The National Register.
London, England, 1808-08-21 00:00:00

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arrive when the friendship thus subsisting between the tyro fa-
milies, shall ke the pledge of the happiness of two nations, too
I ong, alms I risal:, too lung for their own happiness and that of
ch. ilized Etirope.—llit Royal Ilightiesi had a long interview
two exiled Monarch, and returned to town iu the eveuluj.
POITLAIt PItEACIJSRS.
No. 11.
-..••••••11RE i.ATIA, in the path their Saviour trod,
" Iu trembling hope walk humbly with their God I"
Girton

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THE RIGHT REVEREND BIALBY PORTIA'S, D. D.
LORD Btstiol' OF LONDON.
LOOKING back no earlier than to the era of our last
political renovation, in 16SS, it is pleasing, to recollect the
number of those distieguished Divines, who, w bile enjoy. •
in the highest dignities and emoluments attainable in the , ,
Church of England, have justified their e!evation by their
deserti. Not to enumerate various subordinate characters, 4 •
subordinate only as to the comparative rack or revenue of
their respective preferments, what true churchman can re-
view the career of a Sancroft, a Tillotson, a Seeker, a
Kenn, a Burnet, a Sln•rlock, a Butler, n Millinglicet, a
Law, a Horne, a Lomb, a Hurd,—who, 1 ask, can seri-
ously contemplate the individual exertions, and collective
excellence, of such eminent ecclesiastics, without feelings
of personal complaz.ency, and even of national exultation t
It is among these leininaries in the firmament of righte.
oosness, that the subject of our pt ent estimate will shine
with perceptible and permanent lustre.
My aim, however, is not to pen a panegyric on the ex.
isting Bishop of London. I wish impartially to appreciate .
his clerical character, both as to its qualities and effects ;
and to form some general inferences from the inquiry,
connected with the State of Religion in this comitry.--• •
'Twenty years have fully ehipsed since this venerable pre •
late was promoted to the See which he now occupies. Thb
situation is at all times an important one ; but it has been
his lot to fill it during very Eventful times, and under cit....,
cumstances of au extraordinary nature. Dr. Porteus corm.,,
evinced his attachment to those principles, foe an adhe- •
rence to which .he has been uniformly conspicuous. His.
sLrenuous defence of Orthodoxy attracted, in 1161, the cu,
ticc !•:ecker, then Archbishop of Canterbury, who be.
came his earlies!, and most efficient, friend. It was not, ,
therefore, " thrnogh the channel of powerful conrt.inte-
" rest," as one writer intimates, that he afterwards " suc-
" ceeded to a bishopric." Ilis opinions, coupled with the t. -
ability with which they were asserted, first acquired him the !
aid of patronage; and his subsequent success was the natural
elreet of those exertions on his part, which had been su
happily discovered and fortunately estimated. If unatlect-
ed orthodoxy, in any church, has not the. most l;gitiirrate
claim to preferment, especially when connected with greali *
talents, 1 know not the principle by which the distribution
of ecclesiastical emoluments should be regulated. Whilu
censuring then the promotion of this prelate, his opponent.
se-ein not to perceive the dilemma in which they placi.
themselves. They condemn him for his conviction of truth, s
whi4ll he had mast religiously:engaged to espouse;
they condemn his patrons, because they have selected, a s
the object of clerical distinction, a divine whose ability an,
conduct entitled him even to the highest honours of tbci it
church.
Among the objections attempted to be made against a
present Bishop of London, no one has ventured to repute( k
him with having in any manner neglected the high and ire
portant functions of episcopacy. But the dignities of
prelate have sometimes ( bliterated all recollection of a e
duties of the priest. Of Bishop Porteusw however, the co, P.
teary fact is sufficiently established. Minutely as he
known to discharge the functions of his exalted station,
sermons abundaatlj attest his attention to the more or: iv

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