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and therefore replied to their invitation that he could
not comply with it, as he had never qualified him-
self for performing the ministerial functions; but
that, as he had determined upon removing to the
south, he should visit them on his way thither.
When he arrived at Newcastle he determined upon
immediately securing a passage by sea to London;
but John Davidson, one of his former masters at St.
Andrews, and now minister of Prestonpans, informed
him that it was not only his own earnest desire, but
that of all their brethren, that he should remain at
Newcastle with the exiled lords, whose characters
and cause he vindicated. To their wishes Melville
therefore acceded.
Soon after his settlement at Newcastle, Davidson,
who had only waited his arrival, departed, and left
him to discharge the duties alone. Thinking it pro-
per that, before entering on his labours, the order of
their religious observances and their discipline should
be determined, he drew up "the order and maner
of exercise of the word for instruction, and discipline
for correction of maners used in the companie of those
godlie and noble men of Scotland in tyme of thair
aboad in Englande, for the guid cause of God's kirk,
thair king, and countrey," and prefixed to it an exhor-
tative letter to the noblemen and their followers. This
prefatory epistle commences by an acknowledgment
that their present calamities were the just chastise-
ments of the Almighty for their lukewarmness in the
work of reformation—for permitting the character of
their sovereign to be formed by the society of worth-
less and interested courtiers—for their pursuit of their
own aggrandizement rather than the good of their
country—and for the violation of justice and conniv-
ance at many odious and unnatural crimes. But
while they had thus rendered themselves the subjects
of the divine vengeance, how great had been the
crimes of the court! It had followed the examples
of Ahaz and Uzzah, in removing the altar of the
Lord—it had deprived the masters of their livings,
and desolated the schools and universities—it had
said to the preachers, "Prophesy no longer to us in
the name of the Lord, but speak unto us pleasant
things according to our liking,"—it had taken from
others the key of knowledge—it entered not in, and
those that would enter in, it suffered not: finally, it
had threatened the ministers, God's special messen-
gers, with imprisonment and death, and following
out its wicked designs, had compelled them to flee
to a foreign land. ''Can the Lord suffer these
things long," Melville continues with great energy,
"and be just in executing of his judgments, and
pouring out of his plagues upon his cursed enemies?
Can the Lord suffer his sanctuary to be defiled, and
his own to smart, and be the Father of mercies, God
of consolation, and most faithful keeper of his pro-
mises? Can the Lord suffer his glory to be given to
another? Can he who hath promised to make the
enemies of Christ Jesus his footstool suffer them to
tread on his head? Nay, nay, right honourable and
dear brethren, he has anointed him King on his
holy mountain; he has given him all nations for an in-
heritance; he has put into his hand a sceptre of iron
to bruise into powder these earthen vessels. When
his wrath shall once begin to kindle but a little, he
shall make it notoriously known to all the world,
that they only are happy who in humility kiss the
Lord Jesus and trust in him." He then concludes
by a solemn admonition, that with true repentance
—with unfeigned humiliation—with diligent perusal
of God's word—and with fervent prayer, meditation,
and zeal, they should prosecute the work of God,
under the assurance that their labours should not be
in vain. He warns them of the diligence of the
enemies of God's church,—exhorts them to equal
diligence in a good cause,—and reminds them that
the ministers of Christ shall be witnesses against
them if they should be found slumbering at their
posts. At the request of Archibald, Earl of Angus,
Melville also drew up a "list of certain great abuses;"
but as it is in many points a recapitulation of the
letter just quoted from, no further allusion to it is
here necessary.
About a month after the commencement of his
ministrations Melville was joined by Mr. Patrick
Galloway, who divided the labours with him. His
family was now on the increase, and it was con-
sidered necessary to remove to Berwick, where he
remained as minister of that congregation till the
birth of his first child—a son, whom he named
Ephraim, in allusion to his fruitfulness in a strange
land. Notwithstanding the stratagems of Captain
James Stewart, by which Lord Hunsdon was induced
to forbid them to assemble in the church, the con-
gregation obtained leave, through the kind offices of
Lady Widrington, to meet in a private house; and
Melville mentions that he was never more diligently
or more profitably employed than during that winter.
But the pleasure which he derived from the success
of his ministrations was more than counterbalanced
by the conduct of some of his brethren at home. It
was about this period that many of the Scottish
clergy, led on by the example of John Craig, one of
the ministers of Edinburgh, signed a deed, binding
themselves to obey the late acts of parliament, as far
as "according to the word of God." Melville saw
the confusions which the introduction of such an
equivocal clause must produce. He accordingly
addressed a most affectionate but faithful letter to
the subscribing ministers, in which he exhibited, at
great length, the sinfulness of their compliance, and
the handle which such a compromise must give to
the enemies of religion. This letter, as it encouraged
the firm, and confirmed the wavering, was propor-
tionally the object of hatred to the court. Two of
the students at St. Andrews, being detected copying
it for distribution, were compelled to flee; and no
means seem to have been omitted to check its circu-
lation, or to weaken the force of its statements.
About the middle of February, 1584-5, the noble-
men, finding their present residence too near the
borders, determined upon removing farther to the
south. James Melville therefore prepared to follow.
In the beginning of March he and a few friends em-
barked for London, where they arrived, after a
voyage rendered tedious by contrary winds; and
being joined by their companions in exile, were not
a little comforted. Soon after his arrival Melville
resumed his ministerial labours.
Many circumstances, which it is not necessary to
detail here, conspired to render their exile much
shorter than their fondest wishes could have antici-
pated. As soon as the noblemen of their party had
accommodated their disputes with the king, the
brethren received a letter (dated at Stirling, 6th No-
vember, 1585) from their fellow-ministers, urging
them to return with all possible expedition. James
Melville and Robert Dury, one of his most intimate
friends, therefore left London, and after encounter-
ing many dangers during the darkness of the nights,
arrived at Linlithgow. There he found his brethren
under great depression of mind: they had vainly
expected from the parliament, then sitting, the ab-
rogation of the obnoxious acts of 1584; and they had
a further cause of grief in the conduct of Craig, the
leader of the subscribing ministers. After much ex-
pectation, and many fruitless attempts to persuade
the king of the impropriety of the acts, they were