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ERSKINE, JOHN, of Dun,
knight, and the second in importance of the lay supporters of the Scottish
Reformation, is said to have been born about the year 1508, at the family
seat of Dun, in the county of Forfar. His family was descended from that
which afterwards acceded to the title of Marr, while his mother was a
daughter of William, first lord Ruthven. In early life, he travelled for
some time upon the continent, from which he returned in 1534, bringing with
him a Frenchman, capable of teaching the Greek language, whom he established
in the town of Montrose. Hitherto, this noble tongue was almost unknown in
Scotland, and an acquaintance with it was deemed to imply a tendency to
heresy. Erskine of Dun was the first man who made a decided attempt to
overcome this prejudice, thereby foretelling his own fitness to burst
through moral clouds of still greater density, and far more pernicious.
Previous to 1540, he was one of the limited number of persons who,
notwithstanding the persecuting disposition of James V., had embraced the
protestant religion: in doing so, far from being led by mercenary motives,
as many afterwards were, he and his friends were inspired solely with a love
of what they considered the truth, and, for the sake of it, encountered very
great dangers. His house of Dun, near Montrose, was constantly open to the
itinerant preachers of the reformed doctrines, who, though liable to
persecution in other places, seem to have always enjoyed, through the
respectability of his personal character, as well as his wealth and baronial
influence, an immunity for the time during which they resided with him.
Though he must have been unfavourable to the war with England, commenced by
the catholic party, in 1547, he appears to have been too much of a patriot
to endure the devastations committed upon his native country by the enemy.
His biographers dwell with pride on a very successful attack which he made,
with a small party, upon a band of English, who had landed near Montrose for
the purpose of laying waste the country. On this occasion, out of eighty
invaders, hardly a third of them got back to their ships. When John Knox
returned to Scotland in 1555, Erskine of Dun was among those who repaired to
hear his private ministrations in the house of a citizen of Edinburgh. The
reformer soon after followed him to Dun, where he preached daily for a month
to the people of the neighbourhood; next year he renewed his visit, and
succeeded in converting nearly all the gentry of the district.
In 1557, Erskine was one of
the few influential persons who signed the first covenant, and established
what was called the Congregation. In the succeeding year, he was one of the
commissioners sent by the queen regent, Mary of Lorraine, to witness the
marriage of her daughter Mary to the dauphin. While he was absent, the cause
of the reformation received a great impulse from the execution of Walter
Mill, an aged priest, who was dragged to the stake to expiate his attachment
to the new doctrines. The people were inflamed with resentment at this
outrage, and now longed for more decisive measures being taken on the
subject of religion. To counteract this enthusiasm, the queen regent
summoned the preachers to appear at Stirling, and undergo trial for their
heretical doctrines. The protestant gentry, having resolved to protect them,
met at Perth, and Erskine of Dun was employed to go to Stirling, to seek an
accommodation with the queen. It is well known that he succeeded in
obtaining a respite for the ministers, though not of long continuance. In
the sterner measures which were afterwards taken to protect the reformed
religion, he bore an equally distinguished part.
On the establishment of
protestantism in 1560, Erskine of Dun resolved to assume the clerical
office, for which he was fitted in a peculiar manner, by his mild and
benignant character. He was accordingly appointed by the Estates of the
Kingdom, to be one of the five superintendants of the church—an office
somewhat akin to that of bishop, though subject to the control of the
principal church court. Erskine became superintendent of the counties of
Angus and Mearns, which he had already been the principal means of
converting to the new faith. He was installed, in 1562, by John Knox, and it
would appear, that he not only superintended the proceedings of the inferior
clergy, but performed himself the usual duties of a clergyman. In every
thing that he did, his amiable character was discernible: far from being
inspired with those fierce and uncompromising sentiments, which were perhaps
necessary in some of his brethren for the hard work they had to perform, he
was always the counsellor of moderate and conciliatory measures, and thus,
even the opponents of the reformed doctrines could not help according him
their esteem. When Knox had his celebrated interview with queen Mary
respecting her intended marriage with Darnley, and brought tears into her
eyes by the freedom of his speech, Erskine, who was present, endeavoured
with his characteristic gentleness, to soothe those feelings which the
severity of his friend had irritated. Knox stood silent and unrelenting,
while the superintendent was engaged in this courteous office. Erskine
appears to have thus made a very favourable impression upon the mind of the
youthful queen. When she deemed it necessary to show some respect to the
protestant doctrines, in order to facilitate her marriage, she sent for the
superintendents of Fife, Glasgow, and Lothian, to whom she said that she was
not yet persuaded of the truth of their religion, but she was willing to
hear conference upon the subject, and would gladly listen to some of their
sermons. Above all others, she said she would gladly hear the superintendent
of Angus, "for he was a mild and sweet-natured man, with true honesty
and uprightness."
For many years after this
period, the superintendent discharged his various duties in an
irreproachable manner, being elected no fewer than five times to be
moderator of the general assembly. Some encroachments, made on the liberties
of the church in 1571, drew from him two letters addressed to his chief, the
regent Marr, which, according to Dr M’Crie, "are written in a clear,
spirited, and forcible style, contain an accurate statement of the essential
distinction between civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and should be
read by all who wish to know the early sentiments of the church of Scotland
on this subject." Some years afterwards, he was engaged with some other
distinguished ornaments of the church, in compiling what is called the
Second Book of Discipline. At length, after a long and useful life, he died,
March 12, 1591, leaving behind him a character which has been thus depicted
by archbishop Spottiswoode: "He was a man famous for the services
performed to his prince and country, and worthy to be remembered for his
travails in the church, which, out of the zeal he had for the truth, he
undertook, preaching and advancing it by all means. A baron he was of good
rank, wise, learned, liberal, of singular courage; who, for diverse
resemblances, may well be said to have been another Ambrose." |
