M'CRIE

m'crie, thomas (1772-1835), scottish historian and divine, was born at duns in berwickshire in november 1772. he studied in edinburgh university, and in 1796 he was ordained minister of the second associate congregation, edinburgh. in 1806, however, with some others m'crie seceded from the "general associate synod," and formed the "constitutional associate presbytery," afterwards merged in the "original seceders." he was consequently deposed by the associate synod, and his congregation withdrew with him and built another place of worship in which he officiated until his death. m'crie devoted himself to investigations into the history, constitution and polity of the churches of the reformation; and the first-fruits of his study were given to the public in november 1811 as _the life of john knox, containing illustrations of the history of the reformation in scotland_, which procured for the author the degree of d.d. from edinburgh university, an honour conferred then for the first time upon a scottish dissenting minister. this work, of great learning and value, exercised an important influence on public opinion at the time. at the solicitation of his friend andrew thomson, m'crie became a contributor to _the edinburgh christian instructor_, and in 1817 he subjected some of sir w. scott's works to a criticism which took the form of a vindication of the covenanters. preserving the continuity of his historical studies, he followed up his first work with _the life of andrew melville_ (1819). in 1827 he published a _history of the progress and suppression of the reformation in italy_, and in 1829 a _history of the progress and suppression of the reformation in spain_. his latest literary undertaking was a life of john calvin. only three chapters were completed when the writer died on the 5th of august 1835, leaving four sons and one daughter. see thomas m'crie (1797-1875), _life of t. m'crie_ (1840), and hugh miller, _my schools and schoolmasters_ (1869).