Staughton, William, D.D., a Baptist minister, was born at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, Jan. 4, 1770. He studied in the Baptist theological institu- tion at Bristol, and emigrated to the United States in 1793, where he soon became pastor of the Baptist Church in (leorgetown, S. C. Here he acquired great popularity, but the climate not agreeing with his health, he removed to New York in 1795. In 1797 he became principal of an academy at Bordentown, N. J., but at the close of the next year removed to Burlington, where he kept a large and flourishing school for several years. He was made D.D. by the College of New Jersey in 1801. In 1805 he became pastor of the First Baptist Church in i'hiladelphia, and afterwards of the Samson Street Church in that city. In 1822 he became presi- dent of the newly organized Columbian College, D. C, and in consequence removed to ^^'ashington in the fall of 1823. During a journey South, undertaken for the purpose of raising funds for that institution, lie was led to resign its presidency, and, returning to I'hihidelphia, he preaclied for a while to the New IMarket Street con- gregation, when he was chosen first ]iresident of the Baptist Literary and Theological Institution at (icorge- town, Ky., which he accepted, but, during his journey there, he fell sick, and died Dec. 12, 1829. Dr. Staugh- ton published a number of IHscoiases, Addresses, aiul Sermons. See Sprague, A imals of the A mer. Pulpit, vi, 834 ; AUibone, Diet, of Brit, and A mer. A vthors, s. v.
Staupitz, JoiiANN VON, the genial )iatron and friend of Luther, was descended from an ancient noble family of !Misnia, though the names of his parents and the date and ])lace of bis birth arc not known. He became an Augustine monk, an<l stiulied theology at Tiibingen, where he was also |)rior of his convent and was made theological doctor. He was not attracted by scholasti- cism, but gave himself rather to the study of the Script- ures. The elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, called him to participate in the founding of the university at Wittenl)erg, and in tlie prosecution of that work he jour- neyed to Home to secure for the institution the jiapal privileges. In 1502 he became the dean of its theolog- ical faculty, and in 1503 he was made vicar-general of the Augusliiu's for the province of tiermany. In this cbarai'ter he introduced the reading aloud of the Holy Scriptures instead of Augustine's works at meal-time iu
STAUROANASTASIMA
999
STEAD
the monasteries under his supervision, and earnestly sought to promote their general prosperity. The duties of the latter office seriously impaired his efficiency as an academical instructor; but it is related that he was nev- ertheless venerated by the students. Staupitz discov- ered Luther during an inspection of the Convent of Er- furt, which the latter had entered in 1505, and not only obtained his release from the menial position to which he had been assigned, but gave him kindly spiritual counsel that guided his feet into the way of truth and delivered his mind from slavish and superstitious fears. See Luther. It was also through Staupitz that Lu- ther was called, in 1508, to fill the chair of dialectics and ethics in the W^ittenberg University, and that he was induced to ascend the pulpit, and afterwards in 1512 to accept the doctor's degree in theology. How great was the confidence placed by Staupitz in his young friend appears from his appointing the latter his substitute in the inspection of forty convents, while himself absent in the Netherlands, in 1516, to collect relics for the new Church of All-Saints at Wittenberg. The sympathies of Staupitz were necessarily with Luther when the lat- ter began his reformatory work. He expressed his sen- timents repeatedly, and did not hesitate to expose him- self to the ill-will of Cajetan by coming to the Reformer's support when the latter appeared before the cardinal in October, 1518, at Augsburg. He was not, however, tit- ted to be himself a reformer. His disposition was quiet, tender, and contemplative rather than bold and heroic. He consequently drew back from Luther and his cause in time, but did not, like Erasmus and many humanists, consent to be used against the Reformation. He spent the closing years of his life, beginning with 1519, at Salzburg, whither he had been attracted by the cun- ning of cardinal Matthew Lang. He became preacher to the cardinal in 1519, and soon afterwards passed from the Augustine into the Benedictine order of monks. In 1522 he became abbot of the convent at Salzburg, taking the name of John IV, and subsequently was made vicar and suffragan to the cardinal -archbishop Lang. He still, however, kept up his connection with Luther, and as late as 1519 invited the latter to take refuge with him, " ut simul vivamus moriamurque." The Reformer, nev- ertheless, complained of neglect at the hands of Staupitz, and was mortified that the latter should have declared his willingness to submit to the pope when charged with being Luther's patron, and that he should have consent- ed to become an abbot. Staupitz retained his evangel- ical spirit to the end, and felt dissatisfied and oppressed in his new relations, and he exercised a reformatory in- fluence by permitting his monks to read the works of Luther, brought with him on his first arrival. One of his successors caused the suspicious writings contained in the library of Staupitz to be burned. Staupitz died Dec. 28, 1524, and was buried at Salzburg. The literary remains of Staupitz consist of ten Letters, collected b\' Grimm and published in Illgen's Zeitschrift fur hist, Theol. 1837, ii, 65 sq., and a number of minor ascetical and miscellaneous works. His theology was Augustin- ian, scriptural, and mystical ; his tendency practical, though not profound ; his entire personality noble, en- gaging, and dignified. His highest claim to notice must ever be that he stimulated and encouraged his great disciple, until the latter had developed into fit- ness for the mighty work to which he was called of God. See Adam, Vita Staiqntii, in Vitce Theologorum, 1st ed. p. 20; Grimm, vt sup.; Ullmann, Reformatoren vor der Reformation, vol. ii ; D'Aubigne, Reformation, vol. i, bk. ii, ch. iv sq. ; De Wette, i, 25 ; Luther's Werke, Walch's ed. voL xxii, passim. — Herzog, Real- Enq/klop.