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From: <>
Subject: Covenantors
Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 14:16:04 -0400 (EDT)

Many had asked for the info from Scot-Irish-L on the Covenantors, I tried
forwarding the messges, some got them and some did not.

So I looked at some of my other material and came up with this. I think it
will suffice.

Covenanters, 17th century Scottish Presbyterians who were devoted to
maintaining
Presbyterianism as the sole religion of Scotland. They helped establish the
supremacy of parliament over the monarch in Scotland and England. Early
covenants, the written documents which bound them to their cause, supporting
Protestantism were signed in 1557 and in 1581. James VI of Scotland (later
James I
of England) was compelled to sign the second of these, and it was reendorsed
in 1590 and 1596. The adherents became known as the Supplicants.

The National Covenant of 1638
When Charles I came to the throne in 1625, he was opposed by the Scottish
bourgeoisie because of oppressive taxation and trade restraints and by the
Scottish nobility because of his attempts to impose the Anglican church on
Scotland. In 1638 the covenant of 1581 was revived, and its signatories add
a vow to establish Presbyterianism as the state religion of Scotland.
Charles, fearing a revolution, convened a General Assembly of Scotland in
November 1638. consisting exclusively of Supplicants, the assembly defied
royal authority and abolished the Anglican episcopacy. The resulting First
Bishops' War (1639) was settled by referring the dispute to another General
Assembly and to a new Scottish Parliament. In 1639 the new assembly
reaffirmed the decisions of its predecessor, and the new Parliament decreed
limitations on royal authority. Charles broke his pledge to accept the
decisions of these bodies. In the Second Bishops' War (1640) a Scottish army
invaded England, defeating Charles at Newburn. At about this time the
Supplicants became known as Covenanters.

The Solemn League and Covenant

Similar social and religious conflicts led the English and Scottish
parliaments to take common action against Charles, and the Solemn League and
Covenant was adopted by the two parliaments in 1643 during the civil war
between Royalists and parliamentarians. The signatories of the compact took
an oath to preserve the reformed religion in Scotland and to work for
religious reform in England and
Ireland. The compact, however, was more a treaty of political and military
alliance.

During the First civil War (1642-46) the Coventanters fought with the
Parliamentarians against the Royalists. Charles surrendered to the
Covenanters in 1646; on his refusal tosubscribe to the Solemn League and
Covenant, he was turned over to the Parliamentarians in 1647.

In December 1647, alarmed by the growing strength of the English Independents
(supporters of Protestant religious tolerance and of the English leader
Oliver Cromwell), the Covenanters made a secret treaty with Charles against
the Parliamentarians. In return for aid in regaining his throne, Charles
consented to abolish the Anglican episcopacy. In the ensuing conflict between
Covenanters and
Independents, however, coinciding in part with the Second Civil War, Cromwell
conquered (1649-50) Scotland.

When Charles II came to the throne in 1660, the episcopacy was reestablished.
Throughout his reign and that of his Catholic brother James II, the
Covenanters
were cruelly persecuted, and they attenopted several revolts. After the
Glorious Revolution deposed (1688) James II, Presbyterianism was restored as
the state religion of Scotland, although the covenants were not revived.

Covenanters, Microsoft (R) Encarta.

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