ROB 



himfelf as opportunity offered. As Toon as he was old 

 enough to receive ordination, he was nominated by Dr. 

 Hoadly to the cure-jf Tallow, in the county of Carlow. 

 Here he continued till he was of age for prieit's orders, to 

 which he was admitted on the 10th of November 1729, and 

 on the next day he was prefented by lord Carteret, then 

 lord lieutenant of Ireland, to the rectory of Ravilly, in the 

 county of Carlow, and to another rectory in the county of 

 Wicklow. In 1728 he married Elizabeth, the daughter 

 of major William Baxter, by whom he had twenty-one 

 children. 



Mr. Robertfon fird appeared as an author about the year 

 1738, by a pamphlet entitled " A Scheme for utterly abo- 

 lilhing the prefent heavy and vexatious Tax of Tythes :" 

 the object of this work was to pay the clergy and impro- 

 priators a tax upon land in lieu of tythes, and it excited fo 

 much attention, that feveral editions of it were called for in 

 a fhort fpace of time. In 1739 Mr. Robertfon received 

 from lord Cathcart a deputation to be his chaplain ; and in 

 the year 1743 he obtained leave from his diocefan to nomi- 

 nate a curate at Ravilly, and to refide fome time in Dublin 

 for the education of his children. Immediately on his fettle- 

 ment in this city he was invited to the cure of St. Luke's 

 parifh, which he retained about five years, when he returned 

 to Ravilly. While in that city he formed a fehemc, jointly 

 with Mr. Kane Percival, to raife a fund for the fupport of 



widows and children of clergymen within the diocefe of 

 Dublin, which has fince produced very happy effects. In 

 I 758 he met with a fevere affliction in the death of his wife, 

 to whom he was molt tenderly attached, but he fultained 

 the lofs with exemplary relignation to the will of God. 

 Soon after this he found a new patron in Dr. Richard Ro- 

 binfou, who had been tranflated from the fee of Killala to 

 that of Ferns, and who prefented to Mr. Robertlon the 

 fir It benefice which became vacant in his lordfhip's pre- 



.1 ion. Before, however, he could be collated to it, he, 

 be firlt time, had the " Free and Candid Difquifitions 

 ing to the Church of England, &c." put into his hands ; 



1 by the perutal, he was led to entertain iuch doubts 

 'ting fome points to which he would be required to 

 re his ailent, as made him defer his attendance on the 

 bifhop. At length he received a letter from his lordfhip, 

 calling upon him to come immediately for inltitiition. Upon 

 this he wrote a very affecting letter to the prelate, in which 

 he returned the mod grateful thanks for his kindnefs, but 

 laid he could no longer confeientioufly comply with the 

 terms required by law to qualify him for fuch preferment. 

 <t In debating this matter with myfelf," favs he, " befides 

 the arguments direftly to the purpofe, feveral Itrong colla- 

 teral confederations came in upon the pofitive lide of the 

 queftion. The draightnefs of my circumstances preffed me 

 tlofe ; a numerous family, quite unprovided for, pleaded 

 with the molt pathetic and moving eloquence. And the 

 infirmities and wants of age now coming fait upon me were 

 ■urged feelingly. But one fingle conlideration prevailed over 

 all thefe — that the Creator and Governor of the univerfe, 

 whom it is my firlt duty to worfhip and adore, being the 

 God of truth, it mud be difagreeable to him to profcls, fub- 

 fcribe, or declare, in any matter relating to his worfhip and 

 fervice, what is not believed ilrictly and limply to be true." 



