Westfall, Simon V. E., a minister of the Re- formed (Dutcli) Church, was born at Rhinebeck, Dutch- ess Co., N. Y., in 1802. He graduated at Rutgers Col- lege in 1831, and at the New Brunswick Seminary in 1834. He was licensed by the Classis of Rensselaer in 1834. He was pastor of the Hyde Park Church, Dutch- ess Co., N. Y., from 183-t to 1837, and Union and Salem from 1837 to 1847. At this time he went as missionary to Illinois, and in that capacity he labored for about two years, from 1847 to 1848. In 1849 he undertook the try- ing task of building up an "eminent Dutch Church" in the young city of Pekin, Tazewell Co., 111., where, with the exception of one year (1853), in which he labored at Vanderveer, Morgan Co., he ministered until 185(5. His task was long antl arduous, but fruitless. He left Pekin in 1850, and returned to his native East to spend his de- clining days. He had scarcely got settled in his new house and engaged to supply the Second Church of Rot- terdam, when he was taken sick, and died, in 1856. Dur- ing the short time he was sick, he repeatedly uttered tlie word "Ecstasy!" while visions of glory passed be- fore his mind. He was a man of settled purpose, in- flexible integrity, and of a modest and diffident spirit. See Corwin, Manual of the Ref. Church in Ame7ica,s.v.
Westfield, Thomas, an English prelate, was a na- tive of Ely. He was educated at Jesus College, Cam- i)ridge, and afterwards became a fellow ; was assistant to Dr. Nicholas Felton, at St. Mary-le-Bow, London, and then presented to the same Church ; afterwards present- ed to St. Bartholomew's, made archdeacon of St. Al- l)an's, and hually made bishop of Bristol, on account of his piety and wisdom. He suffered under the Revolu- tion, was ejected from his bishopric, and died June 25, 1644, He left no j)ublished works, l)ut two volumes of his Sernwns appeared after his death. See Chalmers, JJioff. Jjirt. s, v.
Westhoff, Elbert Wilhelm, a Roman Catholic theologian of Germany, was born in 1801 at Dolberg. He stu<lied at Minister and in the Collegium Germani- cum at Rome, where he received holy orders in 1828, and where he was promoted as doctor of theology. In 1829 he was called to the Church at Siinninghausen, and in 1833 to Diestedde. In 1851 lie was called to Cologhe as regent of the clerical seminary, which posi- tion he occupied until 18()8, when he retired on account of feeble health. He died May 6, 1871, in the Alexian Monastery at Neuss. He is the editor of the ascetical writingsofAvancinus, Augustine, Bellecius, Gregory the Great, etc. He also published new editions of Ballerini's
writings on the position of the popes to the general councils, on the primacy of the popes, and their infulli- hiUtas in drjiniendis contrurersiifjidei. (B. P.)
Westlake, Biirro'ws, a Methodist Episcopal minister, of whose birth and early history nothing def- inite can be learned, joined the Ohio Conference hi 1814. The last nine years of his life and labors were in connection with tiie Indiana Conference, He died of epidemic erysipelas, April 17, 1845. Mr. Westlake possessed a strong, well-stored mind, and a tender, de- vout heart. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1845, p. 658.
Westlake, Charles, an English Wesleyan min- ister, was born at Launceston, Cornwall. He was con- verted under the ministry of Henry Cheveston, entered the sacred work in 1831, and died suddenly of apoplexy, Nov. 18, 1858, aged fifty-three years. See Minutes uf the Conference, 1859,
Westley. See Wesley.
Westley, James R., an English Wesleyan mission- ary, was converted under a sermon preached at Kings- land Road, London, by HoUoway. He was received by the Conference in 1846, and died at Kingston, Jamaica, Nov. 29, 1847, aged thirty years. He was diligent, stu- dious, and unremitting in his pastoral duties. See Min- utes of the Conference, 1848.
Westminster Abbey, the venerable pile around which the city itself (now included in London) origi- nally sprang. (The following account is taken from the Globe Enci/clopadia, s.y.) The foundation of the first Abbey on a spot formerly surrounded by the waters of the Thames and called Tiiorney Island is involved in mystery, but here was certainly one of the earliest Christian churches in England. Sebert, king of the East Saxons, who died in 616, is believed to have com- pleted a sacred edifice dedicated to Peter, which was destroyed by the Danes. Edward the Confessor in its place built a structure of great splendor for his time, and endowed it with a charter of ample powers and privileges. Henry III pulled down a portion and en- larged the plan of this ancient Abbey, adding a chapel dedicated to the Virgin, aiul the incomparable Chapter- house, Henry Yll built the magnificent chapel to the east of the Abbey which bears his name. After his reign the building fell into decay until renovated by Sir Christopher Wren, who designed the upper part of the two western towers. The restoration of the Chapter-house was undertaken by Sir (iilbert Scott in 1863. The Abbey is in the form of a Latin cross, its exterior length being 416 feet, or, including Henry VIl's Chapel, 530 feet. Its interior length is 375 feet, and its greatest interior breadth 200 feet. The breadth of the nave and aisles is 75 feet, and their interior height, to which the Abbey owes much of its stately appearance, is 101 feet. The best view of the Abbey is from the west door between the towers. In the interior is a noble range of pillars terminating towards the east by a sort of semicircle enclosing the Chapel of Edward the Confessor. The fabric is lighted by a range of windows supported by galleries of double columns on the arches of the pillars, by an upper and under range of windows, and four capital windows, the whole of the lights being admirably arranged. Twenty-two windows are enriched with stained glass. The new choir, 155 feet by 35 feet, was executed in 1848. The fifty-two stalls exhibit a great variety of carving and tracery. The reredos, completed under the direction of Sir Gilbert Scott, is an elaborate and splendid work. The names of the various chapels, beginning from the south cross and passing round to the north cross, are in order as fol- lows: (1) St. Benedict's; (2) St. Edmund's; (3) St. Nicholas's; (4) Henry VH's; (5) St. Paul's; (6) St, Ed- ward the Confessor's; (7) St. John's; (8) Islip's Chapel, dedicated to John the Baptist ; (9) St. John, St. :Michael, and St. Andrew's. The Chapel of Henry VII is adorned