Edward Stillingfleet

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Edward Stillingfleet (April 17, 1635 – March 27, 1699) was a British theologian.

He was born in Cranborne, Dorset, and educated at Cambridge. He entered the Church, and held many preferments, including a Royal Chaplaincy, the Deanery of St Paul's (1678), and the Bishopric of Worcester (1689). He was a frequent speaker in the House of Lords, and had considerable influence as a Churchman. A keen controversialist, he wrote many treatises, including The Irenicum (advocating compromise with the Presbyterians), Antiquities of the British Churches, and The Unreasonableness of Separation. Stillingfleet was a good and honest man and had the respect of his strongest opponents.

Stillingfleet was a scholarly man and at his death left a library of some 10,000 books, which was purchased by Narcissus Marsh and is today housed in Marsh's Library in Dublin, Ireland. During his time as the Bishop of Worcester, Stillingfleet engaged in a scholarly debate through correspondence with John Locke. Stillingfleet argued in favor of dualism, and claimed that Locke's Essay argued against dualism.

[edit] Sources

• Pitts Theology Library

Church of England titles
Preceded by William Thomas	Bishop of Worcester 1689–1699	Succeeded by William Lloyd