sro 



During the progress of the Scotch Reformation the nobiUty had 

 seized on the church lands, and appropriated them to their own 

 use ; and, to secure their booty, had afterwards made the crown 

 a party, by agreeing to an act of annexation of tlie temporaHties of 

 the bishops to the king. Thus the funds left for the repairing of 

 churches, the support of the ministry, the relief of the poor, the 

 maintenance of schools, the erection of colleges, and the support of 

 students in theology, were rendered altogether insufficient for these 

 purposes. This is the cause of the present poverty of the church of 

 Scotland. The General Assembly had, therefore, in the preceding 

 year, pressed for a repeal of the act of annexation, or at least, that 

 the thirds, which had been reserved for the niinisters, should be 

 •' brought back to their integrity," and these purposes be provided 

 for, before the funds were applied in any otiier way. This applica- 

 tion is, I conceive, the subject of the first letter (No. I.), written 

 from Upsal Dec. 6, 1589. 



" At the king's departure for Denmark," to use Calderwood's 

 words, " he willed Mr. Robert Bruce to be acquaint with the af- 

 fairs of the country, and proceedings of the council, professing thai 

 he reposed more upon him and the rest of the ministers than upon 

 all his nobles. He was not disappointed ; for the country was 

 never in greater peace than during his absence ; whereas before, 

 few months or weeks passed without slaughter and bloodshed. 

 During the king's absence. Earl Bothwell offered to Mr. Robert 

 Bruce and Mr. Robert Rollock, the first Principal of Edinburgh, 

 to make his public repentance for his rebellions and other enormi- 

 ties. So, upon the sabbalh-day, the 9th of November, he humbled 

 himself on his knees in the East Kirk, before noon, and in the great 

 Kirk, afternoon, confessed with tears his dissolute and licentious 

 life, and promised to prove another man in time to come. John 



