7 
6 Rev. Robert Robinson and the late Bishop of London. [Aug. 1, 
death of a sinner, but rather that he 
would turn from his wickedness and live; 
-hath given power and commandment to 
his minister, to declare and pronounce to 
his people, being pemitent, the absolution 
and remission of their sins. He par- 
doneth and absolveth all them that truly 
repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy 
gospel.” ‘Your’s, &e. 
E, T. Pinerim. 
Woburn, July 3, 1809. 
Sa 2 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR; : 
N the Memoirs of Eminent Persons, 
in youriast Magazine, I read a little 
Biographical Account of the late Bishop 
of London; but by no means so com- 
plete, as might be expected from one 
who knew him, and-wrote as a_ bio- 
grapher ought to write. 
- It is natural to wish the reputation of 
our friends to live: it is natural to say 
ali that is kind and affectionate of them, 
after their departure: but there is no 
need, when we commend one, to dis-. 
parage anether. - 
The imperfection of that hitle account 
I should not have noticed, had Enot seen 
2 narrowness of spirit in it; which, while 
it tries to elevate the late bishop, en- 
deavours to degrade another person, 
because he was a dissenter, and an op- 
ponent of Dr. Porteus. 
I am always disgusted with illiberality, 
and must therefore take the liberty of 
making a few remarks. 
The late Rev. Robert Robinson, of 
memory at least as much distinguished 
‘as Dr. Porteus can possibly be; seems 
to be mentioned ina very slighting, con- 
temptuous way, viz. “ Mr. Robert 
Robinson, who had been bred a barber, 
and who, from being a hearer of Whit- 
field, -became a preacher among -the 
Calvinists, until converted by the Bap- 
tists, among whom he became a teacher 
of some eminence, &c.” 
- The writer, in the true spirit of high- 
church, appears to think that the addi- 
tion reverend is ‘prostituted, when given 
to one who refused to have episcopal 
hands laid upon his head: “ Mr. Robert 
Robinson, once a barber, at Jast becaine 
{according to the cant of that party) : 
only a teacher, a haptist-teacher of some 
eminence.” Ts not the dissenting-teacher, 
as much a clergyman as one of the €stab- 
lishment. MY Eee 
Surely his having been apprenticed to 
2 barber, is no proof, nor rational pre-: 
sumption, of deficiency in-either natural, 
_ was Robert Robinsen. 
‘as in the other case. 
or-acquired abilities: if it were, I could 
furnish abundant instances of a similar 
kind, in'the-establishment. I! could tell 
this gentleman of one bishop, who was 
apprentice to a pastry-cook ; another to. 
a wool-comber; of the rector of a city- 
parish, who, in early life, was a gold-wire 
drawer; of a lecturer of St. Andrew’s, 
who had been.a stay-make:; of another 
lecturer at a church, in the east of Lon- 
don, who had been a baker; of a rector 
of a large parish just out of the city, who 
had been an upholsterer, and_ after that 
a lawyer; of another who had been a — 
linen-draper; of another, now living, who 
was an ironmonger. All these last had 
been, not ouly apprenticed, but actually 
in business: and shocking, dreadfully 
shocking as it may be to ecclesiastical 
aristocracy, some of them had been even 
Journeymen. Many more instances of a 
similar kind might be easily found ;. but 
these are sufficient to shew, that dis- 
Senters are not, and even poor Robert 
Robinson was got, in this respect, below 
par. é 
Let such foolish haughty ideas be al- 
ways scouted! And let.men be esti- 
mated, not according to their former 
employments, or the contempt which 
little minds attach to those employments, 
but according to what they were in 
themselves. _ fo 
Thus, strip Dr. Porteus of the lawn, 
and other appendages of an establish- 
ment, and what was he more than Ro- 
bert Robinson? He was an amiable 
man: so was Robert Robinson. A man 
of natural and acquired abilities: so 
A Christian mi- 
nister: so was Robert Robinson. ~ A . 
man (perhaps) of distinguished genius: 
so was Robert Robinson, to a certainty. 
Wien I say they were both men of 
natural and acquired abilities, I view 
it as of no cousideration, how those 
acquirements were obtained ; whether in 
the reguiar routine of classical and uni- 
versity education, asin the one instance ; 
or by the unassisted force of personal 
genius, barsting its way from obseurity ; 
and, with peculiar strength of mind, 
seizing on knowledge in every depart- 
ment, till it had laid in an ample stock, 
Both were, no- 
doubt, amply furnished; and both “ rose 
in the estimation of their friends, and the 
public, far above what might have been | 
expected from their birth ;” for Dr. Por- 
teus also, was not remarkably distin-— 
guished: in this. respect. The writer 
chooses not to say (if he knew) who his 
Oe i ai, father 
> j 
> sigs 
