Connecticut Historical Collections

Robbins of Branford, a young preacher, who had been ordained about eight or tea years." Iliin they disciphncd, &:c. for some time. His first olfense seems to have been his preaching for the Baptists, who had estabhsl)ed themselves in the first society of Walhngford about 1735. Mr. John Merriman, their pastor, hud requested some of the standiu"- ministers to preach occasionally for them. There was a complaint made against Air. Bobbins for his irregular preaching, and he was required to make a confession. As he could not conscientiously acknowledge that his preaching to the Baptists was contrary to the word of Gud, or the Saybiook platform, he refused to make the confessioil they desired, although it was evident he wished to live in harmony witli his brethren in the ministry. After a variety of proceedings against i\Ir. Bobbins, he (.AFr. B.) laid the case before tlie society meeting at Bianford. The meeting " I. That this society is of opinion, that wliat our pastor lias ofl'ered to tlie associa- tion of New llavun coiuiiy, rckitiuj,' to Lis ])i<.'acliing to the Baptists in Wallinglurd, is sufiicient." "2. Tliat this society desire ihe Rev. i\Ir. Ruhbins to continue in the ministry arnoni,' us, notwilhstanciinL; his preaeiiiiiy; to ilie Baptists, and wiiatlhe coiisociatJun of New ITavea cminiy have done thereon.''' '• 'A. Th;il v.-e desiie liie Rev. cons(jeiati(in and association not to send any councils or ctimmitlecs amon;^ us, unle.--s tiie soci'jy desire it." " 4; Tliat a |iariicular people ha\e a li'^lit to clioose tlicir own minister; and as no ecclesiastical authority lias rij,'iil to iin|io,se one iipun tiiein uithuul tiieir vote and con- sent, so no auiiiority has iiichi to cen^tire, .-aispend or depose a minister lej^ulaily or- dained, without the vote and eonseiilof his jK'ople." "5. That we cannot sutimil to the act or conclusions of nny councils respecting the ministry ainont,^ us, ihat are made wilhont the vole and consent of this sucicly." Votes in the alfirmative, b'i — in the neL;au\-e, 15. At a church meeting in Biaufoul, Nov. lih, 171.5, tlie church passed the following votes : "1. That we renounce the Sayhioolc |ilail'onii, and cannot receive it as a i ule of government and discipline in the cluiic-li." " '2. That we declare this church to be a con'.ive'.,'alional cluuch." '• I|. Thai we receive the scii|)tuies uf the C)ld and New Testament as the onlv per- fect iule and plaUoiiii of chnrcli government and discipline." " 1. That though we receive the .scrijuures as the only perfect rule; yet as we know of no human composure that comes nearer to the scriptures in mutteis oi' church go- vernment and discipline, than theCambiidge platform; so M'e approve of that for substance, and take it for our platform, agreeably to the word of Goo." " 5. That we arenot hereby straightened in ourchariiy, but free to hold communion, not only with congregaiional churches, and church members that are in good standing, but with those called Presbyterian, and also with those under the Saybrook jilatloim regimen." " Voted, That in testimonv of our respect to oilier churches, and iVeeness to com- mune wiih ihem; we are willing []\dl our Rev. pastm shoiiM e.Kchringe latxjis wiih or- dained minisieis in New Ilaveii county, or invile any of them to preach wiih us, as opportunity [i resents." In 174G, IMr. Bobbins was cited to appear before the consociation. With the citation, the articles of complaint were delivered. Tliey are introduced bore, to give some light on the nature of the religious con- troversies at that period. Those which respected his doctrine were — " 1. That he, the said Mr. Robbins, has in piil)lic talcen it upon him to determine the state of mtants, dying in inl'aney, declaring that they were as odious in the sight of God, as snalces and vipers were to us ; andleft it wliolly in the dark wheiher there were any saved or ii'jt. 192 BRANFORD. " 2. That he had assumed to himself the prerogative of God, the risfhteoiis judge, in judging the condilion of ihe dead, in a funeral sermon, saying that ihev were in hell, to the great grief of mourning friends and others. "3. That in his public preaching lie had been guilty of speaking evil of dignities; declaring tliat the leaders or rulers of llie people were op|)osers of the glorioiis woik of God in the land; and comparing our civil authority to and with Daruis, who cast Daniel in the lion's den. "4. In judging and declaring those persons carnal and unconverted, that did not approve of the late religious stir that has been made in the land; and in the improve- ment of liis sermon dividing them, and calling one part, that is, the approvers, the children of God, and branding the other part with tiie name and character of opposers. "5. Tiie said Mr. Robbins has also publicly and censoriously judged those that did not fall in with and impute the religious stir in the land (which he calls a glorious worlc of God) to be the work of God's spirit, declaring such were guilty of the unpar- donable sin. "G. He has publicly asserted, and taught and laid down, that a man might be sin- cere in religion, and a strict observer of the sabbath, and yet be a hypocrite. " 7. Said Mr. Robbins has publicly reflected upon and reviled the standing ministers of this land, calling them Arminians, and comparing them with and to false prophei.