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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 pres-
bytery, and reduced the sentence. The culprit had
purchased the favour of the court by forging calum-
nies 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. Wal-
lace and Mr. Black, who had but lately been re-
stored ; 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 for-
bidding all professors within the university, espe-
cially 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 weak-
ness, which many that loved him before construed
to be simplicity." By the aid of Mr. Rollock 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 ex-
hort 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 & 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 am so far from repenting any share I
had in this, that to this hour it is satisfying to me.
I am persuaded the wise Maker of the world has
tied the church and state together with a brotherly
and adamantine chain; and it hath been my great
care to advance the good of both : and yet the love
of peace hath not so far bewitched me, that I could
not distinguish between genuine and adulterous peace;
neither hath my affection to my sovereign carried
me that length, that to please him I should submit
to the least stain on my conscience. I hope the
integrity and candour of my conduct shall appear
when I am dead. In a word, brethren, join together
with the most intimate love and concord in the work
of the Lord. Let me put you in mind to pay every
obedience to the king. You live in happy times and
enjoy a singular felicity. You are blessed with a
prince who drank in religion with his milk; who
hath guarded your doctrine with a right discipline,
and covers both the doctrine and discipline of reli-
gion with his protection; who hath taken the church
so much into his care, as by open and plain unan-
swerable documents, to make it evident that he will
never desert her while he breathes. Therefore, what
you may easily and pleasantly enjoy, it will be folly
to seek after by harsh methods. You will, then,
take particular care that the church be not ruined
by a fall from such high happiness." Mr. Rollock
died on the 8th of January, 1598, in the forty-third
year of his age. His remains were attended to the
place of interment by nearly the whole population of
Edinburgh, who considered him as their spiritual
father, and regarded his death as a public calamity.
The town-council had paid his house-rent for many
years, and they allowed his widow the one half of his
salary for five years, and to his posthumous daughter
they gave, from the city funds, 1000 merks, by way
of dowry. He published several works, chiefly com-
mentaries on parts of Scripture, several of which were
printed at Geneva, and obtained the warm appro-
bation of the learned and judicious Beza. These
works are still to be met with, and though tinged
with the scholastic theology of the times, discover
great natural acuteness, a full acquaintance with his,
subject, and very extensive learning. His whole life
seems, indeed, to have been devoted to literature.
ROSE, GEORGE, an eminent modern political
character, was born at Brechin, June 11, 1744. He
was the son of a poor non-jurant clergyman of the
Scottish Episcopal communion, who, through the
persecution which his order endured from the gov-
ernment after the insurrection of I745, seems to have
lost the means of supporting his family. Under
these unfortunate circumstances, George Rose was
received by an uncle who kept an academy near
Hampstead, by whom he was, at a very early period
of life, placed in a surgeon's shop. Not liking this
employment, he had the good fortune to attract the
attention of the Earl of Marchmont, who, from
sympathy for the cause of his father's distresses and
other considerations, procured him a situation on
board a ship of war. Here the office of purser, to
which George soon attained, enabled him to display
his qualities of activity, industry, and punctuality in
so extraordinary a manner as to attract the notice
of the Earl of Sandwich, then at the head of the
admiralty. After occupying several subordinate
situations in the public offices, he was appointed
keeper of the records, for which his qualifications
were entirely suited. The confused mass of papers
which filled this office were by him arranged and
classed in such a manner, that any one could be
found immediately when wanted. This achievement