Presbyterian Worship: Its Spirit, Method and HistoryJohnston, Robert
Religion
Presbyterian Worship: Its Spirit, Method and History
Johnston, Robert
Presbyterian Church -- Liturgy -- History; Public worship -- Presbyterian Church -- History
This feeling of opposition on the part of the people to the
introduction of a liturgy into the Church of Scotland, found due and
official expression in the following year. The General Assembly
meeting at Glasgow repudiated Laud's Liturgy and appealed repeatedly to
the Book of Common Order as containing the Law of the Church respecting
worship. In his eloquent closing address the Moderator, Alexander
Henderson, said: "and now we are quit of the Service Book, which was a
book of service and slavery indeed, the Book of Canons which tied us in
spiritual bondage, the Book of Ordination which was a yoke put upon the
necks of faithful ministers, and the High Commission which was a guard
to keep us all under that slavery." The people also in formal manner
expressed their mind on the matter and in the Solemn League and
Covenant, signed in Gray friars Churchyard, asserted their purpose to
defend, even unto death, the true religion, and to "labor by all means
lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel as it was
established and professed before the late innovations." Charles at
first determined upon extreme measures, and preparations were made to
force "the stubborn Kirk of Scotland to bow," but wiser measures
prevailed, and the desires of the Church of Scotland were for the time
granted.
The Book of Common Order, thus reaffirmed as the law of the Church
respecting worship, continued in use during the years following the
Glasgow Assembly of 1638, years which for Scotland were comparatively
peaceful, by reason of the troubles fast thickening around the English
throne.
This interesting chapter of Scottish history which we have thus briefly
reviewed, is of value to us in the present discussion only in so far
as, from the facts presented, we are able to understand the spirit that
characterized the Church of Scotland at this period, and the principles
that guided them in their attitude toward the subject of public
worship. What this spirit and those principles were it is not
difficult to discover. The facts themselves are plain; not only did
the Church in its regularly constituted courts oppose the introduction
of new forms and the elaboration of the Church service, but the people
resisted by every means in their power, and at last went the length of
resisting by force of arms, the attempt to impose upon them the new
Service Book.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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