It does not appear at what precise time Butler took orders, nor by what bishop he was ordained. One thing seems highly probable, that some deviation from the es tablished rules was tacitly permitted in his case, in con sideration of his previous acquirements ; for it is report ed that very soon after his admission at Oxford, he en tered into the church, and occasionally assisted Mr Ed ward Talbot in the divine service, at his living of Hen dred near \Vantage.
His acquaintance with this gentleman, who was the second son of Dr William Talbot, successively bishop of Oxford, Salisbury and Durham, commenced at the uni versity : it soon ripened into intimate friendship, and, to gether with the active co-operation of Dr Clarke, laid the foundation of all Butler's subsequent preferment. At the recommendation of Mr Talbot and Dr Clarke, he was appointed by Sir Joseph Jekyll, at the age of 26, and four years after his admission at Oxford, to the very ho nourable and conspicuous situation of preacher at the Rolls-chapel. Here he continued three years before he took any degree at the university ; for he went out ba chelor of law on the loth June 1721, this being the ear liest period at which that honour could suitably be con ferred on him.
Mr Butler held the situation of preacher at the Rolls till 1726 ; in the beginning of which year he gave to the world, in one volume octavo, Fifteen Sermons preached at that chapel ; a work which deservedly raised him to the highest consideration as an acute and solid reasoner. Though these discourses are, for the most part, rather scientific disquisitions on morals, than what is generally understood by sermons, and, therefore, exclusively adapt ed to the closet ; their value, to men of reflection, is not the less on that account. They proceed on a systematic theory of morals, partly borrowed from the ancient phi losophers, and partly invented by himself. This theory consists neither in the welfare of society, nor the fitness of things, nor the will of God, as generally understood ; but according to the expression of the ancient schools, in following nature ; that is, in acting in conformity to those views with which nature has furnished us with par ticular powers and faculties. Butler has employed, and with great success, a constant appeal to facts, and the inductive process of reasoning, to the subjects of morals and religion ; and in both, has availed himself of the ana logy of nature. Of the abstruseness of these discourses, the author himself was so sensible as to offer an apology, in a preface to the second edition, revised and improved in 1729 ; presenting at the same time an abridged state ment of the principles laid down in the sermons. It is
much to be lamented, that Butler, like some other great men of powerful intellect, should seem to have under valued the graces of composition. In the style of these sermons, and indeed of all the writings of this cele brated divine, while we admire his profound research, and original train of reasoning; a curtain embarrassment of language impedes our progress, and to the natural abstruseness of the discussion, adds the fatiguing exer cise of frequently retracing our steps to ascertain the scope and direction of the argument. This defect was not unobserved by his friend Seeker, who is said to have kindly (lone all in his power to give more perspi cuity and ease to all the compositions of Butler. But notwithstanding all these blemishes, which arc perhaps somewhat aggravated at present by the hand of time, the sermons are master pieces in their kind, and inust for ever continue to command the attention of the divine and the philosopher.
Whilst Butler was thus occupied at the Rolls, his friends were not inattentive to his preferment ; for having been recommended by NIr Talbot, on his death-bed, to his father the bishop of Durham, he was presented to the benefice of Ilaughten in 1722; nearly four years be fore the publication of his sermons. This living and the Rolls he held together for three years, agreeably divid ing his time between the town and the country : a mode of life peculiarly adapted to the temperament of a man who was at once dependent on the society of his friends, and yet attached to contemplation and retirement. In 1725, his steady friend Seeker, who had acquired a very considerable influence with Bishop Talbot, prevailed on that prelate to remove Butler from llaughton, where ex tensive repairs of buildings had become necessary, For which the incumbent had neither money nor talents. Ile was accordingly presented to the rectory of Stanhope in the same diocese : a living of much superior value, and indeed one of the richest parsonages in England. Having quitted the Rolls in the following year, he resided whol ly at Stanhope ; where, for the space of seven years, he devoted himself to the conscientious discharge of all the duties of a parish priest.