for one; no hospital, though ample means; and " a great number of bairns are lying near." Two of the three commissioners "touch the pen," being unable to write. The present population of Newbattle is 1880.

Many other interesting cases might be quoted, but perhaps the most interesting is the Report from one of the parishes of Shetland. It is wonderful that in these days, when the Northern Islands were almost inaccessible, the Reformed Church should have carried the Gospel to them. It affords a fine testimony to her zeal. Three heritors act as commissioners, and report that there are three churches served by the same minister in turn. The communicants, in all, are 440,—viz., in Nesting, 178; Sandsting, 104; and in Skerries, 158. There is no school nor foundation, nor ability on the part of the people to maintain one; but it is necessary that there should be a school in the country, "in such a place as is most convenient." The corn teind is paid in butter and oil. The commissioners speak of the meanness and uncertainty of the provision.

Such are a few facts which may enable us to gather some impression of the general character of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland down to the beginning of the reign of Charles I. Certainly that impression must be most favourable to her fidelity, self-denial, and zeal. The encroachments of the king render the success of her labours the more wonderful, and leave us to conjecture how much more noble the moral result would have been, had she not been weakened by poverty on the one hand, and royal interference on the other; and had been allowed to pursue her course unrestrained, with even a moderate share of those outward facilities for planting churches and schools to which she was so well entitled to look.

CHARLES I. succeeded his father in 1625. It might have been thought that, taught by the experience of his predecessor, how vain it was to attempt to bend the

Church and people of Scotland to Episcopacy, he would have desisted from the attempt, and given freedom to his Scottish subjects. But he inherited his father's love of arbitrary power. He was married to a Popish princess; and Arminianism had, in the meantime, been introduced from Holland into England, and was warmly encouraged by Archbishop Laud, who became the king's most trusted though evil counsellor. Arminianism is allied to Popery, indeed, it is its essential spirit; and so, in these days, it was allied to arbitrary power. It professed great zeal in support of the prerogatives of the Crown, however usurped. This was most grateful to Charles; and he encouraged it. Laud, knowing that the country was too Calvinistic to endure at once Popish doctrine, endeavoured to pave the way for it by Popish ceremonies; and therefore a book of canons and a ritual were prepared for the Church of Scotland. No one acquainted with history can suppose that I do injustice to Laud, in accusing him of Popish leanings and objects. It is notorious that he was the great favourer of Arminianism, which was looked upon with friendship by the Roman Catholics both at home and abroad-nothing being more hateful to them than the Calvinistic Synod of Dort. It is well known, that under his counsels, various concessions were made to Papists; and that men Popishly inclined were advanced to places of influence, and that the Pope twice proposed to give him a cardinal's hat. It appears from a letter of the Popish queen, recently brought to light, that, in her estimation, he was a right good catholic in heart. There can be little question, that the violent steps taken to force a book of canons and a liturgy upon the people of Scotland, in defiance even of the advice of the older Scotch bishops, were dictated by Laud's expectation, that after Scotland was subdued it would be easier to carry through the same changes in England-changes which would approximate her Church to the Romish model. Charles' queen pronounced the book nearer to Rome than England. The whole proceedings of the king and of

Laud savoured of the despotic and Gospel-hating spirit of Popery. Contrary to the constitution, he attempted to rule without a Parliament, and for twelve years no Parliament was assembled. In the first seven years of his reign, he issued not less than 146 proclamations, the chief object of which was to raise money without the sanction of Parliament. His encouragement of profligate stage-plays also, and his Book of Sports for Sabbath amusement, aiming a blow at the sanctified observance of the Lord's day, to the grief of his best subjects, and the serious injury of the kingdom, all bespeak the presence of Popery. From such a king, governed by such a councillor, nothing could be expected for Presbyterian, Calvinistic, Popery-hating Scotland, but the worst. Accordingly, ere long, the worst was realized. Though the Church of Scotland remained wonderfully faithful amid all her struggles and temptations, yet it cannot be doubted that the protracted and increasing encroachments of Prelacy and Erastianism were fitted to be very injurious. The substance of the Church might be Presbyterian, and there might be a strong under-current of sound evangelical sentiment and feeling; but no General Assembly was allowed to be held for 20 years. The old and experienced ministers died out: younger men did not inherit all their spirit. The bishops were perpetual moderators of the Synods, and naturally exerted a considerable influence over not a few of the new entrants; hence there was danger of that being accomplished by dogged perseverance, which both force and fraud had failed to effect. In these circumstances, the faithful betook themselves to prayer and fasting; they maintained regular exercises of this kind, and God heard and sent deliverance. It is stated in the Memoirs of Robert Blair, who lived at this period, and who was afterwards chaplain to Charles, and cruelly denied the satisfaction of visiting the monarch in his imprisonment (though much esteemed by the king), that the imposition of the service-book led to much conference and prayer among serious Christians through all the corners

