on the
29th, preaching before the king upon the two brazen mountains in
Zechariah, said, "As the king had lightly regarded the many bloody
shirts presented to him by his subjects craving justice, so God, in his
providence, had made a noise of crying and fore-hammers to come to his
own doors." The king would have the people to stay after sermon, that he
might purge himself, and said "If he had thought his hired servant
(meaning Mr. Craig who was his own minister) would have dealt in that
manner with him, he should not have suffered him so long in his house."
Mr. Craig, (by reason of the throng) not hearing what he said, went
away.

In the year 1595, Mr. Craig being quite worn out by his labours and the
infirmities of age, the king's commissioner presented some articles to
the general assembly, wherein, amongst other things, he craved, That, in
respect Mr. Craig is awaiting what hour God shall please to call him,
and is unable to serve any longer, and His Majesty designing to place
John Duncanson with the prince, therefore his highness desired an
ordinance to be made, granting any two ministers he shall choose; which
was accordingly done, and Mr. Craig died a short time after this.

Mr. Craig will appear, from these short memoirs, to have been a man of
uncommon resolution and activity. He was employed in the most part of
the affairs of the church during the reign of queen Mary and in the
beginning of that of her son. He compiled the national covenant, and a
catechism, commonly called Craig's catechism, which was first printed by
order of the assembly, in the year 1591.

_The Life of Mr. DAVID BLACK._

Mr. Black was for some time colleague to the worthy Mr. Andrew Melvil
minister at St. Andrews. He was remarkable for zeal and fidelity in the
discharge of his duty as a minister, applying his doctrine closely
against the corruptions of that age, prevailing either among the highest
or lowest of the people; in consequence of which, he was, in the year
1596, cited before the council for some expressions uttered in a sermon,
alledged to strike against the queen and council. But his brethren in
the ministry thinking, that, by this method of procedure with him, the
spiritual government of the house of God was intended to be subverted,
they resolved that Mr. Black should decline answering the king and
council, and, that in the mean time, the brethren should be preparing
themselves to prove from the holy scriptures, That