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flections on the Life and Character of Christ;' and an appendix concerning the use of the words soul and spirit in the Holy Scripture, and the state of the dead there described.

Dr Keene held at this time with the bishopric of Chester the mastership of Peterhouse, in Cambridge. Desiring to leave the university, he procured Dr Law to be elected to succeed him in that station. This took place in 1756, in which year Dr Law resigned his archdeaconry in favour of Mr Eyre, a brother-in-law of Dr Keene. Two years before this-the list of graduates says 1749-he had proceeded to his degree of D.D., in his public exercise for which he defended the doctrine of what is usually called 'the sleep of the soul.' About 1760 he was appointed head-librarian of the university; a situation which, as it procured an easy and quick access to books, was peculiarly agreeable to his taste and habits. Some time after this he was appointed casuistical professor. In 1762 he suffered an irreparable loss by the death of his wife; a loss in itself every way afflicting, and rendered more so by the situation of his family, which then consisted of eleven children, many of

them very young. Some years afterwards he received several preferments, which were rather honourable expressions of regard from his friends than of much advantage to his fortune. By Dr Cornwallis, then bishop of Lichfield, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, who had been his pupil at Christ college, he was appointed to the archdeaconry of Staffordshire, and to a prebend in the church of Lichfield, and by his old acquaintance Dr Green, bishop of Lincoln, he was made a prebendary of that church. But in 1767, by the intervention of the duke of Newcastle-to whose interest, in the memorable contest for the high stewardship of the university, he had adhered in opposition to some temptations-he obtained a stall in the church of Durham. The year after this the duke of Grafton, who had a short time before been elected chancellor of the university, recommended the master of Peterhouse to his majesty for the bishopric of Carlisle. This recommendation was made, not only without solicitation on his part, or that of his friends, but without his knowledge, until the duke's intention in his favour was signified to him by the archbishop.

In or about 1777, our bishop gave to the public a handsome edition, in 3 vols. 4to. of the works of Mr Locke, with a life of the author and a preface. Mr Locke's writings and character he held in the highest esteem, and seems to have drawn from them many of his own principles; he was a disciple of that school. About the same time he published a tract which engaged some attention in the controversy concerning subscription, and new editions of his two principal works, with considerable additions, and some alterations. Besides the works already mentioned, he published, in 1734 or 1735, a very ingenious 'Inquiry into the Ideas of Space, Time,' &c. in which he combats the opinions of Dr Clarke and his adherents on these subjects.

Dr Law held the see of Carlisle almost nineteen years; during which time he only twice omitted spending the summer-months in his diocese at the bishop's residence at Rose Castle,—a situation with which he was much pleased, not only on account of the natural beauty of the place. but because it restored him to the country, in which he had spent the best part of his life. In 1787 he paid this visit in a state of great weakness and exhaustion; and died at Rose about a month after his

arrival there, on August 14th, and in the eighty-fourth year of his age.

The life of Dr Law was a life of incessant reading and thought, almost entirely directed to metaphysical and religious inquiries; but the tenet by which his name and writings are principally distinguished, is, "that Jesus Christ, at his second coming, will, by an act of his power, restore to life and consciousness the dead of the human species; who by their own nature, and without this interposition, would remain in the state of insensibility to which the death brought upon mankind by the sin of Adam had reduced them." He interpreted literally that saying of St Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 21. "As by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." This opinion, Dr Paley says, had no other effect upon his own mind than to increase his reverence for Christianity and for its divine founder. He retained it, as he did his other speculative opinions, without laying an extravagant stress upon its importance, and without pretending to more certainty than the subject allowed of. No man formed his own conclusions with more freedom, or treated those of others with greater candour and equity. He never quarrelled with any person for differing from him, or considered that difference as a sufficient reason for questioning any man's sincerity, or judging meanly of his understanding. He was zealously attached to religious liberty, because he thought that it leads to truth; yet from his heart he loved peace. But he did not perceive any repugnancy in these two things. There was nothing in his elevation to his bishopric which he spoke of with more pleasure, than its being a proof that decent freedom of inquiry was not discouraged. He was a man of great softness of manners, and of the mildest and most tranquil disposition. His voice was never raised above its ordinary pitch. His countenance seemed never to have been ruffled; it preserved the same kind and composed aspect, truly indicating the calmness and benignity of his temper. He had an utter dislike of large and mixed companies. Next to his books, his chief satisfaction was in the serious conversation of a literary companion, or in the company of a few friends. In this sort of society he would open his mind with great unreservedness, and with a peculiar turn and sprightliness of expression. His person was low, but wellformed; his complexion fair and delicate. Except occasional interruptions by the gout, he had for the greatest part of his life enjoyed good - health; and when not confined by that distemper, was full of motion and activity. About nine years before his death, he was greatly enfeebled by a severe attack of the gout, and in a short time after that, lost the use of one of his legs. Notwithstanding his fondness for exercise, he resigned himself to this change, not only without complaint, but without any sensible diminution of his cheerfulness and good humour. His fault was the general fault of retired and studious characters, too great a degree of inaction and facility in his public station. Bishop Law was interred in the cathedral of Carlisle, in which a handsome monument is erected to his memory.1

