The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-16 00:00:00

106 Seingew ' -4 +ll shall only state, therefore, that the changes in contem plation are such as will give general :.:Itistaction, because they will not disappoint any wishes, and are like' y to gra %ify every feeling of the truly British part of the corn triunity. A gentleman jest arrived from Paris, states, that about t month ago as BUONAPARTE was surrounded by his z uards, a pistol was fired at him b y a S p ai:iard, the ball from which struck his breast, and fell upon the ground, from whence it is inferred he wears armour like Cnom "WELL. It was believed that the delinquent would not be brought to trial, in order that the afrair might be made as little pablic as possible. •We learn 'from a source that cannot be questioned, that JOEL Ban Low, the American Minister at Paris, is attempting to negotiate a loan in I iolland for the use of his Government, and it is expected he will succeed. Captain ARTHUR BATT BINCI I AM, who commanded the Little Belt at the time of her engagement with the ,American frigate President, has been promoted to the Yank of POst-Captain within these few days. Li eu tenant SimmoNns, late the Manly, gun-brig, Iris been appointed to the command of die Attack, in consideration of his gallant defence of his former vessel, against two Danish ships, each of far superior force. Letters to the 15th ult. rece ived from Nw York, state, that a Colonel BERNARD, and another Spanish Officer of the revolutionary party, had arrived at Natchitoches, for the purpose of contracting with the American's for nms tets, &c. They had brought intelligence, that the Spa inish troops from Macodaches had made several incursions and had plundered some Spaniards of the opposite party. This Colonel licnNA RD was expected to. remain in A me. ' vita some time, to negotiate for certain articles. These persons state, that even the ell) , of I.lexico had been cap tured by the Republican Giltetal IZ VAN, They also add, that Montrey and Leen, wiih .d 1 the mines, were in pos session of the same party. We must ; however, venture to doubt these important ham, till they are more strongly authenticated. Four A mtriean Officers had, it is said,, the management of the artillery in General RvAter army, and had gained an high reputa;ion. One of them had lately been shot by cane hitt NISCELL ANIE S-. Xr. Betty (formerly calledthe 1 . 0 itng Rosrius), hAvir.g been bonnur ed vt it many very I , ressing AoLertation , front s‘ver,alLadits of the first distinction, to perform a few ehcracttrs at the Theatre, Bath, during his vi-it there, haA act . epted the propoal nia2c to hiir. by the proprietors. — Ile watt. perform the part of Rss,..t yesterday t veriing, in :lie histori cal. play ot the E;Prl of Fssri ; Fues t d-ay next, acts ir. Brirbarots: , ; grazed un Thiw,,by ; uls.d low? g .7Corra? oti Saturdi.y. Th.se are the only characters be engag.:d tr, p, rfbrm. K:: - wan, the Catholic Dekgate, cntiv:eted of a breach of the convention Act, was brought up turtle Ccut t of King's lienr.h, on Thursday last, fine et. m lt, and cii.t hat •,:ed. Jodge on.dt ljytring the serteric of the Court, made sunir f. , rcible r marks upon the coniluct of the Catholic Committee, than which he said the Catho lic cause had not a greu . .er enemy. Letters received or Friday from Mi , nclierter state, that several of the. nu"; respectat . .le• te...:ruf..equters bt en recently threatened with the -oril..4gration of pr- mie•es. The it is had even th alltial.:ty to sent! a circi.lar letter to see( r. 41 hot.ses which they hau ta'arl(e.l ont tur dc.tnirtion. '1 he first house on their list was that ut Messrs.. Haigh, Mars'.laii, and Co. ; and. on SuritLy night Lest, these Gent. men's t emi,,es were set on fire. arid entirely thsttoyed. Every , prs.c..tnior taken to prevent farther mischief; and a strict in quiry is int.kirg to •- tce out the iticen,i..ries. The Recoider of Lon:',on made his roport t.) the Prince Regent, of some ot the convicts tit.,:er sentence of tlesth in Ntwgate, viz.-1 , h'. Cl.a ten, W , 6;:irn Jt:o•kins. 101111 Catherwood, and John Butler, for ert I t ac !, for boo.e..breal: ing,. When Job layton, d tare ordenAd fur execution on Wednesday next. TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER. ebe ui it. No. XLI. FEB. 16 Remote from towng he ran Ma godly race, Nor o'er had cleaned, nor wtsh'd to change, his place GOLDS amt. --.....p.