Increase Mather

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Increase Mather (1639–1723) was a strong Puritan clergyman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as president of Harvard College for 20 years (1681–1701).

He was instrumental in the colony's administration during a period of infamous Salem witch trials.

Early life

Mather was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, on June 21, 1639, to the Rev. The Rev. Following their nonconformity to the Church of England, Richard Mather and Kathrine Holt Mather left England following their participation in the Great Migration from England.

"The never-to-beforgotten rise, of every kind," God favoured the nation about the time of his nativity, according to the author's explanation. The word "Increase" is a literal translation of Hebrew "Yosf" (Joseph). He was the youngest of six brothers, the others being Samuel, Nathaniel, Eleazar, Joseph, and Timothy. The first three members of the first three of these were also ministers.

Mather was accepted to Harvard College in 1651, where he interacted with and studied under Robert Massey. He began training for the ministry in 1656, age 17, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and gave his first sermon on his 18th birthday. He left Massachusetts and moved to Ireland, where he studied for a Master of Arts at Trinity College, Dublin. He was granted by Oliver Cromwell as a Commonwealth Minister during his time at Trinity College (Ballyscullion) and St Swithan's Church (Magherafelt). He graduated in 1658 and served as a chaplain in the Channel Islands from 1659 to 1661, with a short stint at a Gloucester church in 1660.

Mather felt less secure in his position in the Channel Islands following Cromwell's death in 1658 due to Charles II's return to the throne. In 1660, he resigned and sailed for Boston in 1661. Mather received his first honorary degree in the New World later in the 1690s; he became a Doctor of Sacred Theology.

Increase returned to Massachusetts in 1661, where he married Maria Cotton. She was his step-sister by virtue of his father's marriage to Sarah Hankredge, widow of John Cotton and mother of Maria. Cotton Mather was born in 1663 and she gave birth to her first child Cotton Mather. In 1676, he published A Brief History of the War with the Indians in New-England, a modern history of King Philip's War.

He was appointed minister of the North Church. He stayed in this position until he died.

Increase Mather's autobiography states that he served as President of Harvard from 1681 to 1701, but that his official title changed due to charter and organizational changes. He was named Rector on June 11, 1685, and on July 23, 1686, he was named Rector. He completed writing the new college charter and became president on June 27, 1692. On September 5, 1692, when the Salem trials were still underway, Increase Mather received a doctorate of divinity, the first doctorate granted to Harvard, and the second for 79 years.

He was rarely seen on campus or in the town during his Rectory term, particularly because he was out of the Colony for only two years of his term. Despite his absences, he made some changes: re-implementation of Greek and Hebrew instruction, the replacement of classical Roman authors with Biblical and Christian authors in ethics classes, and the introduction of rules requiring students to attend classes regularly, live and eat on campus, and that seniors do not haze others students.

Although politics and Puritan faith were closely related during Increase's lifetime, his first real involvement in politics came as a result of England's manipulation of the New England governments by James II. In 1686, James abrogated the Charter of Massachusetts in the process of establishing the Dominion of New England.

Edmund Andros, the Dominion leader, was not only opposed to puritanism and was haughty, but also ruled as a near-absolute tyrant: The Dominion was temporarily deposes the clergy, marriages were forbidden, and the Old South Church was temporarily appropriated for Anglican services.

The 1687 Declaration of Indulgence, which condemned racial discrimination against Catholics, met with strong resistance from the Puritan establishment. Mather was practically branded for treason after successfully raising objections to the charter's revocation of the charter. He went to London (eluding spies out to capture him) to petition the King. Although engaged in petitioning, he produced several pieces to help his positions, such as A Narrative of the Miseries of New-England (1688), and A Brief Relationship between Charter Privileges (1691).

He attempted to recover the old charter and obtain a royal charter for Harvard, but he turned his petitions in favour of a new charter that did not have any of the rights that had been granted. A new charter was issued to the colony following the Glorious Revolution and subsequent overthrowrow of Andros. The 1692 charter was a major departure from its predecessor's, establishing an electoral legislature, enforcing all freeholders (previously only men admitted to a church were allowed to vote) and aggregating the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony. Following Andros' deposition and deposition, he had William Phips named as the Governor of Massachusetts and the two families returned to Massachusetts on May 14, 1692. The Harvard administration became more insistent that he lived nearer the university after his return. He did not want to leave his Second Church, but did not do so and eventually resigned from office.

