A learned and eloquent prelate of the Church of England; born in London, 1733; died at Brighton, Oct. 4, 1806. His father was a minister, and personally supervised his education till he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated LL.B. in 1758. His first charge in the ministry was Newington in Surrey. In 1767 he was elected to the Royal Society, and was secretary of that body from 1773 to 1784, when he resigned his membership, on account of difficulties with the president. He was an able classical scholar and mathematician, published works in both departments, and edited “Works of Sir Isaac Newton,” in 5 vols., 1779–85. His ministerial career was a brilliant one. After filling other positions, he was appointed in 1781 archdeacon of St. Alban’s. Whilst holding his position, he entered (1783) upon his famous controversy with Dr. Priestley. His “Letters” on this subject are full of learning and keen argument. In clear and solid reasoning he was more than a match for his opponent; and Gibbon describes his achievements by saying that “his spear pierced the Socinian’s shield.” The dispute was carried on with great heat, and not a little acrimony on both sides. For his services in stopping the tide of Socinianism, he was rewarded by Thurlow with a prebend’s stall in Gloucester, and with the see of St. David’s, in 1788. In Parliament, Bishop Horsley was an energetic supporter of Mr. Pitt. In 1793 he was translated to the see of Rochester, and rewarded with the deanery of Westminster for the famous sermon preached there on the anniversary of the execution of Charles I., and a few days after Louis XVI. was guillotined. In 1802 he was transferred to the see of St. Asaph. Bishop Horsley was a man of overbearing temper, but a keen reasoner, sound scholar, and eloquent orator. His sermons are among the very best specimens of English pulpit eloquence. Among his works not already referred to may be mentioned a “Commentary on Hosea” (1801, 2d ed. 1804), the posthumous work on the “Psalms translated from the Hebrew,” etc. (1815, 2 vols. 4th ed., 1845), “Biblical Criticism of Fourteen Historical Books of the Old Testament,” etc. (1820, 4 vols. 2d ed. 1844, 2 vols.), a collected edition of Horsley’s “Theological Works” (London, 1830, 9 vols.), and his “Sermons,” complete in 1 vol. (London, 1839).

Personal

  No man of the age, perhaps, possessed more of what is generally understood by the term of recondite learning, or was more profoundly versed in classical chronology. He was extremely eloquent, and his voice was deep and full-toned; his enunciation also was distinct, and his delivery in all respects commanding and highly impressive. His manner was rather dictatorial, but he was, nevertheless, an argumentative speaker, equally clear and strong. His mind grasped all the learning of the ancient and modern world, and his heart was as warm and generous towards all whom he had the ability to serve, as his head was capable of advocating their cause. His charity to the distressed was even more than prudent; he often wanted himself when he gave away; and in money affairs no one was more careless than the bishop, and no one so easily imposed upon. Though he was irascible, passionate, and easily moved to anger, yet he had a very large amount of human kindness; he was a devoted father and husband, and always bent both his mind and body to partake of the amusements of children, of whom he was particularly fond.

  Horsley is described as somewhat irritable in temperament and dictatorial in manner; apart from polemics he was notably generous, and so charitable as to be easily imposed upon. His intellectual force was great, and his learning admirably digested. As a speaker and preacher his deep-toned and flexible voice gave dire effect to his strong argumentative powers.

Sermons

  His sermons are fine specimens of commanding eloquence, and contain many deep and original views of Scripture facts and prophecies.

  In the evening I read two of Bishop Horsley’s sermons upon the Forty-fifth Psalm. There are four, but I had already read the two previous ones. They have a very high reputation in this country, and are undoubtedly discourses of great learning and ingenuity. But they are dogmatical and bigoted; and their object is to inculcate doctrines so odious that I could not believe them if I would. Here are four sermons to explain one psalm, and, if the Bishop’s exposition is correct, the psalm has been waiting three thousand years to be made at last intelligible by him.

  Confining our view to Horsley in his literary character, I must say that he is far beyond the reach of Dr. Parr’s hostility. As a polematic and a champion of his own Church, he was above the competition of any contemporary divine. As a theologian, he reconciled the nearly contradictory merits of novelty and originality with well-meditated orthodoxy; and I may venture to assert that his “Sermons” produced a greater impression than any English book of pure divinity for the last century. In saying this, I do not speak of the sale; what that might be I know not; I speak of the strength of the impression diffused through the upper circles, as apparent in the reverential terms which, after the appearance of that work, universally marked the sense of cultivated men in speaking of Bishop Horsley—even of those who had previously viewed him with some dislike in his character of controversialist.

