William Erbury

was born at, or near, Roath-Dagfield in Glamorganshire, became a Student in Brasn. Coll. in Lent term 1619. aged 15 years, took one degree in Arts, retired into Wales, took Holy Orders, and was there beneficed. But being always schismatically affected, he preached in Conventicles, and denying to read the Kings Declaration for pastimes after Divine Service on the Lords day, was summoned divers times to the High Commission Court at Lambeth, where he suffered for his obstinacy. In the beginning of the Long Parliament 1640 he shew’d himself openly, preached against Bishops and Ceremonies, and made early motions towards Independency. Whereupon, by the endeavours of those inclin’d that way, he was made a Chaplain in the Earl of Essex his Army; and therein he sometimes exercised himself in Military concerns, but mostly in those relating to his function, whereby he corrupted the Soldiers with strange opinions, Antinomian Doctrines, and other dangerous errours; and by degrees fell to grosser opinions, holding (as a Presbyterian ((a))((a)) Tho. Edwards in his Gangraena. Writer saith) Universal redemption, &c. and afterwards became a Seeker and I know not what. At length he left that Army, and lived about London, and vented his Opinions there in 1645. Since which he betook himself to the Isle of Ely for his ordinary residence, and thence took his progress into one County or another, and there in private houses vented his opinions among the Godly under the habit of holiness. At S. Edmundsbury he used to exercise in private, and to declare himself for universal redemption, that no man was punished for Adams sin, that Christ died for all, that the guilt of Adams sin should be imputed to no man, &c. Not long after he went ((b))((b)) Ibid. in Gangr. edit. 1646. p. 78. into Northamptonshire, where in a private Meeting, the main scope of his exercise was to speak against the certainty and sufficiency of the Scriptures, alledging there was no certainty to build upon them, because there were so many several copies. After the surrender of the Garrison of Oxon in 1646, we find him there to be Chaplain to a Regiment of Parliamenteers, to keep his Conventicles for them in an house opposite to Merton Coll. Church, (wherein afterwards in the time of Oliver, the Royal Party had their religious Meetings) and to study all means to oppose the Doctrine of the Presbyterian Ministers sent by the Members of Parliament to preach the Scholars into obedience, as I have ((c))((c)) Vide Hist. & Antiq. Ʋniv. Oxon. lib. 1. sub an. 1646. elsewhere told you. But being desir’d to depart thence, (where he had maintained several Socinian opinions) he went soon after to London, where venting his blasphemies in several places against the glorious divinity and blood of Jesus Christ, especially in his Conventicle at Christ Church within Newgate, where those of his opinion met once, or more in a week, was brought at length before the Committee for plunder’d Ministers at Westminster, where he began to make a solemn profession of his faith in Orthodox Language, to the admiration of some there that had heard (and were ready to witness against him) the said blasphemies: But the then Chairman took him up, and commanded him silence, saying, we know your tricks well enough, &c. To say the truth he had Language at command, and could dissemble for matter of profit, or to avoid danger; and it was very well known he was only a meer Cant [•] r. However he is characterized by those of his perswasion to have been a holy harmless man, for which not only the World hated him, but also those of the Church, and add, that ’tis hoped they did it ignorantly. On the 12 of Octob. 1653, he, with John Webster sometimes a Cambridge Scholar, endeavoured to knock down Learning and the Ministry both together, in a disputation that they then had against two Ministers in a Church in Lombard-street in London, Erbury then declared that the wisest Ministers and purest Churches were at that time befool’d, confounded, and defiled by reason of Learning. Another while he said that the Ministers were Monsters, Beasts, Asses, greedy Dogs, false Prophets; and that they are the Beast with seven heads and ten horns. The same Person also spoke out, and said that Babylon is the Church in her Ministers, and that the great Whore is the Church in her Worship, &c. So that with him there was an end of Ministers, and Churches, and Ordinances altogether. While these things were babled to and fro, the multitude being of various opinions, began to mutter, and many to cry out, and immediatly it came to a mutiny, or tumult, (call it which you please) wherein the Women bore away the bell, but lost (some of them) their kerchiefs: And the dispute being hot, there was more danger of pulling down the Church than the Ministry. This our Author Erbury hath written,

The great Mysterie of Godliness: Jesus Christ our Lord God and Man, and Man with God, one in Jesus Christ our Lord. Lond. 1640. oct.

Relation of a publick discourse between him and Mr. Franc. Cheywell in S. Maries Church in Oxon, 11. Jan. 1646. Lond. 1646. in 4 sh. in qu. published by Cheynell or some of Erburys Party.

Ministers for tythes, proving they are no Ministers of the Gospel. Lond. 1653. qu.

Sermons on several occasions, one of which is entit. The Lord of Hosts, &c. printed 1653. qu.

An Olive leaf: or, some peaceable considerations to the Christian meeting at Ch. Church in London, Munday 9. Jan. 1653.

The raigne of Christ, and the Saints with him on Earth a thousand years, one day, and the day at hand—These two last were printed at London 1654 in one sh. and half, and dedicated to Mr. John Rogers, Mr. Vavasor Powell and other Fanatical People at Ch. Ch. in London.

His Testimony left upon record for the Saints of succeeding ages—printed with his Tryal at Westminster. This was published after his death at Lond. 1658. qu. What other things he hath written, or go under his name I cannot tell, nor any thing else of him only that he died in the beginning of the year (in April I think) sixteen hundred fifty and four,1654. and was, as I conceive, buried either at Ch. Church beforementioned, or else in the Cemiterie joyning to Old Bedlam near London, Quaere. Within few days after was a silly and impudent Pamphlet written and published by J. L. entit. A small mite in memory of the late deceased and never to be forgotten Mr. Will. Erbury. printed at Lond. in Apr. 1654 in one sheet in oct. Whereunto are added Two new Songs; one of which are brief touches on the 12. Chapt. of the Revelat. &c. to the tune of When the King enjoys his own again. The other touching the doing away of sin, through our Lord Christ in our Souls, &c. to the tune of Sound a charge. In my readings I meet with one Dorcas (alias Mary) Erbury, who was a great admirer and follower of James Nayler the Quaker, after the death of Will. Erbury. Which Dorcas (who was his Widow) did really confess, upon her examination for her villanies by a Magistrate, that the said Nayler was the holy one of Israel, and the only begotten Son of God, that he raised her, after she had been dead two days, and that he should sit at the right hand of the Father, and should judge the World with equity, &c.