HOADLY, Benjamin, successively bishop of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury, and Winchester, was born in the year 1676. His first preferment in the church was to the rectory of St Peter-le-Poor, and the lectureship of St Mildred’s in the Poultry. In the year 1706 he published some remarks on Bishop Atterbury’s sermon at the funeral of Mr Bennet, in which Dr Atterbury had, in the opinion of Mr Hoadly, laid down some dangerous propositions. Two years afterwards Mr Hoadly again entered the lists against this formidable antagonist; and in his exceptions against a sermon published by Dr Atterbury, entitled The Power of Charity to cover Sin, he attacked the doctor with his usual strength of reasoning and dispassionate inquiry. In 1709 another dispute arose between these two learned combatants concerning the doctrine of non-resistance, occasioned by a performance of Mr Hoadly’s, entitled the Measures of Obedience; some positions in which Dr Atterbury endeavoured to confute in an elegant Latin sermon which he preached that year before the London clergy. In this debate Mr Hoadly signalised himself in so eminent a degree, that the House of Commons conferred on him a particular mark of respect, by representing, in an address to the queen, the signal services he had done to the cause of civil and religious liberty. The principles which he espoused, however, being repugnant to the general temper of those times, drew on him the virulence of a party; yet it was at this period, 1710, when, as he himself expressed it, fury seemed to be let loose upon him, that Mrs Howland presented him to the rectory of Streatham in Surrey, unasked, unapplied to, and without his ever having seen his benefactress. Soon after the accession of King George I. Mr Hoadly was consecrated to the see of Bangor; and, in 1717, having broached some opinions concerning the nature of Christ’s kingdom, he again became the object of popular clamour. At this juncture he was distinguished by a particular mark of the royal regard, inasmuch as the convocation was successively prorogued, nor was it permitted to sit, or to do any business, until that resentment had entirely subsided. In 1721 he was translated to Hereford; and from thence, in 1723, to Salisbury. In 1734 he was, on the demise of Dr Willis, translated to Winchester, and published his Plain Account of the Sacrament; a performance which served as a butt for his adversaries to shoot their arrows at, yet impartiality must own it to be clear, rational, and manly, written with candour and judgment, and suited to the capacity of every serious and considerate inquirer after truth. His latter days were embittered by an instance of fraud and ingratitude. The bishop took under his protection a French priest, who pretended to abjure his religion, and who had no other recommendation than that of his necessities. In return for this act of humanity, the priest found an opportunity of getting the bishop’s name written by his own hand, and, causing a note of some thousand pounds to be placed before it, offered it in payment. But the bishop denying it to be his, it was brought before a court of justice, and was there found to be a gross imposition. The ungrateful villain had now recourse to a pamphlet, in which he charged the bishop with being a drunkard; and alleged that he had received the note from him when he was in liquor. To this calumny the bishop made a full and nervous answer, in which he exposed the man’s falsehood, and solemnly averred that he was never drunk in his whole life. The world with becoming ardour embraced his defence, and he had the happiness to find himself perfectly acquitted even of any suspicion of such a charge. As a writer, he possessed uncommon abilities. But his style was defective and cumbrous, owing to the extreme length of his periods. His sermons, published in 1754 and 1755, are esteemed inferior to few writings in the English language, for plainness and perspicuity, energy and strength of reasoning, and a free and masterly manner. In private life he was naturally facetious, easy, and complying; and, though fond of company, accustomed frequently to retire for the purposes of study or devotion. He was everywhere happy, [7:11:500]and particularly in his own family, where he took all opportunities of instructing by his influence and example. Bishop Hoadly died in 1761, aged eighty-three. Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote, 1. Terms of Acceptance, 8vo; 2. Reasonableness of Conformity; and 3. On the Sacrament. His tracts and pamphlets are extremely numerous. A complete edition of his works, in three volumes folio, was published by his son Dr John Hoadly, in 1773, with a short life of the author prefixed. The appendix to this edition contains some portion of his correspondence with Lady Sundon, formerly Mrs Clayton, bed-chamber woman to Queen Anne, and a person to whom he appears to have been chiefly indebted for his influence at court.

Hoadly, Senjamin, son of the former, was born in 1706, and studied at Bennet College, Cambridge, under the tuition of Dr Herring, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. He took his degree in physic; and having, when young, applied himself to mathematical and philosophical studies, he was admitted a member of the Royal Society. He was made registrar of Hereford whilst his father filled that see, appointed physician to his majesty’s household, and died at his house in Chelsea in 1757. He wrote, 1. Three letters on the Organs of Respiration, 4to; 2. The Suspicious Husband, a comedy; 3. Observations on a series of Electrical Experiments; 4. Oratio Anniversaria, in Theatro Col. Med. Londin. ex Harvei instituto habita 1742.