George Morley

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George Morley (1597-1684), English bishop, was born in London and educated at Westminster and Oxford. In 1640 he was presented to the sinecure living of Hartfield, Sussex, and in the following year he was made canon of Christ Church and exchanged to the rectory of Mildenhall, Wiltshire. He preached before the House of Commons in 1642, but his sermon gave offence, and when in 1647 he took a prominent part in resisting the parliamentary visitation of Oxford University he was deprived of his canonry and living.

Leaving England, he joined the court of Charles II, and became one of the leading clergy at The Hague. Shortly before the Restoration he came to England on a highly successful mission to gain for Charles the support of the Presbyterians. In 1660 he regained his canonry, and soon became dean of Christ Church. In the same year he was consecrated bishop of Worcester. At the Savoy Conference of 1661 he was chief representative of the bishops. He was translated to the see of Winchester in 1662. His works are few and chiefly polemical, e.g. The Bishop of Worcester's to a friend for Vindication of himself from the Calumnies of Mr. Richard Baxter.

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• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.