RELIGIOUS FAMILY BIOGRAPHY.*

IF any readers are to be found who will wade faithfully through this bulky volume, they will certainly be of those favoured few to whom Mr. Aveling may look as realizing the conception of a fit audience. They must be prepared, like him, " to spend some months in familiar intercourse with the pious dead," and to receive the " voluminous diaries of Mr. George Clayton " as " quite a spiritual refreshment." We do not deny that other men may derive benefit from a perusal of some out of the 516 pages in which the lives of the four Revs. Clayton are recorded. We think there is much interest in the first part of the book, and in the portraiture of the elder John Clayton. But the characters of his sons are less striking, their work and their opportunities more uniform, and their habit of writing long letters most tiresome. A critic cannot afford to read for edification, not for destruction, if the edification is to be of that purely personal kind which is incapable of being transmitted. The example of a good man is no doubt useful, and some lives which tell us little are valuable for their teaching. But too many lives spoil the moral they are in- tended to produce. When we see at how great an expense of twaddle the coveted excellence was attained, we ask if the one is not to be had without the other ; and if our tastes do not lead us in the direction of twaddle, we are less respect- ful to its companion. If it is true, as Robert Hall said, that the sight of a good and contented life without any reli- gious influence is disturbing, and that therefore Miss Edgeworth's novels threw him off his spiritual balance, the sight of a life which is unnaturally full of religious influences is still more likely to have that effect. It seems to us unreal. We know that we could not be always talking as if we were Christian Jews, as if our street chapel was the place of Jacob's dream, and as if the worthy old women with whom we drank tea were the elect. Very likely the persons who always use such phrases are sincere, but is not their sincerity a matter of habit? And if it is only a matter of habit, what is its intrinsic value?

Mr. Aveling is not to be blamed that this biography of a reli- gious family is larded with such expressions. To the fit audience, their absence would be a cause of wonder and a rock of offence. Yet we question if the book would not have been better without them, would not have had more chance of acceptance among those who might profit by its teaching. As apparently one object of the biography is to show that the Church of England was short-sighted to drive such a family into Dissent, it would have been wiser if members of the Church of England were not always reminded of the great gulf of phraseology fixed between them and their Nonconformist brethren. There can be no doubt that Mr. Clayton would have been an ornament to any Church, as his eminently religious character, his zeal, and his preach- ing fitted him to be a minister of the Gospel. And when we translate his life from the language of the pulpit into every- day English, we see the great extent of his usefulness. Perhaps • Memorials of the Clayton Family. With Unpublished Correspondence of the Countess of Huntingdon, Lady Olenorchy, the Roos. John Newton, A. Toplady, ate, Ity the Ref. Thomas W. Avelhag. 1..nidou: Jackson, Wd(ord, and Hodder. might bear two meanings. We are told that the offender "Mr. John Clayton was full of anecdotes of the ministers of his. " slid into compliances with the world which his pastor deeply acquaintance ; and one, half amusing, half sad, is told of Rowland Hill, deplored. He took his family, a large and interesting group of and illustrates the readiness and wit with which London working men can sometimes retort, when they receive an unwelcome reproof. Mr. young people, to places of public amusement, and among others Hill was one day going down the New Cut, opposite his chapel, and to theatrical entertainments." Now, of course, if " places of heard a brewer's drayman, who was lowering some barrels, swearing Gardens—a

public amusement " must be translated " Vauxhall most fearfully. Mr. Hill rebuked him, very solemnly, and said Ah, most infamous place for assignations—Rowland Hill," the conduct rejoined the offender; the biggest rogues always turn King's evidence!'

of a parent in taking his young daughters there would be highly what did you say to that ?' asked the friend to whom Mr. Hill reprehensible. The same might be said if theatrical entertain- related the anecdote.—' What could I say?' replied he.—' It was true, ments were to be construed (as they may often be) immoral plays though I hope not justly applicable to my case ; and it made me resolve taken from the French. But unless the words bear that meaning, to be cautious, when I spoke to such men again, how I reproved them.'

Mr. Clayton must have been harsh, and we do not see that the words necessarily bear that meaning. There are places corn- monly called theatres where works of the highest art are represented. A man named Shakespeare, who is sometimes con- sidered a very great poet, and on whom an Archbishop preached a sermon, wrote what are commonly called plays for those theatres. parts

meet-

lugs at Exeter Hall, and the Crystal Palace are places of public Then, again, the Royal Academy, flower-shows, the May to passages of that book, in order to explain those acts of discipline amusement. Yet if people who go to them are to be denied " the which he felt it his duty to administer." The nature of those acts. is not left to the imagination. A horsewhip hung on the archi- usual testimonials of Christian character," the result will be that either people will not care for such testimonials, or amusements be left entirely to those who have no thought of religion. was in, after kindly admonition, he regarded to be nothing less than showed a like spirit in collaring a rich bachelor at the Bank of England, and asking him how he could reconcile it with his an ordinance of God for the right training of children the possessor of such an income, while he gave conscience to be tenfold, in one case fiftyfold." Nor that alone, but, "after a life xix. Then he would proceed to inflict the incurred punishment.

