A.D. 1637. PART II. nefs completed that jealousy which ambition had begun. The Scottish nobility faw themselves ready to be deprived of those church-lands which they had fo largely fhared at the Reformation, in order to exalt ftill higher the confequence of the clergy; and therefore took part with the people and the presbyterian preachers, in opposing the king's plan of epifcopacy, and spreading wide the alarm of popery 22. MEANWHILE Charles, and his dignified ecclesiasties, 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 oppofition, occafioned much inward apprehenfion and discontent. They were indeed of a moft arbitrary and offenfive nature, and highly grievous to a people jealous of their civil and religious liberties. They afferted, that the king's authority was abfolute and unlimited; and they ordained, among many other things odious to Prefbyterian ears, That the clergy should not pray extempore, but by the printed form prescribed in the liturgy; that no one should officiate as fchoolmafter without a licence from the bishop of the diocefe; nor any perfon be admitted into holy. orders, or allowed to perform any ecclefiaftical function, without firft fubfcribing thofe canons 23. EVEN men of moderate principles, who could negard thefe ordinances with a degree of indifference, were illed with indignation at seeing a whole body of eccle fiaftical laws cftablished without any previous confent, 22. Burnet, Hift. Own Times, vol. i. 23. Fuller's Church IV. either of church or ftate. They dreaded a like defpo- LETTER tifm in civil government: yet a feeming fubmiffion was paid to the king's authority, until the reading of A.D. 1637 July 23. the liturgy. It was chiefly copied from that of England, and consequently little exceptionable in itself. But this feemingly favourable circumftance was no recommendation to the Scots; who, proud of the purity of their worship, thought the English church ftill retained a ftrong mixture of Romish pollution. They therefore represented the new liturgy as a species of mass, though with lefs fhew and embroidery; and when, in the cathedral church of St. Giles, the dean of Edinburgh arrayed in his furplice, opened the book, and began the fervice, the meaner part of the audience, but especially the women, raised a dreadful clamour, clapping their hands and exclaiming," A "pope! a pope! Antichrift! ftone him! ftone him!" And the tumult was fo great, that it was found impoffible to proceed with the fervice, until the moft turbulent of the rioters were turned out of the church by the civil magiftrates. The bishop, who had attempted in vain to appease them, was in danger of falling a facrifice to their fury, in going home 24. THOUGH this tumult appeared to have been conducted only by perfons of low condition, the sense of the nation was well known; fo that it was not thought advisable to hazard a new infult by a fecond attempt to read the liturgy. But as the king, contrary to all the maxims of found policy, and even of common sense, remained inflexible in his purpose of impofing such a mode of worship on his Scottish fubjects, new tumults arofe; and the people flocked from every part of the kingdom to Edinburgh, in order to oppofe fo obnoxious a measure. Men of all ranks and conditions joined 24. King's Declar@ien. Rushworth, vol. ii. Burnet's Mem. A. D. 1637. PART II in petitions against the liturgy: the pulpits refounded with vehement declamations against Antichrift; and the populace, who had first opposed the new fervice was ingeniously compared by the preachers to Balaam's Afs, an animal ftupid in it itfelf, but whofe mouth the Lord had opened, to the admiration of the whole world 25. Fanaticism, in a word, mingling with faction, and private intereft with the fpirit of liberty, produced fymptoms of the most dangerous infurrection; yet Charles, as if under the influence of a blind fatality, though fully informed of the diforders in Scotland, obftinately refused to defift from his undertaking, notwithstanding the reprefentations of his ableft minif ters, and most faithful fervants in that kingdom. BUT what renders this obftinacy ftill more inexcufable, and makes the king's conduct appear altogether inexplicable is, that, while he was endeavouring to recover fo great a part of the property of Scotland as the church-lands, from powerful nobles, by no means willing to relinquish them, and was attempting to ehange the whole civil and ecclefiaftical conftitution of the kingdom, he raised no forces to carry his violent defigns into execution! The Scots faw the weaknefs of his administration, at the fame time that they had reafon to complain of its rigour and on a proclamation being iffued, containing a pardon for all paft 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 ftate, divided into different tables or claffes; 25. King's Declaration. IV. one table confifting of nobility, another of gentry, LETTER a third of clergy, and a fourth of burgeffes. In the hands of commiffioners, chofen from thefe four tables, A. D. 1638. the whole authority of the kingdom was placed. The articles of their Covenant confifted, first of a renunciation of popery, formally figned by the late king in his youth; then followed a bond of union, by which the subscribers obliged themfelves to refift innovations in religion, and to defend each other against all violence and oppreffion 26. 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 diftinction of age or fex, crowded to fubfcribe the Covenant. Even the king's minifters and counfellors were feized with the general frenzy 27. CHARLES, who now began to apprehend the confequences of fuch a powerful combination, dispatched the marquis of Hamilton into Scotland, with authority to treat with the Covenanters. He offered to fufpend the canons and liturgy, until they could be received in a fair and legal way; and fo model the court of highcommiffion, that it fhould no longer give offence. But he required in return for thefe conceffions, a renunciation of the Covenant. The Covenanters, who carried much higher their pretenfions, and found themfelves feconded by the zeal of the whole nation, replied, that "they would fooner renounce their baptifm than "the Covenant !" and the minifters invited the commiffioner to fubfcribe it, telling him "with what peace and comfort it had filled the hearts of all "God's people 28. 26. Rushworth, vol. ii. Burnet's Mem. King's Declaration. 27. Burnet, ubi fup. 28. King's Declaration. Rushworth, vol. ii. PART II. A.D. 1638. HAMILTON returned to London; made another fruitless journey to Edinburgh, with new conceffions: returned a fecond time to London; and was again fent back, with conceffions yet more ample. Charles now confented utterly to abolish the canons, the liturgy, and the court of high-commiffien; but he would not agree to abolish epifcopacy, which he thought as effential to the very being of a Chriftian church, as his Scottish fubjects deemed it incompatible with that facred inftitution. This narrowness of mind, which we must pity rather than condemn, proved the ruin of the negociation. The king had impowered Hamilton, however, to propose the fummoning of the general affembly of the church, and the parliament, by which every grievance might be redreffed; an offer which was readily embraced by the Covenanters, who were well affured of their fuperior influence in both. THE firft object that engaged the attention of the general affembly, where, befides a vaft multitude of the populace, all the Scottish nobility and gentry of any family or intereft were prefent, was an act for the utter abolition of epifcopacy. The bishops fent a proteft, declining the authority of the affembly; and the commiffioner diffolved it, in his majefty's name, after declaring it illegally conftituted. But this measure, though unforefeen, was little regarded: the members continued to fit, and to finish their bufi nefs. All the acts of affembly, fince the acceffion of James VI. to the crown of England, were declared null and void, as being procured by the arbitrary influence of the fovereign; and the acts of parliament, which affected ecclefiaftical affairs, were confidered, on the fame account, as of no authority 29. Thus 29. King's Declaration Burnet's Mem. Rushworth, vol. ii. epifcopacy, |