he eroded the fea to Ireland, 
upon an invitation from his eldeft brother, who was mi¬ 
nifter to a congregation at Dublin. There he entered 
iiimfelf of Trinity-college, in which he proceeded M.A. 
in 1658, performing the ufual exercifes with great ap- 
plaufe. So highly was he refpefted for his proficiency 
and behaviour, that he had the offer of a fellowfiiip in 
that infiitution, as well as of other beneficial fituations ; 
but, finding the air of that country unfavourable to his 
health, he returned to England, and officiated for fome 
time as minifter to Mr. Howe’s parifh, at Great Torring- 
ton in Devonfliire. Upon Mr. Howe’s return to his flock, 
after Richard Cromwell had been obliged to quit the pro- 
teclorffiip, Mr. Mather, in 1659, acceptedof an invitation 
to become chaplain to colonel Bingham, governor of 
Guernfey ; which fituation he held at the time of the Re- 
(toration. Upon the arrival of a new governor, finding 
that he muff either conform or quit his place, his con¬ 
fidence compelled him to adopt the latter meafiure, and 
he returned to England. Here he was offered valuable 
preferment in the church ; which his principles obliged 
him to decline, rather than violate the tranquillity of his 
mind ; and he failed for New England, where he was 
ciiofen minifter to the new church in the north part of 
Bofton. Soon afterwards he married the daughter of Mr. 
John Cotton, a gentleman of conlklerable eminence from 
England, whence he had been driven on account of his 
non-conformity: he had formerly been vicar of Bofton 
in Lincolnfhire, in England, and was now fettled as mi¬ 
nifter of Bofton in America. 
In 1664., Mr. Mather was ordained to the palloral office, 
the duties of which he performed through life with credit 
to himfelf, and highly effec-med by his .people. In the 
year 1683, when king Charles II. required from the inha¬ 
bitants of New England a furrender of their charter, un¬ 
der the threat of a profecution by quo warranto, he attended 
a meeting of the Bofton freemen, and by his perfuafions 
•determined them to reject a motion for that purpofe, with¬ 
out a diffenting voice, and to leave the ilfue to Provi¬ 
dence, rather than become the degraded inftruments of 
voluntarily facrificing their liberties. This ait of the Bof- 
tonians had no little influence in prevailing on the coun¬ 
try-in general to imitate their example. Judgment, how. 
ever, 'was entered in the court of King’s Bench at Lon¬ 
don againft the colony; and, in 1686, king Jamc-s II. lent 
•a governor with a commiflion that enabled him, with 
three or four others, to make what laws, and to levy what 
taxes, they pleafed. 
Upon the publication of king James’s fecond declara¬ 
tion for liberty of confcience, lome of the minifters of 
Vol. XIV. No. 993. 
M A y tm 
New England and their churches drew up addreffes of 
thanks to him for the benefits which they enjoyed in con- 
fequence of it; and Mr. Mather was prevailed upon t» 
take a voyage to England, for the purpofe of prefenting; 
them. This commiffion he executed in 16 38 ; and was 
favourably received by James, before whom he laid the 
irate of the country. While he continued in England 
the Revolution took place ; upon which he waited oft 
the prince of Orange, and was in ft ru mental in preventing 
letters from being Cent to New England, in common with, 
the other colonies, confirming their old governor. Af¬ 
ter the coronation of king William, he frequently waited 
upon him; and was affifted by lord Wharton and others 
in an attempt to obtain the re-fettlement of the Malta- 
chufetts colony upon their chartered foundation by an 
aft of parliament, which was fruftrated by its diffolution. 
But he at length obtained from his majefty a new charter, 
containing the whole of the old one, with the addition of 
new and more ample privileges. Having rendered this 
effential fervice to his country, he fet fail for it in March 
1692, in company with fir William Phipps, whom his ma« 
jelly fent over governor ; and foon after his arrival, at a 
meeting of the general afLmbly of the province, the 
fpeaker of the houfe of reprefientatives returned him pub¬ 
lic thanks for his faithful and indefatigable endeavours to 
benefit his country. Mr. Mather now returned to the 
care of his church, and of Harvard-college, of which he 
had been chofen prefident in 1684, and foon afterwards 
he was created D.D. In the year 1701 the general affeitt- 
bly having determined that the prefident of the college 
fhould in future refide at Cambridge, he refigned that poll, 
but continued the exercife of his minillerial funftions 
till near his death, which took place in 1723, when his 
i n tel left ua) faculties retained their vigour, and he had ar¬ 
rived at the great age of eighty-four. He was the author 
of, 1. Firft Principles of New England, refpefting the 
Subjeft of Baptifm and Communion of Churches, 1675, 
4to. 2. A Brief Hiftory of the War with the Indians, 
in New England, from June 24, to Auguft 12, 1676, 4to. 
3. The Divine Right of Infant Baptifm, afferted and 
proved from Scripture and Antiquity, 1680, 4to. 4. 
Praftical Truths, tending to promote Godlinefs, 1682. 5. 
Diatribe de Signo Filii-Hominis, et de Secundo Meffite 
Adventn, 1682, 8vo. .6. De Succeffu Evangelii apud In- 
dos in Nova Anglia, 16S8, 8vo. 7. An Effay for the 
Recording of Ulultrious Providences, wherein an Account 
is given of many Remarkable and Memorable Events 
which have happened in this la ft Age, efpecially in New 
England, 1684, 8vo. 8. A Dif’courfe concerning Comets, 
1683, Svo. 9. A Difcourfe concerning Earthquakes. 10. 
A variety of Sermons, Differtations, Praftical Pieces, &c. 
Calamy's Account of ejected Minijlers. Wood’s Athen . Oxoa. 
vol. ii. 
MA'THER (Cotton), fon of the preceding, and like 
him a celebrated divine at Bofton in New England, was 
born at that town in the year 1662-3. He received his 
early education at the free-fehool of his native place, un¬ 
der learned and able mailers ; and made Inch an uncom¬ 
mon progrefs in acquiring the Latin and Greek languages, 
with fome knowledge of the Hebrew, that at twelve years 
of age he was judged to be fufficiently qualified for enter 
ing on academical ftudies. Accordingly, he was admitted 
to Harvard college, where he diltinguifhed himfelf by his- 
diligence and proficiency in the different branches of lite¬ 
rature and fcience, and perfected his acquaintance with tha 
Hebrew tongue. It was his practice to draw up fyltems 
of the fciences, as he ftudied them, in order to impref* 
them the more deeply on his mind ; and to write remarks 
on all the books which he read: both excellent means of 
improvement. At the age of fixteen he was admitted to 
the degree of B.A. and proceeded M.A. before he was 
nineteen. He had now undertaken the office of tutor, and 
had fome pupils who were older than himfelf, whole acade¬ 
mical ftudies he direfted ; improving himfelf, while he 
inftrufted them in the different departments of learning. 
6 U Till'* 
