FOWLER, CHARLES HENRY: Methodist Episcopal bishop; b. at Burford, Ontario, Canada, Aug. 11, 1837; d. in New York Mar. 20, 1908. He was graduated at Genesee College (now Syracuse University) in 1859, and at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston,Ill., in 1861. He studied law, but never practised. He held various pastorates (in Chicago 1861-72), and from 1872 to 1876 was president of Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. He was editor of the New York Christian Advocate 1876-80 and corresponding secretary of the missionary society of his denomination 1880-84. In 1884 he was elected bishop and for eight years resided on the Pacific Coast, later living in Minneapolis, Minn., Buffalo, N. Y., and New York City. He was a delegate to the General Convention in 1872, 1876, 1880, and 1884, and a fraternal delegate to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1874, as well as the Wesleyan Conference at London in 1898. He made extensive official tours, visiting South America in 1885, and Japan, China, and Korea in 1888, also a tour of the world, visiting the Methodist Episcopal missions in Malaysia and India. He was extremely active in the cause of education, being the founder of the Maclay College of Theology in southern California; the Wesleyan University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Neb., Peking University at Peking, China, and Nanking University in central China. He also founded missions of his denomination in South America and established the first Methodist Episcopal church in St. Petersburg, Russia. He wrote The Fallacies of Colenso Reviewed (Cincinnati, O., 1861); Wines of the Bible (New York, 1878); and Missions and World Movements (1903).

FOWLER, EDWARD: An English clergyman connected with the liberal school in the Church of England and with the "Cambridge Platonists" (q.v.); b. at Westerleigh (8 m. e.n.e. of Bristol), Gloucestershire, 1632; d. at Chelsea Aug. 26, 1714. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (B.A., 1653), and then migrated to Trinity, Cambridge (M.A., 1655). He was for a while Presbyterian chaplain to the Dowager Countess of Kent, and rector of Norhill, Bedfordshire, from 1656. On the passing of the Act of Uniformity, he hesitated for a while, but finally conformed, and, besides two London livings, received a prebend at Gloucester in 1676, and became bishop of that see in 1691. He is related with the Cambridge school by his correspondence with More, especially on ghost stories, from 1678 to 1681, and by his defense of their doctrines, published anonymously as a "Free Discourse" on the Principles and Practice of certain Moderate Divines . . . called Latitudinarians (London, 1670). Its better-known sequel, The Design of Christianity (1671), vigorously attacked by Bunyan, and the Libertas Evangelica (1680), may also be mentioned. Influenced as he was by the Platonic school, he yet does not strictly belong to their ranks. His type of latitude was that characteristic of the Revolution period, when the movement had largely ceased to occupy itself with higher philosophy and had become practical, political, and ambitious.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: A. a Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, ii. 780, 790, 888, London, 1692; E. Calamy, Historical Account of my Own life, pp. 90, 95, 330, 494, ib. 1713; Biographia Britannica, iii. 2012, ib. 1784; J. Tulloch, Rational Theology . . . in 17th Century, ii. 35, 437 eqq., Edinburgh, 1882; DNB, xx. 84-86 (contains list of his works and full reference to sources).