Clayton, Robert

Clayton, Robert born in Dublin in 1695, was a disciple of Dr. S. Clarke, became bishop of Killala, of Cork, and finally of Clogher, and published several works, none of which have gained lasting celebrity but his Essay on Spirit (1751), a treatise maintaining Arian views, of which, though not actually his composition, he bore the expense and assumed the responsibility. A powerful reply from Jones of Nayland did not hinder his proposing in the Irish House of Lords (2d Feb. 1756) the omission of the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds from the liturgy of the Church of Ireland; and at last, the third part of his Vindication of the Histories of the Old and New Testament gave occasion to legal proceedings, arrested only by his death on Feb. 26th, 1758. Among his other publications are The Chronology of the Hebrew Bible Vindicated (Lond. 1747, 4to); A Dissertation on Prophecy (Lond. 1749, 8vo). Kippis, Biographia Britannica, 3. 620.