ROE 



and retired to reft as ufual ; but on the nest morning he 

 was found dead in his bed, where he appears to have ex- 

 pired exactly as he hoped it might be permitted him to 

 leave the world, fuddenly — and alone, without feeling the 

 agonies of death, or occafioning alarm or diftrefs to affec- 

 tionate relatives and friends. He died June 8th, 1790, in 

 the 55th year of his age. 



Mr. Robinfon was a wonderful example of a man who 

 rofe to confiderable eminence by his own exertions. To 

 his great talents and extenfive learning his various writings 

 bear the fulleft teltimony. He poflefled an ardent love of 

 truth, was laborious in the fearch after it, and at all times 

 was a (Ircnuous advocate for fuch principles as he had 

 adopted upon deliberate conviction, while he ever exercifed 

 candour and liberality toward thofe whofe opinions dif- 

 fered from his own. Of civil and religious liberty he was 

 the enlightened, fteady, and zealous friend. In his domeftic 

 relations he was attentive and affectionate ; and to the poor 

 a friend, comforter, and, as far as his limited means per- 

 mitted, a generous benefactor. As a preacher, " there 

 was always a variety, and often an originality, both in what 

 lie laid, and in his mode of faying it. It was his conftant 

 aim to lead the attention of his hearers to the weightier 

 matters of the law ; to inform the judgment before he 

 attempted to intereit the paflions ; and, after inculcating 

 juit notions of truth and duty, to enforce a correfponding 

 practice. There have been few preachers who have done 

 lb much to refcue the human mind from bondage ; to cor- 

 rect prevailing errors ; to promote a liberal fpirit of in- 

 quiry ; to recommend mutual forbearance and candour 

 among Chriftians of different opinions ; to weaken their 

 attachment to creeds and forms of human device and im- 

 pofition, and to direct their chief attention to the prin- 

 ciples and duties of piety, virtue, and univerfal charity. 

 He had a manner of fupplanting rooted prejudices without 

 occafioning alarm ; of fapping inllead of itorming the forti- 

 fications of error ; of gaining affent to general principles, 

 inconftftent with the opinions which he wifhed to expofe : 

 and of leading men to think, judge, and determine for them- 

 felves, and to purfue thefe principles to their confequences, 

 in which he wonderfully excelled, and which produced, in 

 many inflances, the belt effects." See Dr. Rees's Sermon 

 before referred to. 



It has already been obferved, that Mr. Robinfon died 

 before he had completed the great work to which his at- 

 tention had been chiefly confined for feveral years. One 

 part of his comprehenfive plan, however, was tinifhed, and 

 the whole-, excepting' a few flieets, printed off, and cor- 

 rected by himfeif while pafling through the prefs. This 

 was publifhcd in the year 1790, under the title of " The 

 Hiftory of Baptifm," which is one of the moll acute and 

 ingenious defences of the diilinguifhing tenets of the Bap- 

 tilts which has ever yet appeared, deduced not only from 

 the records of hiftory, but from the relics of Chriltian anti- 

 quity, being illuftrated with engravings from ancient paint- 

 ings and buildings, and from Danifh and Saxon remains 

 in our Britifh churches. Tins part of the plan was to 

 have been followed by a biliary of the Baptills, which 

 was left in an incomplete Hate, but which was publifhed 

 in 1792, under the title of " Ecclcfiaftical Refearches." 

 This work was carried through the prefs under the fuper- 

 intendance of Mr. Trend, who had long enjoyed the 

 fricndfliip of Mr. Robinfon. Bolides much information 

 which thefe refearches contain, that is not to be found in 

 any other Euglifh work on the fubject, and the interclting 

 views of the progrefs of civil and religious liberty, toge- 

 ther with well- drawn characters of its principal advocates, 

 Vol. XXX. 



