BUTLER, JOSEPH, a prelate of the greatest distinc tion in the church of England. was a native of \Vantage in Berkshire. His life, like that of most literary charac ters, affords but few events remarkable either for their singularity or their variety. But on this, as on many other occasions, we have to lament the conduct of sur viving friends, who, with a view to conceal all the more human features of a great maws character, deprisc us of all access to his familiar society, and exhibit him only at a distance in the cold and dignified attitude of a statue. Whether we consider the high elevation, from a low origin, to which he attained in life, the rank, dignity, and learning of his friends, or the mighty and almost unpa ralleled grasp of his own intellectual powers, Bishop Butler was surely a man, whose opinions, sayings, and private habits of life, not excepting even his juvenile history, could bear as minute a recital, as those of any literary character of his or any other time. He was born in 1692, of respectable parents, of the Presbyterian de nomination ; who perceiving, at an early period, the predilection of their son for a life of study, did not fail to encourage, to the utmost of their power, so flattering a disposition. By his respectable industry as a shopkeeper, his father, Mr Thomas Butler, was fortunately enabled to afford Joseph, who was the youngest of eight children, a course of preparatory education at the grammar school of \Vantage, under the Rev. Philip Barton ; whence, with the view of qualifying him for the ministry, he natu rally sent his son to an academy of his own persuasion. This Presbyterian seminary, which had the honour of giving Butler and some other great men to the world, was superintended by Mr Jones, first at Gloucester and after wards at Tewkesbury.
Here our young tudent soon rendered himself con spicuous, by his intabse application to his professional studies, and particularly to the department of metaphy sics. Of this early distinction, a memorable proof I always remain. Dr Clarke's celebrated demonstration of the being and attributes of God, was at this time in the hands of the learned, and of course commanded the deep attention of the kindred mind of young Butler. Though scarcely 20 years of age, and still immersed in the multifarious routine of academical pursuits, he con trived to make himself master of that most abstruse de monstration ; studying, however, not so much the book as the subject, rigidly examining the validity and con sistency of the arguments, and even rejecting some as either obscure or inconclusive. These juvenile doubts
he respectfully transmitted to Dr Clarke in an anonymous letter, dated the 4th November 1713. His candour, sagacity, and depth of thought, did not fail to excite the particular notice of the Doctor, who, no doubt, conceived the letter to be the production of some experienced phi losopher. Encouraged by this attention, he addressed the Doctor several dines upon the same subject, and was likewise honoured with his great antagonist's replies : and the whole correspondence being soon after annexed to the admirable treatise above mentioned, it has been retained in all the subsequent editions. The only person in Butler's secret, on this occasion, was his friend and fellow pupil Mr Seeker, who conducted this philosophi cal affair with all due mystery, by carrying the letters in person to the post ollice at Gloucester, and bringing back Dr Clarke's answers.
It is natural to suppose, that the acquisition of such a promising mind would soon become an object of desire with the leaders of any church ; and the particular friend ship of Dr Clarke, with which, on the disclosure of his name, Butler was immediately honoured, could not NI to inspire his youthful mind with the desire of signalis ing his talents in a more extensive, and therefore a more useful field, than that afforded by a dissenting column Mon. Accordingly we find that about this time the sub ject of non-conformity engaged his particular attention ; and the result of his deliberation was a determined reso Intim to attach himself to the church of England. Against this measure his father protested, with a warmth natural to a man concerned for the principles of his son, and in terested in the honour of his party ; and to strengthen his remonstrances, called in a meeting of the most emi nent Presbyterian divines. All their united endeavours to dissuade him from his purpose were in vain : his re solution was fixed ; and he was soon afterwards suffered to remove to Oxford, where he was admitted a commo ner of Oriel college, on the 17th of March 1714.