BRITAIN. 



577 



r Scotch 

 <jih t- 

 (bpacv. 



church. This renewed 



a in. '-did, by which the subscribers solemnly 



' renounced li]>: < well as Popery, and engaged 



to defend each other, and to support th n in 



the preservation of religious liberty ; and was prepared 

 by Alexander Henderson, the leader of the clergy, 

 and Archibald Johnston, afterwards of VVarriston, an 

 advocate. It was revised by the Lords Balmerino, 

 Loudon, and Rot lies. It wa . sworn to by nobles, 

 gentry, clergy, ami burgesses, and by thousands of all 

 denominations, after *olemn exhortation and prayer 

 in the Grey Friars' church of Edinburgh. Through- 

 out Scotland, it roused and agitated the people by a 

 zeal untelt since the Reformation. 



The king began to think of temporizing with the 

 Scotch when it was too late. He sent the Marquis of 

 Hamilton with authority to treat with the Covenant- 

 ers. He required the covenant to be renounced and re- 

 called. The Covenanters answered, thut they would 

 sooner renounce their baptism. Hamilton returned 

 to London ; made another fruitless journey with new 

 proposals, and was again sent back by the Covenanters. 

 After some negotiation, Charles made concessions, 

 which, at an earlier period, might have proved satis- 

 factory. He recalled the canon's liturgy and the high 

 commission, suspended the articles of Perth, and 

 seemed only anxious on any terms to continue the 

 bishops. But the Scotch could not now think them- 

 selves secure, without the absolute abolition of Epis- 

 copacy. A weak attempt was made amidst these 

 disputes to substitute a counter-covenant, in which 

 the renunciation of Popery, and submission to the 

 royal authority, were combined ; but the new bond 

 was signed by few, and with little zeal. An assem- 

 bly, which Charles had agreed to grant to the Scot- 

 tish religionists, was held at Glasgow ; an assembly, 

 which, from a large accession of the nobility and 

 gentry, far exceeded in influence what the ecclesiastics 

 alone could have possessed. As a preparative to the 

 abolition of Episcopacy, there had been laid before 

 the presbytery of Edinburgh, and solemnly read in 

 all the churches of the kingdom, an accusation against 

 the bishops, of heresy, simony, bribery, perjury, 

 cheating, and numerous other crimes, to the suspicion 

 of which the lax lives of the episcopal clergy had but 

 too much exposed them. Tiie bishops sent a protest, 

 declin'ng the authority of the assembly. The com- 

 missioners, too, protested against the court as illegally 

 constituted, and in his majesty's name dissolved it. 

 But this measure was foreseen, and little regarded. 

 The court still continued to sit. All the acts of as- 

 sembly since the accession of James were, on strong 

 grounds of reason, declared null and void ; and with 

 these the acts of parliament regarding ecclesiastical af- 

 fairs. Thus Episcopacy, the high commission, the 

 articles of Perth, the canons, and the liturgy, were 

 abolished, and declared unlawful ; and the whole fa- 

 bric which Jarres and Charles had been rearing with 

 so much industry, fell to the ground. Of 14 bishops 

 whom the assembly degraded, eight were excommu- 

 nicated, four were deposed, and two were merely 

 suspended from ecclesiastical functions. These were 

 bold proceedings. Yet it may otill be doubted if, 



with so much justice on their side, they intitled the 

 sovereign to think of coming to the la ,t extremities. 

 But Charles's preparations for war were by this time 

 far advanced ; it appears indeed that he anxiously 

 solicited the rupture with the assembly, to justify 

 baviog recourse to arms. By economy he had amas- 

 sed about 200,000 ; loans were procured from the 

 nobility ; his queen incited the Papists, and Laud 

 instigated the clergy, to contribute to this Episcopal 

 war. The nobility were summoned to attend their 

 sovereign at York. The Scotch had not been idle in 

 meeting the hour of danger. The covenant had been 

 received by Scotchmen abroad as well as at home. 

 Lesly, a commander distinguished in the Swedish 

 service, was recalled, to lead the Covenanters at home, 

 and he was followed by many experienced officers, 

 who had served Gustavus. Arms, ammunition, and 

 artillery were provided, and the people were trained 

 to the use of them. After France and Holland had 

 entered into a league against Spain for the partition 

 of the Netherlands, England had been invited to a 

 neutrality. But Charles, in replying to the French 

 ambassador, threatened to stud 15,000 troops to op- 

 pose the partition j an impolitic threat, in return for 

 which Richelieu now secretly supplied the Covenanters 

 with money. * 



When the king's forces had assembled at York, 

 when Huntly began to arm for his cause in the north, 

 and the Marquis of Douglas in the south, the Cove- 

 nanters seized, by surprize, some of the most impor- 

 tant fortified places. Edinburgh, Dumbarton, and 

 Dalkeith, fell at once into their hands. The Marquis 

 of Hamilton arrived with the king's fleet from Eng- 

 land ; but he found Leith, which had been fortified 

 by volunteers of all ranks, secure from assault, and 

 could only land his few regiments on the uninhabited 

 islands of the Forth. The king advanced from York 

 to Berwick with 23,000 horse and foot, and the 

 Scotch, to the number of SM.OOO, encamped in sight of" 

 his army on Dunse Law. The latter had hitherto, 

 though with swords in their hands, constantly ad- 

 dressed Charles as their sovereign, petitioning redres ; 

 of grievances from him, and never desisting from pa- 

 cific overtures. Formidable as they seemed from 

 their numbers, zeal, national spirit, and the excellence 

 of their officers, the king listened to their proposals. 

 His own army had few officers of experience, and the 

 men were inspired by no such zeal as that which ani- 

 mated the Scotch. In the pacification of Berwick, it 

 was agreed, that the armies on both sides should be 

 disbanded, and that ecclesiastical matters should be 

 referred to the decision of another assembly, and civil 

 affairs to another parliament toon to be summoned. 

 The fortifications of Leith were surrendered, and 30 

 castles were restored to the king's government. 



The assembly of the Scottish church accordingly 

 met, and again abolished Episcopacy, stigmatizing 

 the liturgy, canons, and high commission, as before. 

 The Scottish parliament also assembled, a truly pa- 

 triotic parliament, who proposed to re-establish all 

 their legislative rights which had been usurped since 

 the accession of James, and to rectify many public 

 abuses. Charles, who had never been sincere in hi* 



Bliuin. 

 ClltFU.t 9 I. 



Charle. 

 prepare* 

 tor clfil 

 war. 



Prepara- 

 tions for 

 war in 

 Scotland. 



Pacific 

 measures 

 agreed 

 upon at 



The Scotch 

 agaiu abo- 

 lish EpisCQ- 

 pacy, and 

 asrt their 

 civil right" 



To the amount of 100,000 crowns. 



>~OL. iv. PART ir. 



