Them the most favorable Impreffions of what He had fo clofely embraced Himfelf; and but little Encouragement to ftrike out Any Light in another way of thinking. The Great Sir Ifaac Newton had indeed then published his Principia. But this Book was but for The Few: both the Manner and Matter of it placing it out of the Reach of the Generality even of Learned Readers; and ftrong Prejudice, in favour of what had been received, working against It. But neither the Difficulty of the Task, nor the Respect He paid to the Director of his Studies; nor the Warmth and Prejudice of All around Him, had any Effect upon his Mind. Not at all fatisfied, therefore, with Hypothefes arbitrarily adapted to Appearances; He fet himself immediately to the Study of what was Real and Subftantial: And in This Study He made fuch uncommon Advances, that He was presently Master of the Chief parts of the Newtonian Philofophy; and, in order to his First Degree, performed a Publick Exercife in the Schools, upon a Question taken from thence, which furprized the Whole Audience, both for the Accuracy of Knowledge, and Clearnefs of Expreffion,

Expreffion, that appeared through the Whole. Such an Example could not but be of great ufe to animate All around Him. But He was not content with the Service He could do to True Philofophy, by his Example only.

He

As foon as He had taken that first Degree, Young as He was, He made an Effort for the Service of the Students, which ought not to be forgotten. The Syftem of Natural Philofophy then generally taught in the University, was That written by Monf. Rohault; entirely founded on the Cartefian Principles; and very ill translated into Latin. justly thought that Philofophical Notions might be expreffed in pure Latin: And if He had gone no farther than This, He would have merited of All Thofe who were to draw their Knowledge out of that Book. But His Aim was much higher than the making a Better Tranflation of it. He refolved to add to It fuch Notes, as might lead the Young Men infenfibly, and by degrees, to Other and Truer Notions than what could be found there. And this certainly, was a More Prudent Method of introducing Truth unknown before,

before, than to attempt to throw afide this Treatise entirely, and write a New one instead of it. The Success answered exceedingly well to His Hopes: And He may justly be stiled a Great Benefactor to the University, in this Attempt. For, by this Means, the True Philofophy has without any Noife prevailed and to this Day, His Tranflation of Rohault is, generally fpeaking, the Standing Text for Lectures; and His Notes the first Direction to Those who are willing to receive the Reality and Truth of Things in the place of Invention and Romance. And thus before He was much above Twenty Years old, He furnished the Students with a Syftem of Knowledge, which has been ever fince, and ftill continues to be, a Publick Benefit to All who have the Happiness of a Liberal and Learned Education in that University.

IMMEDIATELY after this, His Thoughts were turned to Divinity; which he proposed to make the peculiar Study and Profeffion of his Life: For the profecu- . tion of which Defign He foon met with a very favourable Opportunity. Dr. John Moore, then Lord Bishop of

Norwich,

the

the greatest Patron of Learning and of Learned Men, that this Age has produced, had already fixed his Eyes upon Mr. Clarke, as a Young Man, of a Genius much exalted above the Common rank, and promifing Great Things to the World in his riper Years. He refolved to make Him his Chaplain, as foon as He should be Old Enough to take Orders. And when he did fo, at the fame time He received Him into his Familiarity and Friendship, to fuch a remarkable degree, that He lived for near twelve Years in that Station, with All the decent Freedoms of a Brother and an Equal rather than an Inferior. Family counted Themfelves Him, as an Intimate Friend. fhop's Value for Him increafed every day, as his Knowledge of Him increased. There was no Mark of Confidence, as well as Efteem, which that Prelate did not fhew Him, as long as He lived. And at his death, the highest Mark of Confidence He could give Him, was the Leaving all the Concerns of his Family folely in His hands; a Truft, which He executed with the most faithful Exactness,

The whole

happy in

The Bi

and

and to the Entire Satisfaction of Every Perfon concerned. To return,

S

His firft Studies, in order to fit Himfelf for the Office he propofed to undertake, were, The Old Teflament in the Original Hebrew; The New in its Original Greek; and the primitive Chriftian Writers. The First of These He then read with that Exactness of Judgment, which very Few have fhewn after a much longer Application; and which furnished Him with Many Obfervations written at that time with his own hand in the Margen, relating to the Mistakes of the Common Tranflation of it. The New Teftament he read with a true Critical Accuracy: And, with great Care, purfued his Defign farther, through the Writers of the Earliest Ages, in order to dif cover, if poffible, the Genuine Sentiments and Customs of Antiquity; as well as to fupport the Authority and True Interpretation of the Sacred Books. The Refult of all this Application appeared fo early as the Year 1699, in Two Treatifes. The one was defigned for the promoting of the Practice of Religion, under the Title of Three Practical Effays upon Baptifm,

a 2