John Chapman (theologian)

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For the Australian evangelist, see John Chapman (evangelist).

John Chapman (1704–1784) was an English cleric and scholar, archdeacon of Sudbury from 1741.

Life

The son of the Rev. Walter Chapman, curate of

Strathfieldsay, Hampshire, he was probably born in 1704, probably at Strathfieldsay. He was educated at Eton College, and elected to King's College, Cambridge, where he became A.B. 1727, and A. M. 1731.[1] While tutor of his college, Charles Pratt, Jacob Bryant, and, for a short time, Horace Walpole were amongst his pupils. [2]

Chapman became chaplain to Archbishop

Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister, was elected by 28 votes to 10.[3]

Chapman died at Mersham, 14 October 1784, and was buried in the chancel. His library was sold by Leigh & Sotheby, 4–14 April 1785.[2]

Works

Chapman's first work was The Objection of a late anonymous writer (i.e., Anthony Collins) against the Book of Daniel considered, Camb. 1728. This was followed by Remarks on Dr. Middleton's celebrated Letter to Dr. Waterland, Lond. 1738, of which later editions appeared. He next published Eusebius, or the True Christian's Defence, directed against Thomas Morgan's Moral Philosopher, and Matthew Tindal's Christianity as old as the Creation, in 2 vols. Lond. (1739 and 1741). William Warburton, in a letter to Philip Doddridge, criticised its slips, and said "it was written by order of the A. B. C." (Archbishop of Canterbury). [2]

In his essay De Ætate Ciceronis Libr. de Legibus, Camb. 1741, addressed to

Cicero de Officiis. In 1747 he prefixed anonymously in Latin to Richard Mounteney's edition of Demosthenes his Observationes in Commentarios vulgò Ulpianeos, and a map of ancient Greece. Editions of this work appeared in 1791, 1811, and 1820.[2]

His other works were:

Legal case

As executor and surviving trustee of Archbishop Potter, Chapman presented himself to the precentorship of Lincoln (an option, or archbishop's gift). A suit was then brought in chancery by

Lord-keeper Henley made a decree in his favour, but the House of Lords reversed the decision. Richard Burn stated the case in Ecclesiastical Law, vol. i., but promised Chapman to modify the statement in a later edition. Richard Hurd censured Chapman in his correspondence with Warburton; and Chapman published his own statement, ‘His Case against Dr. Richardson,’ &c., Lond. 1760, which was not answered.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Chapman, John (CHPN723J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  2. ^ a b c d e Gibson 1887.
  3. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10545. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gibson, John Westby (1887). "Chapman, John (1704-1784)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 10. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 54–55.

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