--. REV. J. SPOONER, M. A. TAVIISTOCK CHAPEL, 'mom) COURT, NEAR DRURY-LANE. ' - Parochial retirement is sometimes ill exchanged for clerical notoriety. Many clergymen, whose labours are eminently useful in the more re tired departments of the spiritual vineyard, and who stand high as coun try preachers, would find they acted far from wisely in quitting those situations to which they have been originally called, and ascending the metropolitan pulpit. That wise and goad old adage, same to ipsum, ap. plies both to things and men. Even since the days of 'Whitfield and Wesley, however, it cannot be concealed that there has existed, on the part of preachers, a strong liking for what is distinguished as popularity, and, accordingly, an impatience of that comparative obscurity which so properly and' honourably - characterises the station of the parish priest. Whitfield was continually urging one of the most eminent men in the church, Toptady, to " come out," though the latter never could con ceive himself duly called upon to comply with the solicitations of his friend ; and it will be seen, from the sentiments delivered in A Sh. , rt Accanntaf the Life and Death of the Rea. John Fletcher, that Wee ley thought in the same way respecting this retired and amieble minister. " He," declares the Rev. John Wesley, speaking as to Mr. Fletcher, "was full as much called to sound an alarm through all the nation, as Mr. Widificld himself. Nay, abundantly mere so : seeing he was far better qualified for that important work_ He had a more striking per son, equal good breeding, an equally winning address : together with a richer flow of fancy, and a strouger unOerstanding : a far greater trea sure of learning, both in languages, philosophy, philology, and divinity : t and, above all, (which I can speak with fuller assurance, because I had a thorough knowledge both of one and the other,) a more deep and con stant communion with the Father, and with the son Jesus Christ ! And yet," observes Mr. We,ley," let not any one Imagine that I depreciate t Mr. Whitfield, or undervalue the grace of God, or the extraordinary gifts which his great maker vouchsafed unto him. I believe, that he was highly favoined of God; yea, that he was one of the most eminent ministers that has appeared in England, or, perhaps, in the world, during t the present century,' &c. &c. Without now offering a n y animadver tsion on these contrasted characters of Whitfield and Fletcher,—exeept ing that, in the words of a well-known proverb, it seems like robbing i I Peter to pay Paul, with a vengeance !-1 merely request the reader to. ; bear in mind the present purpose for which the whole quotation is ire traduced; eet.l to observe the practice, still prevalent here, of inviting ministers to overstep those boundaries by which ordinarily their exer• tions arc fenced. 1 1 Imperious as have been esteemed the circumstances which first °ca t., stoned the itinerating of evangelical ministers, it will scarcely be con- Itended that there continues the same necessity for thus propagating the i seeds of religion. Necessity must j ustif y that which necessity had dic litated. There exists not, nevertheless, any necessity for putting, at thi s time, the whole " company of our preachers in motion," in order to furnish the people with their spiritual food. Gospel preachers arc at ; i length stationed in every part of the United Kingdom. 1 The Rev. Mr. SPOONER, coming from the country, has rece ntl y I I entered upon the solemn office of Minister of Tavistock Chapel, Broad -11 court, Dritry-Lane. This chapel had long been falling off, both as to • ; pastor and people, althoti,sll heenerly it was popularly atteieled ; so that to enter upon its duties now, with the laudable view of recalling its still . scattered flock, was an arduous attempt, and one which evidently re ; quircd no common portion of ministerial ability, personal property, per. severance, and zeal. 1 Respecting one of those qualifications which must he pronounced in ; dispensable towards carrying on divine worship at this chapel, personal 1 t ; property, the jilt :sent preacher is not deficient, but, according to my in i ; formation, is happily prepared to meet its expenditure. Actuated by 1 higher and better motives than commonly decide the conduct of those who take to themselves the fame of supporting places of this kind, Mr. Spooner has volunteered both his purse and his mind, report affirms, in the hope of re-establishing religion in the chapel which be has engaged ri-- - I \ 1