A carefully worded letter sent
from Lincoln College, Oxford, where Faber was a Fellow, answering a query from
the evangelical Reverend James Stillingfleet in Hotham, Yorkshire about the
soundness of the Christian commitment of Stillingfleet’s son Edward, then a
student at Lincoln. The query strikes me as intrusive and improper but may have
been acceptable at the time though the carefully worded reply suggests to me
that the writer may have preferred not to have been put in the position of
having to write.
The Reverend James Stillingfleet
(1741 - 1826) was a noted evangelical and, during his tenure at Hotham, Wesley
visited and preached twice (1788 and 1790). On both occasions he stayed at the
rectory.
His son the Reverend Edward William Stillingfleet BD (1781 – 1866) became a
fellow of Lincoln College Oxford, Deacon in 1805, and priest one year later.
Edward served as curate to his father at Hotham for 30 years, and was Vicar of
South Cave for 10 years. He died 3 May 1866, aged 84, and was buried near his
parents and wife in Hotham churchyard on May 9th.
Transcription
Addressed to: The Revd. Mr
Stillingfleet Hotham Market Weighton Yorkshire
Datelined: Linc. Coll. Decr 13th
1800
Postmarked straight-line undated
OXFORD
Dear Sir
I would have answered your letter
sooner, but I have been so pressed with business, that I have scarcely had time
to do anything. The questions, which you ask me respecting Mr E. Stillingfleet [ the
addressee’s son], are very important ones; but I hope that I can answer all of
them to your satisfaction, excepting that of religion. With regard to that
point, you must be a better judge than what I can pretend to be; inasmuch as
the real Christianity of a man is best discovered in moments of familiar
and unguarded intercourse. I find from Vaughan, a very serious young man, with
whom Mr S. is in habits of intimacy; that he possess of a very great tenderness
of conscience, and a very strong desire of doing that which he believes to be
right, but from the difficulty of knowing any person’s heart, Vaughan will not
venture to decide upon the reality of his conversion. The difficulty of judging
is moreover heightened by his having had a religious education, and by his
naturally possessing an amiable and gentle disposition; the change therefore
from nominal to real Christianity will never be so perceptible, and (if I may
use the expression) so palpable in a person of this description, as is one who
had never known anything of religion, and who is of a harsh and rugged temper.
I hope however that God in his own due time will be pleased to bring to
maturity that seed, which has been so carefully sown by the hand of his father.
In all other respects I have very reason to be satisfied with him. He has been
extremely regular and attentive and pursues his studies with much assiduity. He
is undoubtedly not so good a scholar as some that I have, but habits of
diligence will do wonders; and if I may judge from the manner in which he
begun, I should entertain little fear of his turning out well. His dispute with
the President was only with the president of the young men on the gaudy day, and is made up. Mr S. may perhaps give
you the particulars; for my own part, I did not think it proper to ask him too
many questions, fearing that it might implicate the other young man. I much
suspect however, that he has been pressing Mr S. to drink more wine than what
he chose, and that his solicitations have been in vain. Should such prove to be
the case, you will have no reason to be displeased with his conduct.
I remain Dr Sir
yours sincerely George Stanley Faber
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