-i, putting himself in the place of Miciijah." With respect to his Antinomian doctrines, they complained, " 1. That he has publicly langiit us, that there is no promise in all tlie bible that be- longs to sinners; thereby frustiaiing tlie covenant of God's free grace, and ihc conde- scension and compassion of God, and his Son, our Saviour, to poor, lost and perishing sinners. "2. That there is no direction in all the bible how men should come to Christ, nor could he direct any persons how they should come to him: thereby rendering the study and seareli of the holy scriptures, at least an unsafe and insuflicient way of finding Chri^t and the preaching thereof useless. " 3. lie has publicly taught that it is as easy for persons to know vhen they are con- verted, as it is to know noonday light from midnight darkness; making the only sure evidence of conversion to consist in inward feeling, and a sense of iheir love to God. "1. He has declared in public, that believers never doubt of their interest in Christ, after conversion; and if ihey do, it is the sign of an hypocrite; rendering sanctilica- tion no evidence of conversion or justification, and that believers are never in the dark. "5. He has also taught that God could easier convert the ."feat a man sits on than convert a moral man ; and that the most vicious or vile person stands as fair for con- viction and conversion as the strictest moral man ; thereby making holiness and obe- dience to the moral law, no way necessary to be found in men for their salvation. "6. Mr. Robbins has taught that there are some sinners that Christ never died for, nor did he come to save them; thereby perverting the great doctrines of redemption in the gospel, and rendering all endeavors in men to obtain salvation, useless; Armi- ninniMii and blending the covenant of works and covenant of grace together." \Viili relation to his eiiiliu.siasm, which they complained of as exceedingly grievous to them, these arlielcs weie cliaiged against him; " That bitter atid censuiious spirit discovered by the said Mr. Robbins, aguinst all, even civil magistrates, as well as ministers, who tlo not think the commotions in the land which bear the name of religion, a glorious work of God, and the effect of the agency of the Holy Spirit, declaring all such to be guilty of the unpardonable sin. " 2. In that strange heat of spirit, under which the said Mr. Robbins has acted; dis- covered iu a perpetual uneasiness, or craving to be preaching; going into those many unscriptural night meetings, and frequent public preaching under a religious pre- tence; consorting with and improving those to preach and carry on in public, as well as in those private meeting.s, that have been most forward and famous for their enthu- siasm in the present day. "3. In the spirit of pride and conceitedness, and expectation (o be believed only upon positive and bold assertion, discovered by said Robbins; among other instances thereof, by publicly declaring, in a sermon, that the standing ministers in this land were AVminians, and calling them false prophets, while he put himself in the place of Micajali before Ahab, in 1 Kings, xxii. pronouncing these words upon it. That if the body of the people were in the way to eternal life, the Lord had not spoken by him. "4. Mr. Robbins has publicly taught, that unconverted persons have no right to praise God." With respect to his conduct, these articles were charged : "1. Mr. Ilolibins' earnestness in promoting and imfiroving strolling or tiavelling preachers; and improving those that were most disorderly, to preach and e.xhort in the society; more especially at one such meeting carried on at his own house, by Messrs. Brainard and Buel; and another at the same place, carried on by Messrs. c II K s n I R E . 193 Wheelock and Munson; to the dishonor of relitrion, to the just offence of many of the church and people, and to the rie.stiuclion of pence and gospel order, in church and societ}-. " 2. His introducing Mr. Davenport to preach and exhort, and also his man to pray and sing, at the lime when he went lhroiij(h ihe euiuUry, sinj^Mn^' alonf< the streets; at- tended u'iih this a,:,'t.Ma\'aling eircuinslance, thai it was on sacrament day; to the f^reat confiisiiiii and disiiirliance of the church, and prtilanina; of the snhbaili in this society. '■'J. His preaching in Wallmjjfoul, in iln; mc-UhLC-house of llie aiiabapiisls there ; and that contrary to the desire of a j^M'eat numbi'iuf the people at Wallin^'loid, re- questing him iJiat he would not, and to the advice of neighboring ministers to llie con- trary."*