Scots worthies, 1560-1688

William Cowper,
Bishop of Galloway.
NO Scottish divine of the reign of James vi. was held in
higher esteem than bishop Cowper. Not merely was he
a great preacher, chosen to officiate on the most solemn and
important occasions, and a voluminous writer, but a great scholar
and a true churchman.
Few of our readers, I daresay, have even handled the great
folio, " London, imprinted for John Budge, and are to be sold
by his shop in Paule's Churchyard, at the signe of ye greene
Dragon, 1623," which contains the complete works of our bishop.
It is, however, to the student a delightful study; and to the
Scottish churchman solid evidence of thorough work done for
" .Christ and the church " in the early days of the seventeenth
century. The beautiful old folio contains nearly 1200 pages of
closely printed matter — life, treatises, sermons, dialogues, com-
mentaries, and other pieces. These have dedications to different
members of good old Scottish families. Apparently then, episco-
pacy was no "exotic." Bishop Cowper's life has been written
by himself. He was born at Edinburgh in 1566, had his early
education there and at Dunbar, and graduated at St. Andrews
"at the age of sixteen years." He lived afterwards some time in
England, and entered on the pastoral charge at Bothkennar, in
Stirlingshire in 1586. In 1592 he removed to Perth. His life
there may be told in the words of a presbyterian divine of that
city : — " He continued in the ministerial office at Perth about
nineteen years, preaching five times in the week, labouring both
publicly and privately to suppress all manner of vice, and to turn
souls to his Lord and Redeemer." The same writer adds, speak-
ing of the bishop's works: — "It is but a small part of their praise
to say that they abound with examples of the best eloquence."
Dr. M'Crie, the well-known author of the "Life of John Knox,"
adds — speaking of bishop Cowper's sermons — "They are superior