Fell, John, Dd

Fell, John, D.D.

bishop of Oxford, a learned theologian, was born at Longworth, in Berks, June 23, 1625, and graduated M.A. in 1643. As a devoted: friend of the Stuarts, for whom he had been in arms, he was deprived of his studentship in Christ Church by the parliamentary visitors, and during the Protectorate he continued in obscurity. After the Restoration lie obtained a stall at Chichester, whence he was preferred to a more valuable one at Christ Church, and soon after became dean of Christ Church. In 1666 he became vice-chancellor of the university, and in 1676 bishop of Oxford, retaining his deanery. He. was a great benefactor to the university, and as a .prelate was distinguished by learning and munificence; but his conduct in the matter of John Locke's. illegal removal from his studentship in Christ Church is a great stain upon his memory (see Edinburgh Review, 1829, 1, 16). Among his writings are a Latin translation of Wood's History and Antiquities of Oxford (2 vols. fol.):-A Life of Dr. Hammond (1660, prefixed to Hammond's Works):-St. Clement's Two Epistles to the Corinthians (Oxford, 1669, 12mo, Gr. and Lat.):-Artis Logicae Compendium: — Epistle of Barnabas (Oxford, 1685, 12mo):-Cyparini Opera (Oxford, 1677) :-also Athenagoras, Hermes, and Justin's Apologia: Novi Testamenti Libri Omnes; accesserunt Parellela Script. loc. necnon variae lectiones, etc. (London, 1675; Leips. 1697, and again edited by A. H. Francke, 1702; Oxford, ed. by Gregory, fol. 1703; Oxford, ed. by Jacobson, 1852, 8vo) :-Paraphrase and Annotations upon all the Epistles of St. Paul (Lond. 1675, 8vo; but from the edition of 1708 it appears that this book was the work of A. Woodhead, R. Allestree, and O.Walker, "corrected and improved" by Fell). His edition of the N.T. gave a new impulse to critical science, which he farther aided by the assistance he furnished, in money and otherwise, to the critical labors of John Mill (q.v.). Indeed, bishop Fell is said to have devoted his "whole substance" to works of piety and charity. He died July 10, 1686.-Hook, Eccls. Biog. v, 74; Wood, Athenae Oxonienses; Biog. Britannica, s.v.