BAILLIE, Robert, one of the most learned men among the Scotish presbyterians of the seventeenth century, was born at Glasgow in the year 1599. His father, who is described as a citizen, was a son of Baillie of Jerviston, who belonged to the family of Carphin, a branch of the ancient family of Lamington, in the county of Lanark; his mother was Helen Gibson, connected with the Gibsons of Durie, one of whom was an eminent judge in the supreme court. In the year 1617 he was matriculated in the university of Glasgow, under the name of Robertus Baillize; and here it may be remarked that, according to the careless practice of the age, he afterwards exhibited no small variety in the orthography of his surname, writing it Baylie, Baily, Bailie, and Baillie. His studies were partly conducted under the superintendence of John Cameron, a man of great learning and reputation, who had been a professor in the protestant university of Saumur, and who in 1622 was appointed principal of the university of Glasgow. From him Baillie imbibed the doctrine of passive obedience; and, in consequence of this prejudice of education, he only gave a tardy assent to the strenuous measures which were afterwards adopted against Charles the First. Having taken the degree of A. M. he applied himself to the study of divinity, and in due time received ordination from Archbishop Law.

On the 16th of August 1626 he was admitted one of the regents of the university; and, on taking his chair, he delivered an inaugural oration De Mente agent e . Dr Strang, a man of talents and learning, had been appointed principal a few months before. About the same period,

Baillie appears to have prosecuted the study of the oriental languages, in which he is allowed to have attained to no mean proficiency. He was anxious to promote similar studies in the university; and in the year 1629 he delivered an oration In Laudern Linguoe Hebraeae.

One of the pupils intrusted to his charge was Lord Montgomery, eldest son to the earl of Eglintoun, by whom he was presented to the living of Kilwinning in Ayrshire. His induction must have taken place between 1630 and 1632. With this noble family he continued to live on terms of intimacy; and as he was a person of excellent character, he equally enjoyed the approbation of his own parishioners, and the confidence of his ordinary the archbishop of Glasgow. In 1633 he declined the offer of a living in Edinburgh. Between 1634 and 1636 he was much employed in discussing, by means of private correspondence with his brethren, certain questions respecting Arminianism, and the ceremonies obtruded on the church by the partisans of Laud. In 1638 the presbytery of Irvine elected him a member of the assembly which was held at Glasgow, and which laid the foundation of material changes in church and state. During the ensuing year his countrymen raised a considerable army, which was placed under the command of Alexander Leslie, an old and experienced officer; and Baillie appears to have caught some portion of the military ardour which now prevailed in this cause of religion and liberty. “It would have done you good,” he remarks in one of his letters, “to have cast your eyes athortour brave and rich hills as oft as I did, with greater contentment and joy; for I was there among the rest, being chosen preacher by the gentlemen of our shire, who came late with Lord Eglinton. I furnished to half a dozen of good fellows, muskets andpikes, and to my boy a broad sword. I carried myself, as the fashion was, a sword, and a couple of Dutch pistols at my saddle; but, I promise, for the offence of no man, except a robber in the -way; for it was our part alone to pray and preach for the encouragement of our countrymen, which I did to my power most chearfully.” {Letters, vol. i. p. 174.) He afterwards states, “Our soldiers grew in experience of arms, in courage, in favour, daily. Every one encouraged another. The sight of the nobles, and their beloved pastors, daily raised their hearts. The good sermons and prayers, morning and evening, under the roof of heaven, to which their drums did call them for bells; the remonstrances very frequent of the goodness of their cause; of their conduct hitherto, by a hand clearly divine; also Lesly’s skill, and prudence, and fortune, made them as resolute for battle as could be wished. We were feared that emulation among our nobles might have done harm, when they should be met in the field; but such was the wisdom and authority of that old, little, crooked soldier, that all, with an incredible submission, from the beginning to the end, gave over themselves to be guided by him, as if he had been great Solyman....Hadyou lent your ear in the morning, or especially at even, and heard in the tents the sound of some singing psalms, some praying, and some reading Scripture, ye would have been refreshed. True, there was swearing, and cursing, and brawling, in some quarters, whereat we were grieved; but we hoped, if our camp had been a little settled, to have gotten some way for these misorders; for all of any fashion did regret, and all promised to do their best endeavours for helping all abuses. For myself, I never found my mind in better temper than it was all that time since I came from home, till my head was again homeward; for I was as a man who had taken my leave from the world, and was resolved tn die in that service without return.” This enthusiastic army had advanced to the borders of the kingdom, and had pitched its -camp on Dunse Law; the royal forces were [7:4:287] within a very short distance; and the adverse parties were on the eve of a general engagement, when the treaty of Berwick, negotiated with Charles in person, produced a temporary cessation of open hostilities. But the seeds of dissension were too widely scattered, and had taken too deep root, to be so speedily checked in their growth: the notions of the king, sufficiently arbitrary in themselves, were at variance with the elastic spirit of the age; and his subjects, in both divisions of the island, were gradually impressed with a deep conviction of his insincerity. In the year 1640 the Covenanters again had recourse to arms; and having invaded England, they took the town of Newcastle. Baillie now resumed his attendance in the camp; and before the close of the year he was employed in London, along with other commissioners, in preparing charges against Archbishop Laud, for the innovations which he had obtruded on the church of Scotland. He had very recently published The Canterburiarì's Self-Conviction, which seems to have been industriously circulated, and which arrived at a fourth edition. About this period of his life he composed various other works of a controversial nature, and was regarded as one of the most strenuous defenders of the presbyterian cause.

