Scotch and Irish Seeds in American Soil

Scotch and Irish Seeds In American Soil: THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SCOTCH AND IRISH CHURCHES, AND THEIR RELATIONS TO THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA. BY THE Rev. J. G. CRAIGHEAD, D.D. PHILADELPHIA: PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, No. 1334 Chestnut Stkeet. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. .- Westcott & Thomson, Stereotypers and Electrotypers, Philada. PREFACE. Two objects have been before my mind while preparing this volume: First, to show the indebtedness of the Amer- ican Presbyterian Church to the churches of Scotland and Ireland for the elements which entered into its original constitution, as also for its subsequent rapid growth and influence. In attempting this it was thought to be more im- portant to bring clearly to view the principles and character of the ministers and members of those churches who came to this country, and iden- tified themselves with the Presbyterian Church, than simply to point out their number or the *^ periods of their arrival. Numbers alone might £ have been of comparatively little value, as they might have proved the means of discord, and ^ consequently a source of weakness rather than j of strength. But if the character of a people is : > strong, reliable, courageous, based on correct prin- 3 3751 4 rREFACE. ciples and built up into symmetry by conscientious adherence to convictions of right and duty, their numbers may be small and yet their influence be powerful and permanent. If, then, we would understand how valuable was the contribution that Scotland and Ireland made to the Presbyterian ism of this country, we must consider the previous religious condition of each, and the influences, favorable or otherwise, under which the religious life of the people was developed. In this way we can see how these future colonists were educated and disciplined in the Old World for the great work God in his providence had for them to do in the New. The second object was to bring into propel prominence and perspicuity the principles of religious and civil freedom for which the Presby- terians of Scotland and Ireland so long battled, and to maintain which all of them were called to endure protracted persecution, and many thou- sands of them to lay down their lives. As the union of Church and State in those countries was so close and dependent, so the relation between civil and religious liberty was so intimately con- joined that those who contended for the one necessarily promoted the other ; and, as a matter of fact, PREFACE. O the two have ever existed togethei and neither can long survive without the other, The Pros- byterians, therefore, while contending even unto blood for the headship of Christ over his Church, and for its freedom from the yoke of kingly <>r priestly authority, were naturally and necessarily the friends and supporters of the rights of the people as against the usurpations and exactions of despotic rulers. In the perusal of this history the reader will notice : First, that the views of these Presbyte- rians were more accurate respecting religious liberty than were those of the Puritans who settled New England. Under the latter a law was en- acted in Massachusetts in 1631 uniting the Church and State, with the provision that no one should vote unless he had been baptized in his youth and was a church member. Their desire was to found a theocracy, and therefore they adopted measures to unite the religious and civil power practically. Our Presbyterian fathers, on the other hand, distinctly discerned the separate prov- ince or sphere of each ; and while unwilling to allow the Church to be controlled by the secular power, they neither asked its help nor depended upon it for authority or support. From their b PREFACE. entrance into this country, as may be seen by their conduct in Virginia and New York, they opposed everything that looked like a union of Church and State or any dependence of the Church on the arm of civil power. The second noticeable thing is, that in the long contests between these monarchical governments and their subjects, the natural and constant allies of despotism were the Romish and Episcopal hierarchies. These were ever the most danger- ous as well as the most inveterate enemies of the nonconformists when they were resisting tyrants. Presbyterians, at least, had most to dread from Episcopal prelates, and from them they suffered most. The Episcopal Church was more frequently in the ascendant, and had much the greater influence with the civil rulers. This influence it almost invariably used to oppress all outside of its own communion. If, then, in our endeavor to present a truthful picture of these times we have occasionally spoken with severity of the prelates of the Established Church of England and Ireland, it is because the facts of history have compelled the statements. In describing the development of these funda- mental principles in these countries I have had PREFACE. 