The National Register. — London, England, 1813-12-26 00:00:00

Q 6. MEMOIR. OF THE THE NATION. gfrOt Vcargi OF THE LIFE OF W. B. C*L*Y*R D. D . OTHERWISE DISTINGUISHED AS THE ANGELICAL DOCTOR: (Resumed and continued.) With " the lively and enlightened class of hearers," says the Rev.T. Raffles, " the preacher who secures their admi ration instantly becomes their idol. As if irresistibly im pelled to extremes, they lavish on him, the warmest eulogies and adulation, often too palpable to be endured. Forgetting he is a man of like passions with themselves, they heap their honours on his head ; as though be could remain in sensible to the plaudits they bestow, and perfectly superior to the influence of every principle of pride." Considering this state of things, acknowledged by even an evangelicalian, it is not surprising that the subject of this memoir should have so rapidly attained the very summit of his ambition. He at once became the idol of the fair ! Although it cam scarcely be credited, as some formerly reported of him, that " great part of his Monday mornings was occupied in COlA milting to the flames the almost numberless billets which the revolving Sunday brought from smitten and sighing nymphs ;" still it has beeu publicly affirmed, that numbers of ladies did actually wear lockets " with printed likinessev of the Reverend Preacher." If any additional proof were needed r.s to the pieference evinced for him by the sex, it is furn shed in the declwation of a minister whom the stric tures the present writer had induced to hear him.—" That he is loved by the ladies," observed the minister, speAing of the Doctor, "I do not doubt, (I witnes , rd the a handsome person, and an emasculated e.iinineace, pudneed on ilieir susceptible hearts."' Reflecting on teatements of this kind, who brit must con fess that the religion of the metropolis calls aloud for refor mation? Yet the critic sees himself censor ed.for stating the fact . " Not only is Dr. Coe I, YER charged with employing a feminine oratory, an emasculatiwt el' , (l.:ence, and with s?laphic simpering'," remarks the Monthly Iteview, giving an account of the first volione ef The Pulpit; '' hut tl r re ladies of his flock. with whom the Doctor is said to he a favourite, are charged with indecortitn, (me lar,siiishing fitit:-one being accused of dropping a handkerchief into the pulpit, and • others with inserting billets-doux in the Bible." Adinitring such abuses to have taken place, however, thev.we!e cer . tainly just matter for general exposure and critical aninnal- It might seem superfluous to rerapitulAte what his else where ['E'en insisted on tespecting the cloquence of the sub• iect of this sketch. But indeed it effe.s a fruitful theme. hilst a Mini- , ter asserts, that though he might " continue • to please the ladies—win their smiles, and charm Omit hearts," yet, wanting something - mote suht:tanti.d, somethiug more worhy the man and the minister, he w•h never sate snuffs," * Regard tor trig 14, 11-2v , _•reitoless, prompts tu, writt:t t , . tAt.• tlris ocea•lou t) rectify a mistalot into wi.i, II he , )11 ; 63.1;y 1.l! re-pet:tint; the I)..ctor. It lard been rumoured vio.t- a I,:clset, a lady's likeness; %vlieteits, hi , friond , .tty, "Ile had not one in t is 1 0 , sessioa," hitt, on the contrary, li.td worn, • oil particular occasions. ' lout of the pulpit, a medallion, struck i;i cottimatin.); - avian 01 the aboli (ion of the Slave-Tr:l(k, hottring an ex( Oit•pit i:krcesi of his estvetnen and intimate friend Air. IVilberforce." TlsSs explattalion %vas evidently,' given either by the lloctor I.intsc!f, or a most il:t‘liatt7.esst , ciate ; els%. (asks an :1(11111.4st to t!tols,) Irity could /:e, o: s7:e. "kno A' —that the Doctor was not pos•:cssc(l of such a tilarLet as a ivcisket ? fIkgGISTEII. St 9 even stir . uld he " preach till eternity," others contend, oat- withstanding, that there exist those who are " living mo numents of his usefulness;" and. then ask, in turn, how dare the aforesaid minister say that the Netor will never sas'e souls? " Can any blame be•attached to him," continues the Doctor's defender. because the most lovely part of the creation attend his preaching ? Ave they not of the same species? have they not souls? Do they not evince, by see doing, that they prefer sense •to sound ? If he were ex reedia , r uoly, the crowd, rest assured, would le the same." - - However partial young persous of both sex-es mu be, as the latter writer a& ms they are, to young ministers, it by Po means follows that their partiality is justly bestowed; or, its other words, that the preachers whom they admire have evinced "abilities commensurate to their stations." Quite the contrary is sometimes the case. Concerning 44 the most lovely part of the creation" for instance, whatever the Doc tor's defender may determine, we unfortunately see, indreett that their " smiles" a►c to he " won by ignorance, their hearts subdued by vanity," and " their minds pleased wi:h conceit." Perhaps the bearers of our Doctor have not already for-, gotten the manner in which he was ciiiainaily accustothed .6 affect an alteration in the Lord's Prayer ;" and which was denounced to be, with perfect truth, by one who then heard it, " a shameful departure from the sense, and an . evident diminution of tlie beauty of a prayer, which; in alt its pal ts, the people have viewed as sacred, philosophers have adinired as excellent, and christians- have- venerated as vine !" This was readily conceded as " the only • tenable er4itiud" of objection to him; and, although his advocates still described him equal to the task of vindicating the al teration, he has prudently abandoned th's ground. Yet it was at ia , t relinquished with but au ill glace. It was not till after mach hesitation, accompanied with some alterna tion, that this Evangelical Minister' was reduced to pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us." Never could he have justified his mode cf . pravitig•that best of prayers. Candidus, though one of his scitinch friends, shrunk from the task of attempting to de. fend the altetation, which he knew, in shut t, admitted of tua defence. Why the reverend Doctor .deserted his own cause, 'upon an occasion that so Much demanded his notice,—althouh said to have been " equal to the task, if necessary, and if calkd upon by any one worth his answeritor,"—was, ;c -! cording te Canditius, because, '' by taking. notice of pa anonymous writer, he would degrade ininself.'"ine rta der is requested to observe this. Cha , ged with an offence of peculiar aggravation in bim, considering his professiOn, he declines to meet the charge, merely because it is anonv mously preferied against him ; yet, at another time, and ie specting an insinuation as compaiatively weak. the Doctor he , ifates not, although anonymously to enter into an immediate vindication of his conduct. No wooer does he find himself attacked, iu a oewspaper of no celehrity,t - t ex corresponiknee liCre ail,:dc,l to, umk I>iier in The I)ay ' ew,oper, certainly of 'to celebri:v-; am! uriLiivitud t%itl, a ho nitiist4 Nemo,' by his ;laving thrown oilt some Cool. wents on some verses, tinder the title of The JuiTee, whieis appear ul in .the fq:Nancrylici.l Magazine, he:iring the initial an:nature of %V -it. C. Tlioneh the retiitatioa ct Nenio's iniplit,ition contains no, Vtly t ciiiai kaiile, either in ti:ollgist -or style, :‘ et, seeing it is the first instance in whirl' the Doctor has condescended to notice 6i:ch a line ofiattack, it is he: e_snlijoinetl. " TO TIM 1:1)ITOR 01? THE n.ty. has m:t beer tacks. it is the otaXi:o . of Y rnhlie chitraetrr should . frl -, L. 1111 l t 'Jr 1111 r, XO.ll . 111 . 1 * practice to 'intim anonymous o- f a fiiviikl of mine. in political lift., that • viiltt r nwet tray objeutio achlitived, or ~'