ROBERT DOUGLAS 

Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, H Scott (1915)  vol 1, p 385, Perncaitland
1669

ROBERT DOUGLAS, son of Robert, an illegitimate son of Sir George D. of
Lochleven, brother of William, fifth Earl of Morton. Educated at Univ. of
St Andrews; M.A. (1614); licen. About 1617. Almost immediately afterwards
he was engaged as chaplain to one of the brigades of Scottish auxiliaries
co-operating  with Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years’ War. During that
period he is said to have had no other book to read but the Bible, and
committed nearly the whole of it to memory. Returning to Scotland he
became min. of Second Charge, Kirkcaldy, in 1628. He was a member of
Assembly in 1638, and was trans, in 1639 to the Second Charge of St Giles,
Edinburgh. In 1641 he was removed to the Tolbooth Parish. He was Moderator
of Assembly 1642—as also in 1645, 1647, 1649, and 1651. In 1643 he was
elected a commissioner to the Assembly of Divines at Westminster. In 1644
he was chaplain to one of the Scots Regiments in England. In 1649 he was
again min. of St Giles, and assisted in the presentation of the Solemn
League and Covenant to Parliament. In 1650 he was one of the mins. who
waited on Charles II at Dunfermline, to obtain his signature to a
declaration of religion, when Charles refused to sign, and a serious
division of the Church ensued. Douglas became a leader of the
Resolutioners,the moderate party. On Ist Jan.1651 he preached at the
coronation of Charles II at Scone. Sent prisoner to London by Cromwell in
1653, he was soon released. In 1654 he was summoned to London (with
others) to consult  with the Protector upon the affairs of the Church of
Scotland. In 1659 he preached the sermon at the opening of Heriot’s
Hospital. In 1661 he preached before Parliament. After the Restoration he
was offered the Bishopric  of Edinburgh, but indignantly declined, and
remonstrated with Sharp for accepting the Archbishopric of St Andrews. On
27th June 1662 he was translated to Greyfriars, Edinburgh, but  refusing
to conform to Episcopacy, he was deprived Ist Oct. of the same year. He
was admitted as an “ indulged minister” to this parish  [ Pencaitland ] 2nd Sept. 1669, and died (buried 6th) Feb. 1674. “No man,” it was said,
“contributed more to the Restoration, and received less benefit from it.”
He marr. (1) Margaret Kirkaldy, and had issue—James, of Earnslaw ;Thomas,
who died before 1667, when Alexander is called second son ; Janet;
Alexander, min.of  Logie; Patrick, bapt. 28th Jan. 1642 (marr. Margaret
Lothian), died before 1673 ; Elizabeth, bapt. 3rd Jan. 1643; Archibald,
bapt. 8th Jan. 1644; Robert: (2) 20th Aug. 1646, Margaret Boyd, who
survived him, and was buried 13th July 1692, and had issue—Robert;
Margaret, bapt. 18th July 1658.