566 M. Biot's Abstract of Mr Napier s 



the importuniiies of the Presbyterians had extorted from King 

 James the definitive confirmation of the act of excommunication 

 which embraced Napier's own father-in-law. And in the dedica- 

 tion of his Commentary, which Napier addresses to James, we 

 may observe with what fanatical violence he discourses : " There- 

 fore, sir, let it be your Majesty's continual study (as called and 

 charged thereunto by God) to reform the universal enormities 

 of your country ; and first (taking example of the princely pro- 

 phet David), to begin at your Majesty's own house, family, and 

 court, and purge the same of all suspicion of Papists and Atheists, 

 or neutrals, whereof this revelation foretelleth that the number 



shall greatly increase in these latter days So also we 



beseech your Majesty, having consideration of the treasonable 

 practices in these present days, attempted both against God's 

 truth, your authority, and the commonwealth of this country, — 

 to proceed to the other degrees of that reformation, even, orderly, 

 from your Majesty's own person, to your highness's family, and 

 from your family to your court," &c. Napier himself, in his 

 preface, unfolds the motives for that publication. " Yet I pur- 

 posed not (says he) to have set out the same suddenly, and far 

 less to have written the same also in English, till that of late 

 this new insolency of Papists, arising about the 1588 year of 

 God, and daily increasing within this island, doth so pity our 

 hearts, seeing them put more trust in Jesuits and seminary 

 priests, than in the true Scriptures of God, and in the Pope and 

 King of Spain (it was the time of the Armada), than in the 

 King of kings, that to prevent the same, I was constrained of 

 compassion, leaving the Latin, to haste out in English this pre- 

 sent work, almost unripe, that thereby the simple of this island 

 may be instructed, the godly confirmed, and the proud and 

 foolish expectations of the wicked beaten down ; purposing 

 hereafter, God willing, to publish shortly the other Latin edi- 

 tion hereof, to the public utility of the whole church." Those 

 Scotch writers who, like Dr Brewster and the present biogra- 

 pher, restore these fine things to light in the present day, would 

 seem to be moved by the same compassion towards us that 

 influenced Napier with regard to the Papists of his times. It is 

 to be regretted that they have not at their command temporal 



