Robert Robinson (Dissenting minister)
Encyclopedia
Robert Robinson ‘D.D.’ (ca. 1726-1791), was a Dissenting
Minister, who was clearly eccentric, and has been accused of being controversial and belligerent. He is not to be confused with the justly celebrated Baptist Minister Robert Robinson (1735-1790).
's Calvinistic relatives would have sent him, had he not, “being at that time an Arminian, ... resolutely opposed it, especially upon finding that if [he] went thither, besides giving a [conversion] experience, [he] must subscribe [his] assent to ten printed articles of the strictest Calvinist faith, and repeat it every six months.” Marryat and Walker were devoted to Calvinism, and it was they who determined this rule that all students should biannually subscribe to the Calvinistic creed of ten articles.
, Cheshire
, in 1748, where he succeeded Joseph Bourn (1713-?1765), who had moved on to Hindley
in Lancashire. The Congleton
congregation already had Socinian
or Unitarian
leanings; Robinson’s successors, William Turner
and Benjamin Dawson
, were certainly of that persuasion. While at Congleton, and in response to the final thwarting of the Jacobite
cause, Robinson preached and published a sermon: The Mischievous intentions of popish projectors frustrated.
After four years at Congleton, Robinson moved to the Old Chapel, Dukinfield
, Cheshire. He read his inaugural sermon on 12 November 1752. If his removal had been the result of a rift with his Congleton congregation, no record of it has yet come to light. However, he was clearly subject to outbreaks of bad temper whilst at Dukinfield. His instructions to the town constable to whip a begging tramp, was one factor amongst many behind a growing rift with his congregation. He left at the end of 1755.
Robinson now began a nineteen-year pastorate at Dob Lane Unitarian Chapel, Failsworth
, near Manchester. Two sermons which Robinson preached, and afterwards printed, on the artificial rise in the price of corn gained him the ill-will of interested speculators; but his Dob Lane congregation found fault with the consistency of his Unitarianism
as well as with his politics, and his congregation and hence his income soon fell away. As a result, he accepted some editorial work for a local bookseller, Robert Whitworth. Whitworth projected an edition of the Bible, to be sold in serial form. This would be more successful if Robinson could put some academic initials after his name on the title page. Consequently, Robinson persuade some acquaintances to sponsor an application to Edinburgh University, who appearing to mistake him for the more meritorious and academically distinguished Robert Robinson of Cambridge awarded him a Doctorate in Divinity in January 1774.
Finally exasperated with their belligerent preacher, on 14 Dec. 1774 Robinson was handed a thirty-six-signature petition, signed by “eighteen subscribers and eighteen ciphers,” demanding his resignation. Robinson’s response was to point out that he had been in post some twenty years, and would remain till “August 1st, 1782, and as much longer as I then see cause;” and he published a pamphlet, The doctrine of absolute submission discussed, or, the natural right claimed by some dissenters to dismiss their ministers at pleasure exposed. He had to get this printed in London, because Whitworth, his local publisher, not wishing to become involved in a local dispute, refused to print it. At the back of this pamphlet, and clearly to antagonize his Unitarian
congregation, Robinson advertised a further publication: A Discourse in Vindication of the true and proper Divinity of our Lord, &c., with appendices. If it was ever written, it seems never to have been published.
, near Stockport
.
Robinson died at his son's house in Manchester on 7 December 1791, and was buried 15 December, by his own directions, at seven in the morning, in a square red-brick building erected on his property. A movable glass pane was inserted in his coffin, and the mausoleum had a door for purposes of inspection by a watchman, who was to see if he breathed on the glass. It seems he had a horror of premature burial, and so he instructed his relatives to visit his grave periodically to check that he was still dead.
English Dissenters
English Dissenters were Christians who separated from the Church of England in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.They originally agitated for a wide reaching Protestant Reformation of the Established Church, and triumphed briefly under Oliver Cromwell....
Minister, who was clearly eccentric, and has been accused of being controversial and belligerent. He is not to be confused with the justly celebrated Baptist Minister Robert Robinson (1735-1790).
Early life
Born about 1726, Robinson was educated at the dissenting academy at Plasterers' Hall, Addle Street, London. His tutors here were Zephaniah Marryat, D. D. (ca. 1684-1754), theological tutor, ‘considered to be the best Greek scholar among the Dissenters;’ and John Walker, LL. D., Classical and Hebrew tutor, who was ‘celebrated for his profound knowledge of the oriental languages.’ Plasterers' Hall was unashamedly Independent or Congregationalist. It was the academy Joseph PriestleyJoseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
's Calvinistic relatives would have sent him, had he not, “being at that time an Arminian, ... resolutely opposed it, especially upon finding that if [he] went thither, besides giving a [conversion] experience, [he] must subscribe [his] assent to ten printed articles of the strictest Calvinist faith, and repeat it every six months.” Marryat and Walker were devoted to Calvinism, and it was they who determined this rule that all students should biannually subscribe to the Calvinistic creed of ten articles.
