CLARKE, SAMUEL, D.D., a celebrated philo sopher, divine, and mathematician, was a native of Norwich, where he was born Oct. t t, 1675. He was educated at the Free School in that city, and at Caius College, Cambridge. He devoted himself first to philosophy, but subsequently hav ing turned his thoughts to divinity, he studied the scriptures in the original languages, and the early Christian writers. He was ordained by Moore, Bishop of Norwich, and became his chaplain. In 1701 he published A painphmse upon the Gospel of St. Matthew; and in 1702 Paraphrases upon the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke, which were followed by a third volume upon St. John. These were afterwards printed in two vols. Svo, and have since passed through several editions. He intended to have gone on with the rest of the N. T., but was accidentally prevented. The work has been continued by Pyle. Moore gave him the rectory of Drayton near Norwich, and a parish in the city. In 1704 he was appointed Boyle's lecturer, and chose for his subject the Being and Attributes of God.' This discourse being popular he was re-elected the following year, and chose `the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Reli gion,' for his subject. These two works were
afterwards printed together, as A Discourse con cerning the Being and attributes of God, the obli gations of natural religion, and the truth and cer tainty of the Christian Revelation, in opposition to Hobbes, Spinoza, the author of the Oracles of Reason, and other deniers of natural and revealed religion.' His other writings are numerous ; they are chiefly of a theological cast. He enjoyed several pieces of preferment, and it is said that Queen Anne would have made him Archbishop of Canterbury, but Gibson, the Bishop of London, replied, ' Madam, Dr. Clarke is the most learned and eloquent man in your Majesty's dominions, but he is no Christian,' with reference to his views on the Trinity. On Sunday, May to, 1729, as he was going to preach before the Lords Justices at Serjeants' Inn, he was seized with illness, and died the following Saturday. Voltaire has called Clarke moulin a raisonnement.'—S. L.