William Erbery or Erbury (1604 – April 1654) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

clergyman and radical Independent theologian. He was the father of the militant Quaker

Dorcas Erbery Dorcas Erbery (fl. 1656–1659), was an English militant Quaker preacher. She was arrested with others in Bristol for blasphemy. James Nayler was convicted and he was sentenced by the English parliament to cruel and unusual punishment. Life Erbery ...

Life

Erbery was born in Roath, Cardiff. He graduated from

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

, England in 1623. He was ejected in 1638 from his Cardiff parish of St Mary's, under the Bishop of Llandaff who had branded him a

schismatic Schismatic may refer to: * Schismatic (religion), a member of a religious schism, or, as an adjective, of or pertaining to a schism * a term related to the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement in the 17th century * pertaining to the schi ...

, after several citations before the Court of High Commission. His offence was refusing, along with fellow Dissenters

Walter Craddock Walter Cradock (Craddock, Cradoc) (c. 1606 – 1659) was a Welsh Anglican clergyman, who became a travelling evangelical preacher. He was a founder of the first Independent church in Wales in 1638, at Llanvaches, with William Wroth and Willi ...

and

William Wroth William Wroth (1576–1641), a minister of the Church of England, is generally credited with the establishment of the first Independent Church in Wales in 1639. From 1617 until 1639 Wroth was Rector of the parish church at Llanvaches in Monmouths ...

, to read the ''

Book of Sports The ''Declaration of Sports'' (also known as the ''Book of Sports'') was a declaration of James I of England issued just for Lancashire in 1617, nationally in 1618, and reissued by Charles I in 1633. It listed the sports and recreations that were p ...

''. He became

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

, when the English Civil War broke out in 1642, to the regiment of Philip Skippon in the

Parliamentary Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Thr ...

. According to Christopher Hill. From there he retired to the Isle of Ely. He was a Seeker; in Ely he expanded the Seekers in the 1640s. He expected that a regime of 'saints' would (in the later 1640s) carry out God's will in England. He looked to the Army and

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

for reforms such as the abolition of tithes and the

state church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...

. In 1646 he took part in a high-profile dispute with the orthodox Presbyterian and heresy watchdog

Francis Cheynell Francis Cheynell (1608–1665) was a prominent English religious controversialist, of Presbyterian views, and President of St John's College, Oxford 1648 to 1650, imposed by the Parliamentary regime. His ''Aulicus'' of 1644 is accounted the firs ...

. Anthony Wood (1632–1695), the English antiquary, records that Erbery died in London in April 1654 and was buried at either "Ch. Church" or the " Cemiterie joyning to ''Old Bedlam'' near ''London''".

Views

With a disillusioned attitude to the movement of the times, though accepting Cromwell's Protectorate, he was a suspected

Ranter The Ranters were one of a number of dissenting groups that emerged around the time of the English Commonwealth (1649–1660). They were largely common people and the movement was widespread throughout England, though they were not organised and ...

. He favoured broad religious tolerance, and was dismissive of churches, believing that 'apostasy' had set in early in

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

times; and criticized much even in the Independent churches of his time. He attacked the assumption of the sufficiency of scripture, but doubted the Trinity had Biblical support. He believed

free grace Free grace is a Christian soteriological view that rejects the necessity of good works in salvation, Free Grace advocates believe that good works are not the condition to merit (as with Catholics), maintain (as with Arminians), or to prove (as wit ...

had been brought forth by

John Preston John Preston may refer to: Politicians * John Preston (died 1434), Member of Parliament (MP) for Sussex * John Preston (c. 1578 – c. 1642), MP for Lancaster * John Preston (alderman) (1611–1686), mayor of Dublin in 1654 * John Preston (died ...

and Richard Sibbes, preached

universal redemption Unlimited atonement (sometimes called general atonement or universal atonement) is a doctrine in Protestant Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the ...

, and denied the divinity of Christ. His

millennarian Millenarianism or millenarism (from Latin , "containing a thousand") is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming fundamental transformation of society, after which "all things will be changed". Millenarianis ...

views included a Second Coming, but realised by and within 'saints'. He opposed the

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

, for example in his 1653 pamphlet ''A Mad Man's Plea''.

Private life

William married Mary who survived him. Their children included the Quaker preacher

. After William's death, Mary and Dorcas were involved in a show in Bristol with

Martha Simmonds Martha Simmonds (or Simmons; ; baptized 1624 – 1665) was an English Quaker and author. She published a number of pamphlets after her conversion. She then obtained a release for James Naylor from Exeter jail. She then proceeded with him where he ...

and

Hannah Stranger Hannah Stranger (1600s – after 1679) was an English Quaker missionary and a supporter of James Nayler who was found guilty of blasphemy when he was tried by the English parliament. Life All the details of her early life are unknown. She comes to ...

that resulted in

James Naylor James Nayler (or Naylor; 1618–1660) was an English Quaker leader. He was among the members of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early Quaker preachers and missionaries. In 1656, Nayler achieved national notoriety when he re-enacted Christ's Palm ...

being tried for blasphemy.

References

Notes

Sources

* Hill, Christopher (1984). ''The Experience of Defeat: Milton and Some Contemporaries'' Chapter 4 I * Hill, Christopher (1972). ''The World Turned Upside Down'', Chapter 9 II

External links

''The Testimony of William Erbery'', online text
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erbery, William 1604 births 1654 deaths Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Welsh Caroline nonconforming clergy Welsh independent ministers of the Interregnum (England) Welsh military chaplains English Civil War chaplains 17th-century Welsh theologians 17th-century Welsh clergy Clergy from Cardiff