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Biographical Sketch of EDWARD STILLINGFLEET, Bishop of Worcester.

EDWARD STILLINGFLEET, an English prelate of great abilities and learning, was descended from an ancient family at Stillingfleet, near York; and was born at Cranbourn, in Dorsetshire, April 17, 1635, being the seventh son of his father, Samuel Stillingfleet, gent. After an education at a private grammar school, he was sent, in 1648, to St. John's college, Cambridge; of which he was chosen fellow, March 31, 1653, having taken a bachelor of arts degree. He then withdrew a little from the university, to live at Worxall, in Warwickshire, with Sir Roger Burgoin, a person of great piety, prudence, and learning; and afterwards went to Nottingham, to be tu tor to a young gentleman of the family of Pierrepoint. After he had been about two years in this station, he was recalled by his patron, Sir Roger Burgoin, who, in 1657, gave him the rectory of Sutton; which he entered up on with great pleasure, having received Episcopal orders from Dr. Brownrigg, the elected Bishop of Exeter. In 1659, he published "Irenicum, or a Weapon-Salve for the Church's Wounds:" which, while it showed prodigious abilities and learning in so young a man, gave great offence to many of the church party. He did not scruple afterwards to condemn it himself, declaring, that "there are many things in it, which, if he were to write again, he would not say; some, which show his youth, and want of due consideration; others, which he yielded too far, in hopes of gaining the dissenting parties to the church of England." In 1662, he reprinted this work; and, as he had greatly offended some churchmen by allowing too VOL. III.

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much to the state, so he now meant to give them satisfaction, in a discourse, which he joined to it, "concerning the power of Excommunication in a Christian Church" in which he attempts to prove, that "the church is a distinct society from the state, and has divers rights and privileges of its own, particularly that it has a power of censuring offenders, resulting from its constitution as a Christian society; and that these rights of the church cannot be alienated to the state, after their being united in a Christian country."

The same year, 1662, he published "Origines Sacræ, or a Rational Account of the Grounds of Natural and Revealed Religion," a work, which, for extensive and profound learning, solidity of judgment, strength of ar gument, and perspicuity of expression, would have done the highest honour to a man of any age; and therefore was truly wonderful from one who had but just completed his twenty-seventh year. When he appeared afterwards at the visitation, Bishop Sanderson, his diocesan, seeing so young a man, asked him if he was any relation to the great Stillingfleet, author of the Origines Sacræ ? Being modestly inform ed, that he was the very man, he welcomed him with great cordiality, and said that "he expected rather to have seen one as considerable for his years, as he had already shown himself for his learning." Upon the whole, this work has always been justly esteemed one of the best defences of Revealed Religion that ever came forth in our own or any other language. It was republished by Dr. Bentley in 1709, with "Part of another book upon the same subject, written in 1697, from the author's own manuscript," folio. This admirable work made him so known to the world, and got him such esteem among the

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learned, that when a reply appeared, in 1663, to Laud's book against Fisher the Jesuit, he was chosen to answer it; which he did to the public satisfaction, in 1664..

The fame of these excellent performances was the occasion that, while he continued at his living of Sutton, he was chosen preacher at the Rolls chapel by Sir Harbottle Grimston, master. This obliged him to be in London in term-time, and was a fair introduction to his settlement there, which followed soon after; for he was presented to the rectory of St. Andrew's, Holborn, in January, 1665. Afterwards he was chosen lecturer at the Temple; appointed chaplain to the king; made canon residentiary of St. Paul's, in 1670, as afterwards prebendary of Canterbury, and dean of St. Paul's in all which stations he acquitted himself like an able, diligent, and learned divine. While he was rector of Sutton, he married a daughter of William Dobyns, a Gloucestershire gentleman, who lived not long with him; yet had two daughters who died in their infancy, and one son, Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, afterwards rector of Wood-Norton, in Norfolk. Then he married a daughter of Sir Nicholas Pedley, of Huntingdon, sergent at law, who lived with him almost all his life, and brought him seven children, of whom two only survived him.

