Increase Mather was a prominent Puritan minister and president of Harvard College in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century.
He was an influential figure during the Salem Witch Trials due to his influence. He questioned the use of spectral evidence yet never condemned the Salem Witch Trials. His son Cotton Mather was also an influential member of the clergy during this time.
Early Life
Increase Mather was a native of Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Dorchester on June 21, 1639, to his father, Reverend Richard Mather, and Kathrine Holt Mather. His parents had migrated from England to the 13 original colonies during the Great Migration.
He was the youngest of six brothers:
- Samuel
- Nathaniel
- Eleazar
- Joseph
- Timothy
His brothers Samuel, Nathaniel, and Eleazar also joined the clergy when they were of age.
Education
In 1651, Mather was admitted to Harvard College, where he roomed with and studied under Robert Massey. When he graduated in 1656, aged 17, with a Bachelor of Arts, he began to train for the ministry and gave his first sermon on his 18th birthday.
He quickly left Massachusetts and went to Ireland, where he studied at Trinity College, Dublin, for a Master of Arts. During his time at Trinity College, he was licensed as a Commonwealth Minister by Oliver Cromwell to the joint charge of St Tida's Church and St. Swithan's Church. He graduated in 1658 and worked as a chaplain attached to a garrison in the Channel Islands from 1659 to 1661, with a short stint at a church in Gloucester in 1660.
After Cromwell's death in 1658, Mather felt less secure in his post in the Channel Islands due to Charles II's return to the throne. He resigned from the position in 1660 and sailed for Boston in 1661. Harvard later awarded Mather the first honorary degree in the New World; he became a Doctor of Sacred Theology in 1692.
Personal and Political Life
In 1661, with the advent of the English Restoration and the resurgence of Anglicanism, Increase returned to Massachusetts, 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. She gave birth to Cotton Mather in 1663. In 1676, he published A Brief History of the War with the Indians in New England, a contemporary account of King Philip's War.
He became the ordained minister of the North Church (not to be confused with the Old North Church of Paul Revere's Ride).
Increase Mather also participated in politics and was influential during his lifetime. He
He attempted to restore the old charter and obtain a royal charter for Harvard; however, he abandoned that course and changed his petitions, favoring a new charter not lacking any of the rights previously granted. Following the Glorious Revolution and subsequent overthrow of Andros, a new charter was granted to the colony.
The 1692 charter was a major departure from its predecessor, granting sweeping home rule, establishing an elective legislature, enfranchising all freeholders (previously, only men admitted to a congregation could vote), and uniting the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony.
He had William Phips appointed as Royal Governor, and they returned to Massachusetts, arriving on May 14, 1692.
Following his return, the administration of Harvard grew increasingly insistent that he reside nearer to the institution. Not wanting to leave his Second Church, he did not do so and eventually resigned from the Presidency.
Salem Witch Trials
Increase played a peculiar role during the Salem Witch Trials.
When Increase arrived back from England, the hysteria surrounding the trials had already begun. He never condemned the trials and was even present during George Burrough's conviction but was skeptical over the allowance of spectral evidence in the courtroom.
He rejected the tests for witches, which he believed to be superstitious. A few of these tests were having the accused recite the Lord's Prayer, swimming, examining the accused skin for blemishes, and other nonsensical tests. Although he rejected these tests, he did not reject the existence of the supernatural. He believed in demonic activity and that it could manifest itself into a person, such as a witch.
Despite his obvious disagreements with how the Salem Witch Trials were proceeding, he never denounced the judges. This was because they were all his personal friends. Due to his friendships, he turned a blind eye to the trials and never condemned them.
In desperation, John Proctor sent Increase, along with seven other ministers, a petition. These ministers gathered, and while their feelings on the trials began to change, they did nothing to change what was happening. Despite his petition, John Proctor was hanged for witchcraft.
Rumors began to circulate that his wife was going to be named a witch, and a dramatic shift in his position occurred. He presented his "Case of Conscience," where he publicly questioned the credibility of spectral evidence.
The trials eventually ended, and Increase Mather began to try and mediate a conflict between Reverend Samuel Parris and his congregation. He recommended that Parris leave the parish, but Parris refused and tied the matter up in court for two years.
Legacy and Death
After the death of his wife Maria, he married Ann Cotton. Ann was the widow of his nephew John.
On August 23, 1723, Increase Mather died of bladder failure at the age of 84.
In his Last Will and Testament, he named his slave Spaniard. Spaniard most likely came from West Africa but spent time in the Spanish Caribbean colonies. In his will, he freed Spaniards, and that is the last we hear about the slaves. At the time of the Revolutionary War, there was a decent population of freed blacks. Many took up arms against the British during the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
The shadow cast by the Salem Witch Trials tends not to place Increase in a fair light. He was very influential in the development of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which would continue to develop into the 18th century and be one of the largest colonies at the time of the American Revolution.
His writing would also be influential to future generations of ministers, and his work on the charter led to the expansion of Massachusetts.
For additional information, I recommend the e-book written by Harvard University.