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.) [305] That is, "Holy Trinity, accept this oblation, which I, an unworthy sinner, present to thee the living and true God for my own sins, and for the sins of the whole Church of the quick and the dead," &c. [306] A short notice of Lesley, Bishop of Ross, will be given in the Appendix, under the head of Abbots of Lundores. But here it may be mentioned, that the words in the margin, "AND AFTER WAS MADE BYSCHOPE OF ROSS," are written in a different hand, (most likely by Knox himself,) and clearly posterior to the rest of the page. By attending therefore to the dates of Lesley's successive appointments, this serves to fix the period when this portion of the History was written to the earlier part of the year 1566. [Sidenote: THE LYEING DEANE OF RESTALRIG CALLED SYNCLARE.][307] [307] This marginal note occurs in no other copy; and the words "now to affirme," were evidently written during Sinclair's life; and along with the similar mention of the Dean of Restalrig, in the Author's emphatic terms, "as a perfect hypocrite," (vol. i. p. 265,) it corroborates the supposition that the greater portion of this MS. must have been written in the year 1566. It will be seen from the footnotes on the passage referred to, that Mr. John Sinclair, Dean of Restalrig, was promoted to the See of Brechin in 1563, and became President of the Court of Session, 13th November 1565. He died at Edinburgh, 9th April 1566. Thus much we thocht good to insert here, becaus that some Papistis ar nott eschamed now to affirme, That thei with thair reassonis could never be hearde; but that all that we did, we did by fyn force; when that the haill Realme knawis, that we ever requyred thame to speak thair judgmentis freelie, not onlie promissing unto thame protectioun and defense, but also that we should subscrive with thame, yf thei by Goddis Scriptures could confute us, and by the same word establisse thair assertionis. "But who can correct the leasingis of such as in all thingis schaw thame selves the sones of the Father of all lyes. Preserve us, Lord, from that perverst and malitious generatioun. AMEN." * * * * *