In 1663, he went out bachelor, and, in 1668, doctor of divinity. He was deeply engaged in all the controversies of his times; with Deists, with Socinians, with Papists, with Dissenters. We forbear entering into particulars, as they do not now appear sufficiently interesting; and the catalogue of his works will give the reader a very tolerable notion of the occasions of his writings, and of the persons to whom they were addressed. In 1689, he was made bishop of Worcester. He had a controversy, in the latter part of his life, with Mr. Locke; who, having laid down some principles in his "Essay on Human Understanding," which seemed to the bishop to strike at the Mysteries of Revealed Religion, fell on that account under his lordship's cognizance. Stillingfleet had always

had the reputation of coming off with triumph in all his controversies, but in this was supposed to be not successful; and some have imagined, that being pressed with clearer and closer reasoning by Locke than he had been accustomed to from his other adversaries, it created in him a chagrin which shortened his life. There is, however, no occasion to suppose this; for he had been subject to the gout near twenty years, and it is no wonder, when it fixed in his stomach, that it should prove fatal to him; as it did at his house in Park-street, Westminster, March 27, 1699. Stillingfleet was tall, graceful, and well-proportioned; with a coun tenance comely, fresh, and awful. His apprehension was quick and sagacious, his judgment exact and profound, and his memory very tenacious: so that, considering how intensely he studied, and how he read every thing, it is easy to imagine him, what he really was, one of the most universal scholars that ever lived. His body was carried to Worcester cathedral, and there interred: after which an elegant monument was erected over him, with an inscription written by Dr. Bentley, who had been his chaplain. This gives a noble and yet just idea of the man, and affords good authority for many particulars recorded of his life. Here follows some account of his writ ings.

They were all collected and reprinted in 1710, in six volumes folio. The first contains, 1. "Fifty Sermons, preached on several Occasions," with the author's life. The second, 2. "Origines Sacræ." 3. "Letter to a Deist," written, as he tells us in the preface, for the satisfaction of a particular person, who owned the Being and Providence of God, but expressed a mean esteem of the Scriptures and the Christian religion. 4. "Irenicum: The Unreasonableness of Separation, or an Impartial Account of the History, Nature, and Pleas of the present Separation from the Communion of the Church of England." The third volume contains, 5. "Origines Britannica, or the Antiquities of the British Churches." 6. "Two Discources concerning the Doctrine of Christ's

Satisfaction," against the Socinians. 7. "Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity," in which he animadverts upon some passages in Mr. Locke's Essay. 8. "Answers to two Letters," published by Mr. Locke. 9. "Ecclesiastical Gases relating to the Duties and Rights of the Parochial Clergy," a charge. 10. "Concerning Bonds of Resignation of Benefices." 11. "The Foundation of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and as it regards the Legal Supremacy." 12. "The grand Question concerning the Bishops' right to vote in Parliament in Cases Capital." 13. "Two Speeches in Parliament." 14. "Of the true Antiquity of London," 15. "Concerning the unreasonable ness of a new Separation, on account of the Oaths to King William and Queen Mary." 16. "A Vindication of their Majesties Authorities to fill the Sees of Deprived Bishops." 17. "An Answer to the Paper delivered by Mr. Ashton, at his Execution, to Sir Francis Child, Sheriff of London, with the Paper itself." The fourth, fifth, and sixth volumes contain, 18. Pieces written against the Church of Rome, in controversy with Cressy, Sargeant, and other Popish advocates.

On the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. By Thomas Hartwell Horne. Lond. 3 vols. 8vo. 1818.

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are also called the BIBLE, that is, THE BOOK, by way of eminence, comprise a great number of different narratives and compositions, written by several persons, at distant periods, in different languages, and on various subjects. This collection of writings is partly historical, partly prophetical, and partly didactic; some books were composed previously, and some subsequently, to an important event, which is adverted to in most of them, called "the coming of the Messiah," who in the Old Testament is treated of as a future,* and in the New Testament as a present Saviour and Mediator.

Compare Psal. xl. 17. with John v. 39, Acts x. 43. and Luke xxiv. 44. † John i. 45.

