laudable Practice

The reference to Samuel Clarke in the recent post regarding the Anglicanism of George Washington has led me to consider Clarke's place in 18th century Anglicanism. On a previous occasion , when reflecting on Clarke's Advent and Christmas sermons, I noted his sermons were popularly received across the 18th century Church of England. This provides a significant example of the 'unity and accord' of 18th century Anglicanism, identified by William Gibson as defining characteristics.  In his ' Some Account of the Life, Writings, and Character of Dr. Samuel Clarke ' - the preface to the 1738 edition of Clarke's sermons - Bishop Benjamin Hoadly indicates something of why the sermons would have such appeal across the Church of England: His Preaching was what One would naturally expect from a Person of so Critical a Genius, and so sedate a Judgment. The Design and Tendency of it was not to move the Passions: nor had he any Talent this way. He wisely never attempted i...

With the approach of the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Laudable Practice  this week will have a series of posts considering aspects of 18th century Anglicanism in the context of the American Revolution. We begin today with a figure at the centre of that Revolution, the Virginian gentleman George Washington.  Two rival portrayals of Washington are conventionally invoked. The first is that of Washington as the icon of the founding of Christian nation. To quote a Southern Baptist publication : America’s greatest hero and first President was no deist, but a devout, Bible-believing Christian. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed this in a recent statement invoking the iconography of Washington praying at Valley Forge: Amid all the bleak nights, the loss and despair, the lack of proper support, George Washington performed a profound act — he prayed. And on this day of Rededicate 250, let us follow George Washington's example. Let us...

In the debates surrounding  Bull's Defensio Fidei Nicaenae (1685), Nelson - in his 1713 Life of Dr. George Bull - points to two very contrasting critics amongst Church of England divines. The first was Samuel Clarke, author of the anti-Trinitarian The Scripture-Doctrine of the Trinity (1712). Against Bull, that "learned defender of the Nicene Faith", Clarke attempted to show that the pre-Nicene Fathers denied the eternity and consubstantiality of the Son. Nelson was thoroughly unimpressed by Clarke's attempts: the greatest part of the Testimonies by [Clarke] produced, do appear in quite another Light, as they are cited by the judicious Mr. Bull, than as they are applied by Dr. Clarke for illustrating his Propositions.  It was, however, Clarke's use of Bull's work to defend an anti-Trinitarian, anti-Nicene stance that was most significant. Nelson expresses his anger at Clarke's misuse of an extract from Bull's famous work: Everyone that reads it as i...

For these days after the Epiphany, an extract from Samuel Clarke's Epiphany sermon ' On the Meaning of the Name of God ', on the text Malachi 1:11, oft associated with the feast. Clarke here addresses how the prophecy of Malachi, and the call to worship in the Old Covenant, is fulfilled in "the character ... of the Christian worship". And so the adoration of the Magi becomes the sign of the spiritual offering of the Church, that lively sacrifice which honours the God of Abraham amongst the nations: In every place incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure Offering. Incense, (which is the Prayers of the Saints, Rev. v.8.) and this phrase, a pure Offering , are plainly intended to express That Spiritual Religion, That Worship of the Father in Spirit and Truth according to the Gospel of Christ, which is opposed to the carnal Ordinances and literal Sacrifices of the Jews, and of which those Sacrifices and external Purifications were but Types and Figures. Hence...

From Samuel Clarke's sermon ' Of the Fulness of Time in which Christ appeared ', on the text Galatians 4:4-5, preached on Christmas Day: If this Divine person, the Author of our religion, notwithstanding the exceeding dignity of his nature, yet condescended to become truly and really a man; subjecting himself to all the infirmities of human nature, and being in all things made like unto his brethren, sin only excepted; This may convince us of the reasonableness of our Holy Religion; and of the possibility of our paying obedience to its laws. Had God sent his Son in great Glory, and in the Form of God, to reveal his Will to us by his absolute command only; such an extraordinary Revelation, like the Mountain that burned with Fire, would indeed have sufficiently convinced us of the necessity of Religion and the indispensableness of obedience. But when this great person vouchsafed to become, not only the Author of our Religion, but in our own nature the pattern also of our duty...

In the conclusion of his sermon ' Of a Future Judgement ', Samuel Clarke provides three applications of the scriptural proclamation of the Last Judgement. Reflecting a key concern of 18th century Church of England preaching, Clarke again emphasises that this teaching calls us to holy living: "then let us continually be aware, that all Other expectations whatsoever, are mere Deceits". To reject this as 'moralism' is, quite frankly, to entirely ignore vast swathes of the New Testament, as Clarke's references illustrate.  Also noteworthy is Clarke's use of words from II Maccabees, a reminder that references to the Apocrypha were standard in the preaching of all three divines quoted in this short series. The fact that we see this in Tillotson and Clarke evidences the fact that this was by no means a 'high church' characteristic: it was a standard Church of England practice, in accordance with Article VI. Finally, the preaching of these three divine...

In his sermon ' Of a Future Judgement ', Samuel Clarke gives voice to a significant concern in much preaching in the 18th century Church of England: that the New Testament declares the Last Judgement to be on the grounds of the fruits of righteousness in our lives. To dismiss this as 'moralism' - as 18th century revivalists did, followed by 19th century evangelicals and Tractarians, echoed by much contemporary commentary on 18th century Anglicanism - is to, at best, obscure the teaching of the New Testament and not least that of Our Lord: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Clarke's critique of a reliance on "any unconditionate Decree", that is, on an assumed knowledge of the decree of predestination, likewise reflects wider concerns amongst 'Arminian' and 'Latitudinarian' thought. It al...

The third 18th century Church of England divine to whom we turn to consider their preaching on the Last Things, during these days of Advent, is Samuel Clarke. Yes, you read that correctly: Samuel Clarke, the divine whose work The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity provoked intense controversy in the years following its publication in 1712, leading to the robust affirmation of Trinitarian orthodoxy by Daniel Waterland. Clarke's heterodoxy on the matter of the Holy Trinity made him the champion of theological radicals and the bête noire  of the strongly orthodox, Tory, and High Church Lower House of Convocation.  Despite this, however, his sermons were popularly received across the 18th century Church of England. This is seen in the fact that the strongly orthodox 'Yale Apostates' - those New Congregational ministers who in 1722 embraced the Church of England and sought episcopal orders - made a point, when in London in March 1723 , of hearing Clarke preach. When George Prety...