Nichol(L)S, William, Dd

Nichol(l)s, William, D.D., an English divine of great renown for his learning, was born at Donington, Buckinghamshire, in 1664. He was educated at St. Paul's School, London, whence, in 1679, he went to Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and afterwards removed to Wadham College. He became successively fellow of Merton College in 1684, and rector of Selbey, Sussex, in 1691. Hedied in 1712. He wrote, A practical Essay on the Contempt of the World (Lond. 1698, 8vo): — The Duty of Inferiors towards their Superiors, in five practical discourses (Lond. 1701, 8vo) — A Conference with a Theist; containing an Answer to al the most usual Objections of the Infidels against the Christian Religion (16981703,4 vols. 12mo; 3d ed. with the addition of two conferences, Lond. 1723, 2 vols. 8vo), intended as a reply to Gibbon's Oracles of Reason, a rationalistic treatise, of which, as Leland has it, "it hath not left any material unanswered" (Deistical Writers [Lond. 1755,3 vols. 12mo], 1:77): — Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae (Lond. 1723,12mo); first written in Latin for the use of foreigners, and afterwards translated into English by the author, and published under the title of A Defense of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England (3d ed. Lond. 1730, 8vo). Dr. Waterland pointed it out as the best exposition of the Church of England view on the sacraments. It was answered, with an exposition of the Remonstrant view, by James Pierce in Vindication of the Dissenters

(1718, 8vo):A Commentary on the Book of Common Prayer (2d ed. with additional notes by bishop Overall, bishop Andrews, bishop Cofin, and Dr. J. Mills [Lond. 1712, fol.]): — A Supplement to the Commentary on the Book of Common Prayer (Lond. 1711. fol.): — A Commentary on the first Fifteen and Part of the Sixteenth Articles of the Church of England (Lond. 1712, fol.) — Notes on the Rubric, on the Place for the Celebration of Common Prayer ("Tracts of Anglican Fathers," 1:328): — On Sponsors and Confirnation (ib. iii,. 249): — Historim Sacrae, lib. vii, etc. (Lond. 1711, 12mo), etc. See Darling, Cyclop. Bibliographica, 2:2195; Wood, Athenae Oxonien.; Genesis Biog. Dict. s. . (J. N. P.)