William Bridge c 1600-1670

Bridge was a leading English Independent minister and religious and political writer. A native of Cambridgeshire, he was probably born in or around the year 1600. He studied at the Puritan Emmanuel College, Cambridge, receiving an MA in 1626.

For a short time in 1631, he was a lecturer at Colchester, put in place by Harbottle Grimstone and Robert Rich, second Earl of Warwick; very much against the wishes of Laud, then Bishop of London, who complained of the influence then held by Sibbes and William Gouge, clerical leaders of the Feoffees for Impropriations. From 1637, he lived in Norwich as Rector of St Peter Hungate and St George's, Tombland. He came into conflict with Matthew Wren, Bishop of Norwich for Nonconformity. He went into exile in Rotterdam, taking the position left vacant by Hugh Peters. Charles I of on hearing from Archbishop Laud that Bridge had "gone to Holland", "... rather than [that] he will conform" replied, "Let him go: we are well rid of him."

He returned to Great Yarmouth and became a member of the Westminster Assembly. There he was one of the Five Dissenting Brethren, the small group of leading churchmen who emerged at the head of the Independent faction, opposing the Presbyterian majority, and who composed An Apollegeticall Narration in 1643.

In 1643, he preached before Charles I, making a direct attack on the Queen.

He was Minister at the Old Meeting House Norwich for several years right up until his death.

Works

A Lifting Up for the Downcast

The Wounded Conscience Cured, the Weak One Strengthened and the Doubting Satisfied by Way of Answer to Doctor Ferne (1642)

Ioabs covnsell and King Davids seasonable hearing it (1643), Fast Sermon for February 22

The truth of the times vindicated (1643)

The righteous man's habitation in the time of plague and pestilence: being a brief exposition of the XCI. Psalm (1835)

The refuge: containing the righteous man's habitation in the time of plague and pestilence: being a brief exposition of the 91st Psalm (1832)

The works of the Rev. William Bridge in Five Volumes

A large collected Works of the Rev. William Bridge was published in 1845, and reprinted in 1989 in five hardback volumes by Soli Deo Gloria Publications.