Elizabeth Avery or Elizabeth Parker () was an English prophet. She came from a religious family and disputed theological matters with her brother Thomas Parker.

Life

Avery's family lived at Stanton St Bernard in Wiltshire. She was one of the three children of the Revd. Robert Parker and Dorothy Stevens. Her father was Stanton St. Bernard's vicar and prebendary. He was removed by his bishop in 1607 after publishing his views that certain religious ideas were anti-Christian; for example, he stated the

sign of the cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...

should be avoided. By 1612 the whole family were in the Netherlands. Elizabeth reported that she thought her father godly and she that she was given a good education. Avery published ''Scripture-prophecies opened, which are to be accomplished in these last times, which do attend the second coming of Christ'', concerning theology and prophesy, in 1647. This was in the year following a publication by her brother, Thomas Parker about theology. He published his objections to her ideas in ''The copy of a letter written by Thomas Parker, pastor of the church of Newbury in New England, to his sister, Mrs Elizabeth Avery'' in 1650. He was annoyed not so much by the content of her writings but more by the idea that his sister could publish her ideas at all. He admitted that he had not read her 1647 publication when he wrote "your printing of a book beyond the custom of your sex, doth rankly smell".

References

External links

The full text of her 1647 publication
via University of Michigan Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Avery, Elizabeth Prophets People from Wiltshire