Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 3.djvu/325

Rh form of church government, he concurred in the five articles of Perth, which were that year imposed upon the Scottish church. It does not appear, however, that bishop Forbes used any severe means to carry these articles into practice, for we are informed by Burnet [Life of Bedell] that, by his remarkable prudence, he "greatly allayed, and almost conquered, not only the distem- pered judgments, but the perverse and turbulent humours of divers in his diocese." In his whole conduct as a bishop, he appears to have been uniformly influenced by an honest and conscientious regard to the obligations of the character which he had assumed, and what he conceived to be the best means of promoting the interests of piety and virtue. He was not only careful to fix worthy clergymen in his diocese, but to make proper provision for their support and that of their successors. He succeeded in recovering many of the revenues which, in the tumults of the reforming period, had been lost or neglected, and he used all proper methods with heritors and titulars of teinds, and others, to make augmentation of stipends; which he had no sooner effected in some cases, than he dissolved the pernicious union of parishes, and established a clergyman in each. Even from his own income, limited as it must have been, ho bestowed much upon the poorer clergy. He was very strict in examining those who applied for ordination, and thus secured for future times a superior body of clergy. He was also indefatigable in visiting and inspecting his clergy, a duty which he generally performed in a somewhat singular manner. "It was his custom," says Burnet, "to go without pomp or noise, attended only by one servant, that he might the more easily be informed of what belonged to his cure. When he was told of the weakness or negligence of any of his clergy, he would go and lodge near his church, on Saturday, in the evening, without making himself known, and the next day, when he was in the pulpit, he would go and hear him, that by this he might be able to judge what his common sermons were; and as they appeared to him, he encouraged or admonished him."

Sometime after his promotion to the bishopric, he was appointed chancellor of King's college, Aberdeen, which institution he raised from a state of utter desolation and neglect, to be one of the most flourishing in the kingdom. He fully repaired the buildings; he increased the library, revived the professorships of divinity, canon law, and physic; and procured the addition of a new professorship in divinity. At length, finding himself drawing near his latter end, he sent for all the clergy of Aberdeen to receive the sacrament along with him, and two days after, March 28th, 1635, breathed his last, with the most pious expressions of hope, and full of religious consolation. At his funeral, which took place in the cathedral church of Aberdeen, Dr Barren preached an appropriate sermon to a numerous auditory, which was afterwards published.

This great ornament of the episcopal church in Scotland is characterized in the manner of the time, as a man of singularly clear genius, solid judgment, the highest prudence, piety, and integrity, of much authority in counsel, and invincible fortitude and constancy of mind. Bishop Burnet informs us, that ha "scarce ever suffered any man of merit to ask any thing at his hands, but anticipated them; while those whose characters would not bear a severe scrutiny never dared to solicit him. He had a quick eye and sprightly countenance, which proved an additional ornament to his expressions, which were grave and majestic, and of peculiar insinuation and grace. In parliament, he was elected one of the lords of the articles, and big judgment there, and in council, was considered as an oracle."