Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-08
STUART ROBINSON.
sketch Of a Great Presbyterian
Divine Now at Rest.

DR.. Stuart Robinson, the great Pres
byterian divine, died in Louisville
October 9th, at Z am, after a linger-
ing illness of some months. The fol-
lowing outline Of his life and works
appears in the Courier journal Of the
9Th inst:
MI. Richard H. Collins, ESQ.,. the
Kentucky historian, pays the follow
ing deserved tribute to DR.. Robinson
in the Kentucky Biography and En-
cyclopedist:
of the ablest Of living Kentucky
diyines, was born Of poor parents at
Strahane. county Tyrone, in the north
Of ireland, November, 1914. When
he was quite small the family immi-
grated to the United States, settling
for some years near Martinsburg, Va,
but removing before the son was grown
to Charleston, Kanawha county, In
what is now called West Virginia;
Here the strong will, quick wit and
rugged lear-headedness OF the boy
attracted the attention of Rev. James
M. Brown, D. D., a noble Presbyterian
clergyman. who gave him a good pri-
yate.school education and started him
at teaching in one Of the neighboring
salt. works. His education was COM
pleted at Amherst, Mass, where he
graduated in 1884. Among his college
mates were several who, like himself,
have achieved wide distinction, among
them Rev. Benjamin NJ. Palmer, ID.
D., ofNew Orleans; Edward p. Hum
phrey, D. D., of Louisville; and Rev,
Henry Ward Beecher, of Brooklyn.
Having studied for the ministry OF the
Presbyterian church (Old SCHOOL,,
he preached for some years at Maiden
near Charleston. He married Miss
Mary Brigham, whose father, Colonel
William Brigham, an English gentle
man of large estate and great enter
prise, had been engaged in salt making
ior some years before his death In
1929. In 1916 it was a gratifying cir
cumstance that when his old college
mate, DR.. Humphrey, was compelled
by i'll health to relinquish for eight
months his pulpit, the Second Pres
byterian church in Louisville, it was
Ilflled by DR.. Robinson, and so accept
|, ably that the same congregation, wher
a vacancy occurred years after, unani-
mously chose him as their pastor
From 1916 to 1854 he was pastor al
Frankfort, KY, and during that peri.
cd found time to act as President O
la female seminary, President Of &
cotton factory President Of a turnpike
road company and director OF thu
Farmers Bank Of Kentucky. with 1T
seven branches at $4,000, 600 capital.
In 1854 he was called to the pastora
care of the Central Presbyte.i al
;. church in BALTIMORE Nd. With a larg
aud growing congregation, he yet founI
time to originate and edit for tw
8 years, 1866, the Presbyterian Critic,
a very able monthly, strongly contrc
q versial in character.
: In May, 1856, the Presbyteria
I General Assembly elected him Pro
Q Of Church Government and Pastors
Theology in the Theological Seminar
at Danville, Ky, which he filled fC
two years with distinguished talen
Pecuniary reverses in a bushes
interest at too great a distance for b
personal supervision compelled hi
in 1858 to resign the proiessorsh
% against the protest Of his many friend
T. he claiming that no minister Of Il
II gospel could retain the respect Of b
congregation and be exemplarily US
ful except by a rigid regard for /
> pecuniary obligations. In this vic
g he accepted the pastorate of the Sc
ond Presbyterian church, LouisvilI
which he has now held for ninete
years, and also taught a school OF for
is boys, to supplement his resources a
e enable him to pay the security del
u which misfortune had cast uOon hi
9. In 1853 he wrote "The Church
1t God as an Essential Element OF t
70 Gospel, and the Idea, Structure al
Functions Thereof" a duodeciI
volume Of great power and labt
which. in a few months, called fol
a second edition, much enlarged.
al has since written several other small
works, and one octave. "DiscOurses
Redemption" probably the ablest
his writings. In 1861 he began &
J. publication at Louisville Of a week
1t newspaper, the True Presbyterian
!. which was there suppressed by t
. m~ilitary-in July, 1867, and in n
yember, 1864 mot because OF a
political ~utterances, but because
E. pronounced opinions on religious 2
" church topics were distasteful to sol
&c who sank their views of independt
: church government and persol
u action in the maelstrom OF subser
IN ency to Che military spirit ofthe no
In 1862 he was himself arrested By I
. military, but after being released, a
Il. fearing a repetition of the indigni
went to Toronto, Canada, where
y, remained until April, 1866. The pt
I'll LEGATION Of his newspaper was rcsum
be in 1865 by his co-editor as THE H
nd Christian Commonwealth" which
n aided in editing 'froma far country
May, 1869, at the session Of the G,
eral Assembly Of the Presbyter.
lot church (South) at Mobile, Alabar
ess he was elected moderator unanimous
,s. a compliment as distinguished as i
rare. In 1873, in a series Of lectu
to his congregation. he delivered
nc commentary on the Book of Gene
yes both striking and exhaustive. III
ON we're published weekly in the Couri
journal, but the public still look
'ou them n revised book form. In
rst summer of 1873, DR.. Robinson visi
m Europe, Egypt and Palestine, and
al the winter following lectured upon
travels to crowded houses, always
the ~pecuniary benefit of church
jects, never for private reward.
+. this time (July, 1871 he is on
floor Of the PAM Presbyterian cow
ton, in Edinburgh, Scotland, one,
the most observed in that assembly
far great and cultivated Christian min
ice and is one Of the strongest of
-. Amarinan apraoopfoAfv IN A.