Catechetical Expositions of Modes of Revelation - Puritan Robert Rollock

Catechetical Expositions of Modes of Revelation - Puritan Robert Rollock
Robert Rollock (c. 1555 - 8 or 9 February 1599) was Scottish academic and minister in the Church of Scotland, and the first regent and first principal of the University of Edinburgh. Born into a noble family, he distinguished himself during his education at the University of St Andrews, which led to him being appointed regent of the newly created college in Edinburgh in 1583, and its first principal in 1586.
After the college had grown and other regents had been appointed, Rollock no longer had to perform everyday teaching, and he became the university's first Professor of Theology. In parallel to his academic duties, he acted as a minister and served in various church functions until his death in 1599. Rollock was acknowledged by his contemporaries as a prolific academic and Biblical scholar, and effective principal.
Rollock was born in 1555, the son of David Rollock, laird of Powis, near Stirling, and his wife Mariota Livingston. He was one of at least six children, Hercules Rollock being his older brother. He received his early education at the school of Stirling from Thomas Buchanan, a nephew of George Buchanan. Rollock then entered St Salvator's College at the University of St Andrews in 1574, obtaining his BA in 1576 and his MA likely in 1577. After graduating, he combined teaching at St Salvator's College with further studies in theology, Hebrew, and Biblical philology at St Mary's College (also in St Andrews) under the tutelage of James Melville. Over the next years, Rollock acquired a national reputation both as a teacher and due to the piety he reportedly instilled in his students.[1] In 1580, he was first made examiner of arts, then director of the faculty of arts, and finally a regent of the University of St Andrews, Edinburgh around 1581.
Rollock had begun to preach informally at St Giles every Sunday morning as early as September 1587, although he was not ordained as a minister. Another minister took over these duties in December 1589. Rollock played a prominent role in the Church of Scotland and its somewhat troubled church politics, and was appointed on several occasions to committees of presbytery and assemblies on pressing ecclesiastical business.
In 1590, Rollock was appointed assessor to the moderator of the general assembly, and in 1591 was named to a committee of the presbytery of Edinburgh with negotiated with the king on the affairs of the kirk. In connection with the prosecution of the Earls of Angus, Huntly, and Errol for their attempts 'against the true religion', he was chosen to confer with a committee of the estates. In 1595, he was nominated to a commission for the visitation of Scotland's colleges.  In the following year, he was appointed with three other ministers to remonstrate with King James VI for his 'hard dealing with the kirk', and especially for his prosecution of David Black.
In 1596, Rollock accepted one of the eight ministerial charges of the city of Edinburgh, and took charge of his congregation. His sympathy for the king's policies led to the royal party successfully lobbying for Rollock being chosen as moderator of the General Assembly held at Dundee in May 1597. In 1598 he became minister of the Upper Tolbooth-probably the west portion of St. Giles's Kirk-and on 18 April of the same year he was admitted to Magdalen Church, afterwards known as Greyfriars Kirk.
Death and legacy
Rollock had repeatedly been in poor health throughout his life, and he was perhaps overworked; he died in Edinburgh on 8 February 1599, aged only 44. On his deathbed, Rollock stated that he wanted the university to remain chiefly a place of spiritual instruction, and that he was strongly opposed to the introduction of professors of law and medicine. He also requested that his former student Henry Charteris would be made his successor, a wish which was granted by the Town Council.
Rollock was the author of numerous theological works, the majority of them being commentaries or expositions of scripture. He was internationally recognised for his Bible commentaries, and over 40 of his works were printed in Edinburgh, Geneva, Heidelberg and Herborn. His writings on the Epistle to the Ephesians and the Epistle to the Romans won particular praise, with Geneva theologian Theodore Beza stating he had "never read in this kind of interpretation any thing exceeding them in elegance and sound judgement united with brevity".[2] In two works published in 1596/97, Rollock may be one of the first exponents of covenant theology in Britain.
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Rollock married Helen Barroun, daughter of James Barroun of Kinnaird, around 1587. The couple had a posthumous daughter, Jean, who married Robert Balcanquhal, minister of Tranent.
The university commemorates Rollock with a plaque on the south side of Old College, at the entrance to the main university reception.