Edward Williams (minister)

[1] His father, a farmer of good position, sent him to St. Asaph Grammar School, and he was intended for the Church of England.

But while still young he came under the influence of the Methodists of the district; and, while studying with a curate at Derwen (David Ellis, who translated several books into Welsh), attended their meetings.

He joined the Independent church at Denbigh, began to preach, and in 1771 entered the dissenting academy at Abergavenny.

At the end of 1791 he gave up both church and academy, and, with the new year, commenced his ministry at Carr's Lane, Birmingham.

As early as 1793, Williams wrote a letter to the Midlands churches expressing the need for world evangelization and foreign missions.

[2] He was known as the advocate of a moderate form of Calvinism, expounded in his book on the ‘Equity of Divine Government’ (London, 1813).

He was also the author of a discourse on the ‘Cross of Christ’ (Shrewsbury, 1792), an abridgment of John Owen's ‘Commentary on Hebrews,’ and a controversial work on baptism.