Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/57

Rh expedient, and therefore gave, and granted their full power and commission to the brethren," &c., &c. These brethren, fourteen in number, seven of whom with his majesty were to be a quorum, were unhappily, with the exception of one or two that were named to save appearances, already captivated with the hopes, some of them with the express promise, of preferment, and the assembly was scarcely risen when they began to display all the arrogancy of a bench of bishops or a high commission court. In the month of June they convened at Falkland, called before them the presbytery of St Andrews, upon a complaint by Mr John Rutherford, who had been deposed from the ministry of Kinnocher by that presbytery, and reduced the sentence. The culprit had purchased the favour of the court by forging calumnies upon Mr David Black, "who was a great eye-sore," says Calderwood, "to negligent, loose, and unfaithful ministers, of which number this Mr John Rutherford was one, but he lived in disgrace ever after, and was condemned by the bishops themselves, because he could serve them to no further use." Proceeding to St Andrews, they cast out Mr Wallace and Mr Black, who had but lately been restored; banishing the latter to Angus, whence they brought Mr George Gladstanes, soon after created a bishop, to fill his place.

"While they thus broke down the hedge of the church, by thrusting out two of her most faithful ministers, and bringing in Mr Gladstanes without the consent of either presbytery or people, they also interfered with the laws of the university; obliging Andrew Melville to demit his rectorship, and forbidding all professors within the university, especially professors of divinity, to sit in the presbytery upon any matter of discipline. Robert Rollock, moderator of the last assembly, and consequently of the meetings of the commissioners with the king, betrayed, according to Calderwood, "great weakness, which many that loved him before construed to be simplicity." By the aid of Mr Rollcck, and his friends the commissioners, however, his majesty was enabled to restore the popish earls of Huntly, Angus, and Errol, with whose assistance he carried in parliament an act for ministers of the gospel to have a place and a vote in that assembly. This act declared, "that such pastors and ministers, within the same, as at any time his majesty shall please to provide to the office, place, title, and dignity of a bishop, abbot, or other prelate, shall at any time hereafter have vote in parliament, siclike and as freely as any other ecclesiastical prelate had at any time bygone. It also declared, that all or whatsoever bishoprics presently vaiking in his majesty's hands, which are yet undisponed to any person, or which shall happen at any time hereafter to vaik, shall be only disposed by his majesty to actual preachers and ministers in the kirk," &c.

Soon after this, Mr Rollock was seized with an illness, which confined him to his house, and finally terminated his existence. While on his death-bed, he requested two friends, who called upon him, to go from him, as a dying man, to the king, and exhort him to cherish religion and the church, and to protect and comfort its pastors, and to proceed with these good works with an unfaltering step till the last hour of life; and not allow himself to be drawn from it, either by the hope of enlarging his authority, or by the evil advices of wicked men. To the same persons he added, "You will remember that I was chosen by the assembly at Dundee, to watch for the interest of this church. In this I had the glory of God, and the safety of the church, miserably tossed with tempests and shaking, before mine eyes; and I can now declare, that my conscience does not smite me with any wicked departure from duty, in doubling the number of the ministers of Edinburgh; and particularly, in my activity to bring in two (Messrs Robertson and Stewart) who studied under me, when I thought I saw in them gifts suitable to such a trust, and hoped God would bless their labours. I