It C) B 



tlio reader will meet with a variety of important and ex- 

 cellent matter on other topics : the author has introduced 

 into his narrative ingenious remarks, ufeful to elucidate 

 the leading object of his inquiries, on the geography, go- 

 vi riiment, laws, antiquities, commerce, productions,* and cuf- 

 toms and manners of the inhabitants of the feveral countries 

 treated of. Since the death of the author, Mr. Benjamin 

 Flower has collected all Mr. Robinfon's works, with the 

 exception of his " Hiftory of Baptifm," " Ecclefiailical 

 Refearches," " Claude's Effay on the Compolition of a 

 Sermon," and his " Village Sermons," and publifhed them 

 in four volumes, 8vo., to which we refer our readers, who 

 will find, by looking them over, that we have in our enu- 

 meration of Mr. Robinfon's works omitted fome of minor 

 importance. And in the year 1812, the fame perfon pub- 

 lifhed certain pofthumeus pieces of our author in one 

 volume octavo : thefe, on the whole, cannot be faid to add 

 to the reputation of Mr. Robinfon ; they confift of feven 

 fermons, and three dill'ertatioas, " On the Nature and 

 Operations of the Human Mind, as relating more parti- 

 cularly to Theological Inquiries ;" " Literary Precautions 

 neceffary to the Study of Theology ;" " On Predefti- 

 nation ; or, Moderate Calvinifm conlidered as the fafe 

 Path between Two Extremes." To thefe tracts are 

 added " An Hiltorical Account of Protellant Diffenting 

 Churches in Cambridgelhire," and divers of Mr. Robinfon's 

 letters. See Dr. Rees's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Ro- 

 binfon ; Dyer's Life of Robinfon, 1796; and Flower's 

 Memoirs, prefixed to the lirft vol. of the Mifcellaueous 

 Works, 1807. 



Robinson, Richard, archbifhop of Armagh, and baron 

 Rokeby, was born in 1709. He was educated at Weft- 

 miniter fchool, from whence he was elected to Chrifl-church, 

 Oxford, after which he became chaplain to archbifhop 

 Blackburne, of York, who gave him a prebend in his ca- 

 thedral. He went with the duke of Dorfet to Ireland, 

 and was preferred to the fee of Killala, from whence, in 

 1759, he was tranllatedto Leighlin and Ferns, and in 1761 

 to Kildare. In 1 765 lie was advanced to the primacy of Ire- 

 land, and in 1777 he was created a peer. He built a palace 

 in his diocefe of Armagh, with an obfervatory. (Sec the 

 article Observatory.) He alfo Founded a fchool, and 

 built four new churches. He died in 1794. Europ. Mag. 

 Robinson, John, organilt of St. Laurence Jewry, of 

 St. Magnus church, and of Weflminfter abbey. He was 

 regarded as one of the belt performers on keyed inftru- 

 mevts of his time. As an organ-player he was attended by 

 great crowds wherever he performed. He was educated in 

 the chapel-royal, under Dr. Blow. His wife was the 

 daughter of Dr. William Turner, and a public finger. She 

 performed in Scarlatti's opera of Narcilfus, brought on the 

 ftage by Rofcingrave, in 1720 ; and to diltinguifh her from 

 Mrs. Anaitafia Robinfon, who fung in the fame opera, flu- 

 was called Mrs. Turner Robinlon. This celebrated organift 

 died at an advanced age in 1762, and was fucceeded, in 

 Wrllminller abbey, by Dr. Benjamin Cook. 



ReniNsoN, Mifs, daughter of the celebrated orgamll of 

 Weft minfter abbey, who fung at concerts, and, one fealon, 

 in Handel's oratorios. She was a coarfe linger, with an 

 unpleafant toned voice ; but that did not prevent her from 

 becoming a great player on the harpfichord ; pari icularly 011 

 a harpfichord made by Rucker, with pedals, of which (he 

 had acquired, by labour and perfeverance, a facility of exe- 

 cution equal to German organifts. The refult, however, 

 was not equal to the great difficulty ol iiling them. The 

 pedals of an organ often produce line effedts in fuftainior 

 notes with the feet, while both hands are at liberty to ramble 

 ,; B about 



