William Eyre

Son of Giles Eyre of White in Wilts. was born in that County, became either a Batler or a Communer of Magd. Hall, an. 1629, aged 16 years; where continuing under a severe discipline till he had taken the degrees in Arts, was appointed a Tutor in that House, and about the same time entred into the sacred function. But being always schismatically enclined, he sided with the factious party in the time of the Rebellion against K. Ch. 1, became a rigid Calvinist, an enemy to Tithes, and a purchaser of Church Revenues. In those sad times of calamity he was made Minister of S. Edmunds Church in the City of Salisbury, where, by his doctrine, he advanced much the blessed Cause, and in 1654 he was made an Assistant to the Commissioners of Wilts, for the ejection of such that were then called scandalous, ignorant, and insufficient Ministers and Schoolmasters; in which office he shew’d himself very forward against those people, of which, some were his acquaintance and contemporaries in Oxon. After the Kings restauration he proceeded in his usual preaching, but in 1662 was silenced for Nonconformity, and lived for a time at, or near to, Salisbury. But finding that place and neighbourhood uneasie, he retired to Milksham near to Chippenham in Wilts, where he had purchased an Estate, and continued there to the time of his death. His works are,

An Assize Sermon at Salisbury, on Psal. 45.6. Lond. 1652. qu.

Vindiciae justificationis gratuitae: Justification without conditions: or, a free justification of a sinner, &c. vindicated from the Exceptions and Objections which are cast upon it by the Assertors of conditional Justification, &c. against Mr. Ben. Woodbridge, Mr. Jam. Cranford, and Mr. Rich. Baxter. Lond. 1654. qu. Answer’d the same year by Mr. Baxter in his book intit. An admonition to Mr. Will. Eyre of Salisb. concerning his miscarriages in a book lately written for the justification of Infidels, against Mr. B. VVoodbridge, &c.

Sermon on Acts 20.9. Lond. 1658. oct. What other things he hath published I know not, nor any thing else of him, only that he was buried in the Church at Milksham before mentioned on the 30 of Januar. in sixteen hundred sixty and nine, as the Register of that Church enforms me, which, I presume,166 [•] /70. follows the English Accompt, and not the common. Another VVill. Eyre I find, who was long before this mans time educated in Emanuel Coll. in Cambridge, between whom and the learned Usher Primate of Ireland passed many letters; some of which were De Textus Hebraici veteris Testamenti variantibus lectionibus, an. 1607.—Pr. at Lond. 1652. The said VVill. Eyre was living at Colchester in Essex, an. 1617. (15 Jac. 1.)