▁ 1 7 7 4 , ▁B . D . ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁and ▁D . D . ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁college ▁rect ory ▁of ▁St anton ▁St . ▁John , ▁Oxford shire . ▁His ▁first ▁publication ▁was ▁a ▁ser mon ▁pre ached ▁before ▁the ▁university ▁of ▁Oxford , ▁entitled ▁The ▁Res urre ction ▁of ▁the ▁Body ▁dedu ced ▁from ▁the ▁Res urre ction ▁of ▁Christ , ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁( 2 nd ▁edit . ▁ 1 7 7 9 ). ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 8 ▁he ▁published ▁an ▁im itation ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Gray , ▁called ▁Alfred , ▁an ▁O de . ▁With ▁six ▁Son net s . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 2 ▁he ▁was ▁chosen ▁B am pton ▁lect urer , ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁published ▁his ▁eight ▁lect ures ▁On ▁the ▁Prop he cies ▁and ▁Test im ony ▁of ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist , ▁and ▁the ▁parallel ▁Prop he cies ▁of ▁Jesus ▁Christ . ▁He ▁succeeded ▁John ▁Rand olph ▁as ▁Oxford ▁Professor ▁of ▁Po etry ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 , ▁and ▁composed ▁An ▁O de ▁for ▁the ▁En co enia ▁held ▁at ▁Oxford ▁July ▁ 1 7 0 3 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 8 ▁he ▁issued ▁' F our ▁T ract s : ▁on ▁the ▁Princi ples ▁of ▁Religion ▁as ▁a ▁Test ▁of ▁Div ine ▁Author ity ; ▁on ▁the ▁Princi ples ▁of ▁Red em ption ; ▁on