even of those who gave it their suffrage, it served only to inflame the jealousy, and rouse the resentment of the nation'. Nor will this opposition excite surprise, if we consider, that the ecclesiastical government, in Scotland, was believed to be totally independent of the civil. Christ, not the king, was regarded as the head of the church; consequently, no act of parliament, nothing but the consent of the church itself, under the supposed illuminations of its Invisible Superior, could be sufficient ground for the introduction of any change in religious worship or discipline. But in direct contradiction to these old presbyterian maxims, James had introduced into Scotland the court of high-commission, at a time when its authority was too grievous to be patiently borne in England; and now, by an extorted act of parliament, Charles openly discovered his intention of overturning the national religion, and of enforcing conformity to a new mode of worship, by means of this arbitrary tribunal. The Scots could easily discover the nature of the religion which the king wished to introduce. The jurisdictions of presbyteries, synods, and other democratical courts, were already in a manner abolished; and the general assembly itself had not been summoned for two years past. It was evident that Charles, ambitious to complete the work so unwisely begun by his father, was resolved, in conjunction with the bishops, to govern the church of Scotland by the same absolute authority which he enjoyed in England, and to render the ecclesiastical government of all his kingdoms regular and uniform. But the ardour of reformation was not yet sufficiently abated, among the Scots, to admit such a change. They were still under the influence of the wildest enthusiasm, which, concurring with certain political considerations, not only obstructed Charles's favourite scheme of uniformity, but eventually ruined his authority in both kingdoms. This prince, from the natural piety or superstition of his temper, was slavishly attached to churchmen; and, as it is natural for all men to persuade themselves, that their interest coincides with their inclination, he had laid it down as a political canon, that to increase the power and civil influence of the ecclesiastical order was the first duty of his government. He considered the episcopal clergy as the most faithful servants of the crown, and the great promoters of loyalty among the people. 1 Burnet's Hist. of his own Times, vol. i. In consequence of this idea, some of the Scottish prelates were raised to the highest offices of the state; and an attempt was made to revive the first institution of the College of Justice, and to share equally between the clery and laity the whole judicial authority, as before the Reformation'. These innovations disgusted the high-minded nobility, who frequently found themselves insulted by the upstart bishops, while they had the mortification to see themselves inferior in official importance and courtly favour. Selfishness completed that jealousy which ambition had begun. The Scottish nobles perceived that the king was preparing to deprive them (in behalf of the clergy) of those church-lands which they had so largely shared at the Reformation, and therefore took part with the people and the presbyterian preachers, in opposing the plan of episcopacy, and spreading wide the alarm of popery 2. Meanwhile Charles and his dignified ecclesiastics were zealously employed in framing canons and a liturgy for the use of a people who held both in abhorrence. The canons, which were promulgated in 1635, though received by the nation without much clamour or opposition, occasioned much inward apprehension and discontent. They were indeed of a very arbitrary and offensive nature, and highly grievous to a people jealous of their civil and religious liberties. They asserted, that the king's authority was absolute and unlimited; and they ordained, among many other things odious to presbyterian ears, that the clergy should not pray extemporaneously, but by the printed form prescribed in the liturgy; that no one should officiate as schoolmaster without a licence from the bishop of the diocese; nor any person be admitted into holy orders, or allowed to perform any ecclesiastical function, without first subscribing those canons 3. 3 Even men of moderate principles, who could regard these ordinances with a degree of indifference, were filled with indignation at seeing a whole body of ecclesiastical laws established without any previous consent either of church or state. They dreaded a like despotism in civil government: yet a seeming July 23, submission was paid to the king's authority, until the 1637. reading of the liturgy. It was chiefly copied from that of England, and consequently was little exceptionable in itself. But this seemingly favourable circumstance was no recommen Guthrie's Memoirs. 2 Burnet's Hist. of his own Times, vol. i. 3 Fuller's Church Hist.-Burnet's Mem. of the House of Hamilton. dation to the Scots, who, proud of the purity of their worship, thought the English church still retained a strong mixture of Romish pollution. They therefore represented the new liturgy as a species of mass, though with less show and embroidery; and when, in the cathedral church of St. Giles, the dean of Edinburgh, arrayed in his surplice, opened the book and began the service, the meaner part of the audience, but especially the women, raised a dreadful clamour, clapping their hands and exclaiming, "A pope! a pope! Antichrist! stone him! stone him!" And the tumult was so great, that it was found impossible to proceed with the service, until the most turbulent of the rioters were turned out of the church by the civil magistrates. The bishop, who had attempted in vain to appease them, was in danger, on his return from the cathedral, of falling a victim to their fury 1. Though this tumult appeared to have been conducted only by persons of low condition, the sense of the nation was well known; so that it was not thought advisable to hazard a new insult by a second attempt to read the liturgy. But as the king, contrary to all the maxims of sound policy, and even of common sense, remained inflexible in his purpose