Arthur Bury
Encyclopedia
Arthur Bury, D.D. was an English college head and Anglican theologian of controversial views. His 1690 antitrinitarian work, The Naked Gospel, first published anonymously, was commanded to be burnt at Oxford, and, in a complex sequence of events involving legal action, Bury lost his position as Rector of Exeter College, Oxford
after being expelled initially in 1689.
William Prideaux Courtney in the Dictionary of National Biography
stated that "His object was to free the gospel from the additions and corruptions of later ages, and he sums up its doctrines 'in two precepts—believe and repent." Jonathan Israel
characterizes Bury as a “crypto-Socinian”; he is now often claimed as a Unitarian
sympathizer, with a strong interest in the monotheism
of Islam
. Bury was in fact in the tradition of latitudinarianism and Protestant irenicism
, and the early Unitarian Thomas Firmin
had a hand in the publication, which suggested that a minimal set of articles of Christian faith should suffice; but he included Arianism
as an acceptable position for salvation.
(1580–1667), and matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, on 5 April 1639, aged 15. He took his degree of B.A. on 29 November 1642, was elected a Petreian fellow of his college on 30 June 1643, and become full fellow on 6 May 1645. A royalist, he refused to submit to the parliamentary visitors of the university, and took refuge with his father in Devon
. At the Restoration
of 1660 he was restored to his fellowship. In 1666 the rectorship at Exeter College became vacant, and Bury was elected (27 May), on the recommendation of Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon
and with heavy-handed support from Charles II. On 22 June in the same year he took the degree of B.D. and five days later became D.D.
There were disputes in 1669 over the election of Fellows, and he suspended five of them. The Visitor (the Bishop of Exeter
) in 1675 complained of his management of college property, and of laxity of the internal discipline. In 1689 a further serious trouble arose. Bury had expelled one of the fellows on a probably groundless charge. The Visitor was now Jonathan Trelawny, and he ordered the restoration of the man in question, but when the bishop held a formal visitation, Bury tried to shut the gates against him. Bury and his backers were thereupon expelled, and a new Rector was elected in his stead: William Paynter
, one of the Fellows suspended in 1669. The legality of Bury's deprivation was tried in the King's Bench
and the House of Lords
, which on 10 December 1694 decided against Bury.
He was one of the vicars of Bampton
, Oxford, but resigned in 1707. The date of his death is not known with certainty, but is believed to have been about 1714.
was brought up against him. An answer to it was published in 1690 by William Nicholls
, fellow of Merton College. Another reply came out in the next year from Thomas Long
, and a third by Henry Felton
appeared in 1725. There was support from Jean Le Clerc
, in An Historical Vindication of the Naked Gospel.
The Naked Gospel was condemned by a decree of convocation of Oxford (19 August 1690) and was publicly burnt in the area of the schools. On 30 August Bury had printed a letter of fifteen pages, The Fires continued at Oxford, in defence of his conduct, and in 1691 he brought out, under his own name, a second edition of The Naked Gospel. Twelve years later (1703) he published an enlarged work, The rational Deist satisfy'd by a just account of the Gospel. In two parts; second edition.
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
after being expelled initially in 1689.
William Prideaux Courtney in the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
stated that "His object was to free the gospel from the additions and corruptions of later ages, and he sums up its doctrines 'in two precepts—believe and repent." Jonathan Israel
Jonathan Israel
Professor Jonathan Irvine Israel is a British writer on Dutch history, the Age of Enlightenment and European Jewry. Israel was appointed the Modern European History Professor in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Township, New Jersey, U.S...
characterizes Bury as a “crypto-Socinian”; he is now often claimed as a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
sympathizer, with a strong interest in the monotheism
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Bury was in fact in the tradition of latitudinarianism and Protestant irenicism
Irenicism
Irenicism in Christian theology refers to attempts to unify Christian apologetical systems by using reason as an essential attribute. The word derives from the Greek eirene meaning peace. It is a concept related to natural theology, and opposed to polemicism or war-like argumentation, and rooted in...
