The life and death of that Reverend man of God, Mr. Richard Mather, teacher…

Nevertheless, after that the Lord gave him to see the evil of the sin of Conformity in the whole latitude of it, (for as to the substance of Conformity, even from his first entrance upon the Ministry he saw the evil thereof, and was by Divine Grace kept from being stained there with) his Conforming (although it was at the desires of ⟨p. 8⟩his people) •o accept of this Ordination from the Prelate, was no small grief of heart to him. Many years after, one of his Sons taking notice of a torn Parchment in his Fathers Study, enquired what it is; unto whom his Father replied, That he received that when he was Ordained by the Bishop: And (said he) I tore it, because I took no pleasure in keeping a monument of my sin and folly in submitting to that Superstition, the very remembrance whereof is grievous to me.

Nevertheless, after that the Lord gave him to see the evil of the sin of Conformity in the whole latitude of it, (for as to the substance of Conformity, even from his first entrance upon the Ministry he saw the evil thereof, and was by Divine Grace kept from being stained there with) his Conforming (although it was at the desires of ⟨p. 8⟩his people) •o accept of this Ordination from the Prelate, was no small grief of heart to him. Many years after, one of his Sons taking notice of a torn Parchment in his Fathers Study, enquired what it is; unto whom his Father replied, That he received that when he was Ordained by the Bishop: And (said he) I tore it, because I took no pleasure in keeping a monument of my sin and folly in submitting to that Superstition, the very remembrance whereof is grevious to me.

Being as hath been related, settled in the Ministry at Toxteth, he resolved to change his single condition: And accordingly he became a Suitor to Mrs.Katharine Hoult, Daughter to Edmund Hoult Esq of Bury in Lancashire. She had (and that deservedly) the repute of a very godly and prudent Maid. The Motion for several years met with Obstructions, by reason of her Fathers not being affected towards Non-conformable puritans: But at last he gave his Consent that Mr.Mather should marry his Daughter; the Match therefore was Consummated Septemb. 29. 1624, God made her to become a rich Blessing to him, continuing them together for the space of above 30 years. By her God gave him six Sons; four whereof ( viz. Samuel, Timothy, Nathaniel and Joseph were born in England, and two ( viz. Eleazar and Increase) in New-England. After his Marriage he removed his Habitation three miles from Toxteth, to Much-Woolton, having there purchased an House of his own; yet he was wont constantly Summer and Winter to Preach the Word at Toxteth upon the Lords-days. During his abode there, he was abundant in Labours in the Gospel: For every Lords-day he Preached twice at Toxteth, and once in a Fortnight on the Third day of the Week he kept a Lecture at the Town of Prescot. Also, faithful and powerful Preaching being then rare in those parts, he did frequently Preach upon the Holy days(as they are called) being often thereunto desired by godly Christians of other Parishes in that Country: And this he did, not as thinking that there was any Holiness in those times (or in any other day besides the Lords-day) beyond what belongs to every day; but because then there would be an opportunity of great Assemblies,