After being released from imprisonment, he was per mitted to retire to I Tolland, where he arrived about the beginning or the year 1685, and was soon appointed chaplain to the Prince of Orange, and minister of the English Protestant congregation at Leyden. He was now more than ever both able and NS Wing to serve the Prince. Accordingly, he was much with him, informed him accurately of the state of aTairs in Britain, gave him complete insight into the temper and character of the principal men by whom public affairs were con ducted in that country, made him acquainted with the dispositions and views of such of the British mal-con tents as resorted to Holland, and at last accompanied him, in the capacity of domestic chaplain, in his ever memorable expedition to England in 1688. At the revolution which then took place, he was always con sulted by \Villiam, and gave his advice with so much frankness, and at the same time with so much wisdom, that he continued to possess the confidence of William, who, though he appointed him his chaplain for Scotland, and annexed to that office the whole revenue belonging to the Chapel Royal, vet signified to hint that he required his constant attendance upon his person, assigned him apartments in the palace when in England, and, when abroad, allowed him 5001. every campaign, for camp equipage. Mr Carstares was instrumental in procuring a loyal address to his master from the Presbyterian clergy of Scotland, which was very acceptable to the Prince. On the other hand, he was instrumental in procuring for his native country the establishment of that form of church government, to which he himself and the great body of the people were so partial ; and this object was not attained without some difficulty, as the King was anxious that the same ecclesiastical regime should prevail in both parts of the island. But he agreed with his Majesty in disapproving of the act which was passed for abolishing the right of patronage, because he feared that it might lead to dangerous consequences, and be attended with an abuse of that power which it lodged in the hands of the people. lie also gave an advice to William, which sheaved that his zeal for royal authority was beginning to encroach upon his attach ment to public liberty. His advice was this, that the King should be extremely cautious in giving up any branch of his prerogative,—a danger to which, as he alleged, William was the more exposed, because he had been raised to the throne by the voice of the people. In 1693, an act was passed in the Scottish parliament, obliging all persons in office not only to take the oath of allegiance to the King and Queen, but also to sub scribe an assurance, declaring that William was king de jure, as well as de facto. The Presbyterian clergy refused to sign the declaration, and applied to the privy council for redress ; but they thought proper to with hold the indulgence, and, under sanction of the King's authority, which they procured when Mr Carstares hap pened to be absent from court, either to require every representative to the General Assembly to obtemper the act, or, in case of disobedience, to dissolve the assembly in his Majesty's name. The clergy sent up a memorial on the subject to Mr Carstares, who immediately waited on the King, though at a late hour,—awaked him out of his sleep,—represented to him the unjust nature and dangerous tendency of that measure which his govern ment in Scotland had adopted,—and prevailed upon him ,to countermand the order that had been given, and to dispense with the oath to which the ministers objected. This act of William's administration had the effect of making him very popular in Scotland, and restored Mr Carstares to the good opinion of his countrymen, who had, on several accounts, begun to suspect the sincerity or the ardour of his attaclonent to their cause.
Carstares continued to have the chief direction of Scottish affairs ; and he conducted himself with such ability, prudence, and uprightness, that William's con fidence in him increased with the duration of his services, notwithstanding the many attempts that were made by his political enemies to lower or supplant him in that monarch's estimation. He had a difficult part to act ; hut the difficulties of his situation were not too much for his wisdom and vigour to surmount. Ile equally checked the hostility of his foes, and secured the affec tion of his friends ; and was so impartial and disin terested, that though he could only gratify the views of some, lie commanded the respect of all. At the death of William, which could not fail to afflict him most sensibly, he was just as poor as when he first entered into that prince's service,—a circumstance highly credi table to him, since he had such fair and excellent oppor tunities of securing for himself an independent fortune.
