William Spurstowe (c. 1605–1666) was an English clergyman, theologian, and member of the Westminster Assembly

Westminster Assembly

The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...

. He was one of the Smectymnuus

Smectymnuus

Smectymnuus was the nom de plume of a group of Puritan clergymen active in England in 1641. It comprised four leading English churchmen, and one Scottish minister...

 group of Presbyterian clergy, supplying the final WS (read as UUS) of the acronym.

Life

His father William Spurstow

William Spurstow (merchant)

William Spurstow was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War....

 was a mercer in London. The son studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...

.

He became a Fellow of St. Katherine's Hall College, Cambridge in 1638, during the Mastership of Ralph Brownrigg

Ralph Brownrigg

Ralph Brownrigg or Brownrig was bishop of Exeter from 1642 to 1659. He spent that time largely in exile from his see, which he perhaps never visited. He did find a position there for Seth Ward. He was both a Royalist in politics, and a Calvinist in religion, an unusual combination of the period...

, and succeeded as Master in 1645. At the time it was strongly Puritan in tone, with John Arrowsmith

John Arrowsmith (scholar)

John Arrowsmith was an English theologian and academic.-Life:He was born near Gateshead and entered St John's College, Cambridge in 1616. In 1623 he entered the fellowship of St Catherine Hall, Cambridge....

, John Bond, Thomas Goodwin

Thomas Goodwin

Thomas Goodwin , known as 'the Elder', was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was imposed by Parliament as President of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1650...

, Andrew Perne and William Strong as other Fellows.

In the late 1630s he was an associate of John Hampden

John Hampden

John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...

, and in 1638 he became vicar of Great Hampden

Great Hampden

Great and Little Hampden is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about three miles south-east of Princes Risborough. It incorporates the villages of Great Hampden and Little Hampden, and the hamlets of Green Hailey and Hampden Row...

. Later he was chaplain to Hampden's troops.

He became vicar of Hackney

Hackney (parish)

Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...

 in 1643, and was made Master of his college. He was deprived of the mastership, in 1650.

After the Restoration, he was consulted on the Declaration of Indulgence

Declaration of Indulgence

The Declaration of Indulgence was two proclamations made by James II of England and VII of Scotland in 1687. The Indulgence was first issued for Scotland on 12 February, and then for England on 4 April 1687...

. He was ejected from his parish of Hackney for nonconformity, in 1662. He remained in Hackney, welcomed Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...

, employed Ezekiel Hopkins

Ezekiel Hopkins

Ezekiel Hopkins was an Anglican divine in the Church of Ireland, who was Bishop of Derry from 1681 to 1690.-Life:He was born in Devon, and was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a chorister from 1648 to 1653, and graduated B.A. in 1655 and M.A. in 1656...

, and provided a focus for numerous other ejected ministers. He built six almshouse

Almshouse

Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...

s there, work starting shortly before his death.

Works

• Englands Patterne and Duty in Its Monthly Fasts (1643)
• Englands eminent judgments, caus'd by the abuse of Gods eminent mercies (1644)
• The Magistrate's Dignity and Duty (1653)
• The Wells of Salvation Opened (1655)
• Death and the Grave No Bar to Believers Happinesse (1656)
• A Crown of Life, the Reward of Faithfulnesse (1662)
• The Spiritual Chymist (1666)
• Satana Nohmata: or, The Wiles of Satan (1666), online extract