Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/171

Rh whose kindness and encouragement many of our countrymen were indebted; and from whose eagerness in the dissemination of truth, the benefit derived by Scotland cannot be easily estimated. Mr Spotswood remained in the south for nearly five years, that is, from 1538 till 1543, when Henry VIII. restored the prisoners taken at the disgraceful rout of Solway Moss. He then returned to Scotland, in company with the earl of Glencairn, a nobleman well known for his attachment to protestant principles, and resided with him for several years. Through that nobleman, he became acquainted with the earl of Lennox, and was by him employed in a private negociation with the English court, in 1544. After residing there for some months, he returned to Scotland; but little is known respecting him for some years following. In 1548, he was presented to the parsonage of Calder, by Sir James Sandelands; and, as a constant residence at his, cure was not required, he lived for about ten years with that gentleman, and with lord James Stewart, then prior of St Andrews, and afterwards better known as The Regent Murray. When commissioners were appointed by parliament, in 1558, to be present at the marriage of the young queen of Scotland to the dauphin of France, lord James was included in the number, and Spotswood accompanied him. Luckily, both returned ia safety from this expedition, so fatal to many of their companions.

On the establishment of the Reformation, the first care of the protestant party, was to distribute the very few ministers who held their sentiments, into different parts of the country. The scarcity of qualified persons, gave rise to some temporary arrangements, which were, however, afterwards abandoned, when the circumstances which produced them ceased to exist. One of these was, the establishment of superintendents over different districts, an office which has been brought forward, with but little justice, we think, by some writers, to prove that the constitution of the Scottish church was originally, episcopalian, Mr Spotswood had the honour of being first elected, having been appointed to the oversight of the district of Lothian, in March, 1560-1. Tha proceedings on this occasion were conducted by John Knox; and the pledges required by that zealous reformer must have impressed both the superintendent and the people, with a deep sense of the importance of his office, while it could not fail to be favourably contrasted with the system which had recently been abolished.

The proceedings of the church courts, after the stimulus created by the events immediately connected with the Reformation had somewhat subsided, could not be supposed to excite much interest in the mind of a general reader, unless we should enter into much more minute particulars than our limits permit. If we cannot, therefore, excite very deeply our reader's sympathies, we shall not tax his patience more than is necessary, to give a very brief outline of the more important transactions with which Mr Spotswood's name is connected.

Mr Spotswood appears to have retained the charge of his flock at Calder after he became superintendent of Lothian; but it cannot be supposed that the variety and extent of his duties permitted anything more than a very loose and occasional attention to their interests. Of this the parishioners complained more than once to the General Assembly, but without success; the means of supporting a superintendent being quite inadequate without the benefice of a parish. The mere visitation of a district seems to have been but a part of the labours of a superintendent: there were many occasions on which these officials were called upon to expend their time in behalf of the general interests of the church. Spotswood appears to have been frequently deputed by the General Assembly to confer with Queen Mary, with whom he was a favourite, upon the important subject of an improvement in the provision for their maintenance. On the in-