  Lord Chancellor Thurlow, being detained by a thunderstorm at a country inn, and asking the hostess whether she had any books in the house, is said to have tossed aside the Bible she brought him, and to have sworn at Horsley’s “Sermons,”—which last, however, to cure idleness by short distraction, his lordship began to read, and was so enthralled by the unknown divine that he read on, long after the rain was over, and carried it with him to the carriage steps—whence he threw the book back to the hostess, wishing he might be—something unpleasant—if he didn’t make that fellow a bishop; and he was as good as his word.

General

  It is most sincerely regretted by me, that the dispositions of Bishop Horsley should have been warped either by pride, ambition, or selfishness, to such an excessive obliquity as displays itself throughout his writings. The native vigour of his faculties, his various knowledge, his elegant and nervous style, and his ingenuity of invention might have been happily employed to the advancement of science, and to the confirmation and recommendation of the Christianity of the Scriptures.

  It is not a little extraordinary that Bishop Horsley, the apologist of tyranny, the patron of passive obedience, should affect to admire the British constitution, whose freedom was attained by a palpable violation of the principles for which he contends…. Whatever bears the semblance of “reasoning,” in Bishop Horsley’s discourse, will be found, I trust, to have received a satisfactory answer; but to animadvert with a becoming severity on the temper it displays, is a less easy task. To render him the justice he deserves in that respect would demand all the fierceness of his character…. It is time to turn from this disgusting picture of sanctimonious hypocrisy and priestly insolence, to address a word to the reader on the following pamphlet. The political sentiments of Dr. Horsley are in truth of too little consequence in themselves to engage a moment’s curiosity, and deserve attention only as they indicate the spirit of the times.

  In my opinion, the controversy so ably maintained by this learned Prelate against the Heresiarch Priestley, is his peculiar praise. Bishop Horsley reminds me of the celebrated Divine, Charles Leslie. He has often the same strength, the same acuteness, and sometimes the same coarseness of manner. But the argument is cogent, and the arms are irresistible. In theological controversy, Charles Leslie and Bishop Horsley always appear to me, “Æacidæ similes, Vulcaniaque arma capessunt.”

  Much original, deep, devout, and evangelical matter, with much that is bold, hazardous, speculative, and rash. Bishop Horsley’s powers of mind were of a high order; and his sermons and his other works will render assistance to the student chiefly in the way of criticism. He had the integrity and candour to speak decidedly against the ignorance of many who opposed what they called Calvinistic views.

  Horsley was a man of a masculine mind, great learning, and quick intelligence. He was also master of a clear style and much power of logical argumentation. His attack upon Priestley was a very damaging one.

  Horsley had an arrogance and dogmatism even fiercer than Warburton’s, without anything like Warburton’s genius for style. His sermons procured him respect from many that disapproved of his violence as a polemic; they are distinguished by breadth of view and clear racy expression.

  As a critic and scholar, he had few equals; and his disquisitions on the prophets Isaiah and Hosea, his translation of the Psalms, and his “Biblical Criticisms” (in four volumes), justly entitled him to the honour of the mitre. His “Sermons,” in three volumes, are about the best in the language: clear, nervous, and profound, he entered undauntedly upon the most difficult subjects, and dispelled, by research and argument, the doubt that hung over several passages of Scripture.

  In Horsley we may find an example of what religious writing became in the latter part of the century, earnest and conscientious, rich in scholarship and robust in thought, but moving rather with judicial formality and dignified reverence than by any instinct of enthusiastic piety.

  As a master of English prose Samuel Horsley had few equals in his own day. The reputation he gained among his contemporaries and their immediate successors was quite out of proportion to the bulk of his writings, but not at all out of proportion to their merits. He was in fact regarded in the early part of the nineteenth century as, in point of abilities and attainments, far above all other writers and speakers on the side of the Church. Men of the most widely differing sentiments agree in this…. He writes in a remarkably pure, luminous, and dignified style; his matter is weighty, his argumentative power convincing, his learning profound, and his satire, though always kept within the bounds of decency and courtesy, most cutting. There is a robustness and manliness about his tone of mind which is reflected in his style; he takes a lofty line, which some might think supercilious, but it is certainly justified by his merits; it is that of a judge summing up, not that of an advocate pleading his cause. His sentiments are always those of the marked high churchman, and in many points he anticipates the men of the Oxford movement. His sermons are the finest specimens of pulpit eloquence which the age produced, and they are still unrivalled in their way.