DODDR1DGE, PHILIP, D.D., was born in 1702, of an old dis senting family living in London, where he had the early part of his education. He was then for a time at St. Albans; and it having been early perceived that his turn of mind peculiarly pointed to the profession of a minister, he was entered about 1718 at a dissenting theological academy at Kibworth in Leicestershire, over which Mr. John Jennings presided. In 1722 he commenced his ministry at Kibworth, his late tutor Mr. Jennings removing in that year to Hinckley, where he died in the succeeding year. The death of Mr. Jennings was an important event in the history of Doddridge. Great expectations had been formed among the Dissenters of the success of Mr. Jennings in the education of ministers, and it was thought a point of importance to maintain an academy of that kind in one of the central counties. Mr. Jennings had mentioned his pupil Doddridge as being a person eminently qualified to carry on tho work, and the eyes of the Dissenters were generally directed to him as the person best qualified to do so. However, several years passed, during which Doddridge was leading the life of a non-conformist minister, hia services being divided between the chapel at Kibworth, and one at the neighbouring town of Market Harborough. He was diligent in his ministry both in publio and private, but be found time also for much theological reading, by which means be qualified himself the better for the office which he and his friends had in view.
In 1729 he began his academy, which soon attained a high reputa tion. It was the institution in which moat of the more distinguished ministers of the Old or orthodox Dissenters in the middle of the 18th century were educated. It was first established at Market Har borough, where he at the time resided ; but before the end of the year ho removed to Northampton, having been invited to become the minister of the Dissenting congregation in that town ; and at North ampton he continued both as pastor of the Dissenting congregation, and head of the Dissenting academy, till his death. Having gone to Lisbon on account of ill health, he died there thirteen days after his arrival, October 26, 1751.
Doddridge lived at a time when the zeal of the class of persons to whom he belonged had lost some part of its former fervour. This he
saw with regret, and was very desirous to revive it. This appears to have been a principal object, and one kept steadily in view both in his ministerial labours and his published writings. His printed sermons are remarkable for the earnestness with which ho presses the great importance of a religious life, the evil of spiritual indifference or carelessness, and the indispensable necessity of uniting with the practice of the moral duties the cultivation of the spirit of piety, and a deep and serious regard to the momentoua truths of religion. This appears particularly in a book of his which has been very popular both at home and abroad, entitled The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul,' and it is also very apparent in the practical part of another very excellent publication of his entitled The Family Expositor,' in which is given the whole of the New Testament (tho gospels being in a harmony), with a paraphrase, a aeries of critical notes, and reflections, or, as he calls them, improvements of each section into which the whole is divided. This work has also been often printed, and it marks the extent of his learning, as well as the depth of his piety; the notes abound with critical remarks, gathered out of numerous authors, or suggestions of his own mind, full of that knowledge which fits a man to illustrate those difficult writings. The course of metaphysical, ethical, and theological lectures, through which he conducted the young men who were trained by him for the Christian ministry, was published after his death in 2 vols. 8vo, and supplied for the time an excellent text-book of systematic divinity, as well as a very useful body of references to writers on metaphysics, ethics, and divinity. To Doddridge also the Dissenters owe some of the beat hymns which aro sung by them in their public services.
Two accounts of his life by contemporaries have been published : the first by Job Orton, another divine of a' kindred spirit, who belonged to the same community; the secon' by the Rev. Dr. Kippis, a pupil of Dr. Doddridge, who has introduced it in the 'Biographia Britannica,' of which he was the editor. More recently his Corre spondence' has been published by one of his descendants.