what they were pleased to style his own cause, and at the door of each captain's tent was displayed a flag, with the arms of Scotland, and these words written in gold, "For Christ's crown and covenant." Their success, and the consequent abolition of episcopacy in Scotland, are well known. The Earl of Traquair, who acted as his Majesty's commissioner, not only signed the covenant, but gave his sanction in the name of Charles to the abolition of the episcopal order, as unlawful; thus unwarrantably exceeding the powers which were vested in him, as the King himself afterwards complained. Charles had, indeed, found it necessary to yield to his Scottish subjects, aud even to consent to the sacrifice of his favourite form of Church polity; but he would not consent to denominate episcopacy unlawful, and positively prohibited the word from being introduced into the act of parliament relating to the subject. At this epoch, the troubles and dangers of our own Church became truly alarining, aud it appears from Dr. Cook's statements relative to the conduct of his countrymen, that they contributed not a little to both. The Scottish commissioners, who repaired to London to settle the treaty of Rippon, carried with them several of the most popular of their clergy, not only for the sake of gratifying those zealous churchmen who guided the people, but also to disseminate, in the metropolis, the principles of the pres byterian polity. These turbulent divines by degrees extended their views as they felt their influence enlarging; and at the period in question, they began to regard it as a sacred duty to have their own form of ecclesiastical government received throughout the whole of Britain. They now insisted, as essential to peace, that there should be in the two British nations, unity of religion and uniformity of Church government. Henderson, one of their body, wrote a short treatise, recommending the ecclesiastical discipline of Scotland, and others of the same order wrote against episcopacy with so much passion, that they turned against themselves the indignation of many who were friendly to their cause. The King was so much irritated at their violent interference, so contrary to what he conceived to be their duty as ministers of the Gospel, that he told them they had forfeited the privileges which he had consented they should enjoy. He found it expedient, however, to alter his tone considerably, when, in the month of August, 1641, he paid a visit to his native country; and one cannot help expressing pity for the constraint or insincerity with which he deemed it necessary to act. "He ratified in the most ample manner," says our author, "the acts respecting the Church which established presbytery: he employed Henderson, the most popular of the ministers, to officiate as his chaplain; he suspended the use of the liturgy, (rather, (rather, perhaps, dispensed with the use of the liturgy) attended divine service in presbyterian churches, and in consequence of a rebuke for not appearing in the afternoon, readily consented to be present whenever the congregation assembled.' He created the Earl of Argyle a marquis, and Lesley, the insurgent general, Earl of Leven. To several of the ministers he gave liberal pensions, and he augmented the revenues of the universities, In return for this goodness, in which, perhaps, the heart of the King did not altogether concur, the presbyterians pronounced a determination, which they observed only as long as they found it convenient, renewing an old statute, which denounced it as damnable treason for any of the Scottish nation to levy forces, upon any pretence whatever, without the King's commission. The long parliament was now sitting, and the civil war on the point of breaking out. The Scotch were assiduously courted by the King's enemies, and the proposals of the latter were listened to with a ready ear. The leaders of the parliamentary faction, indeed, only declared that they were zealous for a due reformation in Church and State; but their presbyterian friends in the North advanced directly to the point, and expressed, in unambi guous language, their sense of the urgent necessity for introducing into England their peculiar discipline. "What hope, they ask, can the kingdom and Kirk of Scotland have of a desirable peace, till prelacy, which hath been the main cause of their mi series and troubles, first and last, be plucked up root and branch, as a plant which God hath not planted, and from which no better fruits can be expected than such sour grapes as this day set on edge the kingdom of England." It does not appear, however, that the parliament, at this period, were disposed to accede to the proposition of the Scottish presbyterians, to abo. lish episcopacy in England. Even in 1643, when their com misisoners attended in the general assembly, for the purpose of framing the solemn league and covenant, these politicians and divines had address enough to avoid giving their concurrence to the plan of the Scottish ministers, for establishing presbytery throughout Great Britain and Ireland. They bound themselves no further than " to endeavour the preservation of the reformed religion in the kingdom of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, according to the word of God and the example of the last reformed churches." Having incidentally mentioned this celebrated obligation, we are unwilling to pass by the remarks which Dr. Cook has made upon it, because they breathe that spirit of candour, moderation and good sense, which, with very few exceptions, characterize his work, "In alluding," says he, "to the solemn league and covenant, it must not be kept out of view, that the whole of its spirit was in direct opposition to the spirit of Christianity, breathing an intolerance that sapped the most sacred of those rights which it was one of its avowed designs to secure, vesting a protestant community with powers inconsistent with the fundamental principles upon which the reformation had proceeded, and particularly destroying that free exercise of private judgment, for which the first reformers, to their immortal honour, had strenuously contended. Much allowance, however, from the circumstances in which they were placed, must be made for the persons by whom it was sanctioned. By the infatuated conduct of James, the ideas of Popery and Frelacy had, in the minds of the people, been firmly associated; whilst the active part taken by the Scottish bishops in the persecution of all who opposed epis copacy; their subserviency to an arbitrary court; the looseness of their manners, and their contempt of the prevailing religious sentiments of the community, combined in inspiring the presbyterians with an aversion to the hierarchy which, in a different situation, they would probably not have entertained." We need not mention with how much eagerness this covenant was sigued in Scotland, and the solemn farce which attended its reception in this part of the island. Both Houses