T/HE celebrated Hogarth, in his "Beer Street," has a graphic picture of a porter drinking barley wine, after depositing on the ground a load, directed to the trunk-maker, of five enormous folios; one of which has on the back, "Turnbull on Ancient Paintings." Turnbull was one of the most voluminous writers of his age.I have read many thousand pages written by him; but I fear the greater part of the copies of his works have gone to the destiny indicated by Hogarth.It is disappointing to find that this author, who was both an able and a graceful writer, has passed away from the public view so effectively that it is difficult now to procure materials for his biography, or even to get a sight of most of his works.It may be doubted whether any one, except the writer of this history, has been at pains to peruse his works as a whole, for the last hundred years.Dugald Stewart, so well informed on British philosophy, had only looked into one of his volumes; and Sir William Hamilton, in his multifarious researches among obscure writers, does not seem to have thought it worth his while ****** any inquiries about him.Yet it can be shown that he exercised a greater influence than all other masters and writers put together on his pupil Thomas Reid,-the true representative of the Scottish philosophy.He seems to have been the son of the Rev.George Turnbull (his mother's name was Elizabeth Glass), of whom we {96} can gather a few scattered notices: as that he was born about 1656; that he graduated in Edinburgh University in 1675; that he became minister of Alloa in 1689, when the Episcopal clergyman was ejected; that he was translated to Tyningham in 1699; that he was nominated but not carried as moderator of the General Assembly in 1711; that he preached before that body in 1713;that his name appears among the members of "The Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge," in 1720 and that he died in June, 1744, at the age of eighty-eight.His son was born in 1698 (he was baptized July 15) graduated in Edinburgh in April, 1721 and in November of the same year he was appointed, by a presentation from the Crown, regent of Marischal College; and is taken on trial in philosophy and the Greek Language, and declares his willingness to sign the Confession of Faith.He comes to have among his colleagues Thomas Blackwell, son of the principal, admitted regent in 1723, who did much to create a taste for Greek in the college, and who is still known to antiquarian scholars by his learned but uninteresting works, "Inquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer," "Letters concerning Mythology," and " Memoirs of the Court of Augustus." In Aberdeen at that time there was-as we have seen there was in Glasgow-- a principal's party and an opposition party; and there were disputes about the election of the rector.The majority of the masters, including Mr.Turnbull, in opposition to the principal, Blackwell the elder, wish the society to make up a list of persons recommended for the office of rector, to be submitted to the procurators chosen by the students in their nations; and, upon the principal refusing, they elect a preses in his room, and choose a rector, who holds a court and summons the principal to appear before them; but they are stayed in their career by a suit from " the Lords of Council and Session." On April 14, 1726, he has carried a batch of thirty-nine students through a course of philosophy on to graduation; and the last name on the list is Thomas Reid.As having to preside on this occasion, he prepares a thesis, afterwards published, to be discussed by the candidates, -- "De Pulcherrima Mundi Materialis turn Rationalis Constitutione," -- in which the new physics are employed to furnish proofs of the existence of God, and in which he declares that natural science (physiology) is to be taught before moral philosophy, and inclines to censure Socrates because {97} he discouraged inquiries into the structure of nature.He also printed, when at Aberdeen, a "Thesis on the Connection of Natural and Moral Philosophy."In his lectures on pneumatology he delivered to his students those views which, after being rewritten, were given to the world in his treatise on moral philosophy.In his later writings he frequently quotes Hutcheson and Butler; but his own philosophic opinions seem to have been formed, and delivered in lectures, before either of these influential writers had published any of their works.
In 1726, he published "A Philosophical Inquiry concerning the Connection between the Doctrines and Miracles of Jesus Christ." In it he treats of subjects in which there is a revived interest and which are anxiously discussed in our day, and advances principles which would be favorably received by many in these times.He argues that the works of Jesus were natural proper samples of his doctrines.That he had abandoned the old theology of Scotland is evident, from his declaring that the Scripture way of talking about the Spirit of God and his operations means simply assistance to the virtuous.It is interesting to notice, that in this treatise he refers once and again to common-sense as settling certain moral questions; in this, as in other matters, anticipating and probably guiding Dr.Reid.
In the spring of 1727, Turnbull resigned his office in Marischal College; and for the next twelve years we have little record of him.There is reason to believe that he became a travelling tutor, -- it is said, to the family of the Wauchopes, of Niddry, near Edinburgh.It is certain that he must have travelled extensively on the Continent, and made himself conversant with the treasures of art in Italy.
