The National Register. — London, England, 1808-08-28 00:00:00

Nrctivr Is. "7" - , • ;POPULAR. PRILACHIItd. . . • • • • No. • m*:worl o lf FAITS will brat aloft tbe noted, " Andleasq the buys at good works trebled I" Darns,. WILLIAM HUNTINGDON, S. S. AND PASTeIt OF PROVIDENCE-CHAPEL • DOUBTLESS it is a strange transition, from having at tempted to appreciate the merits of one of the most dis tinguished prelates of our national church, to proceed now to investigate the pretensions of one of the sturdiest' preachers of seetarism. The respective feelings of the two charades arC as opposed as their situations are dissentient. While one, honourable as is the sphere of his exertion, conspicuous as is the purity of his conduct, humbly and tremblingly implores the mercy of his Creator ; the other, pernicious as is the tendency of his teaching, and proble matical as may be the complexion of his character, con fidently asserts his superiority in the scale of salvation, and glories in declaring himself above the possibility of spiritual reprobation I—S. S., which, according to his own defini tioe, purports Sinner Saved, announces the degree that he presumes to have attained in the school of christianity. I should not wonder, if the daring audacity of such a man urged him still further; if, with that monstrous immo rality characteristic of the age in which we live, he shortly declared himself (giving to his theological diploma another interpretation) the Saviour of Sinners ! There is no end to the . perversity of the human mind, there are no bounds to the infatuation of the human heart; and 44 He that WU be cheated to the last, - •, " Dtbuions, strong as Hell, shall bind him fast I'. Lord Vanillin . , adverting to Mahoinet, makes some profound observations on those characters who are emu lous of propagating any particular species of belief. He considers such persons as actuated by spiritual ambition ; and labouring to acquire and consolidate a dominion over the minds at men, which (he justly asserts) is infinitely Int rc flattering to the pride of its possessor, than any ex tof power affecting their persons only. Writers and b. ators, philosophers and poets, legislators and politicians, have alike contended for the empire of intellect. It is, therefore, by ne means difficult to conceive that so uni versal an incentive to excellence, so uniform in its opera tion 4, must mingle, however imperceptibly, with the purest passion for publicity. If it be not even the original stimulus to action, it will at least be engendered by success. Few men, indeed, enjoy inteNeetnal domination so con siderably as the leaders of religious sects. Methodism is, is this respect, very closely allied to Popery. Like the priest, the preacher is every thing; he is the arbiter of Tamil es, and the controller of consciences. Secrets are open to his observationi atd actions are determined, or annulled by his fiat. Ile must be more than mortal who is unaffected by such circumstances. How inefficacious are the efforts of external force, compared with this consen taueous subjection o f the mi nd ! These reflections obtrude themselves upon me. when I am considering the origin, the preteuoione, the progress, the rapid success, and ulti mate establishment, of the extraerdinery individual them I have selected as the subject of this to I shall not stray , however, info tbe regions of contem bi?Frapby. With many . events in the life of wicciAn Hipwrinnnow I have, at present. no concern. T he world Wit bisiut confessional; to which be has made known, with . a frankness worthy of Rousseau, his various wickednesses: His admiring followerf have, most devoutly, eiteeitio6 him from all pa,* obliquities and be esteems himself freed, by an 4 isspeeel regliteeense“."' from the efects of any subsequent transgrewions. Ad mirable sinner 1 wonderful saint " Faith can re " move nioantsins ;" mid be bas a " Rank of Faith." There are arecebasactoristic causes, which suite we as THE NATIONAL IttGISTER. hails% essintially Ukustingdoe. His OVLAILITY. I shall ignorance or creduky have conduced to I.: remark from my " furtherance, to " when they have _ . disposed This is an incoutestibk fact. Let the reader apply it. When has the E t froniers of this individual been exceeded I Look at his history. Boasting, as it were, of the imams• reality and impiety of his early life, lie suddenly mamma the garb of holiness, pretends to special providential is terferences on his behalf, and in his minutest and most unworthy concerns ; and, thus working on ignorance and credulity, partly indebted to the suttishness of men and partly to the weaknesses of women, he establishes himself as the infallible dictator of divinity. Him and his ad• hermits are to be esteemed a 'chosen and immaculate peo ple; while he openly arranges, and eternally anatheme. tises, all who differ from his spiritual dogmas. When Ho leader of our present Arminian., the late Rev. Jobs Wesley, died, it was then that William Iluntingdoa dr dared, from his pulpit in Providence-Chapel, that Jobs Wesley was burning iu Hell ! As to the rulgarity of this Apostle of Antinomianians, it is impracticable to describe it adequately. He has emi nently learned so to " condescend to those of low estate." Whether he is contemplated in the familiar intercourse' of society, or in the exercise of his public functions; 'whether you attend him in the arrangement of his agricultural concerns at Ealing, or surre him employed in the pious, and still more profitable, offices of little Titchfield-street meet with him and listen to him, when or where you may, he is the same, and always the same. He has loot nothing of the rudeness of his original blackness. It is to hicSingularily, however, that he seems princi pally to owe his celebrity ; and, of course, much of his opulence. His career has been singular ; many of hie opinions.are singular ; his personal appearance is rabic singular; his chapel is singular; his manner, as ak preacher, is entirely singular; and his fate is also spial4 .gular. Whatever be his defects, WILLIAM 11UXTIMMINIIF - is a man of penetrative genius: he knows, perhaps as well as most men, the value of singularity. Nature has en. dewed him with considerable vigour and originality of mind, but he has, at the same time, wisely extended this originality to_ all he does. I shall chiefly dwell on his Sisk and Manner of Preaching. Extemporary eloquence, I remarked in my last num ber, is most agreeable to the taste of the generality of hearers. The effects of this eloquence are instantaneous. and decisive. Deprived of the connectedness and solidity of studied elocution, it insinuates by its colloquial case, interests by an appearance of ingenuousness and veracity. and animates by being susceptible of incidental illustration, and adventitious aids. 'Till audiences become more exten sively enlightened, or their instructors know how to blend the fruits of premeditation with the graces of delivery, it is probable that this species of oratory will always obtain the suffrages of the multitude. Mr. Huntingdon not only excels is what is called public speaking, but his peculiarities likewise distinguish hint from other preachers. With a bulky bible under his arsri g ;,., in the old dissenting style, he enters his pulpit his text, once announced, the bible is then closed, and put aside, with as much method as it was first introduced. Here is one secret of Huntingdon's success. Whether it arise from due reverence to the Snored Scriptures, from the undoubted necessity of being correct in quetetimis from them, or from anxiety to impress their eeagesegations, by imme. diately referring tEem to chapter and verse, with the ac curacy and propriety of such quotations, the clergy, of : I every denmaination, consider it incumbent on them to - I give to biblical citations the sanction of aitthcaticity, by grounding them ei! . .:r on transcribed or prtated 'dont= • • &v i a 'MT contributed to the prosperity of Yr: WiIIONTIORT, his rOLOARITY s kis Op. 111 . not particularlj insist either ee the haiii of his discipla, though these also r his success : for, to borrow one more Lord Verulam, it is 'ill part of special all such as have achieved great things, found matter disposed to remit,* form. • I I ~~ T ~:. *" r 11 I 1 \ wo ■