[57] This was originally the King's Confession, and was drawn up in 1580
by John Craig, minister of Holyrood House, and subscribed by James VI.
and his household on 28th January, 1580-81. It is printed at length in
Row's _Historie of the Kirk of Scotland_. It reaffirms the Confession of
Faith of 1560, but contains also a solemn renunciation in great detail
of the errors of Popery. It was approved by the General Assembly in
April, 1581. A "General Band [Bond] for Maintenance of the true
Religion" was added in 1588. The National Covenant of 1637 was an
amplification of the previous Confessions, containing in addition an
abjuration of Episcopal Church-government, as the King's Confession did
of Popery. In September, 1638, Charles I. issued a proclamation for the
Scottish people to subscribe this King's Confession and General Band,
but the Covenanters regarded this as a subtle plot to divide them, and
destroy the National Covenant, and, therefore, protested against the
proclamation. The Confession and Band so subscribed, for it was
subscribed by some, got the name of the "King's Covenant." It did not,
of course, contain the abjuration of Episcopal Church-government. Those
who adhered to it were called Malignants; while the name Covenanters was
applied to those who subscribed the National Covenant.
[58] Among those who made their escape from Aberdeen along with Urquhart
were Adam Bellenden, the bishop of the diocese; Alexander Innes,
minister of Rothiemay; Alexander Scrogie, a Regent of King's College;
together with the bishop's son, nephew, and servant (Spalding's
_Memorials_).
[59] _Lives of the Scottish Writers_, vol. i.; Urquhart's MS.
_Epigrams_: The Animadversion.
[60] _Works_, p. 340.
[61] _Works_, p. 346.
[62] Dunlugas is in the parish of Alvah, close by the river Deveron, on
the east side.
[63] _Works_, p. 341.
[64] "He was alive last Whitsuntide! said the coachman....
Whitsuntide!--alas! cried Trim.... What is Whitsuntide, Jonathan, or
Shrovetide, or any tide or time past, to this!" (_Tristram Shandy_, vol.
v. chap. vii.).
Our author states (_Works_, p. 341) that "his father's death occurred in
August in the year 1642, some four yeares after the hatching of the
Covenant." He is, however, very careless in details of fact, and is in
error concerning this date. Sir Thomas Urquhart, senior, is termed
"_umqll_" (_i.e. "the late"_) in the Burgess Roll of Banff, on 14th
June, 1642 (_Annals of Banff_, ii. 418). Perhaps the date was April
instead of August. The Covenant was signed 1st March, 1638.
[65] _Works_, pp. 346, 347.
[66] _Calendar of Proceedings of Committee for Advances of
Moneys-Taxes_, i. 381.
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