to the Episcopal Dignity, six or seven years after this. I'll add a hint or two from Mr Calderwood:

"When the G. Assembly met at Aberdeen, August 13, 1616, there was a fast appointed by the King's proclamation, and indited by sound of trumpet. Mr Forbes was employed to preach in the morning. The Bishop of St Andrew's succeeded him in the forenoon, and Mr William Forbes in the afternoon. Now that he had come over the difficultys he once had agst Episcopall Government, and joyning with it, the Bishops made a great deal of him, and they had reason, for he was among ye most considerable men they had brought over to their side. In this Assembly, as we have seen in Mr William Scott and Galloway's Life,1 Mr Forbes is at the head of the nomination made of persons, to review our old discipline and Canons, and form a new body of discipline.

"Next year, 1617, when, as we shall see at greater length, Mr Calderwood was prosecute, and deprived by the High Commission for his share in the protestation, Mr Walter Whiteford came from the Bishop's wt a message to Mr David, that if he would do any thing, they would procure him his liberty. Mr Forbes of Corse came wt Mr Whitford, but whether he was sent by the Bishops or not, Calderwood knows not. He asked Mr Whitford what the Bishops would have him to do to procure his liberty. To admitt their sentence, saith ye other, Mr Calderwood said. he would rather be banished his native country than do that. The Laird of Corse interposed here, and said, ye may obey any unjust sentence tho' you acknowledge it not. How can it be, answered Mr Calderwood, can I be silent, seeing their sentence is null to ys. It was replyed-that they caryed about their power as Bishops qrever they went. Mr Calderwood thought otherwise, and said, at that way

1 Other Biographical Collections by Wodrow.

of arguing they might carry about their power as members of the High Commission, and bring it into Synods."1

In 1618, Patrick Forbes was raised to the See of Aberdeen, vacant by the death of Bishop Alexander Forbes, apparently without the slightest solicitation on his part. From the documents which remain, and from the concurring testimony of many of the Contributors to the present Collection, there seems no reason to doubt, that at a time of such dissension and peril in the Church, he would rather have remained the simple parochial presbyter of Keith, to which charge he had been called in a manner so extraordinary, than undertake the high duties and deep responsibilities of the Apostolic office of a Bishop.

We shall here insert some of the documents preserved, concerning the godlie entrie of Patrick Forbes of Corse to the Bishopricke of Aberdeene," which will be found in their places, printed at length in the present volume,— with some additional ones drawn from other sources.

In the month of January 1618, the King (James VI.) addressed the Archbishops and Bishops in these terms :—

"JAMES REX.

Right Reverend Fathers in God, right trustie and wellbeloved Councellours, and Reverend Fathers in God, our trustie and well-beloved, wee greet you well. The Bishopricke of Aberdene beeing now voyde, by decease of the late Bishop, and wee being sufficientlie perswaded, as well of the learning, gravitie, wisdome, and true godlinesse of PATRICKE FORBES of Corse, enhabling him duelie to exercise and discharge the calling of a Bishop, as of the great and earnest desire of our best affected subjects of that Diocesse, to haue him established their ordinarie, as was well witnessed by their expression thereof at the last vacancie of the sayd

1 Wodrow MS. See also Calderwood's History, fol. Edin. 1678, p. 684.

sea; We haue therefore made special choyse of the sayd Patricke, to bee thereto preferred. Requyring you, for the more speedie and solemne performance thereof, to cause forme, and haste vnto vs, such writs as wee are to signe for that effect, and in everie other thing appertayning therevnto, to proceed according to the ordinance of the late Act made in our last Parliament, anent the election of Arch-bishops and Bishops. Which not doubting but yee will preciselie performe, wee bid you farewell. At New-market, the xxvij of Januarie, 1618."1

The Archbishops, with such of the Bishops as appear to have been at the time in Edinburgh, wrote Forbes to the following effect:

"TO OUR VERIE REVEREND AND LOVING Brother,

THE LAIRD of Corse.

Right Reverend and loving brother, his Majestie having made choyse of you, before all others, to the Bishopricke of Aberdene, and signified the same by his letters vnto vs, which you shall receaue herewith inclosed, we could doe no lesse than to impart it vnto you, and witnesse the joy of our hearts, for this his Majestie's resolution: Not so much for the favour and respect wee perceaue carried by his M. to your selfe, though that both with you and vs should bee of no little account, as that wee fore-see the great profit that is to redound to the Church of God by this your advancement. Others doe interpret, according to their myndes, that these places are places of honour and ease, and for that respect desired: But wee, who haue had the experience of so manie years service, know that the care and burthen goeth farre beyond either commoditie or honour.

1 Infra, p. 193.

And were it not for God's service, and the vpholde of His Church amongst vs, wee could haue wished to liue private ministers rather than in the rowmes wee are called unto. But in such callinges, as you knowe better than anie of ourselues, the burthen and care of the charge, must no more deterre vs, than these outward showes of honour and ease allure vs. To secke places of this kynd may well bee thought ambition; but to refuse and draw back when God calleth, is disobedience; and if it be done for the eschewing of vexations, it is farre from the Christian courage and resolution we should all haue. Now, wee are assured, if anie man did ever come to this place by God's calling, you are hee; whether wee consider the instance made in the last vacancie of that Sea, by all the ministers and gentlemen of the country, which wee perceaue his Majestie doeth not forget, or your owne behaviour in it, that by the moyen of none, direct or indirect, hath made sute to bee preferred. And therefore, as wee from our heartes thanke God, who hath put it into his M. heart to goe this way, so wee must in the name of God, and by the loue you beare to the mayntaynance of His trueth, request and require you to accept the calling, assuring your selfe that wee, for our partes, howe long it pleaseth God to vse our service here, shall not bee wanting, by His grace, in anie thing that becommeth the brethren of our vocation towardes you. And our certayne hope is, that notwithstanding all these fightes wee endure with enemies without, and those that should be friends within, our God shall giue vs strength to beare out, and by His blessing in the ende justifie to the world our proceedings; wherein having you to bee a labourer and worker with vs, wee shall bee so much the more encouraged. As to the rest that should be done for your formall entrie, wee remit the care thereof to him whom it concerneth, and commit you at this

tyme, and ever, to the protection and blessing of Almightie

On receipt of these communications, Forbes addressed the following long letter to Archbishop Spottiswoode, on which Calderwood, as we shall see below, has animadverted in terms of the bitterest censure. It is not contained in the present volume. We have therefore deemed it proper to insert it here at length:

66

Right Honorable, and my good Lord, your Lordships letter to me, and therein enclosed his Maj. letter to your Lordship, was delivered to me the thirteenth of Februar at night, whereby as I had good notice in what loving and gracious estimation his Highness hath me, his unworthie servant, giving thereof evidence in so liberal and princely an offer of high imployment, which is seconded with your Lordships congratulation, and serious encouragement of undertaking; so if I should not make high account thereof, I might be esteemed the most ungrate and senselesse among men. Neither can my refusing of so undeserved, unsoughtfor, and unexpected favour, but draw upon me the imputation of an inexcusable misregard. If I be not mistaken in the reason of my hesitation, wherein I am so far from disallowing the office and degree of a Bishop (as hereupon men might apprehend) that they being rightly elected, and defined with such moderation of place and power, as may put restraint to excessive usurpation, and practising accordingly, 1 Infra, p. 201.