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R. THOMAS SECKER, late Archbishop of Canterbury, was born in the Year 1693, at a small Village called Sibthorp, in the Vale of Belvoir, Nottinghamshire. His Father was a Proteftant Diffenter, a pious, virtuous, and fenfible Man, who, having a fmall paternal Fortune, followed no Profeffion. His Mother was the Daughter of Mr. GEORGE BROUGH, of Shelton, in the County of Nottingham, a fubftantial GentlemanFarmer. He received his Education at feveral private Schools and Academies in the Country, being obliged by various Accidents to change his Mafters frequently. Notwithb standing

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fstanding this evident Difadvantage, at the Age of Nineteen he had not only made a confiderable Progress in Greek and Latin, and read the beft and moft difficult Writers in both Languages, but had acquired a Knowledge of French, Hebrew, Chaldee, and Syriac, had learned Geography, Logic, Algebra, Geometry, Conic Sections, and gone through a Course of Lectures on Jewish Antiquities, and other Points, preparatory to the critical Study of the Bible. At the fame Time, in one or other of thofe Seminaries, he had the good Fortune to meet, and to form an Acquaintance, with feveral Perfons of great Abilities. Ainongft the reft, in the Academy of one Mr. JONES, kept firft at Gloucefter, then at Tewkesbury, he laid the Foundation of a strict Friendship with Mr. JOSEPH BUTLER, afterwards Bishop of Durham. At the laft of thofe two Places it was that Mr. BUTLER gave the firft Proof of his great Sagacity and Depth of Thought in the Letters which he then wrote to Dr.. SAMUEL CLARKE; laying before him the Doubts that had arifen in his Mind, concerning the Conclufivenefs of fome Arguments in the DOCTOR'S Demonftration of the Being and Attributes of God. Thefe were written with

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