His merit was now so conspicuous that he was offered a professorship in each of the four universities. Having been appointed one of the professors of divinity at Glasgow, he delivered, on the 6th of July 1642, an inaugural oration De Hoereticoum Autocatacrisi. About this period he must have taken the degree of D. D.; for the records of the university describe him as “Doctor et Professor SS. Theologiae.” His colleague David Dickson, who had been appointed in 1640, is described in the same manner; but neither of them assumed the title of doctor in his printed works. Both professors discharged the functions of clergymen in the city; and in such of his publications as bear the author’s name, Baillie styles himself minister at Glasgow, or minister of the gospel at Glasgow, without any addition. While he filled this chair, it is to be inferred that his chief employment consisted in teaching the oriental languages. Dr Dickson having been removed to the university of Edinburgh, he was admitted to the higher professorship of divinity on the 17th of January 1651. His labours were various and extensive. He was much engaged in the public affairs of the church, and was a member of all the general assemblies from 1638 to 1653, with the exception of those which were held during his attendance at Westminster. In 1642 the assembly appointed him to visit and preach in the north of Ireland during four months. To the assembly of Westminster, which commenced its sittings in the year 1643, the church of Scotland sent Alexander Henderson, Robert Douglas, Samuel Rutherford, Robert Baillie, and George Gillespie, together with three ruling elders, the Earl of Cassilis, Lord Maitland, and Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston. Of the proceedings of this ecclesiastical coun-cd, Baillie has given an interesting account in his correspondence. His modest opinion of himself, and his high estimate of his colleagues, are equally conspicuous. “These things are so high, and of so great concernment,” he remarks in a letter to Robert Blair, “that no living man can think Mr Henderson may be away; and to put ' him to go and return, it were very hard to venture such a jewel, that is so necessary to the well-being both of church and state of all these dominions. Mr Samuel, for the great parts God has given him, and special acquaintance with the question in hand, is very necessary to be here. ...Mr G. Gillespie, however I had a good opinion of his gifts, yet I profess he has much deceived me. Of a truth there is no man whose parts in a publick dispute I do so admire. He has studied so accurately all the points ever yet came to our assembly, he has gotten so ready, so assured, so solid a way of publick debating, that however there be in the assembly divers very excellent men, yet, in my poor judgement, there is not one who speaks more rationally, and to the point, than that brave youth has done ever; so that his absence would be prejudicial to our whole cause, and unpleasant to all here that wishes it well.” (Letters, vol. i. p. 451.) In 1645 he returned from England, in order to give to the general assembly an account of the proceedings at Westminster; and having resumed his station among the assembled divines, he continued to reside for some time longer in the English metropolis.^[1. The following passage occurs in a letter, dated at Glasgow on the 22d of August 1654, and addressed to the famous Dr Fuller: ‘ Haveing lately, and but lately, gone through your Holy Warr and Description of Palestine, I am fallen so in love with your pen, that I am sorie I wes not before acquaint with it. and with yourself, when from the 1643 to 1647 I lived at Worcester house, and preached in the Savov, that then, when I had some credite there, I might have used my best endeavours to have done yow pleasure.” (Baillie’s MS. Letters, vol. iv. p. 423.) Of the pulpit-oratory, and of the general talents of the Scotish divines who visited London, the Earl of Clarendon and Mr Hume have given the same unfavourable account; but on this subject, as well as on many others, their opinion is strongly contested by Mr Brodie. “These famous divines preached as chaplains, by turns, in one of the lecture-rooms; and, as was to have been expected at such a juncture from ņien of their reputation, capacity, and profound as well as varied erudition, they drew immense crowds. If we may form an estimate of their pulpit-oratory from their works, we may safely pronounce that the English did not discredit themselves by flocking to hear such preachers.” {History of the Biitish Empire, vol. iii. p. 41.) ] He now stood very high in the esteem and confidence of his countrymen; and in 1649 he was one of the commissioners sent to Holland for the purpose of inviting Charles IL, and of settling the terms of his admission to the government. In the controversy which prevailed among the presbyterians between 1650 and 1660, he adhered to the party of the Resolutioners against that of the Protesters. The commission of the general assembly had adopted two resolutions, by which they consented to the repeal of the act for reforming the army, and the act by which certain classes of persons were excluded from places of power and tru9t, on account of their immoral conduct, or of the opposition which they had evinced towards the cause of civil and religious reform; and the resolutions having been approved by two subsequent assemblies, a formal protest against the constitution and proceedings of those assemblies was entered by various ministers and elders.

