BOYLE LECTURES. An annual course of lectures delivered at Saint-Mary-le-Bow Church, London, so called from the founder, the Hon. Robert Boyle (q.v.), who settled an annual sal ary of £50 charged upon his dwelling house in Saint Michael's. Crooked Lane, London, for `some preaching minister,' who shall preach eight sermons in the year for proving the Chris tian religion against atheists, deists. pagans, Jews, and Mohammedans. not descending to any controversies among Christians themselves. Archbishop Tcnison procured a yearly salary i,f £50 to be charged upon a farm at Brill, Bucks. instead of the original charge for the endowment. The office is tenable for three years.
The first series of lectures, Confutation of .1 theism, was preached in 1602 by Richard I3ent ley (q.v.). In 1704 Dr. Samuel Clarke preached the lectures, entitled .1 Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of Cod, in answer to the arguments of Hobbes. Spinoza, and their follow
ers. All the lecture: preached up to 17:3• were collected into a tine folio edition, in 3 cols. (Lon don, 1739) ; since that period, till recently, few of the lectures have been published. but among them may be mentioned F. D. Alaurice, 7'he Re ligions of the World 11811), 4th ed. 181;2) ; C. Merivale, The Conecrsion of the Roman Empire (1864) ; The Conrcrsion of the Northern Na tions (1865) ; E. II. Plumptre. Christ and Chris tendom (180); A. llessey, floral Difliruities Connected with the Bible (3 series, 1871-73) ; II. Wace, Christianity and I/ orillity 187-I, 5th ed. 1882) ; W. C. E. Newbolt, Thr Gospel of Experi cnee: or, thc Witness of Human Life to the 7 ruth of Revelation ( 1895).