Sykes, Arthur Ashley

Sykes, Arthur Ashley an English divine, was born in London about 1684. He was educated at St. Paul's School, and was admitted to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 1701, taking his degree of A.B. in 1704-5 and A.M. in 1708. After leaving college he served as assistant in St. Paul's School, but was collated to the vicarage of Godmersham, Kent, in 1712-13, by archbishop Tenison. In April, 1714, he was instituted to the rectory of Dry-Drayton, Cambridgeshire, and in the August following resigned the vicarage of Godmersham. He was instituted to the rectory of Rayleigh, Essex, November, 1718, and resigned the living of Dry-Drayton. In December following he was appointed afternoon preacher of King Street Chapel. Golden Square, a chapel of ease to St. James's, Westminster. The morning preachership becoming vacant in 1721, Mr. Sykes was appointed to it. In January, 1723-24, he was appointed to the prebend of Alton-Borealis, Salisbury, and three years after became precentor of the same cathedral. He also received the following appointments assistant preacher at St. James's, Westminster, April, 1725; dean of St. Burien, Cornwall, February, 1739; prebendary of Winchester, Oct. 15, 1740. He died Nov. 15, 1756. His published work's number sixty-three, of which we notice, An Essay upon the Truth of the Christian Religion (Knapton, 1725, 8vo; 2nd ed. 1775, 8vo): — Principles and Connection of Natural and Revealed Religion (1740, 8vo): Credibility of Miracles and Revelation (1742, 8vo): — Essay on Sacrifices (1748, 8vo): — Scripture Doctrine of Redemption of Man by Jesus Christ (1755, 8vo): — Paraphrase and Notes upon the Epistle to the Hebrews (1755, 4to). See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.; Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.