congregational form of church gov. amply detailed by Dr. Chandler,
ernment. In the prosecution of and include many traits, which
his studies, he very soon began to must afford interest and amuse.
doubt the validity of presbyterian ment to the lovers of ecclesiastical
ordination, avowed his perfect con- history.
version to episcopacy, and declar- In the month of February, 1729,
ed that he could find no way of re- Dr. Berkeley, then dean of Derry
conciling his conscience, while he in Ireland, arrived in America, and
neglected the practices of the an- , resided two years and an half in
cient church. He accordingly Rhode-Island. “ As his coming
took an affectionate farewel of his to America, (says Dr. Chandler)
people at West-Haven, and pro- had an important effect upon the
ceeded to Boston, in company with religion and learning of the coun-
Messrs. Cutler and Brown, the try; and as Dr. Johnson always
former president, and the latter considered the period in which
tutor, of New-Haven college ; both bishop Berkeley resided in this
of whom had also been converted to country as one of the most ter-
episcopacy,proposing to embark foresting periods of his life, it may
England to obtain holy orders in not be amiss to give a more par-
the church, where they arrived on ticular account of that extraordin-
the 15th of December, 1722 ; ary person, and of the business
whence they immediately proceed that brought him hither, than has
ed to London, and were politely probably been laid before the As
received by Dr. Robinson, the merican reader in one view."
bishop of London, and the society

On comparing the sketch of the for propagating the gospel. Mr. life of Bishop Berkeley in the work Cutler was ordained to take charge before us, with the life m Dr. Aiof the new church in Boston, and kin's general biography, we find it Mr. Johnson to take care of the

to be generally correct, though the church at Stratford in Connecticut. latter is more full and satisfactory ; The former also received from but wherever we are made acthe colleges of Oxford and Cam- quainted with the life of this celbridge the honours of a degree of ebrated gentleman and scholar, we Dr. in divinity, and Mr. Johnson

are most profoundly impressed of master of arts. Having taken with the highest admiration of the leave of their friends, they em- disinterestedness of his character, barked for America in July, 1723, of his learning, his christian charand Mr. Johnson arrived at Strat- ity,his discernment, and patriotism. ford to take charge of his little At the period of Mr. Johnson's flock, consisting of about twenty conversion to episcopacy, the families, by whom he was joyfully church of England had scarcely received.

any existence in Connecticut. There Mr. Johnson's conversion to the were thirty families at Stratford, episcopal church; the particular chiefly from England, under the books which be read, which assist

care of Mr. Pigot, the mtimate ed to promote that conversion ; friend of Dr. Johnson, and who no the commotion that in consequence doubt was very instrumental in was excited in the colony of Con- producing his conversion. Mr. necticut ; the conference with the Johnson, while minister at Strattrustees of the college, and Gov- ford, frequently made excursions ernour Saltonstall, &c. &c. are all into the neighboring towns, and

preached with peculiar success ; excited in the province and legísa the episcopal church making very lature of New-York; the vigorous visible progress in Connecticut ; exertions made by Mr. Johnson to and in the year 1736, upon inqui- promote the interests of the semry, there were found to be no less inary ; the benefactions it receivthan seven hundred families in the ed, &c. &c. we refer our readers to colony. Great acquisitions were the work itself. afterwards made to the church by In 1763 Dr. Johnson resigned the wild enthusiasm introduced by the office of president, and went to Mr. Whitfield, and propagated by his peaceful retreat at Stratford, his followers. Mr. Johnson pub- where he passed the remainder lished tracts, in defence of the of his days ; not however in inchurch, which involved him in glorious ease. He resumed the much controversy,particularly with charge of his old mission, and was Mr. Dickenson of Elizabethtown, again kindly received by the peoin New-Jersey, and Mr. Foxcroft ple of Stratford in character of of Boston. These controversies their minister, in 1764, upwards reach down to 1736, and are de- of forty years after he had first entailed at much length by Dr. tered into this relation with them. Chandler. These publications He entered into the controversy were much approved of in Eng- between the Rev. Mr. Apthorp and land, and obtained for Mr. John- Dr. Mayhew, on the subject of an son, in 1743, from the university of American episcopate, and wrote a 0 Ford a degree of Doctor in die short vindication of the society for vinity.

propagating the gospel. « On the

« Dr. Johnson had two sons, who morning of January 6, 1722, the were educated at Yale college, for most glorious epiphany he ever whom he composed a compendi- beheld, he coriversed with his famum of logick, including metaphys. ily on the subject of his own death, icks, and another of ethicks, for with the greatest cheerfulness and their better instruction in these serenity. He expressed his wishstudies ; which were printed to- es that he might resemble, in the gether, in an octavo volume by manner of his death, his good Dr. Franklin, for the use of the friend the bishop Berkeley, whom college in that city, then about to he had greatly loved, and whose be erected, and of which Mr. exit he had ever esteemed happy. Franklin was one of the most ac- Heaven granted his wish; for soon tive promoters.

after he had uttered these words, In 1754 the trustees of New- like the good bishop, he instanYork college unanimously elected taneously expired in his chair, withDr. Johnson president, who accept- out the least struggle or groan ; ed, but with great reluctance. For so that he may rather be said to the history of the establishment of have been changed or translated, the college, in the city of New- than to have died." Two days afYork, whose charter was granted ter, his remains were interred in in October, 1754 ; the violent op- the chancel of Christ church, Stratposition which arose among the ford, where a handsome monutrustees, respecting what denom- ment has been erected to his memination of christians should pre- ory. dominate in the government and Thus lived, and thus died, a immediate direction of the college ; man, the narrative of whose life the violent clamour in consequence involves much interesting anec,

dote; who was respectable for his
understanding and his learning,
and still more pre-eminent for su-
avity of manners, and the benevo-
lence of his heart. The great Ra-
cine, the father of the French dra-
ma, after having exalted the glory
of his genius to the utmost limits
allotted to humanity, regretted, at
the age of thirty-eight years, that
he had done every thing for the
world, and nothing for his God.
Cesar, at the same age, lamented,
on the tomb of Alexander, that he
had yet done nothing to secure to
himself durable renown. This
passion for human glory conduct-
ed the conqueror of Pompey to ac-
tions which should be disdained by
a noble heart, and it was, on the
contrary, at an advanced age, by
contempt of glory, that the author
of Andromaque elevated Racine a-
bove himself. Very different from
these men was the character of
Dr. Johnson. His whole life was
active, vigilant, and efficient in the
service of his Maker; in magni-
fying the holy office of a clergy-
man; in reclaiming the vicious;
in quickening, to a sense of their
duty, the negligent and careless;
in influencing the ignorant; in
strengthening and confirming the
serious and religious; in visiting
the sick, feeding the hungry, and
cloathing the naked. Private vir-
tues are the more sublime, as they
do not aspire to the approbation of
others, but only to the testimony
of one's own conscience; and the
conscience of a good man is of
more value to himself, than the
praises of the universe.

While the Dean refided at Rhode-Island, he compofed his Alciphron, or Minute Phi lofopher; written by way of dialogue, in the manner of PLATO. The design of it was to vindicate the Chriftian religion, in answer to the various objections and cavils of atheifts, libertines, enthusiasts, scorners, criticks, metaphyficians, fatalists, and fepticks. In the advertisement prefixed to thefe dialogues, the author affirms, thas he was "well affured one of the most no ted writers against Christianity had de clared, he had found out a demonftration against the being of a God." JOHNSON, in one of his vifits to the

Mr.

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