The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-02
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Literary Habits of Robinson and Hendren


The Rev. Messrs James Robinson and
John Hendren, d. D., in their friendly
mutual efforts for Improvement, as men
and as pastors of Christ flock. are wor-
thy of remembrance and imitation; and
may be received as a specimen of the taste
and literary habits Of the generation of
ministers that formed the Virginia Synod
more than fifty years ago. At that time
good volumes on Theology and Mental
Science were scarce and costly. Minis
ter's libraries in Virginia generally were
not large. Poverty of means. the diff
Guilty of making selections, or of obtain
ing books of standard excellence except
by sending for them, by name, across the
water, kept within narrow limits their
literary, scientific and theological pos
sessions. The libraries of the provincial
clergy, were many Of them, of great sex-
cellence and force At their death these
were scattered over the country; and
excellent editions of the Latin and Greek
Classics, and of English Literature and
Theology, with copies of the Fathers
and the writings of the Reformers fell
into the hands Of native Virginia minis
ters of different denominations. Occa-
sionally donations of valuable standard
works were sent to Virginia by pious
persons not of the Established Church
of England. And many of the wealthy
planters of Virginia, educating their
sons in Great Britain, encouraged them
to bring home extensive Libraries of
standard authors on Law, History, Medi-
cine, Theology and general Literature,
productions of great men of different
ages and languages.
These Libraries in the wasting and scat
tering of families, and in the settlement
of estates, were scattered over the coun-
try. From these sources, together with
the standard practical works held in es-
timation by Protestant Churches in Eu-
rope, and brought over by the pious emf
grants of different nations, for their pri-
vate reading in the wilderness, there was
a scanty supply of excellent books with
in reach of the ministers of the Virginia
Synod. In Virginia Presbytery every
preacher had some valuable books; some
that might be said to be common, that is
might be found in different Libraries, and
others that were both valuable and rare
and altogether, the ministers of Pres
bytery had books enough for moderate
ly sized library of choice and standard
authors. These books were read with
great care; and when convenient, loaned
to each other. Their propositions were
carefully considered, not as dogmas of
authority, but rather as cOmmunes
lOci," subjects of reflection and exami-
nation. And in their quiet residences
for at that time there were few large
towns in Virginia, and still fewer city
congregations-the ministers gave all the
hours they could save from an active life
to reading and meditation. In their
communings with the pages, the book Of
ten seemed instinct with life, the utter
ings of distant or departed author
speaking from the paper, conversing, dis
cussing, reasoning, perhaps disputing with
yehemence over positions and thoughts,
answering the reader objections or doubts
by a repetition of the proposition, some
times seeming to be overcome by the
readers objections, and sometimes evi-
IDENTIFY getting the mastery. Reading
book was to become intimate with mas
ter mind-to come in collision with him,
to be convinced or to convince and es-
tablish the contrary to take in ideas for
consideration, and if approved, to keep
them for use, and if not approved, to re-
ject them for the opposite, or for modi-
fcation, or to hold the mind in dubio.-
And man of one book was not unfre-
quently man prepared for the discus
sion of great subject.
Robinson and Hendren' were active
men. Robinson, beside his numerous and
long rides and frequent preachings, found
it desirable to till the earth by servants
inherited by his wife, cor born in his
house, or bought with his money" and
often with his own hands, and the hands
of his young and only son. Hendren
taught classical school many years, and
for some years added the tilling of the
earth by the hands of his servants, not
having son to assist, or putting his own
strength to the plough. Both found
time for close study and composition.
Some of Robinson's sermons were OBJ
tanned and preserved by Mr.. Hendren,
well composed, full of life, breathing an
evangelical spirit, and written in a hand
not much inferior to that of the stated
clerk, Drury Lacy, noted for his caligra-
phy. Hendren could write well as may
hereafter be seen in some specimens of
his ability.
The progress of theological, or minis
terial Libraries in possession of the Vir-