tery, happened to be vacant. Before this time,(99)
whoever was principal of the college of Glasgow, was also minister of
Govan. For Mr. Robert Boyd of Trochrigg,(100) (a person of very great
learning, as his commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, and his
_Hecatombe Christiana_ testify) after he had been minister at Vertuille in
France, and professor of Divinity in Saumur, returned to Scotland, and was
settled principal of the college, and minister of Govan. But this being
attended with inconveniences, an alteration was made, and the presbytery
having a view of supplying that vacancy with Mr. Binning, did take him
upon trials, in order to his being licensed as a preacher(101) and after
he was licensed, he did preach at Govan, to the great satisfaction of that
people. Mr. Binning was sometime after called and invited to be minister
of the said parish, which call the presbytery heartily approved of, and
entered him upon trials for ordination, about the 22d year of his age, and
as a part of trials, they prescribed to him a common head, _De concursu et
influxu divino cum actionibus creaturarum_,--the occasion of which was,
that Dr. Strang, principal of the College, and a member of the presbytery,
had vented some peculiar notions upon that profound subject. And having
delivered a very elaborate discourse, _viva voce_, to the admiration of
all who heard it, he gave in, according to custom, his thesis to be
impugned by the members of the presbytery, which was the direct antithesis
of Doctor Strang's opinion in his dictates to the students on that
controversy. The Doctor being pitched upon to be one of his opponents,
found his credit and reputation much engaged, and exerted his metaphysical
and subtile talent on that occasion. But Mr. Binning maintained his ground
by the weight and solidity of his defence, to the great satisfaction of
all that were present, so that some were pleased to say, that young Mr.
Binning appeared to be the old learned Doctor; Nay, the Doctor himself
after the recounter, admiring Mr Binning's abilities and parts, said,
"Where hath this young man got all this learning and reading?".(102) When
he had finished his trials, he had the unanimous approbation of the
presbytery, nay, their declaration and testimony of his fitness to be one
of the ministers of the city, upon the first vacancy. And I am assured,
that at the very same time the Masters of the University had it in their
view to bring him back again