But the General Assembly, in their zeal to reform the government of the church, were not inattentive to the means of improving the seminaries of education. At the suggestion of Melville, in conjunction with Ar buthnot and Smeton, plans were formed for amending the constitutions of the universities of St Andrew's, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, on a principle similar to that which had been recommended by the reformers in the first book of Discipline. A favourite project with Mel ville was, to transform one of the three colleges of St. Andrew's into a school of divinity ; and, through his influence with the government and the church, the de sign was accomplished in the year 1579. Melville him self was placed at the head of the new theological se minary, by the voice of his country ; and for more than twenty years the success of the institution exceed ed the most sanguine expectations.
Melville began to discharge the duties of principal and professor of divinity in the new college of St. An drew's, in December, 1580, with the assistance of his nephew James, as professor of the oriental languages, and John Robertson, as professor of the New Testa ment. His class was crowded with autlitors, consisting not only of students of theology, but of masters in the other colleges ; all of whom acknowledged the singular ability with which he accomplished his arduous under taking. Melville, however, with all his excellencies, appears to have been passionately fond of innovation ; and to a rational discernment of the defects of the Aris totelian philosophy, he added an undue admiration of the writings of Ramus, whose lectures he had attended in his youth, and whose spirit he had freely imbibed. The Peripatetic prejudices of the professors in St. Sal vator's and St. Leonard's college were roused to fury by the attacks upon their favourite author ; and, for some time, their indignation could scarcely be appeased. Yet such was the address and superior intelligence of the principal, that he not only disarmed their animosi ty, but speedily converted the most obstinate among them to his own peculiar views.
In addition to his academical charge at St. Andrew's, Melville, during the first two or three years of his resi dence, generally performed divine service, and took a share of the other ministerial duties of the parish. His gratuitous labours were highly gratifying to the inha bitants in general ; but the freedom and fidelity with which he reproved vice, exposed him to the resentment of several leading individuals ; and the most atrocious calumnies against Melville were conveyed to the king, whose mind was predisposed to receive any insintht tion to his disadvantage. He was accordingly sum
moned to appear before the privy council on a charge of treasonable expressions uttered in one of his ser mons ; and though he produced the most explicit proofs of his innocence, khe was sentenced to imprisonment in the castle of Blackness, for having declined the juris diction of the council, and for having conducted him self proudly and contemptuously in their presence. Melville, however, contrived to make his escape to England ; whence he returned twenty months after wards, in company with the banished noblemen, wno had been denounced as traitors on account of the affair of Ruthven, and who appeared before the gates of Stir ling castle with such a numerous force, that the king was glad to re-admit to his councils the men, who, only two years before, had fled from his vengeance.
After being reinstated in his office at St. Andrew's, Melville and his nephew took an active part in the proceedings of the synod of Fife, which tei initiated in the excommunication of Archbishop Adamson, for hav ing dictated and defended the laws subversive of eccle siastical discipline. When Adamson was relaxed from censure, and restored to his see, :Melville was charged to retire to the north of the Tay, and was not permit ted to return to his post, till the college had reluctantly consented to oblige one of the king's menial servants, by renewing a lease, to the great diminution of the rental. Not long afterwards, the king, accompanied by Du Bartas the poet, on a visit to St. Andrew's, had an opportunity of hearing from Melville a most spirit ed and learned, though extemporaneous refutation of an elaborate lecture by Adamson, in favour of his views of royal prerogative.
In the year l588, Melville, who had been modera tor of the preceding General Assembly, summoned an extraordinary meeting, to concert measures for aye' t ting the dangers apprehended from the Spanish armada ; and, at his suggestion, a deputation of the ministers, barons and burgesses, waited on his Majesty with the result of their deliberations, proffering their lives and their fortunes in defence of the religion and govern ment of the kingdom. The king was offanded with the officious loyalty of his faithful subjects, but was pleased to appoint a committee of the privy council to co-operate with them, in devising means for frustrating the designs of the enemy.