After the restoration, Patrick Gillespie, who had enjoyed the special favour of Cromwell, was ejected from his office; and on the 23d of January 1661 Baillie was admitted as principal of the university of Glasgow. For this promotion he was indebted to Lauderdale, who had not yet appeared in his true and hideous colours. According to some writers, he might have exchanged his academical office for a bishopric; but he was deeply grieved at the establishment of episcopacy, and would not accept of preferment in the church. When the new archbishop or Glasgow, Andrew Fairfoul, arrived at his metropolitan seat, he did not fail to pay his respects to the learned principal. Baillie admits that “he preached on the Sunday, soberly and well.” “The chancellor, my noble kind scholar,” he afterwards states, “brought all in to see me in my chamber, where I gave them sack and ale the best of the town. The bishop was very courteous to me. I excused my not using of his styles, and professed my [7:4:288]utter difference from his way, yet behoved to intreat his favour for our affairs of the college; wherein he promised liberally. What he will perform, time will try.” (Letters, vol. ii. p. 461.) According to another account, the archbishop visited him during his illness, and was accosted in the following terms:—“Mr Andrew, I will not call you my Lord. King Charles would have made me one of these lords; but I do not find in the New Testament that Christ has any lords in his house.” In other respects he is said to have treated the prelate very courteously; and it may not be superfluous to remark, that this mode of using the Christian name instead of the surname was not unusual at that period. Baillie died in the month of July 1662, at the age of sixty-thřee.