Mr. Robertlon, though he rcfufed to luhlcribe for the 

 fake of preferment, did not feel it neceffary to quit the 

 church, and continued to perform the duties of parilh prielt ; 

 but from this time he omitted the reading of the Athanalian 

 creed, and fome other parts of the public fervice which ap- 

 peared to him to countenance milcriptural tenets. Finding, 

 however, that this mode of conduct gave offence to fome per- 



It O B 



fons, he refigned his benefices in 1764, and in 1706 he 

 published, by way of apology to his friends for what he 

 had done, his learned and ingenious little work, entitled 

 " An Attempt to explain the Words Reafon, Subftance, 

 Perfon, Creeds, Orthodox, &c." to which lie fubjoined the 

 letter written to his bifhop, of which an extract ha* been 

 given above. He now came to London, where he met with 

 a very cordial and liberal reception from many excellent men, 

 who generoufiy contributed to his fupport. In the follow- 

 ing year he prefented a copy of his " Attempt, &c." to 

 the univerlity of Glafgow, and, in return, received a mod 

 obliging letter, accompanied with the diploma of D.D. In 

 1 768 he was nominated to the maderShip of the free gramm.tr- 

 fchool at Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire, by the company 

 of Merchant Taylors ; which, though honourable to the 

 patrons, was not lucrative to the doftor, the falary being 

 only 70/. per ann., and this was, for fome years, diniinilhed 

 by a penfion of 40/. to a fuperannuated predcceflor. Dr. 

 Robertfon was, however, fatisfied, and through tiie kindnef:, 

 of his friends was prevented from wantino- what was necef- 

 fary to his fupport. At one time he received from an un- 

 known hand a prefent of 500/., and from various perfons 

 dated affidance was fent him. In 1772 he was chofen urn 

 of the committee of the fociety of clergymen, &c. em- 

 ployed to draw up, and prefent to the houfe'of commons, a 

 petition praying for relief from the obligation of fub- 

 fcription to the 39 articles. In the courfe of a few years 

 he had the misfortune to lofe all his children one after an- 

 other ; and he himfelf died in May 1783, in the 79th year 

 of his age. Dr. Robertfon was poSTefled of great learning 

 and an excellent judgment ; he had a fine imagination, and a 

 temper regulated by the mild and amiable fpirit of Chrift ; 

 and in his addrefs and manners he was at all times eafy and 

 cheerful. When he quitted the church he was probably of 

 the Arian fchool, but in the latter years of his life he became 

 a firm believer in the fimple humanity of Chnlt. He was 

 mentioned by Mr. Lindfey, a few months before his death, 

 as "the aged and venerable father of Unitarian noncon- 

 formity of our own days ;" and in another work the fame 

 writer fays, " the example of an excellent perfon now 

 living at Wolverhampton, Dr. Robertfon, has been a fecret 

 lach to me ever fince I heard of it." See Lindfey's 

 Apology for refigning the Vicarage of Catterick, his Hif- 

 torical View of the Unitarian Doctrine, and Dr. Difney's 

 Communications to the Gent. Mag. 1783. 



Robertson, William, D. D., a celebrated hiftorian, 

 was born in 172 1, at Borthwick, in Mid Lothian, of which 

 parifh his father was then minifter. He received the early 

 part of his education at Dalkeith, under Mr. Lefiie, a 

 madcr of high repute. In 1733 ,lc entered upon his aca- 

 demical itudies at Edinburgh. After the completion of his 

 courfe, he obtained a licence to preach in 1741, and in 1743 

 he was prefented, by the earl of Hopetoun, to the living of 

 Gladfmuir, in Eall Lothian. On this living, which wa9 

 mo! more than 100/. per arm., he contrived to educate his 

 fix ftfters and a brother, who, about this time, were left 

 orphans by the death of both their p. '.rents. J hie alio he 

 difplayed his zealous attachment to the eaufe of liberty, by 

 his efforts, in the year of the rebellion, in favour of the 

 houfe of Brunfwick, which he carried fo far a6 to quit, for 

 a reafon, his parochial charge, and join the volunteers of 

 Edinburgh. He became, in a Short time, dillinguifhed for 

 his eloquence and good talte as a preacher; and, in 175c, a 

 fcrmon which he delivered before the Society for propagating 

 Chriilian Knowledge, and which was the only compolition 

 of that kind that he ever pnblilhed, railed him very high as 

 .1 pulpit orator. It palled through five editions, and was 



tranflated 