of Parliament, the Assembly of Divines, and the Scottish Commissioners met in the church of St. Margaret's, Westminster; and after several prayers and harangues, the covenant being read, notice was given to all that they should immediately, by swearing to it, worship the great name of God, and testify this by lifting up their hands. The evil spirit of rebellion was now (1644) engaged in the work of havock and demolition. The Scottish divines, who sat in the Westminster assembly, saw matters proceed exactly as they wished. They accordingly took the earliest opportunity of assuring their countrymen at home, that " they could not but admire the good hand of God in the great things already done, particularly that the covenant was taken, prelacy and the whole train thereof extirpated, the service-book in many places forsaken, plain and powerful preaching set up, many colleges in Cambridge provided with such ministers as were most zealous of the best reformation, the communion in some places given at the table with sitting; the great organs at Paul's and Peter's at Westminster taken down, images and many other monuments of idolatry defaced and abolished, the Chapel Royal at Whitehall purged and reformed, and all by authority, in a quiet manner, at noonday, without tumult." This satisfaction, however, did not continue long. The Independents already appeared to command a majority in both Houses of Parliament, and they strenuously maintained that presbytery presbytery was not of divine institution. The Scottish Commissioners instantly began to lament the prevalence of sects; they inveighed against toleration, as sapping the foundation of the Gospel; they complained that obstacles were thrown in the way of the completion of the great work; and they prevailed upon a numerous body of ministers round London to deplore to the Parliament, "that through many erroneous opinions, ruinating schisms, and damnable heresies, unhappily fomented, the orthodox ministry were neglected, the people seduced, fearful confusions introduced;" and to pray" that as a remedy for these evils, a directory for worship should be hastened, and the establishment of a pure discipline and government be accelerated." We pass over the treaty of Uxbridge, and the various conferences by which it was preceded, and return for a moment to Scotland, where the covenanters were, in the mean time, going on with the same intemperate zeal which had uniformly guided their conduct. One of the preachers employed a discourse in pointing out the distinction between King Charles and King Jesus, and inculcated that all who were deeply interested in the cause of Christ, should resist their temporal sovereign. The sermon, we are told, was heard with the highest delight, and the preacher was rewarded with the applause of the greater part of his countrymen. The affairs of Charles having become hopeless in England, he had recourse to the ill-advised measure of surrendering himself to the Scottish army. Importuned on all hands, however, he would neither sign the covenant, nor consent to abolish episcopacy. The steadiness with which he adhered to what respected the Church, has been considered as evidence, that, in all his negociations, he was insincere. "It seems, however," as our author justly remarks," at this period of his life to warrant an opposite conclusion. Had his object now been to deceive, and had his sense of integrity been so blunted, that he had no scruple to follow a system of delusion, it is in the highest degree probable that he would have consented to all which was required, and that he would even have signed the covenant, with this mental reservation, that, as the subscription had been extorted, it was binding only while it was his interest to act in conformity to it. Had he done this, he would have embarrassed his enemies; he would probably have gained the most powerful men in Scotland; and he would at all events have opened the only way by which he could possibly re-ascend his throne." The manner too in which his Majesty conducted the controversy in which he engaged with Henderson, plainly shews that he Y VOL. V. MARCH, 1816. must must previously have investigated the subject, and that his opinions were not rashly adopted. He is considered by several writers as having shewn more ingenuity and learning than his opponent; and some of his partizans lamented that his sword was not wielded with the same vigour as his pen. Charles, it is well known, would not accede to any terms which might com-promise the fate of the Church, which, however, he could not now avert. When, at Newcastle, the commissioners of both kingdoms besought him on their knees to alter his resolution in support of episcopacy; w en Loudon, the Chancellor of Scotland, entreated him, as he valued his crown, not to hesitate in giving the pledge which was required, he nobly replied, that no condition to which he could be reduced, would be so deplorable as that to which they were persuading him to reduce himself; that they might take their cwn way, and that though they had all forsaken him, God had not forsaken him. This pious but unfortunate mouarch was soon to be brought to the scaffold, where he fell a sacrifice to the evil times in which it was his lot to govern England. But even in the last attempt which the nobility of Scotland were driven by remorse to make in behalf of Charles, they were thwarted and opposed by the ministers; nor did these men raise their voices to save his life, until they found that his death was to throw the power of the state into the hands of the Independents. The character of the King is faithfully delineated by Dr. Cook, who, while he bewails the errors into which he was occasionally betrayed, chearfully extols his virtues, and pathetically laments his fate. The first step which the covenanters took with his successor, was very little calculated to gain his affection or to remove his fears. The commissioners whom they sent to Breda were instructed to demand of him the sacrifice of his most intimate friends; a full recognition of the solemn league and covenant; a ratification of all the acts of parliament by which the presbyterian discipline was established in Scotland, and a promise to give the royal assent to such other acts as might enjoin the same form of ecclesiastical polity in the rest of his dominions. When he arrived he was made to confess the sin of his father in marrying into an idolatrous family, and to ascribe to him all the blood that had been shed in the civil war. Charles was then made to express deep regret for his own perverted education; to admit that the whole of his past life had been in direct opposition to the will of God, and to promise that he would adhere to all which he now professed until the end of his life. The truth is, at the period of which we are now writing, the factious ministers completely controlled the civil power, and even dictated to the army; they paralyzed all the exertions of their countrymen |