He never administered correction immediately on the committal of the from this period marked by acts of great munificence, he died, fault. It was not till several hours after, and, in some cases, days after, bequeathing almost the whole of his property to two of our most that he proceeded to this extremity ;—observing that when the Great valued institutions, and a handsome legacy, though by no means Father called Adam to account for his sin, it was in 'the cool of the a large one, to his minister." Would that all hearers were equally da

respectful 1 Would that all biographers understood as well the art of conveying hints by parenthetical clauses ! The modesty and suggestiveness of the words we have italicized are beyond praise.

But the elder Mr. Clayton was not always so unfortunate as with the Dives whom he tried to reclaim from the world. Here is a history of one of his conversions, which must have been real, though the account of it is rather amusing than edifying :— " Country air and horse exercise having been recommended, Mr. the rod of iron is an occasional visitor. It is said that a master of Clayton was appointed to the chapel at Norwich, where he continued for a while preaching the word and itinerating in the neighbourhood. Here his ministrations were remarkably blessed. One instance is on punishment, that he pointed to the text, " The sun knoweth his record of a conversion effected through his instrumentality, which, both going down," as a clear allusion to the phrase which he so often directly and indirectly, was attended with results of the highest im- had to utter. We are glad, however, to find that none of the sons. portance. In this cathedral city there lived, at the time of Mr. Clayton's

visit, a person of the name of Johnson, of whom, in a letter sent to Mr. of Mr. Clayton were led away by their father's example, as was George Clayton, the Rev. W. Roaf, of Wigan, thus writes :-1 He was a the case in Scripture history. It would be sad if his praise of the Pharisee. The descriptions he gave of his pharisaical spirit were really whip had led to his grandsons being chastised with scorpions. ludicrous. He limited himself to a certain number of words per diem.

He fully believed God would some day signalize him by some miracul- ous interposition, and point him out as tho pattern for all beings to imi-

tate. He went to hear Mr. Clayton in Norwich. The subject was the CURRENT LITERATURE. two builders. God blessed the word. On his going home, he loathed himself. He actually gave a dog the footpath, thinking it a less odious The "Handy Volume" Shakespeare. (Bell and Daldy.)—What fts creature than he felt himself to be. This person, after being, I believe, at Trevecca College, settled at Wigan. My chapel was built for name (somewhat clumsily) indicates, and much more. It is a complete him. There he instrumentally converted Mr. Roby, who succeeded him edition of the poet's works, and consists of thirteen handy, elegant, limp here a short time, and then went to Manchester. Mr. Roby improved little volumes (82mo.), packed in a case, and printed very legibly in his death from the words, " My father, my father !" His emotions were antique type on toned paper, not unlike the Pall Mall Gazette. As these very deep, and many of the people said, "I may exclaim, 'My grand- volumes could readily insinuate themselves into any pocket, they are father !' " are"

especially to be recommended to those lovers of Shakespeare who wish Mr. Aveling tells us of the repentance of a man who, when young, to make him a personal companion. The case would, however, none the joined with a mob in pelting Mr. Clayton, and who came to ask less form a desirable ornament on the study or drawing-room table.

forgiveness thirty-six years later. As a proof, too, of Mr. Clay- Some Account of the Church in the Apostolic Age. By the late Walter ton's success in preaching, he mentions that people often came to Wadding-ton Shirley, D.D. (Oxford: Clarendon Press.)—A. melancholy him in the vestry and asked how he knew the circumstances of interest attaches to this little unfinished volume. It contains "all that their life. One man came in most indignantly and charged him the author lived to write of a projected manual of ancient Church with ungentlemanly conduct in having exposed him before the History'" We cannot refrain from an avowal that the fragment makes. whole congregation. A more effective scene is that which took us feel the more acutely what the completed work would have been. place on board a convict hulk between Mr. Clayton and " a But for this very reason the fragment was worth publishing, and as notable thief, a sort of gentleman pickpocket," as Mr. Aveling Mr. Bright, who acts as editor, claims for it, it possesses sufficient unity

