History of the Scotch Church from the Charter to the renewing of the Covenant (3)

From Scotch and Irish Seeds in American Soil by Rev. J. G. Craighead

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CHAPTER II.continued

The ratification of the five articles of Perth by Parliament gave the bishops the constitutional sanction they desired. They at once began to enforce the obnoxious rites. But civil and ecclesiastical authority combined were unequal to impose them on an unwilling people, as the unavailing contest for the next twenty years proved. The court of High Commission, urged by the king, proceeded against those ministers who refused to conform to the recent acts of Parliament. The cruel treatment of John Welsh and Robert Bruce indicated the spirit with which submission would be enforced. It was not the fathers alone, but every eminent minister in the kingdom was persecuted. If they could be induced to subscribe the Perth articles, the prelates hoped their people would either yield to their example or become alienated from them. Pursuing their cruel plan, they summoned before them Messrs. Dickson, Dunbar, Row, Murray and Johnstone—men eminent for their piety and talents, and greatly beloved in their parishes. At first entreaty and then threats were used to induce them to submit, and their refusal was followed by banishment to different parts of the kingdom. Attention was next directed to the universities, and the principal of Edinburgh College, the celebrated Robert Boyd, was forced to resign, and Robert Blair was deprived of his professorship in Glasgow and obliged to retire to Ireland. Students, moreover, were constrained to take an oath to submit to the prelatic form of church government before they were allowed to preach. Non-conforming ministers continued to be displaced, congregations were compelled to do without the ordinances unless they would receive them conjoined with superstitious rites, and all the oppressive enactments of previous years were enforced during the remainder of James’ reign.

After his death, which took place 1625, ministers and people had a brief respite from persecution. This they owed to the fact that the court of High Commission expired with the king who had created it. But his successor, Charles I., began almost immediately to carry out the policy of his father. He directed that the affairs of the Church should proceed as in the previous reign, and, inspired by that despicable creature Laud, he instituted new measures to harass Protestants and to restore the prelates to their possession of church property, while to all the just grievances of a suffering people he turned a deaf ear.

Being refused relief and redress by their earthly monarch, the more fervent were the supplications of the persecuted to the King of kings. As very many of the best and most pious ministers were prohibited from laboring in their own parishes, they went from one district to another throughout the kingdom, kindling the sacred fire that burned so brightly on the altar of their own hearts. Soon a powerful revival of religion began under the preaching of such men as Bruce, Dickson and Livingstone, which continued for several years and extended over a wide region and to all classes of society. While the latter was preaching at the kirk of Shotts the converting power of the Spirit was so graciously displayed that nearly five hundred persons were born again. This fresh baptism of the Spirit was what the people needed to confirm their resolution and inspire them with courage for the impending conflict with prelacy and despotism.

The struggle was near at hand. It was precipitated by the infatuation of the enemies of the Church. Though unable to enforce obedience to the Perth articles, except to a very limited extent, the more ardent and least wise of the prelatists urged that a book of canons and a liturgy should be prepared for the government and worship of the Church. This was done; and after Laud’s supervision and amendment, the canons were confirmed under the great seal in 1635. Among other things, the canons pronounced excommunication upon all who denied the king’s supremacy in ecclesiastical matters, or who asserted that the prelatic form of church government was unscriptural. Every minister was obliged to adhere to the forms prescribed in the liturgy under penalty of deposition; which liturgy was not at the time in existence. No General Assembly could be called except by the king, and no private meetings could be held by the ministers for expounding the Scriptures. Thus was it attempted, at one and the same time, by this book of canons, to subvert the entire constitution of the Church of Scotland. The despotic acts were unsparingly denounced by all Presbyterians, and the nobility were pleased to see the offensive measures adopted, knowing well that all attempts to enforce the provisions of the book of canons would react upon the prelates, whose power they wished diminished, as they had usurped so many of the highest offices in the State.

A liturgy or book of public worship was completed in 1636, which all faithful subjects were commanded by the king to receive and observe, and an order was obtained from the privy-council requiring ministers in every parish to provide two copies of the Service-Book for the use of their people. Edinburgh was the place chosen where the public use of the book was to be commenced. On the 23d day of July, 1637, the perilous experiment was made by the dean of that city in the cathedral church of St. Giles. The church was crowded, and “a deep melancholy calm brooded over the congregation,” presaging the fierce tempest which was about to sweep away every barrier. At length the dean, attired in his surplice, began to read the liturgy, but his voice was speedily drowned in tumultuous clamor. An old woman, Jenny Geddes, was the heroine of the occasion. “Villain!” she cried; “dost thou say mass at my lug?” and with these words hurled the stool on which she had been sitting at the dean’s head. Others quickly followed her example. Missiles of every kind flew, while some of the more impetuous rushed toward the desk to seize the offender. Terrified by this sudden outburst of popular anger, the dean threw off his surplice and fled. The bishop attempted to allay the tumult, but was greeted with shouts of “A pope! a pope! Antichrist! Stone him! Pull him down!” and he was with great difficulty rescued by the magistrates. This unexpected storm of public indignation surprised and terrified the court-party. They were prepared for and expected resistance from some ministers, and these they intended to crush into the dust, but they were stupefied by the exhibition of the violence of the pent-up feelings of the populace. And great as were their fears, they did not exaggerate the danger. This unlooked-for tumult was the deathblow to the liturgy in Scotland. Intelligence of what had transpired in Edinburgh soon spread through the kingdom, and was the signal of open resistance in other towns and cities. At Glasgow, Ayr and other places it was found absolutely necessary to suspend the use of the service. The people would no longer tamely submit to see the institutions of their fathers wantonly violated and overthrown.

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