King James had agreed to the establishment of Presbyterianism, but personally, and as a sovereign, he disliked its discipline, and he soon endeavored to overthrow it. His accession to the crown of England enabled him to do this with more authority. He gradually obtained from the general assembly a recognition of the civil rights of the bishops, and this led to the restoration of their ecclesiastical privileges. Ills changes were sanctioned 1w a general assembly which met at Glasgow in 1810. and in the course of the smile year Episcopacy was restored in reality, as well as in name, by the conse cration of three Scottish prelates, by four of the English bishops, at London.
The wished to assimilate the Scottish church, as far as possible, to that of Eng land, and his next important movement was him establishreeht of what are called the Five Articles of Perth. See PERTH, THE FIVE ARTICLES OF.
These various changes excited great dissatisfaction in Scotland, particularly in the southern counties, but it gradually, abated to a considerable extent, and might have altogether ceased, had not further innovations 1 ecru attempted. It was the wish of James to introduce a prayer-book like that of the English in place of the hook of Common Order, bqt he saw the danger with which the proposal was attended, and gave it up or postponed it. His son Charles was as inferior to his father in prudence, as he excelled hint in conscientiousness and religious zeal. During his first visit to Scot land he added another bishopric—that of Edinburgh—to the dioceses of the Scottish church. Most unwisely, and most improperly, he endeavered by his royal authority to introduce into that church a book of canons and a liturgy framed on the model of those of Englund. The king had many loyal supporters in all parts of Scotland, and in the
n. Episcopacy was preferred by the people to Presbyterianism. But the storm of popu lar indignation which was now roused swept everything before it. The king's oppo nents banded themselves together by the national covenant, and at a general assembly held at Glasgow abolished the Perth articles and Episcopacy, and re-established Presby terianism. Charles attempted to maintain his claim hy the sword, but was unsuccessful, and obliged to ratify in parliament all that had been done by his opponents.
Had the coyeuanters been satisfied with the victory which they had won, Presby terianism might have remained the established religion of the Scottish kingdom. But they could not resist the entreaties fur all from the .English Puritans, or rather they yieidel to the delusion of extending their own discipline over the churches of England and Ireland. They just, attempted. in an opposite direction, what James and Charles had failed to accomplish. For a time their policy seemed to triumph. The solenm league and covenant of the three kingdoms, after having been approved by the general assembly in Scotland. was signed by the asseriddy of divines which the parliament had snminnned to meet at Westminster, and by the parliament itself. The ecelesins,iczd documents which were afterward drawn up originated with ihe assembly of divines. but were stnetioned by the assembly in Scotland. The principal of these were a direc tory for public worship, a confession of faith, and a larger and shorter catechism. See