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PREFACE.

THE first of ROBERT ROLLOCK'S posthumous Latin works-his Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Colossians-appeared in 1600, edited by Henry Charteris, and dedicated to Scot of Elie. It is noticed here for the sake of a letter prefixed to it. The letter is from the learned and laborious Simon Goulart, therein styling himself "Silvanectinus Genevensis, Ecclesiæ in Templo Gervasiano Minister." As this letter corroborates the opinions expressed by Beza and John Piscator of Herborn, of the high value in which our Author's writings were held on the Continent, to which attention has been drawn in the Life of the Author prefixed to the first volume, and as it is a fitting introduction to this brief notice of the present work, I have translated and transcribed it entire.

"Grace and peace through Jesus Christ. You will not be surprised, reverend brother, that I, who am unknown to you both in name and person, though in truth associated most closely with you by the bond of Christian faith, love, and hope, venture to address you so far distant from Geneva, not for the purpose of extorting a reply from one who is completely occupied with weighty employments, but to enable me to declare the great regard I bear you.

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When at various times there had reached us your works on the Epistle to the Romans, and on that to the Ephesians, and afterwards your Commentaries on Daniel, and some select Psalms, at my request the printers early communicated these sacred labours of yours to our German and French population; a duty which they have discharged, if not with great elegance, at least, if I am not mistaken, with diligence and fidelity. Your work on The Psalms has been lately printed, in editing which I have carefully guarded lest typographical errors should disfigure your pious work; and I have added short notes to gratify the desires of our studious youth. And I shall be delighted if this edition, such as it is, may be as acceptable in your eyes, as I think it will be useful and gratifying to them. François le Preux, your bookseller at Geneva, has entrusted to my charge your admirable Commentary on John's Gospel, and I am now busily engaged in hastening its preparation. With the favour of Christ, the volume will be published at our Autumnal Fair. At present, we are in the course of publishing the "Select Psalms," of which you will, as I hope, receive some copies. But, reverend father, we are anxious that, whatever the Holy Spirit may hereafter enable you to write, either on the books of the Old or the New Testament, or on theological subjects, you will permit us to reprint, or commission us to print; a commission in which we shall so exert ourselves, that you shall find nothing wanting which becomes right-hearted and Christian men. Melville and Johnston, my beloved and learned masters and brethren in the Lord, old friends of mine, to whom I now send respectful regards, have not altogether forgotten who I am. They will be able to attest the truth of my professions. But my earnest

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wish, reverend brother, is, that in the same zealous and laborious spirit in which you have begun, you should persevere in promoting the interests, not of the Scotish churches only, but likewise those of France, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, and of other lands, by your learned and pious labours. For that end, we pray the Lord to grant you length of days. As for myself, I am delighted to convey to you my offers of respectful service. Beza, who is now eighty years of age, and who to the present day continues to preach and to perform his public duties as a Professor, is delighted with your writings, and desires the prosperity both of yourself personally and of your churches. We are threatened by a crafty and a powerful enemy, the Duke of Savoy ; but our dependence is on the hand of Jehovah, the all-powerful and the wise. Farewell in Christ, and in your kindness accept my offer of devoted friendship."1

1 "Gratia et pax per Christum.-Non miraberis, Reverende frater, quod ego tibi de nomine et facie incognitus, in Christi vero fidei, charitatis, spei vinculo arctissime conjunctus, te tantis locorum intervallis a Geneva remotum compellare ausim, non ut ad scribendum hominem gravissimis occupationibus distractum provocem, verum ut tibi meum erga te studium declarare possim. Quum aliquoties ad nos pervenissent tuæ in Epistolam ad Romanos et Ephesios, deinde in Danielem et Selectos aliquot Psalmos lucubrationes, petii et impetravi a typographis nostris ut mature sacros illos labores tuos Germanis et Gallis nostris communicarent: quod illi, si non satis eleganter, profecto diligenter et fideliter (ni fallor) præstiterunt. Nuper excusi sunt tui Psalmi, in quorum editione, curavi ne errata typographica pium opus deformarent: brevesque notas (ut studiosorum juvenum petitioni satisfacerem) addidi: quod utinam, qualecunque est, tam gratum sit tuis oculis, quam illis utile jucundumque fore arbitror. Commisit fidei meæ Fr. le Preux, bibliopola tuus Geneva, præclarum tuum Commentarium in Joannis Evangelium, cujus editionem urgeo. Si Christus annuerit, Nundinis Autumnalibus volumen prodibit in publicum. Nunc edimus Psalmos illos Selectos, quorum exemplaria quædam accipies ut spero. Cupimus autem, Reverende pater, ut quidquid posthac conscribere tum in Veteris, tum in Novi Fœderis libros, tum in locos Theologicos, concedet tibi Spiritus Sanctus, illud

As Rollock died in February 1599, this letter, which was written more than a month after that event, must have been sent in ignorance of the loss which theological literature had sustained.