In the succeeding reign, Mr Carstares's connection with public business was but limited, though lie was of too much consequence to be entirely overlooked. Queen Anne, unsolicited, appointed him her chaplain for Scotland. He was also made principal and primarius professor in divinity of the university of Edinburgh ; and, in the same year, became one of the ministers of that city. The duties of his pastoral office he discharged with equal ability and success ; and though he had been long out of the habit of preaching, his discourses were very much and generally admired. his close attention to politics did not seem to have injured his literary at tainments ; for we are told that his first oration after his introduction into the university, which was delivered be fore a numerous and respectable audience, exhibited so much profound erudition, so much acquaintance with classical learning, and such an accurate knowledge of the Latin tongue, that his hearers were delighted : and the celebrated Dr Pitcairn declared, that w hen 'Mr Cars tares began his address, he could not help fancying him self in the forum of ancient Rome. As Principal of the
university, lie was very attentive to its interests and prosperity. The salaries of the professors being ex tremely small, lie procured an augmentation to them out of the bishops' rents, in consequence of an applica tion to the Queen and her ministers, with whom his influence was still very considerable. The same boon was, through his means, extended to all the other univer sities of Scotland ; and, to skew the generous spirit by wnich lie was actuated on this occasion, he refused to appropriate any part of the gift which had been obtained, to the increase of his own professional emoluments.
The first General Assembly which met after Mr Carstares became a minister of the church, chose him for their moderator ; and this honour he (njoyed no less than four several times in the course of eleven years,—a fact which slims clearly the acknowledged superiority of his talents, and the great extent of his influence. This influence, indeed, enabled him to preserve his interest with the court, because it enabled him to secure the acquiescence of the clergy when it was of real impor tance to possess it, and when it could not otherwise have been obtained. One striking instance of this occurred in the case of the union, which could not have been accomplished if the clergy had opposed it, and against which they were actually disposed and prepared to remonstrate. Mr Carstares prevented them from car rying their design into effect ; and for this eminent service the Queen took the opportunity of his being in London in the year following, to thank him in person, and at the same time to bestow upon him one of those few silver medals in commemoration cf the union, which she had ordered to be struck off for her particular friends.
Though the union took away from the church of Scot land much of that importance which it had hitherto pos sessed in the eye of administration, and though, since it was no longer formidable to them, they no longer felt any great deference for its claims, yet Mr Carstares, by his personal exertions, contrived to uphold its respectability, and to preserve to it some portion of weight in the govern ment of the country. I 1 is views, how ever, were much obstructed by the violent spirit and intemperate conduct of ninny of his Presbyterian brethren ; and he had the double and painful task of first exposing himself to their censure by resisting their prejudices, and then of ting to the Queen and her ministers those very proceed ings which he had formally condemned before they were adopted. When the hills for the restoration of patronage, and the toleration of the Episcopal clergy in Scotland, were brought into Parliament, he was one of the repre sentatives scut up to oppose them. The opposition, hich he seems to have carried on with sincerity, was unsuccessful. It was fortunate, however, that he had gone to London on this oct asion, us it afforded hint an opportunity or preventing measures which went directly to the material injury, if not the complete destruction, of our Pi esbyterian church. It was actually proposed, by some members of administration, to discontinue the annual meetings of Assembly, or, it they should he con vei,ed, to prorogue them as soon as they were consti tuted: and it w as even in contemplation to bring. a bill iuto Parliament for the purpose of taking away the only pretext of holding them in future. Mr Carstares pre vailed on the government to refrain front these unjust and oppressive measures, on cotalition of his undertak ing to use all his endeavours to allay those ferments which the late acts of the legislature. had excited. ln these endeavours he succeeded so well, that the Queen and her ministers were perfectly satisfied ; and so high did lie stand in their regard, in consequence of his pru• dent management, that they required him to mune the person who should be appointed COninuissioner, and to dictate those instructions which he should think seasona ble itt the existing circumstances of the country.
Mr Caiatares was extremely zealous for the Protes tant succession hi the House of I [allover ; and said and did every thing in his power to forward that object. Of so much h»portance were his sees ices deemed, that George 1., two years before his arrival in England, signified, by a letter from his secretary, his acknowl«Ig mints to .)1r Carstares for the part he had acted, and continued him his chaplain for Scotland ; an office, how ever, which he did not live long to enjoy. In the mouth of August 1715, lie was seized with an apoplectic lit, which carried him off about the end of December fol lowing. in the 67th year of his age. Ins body was interred in the Grey friar's church-yard, Edinburgh, where a 11101111111COL was afterwards erected to his me with a suitable insrl iption in Latin. By the inn\ cavity, the church, and the country at lavge. his death was sincerely lamented. The v had good reason ; for he oad been to all or them a useful servant, and a distinguished ornament. King declared, in presence or several of his courtiers, that he had known tilt Carstares long ; that lie knew hint well ; and knew him to be an honest man." See M•Cormick's Life of Carstams, prefixed to Carstares' State Papers. (7-)