Note 304 — THE PREFACE.

Mr. Alexander Anderson, parson of Methlik, and vicar of Kinkell, was appointed Principal of King's College, Aberdeen, in the year 1530. The General Assembly having appointed a visitation of the College in 1568, Anderson, with the Sub-Principal, and three of the Regents or Professors, were summoned "as very obstinate Papists," and having refused to subscribe the Confession of Faith, and the Acts 1560, and 1567, they were deposed by order of the Lord Regent and Council, the sentence being pronounced by John Erskine of Dun, Superintendent of Angus and Mearns, 30th June 1569. (Calderwood's Hist. vol. ii. p. 491; Booke of the Kirk, vol. i. pp. 141-143.)

Bishop Lesley, who was personally concerned in the disputation mentioned by Knox, says, the Lords of the Congregation, (in the winter of 1560,) "Causit summone sindrie of the best learnit men out of all the partes of the Realme to cum to Edinburgh, to gif reasone of thair faith and professione of thair religeoune. Amangis the quhilkis thair was causit to compeir furth of the Universitie of Aberdene, Mr. John Leslye, Official of Aberdene, licentiat in boith the lawis, Mr. Alexander Anderson Principal of the College, Professor of Theologie, and sindrie utheris." He adds, that after "very sharpe and hard disputations," with Knox, Willock, and Goodman, "nothing was concludit, for everie ane of thame remanit constant in thair awin professione." (Hist. p. 293.)