CHUBB, THOMAS, was born in 1679, at East Harnham, a small village neer Salisbury. Ilk. father died when Thomas, the youngest of four children, sae A mere boy. After receiving a little instruction I. reading and writing, Thomas was apprenticed to a leather glove and breeches maker in Salisbury. lie was afterward., as a journeyman, waged In the buidnees of a tallow-chandler in the same city. In both these employments he continued to be more or less concerned until the end of hi. life, notwithstanding which ho contrived to acquire a general knowledge of literature and science, and to become a distin guished writer on subjects of religions and moral controversy. The discussion which arose on the publication, in 1710, of the Arian work of Whitton on ' Primitive Christianity.' induced Chubb to write his 'Supremacy of God the Father consisting of eight arguments from Scripture, Intended to prove the Son to be a subordinate and inferior bane. It was published in 1716, under the immediate superin tendence of IThiston, and by opposite parties was equally extolled and coedesnned. Chubb replied to his Trinitarian opponents in 'The of the Father vindicatteL' In 1730 he published a collec of his occasional tracts In a handsome 4to volume; containing, besides the two work. just mentioned, thirty-three others on faith, mysteries, reason, origin of evil, persecution, liberty, virtue, govern mental authority in religion, &c. Among the eminent individuals who admired the writings of Chubb, and sought to be of service to him, was Sir Joseph Jekyl, master of the rolls (the early patron of Bishop Butler), who appointed him steward, or supervisor, of his house in London ; an office of which the duties would appear to have been as little suited to the character of Chubb as those of a tallow-chandler. Some of the witty adversaries of Chubb made themselves extremely merry with the grotesque appearance of his short and fat figure as he officiated at his patron's sideboard, adorned with a powdered tie-wig and a dremsword. After a year or two he relinquished his steward ship, returned to Salisbury, and to the last "delighted in weighing and selling candles." (Kipple, ' Biog. Brit.') His next publications were
'A Discourse on Reason, as a sufficient guide in matters of Religion; 'On Moral and Positive Duties, showing the higher claim of the former ;' On Sincerity ;" On Future Judgment and Eternal Punish ment ;" Inquiry about Inspiration of the New Testament ;" The Case of Abraham ;" Doctrine of vicarious Suffering and Intercession refuted ;" Time for keeping a Sabbath; and several other tracts upon points of religious dispute. In 1738 appeared his 'True Gospel of Jesus asserted.' Chubb endeavours to show that as Jesus Christ taught Christianity previously to many of the remarkable incidents of his life, and therefore previous to hut death, the gospel was properly the doctrine of moral reformation which he announced as a rule of conduct. In the following year, 1739, Chubb put forth a vindication of this work, and of the discourse annexed to it, against the doctrine of a particular Providence. Several answers to this work were pub lished, by the Rev. Caleb Fleming and others, and replies and rejoinders followed between Chubb and his opponents up to the time of Chubb's decease. In February 1746 Chubb, according to his desire, died suddenly at the age of sixty-eight, as he eat in his chair. Though he left several hundred pounds, his income was to the last eo scanty, that it 1. said he often thankfully accepted from Cheselden, the eminent surgeon, the present of a suit of left-off clothes. His posthumous works, consisting of numerous tracts similar to those already men tioned, were published In 2 vols.. 8vo, 1748; and were answered by Fleming. his indefatigable opponent, in ' True Deism the Basis of Christianity ; or, Observatiops on Chubb's posthumous Works.' Dr. Leland, in his ' View of Deistical Writers,' vol. L, has devoted above 60 pages to remarks upon them. For notices of Chubb, see also Bishop Law s ' Theory of Religion.' With an occasional blunder, arising from ignorance of the Greek and Hebrew languages, the writings of Chubb, in following the metaphysical school of Dr. Clarke, exhibit considerable argumentative skill, and a style remarkable for a temperate and critical propriety, and a pleasing fluency.