The Story of the Scottish Covenants in Outline

by David Hay Fleming

Note

This short sketch was written as an Introduction to the recent edition of the late Rev. J. H. Thomson’s “Martyr Graves of Scotland.” The publishers having now resolved to issue my sketch separately as a convenient summary of the covenanting struggle, I have revised and considerably enlarged it.

No Englishman, it has been said, can distinguish the National Covenant from the Solemn League and Covenant. It is to be feared that many Scotchmen are in the same case. The Covenants, indeed, have been sadly mixed up even by native historians; and comparatively few people seem to have any idea of the number of these religious bonds.

D. H. F.

May 1904.

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Contents

• A Sifting-time, [1]
• Three Kinds of Religious Bands or Covenants, [2]
• Francis Wark’s Personal Covenant, [4]
• Supposed Band, or Covenant, of 1556, [6]
• Band of 1557, [7]
• The Congregation, [9]
• The Three Bands of 1559, [9]
• Rupture of the French Alliance, [10]
• Scots and English, [12]
• Band of 1560, [13]
• Treaty of Edinburgh, [14]
• The Papal Jurisdiction abolished by Parliament, [14]
• Confession of Faith ratified, [15]
• Band of 1562, [15]
• Queen Mary demits the Crown, [16]
• Articles of 1567, [17]
• St Bartholomew’s Massacre, [18]
• Proposed Band of 1572, [19]
• The King’s Confession of 1580-1, [21]
• The General Band, [22]
• The Band of 1589, [23]
• Covenanting in 1590, [24]
• The Band of 1592-3, [24]
• Covenanting in 1596, [26]
• Erection of Episcopacy, [28]
• The Five Articles of Perth, [29]
• The Revolt of 1637, [30]
• The National Covenant, [31]
• The King’s Covenant, [32]
• Glasgow Assembly, [32]
• The Treaty of Berwick, [33]
• The Assembly of 1639, [33]
• The Parliament of 1640, [34]
• The English ask Help, [35]
• The Solemn League and Covenant, [36]
• The Covenant enjoined, [37]
• Montrose’s Victories and Army, [38]
• Philiphaugh, [39]
• The Engagement, [40]
• Charles the Second proclaimed King, [42]
• Montrose’s Last Expedition, [42]
• His Execution, [43]
• A Covenanted King, [43]
• Resolutioners and Protesters, [45]
• The Restoration, [46]
• Sharp’s Character, [46]
• The King’s Honour, [47]
• The Act Rescissory, [48]
• Samuel Rutherfurd’s Death, [48]
• Sharp’s Duplicity, [49]
• How the King redeemed his Promise, [49]
• Episcopacy re-established, [50]
• Argyll and Guthrie, [51]
• Ministers disqualified and ejected, [52]
• The Church-Courts discharged, [53]
• Court of High-Commission, [54]
• Conventicles forbidden, [56]
• Pentland Rising, [56]
• The Indulgence, [58]
• Conventicle Act of 1670, [59]
• Public Worship, [61]
• James Mitchell, [61]
• The Ladies’ Covenant, [63]
• The Cess, [63]
• The Tragedy of Magus Muir, [64]
• Rutherglen, Drumclog, and Bothwell Bridge, [65]
• The Cameronians, [66]
• The Effect of Persecution, [68]
• The Test, [68]
• The Children’s Bond, [70]
• The Strategy of Claverhouse, [72]
• The Apologetic Declaration, [75]
• The Killing-time, [76]
• Death of Charles the Second, [76]
• James the Seventh, [77]
• Priesthill and Wigtown, [77]
• Three Harsh Acts of Parliament, [77]
• Vitality of Conventicles, [78]
• Dunnottar Prisoners, [79]
• Argyll’s Rising and the Cameronians, [79]
• The Toleration of 1687, [80]
• Renwick’s Martyrdom, [81]
• The Revolution, [81]
• The Martyrs’ Monument in Greyfriars Churchyard, [82]
• Estimated Number of the Victims, [82]

SIGNING OF THE NATIONAL COVENANT
IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD
28th February 1638

From the Picture by W. HOLE, R.S.A.