FullReads

Robert Hall–Dr. Carey–Melancthon–Calvin–Pollok–Erasmus (very like “Uncle Ebenezer”)–John Knox–Dr. Waugh–John Milton (three all framed)–Dr. Dick–Dr. Hall–Luther (two)–Dr. Heugh–Dr. Mitchell–Dr. Balmer–Dr. Henderson–Dr. Wardlaw–Shakspeare (a small oil painting which he had since ever I remember)–Dugald Stewart–Dr. Innes–Dr. Smith, Biggar–the two Erskines and Mr. Fisher–Dr. John Taylor of Toronto–Dr. Chalmers–Mr. William Ellis–Rev. James Elles–J. B. Patterson–Vinet–Archibald M’Lean–Dr. John Erskine–Tholuck–John Pym–Gesenius–Professor Finlayson–Richard Baxter–Dr. Lawson–Dr. Peddie (two, and a copy of Joseph’s noble bust); and they were thus all about him for no other reason than that he liked to look at and think of them through their countenances.

[17] In a copy of Baxter’s Life and Times, which he picked up at Maurice Ogle’s shop in Glasgow, which had belonged to Anna, Countess of Argyll, besides her autograph, there is a most affecting and interesting note in that venerable lady’s handwriting. It occurs on the page where Baxter brings a charge of want of veracity against her eldest and name-daughter who was perverted to Popery. They are in a hand tremulous with age and feeling:–“I can say w^t truth I neuer in all my lyff did hear hir ly, and what she said, if it was not trew, it was by others sugested to hir, as y^t she wold embak on Wedensday. She belived she wold, bot thy took hir, alles! from me who never did sie her mor. The minester of Cuper, Mr. John Magill, did sie hir at Paris in the convent. Said she was a knowing and vertuous person, and hed retined the living principels of our relidgon, which made him say it was good to grund young persons weel in ther relidgion, as she was one it appired weel grunded.”

The following is Lord Lindsay’s letter, on seeing this remarkable marginal note:–

EDINBURGH, DOUGLAS’ HOTEL,
26th December 1856.

MY DEAR SIR,–I owe you my sincerest thanks for your kindness in favoring me with a sight of the volume of Baxter’s Life, which formerly belonged to my ancestrix, Anna, Countess of Argyll. The MS. note inserted by her in it respecting her daughter is extremely interesting. I had always been under the impression that the daughter had died very shortly after her removal to France, but the contrary appears from Lady Argyll’s memorandum. That memorandum throws also a pleasing light on the later life of Lady Anna, and forcibly illustrates the undying love and tenderness of the aged mother, who must have been very old when she penned it, the book having been printed as late as 1696.

I am extremely obliged to you for communicating to me this new and very interesting information.–Believe me, my dear Sir, your much obliged and faithful servant,

LINDSAY.

JOHN BROWN, Esq. M.D.

His conviction of the sole right of God to be Lord of the conscience, and his sense of his own absolute religious independence of every one but his Maker, were the two elements in building up his beliefs on all Church matters; they were twin beliefs. Hence the simplicity and thoroughness of his principles. Sitting in the centre, he commanded the circumference. But I am straying out of my parish into yours. I only add to what you have said, that the longer he lived, the more did he insist upon it being not less true and not less important, that the Church must not intermeddle with the State, than that the State must not intermeddle with the Church. He used to say, “Go down into the world, with all its complications and confusions, with this double-edged weapon, and you can cut all the composite knots of Church and State.” The element of God and of eternity predominates in the religious more than in the civil affairs of men, and thus far transcends them; but the principle of mutual independence is equally applicable to each. All that statesmen, as such, have to do with religion, is to be themselves under its power; all that Christians, as such, have to do with the State, is to be good citizens.