CHILLINGWORTH, WILLIAM, was the son of William Chilling worth, mayor of Oxford, where he was born in October, 1602. In 1 618 he was a scholar, and in 1628 a fellow, of Trinity College in that University. Some curious memoirs of him are preserved by Anth. Wood Athen. Oxon.' c. 20), who aays "he would often walk in the college grove, and dispute with any scholar he met, purposely to facilitate and make the way of wrangling common with him, which was a fashion used in those days, especially among the disputing theologiats, or those who aet themselves apart purposely for divinity." The com parative merits of the English and Romish churches were at that time a subject of zealous and incessant disputation among the university students; and several learned Jesuits succeeded in making distinguished proaelytes among the Proteatant clergy and nobility. Chillingworth, being an able disputant, was singled out by the famous Jesuit Fisher, alias Johannes Perseus (' Biblioth. Soc. Jesu '), by whom he was convinced of the necessity for an infallible living Rule of Faith: On this he at once adopted the Roman Catholic system, wrote out his reasons for abjuring Protestantism, and joined the Jesuits in their college at Douay.
After the lapse of a few months, the arguments addressed to him by his godfather, Dr. Laud, then bishop of London, induced him to abandon his new faith, and he returned to Oxford in 1631, where he pasaed about four years in reconsidering the Protestant tenets. The great work of Mille on the 'Fathers,' which then first appeared, is said to have finally determined In 1635 he published his 'Religion of Protestants, a safe way to Salvation.' It excited great atteution, and passed through two editions in lees thou five months. The principle of Chillingworth is, that the volume of Divine Scriptures, ascertained to be such by the ordinary rules of historical and critical investigation, is to be considered the sole authority of Christians, to the utter exclusion of ecclesiastical tradition. his assertion of the principle of private judgment was opposed as much by the Puritans as by the Roman Catholics; and while the Jesuit Knott, alias Matthias Wilson (' Biblioth. Patrnm Soc. Jesu,' p. 185), contended that he "destroyed the nature of faith by resolving it into reason;" Dr. Cheynell "prayed that God would give him new light to deny his carnal reason, and submit to faith." These were two of the moat determined of Chillingworth'a antagonists. Cheynell was one of the assembly of divines who, in 1646, was sent to convert the Univer aity of Oxford. Chillingworth in the meantime, unable to reason his conscience into an approval of the 39 Articles, refused to accept any preferment in the church. His long letter on the subject to Dr. Sheldon (afterwards archbishop of Canterbury), a moat interesting document, is given in his Life, by Dea Maizeaux, p. 88, and in Kippus's 'Biog. Brit.' Nothing can be stronger than the expreasiona of refusal to subscribe with mental reservation. However, in a very ahort time he was completely persuaded by the arguments of Drs. Sheldon and Land, that peace and union are the real object of subscription, not belief or assent—a doctrine held by Archbishop Sancroft and many other eminent divines. Accordingly he accepted the chancellorship of Salisbury with the prebend of Brixworth, Northamptonshjre, annexed. Chillingworth, in 1640, was deputed by the chapter of Salis
bury as their proctor to the Convocation in London. He was attached very zealously to the royal party, and wrote a treatise (unpublished) on ' The Unlawfulness of resisting the lawful Prince, although most impious, tyrannical, and idolatrous.' Being present in the army of Charles I. at the siege of Gloucester, August 1643, he acted as engineer, and devised the construction of engines, in imitation of the Roman teatudines cum pluteis,' to assault the rebels and take the city by storm. Having accompanied the king's forcea under Lord Hopton to Arundel castle, he was there with his comrades taken prisoner by the parliament army under Sir William Waller; and falling ill he was thence convoyed to the Bishop's palace at Chichester, where he died and was buried in January 1644. A singular scene occurred at his funcraL Dr. Cheynell, then rector of Petworth, appeared at the grave, with the work of Chillingworth Relig. of Protest.') in his hand, and after an admonitory oration on the dangerous tondency of Its rational ism, he Sung it into the grave, exclaiming, "Get thee gone, thou cursed book, which hest seduced so many precious souls—get thee gone, thou corrupt rotten book, earth to earth, dust to dust, go rot with thy author 1" He afterwards published `Chillingworthl Nevis mime, or the Sicknesse, Heresy, Death, and Burial of Win. C., with a prophane catechism collected out of his works, by F. Cheynell, Fell. Mart. Coll. Ox.,' 1614 and 1725. In this singular production the object of the author's enmity is jeered at as "this man of reason whoae head was as full of scruples as it was of engines." But the character and abilities of Chillingworth have been greatly and justly extolled by many of our most distinguished writers. Tillotson styled him "the incom parable Chillingworth," and Locke aays (on Education ') "If you would have your son to reason well, let him read Chillingworth ;" and again (on 'Study '), "For attaining right reasoning I propose the constant reading of Chillingworth for this purpose he deserves to be road over and over but Anth. Wood's opinion is not outdone by any, for he declares that "Chillingworth had such extraordinary clear reason that if the great Turk or the Devil oould be converted, Ise was able to do it." The result of his remarkable proficiency in wrangling' is however stated by his intimate friend Lord Clarendon (' Hist. Rebell') to have been that "Chillingworth had contracted such an irresolution and habit of doubting, that at last he was confident of nothing." It is said by Clarendon that "Chillingworth was a man of little atature," and that it was "an age in which many great and wonderful men were of that aize." The 10th and best edition of ' The Religion of Protestants' is that in foL, 1742, with sermons, &a, and a life of the author by Dr. Birch. The Religion of Proteatanta ' has been aince often reprinted. There is a recent edition of Chilling worth's whole works, in 1 voL 8vo. A complete liat of his miscellaneous controversial works is given in Kippis's 'Bios. Brit.,' voL iii., p. 515, and in the ' Life of Chillingworth.' by Des Maizeaux, 8vo, 1725.