1 805:] 
bleto its hating. heen pronounced by fuch an 
édlogift as Mr. Fox, on fuch an occafion, and 
in. faek an affembly, ‘ that no man who va- 
Ined genius, no man who valued learning, no 
man who valued moderation, could. hear his 
options without deterence and refpect !” 
Tt would argue a want of merit in a work 
fuch as Dr. Patey’s, deciding on the quef- 
tions which have moft divided and agitated 
mankind, 17 it had not excited a great body of 
oppolitien. This proof of its merit has not been 
waning; but it has now fiouvifhed twenty 
years m the approbatiogx of the world, a 
féneth of time in which it ha’. out-lived moft 
of the treatifes in whiclrit was attacked, and 
their titles can fcarcely be recollected. Mr. 
Gifborne is the moft Known opponent of Dr. 
Paley, but his reputation is not owing to what. 
he has written againit him. He has: endea- 
voured to fhew that Dr. Paley intended to 
eftablith the principle of ‘his phitofophy in 
entire independence of the chietitian. rules, 
and deduces a frightful train-of confequences 
. from the fuppofition ; though its application 
is exprefsly confined to thofe cafes. in which! 
chritianity has left us without any: rules to 
guide us, and it furely can never be at war 
with that fo which it was formed to yield. 
That this important reftriction, which «is not 
only laid down in the plaineft and moft-deci- 
five terms, but is interwoven througtiout the 
introduétory chapters of the work, - fhould. 
have been overlocked by Mr. Githorne fhews 
a degree of inattention not quite excufeablé 
in a writér who undertook to confute Dr. Pa- 
Jey ; but that the error growing out of the 
over-fight fhould be infffe on i¥ an edition 
publithed ten years after che firtt, 4s an ineXx- 
plicable difficulty in the produ¢hion ofa man 
whofe moraf charaéter is highiy ref{pectable 
and whofe literary reputation is net contemp- 
tible. Me. Gifdorne has alfo endeavoured to 
terrify his readers by an enumeration of thé 
evils which will refult from the general adop- 
tion of the principle; but the principle is, that 
in ofdér to determine which of two actions is 
the mot virtuous, we fhould coimfider which will 
moft contribute to the happinefsofmankindboth 
in its imnrediate and general confequences. 
Whenever therefore Mr. G. has fhewn the 
evils which will réfult from the preference of 
any mode. of conduct, he has gtven reafors 
why it fhouid not be preferred. Dr. Paley’s 
next publication was of the “ Hore Pauline.” 
This is not the mot popular of his works, 
though it perhaps is that which is mot ad- 
mired by his judicious readers for the or gi- 
natity of the defign and tbe vigor of the exe- 
cution, [ft is an expofition and,confideration 
of the evidences of tlie truth of the chriftian 
religion, which may be derived from the 
converfion and miniftry of St. Paul. Not 
Jong after this work had made its appearance 
(in? 1789) Dr. James Yorke, the prefent 
Bifhop of Ely, offered him the matterfhip of 
Jelus Coliegc, Cambridge, of which he has 
the difpofal in right of his fee. Dhis was a 
om 
Account of the Rev. Dr. Paley 
61k 
fingular inflance of honourable and diftnters 
efted patronage. His Jordthip had nevee* 
feen Jr. Paley, he had no knowledge of his 
friends, he was infivenced. folety. and entirely 
by the reputation of his tafents, and by @ 
with to render them ferviceable in a high aga- 
cemical fituation. fis prefermvents in thé’ 
north of England and ‘the engagenvents they 
impoted upon him, induced’ him to décline’ 
the offer after a very long hefitation, which, 
he has been heard to. fay, would’ probably i 
liave terminated’ otherwife,. if he lad not ac— 
cidentally overlooked a {mall field belonging 
to the mafter or Jefus, and he’ expreffed his 
gratitude to the Bihop ima dedivation of the 
«¢ Evidences ‘of Chriftianity.” The “ Evi-< 
dences of Chiiftianity:” was publithed” inv 
1794, This is ofte’ of Dr. Paley’s moft ela-’ 
borate and fuccefsful performances. Con- 
taining a general view of the evidences of 
our religion, it is better adapted to the wants 
of the comnion reader than an argument, 
however mafterly, which is confined to a fin- 
le fubject. It is diftinguified in an eminent 
FN by that happy combination of faga= 
city, force and perfpicuity which appears in 
all his writings. . The publication of the: 
“ Fyidences of Chritianity’” feems to have | 
touzed. thofe who ‘had the difpolal of the 
great preferments of the church, imfto-fome 
notice of Dr. Paley; for excepting Dr. Eds 
ward Law, the-late Bithop of Carlifle, Dr: 
Vernon, the prefent Bithep, who had given 
him a living before if took place, and the 
Bifnop' ot Ely, whofe intentions im his favor 
have been mentioned with their due’ praife, 
no one of the epifcapal hench had hitherto 
fhewn any fenfibility of his merit. The 
Bithop of Lincetn fet an example and offered 
him the fubdeanry of Lincoln, but with 4 
condition that he fliould vacate his ftal! in 
the cathedral of Carlifle, and procure the 
Bifhop the liberty of naming his fucceffor; 
with which Dr. Vernon enabled him to com- 
ply. Soon afterwards the Bithop of Dur- 
ham promifed the prefentation to the valua- 
ble living of Bifhop-Wearmouth, in the conu- 
ty of Durham, if he fhould be allowed to 
prefent to two other livings then held by Dr. 
Paley, and on that occafion Dr. Vernon and 
the Dean and Chapter of Carlifle, who were 
the patrons, very readily transferred their 
rights to his Jordthip. What he owed to the 
Bithops of Lincoin and Durham was the: dif- 
ference between what he received, and what 
they required the power of difpofing of: 
and although that difference was confiderable 
the fact is deferving of mention; becaufe it 
would be. imjuftice to Dr. .E. Law, Dr. 
Yorke, Dr Vernon, and the Dean and Chap- 
ter. of Carhifle, who were the* only difinter- 
efted patrons of Dr. Paley, to allow others ta, 
* The Bifhon of Londen gave him a pre- 
bend of St, Paul’s, which was of very fmall 
value Ni 
partake: 