of the land, especially in Edinburgh. Many private meetings were held, and unconcerted movements taken; hence the glorious result may, like many others, be interpreted as the answer of united and persevering supplication. Happily the Royal and Erastian party were permitted to take very violent measures,-to aim at nothing less than a complete change of the whole form of divine worship. Had the proposed change been slighter, there would have been danger that it might have been successful; but the breaking up of the entire and most sacred associations of a whole people in a moment, at the command of a semi-popish king, could not be endured. The country, through all its ranks, rose as one man against the ecclesiastical canons and liturgy; the hesitating became at once decided; and Archbishop Spottiswood justly observed, "All we have been attempting to build up, during the last 30 years, is now thrown down." Laud had hoped, from the success of his measures in Ireland against the Protestant Church, that he would be equally successful in Scotland; but he had miscalculated his own strength, and the Christian and Presbyterian feeling of a country, whose greatest struggles have ever been for its religion. With the exception of the cathedral towns, and one or two others, his service-book was rejected by all with hatred and disgust. The whole country might be said to be unanimous and strong in its condemnation, and that after the insidious labours of Episcopacy for 30 years. But though the people were so united and strong, and though they had been so long injured and oppressed by the bishops, they did not rise on them with the violence of revenge; they were too much under the influence of Christian principle to give way to retaliation; they contented themselves with calm, and earnest and universal remonstrances to the throne. In a single day, 200 petitions were received against the service-book from the central and western districts of Scotland alone; and, in a single night, 500 of the best men appended their names to a supplication to the king. Thirty of the leading peers of the

H

land declared themselves with the people in February 1638. It is estimated that 60,000 persons, drawn from all quarters, among whom were 600 to 700 ministers, assembled in Edinburgh. When beheld on Leith Links, spread out in multitudinous array, the Marquis of Hamilton, who was commissioned by the king to negotiate with them, was affected by the sight. A National Covenant for the defence of their religious liberties was sworn and subscribed by all ranks, the highest nobles, as well as humble peasants, with cheerfulness and joy. Many testimonies to this effect might be quoted. I content myself with the following words of Livingstone:-"I was present," says he, "at Lanark and several other parishes, when, on a Sabbath, after the forenoon sermon, the Covenant was read and sworn; and may truly say, that in all my lifetime, except one day at the kirk of Shotts, I never saw such motions from the Spirit of God,—all the people generally, and most willingly, concurring,where I have seen more than a thousand persons all at once lifting up their hands, and the tears falling down from their eyes; so that, through the whole land, except the professed Papists, and some few who, for base ends, adhered to the prelates, the people universally entered into the Covenant of God, for reformation of religion against prelates and their ceremonies." Indeed, it was only such a united national feeling which could enable a poor and thinly peopled country successfully to resist the forces of rich and chivalrous England. Instead of breathing of rebellion, the Covenant bore that one of its great objects was, the support of the king, in maintaining religion, law, and liberty. It is acknowledged by those most adverse to the Covenanters, that, with perhaps the exception of Aberdeenshire, there was no part of Scotland where the vast majority of all ranks were not enlisted on the side of the Presbyterian Church. Even in the remote Highlands, in Caithness-shire, the Covenant was most gladly signed. Leading noblemen of the North-such as Sutherland, Reay, and Lovat, were among the zealous friends of the movement. The