by a ‘Second,’ 1727, 8vo (dedicated to Edward Chandler, 13 Oct.), a ‘Third,’ 1728, 8vo (dedicated to Richard Smalbroke [q. v.], 26 Feb.), a ‘Fourth,’ 1728, 8vo (dedicated to Francis Hare [q. v.], 14 May), a ‘Fifth,’ 1728, 8vo (dedicated to Thomas Sherlock [q. v.], 25 Oct.), and a ‘Sixth,’ 1729, 8vo (dedicated to John Potter (1674?–1747) [q. v.], 15 Feb.) The ‘Discourses’ speedily ran to six editions, and were received with a storm of replies. Gibson issued a pastoral letter, Smalbroke preached against them, Whiston withdrew his countenance. The vigour of the ‘Discourses’ is undeniable, and it has been said with some truth that they anticipate the mythical theory of Strauss. The government resumed the prosecution after the publication of the fourth ‘Discourse;’ Woolston was tried at the Guildhall on 4 March 1729, by Robert Raymond [q. v.], lord chief justice. He speaks highly of Raymond's fairness. He told Raymond that the expression ‘hireling clergy,’ in his title-pages, was ‘where the shoe pinched.’ Birch, his counsel (who had gratuitously undertaken the defence), argued that Woolston had written as a sincere Christian. The attorney-general replied that ‘if the author of a treasury libel should write at the conclusion, “God save the king,” it would not excuse him’ (An Account of the Trial, 1729, fol.) Woolston was found guilty on four counts, and sentenced to a year's imprisonment and a fine of 100l. He purchased the liberty of the rules of the king's bench, and there remained till his death, being unable to pay the fine (he had 70l., of which he lost 30l. in 1732 by a tradesman's failure). Clarke tried in vain to procure his release.
Meanwhile Smalbroke and others were publishing replies (The Comedian, or Philosophical Enquirer, 1732, v. 24), and Woolston issued two ‘Defences,’ the first (October 1729) dedicated to Queen Caroline. Besides his second ‘Defence’ (May 1730) he is almost certainly the author of ‘Tom of Bedlam's Short Letter to his Cozen Tom W—lst—n’ (1728, 8vo), and inspired, if he did not write, ‘For God or the Devil; or, Just Chastisement no Persecution, Being the Christian's Cry … for … Punishment of … that Wretch Woolston’ (1728, 8vo), and ‘Free Thoughts on Mr. Woolston,’ 1729, 8vo (November); 2nd edit. 1730, 8vo, with lists of books in ‘the Woolstonian controversy.’ Woolston thought the best answer to him was in ‘Two Discourses’ (1729) by George Wade. In purely doctrinal matters he does not seem to have been heterodox; he had no sympathy with Whiston's arianism.
He died (unmarried) on 27 Jan. 1732–3, and was buried (30 Jan.) in the churchyard of St. George's, Southwark. He was in his sixty-fourth year (The Comedian, or Philosophical Enquirer, 1733, ix. 31). His portrait, by Dandridge, was engraved by Van der Gucht; another portrait was by Vanderbank.
[The Life of Mr. Woolston, with an impartial account of his writings, 1733 (ascribed by Woog to Thomas Stackhouse (1677–1752) [q. v.]); Woog's De Vita et Scriptis T. Woolstoni, 1743; Whiston's Memoirs, 1753, p. 197; Biogr. Brit. 1763, article by ‘P.’ (?William Nicolls, D.D.); History of Northampton, 1817, p. 109; Graduati Cantabr. 1823; Hunt's Religious Thought in England, 1871, ii. 400; Edwards's Sidney-Sussex College, 1899, pp. 142, 163, 190; extracts from the records of Sidney-Sussex, per Rev. G. A. Weekes.]
WOOLTON or WOLTON, JOHN (1535?–1594), bishop of Exeter, born at Whalley in Lancashire about 1535 (according to Godwin he was born at Wigan), was the son of John Woolton of Wigan, by his wife Isabella, daughter of John Nowell of Bead Hall, Whalley, and sister of Alexander Nowell [q. v.] He was admitted student of Brasenose College, Oxford, on 26 Oct. 1553, when 'aged 18 or thereabouts,' and supplicated for the degree of B.A. on 26 April 1555, Soon afterwards he repaired with Nowell, his uncle, to Germany, and remained abroad until the accession of Queen Elizabeth, The bishop of London ordained him as deacon on 25 April 1560, when he gave his birthplace as Whalley, and he proceeded priest on 4 June 1560 (Strype, Life of Grindal, pp. 58-9).
Woolton found warm patrons in William Alley [q. v.], bishop of Exeter, and in Francis Russell, second earl of Bedford [q. v.] He was appointed to the rectory of Sampford Peverell (16 Aug. 1561), to the rectory of Whimple, the vicarage of Braunton (4 May 1570), and to the rectory of Kenn (15 Oct. 1573), all in Devonshire. A canonry at Exeter was conferred upon him in March 1565. At Exeter he 'read a divinity lecture twice a week and preached twice every lord's day,' and during the plague which raged in that city during the summer of 1570 he was exemplary in his attendance on the sick.
By the new charter, dated 28 July 1578, Woolton, probably through his uncle's influence, was constituted the first warden of the collegiate church of Manchester. On 11 Oct. in that year Bridget, wife of Francis, earl of Bedford, recommended him to Lord Burghley as a fitting person to fill the vacant
