Benjamin Robinson (1666–1724) was an English

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church minister who was a pupil of Samuel Ogden (1626–1697). He came to be a respected theologian and had his views published. He started a school in

Findern Findern is a village and civil parish in the District of South Derbyshire, approximately 5–6 miles south of Derby (Grid reference: ). The population of the civil parish was 1,669 at the 2011 Census. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Bo ...

in south

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

Life

Benjamin Robinson was born at

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

in 1666 and educated for the ministry by John Woodhouse''History of Dissenters, from the Revolution in 1688, to the Year 1808''
p.65 by

David Bogue David Bogue (18 February 175025 October 1825) was a British nonconformist religious leader. Life He was born at Hallydown Farm, in the parish of Coldingham, Berwickshire, Scotland, the son of John Bogue, farmer, and his wife, Margaret Swanston. ...

, James Bennett, 1809 at

Sheriff Hales Sheriffhales is a dispersed settlement, scattered village in Shropshire, England, north-east of Telford, north of Shifnal and south of Newport, Shropshire, Newport. The name derives from Halh (Anglican) and scīr-rēfa (Old English) which is ...

, Shropshire. He began life as chaplain and tutor in the family of Sir

John Gell John Gell may refer to: *Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet (1592–1671), Parliamentarian in the English Civil War *Sir John Gell, 2nd Baronet (1612–1689), lead mining magnate and MP for Derbyshire * John Eyre Gell (died 1739), known as John Eyre before ...

at Hopton, Derbyshire. He was subsequently chaplain at Normanton to Samuel Saunders, upon whose death he married and settled as Presbyterian minister of

, Derbyshire, being ordained on 10 October 1688. In 1693 he opened a school at Findern, and for so doing was cited into the bishop's court. Knowing William Lloyd, then bishop of

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

and

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

, he went to remonstrate with him. Lloyd stayed the prosecution, and discussed nonconformity with Robinson till two o'clock in the morning; they afterwards corresponded. John Howe recommended him to a congregation at

Hungerford Hungerford is a historic market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, west of Newbury, east of Marlborough, northeast of Salisbury and 60 miles (97 km) west of London. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the town alongside the ...

, Berkshire, to which he removed from Findern in 1693. Here also, in 1696, he set up a school which developed into an academy for training ministers ; students were sent to him by the Presbyterian fund. It was his aim to inspire them with proper sentiments and dispositions to allure them to habits of study.

Gilbert Burnet Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was highly respected as a cleric, a preacher, an academic, ...

Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The see is in the City of Salisbury where the bishop's seat ...

, being at Hungerford on a visitation, sent for Robinson, who defended his course and gained Burnet's friendship. Subsequently he and Edmund Calamy had several interviews with Burnet in 1702, when nonconformist matters were before parliament. It was said the "he could do as much in an hour as another man could in a day". In 1700 he succeeded Woodhouse, his former tutor, as Presbyterian minister at Little St. Helen's,

Bishopsgate Street Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate gave its name to the Bishopsgate Ward of the City of London. The ward is traditionally divided into ''Bishopsgate Within'', inside the line wall, and ''Bishop ...

in the City of London.Churches at History.ac.uk
accessed 23 October 2007 Here he enjoyed great popularity as a preacher, having much natural eloquence, and a gift of rapid composition with a strong pen. In 1705 he succeeded George Hamond as one of the

Salters' Hall The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the Livery Company, Livery Companies of the City of London, 9th in order of precedence. The Company originated as the Guild of Corpus Christi, which was granted a Royal Charter of incorporation in 139 ...

lecturers, and made this his first business when declining health compelled him to limit his work. He died on 30 April 1724, and was buried in

Bunhill Fields Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground in central London, in the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London. What remains is about in extent and the bulk of the site is a public garden maintained by the City of London Cor ...

. He left a widow, Anne, and several children.

Major works

# ''A Plea for ... Mr. Baxter in answer to Mr. Lobb,'' &c., 1697, 8vo defends Baxter's view of the Atonement). # ''A Review of the Case of Liturgies,'' &c., 1710, 8vo. # ''A Letter ... in defence of the Review,'' &c., 1710, 8vo (both in reply to Thomas Bennet, D.D. # ' The Question stated, and the Scripture Evidence of the Trinity proposed,' 1719, 4to, being the second part of ' The Doctrine of the Ever Blessed Trinity stated and defended ... by four subscribing ministers.'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Benjamin People from Derby Dissenting academy tutors English Presbyterian ministers 1666 births 1724 deaths 17th-century Presbyterian ministers 18th-century Presbyterian ministers 17th-century English clergy 18th-century English people Burials at Bunhill Fields People from Findern