The National Register.
London, England, 1811-04-28 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RECISTF,R.

etie

No. XLL

With respect to nur Dissenting' Brethrep this day, RI they have, with
a. very few exc.•ptions, laid aside that 73ssionatr invective, that offensive
and Jr rimoninus manner, both of writing and of speaking, which they for-
merly tno mach practised, it is highly ineumheat upon us, iu return, to feel
for them, however (lifferin; in the forras of external religious worship, or
lo points of doubtful disputation, all that good-will and cordiality which
hay seem disposed to chew us; and it is more particularly our duty to do
this at the present very serious crisis, when union k so loudly called fcr
from all quartets, and is so much wanted—a crisis when we are threitened
with invasion, by the common enemy of eAery country, whlb has a tern-
Ivry worth plundering or a constitutioa worth siiiitertiiv.
BI6HOP OF NORWICH.

REV. JOHN CLAYTON, Jun.

CAMOMILE-SE RECT MEETING-HOUSE.

CURISTIANIITY only is the source of vital philanthropy. Al-
though the interest and importance of revealed religion, indivi-
dually as well as nationally, may sufficiently account for those
diff.:rences of opinion which have prevailed respecting it, yet
there are certain maxims as to which the majority of its profes-
sors, however otherwise divided, are generally agreed, and which,
therefore, might reasonably allay much of that acrimony so un-
happily ,to be found amongst the religious societies of this coun-
try. Differences about discipline should not, at least, degene-
rate into dissention. Protestant dissenters have he like faith
with protestant episcopalians. Doctrine would seem not the
first thing in their view, when men so much strive for mere
firms of worship.—" I do not say," observes Paley," that modes
of worship are indifferent things ; for, certainly, one mode may
be more rational, more edifying, more pure, than others : but
they are different in comparison with the question whether the
heart attend the worship, or be estranged from it." •
£xtre•mes appeer to be always hurtful. It is not complaining
of " the brood of Methodists, generated by a kind of monstrous
productions," within the pale of establishment ; nor stating it
as "melancholy to reflect that many of the clergyman of the
established church have the abandoned impudence to preach
rank rnethodism in the pulpits, to contaminate and shade the
pure light of the Gospel • ;"—lt is nut such thinking and writing
that will cure the growing mischief of schism in our church.—
It is not, on the other hand, describing the impressive circum-
stance of an established clergyman having, " in the days of his
;iovitia:e, kneeled before a Right Reverend Father in God," as
nothing better than " a farce," " the validity of which, its the
ena,turity of reason," he might dare "to suspect,"—it is not such
thinking and writing as this, t that will induce our elitirch to
think kindly of those christians who d ' not comply with her
forms and rites. It may with all such firebrands. They may
blaze, but they burn. There is death in their sport.
Rev. JOHN CLAYTON, (Junior,) is the eldest son of
at Rev. John Clayton, who has been for upwards of twenty
years Itlinister of the Weigh-House Meeting, Eastcheap ; three
of his sons being likewise engage din the ministerial work. Af-
ter quitting Hoxton Academy, the present preacher settled first
at Kensington, over the Meeting now under the pastoral care of
the Rev. Mr. Leifehild ; where his preaching was highly prized,
and contributed essentially to the augmentation and establish-
ment of that christian society. On the death of the Rev. Mr.
P eynolds, the present preacher was invited to succeed him at
Camumile-Street Meeting : he also preaches quarterly at
Vetter-lane.

* I Memoirs of (Rev.) PercivAl Stockdalt,' written by him-

idf.

onesimus Examinccr,v,Titten by a Clfrgirnan of the Church
of 1:.!)41..x.4.1.

Educated and •- the auspicie of one so eminently qualified to
train up his sons in the way in which they were designed to go,
and not less instructed by his example. than his care, it Is not to
be wonder.ed atif the present preacher is found to emulate those'
abilities which must continually have caught his observation, and
at length, fixed his character. So hi fact it is. The same libe-
rality of sentiment, the same gentlemanly deportment, the same
soundness of principles, the same correctness of conception, the
same easiness of distribution and perspicuity of arrangement,
the same conclusive style of reasoning, the same appositeness of
illustration and' propriety of application, the same mingled feli-
city and dignity of language, the same manner of preJching,
which characterise Me. Clayton, senior, also distinguish his
eldest son.
Preaching is not the only duty in which the Rev. John Clayton,
Junior, is found to excel. ills pulpit prayers have uncoinn4on
excellence, conciseness and efficacy; and it is in tlitse devotions
exercises that his liberality of sentiment, which soars above all
praise, is discovered,—a lilicrality that would t.ave d"awn from
one mitred preacher, whose charge has supplied the motto of
thig day, an individual application of that motto. /leaven grant
us more of such pastors
Personability is not wanting to this Minister. His appearance
inspires respect, and his department is even clerically dignified;
while his look is at once conciliatine, and commanding, his voice
full yet clear, and his action .chaste. The Rev. John Clayton
would become the pulpits of the church. It is most gratifying to
remal k, indeed, that preachers of this order are r.e, idly increas-
ing amongst those whom the Bishop of Norwich styles our
" dissenting brethren;" and that ignorance and illiberality,
ignorance still being the parent of illiberality, are gradually
abandoning their strong holds. Ignorance is auxiliary to pro-
selytism. Instruct the people,—give these to dist. urn light fr,,ns
dark,—and rational religion will ccat.e to be in danger.
Cons'd,Tably entitled as Mr. J. Clayton, junior, is to the cha-
racter of being an able preacher, still he cannot fairly be placed
in the first class of clerical characters. Though his views are
sound, still they are not deep. Excellence often exists, however,
without any originality.
The Rev. John Clayton, junior, has published one or two
Single Sermons, the titles of which do not immediately occur
to my mind. OsasiruLs.

STI?EET MENDICANTS.

TO TILE EDITOR OF TILL NATIONAL REGISTER.

Sin—As Satire is the life and soul of an essay, nuisances and
aht:ses have long been the favourite topics of Essayists, more
especially of these who aspire to rank in the first class. rvt.tral-
ity and religion have certainly been called on pretty often to
furni ill the town with reading, and the tnan of letter; with a
din,:er, but these (being subjects of minor importance) have
generally been treated by writers of genius when hurried for
matter, or by certain heavy drones about the hive of literature,
who were reg::rd•.:d :is unfit fur any other department. Front
this circumstance, or from a natural taste fur that which is se-
v.re on others, tiv general reader turns at once to the satirical
without deigning tt, notice the discussions of " what is the duty
of a christian," or the " essays on happiness," which may stand •
in the way.

In consequence of this, the writer who would be thought
clever, must deal occasionally in abuse, as he can only he enter-
taioity, ;u proportion as he is ill-natured. There is, however,
still one.awk ward impe.iintent in his way, namely—the "Law
of Libel." He now finds him-elf placed between the Scylla of
libel and the Charybdis of dullness. He trembles Least he should
sulky on the ruck on the one hand, or fall into the 2ulph on the
other. Whatever may be said of the pleasures of solitude, phi-
losophers have no taste for the retirement of a prison, unless,
indeed, lika cirtailt illustrious patriots of the present day, they .