Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

lived. Coming to Glasgow, Archbishop Fairfoul
complained that "not one minister in his whole
diocese had presented himself to own him as
bishop, and receive collation to his benefice; that
he had only the hatred which attends that office in
Scotland, and nothing of the power; and that his
Grace behoved to fall upon some other and more
effectual methods, otherwise the new-made
bishops would be mere ciphers."[1] Middleton
consoled the poor man by telling him that to the
authority of his crosier he would add the weight of
his sword, and he would then see who would be so
bold as to refuse to own him as his diocesan. A
meeting of the Privy Council was held in the
College Hail of Glasgow, on the 1st of October,
1662. They met in a condition that augured ill for
the adoption of moderate measures. The bishops
urged them to extreme courses; with these counsels
their own passions coincided; they drank till they
were maddened, and could think only of
vengeance. It was resolved to extrude from their
livings and banish from their parishes all the
ministers who had been ordained since 1649, and
had not received presentation and collation as the
400