Rollock's Commentary on John, to which allusion is here made, was published in 1599, with the following title: "In Evangelium Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Sanctum Ioannem, Commentarius Roberti Rolloci, Scoti, Ecclesiæ Edinburgensis Ministri : Nunc primum in lucem editus. Accessit Harmonia ex Quatuor Evangelistis in Historiam Mortis, Resurrectionis, et Ascensionis Domini: ab eodem Rolloco concinnata et luculenter exposita. Index item Analyticus. Geneva, apud Franciscum le Preux. M.D.XCIX." Prefixed is a Dedication, with the date, Edinburgi, pridie Calend. Martij, 1599. This is a manifest error, and the date may have been arbitrarily inserted by the printer. This work is dedicated to the Town-Council, Presbytery, and generally the Church of God in Edinburgh: "Concilio Publico, Senatui Ecclesiastico, et

fidei nostræ typis, vel recudendum permittas, vel committas excudendum : quo in negotio curabimus ut nihil a nobis desideres quod cordatos et Christianos viros decet. Domini et patres in Christo dilectissimi DD. Melvinus et Johnstonus, veteres amici, quos reverenter saluto, qui sim, non plane obliti sunt. Poterunt illi de mea sinceritate ferre testimonium. Utinam vero, R. F., eo quo cœpisti zelo et studio, non Scoticis tantum ecclesiis, verum etiam Gallicis, Helveticis, Belgicis, Germanicis, et aliis, eruditarum et piarum lucubrationum editione inservire pergas. In eam rem longos dies tibi precamur a Domino. Quod ad me attinet, meum tibi lubens defero obsequium, Dominus Beza octogenarius, in concionando et profitendo publice in schola pergens in hanc usque diem, tuis scriptis delectatur, tibique ut et vestris ecclesiis, prospera omnia cupit. Imminet nobis astutus et potens hostis, Dux Sabaudiæ; sed ab omnipotentis et sapientissimi Jehova manu pendemus Vale in Christo, et me tibi addictum benevolentia tua complectere. Ex musæo Sangervasiano, quod est in suburbio Genevensi ad Rhodanum. xv Martii 1599. Tui observantissimus, Simon Goulart, Silvanectinus," &c.

toti Ecclesiæ Dei quæ est Edinburgi, Robertus Rollocus Scotus gratiam et pacem a Domino." In the course of this Epistle Dedicatory, after alluding, as the ground of his dedication, to his labours in Edinburgh, as a preacher of the Gospel of Christ, and the obligation incumbent on ministers to have regard, not only to the whole Church, but more especially to their own field of labour, he proceeds thus :--" After I had expounded several other books of the Sacred Scriptures in your Church, my last undertaking was to expound the Gospel of John, chiefly in order that, on the one hand, I myself might hear, and that, on the other hand, I might point out, as it were with the finger, Christ who speaks in it so often and so sweetly. I have now, thanks be to God, expounded that whole Gospel of John, as my weakness has enabled me. In the progress of my labours, when I had come to the history of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, I deemed it advisable to combine the accounts of the other Evangelists; not that I did not think John's history sufficient in itself, but partly, that in a subject, of which the knowledge is so necessary, we might enjoy in as high a degree as possible, the sweetness of the harmony and concord that distinguishes the four Evangelists, and partly that we might have the history in its most perfect and its richest form. Last of all, I have added from the other Evangelists, taken in connection with the Acts of the Apostles, the history of the glorious Ascension of our Lord, and have briefly expounded it, that, in preaching on the history of our Lord, nothing might be felt as wanting. But I return to you, my fellow-citizens of Edinburgh. Since, then, I preach to you, why should I not also write to you above all others, and do every thing with an eye to your interests;

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