Matthew Wren was an influential English clergyman, bishop and scholar.
Life
He was the eldest son of Francis Wren, citizen and mercer of London, only son of Cuthbert Wren, of Monk's-Kirby, in the county of Warwick, second son of William Wren, of Sherborne-House and of Billy-Hall in the bishopric of Durham. He was descended from an ancient family which came originally from Denmark. He was the brother of Christopher Wren, and the uncle of Sir Christopher Wren. He attended Merchant Taylors' School and proceeded in 1601 to Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he was a protégé of Lancelot Andrewes. He became a Fellow in 1605 and later President. He was Master of Peterhouse from 1625 to 1634. From this point, his rise was rapid. He accompanied Charles I to Holyrood Palace for his Scottish coronation in 1633, and was appointed chaplain and Clerk of the Closet. He became Bishop of Hereford in 1634, Norwich in 1635, and Ely in 1638. However, his strong support of Archbishop Laud, and his toughness on Puritans, led to his being imprisoned in the Tower of London by the Parliamentarian faction from 1642 to 1660. Unlike Laud, he survived, and was allowed the freedom to write notes on improvements to the Book of Common Prayer, on which he later had some influence. While in the Tower, he vowed to devote a sum of money to "some holy and pious employment" should he be released. To fulfill this vow, he chose to pay for a new Chapel for Pembroke College, and had it built by his nephew Christopher Wren — one of his first buildings, consecrated in 1665. Matthew Wren also led the movement to rebuild St Paul's Cathedral after it had been damaged by the Puritans, and again his nephew accomplished the task. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Cutler of Ipswich. Their eldest son was Matthew Wren, secretary to the Duke of York. He died at Ely House, Holborn, on 24 April 1667, and was buried in the chapel he had built at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge.
Theology
Wren was well acquainted with the Dutch Arminian literature. He was himself firmly attached to the Arminian views.
