Separation of Roles of Principal and Professor of Divinity, 1620
When Henry Charteris resigned as Principal of Edinburgh University and Professor of Theology in 1620, the two posts were permanently separated.
The posts of Principal and of 'Professor of Theology' were originally united in the person of Robert Rollock. Rollock was the university's first regent, tutoring the first intake of Edinburgh students after the opening of the University in 1583 through to their graduation as Master of Arts in August 1587. In February 1586, he was appointed Principal of the University. When his class graduated, he did not resume the regenting cycle but was appointed 'Professor of Theology' in November 1587. In this capacity, he instructed those graduates who wished to stay on to prepare for the ministry. Rollock held the twin posts of Principal and Professor of Theology until his death in February 1599. Following Rollock's own death-bed advice, he was succeeded in both by Henry Charteris.
The University's historians Thomas Craufurd and Sir Alexander Grant argue that Charteris was of too retiring a disposition to satisfy the Town Council of Edinburgh (then responsible for all university appointments). Accordingly, a plan was hatched to replace him as Principal with Patrick Sands, whose brother-in-law was an influential councillor. A pretext was found to edge Charteris out in 1620, when he requested that his salary be raised to the same level as the City's Ministers, as he had, in fact, been promised. The Town Council informed Charteris that the present state of University funds did not permit it, and suggested he might profitably seek a church appointment. Charteris took the hint, resigned the Principalship in 1620, and became Minister of North Leith.
Patrick Sands was appointed Principal on 20 March 1620. He was among Edinburgh University's first batch of graduates in 1587, and had been employed as a Regent in October 1589. He had long since, however, left the university to practise as an Advocate at the Scottish Bar. Whatever his credentials for the Principalship, he was clearly unqualified to succeed Charteris as Professor of Theology. Consequently the Town Council, in consultation with the Kirk Session, created a separate Professorship of Divinity. Andrew Ramsay was appointed to the position, and took over the task of preparing graduates for the Ministry.
Despite being a layman, Sands was nonetheless required to preach in Greyfriars Kirk in the afternoons. Sir Alexander Grant suggests that his failure to satistify in this capacity may have been one of the reasons for his resignation of the Principalship in October after only eighteen months in October 1622. His successor Robert Boyd was a Divine and resumed the title of 'Professor of Theology', previously held by Rollock and Charteris. He nonetheless took no role in preparing students for the ministry, which, from now on, remained the exclusive task of the Professor of Divinity. As 'Professor of Theology' the Minister limited himself to conducting family worship with the students and delivering a weekly homily on their Christian duties.