The Bible, as a late eminent prelate has justly remarked, " is not indeed a plan of religion delineated with minute accuracy, to instruct men as in something altogether new, or to excite a vain admiration and applause; but it is somewhat unspeakably more great and noble, comprehending in the grandest and most magnificent order, along with every essential of that plan, the various dispensations of God to mankind, from the formation of this earth to the consummation of all things. Other books may afford us much entertainment and much instruction, may gratify our curiosity, may delight our imagination, may improve our understandings, may calm our passions, may exalt our sentiments, may even improve our hearts. But they have not, they cannot have, that authority in what they affirm, in what they require, in what they promise and threaten, which the Scriptures have. There is a peculiar weight and energy in them, which is not to be found in any other writings. Their denunciations are more awful, their convictions stronger, their consolations more powerful, their counsels more authentic, their warnings more alarming, their expostulations more penetrating. There are lime, so pathetic, full of such energy passages in them throughout so sublime, so pathetic, full of such energy and force upon the heart and conscience, yet without the least appearance of labour and study for that purpose; indeed, the design of the whole is so noble, so well suited to the sad condition of human kind; the morals have in them such purity and dignity; the doctrines, so many of them above reason, yet so perfectly reconcileable with it; the expression is so majestic, yet familiarized with such easy simplicity, that the more we read and study these writings with pious dispositions and judicious attention, the more we shall see and feel of the hand of God in them." Thus are the Scriptures the only rule of our faith and standard of our lives; and thus do they point out to us the only way by which to attain solid comfort, peace, and happi

ness.

"But that which stamps upon

Archbishop Secker.

them the highest virtue, that which renders them, strictly speaking, inestimable, and distinguishes them from all other books in the world, is this, that they, and they only, contain the words of eternal life.* In this respect every other book, even the noblest compositions of man, must fail; they cannot give us that which we most want, and what is of infinitely more importance to us than all other things put together, ETERNAL LIFE.

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"This we must look for no where but in Scripture. It is there, and there only, that we are informed, from authority, of the immortality of the soul, of a general resurrection from the dead, of a future judgment, of a state of eternal happiness to the good, and of eternal misery to the bad. It is there we are made acquainted with the fall of our first parents from a state of innocence and happiness; with the guilt, corruption, and misery which this sad event brought on all their pos terity; which, together with their own personal and voluntary transgressions, rendered them obnoxious to God's severest punishments. But to our inexpressible comfort, we are further told in this divine book, that God is full of mercy, compassion, and goodness; that he is not extreme to mark what is done amiss; that he willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and save his soul alive. In pity, therefore, to mankind, he was pleased to adopt a measure, which should at once satisfy his justice, show his extreme abhorrence of sin, make a sufficient atonement for the sins of the whole world, and release all, who accepted the terms proposed to them, from the punishment they had deserved. This was nothing less than the death of his Son Jesus Christ, whom he sent into the world to take our nature upon him, to teach us a most holy, pure, and benevolent religion, to reform us both by his precept and example; and, lastJy, to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification. By him and his evangelists and apostles we are assured, that if we sincerely repent of our

John vi. 68.

sins, and firmly believe in him and his. Gospel, we shall, for the sake of his sufferings and his righteousness, have all our transgressions forgiven and blotted out-shall be justified, that is, considered as innocent in the sight of God-shall have the assistance of his Holy Spirit for our future conductand, if we persevere to the end in a uniform (though, from the infirmity. of our nature, imperfect) obedience to all the laws of Christ, we shall, through his merits, be rewarded with everlasting glory in the life to come." Thus do the Holy Scriptures contain "all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation."+

Such then being the utility, excellence, and perfection of the Holy Scriptures, since they are not merely the best guide we can consult, but the only one that can make us wise unto salvation, it becomes the indispensable duty of all carefully and constantly to peruse these sacred oracles, that through them they may become "perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work." This indeed is not only agreeable to the divine command,§ and to the design of the Scriptures,|| but is further commended to us by the practice of the church in ancient,

thew, vol. i. p. 18, 21.

