Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Resbury, Nathaniel
RESBURY, NATHANIEL (1643–1711), divine, was baptised on 24 Sept. 1643 at Oundle, Northamptonshire, where his father, Richard Resbury, was the nonconformist vicar (Cal. State Papers, Dom., Comm. for Comp. p. 1054). The father, who resigned six weeks before St. Bartholomew's day, 1662, thereafter practised medicine, and preached at his own house at Oundle, but died within a year. He engaged in controversy with John Goodwin [q. v.], publishing ‘Some Stop to the Gangrene of Arminianism, lately promoted by Mr. John Goodwin in his Book entituled “Redemption Redeemed,”’ London, 1651, 8vo. Goodwin replied with ‘Confidence dismounted,’ to which the elder Resbury retorted in ‘The Lightlesse Star, or Mr. John Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian,’ &c., London, 1652.
The son, Nathaniel, entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, on 8 July 1657, graduated B.A. in 1661, M.A. in 1672; was incorporated at Oxford on 15 July 1673, and proceeded B.D. and D.D. from Merton College on 11 July 1692. He was appointed vicar of Wandsworth, Surrey, in 1674, and became chaplain to Arthur Annesley, earl of Anglesea, and to his son James. He was rector of Broughton-Gifford, Wiltshire, from 1687, and of St. Paul's, Shadwell, Middlesex, from 1689, and was appointed chaplain in ordinary to King William and Queen Mary in 1691. He frequently preached at Whitehall and at St. Paul's and the Charterhouse. Once, while preaching in the chapel royal from the text ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made,’ he unconsciously blackened all his face with the dye from a new black glove (Granger, iii. 193). He died on 31 July 1711, and was buried in St. Giles's Church, Reading. He married, in 1691, a widow, Mrs. Mary Cordell of St. Matthew's parish, Friday Street, London, who was a daughter of Robert Cuthbert, citizen and goldsmith of London, and owner of considerable wealth. His wife predeceased him without issue.
Resbury was a sound churchman of the orthodox type, and a popular preacher. Besides seven separate sermons he published: 1. ‘The Case of the Cross in Baptism considered,’ published in ‘A Collection of Cases,’ London, 1684, 4to; 2nd edit. London, 1694, fol.; 3rd edit. London, 1718. 2. ‘The Eleventh Note of the Church, viz. The Glory of Miracles in the Notes of the Church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmine, examined and confuted,’ London, 1688; reprinted in vol. iv. of John Cumming's edition of ‘A Preservative against Popery,’ London, 1848. 3. ‘The Texts examined which Papists cite out of the Bible for Proof of their Doctrine concerning the Visibility of the Church,’ London, 1688, in ‘Popery not founded upon Scripture,’ 1668–9; reprinted by Bishop Gibson in his ‘Preservative against Popery,’ London, 1738.
[For Richard Resbury, see Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 639; Kennett's Register, pp. 905, 932, 937; Palmer's Nonconformist's Memorial, iii. 43; Cal. State Papers, Dom., Comm. for Comp. p. 1054. For Nathaniel, besides works mentioned, Wood's Fasti, ed. Bliss, ii. 337; Foster's Alumni Oxon. early ser. p. 1245; Newcourt's Repert. Eccles. i. 709; Graduati Cantabr. p. 392; Harl. Soc. Publications, xxxi. 193; Pepys's Diary, v. 254; Lysons's Environs of London, i. 510, iii. 384, 386, 387 n.; Admission Books of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, per the master, Dr. Phear; Registers of Oundle, per the vicar, Rev. C. Hopkins, and the Rev. J. Skinner, curate, who made an exhaustive search; Will 192, Young, P.C.C. London.]