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PRESBYTERY OF JEDBURGH p. 484
stain from civil courts and meetings, &c. He died between 3d Feb. and 1st Sept. 1647, aged about 54, leaving a son, William, who was retoured heir to his lands of Grubet, Wydehope, &c., 29th Dec. following.-(Reg. Laur. Univ. Edin., Sec. Sigill., and Pres., Presb. Reg., Calderwood, and Stevenson's Hist., Mun. Univ. Glasg. iii., Bannatyne iii., and Maitland Miscell. ii., Baillie's Lett., Inq. Ret. Roxburgh, 195, de Tut. 58.]
1648. JOHN LIVINGSTONE, A.M., trans. from Stranraer, pres. by William Earl of Lothian 13th July 1647, adm. and inst. 25th Aug. 1648. He was a member of the Commission of Assembly 1649, and of that for visiting the College of Edinburgh same year, and was one of those min. appointed by the Commission of Assembly in Feb. 1650, to wait on his Majesty at Breda, with the commissioners appointed by the State for negotiating the terms on which they invited his acceptance of the Crown. Disliking not only the duty imposed on him, but the manner in which it was carried on, he returned dissatisfied with the greater part of the proceedings of his Majesty, as well as of the commissioners whom he accompanied. About this time he was urged by the General Assembly to write a history of the Church of Scotland from 1638, and the Synod of Merse and Teviotdale in Oct. 1650, recommended every member who had any historical observations to send them to him. When protestation was made against the lawfulness of the Assembly 1651, he took part with the Protesters in that unhappy division, lodged a deed in the Presb. against it 27th August, was joined by two others, and elected as moderator at a general meeting of the party in Oct. following. In April 1654 he was invited by the Protector to visit him at London, with a view of settling the affairs of the Church, and had the honour of preaching before his Grace, by whose authority he was named, 8th Aug. thereafter, one of those for certifying such as were proper to be admitted to a benefice. In March 1655 he was called to Antrim, to Killinchic in Nov. thereafter, and to Glasgow 7t h May 1659, by the Kirk-session, in opposition to the Town Council, who were for another. Being called before the Privy Council under suspicion of turbulency and sedition 11th Dec. 1662, he was obliged to sign an obligation to remove from the kingdom within eight weeks, and from Edinburgh to the north of Tay within forty-eight hours. He accordingly went to Rotterdam in April 1663, and studiously devoted the remainder of his days in the prosecution of biblical literature, and preparing a Latin version of the Scriptures, which has not been published, dying there 9th Aug. 1672, in his 70th year and 42d min. Modest in manner, and sweet in temper, he was of retired and contemplative habits, so that, though he joined the more extreme Presbyterians, in his moderation he deeply lamented the division that had torn the Church asunder. As a preacher he was so singularly esteemed and so signally favoured, as to be the means of working a change on hundreds of his audience, even by one sermon, and perhaps to have had more of the countenance of his Master than any other from the days of the apostles. He marr. 23d June 1635, the eldest daugh. of Bartholomew Fleming, merchant, Edinburgh; she had a narrow escape in 1650, from falling into a mill-dam, but survived, and had the firmness to present a petition to the Lord Chancellor in June 1674, praying that presbyterian ministers may have liberty to preach the Gospel, when it could not be done by any of the male sex. He had John, James, merchant in Edinburgh, William, who also suffered in the days of persecution, Marion, wife of Mr John Scott, min. of Hawick, and others; one of whom emigrated to America, whose descendants have filled stations in life, alike creditable to themselves and to their venerable ancestor.-Publications-Letters to the Parishioners of Ancrum, 1671, 4to; a brief Historical Relation of his Life, Glasg. 1754, sm. 8vo; Memorable Characteristics, |
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