• Bishop Porteus, Lectures on St. Mat

Article 6 of the United Church of Great Britain and Ireland. The sufficiency of Scripture is ably illustrated by the Bishop of Lincoln, (Elements of Christian Theolodert, (Bampton Lect. pp. 61–76.), by Dr. gy, vol. ii. pp. 190-196.), by Dr. VanmilEdwards, in his "Discourse concerning the authority, style, and perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament,” vol. iii. pp. 1-44, and most elaborately by Archbishop Tillotson in his "Rule of Faith," particularly part iv. sec. 2. To these works the student is referred, who is desirous of investigating this important topic.

+ 2 Tim. iii. 17

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, John v. 39. 1 Tim. ii. 4.

TPsal. cix. 24. Acts xvii. 11. 2 Tim. iii. 15. Psal. i. 2.

as well as in modern times, and by the gracious promise made by him who cannot lie, to all true believers, that they shall all be taught of God." What time is to be appropriated for this purpose, must ever depend upon the circumstances of the individual. It is obvious that some time ought daily to be devoted to this important study, and that it should be undertaken with devont simplicity and humility; prosecuted with diligence and attention ;f accompanied by prayer for the divine aid and teaching;t together with a sincere desire to know and perform the will of God, and laying aside all prejudice, to follow the Scriptures wherever conviction may lead our minds.

In order, however, to study the Scriptures aright, it should be recollected that they are not to be contemplated as one entire book or treatise. "The knowledge of divine truth is, indeed, perfectly distinct from human science, in that it emanates immediate ly from the Fountain of Infinite Wisdom. Yet has it this in common with human science, that it is made by its

Isa. liv. 13. Jer. xxxi. 31. John vi. 45.

Heb. viii. 11. and John xvi. 13. Luke xi. 13. Eph. i. 17. "The Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of the Scripture to us: in truth, we cannot without it attain true saving knowledge." Second Homily of the Scripture.

"Without attention," says a pious but neglected writer of the seventeenth century, "all books are alike, and all equally insignificant: for he that adverts not to the sense of what he reads, the wisest dis

courses signify no more to him than the most exquisite music does to a man perfectly deaf. The letters and syllables of the Bible are no more sacred than those of another book; it is the sense and meaning only that is divinely inspired: and he that considers only the former, may as well entertain himself with the spelling-book." Lively Oracles, sect. viii. § 25.

"Though the natural man may well enough apprehend the letter and gram. matical sense of the word, yet its power and energy that insinuative persuasive force whereby it works upon our heartsis peculiar to the Spirit: and therefore, without his aids, the Scripture, while it lies open before our eyes, may still be as a book that is sealed, (Isa. xxix. 11.) and be as ineffective as if the characters were illegible." Ibid. sect. viii. § 24.

heavenly Author to flow through the channel of human instruction. While, therefore, we "receive it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God,"* we must nevertheless examine it as it is delivered to us, clothed in the language of men, and subject to the general rules of human composition. The deference due to it as a divine production does not interfere with this province of human learning; it only exacts submission with respect to the subject-matter of the revelation, to which the critical investi gation is entirely subordinate."+

But, besides the paramount importance of the Holy Scriptures, a further motive to the diligent study of them presents itself, in the facilities that are offered to us for this purpose by the numerous publications on the criticism and interpretation of the Bible, which have appeared at different times, and whose most valuable precepts it is the design of the present work to concentrate. In fact, "a willingness to know and to do the will of God implies a willingness to resort to all necessary helps for advancement in the truth, and for security against error." The value of such helps was never ques tioned, except by those who chose to despise what they did not possess. "They are of distinguished value in theology; but then, like every thing else that is excellent, they have their province.

While they are supreme, in the concerns of human investigation, they are subordinate in those of divine. They cannot communicate a right disposition of heart, nor can they compensate for its absence. Like the armour of the ancient warrior, if the native vigour of the frame can wield them with alertness and skill, they are his defence and ornament; but if this vigour be wanting, they are of no advantage whatever; they become, on the contrary, a burden and an incum, brance."

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