The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-06 00:00:00

634 THE N Cbe lOU'pit. No. XLVIII. What poor Evangelists prescrib'd of old, .And studious priests to their docks unfold, Was, till of late, by pious crowds adinied,— Their tales authentic, as their minds inspir'd ; Now stainu'il, as pain and low, though mystic all, Truth must before the Dagon nonsense fall! MI LBO CANE. Rev. THOMAS CLARE, M. A. VICAR OF ST. BRIDE'S, NEAR FLEET-STREET. Theologians have now their old and their new school, much in the same way as with politicians. The twins strive in the womb,—high-church with low-church,—but strive to no good end. AU is thus change, and strife, and full of change. Evan gelicism is opposed to episcopacy; high church wages war against low-church ; orthodoxy is threatened by unitarianism. Ought things to be in this state ? " The union of Church and State in this country having in timately connected the two subjects of Theology and civil Poli tics," observes one writer, " it is impossible to explain, in a satisfactory way . many subjects of religion and morals, without, at the sante time, adverting to such political questions as have more or less affected the interests of the church." Occurrences but recently confirmed this observation. During the discussions which arose out of the Bill Explanatory of the Toleration Acts, there was discovered enough of that spirit which still agitates our 4 theo-political parties.' Here was not so much a questlofl of truth, strictly christian, as a question of church and state. 1 Religion was even attempted to be made subservient to the de signs of politicians. Patriots were not wanting, who " recom mended" the public " to imitate the conduct of the Dissenters; who, by their union, vigour, and temperate firmness, had se cured their object*." Perhaps this hint was intended to sti mulate the DiKsenters to further exertions; since these had de• dared, exactly two days before, that they could not "but antici pate the speedy approach of that fortunate period when the Legis lature shall expunge from that Statute Book which they now dis grace, all Penalties, Restrictions, and Dis-abilities on ac count of Religion ; and," at the same time, they " earnestly hope that nothing will occur to defeat these expectations, or, by exciting a hostile spirit, ever! to postpone a consummation on every account so devoutly to be wished t." Now these are the theo-puLtical aspirations of which we speak. This spirit is evi dently opposed to that in which, during the years 1787, 1789, and 1790, when the Dissenters applied to the Legislature for a Repeal of die Corporation and 'lest Acts, they, notwithstand ing their dis-appointment, yet forbore, 4 6 since that period, to renew their application ; unwilling uselessly to revive animosi ties, and preferring to wait till time and reason should have overcome prejudice and fear. And much longer might this state of things have lasted," continues the Address, " but for the recent proposal of Lord Sidmouth ; which indeed excited a very great and general alarm, the reasons for which will appear when we advert to the previous situation of the Dissenters, and examine the Provisions of his Bill as offered to the House of Lords." The die, however, seems cast. Negotiation has terminated ; hostilities are declared ; pacification seems unat tainable. Even of mere truce, the hope is little. Persons there still are who cannot, happily for themselves, perceive these things to their extent. Should light force with • Report of Mr. Waithtnan's Speech at Guildhall, afterwards published in the Morning Chronicle, May 30,1811. See the Address of the Deputies appointed for Protecting the Civil Rights of Protestant Dissenters, voted the 28th of May, 1811, William Smith, Esq. M. P. in the Chair ; accompanied by Congratulatory Resolutions on the Rejection of Lord Sid inouth's Bill. . ATIONAL REGISTER• such careleas beings. to see, they just look up, but to relapse into their state of sloth. They nod, mutter something, and sleep. What is all this to them ? Things will last their time, which is • all they want! The reverend THOMAS CLARE, M. A. has now held nearly six years the vicarage of St. Bride's, near Fleet-street. Considering the operative importance of this church, together with the respectability and intelligence of its present Vicar, it is to be regretted that lie should have entered into the preva lent contention between evangelicism and episcopacy. This he, unfortuately, has done. Censures on evangelical schismatics are, indeed, remarkable enough from one who annually throws opens the doors of his church to their most prominent insti tution, and suffers their preachers to plead its cause in his pulpit. Mr. Clare holds the Articles and Liturgy of the Church of Eng.. land in the highest estimation, as being in their study perfectly conducive to salvation, and, perhaps, superior even to preaching; so that it seems surprising be should condemn those, who, com monly with the establishment, esteem them almost in the same way. But are its articles generally preached in the church ? It is one thing to subscribe thirty-nine of them, but quite another affair to teach and preach them. It is one thing to hula fast a form of sound words;' it is not the same thing to hold them as mere form ! Avoiding as he does every circumstance savouring of schism, it will readily be credited that Mr. Clare's sermons are not extemporary. Yet he inculcates his sentiments with zeal. One cannot, moreover, mistake him. He means what he says, and says what he means. If not eloquent, he is vehement; if not conclusive, he is decisive. _ _ Preachers must be suited to their hearers. Unevangelical parishioners require unevangelical instructors. There are some parishes where the leading persons are either doomed to sit under evangelical clergymen against their choice, or else com pelled to relinquish - the parish church ; whilst there are nume rous parishes, on the other hand, whose churches are deserted because the great majority of parish9ners find their pulpits occu pied by ninist:rs who are unsuited to their taste. Neither of these evils should so occur. The churc.l suffers through them— the state suffers through them. What is to be done ? The cure is difficult just now, though most desirable at th:s time. Pastors will be chosen by the people.—Parishes should choose, therefore, their own ministers. Charity would induce the !lore that some benefit must accrue to society from the instructions and exhortations of those esta blished clergymen whose principles and discourses are of the same stamp with those of the gentleman who introduces this article. They keep men reputable in the course of their lives, should they fail to make them religi(lus in their hearts. This is the use of preachers of this guise or sort. Those who like their preaching, should hear them; and may still profit by what they hear. Civilised society is much indebted for its respectability to the admonition so far extended by its clerical instructors. ONESJMUS. Lieutenant Charles Cobb, who was killed on board the Cas tilian gun-brig, in the late gallant action with Buonaparte's flotilla off Boulogne, was the second son of Benjamin Cobb, Esq. of New Romney, Kent. Although our naval annals are replete with instances of heroLm and fortitude, they will not furnish a brighter example of intrepidity and devotedness, than those which marked the fall of Lieut. Cobb. While carried front the deck in the arms of the Surgeon and Purser, he directed his eyes towards his shattered arm, and observing it hanging by a small portion of the flesh only, he exclaimed, with the greatest composure, " never mind, it is only an arm ;" and although in addition to this calamity he had his ribs frac tured, and his lungs contused, he evinced such spirits and cheerfulness, that it was hoped his arm would have been the only loss the service should have had to deplore. When suffer ing under the pain of amputation, it was made known to him that one of the praams had been taken; he exclaimed, with the greatest fervour, " thank God, I hope we shall have more of them ;" but in a few minutes after the amputation was completed, life appeared to be fast ebbing, and in about fifty Minutes ;titer he first fell ) he resigned his spirit without a sigh.