Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 15.djvu/187

 the writings of Baxter; and in 1686 some dissertations added to those of his deceased friend, Bishop Pearson, on the succession of the bishops of Rome; and in 1689, again at the instigation of Dr. Fell, ‘Dissertations on Irenæus,’ which, however, was only a fragment of what he intended. In the interval between the suspension and the deprivation of the nonjuring bishops, Dodwell put forth ‘A Cautionary Discourse of Schism, with a particular Regard to the Case of the Bishops who are Suspended for refusing to take the New Oath,’ the title of which work tells its own tale. Of course Dodwell's ‘caution’ in his ‘Cautionary Discourse’ was not heeded; the bishops were deprived, and Dodwell presently put forth a ‘Vindication of the Deprived Bishops.’ Next followed a tract which was intended as a preface to the last work, but was afterwards published separately, and entitled ‘The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the Independence of the Clergy in Spirituals,’ &c. In 1704 appeared his ‘Parænesis to Foreigners concerning the late English Schism;’ in 1705, ‘A Case in View considered,’ ‘to show that in case the then invalidly deprived fathers should all leave their sees vacant, either by death or resignation, we should not then be obliged to keep up our separation from those bishops who are in the guilt of that unhappy schism.’ In 1710–11 the supposed event occurred, and Dodwell wrote ‘The Case in View, now in Fact,’ urging the nonjurors to return to the national church; and there is little doubt that these two treatises induced many nonjurors (among whom Dodwell was much looked up to and reverenced) to give up their separation. The last treatise was preceded by ‘A farther Prospect of the Case in View,’ in which Dodwell answers some objections to his first work, especially those which related to joining in what were termed ‘immoral prayers.’ For convenience' sake the works of Dodwell which relate to the nonjuring controversy have been placed in order; but he wrote a vast quantity of books bearing upon historical, classical, and theological subjects, the principal of which are: ‘An Invitation to Gentlemen to acquaint themselves with Ancient History’ (1694), being a preface to the ‘Method of History’ by his predecessor in the Camden professorship; ‘Annales Thucydideani,’ to accompany Dr. Hudson's edition of Thucydides, and ‘Annales Xenophontiani,’ to accompany Dr. Edward Wells's edition of Xenophon (1696); ‘Annales Velleiani, Quintiliani, with two appendices on Julius Celsus and Commodianus’ (1698); ‘An Account of the lesser Geographers’ (vol. i. 1698, vol. ii. 1703, vol. iii. 1712, after his death); ‘A Treatise on the Lawfulness of Instrumental Musick in Churches’ (1698), occasioned by a dispute about the setting up of an organ in Tiverton church in 1696; ‘An Apology for Tully's (Cicero's) Philosophical Writings’ (1702); ‘A Discourse against Marriages in different Communions’ (1702), in support of his friend Charles Leslie's views on the subject; also in 1702 a work ‘De Cyclis,’ being an elaborate account of the Greek and Roman cycles; ‘A Discourse concerning the Time of Phalaris’ (1704), a contribution towards the great controversy between Bentley and Boyle on the subject, and also ‘A Discourse concerning the Time of Pythagoras;’ a treatise ‘Against Occasional Communion’ (1705), when the famous ‘occasional conformity’ dispute was raging; ‘Incense no Apostolical Tradition’ (dated 1709, published 1711); ‘An Epistolary Discourse concerning the Soul's Immortality,’ in which he maintains that the soul was made immortal in holy baptism; ‘Notes on an Inscription on Julius Vitalis and that on Menonius Calistus, and on Dr. Woodward's Shield.’ This last was published after Dodwell's death, as were also the letters which passed between him and Bishop Burnet. He also left several other unfinished works.

[Life of Mr. Henry Dodwell, with an Account of his Works, &c., by Francis Brokesby, B.D., 1715; Thomas Hearne's Diaries passim, and Dodwell's Works passim; information from the Rev. H. Dodwell Moore, vicar of Honington, and others connected with the Dodwell family.] 

DODWELL, HENRY, the younger (d. 1784), deist, fourth child and eldest son of Henry Dodwell [q. v.], was born at Shottesbrooke, Berkshire, probably about the beginning of the eighteenth century. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he proceeded B.A. 9 Feb. 1726. Subsequently he studied law. He is said to have been ‘a polite, humane, and benevolent man,’ and to have taken a very active part in the early proceedings of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. But the one circumstance which alone has rescued his name from oblivion was the publication of a very remarkable pamphlet in 1742, entitled ‘Christianity not founded on Argument.’ The work was published anonymously, but Dodwell was well known to be the author. It was professedly written in defence of christianity, and many thought at the time, and some think even still, that it was written in all seriousness. But its tendency obviously is to reduce christianity to an absurdity, and, judging from the internal evidence of the work, the writer appears to have been far too keen-sighted a man not to perceive that this must