am 
40 
| OXXXIX.—INSTANCE of ACCURACY ina 
CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUARY. 
By Difentients mentioned in a former 
number was meant members of the unt- 
werfity, who difapproved: fomething in 
the univerfity either of doftrine or dif- 
cipline, and the like. As the Cantabri- 
giana, therefore, was confined to members 
of. ihe univerfity, it does not compre- 
hend matters that relate to the town; 
and, of courfe, is unconnected with thofe, 
who ‘are properly called Diffenters in 
Cambridge. But Mr. Cole’s inaccuracy 
concerning the late Mr. Robert Robinfon 
muf be fet right. 
This gentleman was the predeceffor. of 
Mr. Robert Hall, the prefent Baptitt 
minifter in the town. Mr. Cole calls 
Robinfon the Anabaptift preacher of 
Cambridge. Now, as far as the beft 
elaffical authorities, and the Septuagint 
Greek tranflation of the Old Teftament, 
the writers of the New, and the Greek 
Fathers of the two firft centuries can de- 
termine the meaning of a term, the 
words Cawlw, Cerf, Caelions, and 
Caznlicyos always relate to covering over, 
plunging, wafhing or Dipping. Hence 
‘John the Baptift, or dipper; and the fe& 
call themielves, on thefe principles, dip.. 
pers, or Baptifts, not Anabaptits. But 
without entering into the difpute about 
€am@lfm and eayrifw, in which.the Canta- 
brigiana takes no intereft, it fhould be 
obferved, be the meaning of the term 
what it may, that Robinfon’s fentiment 
on the fubjeé&t was exattly that of 
Sir Ifaac Newton, Dr. Samuel Clarke, 
Bifhop Hoadly, and John Milton: and 
thefe are at leaft as good company as 
Mr. Cole. 
This fame Mr. Cole, {peaking of Mr. 
Robinfon’s humble employment in early 
life, defcribes him as a journeyman. 
Robinfon was edacated at a very excellent 
endowed claffical fchool in Norfclk, where 
Lord Thurlow, the la'e Lord Chancellor, 
Mr. Norris, the founser of the Norrifian 
Profeflorfhip, and other gentlemen of 
Cambridge, received their education. It 
is now, we believe, under the care of Mr.Pot- 
ter, thetranflator of Ai{chylus. Here Ro- 
binfon acquireda knowledge of the French 
tongue, and a better acquaintance with 
Claffical literature, than boys ufually at- 
tain at an early period. He was origi- 
nally defigned for the Univerfity, but’ 
through reafons not to be enquired into 
here, was bound apprentice, at the ufual- 
time, to a very humble profeffion in 
Loudon. He did not ferve cut his time ;. 
for his mafier, finding him more interefted 
\ 
Cantabrigiana. 
Feb. 1, 
about books than work, was happy in 
giving up his indentures, when Ro- 
binfon returned to his fiudies, and to be 
prepared for the miniftry.. Confequently 
he never was a journeyman. We mike 
this diftinction, to fhew the talfehood of 
Mr. Cole’s infidious inference: for Cole’s 
affertion was preparatory to this inference, 
that after having been a journeyman he 
fat down to his books, for the firft time, 
and got juft {mattering enough to make 
him a coxcomb ;—whereas Robinfon never 
was a journeyman, but’ had the advantage 
of a Jearned education, was fond of books. 
from a boy, continued fo through iifc, 
and fell a martyr, in a great mealure, to 
an intemperate applicatiow to his ftu- 
dies, inthe fifty-fourth year of his age. 
As to Cole’s contemptuous manner of 
introducing this fubject, liberal Church- 
men, as well as Diflenters, might afk, 
who -was called the Carpenter’s Son ? 
Join Martyr, by the bye, the fr& Chrift- 
ian writer of much authority, fays, in his 
Dialogue with Trypho, that he alfo 
worked at his trade.—Men of the firlt ta- 
lents, frequently burt from obfcurity, 
and are indebted to their own activity for 
all their confequence. ‘* Quam matrem 
Euripides, fays Valerius Maximus, aut 
quem patrem Euripides habuerit, ipiorum 
queque feculo ignotum fuit: alterius cue 
tera matrem olera, alterius,patrem cultel- 
los venditafle, omnium pene doéterum li- 
tere loguuntur. Sed quid aut illius tra- 
gica, aut hujus cratoria vi clarius? 
Some of the men mof diftinguifhed for 
talents, learning, and worth, in both our 
univerfities, have from the firft foundation 
of colleges, {prung from the loweft ftations.. 
The coileges, indeed, are eleemofynary 
inftitutions ; and Cole himfelf, who is far 
removed from the firft rank of merit, was 
but the fon of an innkeeper; a touch 
above fome of his contemporaries it muft 
be owned. ‘ 
Ecce iterum Crifpinus, et eft mihi fepe vo- 
canaus 
Ad partes by 
Come, Mr. Tapfter, once again I call, 
Pray give fair meafure. Juv. 
When Robinfon publifhed his Plea for 
the Divinity of Chrift, it was highly com- 
plimented, as the beft preduétion on that 
fubjet, by the moft diftinguifhed advo— 
cates of the doétrine in the univerfity, and. © 
fome of influence in the church ; Hinch- 
lffe, Bifhcp of Peterborough ; Hailifax, 
Bifhop of Gloucefer ; Dr. Ogden, and. 
others, who were defirous of bcing 
the means eof, Robinfon’s advancement, 
in’ the church, as was alfo the Minif- 
ter of the day; and:the moft judicious: 
writers 
»% 