'Life by Dr Paley, written for Hutchinson's History of Durham.'

Hugh Farmer.

BORN A. D. 1714.-DIED A. D. 1787.

THIS learned dissenting divine was born in the neighbourhood of Shrewsbury, in the year 1714. He early devoted himself to the ministry, and was educated under Dr Owen of Warrington and Dr Doddridge. He undertook the charge of a congregation in London, and for a time maintained considerable reputation as a preacher. In 1761 he published an essay, entitled 'An Enquiry into the Nature and Design of Christ's Temptation in the Wilderness,' the general intention of which is to show that this part of the evangelical history was only a divine vision premonitory of the labours and offices of our Lord in his future ministry. In 1771 he published a 'Dissertation on Miracles, designed to show that they are arguments of a Divine interposition.' In 1775 he published an Essay on the Demoniacs of the New Testament.' His last work appeared in 1783, and was entitled The general prevalence of the worship of human spirits in the ancient Heathen nations asserted and proved.' These publications, particularly the two former, involved their author in considerable controversy. They prove their author to have been an original, and sometimes a profound thinker; but they contain views of scriptural doctrine greatly at variance with generally received opinions.

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Samuel Badcock.

BORN A. D. 1747.-DIED A. D. 1788.

THIS dissenting minister of distinguished learning and ability, was born at South Molton, Devonshire, in the year 1747. His father was a respectable butcher. His friends being dissenters, he was brought up to their profession, and received a grammar education in his native town. Evincing at an early period a predilection for the ministry, and a propensity to study, he was placed in the dissenting academy, then conducted at Ottery-St-Mary, Devon; and subsequently at another academy kept for the education of the dissenting ministry at Taunton. On completing his studies, he was ordained over an Independent congregation at Beer-Regis in Dorsetshire. He continued here about one

year, and removed in 1767 to a larger congregation at Barnstaple. While at Barnstaple he met with some of Dr Priestley's writings, with which at first he was so much fascinated, that he visited the doctor at Calne in Wiltshire, and commenced an intimacy and a correspondence with him. However at first Mr Badcock may have been struck with the apparent learning of Dr Priestley and the boldness of his theories, their true sources did not long remain concealed from his acute and penetrating mind, as will appear in the sequel. After continuing about nine or ten years at Barnstaple, some charges were raised against his character, which he is said to have satisfactorily repelled. However, he quitted the place, and removed to South Molton to take charge of a much smaller

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congregation, in the year 1777. Here his stipend being small and inadequate to his wants, he became a writer in several of the London periodicals, among which were "The London Review,' London Magazine,' General Evening Post,' St James's Chronicle,' and some others. He was also taken notice of and assisted by some distinguished persons in his neighbourhood. In 1780 he became a writer in the Monthly Review." About the same time he took part in the controversy then going on between Dr Priestley, Dr Price, and others, on the materiality of the human soul. Mr Badcock published a small pamphlet, but of great ability, entitled 'A slight sketch of the controversy between Dr Priestley and his opponents.' In 1781 he distinguished himself as the reviewer and opponent of Mr Madan's work, entitled 'Thelyphthora.' The review was considered an eminent display of learning, argumentation, and genius. The same year he wrote a poem under the title of The Hermitage.' In the controversy respecting Chatterton, Mr Badcock also took a distinguished part in the character of reviewer. Upon the publication of Dr Priestley's History of the corruptions of Christianity,' Mr Badcock undertook the review of it in the Monthly. He bent the chief resources of his learning and genius against that part which relates to the opinions concerning Jesus Christ. Mr Badcock's first article appeared in the Monthly Review' for June, 1783. In less than a month Dr Priestley published a 'Reply,' though the conclusion of the article had not yet appeared. The review evidently pained and mortified Dr Priestley to a very high degree, especially as coming from a periodical conducted by some of his friends. He did not, however, know the writer of the article. In the September following appeared the remainder of the review, with an answer to Dr Priestley's defence. It was generally admitted to be a most triumphant refutation of Dr Priestley's opinions, as well as one of the most elaborate specimens of criticism that modern times had furnished.