, and the early Unitarian Thomas Firmin
Thomas Firmin
Thomas Firmin was an English businessman and philanthropist, and Unitarian publisher.-Early life:Firmin was born to Puritan parents, Henry and Prudence Firmin in Ipswich. Henry Firmin was a parishioner of Samuel Ward, the Puritan incumbent of St. Mary-le-Tower, by whom in 1635 he was accused of...
had a hand in the publication, which suggested that a minimal set of articles of Christian faith should suffice; but he included Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
as an acceptable position for salvation.
Life
He was the son of the Rev. John BuryJohn Bury (divine)
John Bury , was an English divine.-Life:Bury was the son of a descendant of the Devonshire family of Bury, long resident at Colyton, who was in business at Tiverton, was born there in 1580...
(1580–1667), and matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, on 5 April 1639, aged 15. He took his degree of B.A. on 29 November 1642, was elected a Petreian fellow of his college on 30 June 1643, and become full fellow on 6 May 1645. A royalist, he refused to submit to the parliamentary visitors of the university, and took refuge with his father in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of 1660 he was restored to his fellowship. In 1666 the rectorship at Exeter College became vacant, and Bury was elected (27 May), on the recommendation of Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
and with heavy-handed support from Charles II. On 22 June in the same year he took the degree of B.D. and five days later became D.D.
There were disputes in 1669 over the election of Fellows, and he suspended five of them. The Visitor (the Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
) in 1675 complained of his management of college property, and of laxity of the internal discipline. In 1689 a further serious trouble arose. Bury had expelled one of the fellows on a probably groundless charge. The Visitor was now Jonathan Trelawny, and he ordered the restoration of the man in question, but when the bishop held a formal visitation, Bury tried to shut the gates against him. Bury and his backers were thereupon expelled, and a new Rector was elected in his stead: William Paynter
William Paynter (academic)
Rev. William Paynter D.D. was an English clergyman and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.The son of William Paynter or Cambourne, from Antron in Sithney, and Jane, the sixth child of Richard Keigwin of Mousehole, he was born at Trelissic Walbert, in the parish of St Erth, Cornwall, England, and...
, one of the Fellows suspended in 1669. The legality of Bury's deprivation was tried in the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
and the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, which on 10 December 1694 decided against Bury.
He was one of the vicars of Bampton
Bampton, Oxfordshire
Bampton, also called Bampton-in-the-Bush, is a village and civil parish in the Thames Valley about southwest of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Weald....
, Oxford, but resigned in 1707. The date of his death is not known with certainty, but is believed to have been about 1714.
Works
The treatise issued in 1690, under the title of The Naked Gospel, by a true son of the Church of England, was discovered to be the work of Bury, and for some passages in it a charge of SocinianismSocinianism
Socinianism is a system of Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini , which was developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor Reformed Church of Poland during the 15th and 16th centuries and embraced also by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the same period...
was brought up against him. An answer to it was published in 1690 by William Nicholls
William Nicholls
William Nicholls was an English clergyman and theologian, known as an author on the Book of Common Prayer.-Life:He was the son of John Nicholls of Donington, now Dunton, Buckinghamshire. He was educated at St Paul's School under Thomas Gale, and went up with an exhibition to Magdalen Hall, Oxford,...
, fellow of Merton College. Another reply came out in the next year from Thomas Long
Thomas Long (writer)
Thomas Long was an English clergyman and writer on Church politics. He spent almost all of his life in Exeter.-Life:He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1642...
, and a third by Henry Felton
Henry Felton
-Life:He was born in the London parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 3 February 1679. His earliest education was at Chenies in Buckinghamshire; he moved to Westminster School under Richard Busby, and then to Charterhouse School, where he became a private pupil of Dr. Thomas Walker, the...
appeared in 1725. There was support from Jean Le Clerc
Jean Leclerc (theologian)
Jean Le Clerc, also Johannes Clericus was a Swiss theologian and biblical scholar. He was famous for promoting exegesis, or critical interpretation of the Bible, and was a radical of his age...
, in An Historical Vindication of the Naked Gospel.
The Naked Gospel was condemned by a decree of convocation of Oxford (19 August 1690) and was publicly burnt in the area of the schools. On 30 August Bury had printed a letter of fifteen pages, The Fires continued at Oxford, in defence of his conduct, and in 1691 he brought out, under his own name, a second edition of The Naked Gospel. Twelve years later (1703) he published an enlarged work, The rational Deist satisfy'd by a just account of the Gospel. In two parts; second edition.