V. The Presbyterians of Scotland. — The first knowl- edge of the Reformation begun in continental Europe was brought to Scotland by several Scotch students of Wittenberg. They tried to circulate Luther's writings, but found the ground not favorable to a reformation, be- cause king James V had intimately allied himself with the clergy for the purpose of curbing the power of the nobility. Stringent measures were adopted against the favorers of the Reformation. The first victim was Pat- rick Hamilton (March 1, 1528), a youth of royal blood, who, while studying in German)', had imbibed a love of the Reformation. Two more Reformers were burned
in 1534 ; in 1539, five in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow. Nevertheless, the adherents of the Reformation stead- ily increased in number, especially among the nobles. When James V died, the leader of the reformatory par- ty, James Hamilton, earl of Arran, succeeded in seizing the regency. When the latter saw his political in- fluence endangered by the Reformed earl of Lennox, he was gained over by the widowed queen and by David Beautoun (Beton), cardinal-archbishop of St. Andrew's, to the Catholic side, and persecution began afresh. The Catholic party derived some advantages from the national war against Henry VIII of England, as the latter was looked upon as a patron of reformatory movements; but the burning of George Wishart, one of the theological leaders of the Reformation, rallied the reformatory party anew. Lender the guidance of John Knox they began to advance more firmly, and to de- velop their ecclesiastical affairs more definitely. As both Knox and Wishart had been educated at Geneva, and were firmly addicted to the Reformed Confession, the reformed type of the Reformation now obtained in Scotland a decided and lasting ascendency over the Lu- theran. The Reformed party allied itself with the Eng- lish government, the Catholics with that of France. The latter sent the young daughter of James V, Miry Stuart, to France for education, where she was subse- quently married to king Francis II of France, and im- bibed an enthusiastic attachment to the Church of Rome. In 1554 the fanatical dukes of Guise, the brothers of the widowed queen, became regents of Scotland. The French influence was strongly used for the repression of the reformatory party, which, on the other hand, was benefited by the accession to the English throne nf Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. Protection was af- forded to the English Protestants who had fled on account of their religion, and freedom of worship was again se- cured by the native friends of the Reformation. John Knox, who in 1540 had had to flee from Scotland, re- turned in 1555 to strengthen the Reformed faith and to urge on the nobility and the people to an unceasing contest against the idolatries of Rome. Dissatisfied, however, with the feeble support which he found, Knox returned in 1550 to Geneva, in which city he received from the Scotch bishops the sentence to the stake which had been passed against him. The stirring letters which Knox wrote to Scotland from Geneva led (1557) to the formation of a defensive league of the Protestant nobil- ity—the "Congregation of Christ." The accession of Elizabeth to the English throne was followed in Scot- land by the adoption of new measures against the Ref- ormation, which French troops were to carry into effect. This led to a furious outbreak of the Reformed party. John Knox once more returned, the Covenant of May 31 was signed, a new alliance with England was con- cluded, and the widowed queen deposed as regent. The iconoclastic devastation of Catholic churches and clois- ters began at Pertn and rapidly spread over the king- dom. A civil war which ensued was concluded by the treaty of Edinburgh (1500), which recognised the rights of the Reformed. The Scotch Parliament, which met soon after, immediately abolished the papal jurisdiction over Scotland, forbade the mass, and approved an en- tirely Calvinistic Confession (Conflssio Srottica). In the next year (1501) the Presbyterian Church govern- ment was set in order in the Book of Discipline. These acts of the Parliament were, however, not sanctioned by the government until 1507. after the overthrow of Mary Stuart, who. notwithstanding her fanatical zeal in be- half of Pome, had been unable since her return from France (1561) to arrest the complete victory of the Re- formed party. While the theology of the Scotch Con- fession was strictly Calvinistic, the episcopal benefices were allowed to continue, as the regents during the mi- nority of James VI, and still more James himself, had a strong personal interest in their preservation. Mel- ville, the successor of Knox, induced the Assembly of 1578 to adopt a strictly Presbyterian Church constitu-
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tion. which admits no Church office except (he four rec- ognised by » lalvin of pastor, doctor, elder, and deacon. The sanction of this Church constitution (th< - Book "I Discipline) bj Parliament and the youthful king was not obtained until 1592. James was. however, personally averse t" Presbyterianism ami a Btrong ad- I .in episcopal form of government He left no mean- untried, especially alter he had united tin- crown of England with that of Scotland, to force an episcopal i, .nil i government upon the Church of Scotland. Charles 1 went still further than his father, ami gave t" the Scotch a Liturgy which the Presbyterians denounced a- a service to Baal. The union of Scotch Presbyterians with the Puritans ami Independents of England led to tin- overthrow of Charles I. In Kilo a new league and covenant was adopted, and in 1645 Scotland received the Westminster standards. After the execution of Charles I. the Scotch, from opposition to Cromwell, pro- claimed Charles il. who had signed the covenant, as king. This led. however, to a serious and lasting di- vision among Scotch Presbyterians, other divisions, from various cause-, followed in the course of time, and even at the present time | 1879) Scotch Presbyterianism js splil up into a large number of divisions. The Presby- terian character of the people has. however, remained unimpaired. Cromwell, who several times defeated the Scotch, did not allow the assembly to meet, hut in no other way interfered with the freedom of the Scotch Church. Charles II relapsed into the Sluart tendency to introduce Lpiscopalianism : hut on the expulsion of the Stuarts in 1689, the Church constitution of 1592, and the Westminster Confession were definitely restored. 'I'., the adherents of an Episcopalian Church an act of 1712 granted freedom of worship, and in 1 7'.»2 they re- ceived the lull enjoyment of civil rights.