268 ROBERTSON. 



advantage, and he would have deemed his entertaining 

 it for an instant a corrupt sacrifice of his principles to 

 the gratification of his ambition. 



While the conflict was raging in the Church Courts 

 on Patronage, he had given to the world his first pub- 

 lished works his historical articles j contributed to a 

 periodical work established by Smith, Wedderburn 

 (afterwards Chancellor), Jardine, Blair, Russell, and 

 others, under the name, since become more famous, of the 

 Edinburgh Review, and a sermon preached before the 

 Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, in January 

 1755. The Review contained many able and learned 

 papers, and reached a second number, when its con- 

 ductors were obliged to give it up, in consequence 

 of the fanatical outcry raised against a most justly 

 severe criticism upon a wretched production of theolo- 

 gical bigotry and intolerance which had just disgraced 

 the extreme party in the Church.* The subject of 

 the sermon is one peculiarly suited to his habits of 

 inquiry the situation of the world at the time of our 

 Saviour's appearance as connected with the success of 

 his mission. The merits of this piece, as a sermon, 

 are very great ; and it is admirable, as an historical 

 composition, in that department which Voltaire first 

 extended to all the records of past times. It was 



* This criticism was from the elegant pen of Dr. Jardine, one of 

 the most pious ministers of the Church, and a very intimate friend of 

 the Principal. The papers of the latter appear to have been chiefly 

 written on subjects which he had occasion to consider as incidental to 

 his historical researches, and he does not seem to have put forth his 

 strength in their composition. They are slight as compared with Adam 

 Smith's review of Johnson's Dictionary, and his excellent letter to 

 the editors on the General State of Literature, recommending an en- 

 largement of their plan, which was confined to Scottish publications. 



