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Published by Button & Son, Paternoster Row.

to his Master at the last day. He was succeeded in his meeting-place at Bolton, by Mr. John Leaver.

Mr. ROBERT PARK. Of Eman. Col. Camb, a native of Bolton. He was vicar of this parish before the civil war, upon the approach of which he withdrew into Holland, and was assistant to Mr. Symmonds, in the English congregation at Rotterdam. Mr. Gregge, vicar of Bolton, dying in 1644, the people sent to Mr. Park, and earnestly solicited him to return. After some time he did so, and was lecturer there while Mr. Goodwin was vicar. He had the benefit of Mr. Gosnold's donation, as well as the free contribution of the people, by whom he was much beloved. He was a person of incomparable ability, learning and piety, and a very correct preacher. He was also a man of a ready wit, and very facetious in conversation. When he was ejected, he for a time lived privately, and on the passing of the Five-mile-act he removed to Braughton in this county. But he at length: returned to Bolton, and preached as he had opportunity. He died in 1669, aged 70. He had a very good library, which was sold for the support of his wife and children.-A correspondent of the author, near Bolton, writes as follows: "This neighbourhood has been an ancient and famous seat of religion. At the very first dawn of the Reformation, the dayspring from on high visited' this town and the adjacent villages; and by the letters of those brave martyrs, Mr. Bradford and Mr. George Marsh, which we have yet remaining, it appears, that a number of persons and families in that neighbourhood betimes received the gospel in its purity and simplicity. And a good relish of it appears remaining to this day."

BURTON-WOOD. SAMUEL MATHER, A. M. Born in this county in 1626. He was the eldest son of Mr. Richard Mather, whose life may be seen in Mr. Clark's collections. He went with his father in 1635, to New-England, where he had his education in Harvard-College, and was the first Fellow who took his degrees there. Having spent some time in the exercise of his ministry in those parts, he returned into England in 1659. He met with a most violent storm in his passage; the ship also was in great danger of being burnt; but God who had considerable purposes to serve by him, kept him in safety. He spent some time both at Cambridge and Oxford, where also he took his degrees. He was chap

lain in Magdalen-College, and preached frequently at St. Mary's. He went with the English commissioners into Scotland, and preached the gospel publicly at Leith two years. In 1655, he returned to England, and soon after attended Lord Harry Cromwell into Ireland, with Dr. Harrison, Dr. Winter, and Mr. Charnock. He was there made a Senior Fellow of Trinity-College, where he again took his degrees. He was chosen colleague with Dr. Winter, and preached every Lord's-day morning at the church of St. Nicholas in Dublin; besides his turn, once in six weeks, before the lorddeputy and council. His preaching there was much esteemed, and very successful. There he was publicly ordained by Dr. Winter, Mr. Taylor of Carrickfergus, and Mr. Jenner, of Tredagh, Dec. 5, 1656.-Even Wood scruples not to own, that "Tho' he was a congregational-man, and in his principles a high Nonconformist, yet he was observed by some, to be civil to those of the episcopal persuasion, when it was in his power to do them a displeasure. And when the lord-deputy gave a commission to him and others, in order to the displa cing of episcopal ministers in the province of Munster, he declined it as he afterwards did the like matter in Dublin; alledging, that he was called into that country to preach the gospel, and not to hinder others from doing it,'

But notwithstanding this, soon after the restoration, he was suspended for two sermons which he preached against reviving the ceremonies, from 2 Kings xviii. 4. He was represented as seditious, and guilty of treason; tho' he uttered not a disrespectful word of the king or government, but only set himself to prove that the ecclesiastical ceremonies then about to be restor ed, had no warrant from the word of God. Being now disabled from any further service in Ireland, he returned to England, and continued his ministry at Burton-wood, till the Bartholomew-act took place; and then he went back again to Dublin, and preached to a gathered church in his own hired house. After he had continued there some years a Nonconformist, he had a pressing invitation from a church at Boston in NewEngland, to be their pastor; but he was not willing to leave his own church without their consent, which was not to be obtained. Their meetings were at first more favourably connived at in Ireland than in England. But as Mr. Mather was preaching privately, Sept. 18, 1664, he was interrupted by an officer, who carrried him to the main guard. He rea-soned with the officers and soldiers about their disturbing a

meeting

meeting of Protestants, when they suffered the Papists to say mass without any interruption. They told him, that such men as he were more dangerous than the Papists, &c. The mayor having consulted the lord-deputy, told Mr. Mather that he might go to his lodgings, but that he must appear the next day before his lordship, for which he and some others gave their word. Accordingly they appeared, when the mayor told him, that the lord-deputy was much incensed against him for his conventicle, being informed there were many old discontented officers there. Mr. Mather denied that he saw any such persons, and gave him an account of his sermon, on John ii. 15-17. which could not give any reasonable offence. However, that evening he was seized by a pursuivant from the lord-deputy, and the next day imprisoned; but he was soon released.

About this time he had an interview with one Valentine Greatarick, who pretended to cure diseases by stroking; a man of a stong imagination, whom he found to have read Cornelius Agrippa, and had got his Abracadabra. Dr. Stubbes having printed some letters in his favour, the people of Dublin crowded after him. Mr. Mather therefore wrote a piece to expose his pretences. But tho' it was read with approbation by some persons of figure, he was not allowed to publish it.-A certain lady afterwards sent him a discourse drawn up by some Popish priest, entitled, The one Catholic and Roman Faith, to which he drew up an answer which was published, and met with good acceptance. He continued labouring to do good, in all ways within his power to the last. He had generally the character of a good scholar and a generous spirited man. He left this life for a better, in 1671, and was succeeded by Mr. Nathaniel Mather his younger brother.

WORKS. Besides the above... A Treatise against stinted Liturgies. An Irenicum, in order to an Agreement between Presbyterians, Independents, and Anabaptists...A course of sermons upon the Old Testament Types, with some discourses against modern superstitions; published by his brother after his decease.

BRADSHAW. Mr. DRURY.

* Dr. Henry More had a very high opinion of this man as a man of piety. See his Scholia on Atheismus Triumphans. A particular account of him may be seen in Wood's Athene Oxon. vol. ii. p. 365.