LOSS TO THE FREE CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 318, 3 October 1908, Page 12

LOSS TO THE FREE CHURCH

DEATH OF DR. J.. ROBSON. Death' has robbed the United Free Church of. yet ,ono more notable figure in the person of Dr. John Robson, late of Aberdeen. Dr. Robson, who had retired from the active ministry and was resident in the South, was spending a holiday at Lochranza in Arran, and had reached his 72nd year. He was the son of a minister of the late U.P. Church, was a native of Glasgow, where he received both school and university education, and where he hail as contemporaries tho late Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Mr. Japies Bryce, the present British Ambassador to tho united States, who was a frequent hearer of Dr. Robson in Aberdeen. In iB6O, Dr. Robson was ordained as missionary to Rajputana, where he did notablo work, more especially in connection with the great famine of 1869. For'health reasons lie accepted a Home call and became minister of the important charge of-St. Nicholas Lane U. P. Church, Aberdeen, in 187 G. _ Here he remained in full charge for a period of 22 years. The highest honour of his denomination was conferred upon him in 1899, when he had the distinction of being tho last moderator who occupied the office for a full term. Dr. Robson was the author of a number of valuable contributions to theological literature. Among the volumes _ which have come from his pen are "Hinduism: Its Relation to Christianity," "The Holy, Spirit, tho Paraclete," "The Resurrection Gospel, "The Prophet Jeremiah," and "The Bible Class Primer." 'Always a missionary at heart, his very latest work, which but recently'appeared, is a strong defence of Christ's farewell commission to the Church. The bent of his mind was toward the older views of Scripture, and he was stirred, it is said, by what lie considered some erro-neous'tendencies-in recent theological literature, and his book was .really an unburdening of his soul' on what was to him a question of paramount • importance for tho Church. Two of his daughters have followed their father to the foreign field. One has gone to his old sphero at Rajputana, the other to Jamaica. '