William Guthrie - The Puritan's Puritan
AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND
CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.
The Rev. Mr. Robert Traill
was descended of an ancient family, that had been in possession of the estate
of Blebo, in Fife, from the time of Walter Traill, archbishop of St. Andrews,
1385, who purchased it, and gave it to his nephew. Robert Traill, son of James
Traill, and father of our author, was minister first of Ely, in the east of
Fife, afterwards of the Grayfriars church in Edinburgh, and was much
distinguished for his fidelity and zeal in discharging the duties of his
function. He married Jean Annan, of the family of Auchterallan, by whom he had
three sons and three daughters; William, who died minister of Borthwick;
Robert, the author of the following sermons; James, lieutenant of the garrison
in Stirling castle; Helen, married to Mr. Thomas Paterson, minister of
Borthwick; Agnes, married to Sir James Stewart of Goodtrees, Lord Advocate of
Scotland, and Margaret, married to James Scot of Bristo, writer in Edinburgh.
At the restoration, Mr. Traill, with other ministers, was prosecuted before the
Scotch council, and, in consequence of their sentence, was imprisoned seven
months in Edinburgh, and banished from the realm. His answers to his libel do
him much honour, as a man and a Christian. From these, and some of his private
letters still extant, he appears to have been a judicious and holy servant of
our Lord Jesus Christ.1 He afterward returned to Scotland, and died during the
time of the persecution; we have seen nothing of his in print, but a letter to
his wife and children, from Holland. His son Robert, the subject of this
Memoir, was born at Ely, May 1642. After the usual course of education at home,
he was sent to the university of Edinburgh, where he recommended himself to the
several professors, by his capacity and diligent application to his studies.
Having determined to devote himself to the work of the ministry, he pursued the
study of divinity with great ardour for several years. He was intimate with
the Rev. William Guthrie of Finwick, and
several others of the Presbyterian ministers; and was present when Mr. James
Guthrie suffered death for his adherence to the peculiar principles of the
Scottish church. His father being banished, had taken refuge in Holland; the
family he left behind him were in great straits; in this situation our author
had no settled residence. In 1666, he was obliged to lurk for some time,
together with his mother and elder brother, because some copies of a book,
entitled, An Apologetic Relation, &c. which the privy council had ordered
to be publicly burnt, were found in Mrs. Traills house. At that time the
Presbyterians in Scotland were treated with great severity, and the privy
council, in the execution of cruel laws that had been enacted by the
legislature, at the instigation of the bishops, was continually harassing them
by their tyrannical edicts, enjoining conformity to the established prelatical
church, under most unreasonable civil pains and penalties, and enforcing their
arbitrary and intolerant decrees by the terror of military quarter and
execution. These harsh and unjustifiable methods provoked many of that
oppressed and unhappy people; and inflamed their spirits to that degree, that
they took up arms, and advanced the length of Pentland-hills, near Edinburgh,
where they were totally defeated and dispersed in an engagement with the
kings forces. Our author was suspected of being among those that were in
arms; and a proclamation was issued by the council for apprehending him, which
obliged him to retire to Holland, to his father, where he arrived in the
beginning of the year 1667. Here he continued to study divinity, and assisted
Nethenus, professor of divinity in the university of Utrecht, in the
republication of Rutherfords Examination of Arminianism. In the preface
to his edition of that book, Nethenus speaks of Mr. Robert Traill as a pious,
prudent, learned, and industrious young man. Coming over to Britain in 1670, he
was ordained to the ministry by some Presbyterian clergymen in London. Being in
Edinburgh 1677, he preached privately. Here, in the month of July, he was
apprehended and brought before the privy council. To them, he acknowledged he
had kept house-conventicles; being interrogate, if he had preached at
field-conventicles, he referred that to proof, and declined to answer, it being
criminal by law; upon which he was ordered by the council to purge himself, by
oath, of preaching or hearing at them. This he peremptorily refused, as what,
in justice, he could not be obliged to do in his own cause. He owned he had
conversed with Mr. John Welsh, on the English border. He was on these accounts
sent to the Bass. Here he enjoyed the company of Messrs. Frazer of Brae, Peden,
and others, confined for their attachment to the testimony of Jesus. From this
prison he was relieved, by order of government, in the month of October the
same year. Afterwards he returned to England, and preached in a meeting house
at Cranbrook, a small town in Kent. From this he removed to London, where for
many years he was pastor to a Scottish congregation, there he laboured
faithfully and successfully, performing the duties of his ministry, both on
Sabbaths and in a lecture on week days; he modestly details his experience in
the following words:I have no name to come to God in but Christ. My own
name is abominable to myself, and deservedly hateful in heaven. No other name
is given under heaven, but that of Jesus Christ, in which a sinner may safely
approach unto God. Since the Father is well pleased with this name, and the Son
commands me to ask in it, and the Holy Ghost hath brought this name to me, and
made it as ointment poured forth, Song 1:3, and since its savour hath reached
my soul, I will try to lift it up as incense to perfume the altar and throne
above; since all that ever come in this name are made welcome, I will come
also, having no plea but Christs name, no covering but his borrowed and
gifted robe of righteousness. I need nothing, I will ask nothing, but what his
blood hath bought (and all that, I will ask); I will expect answers of peace
and acceptance only in that blessed belovedbeloved of the Father, both as
his Son and our Saviour, and beloved of all that ever saw but a little of his
grace and glory. In 1691, upon the republication of Dr. Crisps works, a
flood of legal doctrine seemed to break in among the Dissenting ministers and
others in Londona sort of medium between Calvinism and Arminianism was
proposed, and the doctrines of grace, as explained by the Reformers, were
branded as Antinomianism.2 In this controversy, Dr. Chauncy, Messrs. Thomas
Cole, Nathaniel Mather, Thomas Goodwin, younger, and others, with much ability
defended the doctrines of the Gospel; among these Mr. Traill appeared with much
lustre, as a well informed and evangelical divine. In his sermons preached
about that time, particularly on Galatians 2:21, he clearly illucidates the
doctrines of grace; and in a letter to a country minister (afterwards
published,) he plainly discovers his sentiments and spirit, and throws much
light on the controverted subjects. The late celebrated Hervey says of this
letter, This is a judicious performance, it rightly divides the word of
truth, and lays the line, with a masterly hand, between the presumptuous
Legalist, and the licentious Antinomian. This excellent man died May
1716, aged 74. During his life-time, he published a sermon in the morning
exercise, on 1 Timothy 4:16, in answer to the question, By what Means may
Ministers best win Souls to Christ, 1682; afterwards, Thirteen Sermons on the
Throne of Grace, Hebrews 4:16; and Sixteen Sermons on the Lords Prayer,
John 17:24; after his death was published a volume, entitled, Stedfast
Adherence to the Professions of our Faith, from Hebrews 10:23. This is prefaced
and recommended by the Rev. Messrs. Tong, Nisbet, and Clarke, eminent ministers
in London. In 1778 and 1779, was published another volume, transcribed from Mr.
Traills MSS eleven of these are from 1 Peter 1:1-4 and six on Galatians
2:21. He also wrote a short account of the Rev. William Guthrie, author of a
small but excellent tract, The Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ; and a
recommendation of Marshall on Sanctification.
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