Edward**, Bishop of Worcester, and "renowned," according to Lord Macaulay, "as a consummate master of all the weapons of controversy," was born at Cranborne, in Dorsetshire, in 1635. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge; and having received holy orders, was, in 1657, presented to the rectory of Sutton in Nottinghamshire. In 1659 appeared his first work, entitled *Irenicum, or the Divine Right of particular Forms of Church Government Examined*. By publishing his *Origines Sacrae*, one of the ablest defences of revealed religion that has ever been written, he soon acquired such reputation, that he was appointed preacher of the Rolls Chapel; and in January 1665 was presented to the rectory of St Andrews, Holborn. He was afterwards chosen lecturer at the Temple, and appointed chaplain in ordinary to King Charles II. In 1668 he took the degree of D.D.; and was soon after engaged in a dispute with those of the Romish religion, by publishing his discourse concerning the idolatry and fanaticism of the Church of Rome, which discourse he afterwards defended against several antagonists. In 1680 he preached at Guildhall Chapel a sermon on Phil. iii. 26, which he published under the title of *The Mischief of Separation*; and this being immediately attacked by several writers, he, in 1683, published his *Unreasonable-ness of Separation*. In 1685 appeared his *Origines Britannicae, or the Antiquities of the British Churches*, in folio. During the reign of King James II., he wrote several tracts against popery, and was prolocutor of the convocation, as he had likewise been under Charles II. After the Revolution he was advanced to the bishopric of Worcester, and was engaged in a dispute with the Socinians, and also with Mr Locke; in which last contest he is generally thought to have been unsuccessful. He died at Westminster in 1699, and was interred in the cathedral of Worcester, where a monument was erected to his memory by his son, bearing a highly eulogistic Latin epitaph from the pen of Bentley, who had been his chaplain. Dr Stillingfleet wrote other works besides those here mentioned, which, with the above, have been reprinted in six volumes, folio, 1710.

Benjamin**, an ingenious naturalist, born in 1702, was the grandson of Dr Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester. His father, Edward Stillingfleet, M.D., was fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, and Gresham professor of physic; but marrying in 1692, he lost his lucrative offices and his father's favour; a misfortune that affected both himself and his posterity. Benjamin, his only son, was educated at Norwich school, which he left in 1720, with the character of an excellent scholar. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, at the request of Dr Bentley, the master, who had been private tutor to his father, domestic chaplain to his grandfather, and much indebted to his family. Here he was a candidate for a fellowship, but was rejected, as he believed, by Bentley's influence. Perhaps, however, this seeming ingratitude was not of any real disservice to Stillingfleet. By being thrown into the world, he formed many honourable and valuable connections. He dedicated some translations of Linnæus to the late Lord Lyttelton, partly, he says, from motives of private respect and honour. Lord Barrington gave him, in a very polite manner, the place of master of the barracks at Kensington; a favour to which Stillingfleet, in the dedication of his *Calendar of Flora* to that nobleman, alludes with the warmest gratitude. His *Calendar of Flora* was formed at Stratton in Norfolk in the year 1753, at the seat of his friend Marsham, who had made several observations of that kind, and had communicated to the public his curious observations on the growth of trees. But it was to Wyndham of Felbrigg in Norfolk that he appears to have had the greatest obligation; he travelled abroad with him, spent much of his time at his house, and was appointed one of his executors (Mr Garrick being another), with a considerable addition to an annuity which that gentleman had settled upon him in his lifetime.

Stillingfleet's genius seems, if we may judge from his works, to have led him principally to the study of natural history. In his walk of learning he mentions as his friends, Dr Watson, Dr Solander, Mr Hudson, Mr Price of Foxley, and some others; to whom may be added the ingenious Mr Pennant.

Stillingfleet published a volume of *Miscellaneous Tracts* in 1759. They are chiefly translations of some essays in the *Amoenitatis Academicae*, published by Linnæus, interspersed with some observations and additions of his own. His *Essay on Conversation*, a poem, was published in the first volume of Doddley's *Collection*. His London residence was in lodgings in Piccadilly, where he died in 1771, at the age of sixty-nine, leaving several valuable papers behind him. Coxe has written a notice of his life and works, 1811.