ERBERY. 187 Not Ion.. ' after he went to Northampton, where in a private meeting the main scope of his exercise was, to speak against the certainty and sufficiency of the scriptures, alleging that there was no certainty to build upon them, because there were so many several copies. He was also at Oundle, Newport Pagnel, and appointed shortly to return again to Bury.". The reader will judge for himself how far this account, from the unworthy pen of Mr. Edwards, is deserv- ing of credit. After the surrender of Oxford in 1646, Mr. Erbery, still a chaplain in the parliament's army, was sent thither; where, says Wood, " he kept his conventicles in a house opposite to Merton college church, and used all the means in his power in opposing the doctrine of the presbyterian ministers, who were sent by the parliament to preach the scholars into obedience."+ He was certainly held in high favour and esteem among the soldiers, but is said to have envied the reputation of the presbyterians. Whilehe was at Oxford he opposed them in several public disputations. At one time the subject of debate was, " Whether the ministry of the church ought to be entrusted to a select number of persons ?" In the conclusion, Mr. Erbery and his party are said to have put the presbyterian disputants under the same difficulty as our Lord did the unbelieving Jews, by his question about John's baptism. For, demand- ing of them, " whence they had their orders," they durst not say, " from the bishops," whom both sides confessed to be antichristian ; nor could they deny it, as they had all been episcopally ordained ; so the shout went in favour of Erbery's party, and the meetingwas dissolved, to the great disturbance of the presbyteriandisputants. Afterwards Mr. Erbery had a disputation with Mr. Cheynel, one of the presbyterian ministers. The debate was conducted in St. Mary's church, when, it is said, he maintained, among other things, " That the saints shall have the sameworship, honour, throne, and glory, as Christ now hath ; and shall be endowed with a greater power of working miracles than Christ had when he was on earth." The contest, which lasted about four hours, was not carried without tumult ; and in the conclusion, each party retired claiming the victory4 The account of this dispute was afterwards published by the adverse party, entitled, "A Relation of a Gangrasna, part i. p. 109, 110. Second edit. fi Athenm Oxon. vol. ii. p. 104. t Walker's Attempt, part i. p. 125, 126.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=