Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org

duty as a Methodist preacher. In the year 1797 he commenced his career
of authorship by the publication of a pamphlet, entitled, "A Dissertation
on the Use and Abuse of Tobacco."
From the year 1798 to 1805 the subject of our memoir was appointed
successively to Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester. His father died in
November, 1798, full of faith and hope. This he laid deeply to heart, and
expressed himself as if the hands of life were loosened around him, and
that he wished to "go and die with him." He never afterward passed
Ardwick churchyard, where his father was interred, without taking off his
hat, and holding it in his hand until he had made his way beyond it, to
manifest how much he honored, as well as loved, this guide of his youth.
In the year 1800, Mr. Clarke published a translation of "Sturm's
Reflections on the Works of God," which had an extensive and rapid sale.
In 1802 he edited and published "A Bibliographical Dictionary," in 6
vols., 12mo., to which, in the year 1806, he added two other volumes, as
a "Bibliographical Miscellany or Supplement;" and, about the same time,
"A Succinct Account of Polyglot Bibles, from the publication of that by
Porrus in the year 1516, to that of Reineccius in 1750: including several
curious particulars relative to the London Polyglot, and Castell's
Heptaglot Lexicon, not noticed by Bibliographers:" also, "A Succinct
Account of the principal Editions of the Greek Testament, from the first
printed at Complutum, in 1514, to that by Professor Griesbach, in 1797."
These several works contain a mass of information, and will be found a
useful guide to the study of Biblical literature.
While in Liverpool Mr. Clarke projected the formation of a
"Philological Society;" of which he was unanimously chosen president.
The same honour was conferred upon him a few years after, when a
similar society was instituted in Manchester. The code of rules, and one
hundred and seventy-one questions on various literary and scientific
subjects came from the pen of Mr. Clarke. A copy of them now lies
before me. Some of the questions are exceedingly important and curious.