BENSON, George, a learned dissenting minister, was born at Great Salkeld, in Cumberland, in 1699. His mental capacity was so precocious, that at 11 years of age he was able to read the Greek Testament. He afterwards studied at an academy at Whitehaven, whence he removed to the University of Glasgow. In 1721 he was chosen pastor of a congregation of dissenters at Abingdon, in Berkshire, where he continued till 1729, when he became the choice of a congregation in Southwark: and in 1740 he was appointed by the congregation of Crutched Friars colleague to the learned Dr Lardner. His Defence of the Reasonableness of Prayer appeared in 1731, and he afterwards published Paraphrases and Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, adding dissertations on several important subjects, particularly on inspiration. In 1735 he published his History of the First Planting of Christianity, in 2 vols. 4to, a work of great learning and ability. He also wrote the Reasonableness of the Christian Religion, the History of the Life of Jesus Christ, a Paraphrase and Notes on the Seven Catholic Epistles, and several other works, which gained him great reputation as a scholar and theologian. He died in 1763.