Barclay, William

BARCLAY, WILLIAM. - Scottish jurist and theologian, b. at Aberdeen around 1543 and d. at Angers on 3 July 1608. After having been at the Scottish court in his youth, already advanced in years he devoted himself to study, first at Aberdeen, then at Bourges, where he was a pupil of Cujas and Doneau. In 1578 he obtained the chair of law at Pont-à-Mousson and was appointed councillor of state by the Duke of Lorraine. In 1603, when James I ascended the throne, he returned to England, but, refusing to abjure, he was forced to return to France, where at Angers he was given the chair of law.

His learning and his firmness of character assured him in his own times a well-deserved wide renown. A Catholic, but of very strongly Gallican leanings, he became the champion and defender of royal power against the encroaching democratic theories and against the supreme papal authority, concerning whose power he held views, and against which he launched accusations, that were absolutely unjust, even while considering himself a faithful Catholic. St. Robert Bellarmine and Lessius ably refuted him, respectively in the Tractatus de potestatis Summi Pontificis in rebus temporalibus adversus Guil. Barclaum (Rome 1610), and in the Defensio potestatis Summi Pontificis adversus librum regis Magnae Britanniae, Guil. Barclay Scoti et M. Georgii Blacuelli (Saragossa 1611). His works: De regno et regali potestate adversus Buchananum, Brutum et Boucherium et reliquus monarchomachos II. 6 (Paris 1600, 1612); In titulos pandectarum de rebus creditis et de jurejurando commentarii (ibid. 1605); De potestate papae, an et quatenus in principes saeculares jus et imperium habeat (London 1609; Pont-à-Mousson 1609; placed on the Index on 26 Apr. 1613).