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Clarke
446
Clarke

notes by the Rev. Mr. Jones of Welwyn. They seem to show that Clarke was generally courtier-like and cautious in his conversation, but that he became playful in the intimacy of a few friends. He remonstrated impressively with his children for killing flies. Thomas Bott (1688-1754) [q. v.], once found him 'swimming on a table', and on the approach of a solemn coxcomb on some such occasion heard him say, 'Boys, be wise, here comes a fool!' Warton, in his 'Essay on Pope,' says that Clarke would amuse himself by jumping over tables and chairs, and he appears to have been fond of cards. He was remarkable for his careful economy of time. He always had a book in his pocket, and is said never to have forgotten anything he had once learned. At Norwich he preached extempore, but afterwards took great pains in the composition of his sermons. Voltaire, who saw him in England in 1726, mentions the impression made by Clarke's reverent mode or uttering the name of God, a habit which he professed to have learned from Newton (Phil, de Newton, ch. i.) In the 'Lettres sur les Anglais' (letter vii.) Voltaire says that Bishop Gibson prevented Clarke's preferment to the see of Canterbury by telling the queen that Clarke was the most learned and honest man in her dominions, but had one defect—he was not a christian. An engraving from a portrait by T. Gibson is given in his works.

His works are as follows:

  1. 'Jacobi Rohaulti Physica; Latine vertit, recensuit et uberioribus jam annotationibus, ex illustrissimi Isaaci Newtoni philosophia maximam partem haustis, amplificavit et ornavit S. Clarke,' 4th edit. 1718 (1st edit, in 1697).
  2. 'Three Practical Essays upon Baptism, Confirmation, and Repentance,' 1699.
  3. 'Reflections on part of a Book called "Amyntor"' (anonymous, afterwards added to the Letter to Dodwell), 1699.
  4. 'Paraphrases on the Four Gospels,' 1701-2.
  5. 'Boyle Lectures in 1704 and 1705; 'these were published in two separate volumes in 1705 and 1706. They were afterwards published together as 'A Discourse concerning the Being and Attributes of God, the Obligations of Natural Religion, and the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Revelation, in answer to Mr. Hobbes, Spinoza, the author of the "Oracles of Reason" [C. Blount], and other deniers of Natural and Revealed Religion.' In the fourth edition (1716) was added the correspondence with Butler, and in the sixth a 'Discourse concerning the Connection of Prophecies,' &c., also published separately (1725), and 'An Answer to a Seventh Letter concerning the Argument à priori. 'A French translation appeared in 1717.
  6. 'Letter to Mr. Dodwell,' 1706.
  7. 'Is. Newtoni Optice; Latine reddidit S. C.' 1706.
  8. 'C. Julii Cæsaris quæ extant, accuratissime cum libris editis et MSS. optimis collata, recognita et correcta,' &c., 1712.
  9. 'The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity,' 1712. Several pamphlets in defence of this against Nelson, Waterland, &c., are included in his works.
  10. 'A Collection of Papers which passed between Dr. Clarke and Mr. Leibnitz,' to which are added a correspondence on free-will with a gentleman of the university of Cambridge [R. Bulkley], and remarks upon [Anthony Collins's] 'Philosophical Enquiry concerning Human Liberty,' 1717. 11. Seventeen Sermons, 1724. 12. Letter to B. Hoadly on Velocity and Force. 13. 'Homeri Ilias Græce et Latine,' 1729.
  11. 'Exposition of the Church Catechism,' 1729 (from his manuscript lectures delivered every Thursday at St. James's Church, edited by his brother, John Clarke, dean of Salisbury, 1729).
  12. Ten volumes of 'Sermons' (also edited by John Clarke, 1730-1); to this is prefixed the life by Hoadly.

A collective edition of Clarke's works in four vols. folio appeared in 1738, with life by Hoadly. Vol. i. contains 114 sermons. Vol. ii. 59 sermons in continuation of the last; 18 sermons published by Clarke himself; and the Boyle Lectures with the Butler correspondence. Vol. iii.; The Paraphrases on the Gospels; three Practical Essays; Exposition of the Catechism; Letter to Dodwell with controversy with Collins; and Reflections on 'Amyntor.' Vol. iv.; Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity, with various pamphlets in defence of it, and the Proceedings in Convocation; Controversy with Leibnitz; and Remarks upon Collins's 'Human Liberty.'

[Whiston's Historical Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Clarke, 3rd edit. 1741, to which is added The Elogium of … Samuel Clarke, by A. A. Sykes (originally in the Present State of the Republic of Letters for July 1729), and Memoirs of the Life and Sentiments of Dr. S. Clarke, by Thomas Emlyn; Disney's Memoirs of Jackson; Life by Hoadly, prefixed to Works, 1738; Biog. Brit.; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. iv. 717; Gent. Mag. March 1783.]

L. S.

CLARKE, SAMUEL, D.D. (1684–1750), theological writer, was born, 16 Dec. 1684, at Chelsea. His father, Benjamin Clarke (1653–1722), was the youngest son of Daniel Clarke (1609–1654), vicar of Kirk Burton, Yorkshire, a brother of Samuel Clarke (1599–1683) [q. v.] His mother was his father's cousin, Elizabeth (1656–1736), daughter of Samuel Clarke (1626–1701) [q. v.] Through reading the works of his great-grandfather, Clarke's mind received deep religious impressions, and he went through a course of preparation