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BARON, ROBERT (1593 -
1639), divine, was at St. Andrews, where he is said to have
distinguished himself in a disputation held before James I in 1617
(Preface to Metaphysica).He was minister of Keith in 1619, and was
professor of divinity in the college of St. Salvator, St. Andrews, where
he published 'Philosophia Theologies ancillans,' 1621. He became
professor of divinity in Marischal College, Aberdeen, and minister of
Greyfriars in 1624. In 1627 he received his D.D. degree, and published
on this occasion his 'Disputatio theologica de formali objecto fidei,
hoc est, de Sacrse Scripturse divina et canonica authoritate.' This was
answered by Turnbull, a Scotch Jesuit, to whom he replied in 1631 in a
treatise called 'Ad Georgii Turnebulli Tetragonismum Pseudographum
Apodixis Catholica, seu Apologia pro disputatione de formali objecto
fidei.' In 1633 he published a 'Disputatio theologica de vero discrimine
peccati mortalis et venialis.' In 1635 he contributed a funeral sermon
to the collection called 'Funerals of ... Patrick Forbes, Bishop of
Aberdeen.' He took part in a famous debate against the covenanting
commissioners in 1638, and on 28 March 1639 fled by sea to England, with
other Aberdeen doctors, on the approach of Montrose, and was nominated
by Charles I to the see of Orkney. He died at Berwick on his return, 19
Aug. 1639, aged about forty-six. He left a widow, who was forced to
allow the inspection of his library by the presbytery of Aberdeen. She
and her children received compensation for their sufferings on the
Restoration. Besides the above, he is the author of 'Metaphysica
generalis: accedunt nunc primum quse supererant ex parte speciali; opus
postumum ex musseo A. Clementii Zirizaei/ London (1657?), and Cambridge,
1685. He left various manuscripts, some of which are preserved in the
King's College library, Aberdeen. For a full account of these writings
see Gordon's 'Scots Affairs,' iii. 236-9,
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