Edward Wells (1667–1727) was an English mathematician, geographer, and controversial theologian.
Life
He was the son of Edward Wells, vicar of
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south-eastern edge of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 national route, southwest of Swindon, southeast of Bristol, northeast of Bath and southwest of ...
, Wiltshire. He was admitted to
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
in 1680, and elected to a scholarship at
Christ Church, Oxford, in 1686. He graduated B.A. in 1690 and M.A. in 1693.
He was inducted to the rectory of
Cotesbach, Leicestershire, on 2 January 1702, and he was awarded the degrees of B.D. and D.D. on 5 April 1704. On 28 March 1716 he was instituted to the rectory of
Bletchley
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes, and is split between the civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley.
Bletchley is best know ...
, Buckinghamshire, on the presentation of his former pupil,
Browne Willis
Browne Willis (16 September 1682 – 5 February 1760) was an antiquary, author, numismatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1708.
Early life
Willis was born at Blandford St Mary, Dorset, the eldest son of Thomas Will ...
. From the pulpit he attacked his benefactor; Browne Willis then published ''Reflecting Sermons considered; occasioned by several Discourses delivered in the Parish Church of Bletchley''.
From 1709 to 1719, Wells produced a Greek critical edition of the New Testament, published in Oxford. Wells drew from the variant readings collated in the edition of
John Mill in the construction of the text. While Mill's edition had included the most thorough
critical apparatus
A critical apparatus ( la, apparatus criticus) in textual criticism of primary source material, is an organized system of notations to represent, in a single text, the complex history of that text in a concise form useful to diligent readers and ...
up to its time, the actual text was a reprint of that of
Stephanus. Wells' edition was thus the first to offer the complete Greek New Testament while moving away from the
Textus Receptus
''Textus Receptus'' (Latin: "received text") refers to all printed editions of the Greek New Testament from Erasmus's ''Novum Instrumentum omne'' (1516) to the 1633 Elzevir edition. It was the most commonly used text type for Protestant deno ...
and toward what is now considered the standard critical text,
Nestle-Aland
(''The New Testament in Greek'') is a critical edition of the New Testament in its original Koine Greek, forming the basis of most modern Bible translations and biblical criticism. It is also known as the Nestle–Aland edition after its mos ...
.
[Bruce M. Metzger, ''The Text of the New Testament'' Fourth Edition (Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 154–155.]
Wells died on 11 July 1727, and was buried at Cotesbach.
Works
Among his works are:
* An edition of
Xenophon
Xenophon of Athens (; grc, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Greek mercenary armies o ...
's 'Memorabilia' and 'Defence of Socrates,' Greek and Latin, Oxford, 1690.
*'Elementa Arithmeticæ numerosæ et speciosæ,' Oxford, 1698.
* 'A Treatise of antient and present Geography, together with a sett of maps in folio,' Oxford, 1701; 4th edit. London, 1726; 5th edit. 1738.
* 'Tῆς πάλαι και τῆς νῦν Oἰκουμένης Περιήγησις, sive Dionysii Geographia emendata et locupletata, additione scilicet Geographiæ hodiernæ Græco Carmine pariter donatæ. Cum XVI Tabulis geographicis,' Oxford, 1704, 1709; London, 1718, 1726, 1738, 1761.
* 'Some Testimonies of the most eminent English Dissenters, as also of foreign reformed Churches and Divines, concerning the lawfulness of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, and the Unlawfulness of separating from it' (anon.), Oxford, 1706.
* 'The Invalidity of Presbyterian Ordination proved from the Presbyterians' own Doctrine of the Twofold Order; or a summary View of what has passed in controversy between Dr. Wells and Mr. Pierce … concerning the Invalidity of Presbyterian Ordination,' Oxford, 1707. Concerned with
James Peirce.
* 'Treatises, designed for the use and benefit of his parishioners, dissenting as well as conforming,' Oxford, 1707, 8vo. These are six separately published tracts, with a collective title-page.
* 'Epistola ad Authorem anonymum Libelli non-ita pridem editi, cui Titulus 'Stricturæ breves in Epistolas D.D. Genevensium et Oxoniensium,' Oxford, 1608
istake for 1708
* 'An historical Geography of the New Testament … adorned with maps; in two parts,' London, 1708; 2nd edit. 1712; 3rd edit. 1718; new edit. published by the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world.
The SPCK is t ...
, 1835.
* 'An historical Geography of the Old Testament,' London, 1711–12, 3 vols.
* This, with the 'Geography of the New Testament,' was reprinted at Oxford in two volumes, 1801, and again in 1809.
* 'The Young Gentleman's Course of Mathematicks,' London, 1712–14, 3 vols.; vol. i. was reissued as 'The Young Gentleman's Arithmetick and Geometry,' 2nd edit. 2 parts, London, 1723; vol. ii. was reissued as 'The Young Gentleman's Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling,' 3rd edit., with additions, London, 1725; 4th edit. 1736.
* 'Remarks on Dr. Clarke's Introduction to his Scripture-doctrine of the Trinity,' Oxford, 1713.
* 'A Paraphrase, with Annotations, on the New Testament; and the Book of Daniel,' London, 1714–19, 2 vols.
* 'The Rich Man's great and indispensable Duty to contribute liberally to the building, rebuilding, repairing, beautifying, and adorning of Churches,' 2nd edit. London, 1717; reprinted at Oxford, 1840, with an introduction by
John Henry Newman
John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican ministry, Anglican priest and later as a Catholi ...
.
* 'Dialogue betwixt a Protestant Minister and a Romish Priest; wherein is shewed that the Church of Rome is not the only true Church; and that the Church of England is a sound part of the Catholick Church of Christ,' 3rd edit. London, 1723.
* 'An Help for the more easy and clear understanding of the Holy Scriptures,' being a Paraphrase, with Annotations, on the Old Testament, Oxford, 1724–7, 4 vols. This and the 'Paraphrase on the New Testament' contain, besides the paraphrase and annotations, discourses on subjects connected with the Scriptures. A detailed description of these discourses is given in
Dr. Henry Cotton's list of editions of the Bible.
References
*
External links
Boston Athenæum: A New Sett of Maps Both of Ancient and Present Geography. Digital Collection.*
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Edward
1667 births
1727 deaths
17th-century English clergy
18th-century English Anglican priests
English theologians
English geographers
English mathematicians
People educated at Westminster School, London
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
People from Harborough District