7 no wish to undervalue the part taken by the Puri- tans from England, the Dutch from Holland, or the Huguenots from France, in their steadfast main- tenance of those principles both in Europe and in this country. While the writer believes that the Scotch and the Scotch-Irish had clearer concep- tions of the relations which ought to exist between the Church and the State, and were consequently foremost and most resolute in their defence of the same, he freely acknowledges that civil and religious liberty in America had no abler champions than were the emigrants from those countries. Of this fact he would have made more frequent men- tion had it come within the scope of the present volume, and had not this congenial subject been treated already by many and more competent writers. It is greatly to be desired that the youth of the Presbyterian Church of this country should famil- iarize themselves with the history of the perscu- tions and sufferings endured by their Scotch and Scotch-Irish ancestors, and with the character and services of those heroes of the Church who main- tained with such fortitude their conscientious views of civil and religious liberty, and who, in coming to America, brought their principles with them and 8 PREFACE. did so much to have them engrafted into our re- publican institutions. Such an acquaintance with the origin and defence of the great cardinal principles of the polity and government of the Presby- terian Church would inevitably lead them to rev- erence the memories of the departed worthies of the Church, and to love and perpetuate their simple and scriptural faith and forms of wor- ship. It is impossible to state with any accuracy all the sources of information from which I have de- rived the materials for this volume. For those which pertain to the history of the Scotch and Irish churches I am indebted of necessity to the standard histories of those countries. The facts connected with the emigration from those lands, and the influence of the colonists upon Church and State in America, have been gleaned from a large number of volumes and pamphlets. Not unfrequently much care and research have been requisite to discover or verify a single incident or event; but the labor has been one of love, and rendered from a desire to be useful. — — CONTENTS. HISTORY OF THE SCOTCH CHURCH. CHAPTEE I. From the Introduction of Christianity to the Act of Parliament, 1592, Ratifying the General Assem- bly of Scotland. PAOB Characteristics of Scotch Presbyterianisra—Its three cardinal principles — Introduction of Christianity — The pope asserting his supremacy—Obstacles to the Reformation Defenders of the gospel—Patrick Hamilton—The first mar- tyr—Effects of his death —Many embrace the doctrines preached—Persecutions by Cardinal Beaton— George Wis- hart—His preaching and martyrdom—Beaton's retributive death—Warning unheeded by his successor—Death of Wal- ter Mill—The first Covenant adopted at Edinburgh—Its provisions—Conflict between the queen and Reformers—John Knox—His great influence—Protestant nobility meet at Perth —Duplicity of the queen—Reformers increase—Knox at St. Andrews—Meeting of a free Parliament— Petition of Protes- tants First Confession of Fa ith— Necessity of a national ecclesiastical organization —The first General Assembly Book of Discipline—Its provisions—Two objects secured Superintendents—Tulchan bishops—Queen Mary's return to Scotland—Efforts to restore popery—Her measures re- sisted— Knox's successful opposition—The Church prosper- ous—Opposition of the queen and regent Morton—Andrew Melville returns to Scotland—Chief opponent of Morton A commission reports a system of ecclesiastical polity Second Book of Discipline—Its provisions—Conflict of the 9 — — 10 CONTENTS. PAGE Assembly with King James and his Parliament—Remon- strance presented to the king by Melville —Black Acts of Parliament—Clergy obliged to fly— Patriotism and good conduct of Presbyterians—Secures more favor from the king—His eulogy on the Church of Scotland—Parliament ratifies the Constitution of the Church 19 CHAPTEK II. From the Charter of the Church to the Renewal of the National Covenant. Bad faith of James—Conspiracy of popish earls—The danger averted—Two of the conspirators excommunicated—Roman Catholic earls; their proposed recall—Melville confronts the king—Deceitful conduct of the king—Assaults the Church —King claims absolute power—Resistance by Presbyterians —Ministers of Edinburgh expelled—The corrupt Assembly at Perth—Advisory council for the king—The Church repre- sented in Parliament—Prelacy triumphant—Three ministers made bishops—Aberdeen Assembly the last free one—Cler- gy banished—Melville summoned to London and banished —Bishops appointed permanent moderators of Assembly Their civil jurisdiction restored—Court of High Commission —The king visits Scotland—New Confession of Faith—Five Articles of Perth ratified—Constitution of the Church sub- verted—Persecutions by Court of High Commission—Min- isters banished—Congregations left without ordinances Death of King James—Charles I.

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