Robert Clayton (bishop)

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Robert Clayton (1695–1758) was an Irish Protestant bishop, now known for his Essay on Spirit. In his own lifetime, he was notorious for his unorthodox beliefs, which led his critics to question whether he could properly be called a Christian at all, and at the time of his death, he was facing charges of heresy.[1]

Portrait c.1740 of Robert and Katherine Clayton, by James Latham.

Life

Clayton was born at Dublin in 1695, a descendant of the Claytons of Fulwood, Lancashire, whose estates came to him by inheritance. He was the eldest of seven children of Rev. John Clayton, minister of St. Michan's Church, Dublin, and dean of Kildare, and Juliana Edmundson.[2] Zachary Pearce educated him privately, at Westminster School. He was the nephew of the Liverpool MP, William Clayton.

Clayton entered

Richard Castle, and built in 1736–7.[5]

A gift to a distressed scholar recommended to him by

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, having some years before been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
.

Last controversies and death

Clayton proposed, 2 February 1756, in the

Primate of Ireland
, and Clayton was summoned to attend. Before the appointed time he died, on 26 February 1758.

Character

Mary Delaney
described her as giving herself "the airs of a Queen" after her husband was made a bishop.

Works

His first publication was a letter in the

dispersion of the Jews
would take place in 2000. Two letters followed, printed separately, then together, 1751, London, 'An Impartial Enquiry into the Time of the Coming of the Messiah.'

In 1751 appeared the most notable work written by him (though often asserted to be that of a young clergyman of his diocese), 'Essay on Spirit . . . with some remarks on the Athanasian and Nicene Creeds,' London, 1751. This book, full of Arian doctrine, led to a long controversy. It was attacked by

lord-lieutenant of Ireland, refused on account of this work to appoint him to the vacant archbishopric of Tuam
. Several editions appeared in (1752, 1753, and 1759). In 1752 a work appeared called 'A Sequel to the Essay on Spirit,' London; Clayton published 'The Genuine Sequel to the Essay,' &c., Dublin.

His next work was 'A Vindication of the Histories of the Old and New Testament, in answer to the Objections of . . . Bolingbroke,' pt. i., Dublin, 1752. In 1753 he published 'A Journey from Grand Cairo to Mount Sinai, and back again. In Company with some Missionaries de propaganda Fide,' &c., translated from a manuscript which had been mentioned by Edward Pococke in his 'Travels.' It included an account of the supposed inscriptions of the Israelites in the Gebel el Mokatab. The work was addressed to the Society of Antiquaries, and the author offered to assist an exploration in Mount Sinai, but the society took no steps in the matter. Edward Wortley Montagu, however, was induced to visit the spot and give an account of the inscriptions. The same year Clayton published 'A Defence of the Essay on Spirit,' London. His next work was 'Some Thoughts on Self-love, Innate Ideas, Freewill,' &c., occasioned by David Hume's works, London, 1754. The same year he brought out the second part of the 'Vindication of ... the Old and New Testament,' Dublin. This produced Alexander Catcott's attack on his theories of the earth's form and the deluge. In 1756 appeared 'Letters which passed between . . . the Bishop of Clogher and Mr. William Penn concerning Baptism,' London, in which he asserted the cessation of baptism by the Holy Ghost. Clayton's friend William Bowyer obtained a copy of the correspondence and published it.

Thomas Barnard, later bishop of Limerick, who married Clayton's niece, and was his executor, had several of his works in manuscript, but they were not published. He gave the copyright of all Clayton's works for England to the printer Bowyer, who issued the three parts of the 'Vindication' and the 'Essay on Spirit,' with additional notes and index to the scripture texts, London, 1759.

References

  1. ^ Clogher clergy and parishes: being an account of the clergy of the Church of Ireland in the Diocese of Clogher, from the earliest period, with historical notices of the several parishes, churches, etc" Leslie, J.B. pp18/19: Enniskille; R. H. Ritchie; 1929
  2. ^ Stewart-Brown, Ronald (1910). ""Claytons of Crooke, Fulwood and Adlington"". The Genealogist. 26: 139.
  3. Thomas Ulick Sadleir
    p. 155: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935
  4. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5580. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  5. ^ Google Books.
  6. ^ His speech, taken down in shorthand, was then published, and passed through several editions (as late as Evesham, 1839, and London, 1839). It is also given in Jared Sparks, Essays and Tracts on Theology, vol. vi. Boston, 1826.

Further reading

  • Nigel Aston, "The Limits of Latitudinarianism: English Reactions to Bishop Clayton's An Essay on Spirit", The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (1998), 49: 407–433.

External links

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Clayton, Robert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

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