SERMONS - University of Tennessee, Knoxville

SeRMon entRieS
successful; Solomon; Lord’s Prayer; life, eternal; God, love for mankind; God, mercy
of; Beveridge, Bishop; prayer, definition of; sin, confession of; sin, deliverance from;
man, unregenerate state of; Christ, blood of; Publicans; Pharisees, pride of; prayer,
efficacy of; sin, sorrow for;
744. CLAY, CHARLES. (VA; Epis.; 1745-1820; lic. for VA June 7, 1769; ord.
London, 1769)
“[On Public Fast-day to a Minute-company at Charlottesville.]” [1777] [Acc. No. 921]
Repository: Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA (Clay family papers, 1769-
1951. Mss1 C5795a, Sermons, folder 6)
Commentary: According to Bishop Meade, Clay’s notes for this sermon were
evangelical and displayed his patriotic spirit. Parts of the text read “Cursed be he
who deepeth his sword from blood in this war.” and “The cause of liberty was the
cause of God.” This sermon is much like a Davies recruiting sermon of 20 years
earlier. Clay was the rector of St. Anne’s Parish, Albemarle County, and Dale Parish,
Chesterfield County, Va. See Meade, Old Churches, Ministers, and Families of
Virginia, II, 48-50; see also Bond, Spreading the Gospel in Colonial Virginia, p. 214.
Keywords: recruiting sermon; sermon, recruiting; new birth; Christmas; atonement;
Charlottesville;
745. CLAY, CHARLES. (VA; Epis.; 1745-1820; lic. for VA June 7, 1769; ord.
London, 1769)
“The Reasonableness of Serving God[.] A Sermon. —Octo[ber]” [1769] 2 + 3 + 1
blank + 44 + 1pp. [Acc. No. 4023] [Entry added August 2009.]
Repository: Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA (Clay family papers, 1769-
1951. Mss1 C5795a, Sermons, folder 34-35)
Bib. Ref.: Romans 12. part of 1 Verse—Which is your Reasonable Service. [Clay
then states that] The whole Verse runs thus[.] I beseech you therefore, Brethren,
by ye mercies of God, yt [that] ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, wh[ich] is yr [your] Reasonable Service.
Commentary: This sermon is presently located in folder 34-35 and grouped with
accession number 4024. Their relationship is undetermined. The back cover bears
an inscription that reads, “Charles Clay 1770.” The front cover bears an inscription
that reads “oif[?]” and “No. 8.” The inside front cover bears an abbreviation
that reads “85 [1785]-5 Zs/- -5X.” The following three pages are the conclusion
to the “Small digression” (see below). One blank page intervenes between the
conclusion and the start of the sermon. The manuscript is complicated. The text
of the original sermon appears to end on page 39 of the 44 pages. This page (39)
bears the date “Octavus 8 1769.” Below the date is a double rule and the notation
“1769. 10. 17. O. 10 [the 10 is inserted] R 4. U 10 [the 10 is inserted] R 5. at A.
J [?]”. Beneath the notation is another double rule and then five columns (three
are occupied). Another double rule follows under the columns. The columns
contain abbreviations for the dates the sermon was preached. They are as follows
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