Geddes, Michael

Geddes, Michael a divine of the Church of England, was born in Scotland, and in 1678 was appointed chaplain to the English factory at Lisbon. In 1686 he was summoned to appear before the court of the Inquisition. The judges received him at first with great affectation of civility and courtesy, desiring him to sit down and to be covered before they proceeded to examine him. After this ceremony was over, they sternly asked his- how he dared to preach or exercise his function in that city? He answered that he enjoyed that liberty by virtue of an article in the treaty between the crowns of Portugal and England; that it was a privilege which had never been called in question; and that he had resided at Lisbon for eight years, during which time he had served the English factory in the capacity of chaplain, as many others had done before him. To these declaratioons they falsely replied that they were entirely ignorant till lately that any such liberty had been assumed, and that if they had, known it they would never have suffered it. They strictly forbade him to minister any more to his congregation; and, after threatening him with vengeance if he should disobey, dismissed him. It is said that they were encouraged to take this step by the Romanist party in England. Upon this interdiction, letters of complaint were addressed by the factory to the bishop of London; but as they did not reach England before the suspension of his lordship, all hopes of speedy redress were lost. Geddes returned to his native country in the beginning of 1688. He was soon made LL.D. by the University of Oxford, and was made chancellor of Sarum by bishop Burnet. He wrote a History of the Church of Malabar (Lond. 1694, 8vo): — The Church History of Ethiopia (Lond. 1696, 8vo): — Miscellaneous Tracts against Popery (Lond. 1730, 3 volumes, 8vo); and the Council of Trent no Free Assembly. He died in 1715. — Birch, Life of Tillotson; Hook, Ecles. Biog. 5:308.