On occasion of the queen's coronation, Melville, who was invited as one of the guests only two days before, pronounced a Latin poem, which was received with so much applause, that the king publicly declared that he and the country had that day received such honour as could never be requited. This poem, entitled Stepha nis Kion, was printed next day, and was received with the highest expressions of admiration by the first scho lars of the age. Lipsius exclaimed, Revera Andreas AkIvinas est serio doctus ; and Scaliger, with far more liberal praise than he was accustomed to render, was not ashamed to say, nos taha non possumus.
Soon after the death of Archbishop Adamson, in 1592, an act of parliament was passed, ratifying the go vernment of the church by general assemblies, provin cial synods, presbyteries, and kirk sessions, and ex plaining away, or rescinding the most offensive of the sets of the year 1584. This important statute is consi dered to this day as the legal foundation of the Pres byterian government ; and it was regarded by Melville as an ample reward for his laborious efforts.
A tumult which took place at Edinburgh on the 17th of December, 1596, was seized by the court as a han dle for the purpose of effecting a change in the consti tution of the church ; and Melville's influence with the synod of Fife, and with the leading ministers, was most strenuously exerted to counteract the projected mea sures. A General Assembly was summoned by the king to meet at Leith ; and as it was composed chiefly of ministers from the north, who were studiously in fected with prejudices against their southern brethren, the adherems of Melville were left in the minority. Tne next Assembly at Dundee was not quite so tract able, owing to the presence of Melville. To annihilate, or at least to depress this ascendancy, the king pro ceeded in accompanied by his council, to St. Andrew's, to hold a royal visitation of the university ; and there, after searching in vain for matter of accusa tion against :Melville, it was ordained that all professors of theology or philosophy, not being actual pastors, should thenceforth be precluded from sitting in sessions, presbyteries, synods, or assemblies, and from teaching in congregations. Preparation was now made for re storing the order of bishops, and the first approach to this measure, was to induce the commissioners of the General Assembly to solicit that the ministers and el ders of the church might be represented in parliament.
A statute was accordingly passed, declaring prelacy to be the third estate, and asserting the right of such mi nisters as should be advanced to the episcopal dignity to the same legislative privileges which had been en joyed by the former prelates. When the Assembly met at Dundee, the king did not venture to introduce the business, till he had commanded Melville and his col league Johnstone to retire from the town ; and the measure was at last carried by a majority of ten. In a conference at Falkland, Melville, in presence of his majesty, maintained his sentiments with his accustom ed fearlessness and vehemence, and the king judged it prudent to refer all the matters which were still intend ed to be adjusted to an assembly which met at Mon trose in March, 1600. Melville appeared as a commis sioner from his presbytery, and, though not suffered to take his seat, his counsels and his unconquerable zeal served to animate and confirm the resolution of his brethren ; and the assembly was with great difficulty prevailed upon to adopt the scheme of the court, under certain modifications.
Melville was a member of the assembly at Burnt island in May 1601, when the king thought fit to renew his engagements as a covenanter, and made a speech to shew the necessity of revising the translation of the Scriptures. In the course of the following year, his Majesty issued a lettre de cachet, charging Melville to confine himself within the walls of the college, because he had used some strong expressions in a discourse at the weekly exercise, condemning the worldly and un faithful spirit prevalent among the ministers. The pur pose of this severity was frustrated by the resolution of the presbytery, to transfer the exercise of the New College, and to employ the Latin tongue as the vehicle of their sentiments. At the accession of James to the throne of England, Melville, who had now obtained the indulgence of going six miles round St. Andrews, wrote three congratulatory poems, which prove at least that harsh usage had not the power of restraining the excur sions of his fancy.