His first wife was Lilias Fleming, of the family of Car-darroch, in the parish of Cadder, near Glasgow. Of this marriage there were many children, but only five survived him. 1. Henry, a clergyman, who was never beneficed. His posterity inherited the estate of Cárnbroe, which was recently sold by General Baillie. 2. Lilias, married to Eccles of Kildonan in Ayrshire. 3. Helen, married to a bailie of Glasgow, named Colquhoun. 4. Elizabeth, married to Mr Hamilton, a gentleman of Strathbane in the kingdom of Ireland. 5. Mary, married to Walter Buchanan of Orchard. The mother of .these children died on the 7th of June 1653, after a lingering illness. She is mentioned by her husband in terms of much respect and affection. On the 1st of October 1656 he married Mrs Wilkie, who was a widow, and the daughter of Dr Strang. The issue of this marriage was Margaret, who became the wife of Walkingshaw of Borrowfield.

Wodrow, the zealous and faithful historian of the persecuted church of Scotland, has formed a very high estimate of Baillie’s literary character. “Mr Robert Bailie may most justly be reckoned among the great men of this time, and was an honour to his country, for his profound and universal learning, his exact and solid judgement, that vast variety of languages he understood, to the number of twelve or thirteen, and his writing a Latin style which might have become the Augustan age.”^[2. Wodrofs History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland, vol. i. p. 128. Edinb. 1721-2, 2 vols. fol See the same author’s Lift of James lVodro∙w, Α.M. Professor of Divinity in the University of Glasgow, p. 30. Edinb. 1828, 12mo. ] This commendation of his Latinity may admit of some abatement; for although he evidently possessed a very familiar knowledge of the language, his Latin style cannot safely be said to reach the standard of ancient purity and elegance. An episcopalian writer, the author of the Appendix to Spotswood, has commemorated Baillie as “a learned and modest man: though he published some very violent writings, yet those flowed rather from the instigation of other persons, than his own inclinations.”^[3. T. Middleton’s Appendix to the History of the Church of Scotland, p. 23. Lond. 1G77, fol. ] Mr Brodie, a recent historian of much ability and research, bestows the following commendation on Baillie and his associates. “The clergy, on whom they greatly depended, were profound scholars, and no despicable politicians. Nothing can be more misplaced than the ridicule which has been so profusely levelled at that body. They proved themselves ambitious; but, to be satisfied of their talents, and to admire their knowledge, it is only necessary to peruse their works. The writings of Baillie, even his familiar letters, breathe a manliness of spirit, and evince intelligence and erudition, that must for ever rescue from contempt a class of which he did not conceive himself entitled to rank at the head.”^[4. Brodie’s Hist, of the British Empire, vol. ii. p. 506. ]

Baillie had devoted much attention to the study of the oriental languages, and was skilled in Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Samaritan, Arabic, and Ethiopic. In his correspondence with the scholars of the continent, he urged Golius, Buxtorf, and other learned men, to compose elementary works on such of these languages as were not already provided wjth them. In an unpublished letter, dated at Glasgow on the 27th of August 1656, and addressed to Mr Crawford, a minister of London, he remarks, “The reason of my calling to you at this tyme is my desyre to know the condition of that excellent book, the best to me that ever was printed, Dr Walton’s Polyglott Bible.” He was solicitous that the learned protestants should undertake an Encyclopaedia of arts and sciences; and urged his correspondents not to permit the education of youth, and the composition of books for elementary instruction, to be so generally engrossed by the Jesuits.

Of Baillie’s publications, the following is as complete a list as we have been able to furnish.

1. Ladensium Auro%αrακwΛς, the Canterbvrians SelfConviction; or, an evident Demonstration of the avowed Arminianisme, Poperie, and Tyrannie of that Faction, by their owne confessions: with a postscript to the personat Jesuite Lysimachus Nicanor,^[5. The Epistle congratvlatorie of Lysimachus Nicanor, of the Societie of Jesu, to the Covenanters in Scotland; wherein is parallelled our sweet harmony and correspondency in divers materiali points of Doctrine and Practice. Anno Domini 1640, 4to.— The author or this Epistle was John Corbet, a Scotish clergyman, who having taken refuge in Ireland, was “hewed in pieces in the very armes of Ins poore wife. (Baillie s Historical Vindication, p. 2.) Some notices of him mav be found in Burnet’s Life of Bishop Bedell, p. 140. Lond. 1685, 8vo. ^ √ j ] a prime Canterburian. Written in March, and printed in Aprile, 1640,4to.—This book was speedily reprinted at Amsterdam; and a “third edition, augmented by the author, with a large Supplement,” was printed for Nathaniel Better, 1641, 4to. The additional part was likewise published in a separate form, under the title of “A large Supplement of the Canter-bvrian Self-Conviction.” Imprinted 1641, 4to. A fourth edition of the work bears the title of “The Life of William now Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbvry, examined.” Lond. 1643, 4to.