says, " of the name of Barrington." After the sermon, Barrington de,.rve as a sketch of the leading features of the period with which it one of his most striking acts was his application of " the Christ, and I confess that the very last place in which I should discipline of the Church to a man who rode in his coach," for have expected to find the merit of works pleaded would be Ins which he was esteemed and envied by Rowland Hill and Richard Majesty's hulks for convicted felons." And there Mr. Clayton, Cecil. Yet the way in which this story is told renders it difficult had the beat of it, which can hardly be said of Rowland Hill in to see the wisdom of such a course, and Mr. Aveling's language his skirmish with a London drayman :—

might bear two meanings. We are told that the offender "Mr. John Clayton was full of anecdotes of the ministers of his. " slid into compliances with the world which his pastor deeply acquaintance ; and one, half amusing, half sad, is told of Rowland Hill, deplored. He took his family, a large and interesting group of and illustrates the readiness and wit with which London working men can sometimes retort, when they receive an unwelcome reproof. Mr. young people, to places of public amusement, and among others Hill was one day going down the New Cut, opposite his chapel, and to theatrical entertainments." Now, of course, if " places of heard a brewer's drayman, who was lowering some barrels, swearing Gardens—a

public amusement " must be translated " Vauxhall most fearfully. Mr. Hill rebuked him, very solemnly, and said Ah,

my man, I shall appear as a swift witness against you Very likely,'

most infamous place for assignations—Rowland Hill," the conduct rejoined the offender; the biggest rogues always turn King's evidence!'

of a parent in taking his young daughters there would be highly what did you say to that ?' asked the friend to whom Mr. Hill reprehensible. The same might be said if theatrical entertain- related the anecdote.—' What could I say?' replied he.—' It was true, ments were to be construed (as they may often be) immoral plays though I hope not justly applicable to my case ; and it made me resolve taken from the French. But unless the words bear that meaning, to be cautious, when I spoke to such men again, how I reproved them.'

It can hardly be expected that a religious biography should be written without a chapter on the family life of its hero, and family

life in these cases means family discipline. Mr. Aveling begins.

the chapter by quoting texts on the necessity of having children in subjection, and we soon find that the Epistles are not the only of Scripture in which this lesson is taught. Mr. Clayton was particularly fond of the Book of Proverbs, and "often referred Then, again, the Royal Academy, flower-shows, the May to passages of that book, in order to explain those acts of discipline amusement. Yet if people who go to them are to be denied " the which he felt it his duty to administer." The nature of those acts. is not left to the imagination. A horsewhip hung on the archi- usual testimonials of Christian character," the result will be that trove of the study door, and though seldom used for correction, often pointed to as "the silver-headed monitor." But the ably applied in case of grievous faults, especially when persisted, of wealth and position testified to his sincerity. His son John in, after kindly admonition, he regarded to be nothing less than showed a like spirit in collaring a rich bachelor at the Bank of ."

"Previously to the exercise of discipline, he would read such texts as the following : —' He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that a solitary guinea to two or three charities. On this occasion the loveth him chasteneth him betimes ' (Proverbs xiii. 24). Chasten thy hearer "listened respectfully," and "increased his subscriptions son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying' (ch. tenfold, in one case fiftyfold." Nor that alone, but, "after a life xix. Then he would proceed to inflict the incurred punishment.

He never administered correction immediately on the committal of the from this period marked by acts of great munificence, he died, fault. It was not till several hours after, and, in some cases, days after, bequeathing almost the whole of his property to two of our most that he proceeded to this extremity ;—observing that when the Great valued institutions, and a handsome legacy, though by no means Father called Adam to account for his sin, it was in 'the cool of the

' and contended has

passyion, the good effectthat when was hazardeod, if nottisement defeatwas ed.,administered in a

The pleasure to the children of waiting till the cool of the •day, and of listening to the condensed wisdom of Solomon before its

practical application, •must have been acute. But of course if

flogging is nothing less than a divine ordinance, it should be- administered Scripturally. A late head master used always to- .

turn to the wall and offer up a prayer while the boy was making ready for the sacrifice, and in sermons preached at public schools. " Country air and horse exercise having been recommended, Mr. the rod of iron is an occasional visitor. It is said that a master of Clayton was appointed to the chapel at Norwich, where he continued Eton was so quick to trace the connection between religion and Here his ministrations were remarkably blessed. One instance is on punishment, that he pointed to the text, " The sun knoweth his record of a conversion effected through his instrumentality, which, both going down," as a clear allusion to the phrase which he so often directly and indirectly, was attended with results of the highest im- had to utter. We are glad, however, to find that none of the sons. portance. In this cathedral city there lived, at the time of Mr. Clayton's