But the great xra in this religious union of the Scotch, was the renewal of the national covenant, first framed at the Reformation, when the lords of the con gregation, by their bond, or covenant, undertook the protection of the infant church. This renewed a me morable bond, by which the subscribers solemnly re nounced Episcopacy as well as Popery, and engaged to defend each other, and to support the sovereign in the preservation of religious liberty ; and was prepared by Alexander Henderson, the leader of the clergy, and Archibald Johnston, afterwards of \Varriston, an advo cate. It was revived by the lords Balmerino, London, and Rothes. It was sworn to by nobles, gentry, clergy, and burgesses, and by thousands of all denominations, after solemn exhortation and prayer in the Grey Friars' church of Edinburgh. Throughout Scotland, it roused and agitated the people by a zeal unfelt since the Refor mation.
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 Covenanters. He required the covenant to be renounced and recalled. The Covenanters answered, that they would sooner re nounce 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 satisfactory. He re called the canon's liturgy and the high commission, sus pended the articles of Perth, and seemed only anxious on any terms to continue the bishops. But the Scotch could not now think themselves secure, without the ab solute abolition of Episcopacy. A weak attempt was made amidst these disputes to substitute a counter covenant, in which the renunciation of Popery, and sub mission to the royal authority, were combined ; but the new bond was signed by few, and with little zeal. An assembly, which Charles had agreed to grant to the Scottish religionists, was held at Glasgow ; an assem bly, 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. The bishops sent a protest, declining the authority of the assembly. The commissioners, 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 con tinned to sit. All the acts of assembly since the acces sion of James were, on strong grounds of reason, de clared null and void ; and with these the acts of parlia ment regarding ecclesiastical affairs. Thus Episcopacy, the high commission, the articles of Perth, the canons, and the liturgy, were abolished, and declared unlawful ; and the whole fabric which James and Charles had been rearing with so much industry, fell to the ground. Of
14 bishops whom the assembly degraded, eight were excommunicated, four were deposed, and two were merely suspended from ecclesiastical functions. These were bold proceedings. Yet it may still be doubted if, with so much justice on their side, they intitled the sove reign to think of coming to the last extremities. But Charles's preparations for war were by this time far ad vanced ; it appears indeed that he anxiously solicited the rupture with the assembly, to justify having recourse to arms. By economy he had amassed about 200,0001.; loans were procured from the nobility ; his queen in cited 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 Covenan ters at home, and he was followed by many experienced officers, who had served Gustavus. Arms, ammunition, and artillery were provided, and the people were train ed 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 neu trality. But Charles, in replying to the French ambas sador, threatened to send 15,000 troops to oppose the partition ; an impolitic threat, in return for which Richelieu now secretly supplied the Covenanters with money.' NVIten 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 Covenanters seiz ed, by surprize, some of the most important fortified places. Edinburgh, Dumbarton, and Dalkeith, fell at once into their hands. The marquis of Hamilton arrived with the king's fleet from England; but he found Leith, which had been fortified by volunteers of all ranks, se cure from assault, and could only land his few regiments on the uninhabited islands of the Forth. The king ad vanced from York to Berwick with 23,000 horse and foot, and the Scotch, to the number of 24,000, encamp ed in sight of his army on Dunse Law. The latter had hitherto, though with swords in their hands, constantly addressed Charles as their sovereign, petitioning redress of grievances from him, and never desisting from paci fic 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 animated the Scotch. In the pacification of Berwick, it was agreed, that the armies on both sides should be disband ed, •and that ecclesiastical matters should be referred to the decision of another assembly, and civil affairs to ano ther parliament soon to be summoned. The fortifications of Leith were surrendered, and 30 castles were restored to the king's government.