2. A Parallel or briefe Comparison of the Liturgie with the Masse-Book, the Breviarie, the Ceremoniall, and other Romish Ritualls.^[6. Some animadversions on this work are subjoined to L. Womock’s Beaten Ogle for the Lamps of the Sanctvarie. Lond. 1641, 4to. ] Lond. 1641, 4to. Reprinted in 1661.

3. Queries anent the Service-Book.

4. An Antidote against Arminianism.

5. The Unlawfulnesse and Danger of limited Episcopacie; whereunto is subjoined a short Reply to the modest Advertiser and calm Examinator of that Treatise: as also the Question of Episcopacie discussed from Scripture and the Fathers. Lond. 1(j41, 4to.

6. Satan the Leader in chief to all who resist the Reparation of Sion; as it was cleared in a Sermon to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn Fast, Fehr. 28, 1643. Lond. 1643, 4to.

7. Errours and Induration are the great Sins and the great Judgements of the Time: preached in a Sermon before the Right Honourable House of Peers, in the Abbey-Church at Westminster, July 30, 1645, the day of the moncthly Fast. Lond. 1645, 4to.

8. A Dissvasive from the Errours of the Time: wherein the Tenets of the principall Sects, especially of the Independents, are drawn together in one Map, &c. Lond. 1645, 4to. Lond. 1646, 4to.
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9. An Historical Vindication of the Government of the Church of Scotland, from the manifold base Calumnies which the most malignant of the Prélats did invent of old, and now lately have been published with great industry in two pamphlets at London; the one intituled Issachars Burden, &c., written and published at Oxford by John Maxwell,^[7. John Maxwell, D.D., was the son of Maxwell of Cavons in Nithsdale; and after having been beneficed at Murthlack and in Edinburgh, he became bishop of Ross in the year 1633. He was deposed and excommunicated by the assembly of 1638, and took refuge in England. In 1640 he was appointed bishop of Killala in Ireland; but the rebellion speedily ensued, and after being stript flaked and severely wounded, he was again compelled to seek a place of refuge in England, and for some time he attended the king at )xford. In 1645 he was appointed archbishop of Tuam, and died on the 14th of February 1646. The work which Baillie answered ls entitled “The Burthen of Issachar: or, the Tyranical Power and Practises of the Presbyteriall Government in Scotland.” Pruned w the yeare 1646, 4to. Dr Maxwell is the author of another work, which was answered by Rutherford: “ Sacrosancta Regum Majesti or, the sacred and royall Prerogative of Christian Kings.” Oxford, 1644, 4to∙ According to Bishop Burnet, he was “a man o eminent parts, and an excellent preacher; but by his forwardness and aspiring he was the unhappy instrument of that which fought on all the disorders in Scotland.” {Life of Bishop Bedell, p. 141.) He is mentioned and described in the Life, Diary and Correspondence of Sir William Dugdale, p. 437. Lond. 1827, 4to. ] a Scottish Prelate, &c. Lond. 1646, 4to.

10. Anabaptism, the trve Fovntaine of Independency, Brownisme, Antinomy, Familisme, &c. in a Second Part of the Disswasive from the Errors of the Time. Lond. 1647, 4to.

