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byterian Church. Severe persecutions followetl, and it seemed for a time as if James had actually turned to Romanism. After the death of his mother, Elizabeth courted the favor of James, and a treaty was finally concluded between them, by which the two kingdoms bound themselves to an offensive and defensive alliance against all foreign powers who should invade their ter- ritories, or attempt to disturb the reformed religious es- tablishments of either. This action, of course, at once fas'ored the Protestant subjects of James; for his sever- ity assumed towards them previous to this alliance was due, no doubt, to his endeavor to secure, in view of the persecution of his mother by Elizabeth, an alliance with Spain, a strong Roman Catholic power. It was sup- posed that the execution of his mother Avould naturally drive him to an alliance with Spain , but James, al- though •• he blustered at first under the sting of the in- sult that had been offered him," was soon pacified, refiect- ing upon the necessity of a friendly relation with Eliz- abeth if he would maintain his chance for the English throne. Accordingly, James lent his assistance to Eliz- abeth in the preparations to repel the attack of the Span- ish armada. Still more gracious seemed the attitude of James towards the Puritans on his return from Norway (1589), whither he had gone to espouse princess Anne, the second daughter of Frederick 11, king of Denmark. At the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presby- terians in 1590 he attended and spoke highly of their es- tablishment, and in 1592 he caused, by an act of Parlia- ment, the establishment of the Presbyterian Church as a national form of religion. This action the Scottish Clnirch regarded as their true charter, but they soon learned that James had only favored them because out- ward circumstances had necessitated this course, and that inwardly he had changed to an avowed admirer of episcopacy, and inclined even towards popery; "so that the alliance of Church and State in this case was one of a very frangible nature." To make matters worse, both parties cherished the loftiest opinions of their powers and rights. Various unsuccessful treason- able attempts against the government had kept the people in a high pressure of excitement, and when it was ascertained that these attempts were supported, if not instigated, by the court and nobility of Spain, having for their especial object the intimidation of the irresolute monarch, and the re-establishment of Roman- ism, first in Scotland, and finally in England also, the people desired the severe punishment of the traitors. James, however, inflicted only a very mild punishment, and the dissatisfied midtitude began loudly to condemn the policy of their king. The Church also criticised James's course, and a contest ensued that assumed very much the appearance of the commencement of a civil war. Nearly all the aristocracy and the upper classes, however, were with the king ; and by an unusual exer- tion of vigor and firmness, very seldom manifested in liis personal history, James was enabled not only com- pletely to crush the insurrection, but to turn the occa- sion to accoimt in bringing the Church into full subjec- tion to the civil authority. In the course of the follow- ing year, 1598, the substance of episcopacy, which James by this time had come to es])ouse openly, and in which he was governed by the maxim '■ No bishop, no king," was restored, in a political sense, by seats in Parliament being given to about fifty ecclesiastics on the royal nomination. Even the General Assembly was gained over to acquiesce in this great constitutional change.
By the death of Elizabeth in 1603 James finally reached the object for which he had striven for many years, and which had induced him even to court the favor of the murderer of his own mother. On ^larcli 2-1 he succeeded to the throne of England, and by vir- tue of this act became sniritual head of the Church of England. " That Church had already enjoyed the honor of having the grossest of vohi]ituaries lor its supreme head; it was now to enjoy the honor of having the
JAMES I