HORSLEY, SAMUEL (1733-1806), English divine, was born in London on Sept. 15, 1733. Entering Trinity college, Cambridge, he became LL.B. in 1758, and in 1759 succeeded his father as rector of Newington Butts, Surrey. Horsley was elected F.R.S. in 1767; and secretary in 1773, but, in consequence of a dif ference with the president (Sir Joseph Banks) he withdrew in 1784. In 1781 he became archdeacon of St. Albans. Horsley now entered in earnest upon his famous controversy with Joseph Priestley, who, in his History of the Corruptions of Christianity, had included among those corruptions the orthodox doctrine of Christ's divinity. Horsley sought to show that Priestley was "altogether unqualified to throw any light on a question of ecclesi astical antiquity" (Tracts, 1789, p. 85). The controversy was pro longed until 1790 when Priestley published his maturer book on the History of Early Opinion, which Horsley refused to read. In 1788 Lord Thurlow procured Horsley's promotion to the see of St. David's. As a bishop, Horsley was energetic both in his diocese, where he strove to better the position of his clergy, and in parlia ment. On Jan. 3o, 1793, a few days after the death of Louis XVI., he preached before the House of Lords a famous sermon at Westminster Abbey on the dangers of the revolutionary spirit. At his eloquent peroration the whole assembly rose involuntarily from their seats. His support of the government was acknowl edged by his successive translations to Rochester in 1793, and to St. Asaph in 1802. With the bishopric of Rochester he held the deanery of Westminster. He died at Brighton on Oct. 4, 1806.
See H. Horsley Jebb, Life of Bishop Samuel Horsley (19o9).