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In the early part of 1783 Dr White of Wadham college, Oxford, and professor of Arabic, was chosen Bampton lecturer for the ensuing year, and highly appreciating Mr Badcock's talents and learning, he took a journey to South Molton for the purpose of engaging his assistance. He readily engaged in the service, and furnished very considerable, and certainly the most able and eloquent, parts of these distinguished sermons. The secret was kept for some years; but at length, after Mr Badcock's death, it was made public in consequence of a note of hand for £500 being found among his papers, signed by Professor White, and which had been given for an engagement into which Mr Badcock had entered to assist Dr White in a history of Egypt. Dr White being compelled after Mr Badcock's death to pay the whole of that sum, he published a statement of the whole of his literary obligations to Mr Badcock, and also to Dr Parr, who had rendered some little assistance in the Bampton lectures. It appears from Dr White's own statement that Badcock furnished nearly the whole of the first lecture, the best part of the 3d, about a fourth of lecture 5th, almost the whole of the 7th, and nearly half of the 8th, with about onefourth of the notes to the whole volume. Besides these services, Badcock supplied occasionally manuscript sermons to Dr White and some of his friends.

In the year 1786 Mr Badcock quitted the dissenting ministry, and in

His

the following year was ordained by Dr Ross, bishop of Exeter. ordination was distinguished by these remarkable facts;—he was not examined in any branches of learning; he received deacon's orders one Sunday, and priest's orders the following. Upon Mr Badcock's saying that he neither expected nor desired such marks of distinction. The bishop replied, "But, Mr Badcock, I choose to distinguish you." He received a curacy at Broad-Clyst, near Exeter. Shortly after his ordination he was constrained through repeated and violent pains in the head to resign his curacy. He became, however, assistant preacher to Dr Gabriel at the Octagon chapel, Bath. During his residence at Bath he preached and printed a charity sermon which was not published, and also preached an assize sermon that was much admired, and printed after his death. He died at the house of his friend, Sir John Chichester, Bart., in London, on 19th May, 1788, in the 41st year of his age. Besides his publications and writings already mentioned, he was the author of some curious memoirs of the family of Mr John Wesley, and some fugitive pieces. He commenced a history of his native county, some of the materials of which are said-by a writer in The Gentleman's Magazine'-to have fallen into the hands of Sir Lawrence Palk. We suspect that the materials here alluded to consisted of the history of the dissenters, and their congregations in that county. The whole of which, or nearly so, has, we believe, been latterly published in The Congregational Magazine,' under the head of 'Dissenting Statistics for Devonshire." Mr Badcock was one of the most distinguished literary men of his day. His judgment was singularly acute and comprehensive; his learning profound and various; his genius fertile and lively, but regulated by a most exquisite taste. As a writer his style was both powerful and popular; singularly finished, yet perfectly easy and graceful. It is to be deeply regretted that the printed remains of such a man should consist almost entirely of fragments, patches of other men's sermons, and critiques.

Bishop Shipley.

BORN A. D. 1714.-DIED A.D. 1788.

JONATHAN SHIPLEY was born in 1714, and after having received a liberal education, was sent to Christ church, Oxford, where he graduated about the year 1735, and proceeded to the degree of M. A. in 1738. While at the university, he wrote a monody on the death of Queen Caroline, which was considered of very superior merit. He became a prebendary of Winchester in 1743, and two years afterwards, chaplain to the duke of Cumberland, whom he accompanied to the continent. On his return to England in 1748, he took the degrees of B. D. and D. D., and obtained successively a canonry of Christ church, Oxford, the deanery of Winchester, the livings of Silchester and Chinbolton, and the bishopric of St Asaph. This last preferment took place in 1769, on the death of Bishop Newcombe. He died on the 9th of December, 1788, leaving a son—the celebrated Dean Shipley-and

'See Congregational Magazine for 1825.

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