William Fenner was an English Puritan

Puritan

The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...

 divine.

Life

Fenner was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge

Pembroke College, Cambridge

Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...

, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1618, and that of M.A. in the following year. In 1622 he was incorporated a member of Oxford University. He also took holy orders, and is believed to have been for a time chaplain to the Earl of Warwick

Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick

Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick was an English colonial administrator, admiral, and puritan.Rich was the eldest son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick and his wife Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, and succeeded to his father's title in 1619...

, and to have ministered at Sedgley

Sedgley

Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...

, Staffordshire, where "his labours were greatly blessed". He was forced to leave this cure on account of his religious principles about 1626–7, and travelled about for some months, preaching from place to place, and Benjamin Brook

Benjamin Brook

-Life:He was born at Nether Thong, near Huddersfield. When young he was admitted to membership in the independent church at Holmfield, under the Rev. Robert Gallond. In 1797 he entered Rotherham College as a student for the ministry...

 states that he was consulted as a casuist, and admired by some of the nobility.

In 1627 he proceeded B.D.

Bachelor of Divinity

In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....

, and two years later was presented to the living of Rochford, Essex, where he was until his death in 1640. Fenner was appreciated as a preacher, one of his sermons being quoted by Edward Williams

Edward Williams (minister)

Edward Williams was a Welsh nonconformist minister, theological writer, and tutor.-Life:He was born at Glan Clwyd, near Denbigh, on 14 November 1750. His father, a farmer of good position, sent him to St. Asaph grammar school, and he was intended for the Church of England...

, and his writings enjoyed popularity for some time, as plain in manner while zealous in tone.

Works

He wrote:

• ‘The Soul's Looking Glasse, with a treatise of Conscience,’ &c., 1640 (edited by Edmund Calamy
  Edmund Calamy
  Edmund Calamy may refer to:* Edmund Calamy the Elder , English Puritan divine* Edmund Calamy the Younger, English Puritan divine, son of Edmund Calamy the Elder...
  
  ).
• ‘Riches of Grace,’ 1641.
• ‘A Treatise of Affections, or the Soul's Pulse,’ 1641.
• ‘Christ's Alarm to drowsie Sinners, or Christ's Epistles to his Churches,’ 1646.
• ‘A Divine Message to the Elect Souls’ (eight sermons), 1646.
• ‘The Sacrifice of the Faithful; or a treatise showing the Nature, Property and Efficacy of zealous Prayer.’
• ‘The Spiritual Man's Directorie,’ &c., 1648.
• ‘Practicall Divinitie, or Gospel Light shining forth in several choice Sermons,’ 1650.
• ‘Hidden Manna, or the Mystery of Saving Grace,’ &c., 1652.
• ‘The Danger of deferred Repentance discovered,’ &c., 1654.
• ‘Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian Practice,’ 1657.

Collected editions of his works were published in 1651 and 1657.