Stillingfleet, Edward

Stillingfleet, Edward, a learned English prelate, was born at Cranborne, Dorsetshire, April 17, 1635, and educated at a grammar school in that place, and at Ringwood, in Hampshire. Having secured one of Lynne's exhibitions, he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in Michaelmas, 1648. He took his degree of A.B. in 1652, and was admitted to a fellowship March 31, 1653. In 1654 he accepted the invitation of Sir Roger Burgoyne to reside at his seat at Wroxhall, Warwickshire, and in 1655, was appointed tutor to the Hon. Francis Pierrepont, brother of the marquis of Dorchester. He obtained the degree of A.M. in 1656, and in the following year was presented to the living of Sutton, Bedfordshire. His first advance to London was in consequence of his being appointed preacher to the Rolls Chapel by Sir Harbottle Grimston; and in January, 1665, he was presented by Thomas, earl of Southampton, to the living of St. Andrew's, Holborn. He retained the preachership at the Rolls, and was at the same time afternoon lecturer at the Temple Church. In February, 1667, he was collated by bishop Henchman to the prebend of Islington, Church of St. Paul's. He was also king's chaplain, and in 1670 Charles II bestowed on him the place of canon residentiary of St. Paul's. In October 1672; he exchanged his prebend of Islington for that of Newington, in the same church. These preferments were followed in 1677 by the archdeaconry of London, and in January 1678, by the deanery of St. Paul's. Dr. Stillingfleet was canon of the twelfth stall in the Church of Canterbury, and prolocutor of the lower house of convocation for many years. At the Revolution he was advanced to the bishopric of Worcester, and consecrated Oct. 13, 1689. Soon after his promotion to the see of Worcester, he was appointed one of the commissioners for reviewing the liturgy. He died at his house in Park Street, Westminster, March 27, 1699. The principal works of Dr. Stillingfleet are, Irenicum, a Weapon Salve for the Church's Wounds (1659, 4to): — Origines Sacroe, or a Rational Account of the Christian Faith as to the Truth and Devine Authority of the Scriptures (1662, 4to) : — A Rational Account of the Grounds of the Protestant Religion (1664, fol.):--Tracts in Reply to Strictures on the Vindication, etc.: — Six Sermons (1669, fol.): — A Discourse concerning the True Reason of the Sufferings of Christ (1669, fol.):-- followed by a second part, A Discourse concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome, etc. (1671, 8vo): — Answer to Several Treatises, occasioned by that work (1673, 8vo): — Conferences between a Romish Priest a Fanatic Chaplain, and a Divine of the Church of England, concerning Idolatry (1679, 8vo): — Answers to Some Papers Lately Printed concerning the Authority of the Catholic Church in Matters of Faith, etc. (1686, 4to):--The Doctrine of the Trinity and Transubstantiation Compared (1686, 4to): — The Council of Trent Examined and Disproved by Catholic Tradition (1688, 4to) : — Unreasonableness of Separation (1681, 4to): — Concerning the Bishops' Right to Vote in Parliament in Cases Capital (1680, 8vo): — Origines Britannioe, or the Antiquities of the British Churches (1685, fol.): — Discourse concerning the Illegality of the Ecclesiastical Commission, etc. (1689): — Discourses in Vindication of the Trinity, etc. (1696): — besides Sermons, Tracts, etc. See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Hook, Ecclesiastes Biog. s.v.