Career as a minister
Robinson abandoned Calvinism whilst at the academy, though for the time he maintained his Trinitarianism. His first pastorate appears to have been at CongletonCongleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, in 1748, where he succeeded Joseph Bourn (1713-?1765), who had moved on to Hindley
Hindley
Hindley may refer to:Places*Hindley, Greater Manchester, England*Hindley, Northumberland, EnglandPeople*Myra Hindley, convicted "Moors Murderess"*Henry Hindley, 18th century clockmaker*Clement Hindley, British railway engineer...
in Lancashire. The Congleton
Congleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
congregation already had Socinian
Socinianism
Socinianism is a system of Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini , which was developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor Reformed Church of Poland during the 15th and 16th centuries and embraced also by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the same period...
or Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
leanings; Robinson’s successors, William Turner
William Turner (minister at Wakefield)
William Turner was an English dissenting divine.-Life:The son of John Turner , he was born at Preston, Lancashire, on 5 December 1714. His father, a restless man, who was minister for short periods at Preston, Rivington, Northwich, Wirksworth, and Knutsford, distinguished himself on the Hanoverian...
and Benjamin Dawson
Benjamin Dawson
Benjamin Dawson LL.D. was an English minister, initially Presbyterian but then Anglican, and linguist.-Life:The sixth son of Eli Dawson, Presbyterian minister, and brother of the scholar Abraham Dawson, he was born at Halifax...
, were certainly of that persuasion. While at Congleton, and in response to the final thwarting of the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
cause, Robinson preached and published a sermon: The Mischievous intentions of popish projectors frustrated.
After four years at Congleton, Robinson moved to the Old Chapel, Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
, Cheshire. He read his inaugural sermon on 12 November 1752. If his removal had been the result of a rift with his Congleton congregation, no record of it has yet come to light. However, he was clearly subject to outbreaks of bad temper whilst at Dukinfield. His instructions to the town constable to whip a begging tramp, was one factor amongst many behind a growing rift with his congregation. He left at the end of 1755.
Robinson now began a nineteen-year pastorate at Dob Lane Unitarian Chapel, Failsworth
Failsworth
At Failsworth lies north-northwest of London. It shares common boundaries with Manchester and Oldham, on its west and northeast respectively. Failsworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the heavy rail line of the Oldham Loop and the Rochdale Canal, which crosses the...
, near Manchester. Two sermons which Robinson preached, and afterwards printed, on the artificial rise in the price of corn gained him the ill-will of interested speculators; but his Dob Lane congregation found fault with the consistency of his Unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
as well as with his politics, and his congregation and hence his income soon fell away. As a result, he accepted some editorial work for a local bookseller, Robert Whitworth. Whitworth projected an edition of the Bible, to be sold in serial form. This would be more successful if Robinson could put some academic initials after his name on the title page. Consequently, Robinson persuade some acquaintances to sponsor an application to Edinburgh University, who appearing to mistake him for the more meritorious and academically distinguished Robert Robinson of Cambridge awarded him a Doctorate in Divinity in January 1774.
Finally exasperated with their belligerent preacher, on 14 Dec. 1774 Robinson was handed a thirty-six-signature petition, signed by “eighteen subscribers and eighteen ciphers,” demanding his resignation. Robinson’s response was to point out that he had been in post some twenty years, and would remain till “August 1st, 1782, and as much longer as I then see cause;” and he published a pamphlet, The doctrine of absolute submission discussed, or, the natural right claimed by some dissenters to dismiss their ministers at pleasure exposed. He had to get this printed in London, because Whitworth, his local publisher, not wishing to become involved in a local dispute, refused to print it. At the back of this pamphlet, and clearly to antagonize his Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
congregation, Robinson advertised a further publication: A Discourse in Vindication of the true and proper Divinity of our Lord, &c., with appendices. If it was ever written, it seems never to have been published.
Retirement
Fruitless efforts followed, to force his ejection, and then to buy him out; but Robinson held the trust-deeds, locked the doors of the chapel and graveyard, and for three years preached but one sermon, that a Fast-day sermon against the politics of dissent. For three years, burials were made in the parish church-yard or in private grounds. Robinson finally resigned in 1777. He applied for ordination into the Church of England, but was sensibly refused. So, he retired to an estate he purchased, Barrack Hill House at BredburyBredbury
Bredbury is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England, located south east of Manchester, east of Stockport and south west of Hyde...
, near Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
.
Robinson died at his son's house in Manchester on 7 December 1791, and was buried 15 December, by his own directions, at seven in the morning, in a square red-brick building erected on his property. A movable glass pane was inserted in his coffin, and the mausoleum had a door for purposes of inspection by a watchman, who was to see if he breathed on the glass. It seems he had a horror of premature burial, and so he instructed his relatives to visit his grave periodically to check that he was still dead.