Edward Stillingfleet papers

Edward Stillingfleet, born April 17, 1635 at Cranborne, Dorset was an English clergyman who rose to the position of Bishop of Worcester in the Church of England. He received his B.A. from St. John's College, Cambridge in 1653 and his M.A. in 1656. Stillingfleet wrote Irenicum in 1659 which suggested a compromise between Episcopacy and Presbyterianism. In 1662 he wrote Origines Sacrae in which he asserted the divine authority of the scriptures. Impressed by Origines Sacrae, Bishop Humphrey Henchman asked Stillingfleet to compose a defense for the Church of England against a charge of schism lodged by the Jesuits. As a result of the brilliance of his writings he received rapid promotion. In 1667 he became Chaplain to Charles II, in 1669 Canon of Canterbury, in 1677 Archdeacon of London, in 1678 Dean of London and in 1689, at the relatively young age of 54, he became Bishop of Worcester. Stillingfleet died at his house in Park Street, Westminster on March 27, 1699.