Increase Mather began working on a manuscript that was supposed to be a series of "illustrious providences" in 1681, the same year he was elected president of Harvard (and when his son Cotton Mather was just eighteen years old), soliciting contributions from other Puritan ministers. This essay revealed a renewed interest in witchcraft on the continent, where witch trials had plunged to a drastic low point in the period 1570 to 1670," but it was reflected in a similar vein in London at the same time. Increase Mather's book "Remarkable Providences" was published in 1684 and forwards, as a doctrinal belief in witchcraft's true power. One of the book's more interesting parts is that although it cites several Reformation theologians (Luther, Beza, Melancthon) and several well-known writers on witchcraft, such as Dominican inquisitor Heinrich Kramer (author of the notorious witch-hunting manual Malleus Maleficarum), it does not mention John Calvin.

He published Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits in November 1692, defending the judges and the trials but also released words of caution, perhaps due to public pressure. In the postscript, which was included in the first edition of the book, he discusses his own attendance at George Burroughs' trial and his admission to the capital punishment against him. George Burroughs is a fellow minister who has substituted at the pulpit for Increase Mather on at least one occasion. This 1692 work cites Malleus Maleficarum, which is also attributed to his 1684 work.

Despite this, his name was not enhanced or for posterity as a result of his involvement with the trials as well as his subsequent refusal to denounce them for whatever reason. In addition, Robert Calef's detailed book of the Salem Trials and their aftermath, More Wonders of the Invisible World (referred to as More Wonders of the Spiritual World in Encyclopdia Britannica's Eleventh Edition) was briefly mentioned. In Harvard Yard, the increase Mather was reported to have set fire to Calef's book.

In 1715, following the death of his wife Maria the previous year, he married Ann Cotton, widow of his nephew John.

Mather owned a slave named Spaniard.

He threwled and was bedridden on September 27, 1722. He died three weeks later on August 23, 1723, in Boston, aged 84, in August 1723. He was buried in Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

He spent the night at the Mineral Spring Pond retreat to recover from his illness and drink from the springs' renowned healing waters.

The Salem witch trials were both a source of early knowledge and involvement.

Increase Mather began to write a book that was supposed to be a series of "illustrious providences" in 1681, the same year he became president of Harvard (and when his son Cotton Mather was only eighteen years old). He also requested contributions from the other Puritan ministers. The work revealed a heightened interest in witchcraft on the European continent, where witch trials had fallen to a dramatic decline after being hit "peak intensity during the century 1570-1770," but this represented a particular period in London around the same time. Increase Mather's book "Remarkable Providences" was released in 1684 and forwards as a doctrinal belief in witchcraft's true power. One of the book's most unusual features is that although it cites several Reformation theologians (Luther, Beza, Melancthon) and a number of well-known witchcraft writers, including Dominican inquisitor Heinrich Kramer (author of the famous witchcraft manual Malleus Maleficarum), it does not refer to John Calvin.

He published Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits in November 1692, which supported the judges and the trials but also sent words of caution, perhaps due to public pressure. He discusses his own participation in George Burroughs' trial and his agreement with the capital verdict against him in the essay, which was included in the first edition of the book. On at least one occasion, George Burroughs appears to have substituted at the pulpit for Increase Mather. This 1692 work cites Malleus Maleficarum, which is also cited in his 1684 work.

Despite this, his name was not raised or for posterity as a result of his involvement with the trials, as well as his subsequent refusal to denounce them for whatever reason. Cotton was also briefly discussed in Robert Calef's extensive book of the Salem Trials and their aftermath, More Wonders of the Invisible World (referred to as More Wonders of the Spiritual World in Encyclop's Eleventh Version) for a short period of time. In Harvard Yard, Boost Mather was reported to have set fire to Calef's book.

He married Ann Cotton, widow of his nephew John, in 1715, after his wife Maria's death the previous year.

Mather owned a slave named Spaniard.

He fainted and was then bedridden on September 27, 1722. He died three weeks later on August 23, 1723, in Boston, aged 84, in August 1723. He was buried in Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

He took refuge at the mineral spring Pond retreat to recover from his illness and drink from the springs' legendary healing waters.

Later life and death

He married Ann Cotton, widow of his nephew John, in 1715, following his wife Maria's death the previous year.

Mather owned a slave named Spaniard.

He fainted and was bedridden the following day on September 27, 1722. He died three weeks later on August 23, 1723, in Boston, age 84, in August 1723. In Copp's Hill Burying Ground, he was buried.

He stayed at Mineral Spring Pond's retreat to recover from his illness and drink from the springs' famous healing waters.

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