"the younger members. The decisions which for a long 66 course of years he dictated, form a common law of "the church in which the system is unfolded. His con"versation imprinted upon the minds of those who were "admitted to it during the course of the Assembly, the "principles which pervaded his decisions: and thus "were diffused throughout the church the rational and "consistent ideas of Presbyterian government upon which "he and his friends uniformly acted. "These ideas continue to direct the General Assem"blies of the church of Scotland. For although it is "not likely that any member of that house will ever pos"sess the unrivalled, undisputed influence with his bre"thren to which peculiar advantages of character and situ"ation conducted Dr. Robertson, his principles are so "thoroughly understood, and so cordially approved by "the great majority of the church of Scotland, that by 66 means of that attention to the business and forms of "the house which is paid by some of his early friends "who yet survive, and by a succession of younger men "trained in his school, the ecclesiastical affairs of Scot"land proceed on the same orderly systematical plan "which was first introduced by the ability, the prudence, "the firmness, the candour and moderation which he displayed upon every occasion." 66 NOTE N. p. 121. A few particulars, " in addition to Dr. Erskine's funeral sermon on the death of Dr. Robertson," have been kindly communicated to me by my friend the Rev. Sir Henry Moncreiff Wellwood, Bart. The testimony which they contain to Dr. Robertson's merits as an ecclesiastical leader will have no small weight with those who are acquainted with the worth and the talents of the writer. "In mentioning the character of Dr. Robertson as à "leader of the prevailing party in the church, there is a "circumstance which ought not to be omitted, by which "he distinguished himself from all his predecessors who "had held the same situation. Before his time, those of "the clergy who pretended to guide the deliberations of "the General Assembly, derived the chief part of their "influence from their connection with the men who had "the management of Scots affairs. They allowed them"selves to receive instructions from them, and even from "those who acted under them. They looked up to them "as their patrons, and ranged themselves with their de"pendents. Their influence, of consequence, subsisted "no longer than the powers from which it was derived. "A change in the management of Scots affairs either ❝left the prevailing party in the church without their "leaders, or obliged their leaders to submit to the mean"ness of receiving instructions from other patrons."Dr. Robertson, from the beginning, disengaged him"self completely from a dependence which was never "respectable, and to which he felt himself superior. He ❝ had the countenance of men in power; but he received "it as a man who judged for himself, and whose influ❝ence was his own. The political changes of his time "did not affect his situation. The different men who had "the management of Scots affairs uniformly co-operated "with him-but though they assisted him, they looked "up to his personal influence in the church, which no man "in the country believed to be derived from them. "Those who differed most in opinion with Dr. Ro"bertson, but who are sincerely attached to the interests "and to the integrity of the church, must allow this con"duct to have been both respectable and meritorious. "It will always reflect honour on his memory, and has left an important lesson to his successors. "It is not useless to mention his fairness in the debates "of the Assembly. Whether his opponents were con"vinced by his arguments or not, they were commonly "sensible of the candour with which he stated them, and "of the personal respect with which they were treated "by him. And though the concessions which he was "always ready to make to them when they did not affect "the substance of his own argument, might be imputed "to political sagacity as well as to candour, there was "uniformly an appearance of candour in his manner, by "which he preserved their good opinion, and which "greatly contributed to extend his influence among his own friends. Like all popular meetings, the General "Assembly sometimes contains individuals, who have more acuteness than delicacy, and who allow themselves "to eke out their arguments by rude and personal invec"tives. Dr. Robertson had a superior address in reply"ing to men of this cast, without adopting their asperity, "and often made them feel the absurdity of the personal "attack, by the attention which he seemed to bestow on "their argument. "It should be mentioned also, that Dr. Robertson's "early example, and his influence in more advanced life, "chiefly contributed to render the debates in the Assembly "interesting and respectable, by bringing forward all the 86 men of abilities to their natural share of the public busi"" ness. Before his time, this had been almost entirely in "the hands of the older members of the church, who were "the only persons that were thought entitled to deliver "their opinions, and whose influence was often derived "more from their age than from their judgment or their "talents. "I do not know whether the reasons, which led Dr. Ro"bertson to retire from the assemby after 1780, have ever been thoroughly understood.-They were not sug"gested by his age, for he was then only fifty-nine; nor "by any diminution of his influence, for, in the appre"hension of the public, it was at that time as great as it ❝had ever been. It is very probable that he anticipated a time when a new leader might come forward; and "thought it better to retire while his influence was undi"minished, than to run the risque, in the end of his life, "of a struggle with younger men, who might be as suc❝cessful as he had been.-But I recollect distinctly, what "he once said to myself on the subject, which I am per"suaded he repeated to many others. He had been often "reproached by the more violent men of his party for not "adopting stronger measures than he thought either right 66 or wise. He had yielded to them many points against ❝his own judgment; but they were not satisfied: he was "plagued with letters of reproach and remonstrance on a "variety of subjects, and he complained of the petulance "and acrimony with which they were written. But there was one subject, which, for some years before he re“tired, had become particularly uneasy to him, and on " which he said he had been more urged and fretted than "on all the other subjects of contention in the church; the "scheme into which many of his friends entered zealously "for abolishing subscription to the confession of Faith and "Formula. This he expressly declared his resolution to "resist in every form.-But he was so much teased with 66 remonstrances on the subject, that he mentioned them as "having at least confirmed his resolution to retire. He "claimed to himself the merit of having prevented this "controversy from being agitated in the assemblies; but "warned me as a young man that it would become the "chief controversy of my time, and stated to me the reasons which had determined his opinion on the subject. "The conversation was probably about 1782 or 1783."I have a distinct recollection of it; though I have no "idea that his prediction will be verified, as the controversy seems to be more asleep now than it was a few years ago." 66 NOTE O. p. 128. The active part which Dr. Robertson took in the foundation of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, is so well known to all the members, that it did not appear necessary to recall it to their recollection. For the information of others, however, it may be proper to observe here, that the first idea of this establishment, and of the plan adopted in its formation, was suggested by him; and that, without his powerful co-operation, there is little probability that the design would ever have been carried into effect. The zeal with which he promoted the execution of the statistical accounts of Scotland has been publicly acknowledged by Sir John Sinclair; and, on the other hand, I have frequently heard Dr. Robertson express, in the strongest terms, his sense of the obligations which the country lay under to the projector and conductor of that great national work; and the pride with which he reflected on the monument which was thus raised to the information and liberality of the Scottish clergy. From the following letters it would appear, that he had contributed some aid to the exertions of those who so honourably distinguished themselves a few years ago in the parliamentary discussions about the African trade. His own sentiments on that subject were eloquently stated thirty years before, in the only sermon which he ever published. From Mr. WILBERFORCE to Dr. ROBERTSON. Sir, London, 25th January, 1783. I SHALL not begin by apologizing to you for now presuming to intrude myself on you without introduction, but with condemning myself for not having done it sooner. The subject which is the occasion of my troubling you with this letter, that of the Slave Trade, is one on which I am persuaded our sentiments coincide; and in calling |