Every person who is at all acquainted with the pro ductions of those who have written on the Scottish Re formation, must he aware of the importance and utility of Calderwood's manuscript volumes ; and it is matter of regret, that the expenses necessarily attending the pub lication of them would be so heavy as to render that a very difficult and hazardous undertaking. We cannot refrain from suggesting, that enterprises of greater risk have been attempted in the literary world by subscrip tion, and have succeeded. From this large work an ex tract has been published, under the title of The true His tory cf the Church of Scotland. The matter is impor tant, but the style is homely and uncouth. It must be observed, however, that this was not drawn up, as is ge nerally believed, by Mr Calderwoed himself, whose com positions are quite superior in every respect ; it is the production of one of the ministers who lived in the time of the persecutions which took place under the reign of Charles II. Many copies of the work, indeed, will be found with the date 1704 : but this is a device of the publishers, who were accustomed at that period to reno vate a book merely by giving it a new title page. The lade page, too, it should be noticed, bears, that the work vets written at the appointment, and received the counte nance of the General Assembly ; whereas this applies not to the printed, but the manuscript history of Mr Calder wood.
The exact period at which Mr Calderwood returned from Holland is not ascertained. It is probable that he did not return till towards the year 1636, no mention be ing made of him in any record of ecclesiastical transac tions in this country previous to that date. He lived for some time as privately as possible. His residence was chiefly in Edinburgh, where he equally opposed sectari anism, and encouraged non-conformity. Though he was not a member of the General Assembly held that year at Glasgow in 1638, when Episcopacy and the late innova tions were condemned, yet it appears that he took a part in its proceedings, lodging secretly beside the modera tor's chamber, and writing papers, which were after wards read in court, in defence of the rights of ruling elders to sit as members of Assembly. He also appeared in the Assembly in 1641 ; and, though no member, de livered his opinions upon the business with so much freedom and keenness, that the commissioner command ed him to be silent. The moderator, however, took oc casion to mention his great services to the church—to regret that he had been so long neglected—and to re commend him to the " first commodious room." Mr Baillie remarks, that his promotion was not likely to take place soon, because he had, by his misconduct on this occasion, given great offence to his former benefac tors and patrons. It was not very long, however, after this, that he received the church of Pencaitland, in East Lothian ; but at what precise date cannot be determined.
The authors of the Biographia Britannica affirm, that he was minister there in 1638 ; and, in proof of this, refer to the preface to the last edition of his Altare Dainasee num. But neither in that preface, nor in any other printed document, is there any allusion whatever to the fact. Mr Calderwood was nominated, along with Mr Hender son and Mr Dickson, by the Assembly, 1643, to prepare a Directory for Public Worship. Indeed, when any thing of importance in the way of writing was required, Mr Calderwood was almost always employed ; because, as Baillie observes, he was their " best penman." He continued to take an active part in ecclesiastical affairs during the remainder of his life, regularly attending the meetings of Assembly, expressing his sentiments on the various subjects which came before them, and frequently giving offence by what was deemed a " rude and humor ous opposition." He seems to have been particularly anxious to guard the church against the Independent system, to which he thought he observed an evident ten dency in the principles and conduct of many of his breth ren. It was this which made him cry out so vehemently against sectaries and prayer-meetings ; and the same anxiety it is evident, induced him to find fault, in 1645, with the 'Westminster Assembly, for asserting the divine right of kirk-sessions, and thereby conferring on the congregational eldership the power which properly be longed to presbyteries ; and also to insist, in the as sembly 1649, that, according to the second Book of Dis cipline, " the election of ministers should be given to the presbytery, with power to the major part of the people to dissent, upon reasons to be judged of by the presby tery." This proposal, which appears to contradict his doctrine in the Altare Danzascenum, was rejected by the assembly ; and an act of a different description passed in spite of all his reasoning. On this occasion, he intro duced the practice, since become common, of dissenting from the decision of the assembly, and requiring the dis sent to be registered.
Mr Calderwood did nut long survive this. When the English army were in Lothian, he went to Jedburgh (1651), where he was taken ill, and died at the age of 76. He was a man of unquestionable piety and learning. II is writings afford evidence of both ; and Presbyterian church is much indebted to him for the zeal and ability with which he defended her in the hour of danger. His Latin, though not elegant, is tolerably correct ; and some of his English compositions arc equal, if not superior, to any of the times in which he wrote. Calderwnod's 7'rue History of the Church of Scotland ; Spotiswood's History of Do.; Baillic's Letters and Journals ; Biographia See ticana ; and Unpubli8Itcd MSS. in the possession of the Rev. Mr M'Crie, Edinburgh. (r)