11. A Review of Doctor Bramble, late Bishop of Londonderry, his Faire Warning against the Scotes Disciplin. Delf, 1649, 4to.—This tract was afterwards incorporated, without being reprinted, in a collection entitled Three Treatises concerning the Scotish Discipline. Hagh, 1661, 4to. The other two treatises are Bramhall’s Fair Warning and Watson’s Second Fair Warning, in answer to Baillie; and the volume likewise includes a virulent epistle by another Scotish writer, Dr Creyghton, afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells. Baillie’s Review was reprinted at Edinburgh; and having been translated into Dutch, it was published at Utrecht under the inspection of Gisbert Voet.

12. A Scotch Antidote against the English Infection of Arminianism. Lond. 1652, 12mo.

13. Appendix practica ad Joannis Buxtorfii Epitomen Grammaticae Hebraeae. Edinb. 1653, 8vo.

14. Catechesis elenctica Errorum qui hodie vexant Ecclesiam; ex nudis sacrae Scripturae Testimoniis, in brevibus et claris Quaestionibus ac Responsionibus proposita, in gratiam studiosae Juventutis Academiae Glasguensis. Lond. 1654, 12mo.

15. A Reply to the Modest Inquirer.—Perhaps relating to the dispute between the Resolutioners and Protesters. This tract, together with numbers 3 and 4, we have not seen. They are all mentioned in Baillie’s papers, in the possession of Dr M‘Crie.

16. The Disswasive from the Errors of the Time, vindicated from the Exceptions of Mr Cotton and Mr Tombes. Lond. 1655, 4to.

17. Operis Historici et Chronologici libri duo; in quibus Historia sacra et profana compendiose deducitur ex ipsis Fontibus, a Creatione Mundi ad Constantinum Magnum. Amstelodami, 1663, fol.—Some copies have the addition of an index, with a new title bearing the date of 1668.

18. Letters and Journals; containing an impartial Account of public Transactions, civil, ecclesiastical, and military, in England and Scotland, from the beginning of the Civil Wars in 1637, to the year 1662; a period, perhaps, the most remarkable and interes,ting in the British History; now first published from the manuscripts of Robert Baillie, D. D. Principal of the University of Glasgow. Edinb. 1775, 2 vols. 8vo.—Some copies, bearing the same date, have a different title, which states that the Letters were “carefully transcribed by Robert Aiken.” Many of them are addressed to the author’s cousin-german William Spang, minister of the Scotish staple at Campvere, and afterwards of the English congregation at Middelburg in Zecland. It was chiefly from the materials thus communicated that Spang prepared two different publications. The first is entitled “Brevis et fidelis Narratio Motuum in Regno et Ecclesia Scoticana, excerpta ex scriptis Utriusque partis scitu dignissimis, per Irenaeum Philalethen.” Dantisci, 1640, 4to. This -work only prosecutes the narrative till the first of October 1638; but he speedily reprinted it, and added a continuation to the year 1640. “Rerum nuper . ìņ Regno Scotiae gestarum Historia.” Dantisci, 1641, 8vo.-r-These letters were published from a copy belonging to Matthew Baillic of Carnbroe, Esq.; and the editor likewise consulted the copy preserved among the archives of the church of Scotland. The copy which belonged to the author’s family is now in the possession of Dr M‘Crie, to whose kindness we are indebted for the use of it, as well as for several biographical notices. This manuscript consists of four volumes in folio, and is in a tolerably good state of preservation. Baillie’s Letters and Journals arc of great historical value; and as the editor, besides omitting many detached passages, -has suppressed a considerable number of entire letters, we beg leave-to suggest, and even to urge, the expediency of a new and complete edition.

Baillie had apparently some concern in the publication of a posthumous work of hl’s learned predecessor Robert Boyd, principal of the university of Glasgow: 'In Epistolam Pauli Apostoli ad Ephesios Proelectiones supra cc. Lond. 1652, fol. Prefixed is a life of the author by Rivet, with whom Boyd had been intimately acquainted; but the preface is subscribed with the initials R. B. A biographical notice, bearing the same signature, is prefixed to the work of his father-in-laŵ Dr Strang, De Interpretatione et Perfectione Scripturae. Roter. 1663, 4to∕ (x.)