of imposing such a mode of worship on his Scottish subjects, new tumults arose; and the people flocked from every part of the kingdom to Edinburgh, to counteract the obnoxious measure. Men of all ranks joined in petitions against the liturgy: the pulpits resounded with vehement declamations against Antichrist; and the populace, who had first opposed the new service, were ingeniously compared by the preachers to Balaam's ass, an animal stupid in itself, but whose mouth the Lord had opened, to the admiration of the whole world. Fanaticism, in a word, mingling with faction, and private interest with the spirit of liberty, produced symptoms of the most dangerous insurrection; yet Charles, as if under the influence of a blind fatality, though fully informed of the disorders in Scotland, obstinately refused to desist from his undertaking, notwithstanding the representations of his ablest ministers, and most faithful servants in that kingdom. But what renders this obstinacy still more inexcusable, and makes the king's conduct appear altogether inexplicable, is, that while he was endeavouring to recover a great part of the property of Scotland, as the church lands, from powerful nobles, by 1 King's Declaration.-Rushworth, vol. ii.-Burnet's Mem. no means willing to relinquish them, and was attempting to produce very serious changes in the civil and ecclesiastical constitution of that realm, he raised no forces to carry his violent designs into execution! The Scots saw the weakness of his administration, at the same time that they had reason to complain of the rigour; and, on the appearance of a proclamation, containing a pardon for all past offences, and exhorting them peaceably to submit to the liturgy, they entered into a civil and religious convention, generally known by the name of the CoVENANT, which proved an effectual barrier against all regal encroachments. In this convention were comprehended all orders of men in the state, divided into different tables or classes; one table consisting of nobility, another of gentry, a third of clergy, and a fourth A.D. of burgesses. In the hands of commissioners, chosen 1638. from these four tables, the whole authority of the kingdom was placed. The articles of their covenant consisted, first of a renunciation of popery, signed by the late king in his youth: then followed a bond of union, by which the subscribers obliged themselves to resist innovations in religion, and to defend each other against all violence and oppression. And as every thing was pretended to be done by the covenanters for the glory of God, the honour of the king, and the advantage of their country, people of all ranks, without distinction of age or sex, crowded to subscribe the covenant. Even the king's ministers and councillors were seized with the general phrensy'. Charles, who now began to apprehend the consequences of such a powerful combination, dispatched the marquis of Hamilton into Scotland, with authority to treat with the covenanters. He offered to suspend the canons and liturgy, until they could be received in a fair and legal way; and so model the court of highcommission, that it should no longer give offence. But he required in return for these concessions a renunciation of the covenant. The chief malcontents, finding themselves seconded by the zeal of the greater part of the nation, replied, "that they would sooner renounce their baptism than the covenant!" and the ministers invited the commissioner to subscribe it, telling him "with what peace and comfort it had filled the hearts of all God's people "." Hamilton returned to London; made another fruitless journey to Edinburgh, with new concessions; returned a second time to 1 Rushworth, vol. ii.-Burnet's Mem.-King's Declaration. 2 King's Declaration.-Rushworth, vol. ii. London; and was soon sent back with concessions yet more ample. Charles now consented utterly to abolish the canons, the liturgy, and the court of high-commission; but he would not agree to abolish episcopacy, which he thought as essential to the very being of a Christian church, as his Scottish subjects deemed it incompatible with that sacred institution. This narrowness of mind, which we must pity rather than condemn, proved the ruin of the negotiation. The king had empowered Hamilton, however, to propose the summoning of the general assembly of the church, and the parliament, by which every grievance might be redressed; an offer which was readily embraced by the covenanters, who were well assured of their superior influence in both. The first object that engaged the attention of the general assembly, where, besides a vast multitude of the populace, the most considerable of the Scottish nobility and gentry were present, was an act for the utter abolition of episcopacy. The bishops sent a protest, declining the authority of the assembly; and the commissioner dissolved it, in his majesty's name, after declaring it illegally constituted. But this measure, though unforeseen, was little regarded: the members continued to sit, and finished their business. All the acts of assembly, since the accession of James VI. to the crown of England, were declared null and void, as being procured by the arbitrary influence of the sovereign; and the acts of parliament which affected ecclesiastical affairs were considered, on the same account, as of no authority'. Thus episcopacy, the court of high-commission, the canons, and the liturgy, were abolished, and declared unlawful. Every thing, in a word, which, during a long course of A.D. years, James and Charles had been labouring with such 1639. care and policy to rear, was thrown at once to the ground; and the covenant, so obnoxious to the crown and hierarchy, was ordered, under pain of excommunication, to be signed by every one 2. After having taken these bold steps, it became necessary for the Scottish malcontents to maintain their religious opinions by military force; especially as they had good reason to believe, that, however just their resolutions might appear to themselves, they would not be assented to by the king. Although they did not despair of supernatural assistance, they thought it would be King's Declaration.-Burnet's Mem.--Rushworth, vol. ii. |