Milner, John (1), an English nonjuring divine of note, was born near Halifax in 1G27 or 1628. He was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, and after his graduation took orders. He was, however, obliged to live retired till the liestoration, when he obtained the curacy of Beeston, and in 1673 was appointed vicar of Leeds. In 1681 he was chosen prebendary of Kipon; but, on refusing the oaths at the Revolution, he quitted his jireferments and went to St. John's College, Cam- bridge, where he died, Feb. 16, 1702. Dr. Milner was a prolific writer, and published several controversial theo- logical tracts and critical dissertations upon various por- tions of the Scriptures. Of his numerous works we mention the following : Church History of Palestine from the Birth of Christ to Diocletian (1688, 4to) :— Conjectanea in Isaiam ix, 1, 2 : — De Nethiirim sire Ncthi- ruBis : — Defence of Archbishop Usher against ])is. (_'<iry and Vossius : — A ccount of Mr. Locke's Jhlii/inn .-— . 1 id- madversions on Le Clerc's Reflections upon uur ,Sariour and his Apostles, See Watson, Halifax; Thoresby, Vicaria Leodensis, p. 114 sq. ; Wilford, Menioricds ; Cooper, Biog. Diet. p. 869 ; Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and Anier. Authors, ii, 1293.
Milner, John (2), D.D., more properly named M1L1.EK, an eminent Romish theologian and antiquary, was born in London, Oct. 14, 1752. He was educated at the schools of Sedgley Park and Edgbaston, and then went to study theology at Douai. Having taken orders, he was in 1779 attached to W^inchester Chapel. Al- though a zealous Roman Catholic, he refused to join in the efforts made by his Church in England in 1788 and in 1791 to obtain from Parliament the repeal of the an- cient laws against Roman Catholics. In after-times he was engaged in numerous controversies, both with Prot- estant theologians and with members of the Roman Catholic committee, who accused him of too great vi- vacity in his discussions. He declared against the right of the king of vetoing the appointment of bishops, and, together with the Irish Roman Catholic clergy, obsti- nately refused to yield the point to the solicitations of his own party. In 1814 he even took a journey to Rome, to consult with the pope on this point. The esteem in which he was held in the midst of these difficulties is evinced by the appointment he received in 1803 as apostolic vicar of the midland district, under the title of bishop of Castabala in partibus. Dr. jMilner settled at Wolverhampton, where he died, April 19, 1826. He was quite distinguished as an archteologist, belonged to the Antiquarian Society, and contributed many learned papers to the A ixhaologia. He wrote The History, Civil and Ecclesiastical, and Survey of the A ntiquities of Win- chester (1798, 2 vols. 4to ; 2d ed., corrected and enlarged, 1809, 2 vols. 4to) -.— The End of Religious Controversy,
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278
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addressed to Dr. Burgess, Bishop of SI. Davhrs, in ari- swer to his Protestant Catechism (1«1«; 2J cd., revised, 1819, 8vo; traiisl. into French under the title Excellence <le la Ri'liijion Cotholique, Paris, 1823, 2 vols. 8vo):— ^ I 'imlication of the End of l{di(jious Controversy from the Exctjitioits of Bishop Burgess and the Rev. li. Grier (Lond. 1822, 8vo) : — Letters to a Prebendarg, being an Ansirer to Refections on Ihtpery b;/ the Rev. John Stur- <jes, LL.l). (\\'incliester, 1800, 4to) :— .1 short Descrip- tion of the Hospital of St. Cross, near Winchester (21st cd. Winchester; no date):— .hi Jlistorical and Critical Iiif/iiiri/ into the Existence and Character of SI. George, I'dlrnii if Eiighiiid (^IT'.l.'), 8vo) : — .1 Treatise on the Ec- clesiiislinil li'iMnrii of Eiighuvl during the Middle Ages (181 1 . nival ^v(i ) :'—/.-//. /' /" the . I iithi>r of a Book called
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;/' the Government of J'ujie I 7- ,m nt XIV ( L(Mi.l. 1 7>'5. .Svo ) :— Divine Right of the E/>!srop,irg {\7'M, Hvo):— The Case of Cui.ol, ,'ee solriil. or the Catholic Claims proved to be <-(iiii/iiili/J' n-ith the Coronation Oalh (1802, 8\-o) :—IiHpiirg into certain Ojnuions concerning the Catholic Inhabitants and the A ntl/peities of Ireland (1808, Svo). Of all the advo- cates of the papal Church, no one has displayed more learning; and acuteness than Milner, thouf^h not un- mixed with partisan gall and misrepresentation. See Lond. Qu. Rev. 1810 (^lay), 181 1 (Oct.) ; Rose, Xew Biog. Diet. s. v.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. ii, 2771; Hoefcr, Nour. Biog. Generale, xxxv, 55-1; AUibone, Did. of Brit, and .1 mer. A uthors, s. v. ; Dr. liusenbeth, Life of Dr. Milner (Dublin, 18G2, 8vo).
Milner, Joseph, an eminent Anglican divine and ecclesiastical historian, the elder brother of Isaac, ■was born near Leeds, Yorkshire, Jan. 2, 1744. He was sent to the grammar school at Leeds, where, by his industry and talents, among which a memory of most exiraordinary power was conspicuous, he gained the warm regard of his master. IMilner's father had al- ways Ijeen in very narrow circumstances ; his death only made the task greater; but, by the assistance of some gentlemen in Leeds, whose children ^Milner had lately engaged in teaching, and by the offer of the office of chapel-clerk at Catharine Hall, Cambridge, he was ena- bled lo enter that hall at the age of eighteen. In the year 17G(> he took his degree of 15. A., and gained the chancellor's second gold medal for classical knowledge. He was made assistant in the school, and afterwards the curate of the Kev. Mr. Atkinson, of Thorp Arch, near Tadcaster. While in this place he undertook the com- pletion of an epic poem, entitled Davideis, which he had commenced at Cambridge. It was submitted to Dr. (afterwards bishop) Ilnrd, who highly comiilimented the autlior on the talent it displayed, but advised him to de- fer its publication. On entering into deacon's orders, jMihur was elected head-master of the grammar school, and afternoon lecturer of the princi|)al church of Hull. In this position he succeeded beyond the most ardent expectations of his dearest friends, especially in tlie ca- pacity of an instructor, and the school increased under ills care. About, the year 1770 .Joseph ^lilner embraced the sentiments of the e\angelical party in the Cliurch of England. Tliis change in his religious views brought upon him neglect, and in some cases open opposition from many among the upper classes who had once been his admirers and friends; iiut his church was soon crowded with others, chietly from the lower orders of the people, in whose sentiments and manners his preach- ing produced a striking change; and at length he not only recovered the esteem of his fellow-townsmen, but lived to sec his own religions sentiments become so popular in the town that many of tiie iiul|)its of the churches were filled by his friends and pupils, and he himself was chosen vicar of Hull by the mayor and cor- poration. Mr. jNIiluer had been appointed vicar of North Ferriby, near Hull; subsei|ueiuly he had been appointed to the vicarship of the Holy Trinity, Cam- bridge. His election as vicar of Hull occurred only a few weeks before his death, which took place on the 15th