RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Covenanters Cowan
on men. A children's covenant has survived signed in the village of Pentland by fifteen girls, the first on the list being then ten years old. The accession of James II. brought no relief. Another Argyll perished in an abortive rising in 1685. At last on James's flight in 1688 the persecution ceased.
William of Orange believed in toleration and left the Scotch Estates to settle their own religious affairs. Prelacy was at once thrown off, and the Parliament of 1690 renewed the Act of 1592 establishing Presbyterianism. As only about ninety of the ministers " outed " in 1661 now survived, the
complaisant curates were allowed to 7. The Later stay on. The aggressive Presbyterian "Covenant- ideal of 1638 and 1643 was abandoned, ers." Some of the obnoxious legislation
since then was left unrescinded. Therefore, a stricter section calling themselves Cameronians, or the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, holding the nation still bound by the great National Covenants of the preceding generation, refused to approve the settlement and protested against the constitution of both Church and State. There was of course no more persecution , and they and their descendants maintained their testimony and their aloofness from all exercise of civil rights undisturbed. Almost all joined the Free Church in 1876, but several congregations still remain. See Cameron, Richard, Cameronians; also the section of Presbyterians treating of the Scotch Church.
(R. W. Stewart.) Thomas M. Lindsay.
Bibliography: For the earlier " bands " the sources are: John Knox, Hist, of the Reformation in Scotland, ed. D. Laing, vols, i.-ii. of Works, Edinburgh, 1846-47; D. Calderwood, Hist, of the Kirk of Scotland, 8 vols., republished, ib. 1842-49; A Cloud of Witnesses for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or the last Speeches and Testimonies of those who suffered for the Truth in Scotland since . mo, ib. 1730; J. Howie, Scots Worthies, ed. W. H. Carslaw, ib. 1885. Modern books are R. Simpson, Traditions of the Covenanters, Edinburgh, 1889; D. H. Fleming, Story of the Scottish Covenants, ib. 1904 (based upon earlier sources, readable, condensed). Scott's grossly unfair Tales of My Landlord was answered by T. McCrie in Christian Instructor, 1817 (reprinted with his Sermons), and a reply by Scott is in the Quarterly Review, xvi. 439- 480. Other works are: J. Dodds, Fifty Years' Struggles of the Scottish Covenanters, London, 1871; J. K. Hewison, Hist, of the Church in Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolution, 2 vols., Glasgow, 1908.
COVERDALE, MILES: Bible translator; b. probably in the district known as Cover-dale, in that part of the North Riding of Yorkshire called Richmondshire, 1488; d. in London and buried in St. Bartholomew's Church Feb. 19, 1568. He studied at Cambridge (bachelor of canon law 1531), became priest at Norwich in 1514, and entered the convent of Austin friars at Cambridge, where Robert Barnes (q.v.) was prior in 1523 and probably influenced him in favor of Protestantism. When Barnes was tried for heresy in 1526 Coverdale assisted in his defense, and shortly afterward left the convent and gave himself entirely to preaching.
5°'^^ 1528 to 1535 he appears to have spent most of his time on the Continent, where his Bible (the nrst complete Bible in English) was published in 1 cq^^* what place and by whom is disputed. In 1538 he was in Paris, superintending the printing
of the " Great Bible," and the same year were published, both in London and Paris, editions of a Latin and an English New Testament, the latter being by Coverdale. He also edited " Cranmer's Bible " (1540). (For further information concerning Coverdale's Bible translations see Bible Versions, B, IV., § 4.) He returned to England in 1539, but on the execution of Thomas Cromwell (who had been his friend and protector since 1527) in 1540 was compelled again to go into exile, lived for a time at Tubingen, and, between 1543 and 1547, was Lutheran pastor and schoolmaster at Bergzabern in the Palatinate, and very poor. In Mar., 1548, he went back to England, was well received at court and made king's chaplain and almoner to the queen dowager, Catherine Parr. In 1551 he became bishop of Exeter, but was deprived in 1553 after the succession of Blary. He went to Denmark (where his brother-in-law was chaplain to the king), then to Wesel, and finally back to Bergzabern. In 1559 he was again in England, but was not reinstated in his bishopric, perhaps because of Puritanical scruples about vestments. From 1564 to 1566 he was rector of St. Magnus's, near London Bridge. " He was pious, conscientious, laborious, generous, and a thoroughly honest and good man. He knew German and Latin well, some Greek and Hebrew, and a little French. He did little original literary work. As a translator he was faithful and harmonious. He was fairly read in theology, and became more inclined to Puritan ideas as his life wore on. All accounts agree in his remarkable popularity as a preacher. He was a leading figure during the progress of the Reformed opinions, and had a considerable share in the introduction of German spiritual culture to English readers in the second quarter of the sixteenth century."
Bibliography: Coverdale's works and letters were published by the Parker Society, ed. G. Pearson, 2 vols., Writings and Translations, Cambridge, 1844; Remains, 1846. A list of his works, with information concerning his life and the sources, is given in DNB, xii. 364-372. Consult: Memorials of Myles Coverdale, London, 1838; C. Anderson, Annals of the English Bible, pp. 314-318, 443-440, ib. 1862; F. Fry, The Bible by Coverdale, MDCXXXV., ib. 1867; J. I. Mombert, Hand-book of the Eng. Versions of the Bible, chap, v.. New York, 1882; H. W. Hoare, Evolution of the Eng. Bible, chap, vi., London, 1902.
COWAN, HENRY: Church of Scotland; b. at Ayr (40 m. s.s.w. of Glasgow), Ayrshire, Scotland, Sept. 17, 1844. He studied at Edinburgh (M.A., 1864), Bonn, Halle, and Tubingen, holding from Edinburgh a Greek traveling fellowship (1865) and the Pitt theological scholarship (1866-68). In addition to being theological examiner at Edinburgh 1871-73, he held pastorates at West Parish, Aberdeen (1869-74), Rubislaw, Aberdeen (1875- 1882), and New Greyfriars', Edinburgh (1882-89), and since 1889 has been professor of church history in the University of Aberdeen, as well as dean of the faculty of divinity since 1894. He has been vice-convener of the Church of Scotland Endowment Scheme since 1886, and joint-convener of the Scottish Universities' Mission Committee since 1900, and was also Baird Lecturer in 1895 and chairman of the Church of Scotland Aberdeen Normal Training College Board 1896-1906. In
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