ced. Upon a candid and patient investigation of the exist ing controversy, he was firmly persuaded that Episcopa cy was equally unauthorised by the word of God, and inconsistent with the reformed constitution of the Church of Scotland. From that period, he was very active in opposing prelatical government, and in resisting those most imprudent and despotic measures by which the Court made a bold attempt to procure a general submsi sion to itself. And throughout the whole of the arduous conflict which he maintained, he was eminently distin guished by his ardent zeal, undaunted courage, dexterity in argument and debate. and peculiar skill in the management of the most difficult affairs. He was earnestly solicited to take an active and leading part, in the most important transactions of his time. And he always se cured the confidence of his own party, and commanded the respect of his opponents. His conduct uniformly gave high satisfaction to the numerous and respectable body whose views he promoted, and they constantly turned their eye to him in cases of peculiar delicacy and

moment.b

From the time that Episcopal government had first been obtruded upon the Church of Scotland, a scheme was contrived to render her worship also conformable to the English model. After different preparatory steps, an Assembly was suddenly convened at Perth, in the year 1618. To that Assembly the King invited by his letters, above thirty noblemen and gentlemen, who were sensible that it was his Majesty's earnest desire to have the form of worship in the Church of Scotland changed, and the many and various rites of the English Church ⚫ introduced among the Scotch people, that the union of the two kingdoms might be the stronger. In this ecclesi astical assembly, by the most unbecoming influence, several superstitious innovations were authorised, and the five following articles admitted, which are commonly styled the Five Articles of Perth. These were, kneel.

a See the first of his Papers to the King at Newcastle. b The Edinburgh Christian Instructor, vol. vii. pp. 406, 407.

ing at the sacrament of the Lord's supper; the celebra: tion of five holy days, the nativity, passion, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the descent of the Holy Spirit; private baptism; the private adminis tration of the Lord's supper; and episcopal confirmation." Among the faithful ministers of the Gospel, who had the courage to appear in opposition to these innovations, and to argue against them with great force of truth, we find the respectable name of Mr Alexander Henderson of Leuchars. It is very remarkable, that a proposal was made in that Assembly for the translation of Mr Henderson, and of his friend, Mr William Scot of Coupar, to Edinburgh. This proposal was seemingly made with the view of soothing the inhabitants of that city, and of procuring a more ready submission to the other acts of that Assembly. It is very probable that they had not any real design of settling those able advocates for the cause of truth and of nonconformity in that eminent station. Calderwood expressly says, that the bishops meant no such thing in earnest." But the propo sal clearly shows, that Mr Henderson was very highly esteemed, even at that early period, by the faithful part of the Church of Scotland, with whom he was then intimately connected.

In the month of Aug. 1619, Mr Henderson and two other ministers were called before the Court of High Commission in St. Andrew's, charged with composing and publishing a book, entitled Perth Assembly, prov. ing the nullity of that Assembly, and with raising a contribution to defray the expence of printing the work. They appeared, and are said to have answered for themselves with such wisdom, that the bishops could gain no advantage against them, and were obliged to dismiss them with threatenings.

he

When Mr Henderson enjoyed his beloved retirement, spent a considerable part of his time in reading, and in those studies which were afterward highly useful to

a Stevenson's Hist. vol. i. p. 194.

b Hist. Church of Scotland, P. 713. c Christian Magazine, vol. x. p. 221.

him in the public services of the church and of his coun try. And beside diligently discharging the pastoral duties in his own congregation, he met occasionally with his brethren at fasts and communions, when, by their sermons and conferences, they mutually encouraged each other in firmly adhering to the good old principles of the Church of Scotland; and joined in fervent prayer to Almighty God for deliverance from those evils under which they groaned. Mr Livingston mentions Mr Henderson as one of those eminently pious and able ministers with whom he became acquainted in artending such solemn occasions, between the years 1626 and 1630, the memory of whom, he says, is very precious and refreshing. Mr Henderson was always indefatigable in his labours. And he was inflexible in his attachment to truth and rectitude of conduct. But in spite of the superiority of his talents, and of the purity of his intentions, he was very often harassed by calumnies and misrepresentations. Bishop Guthrie represents the tumult which was produced by the first reading of the Liturgy in Edinburgh, on the 23d of July, 1637, as the result of a previous consultation in the month of April, when he says Mr Alexander Henderson came from the brethren in Fife, and Mr David Dickson from those in the west, and, in concert with Lord Balmerino and Sir Thomas Hope, engaged certain matrons to put the first affront upon the Service-book." But this story is at variance with the Official accounts, not only of the Towncouncil of Edinburgh, and of the Privy-council, but also of his Majesty, which expressly declare, that, upon the strictest inquiry, it appeared that the tumult was raised by the meaner people, without any influence, concert, or interference, of the better classes. Mr Henderson had no hand in any such affairs, but publicly exposed their dangerous tendency.-On March 9th, 1637, we

1

a Life of Mr John Livingston, p. 12.

b Bishop Guthrie's Memoirs, pp. 23, 24.

c Large Declaration, pp. 23, 40. Burnet's Memoirs of D. Hamilton, p. 32.

find the eminently pious Mr Rutherford writing to him as follows: "As for your case, my reverend and dearest brother, ye are the talking of the north and south; and looked to so as if ye were all chrystal glass. Your motes and dust should soon be proclaimed, and trumpets blown at your slips; but I know that ye have laid help upon One who is mighty. Intrust not your comforts to men's airy and frothy applause, neither lay your downcastings on the tongues of sult-mockers and reproachers of godliness. God has called you to Christ's side, and the wind is now in Christ's face in this land; and seeing ye are with Him, ye cannot expect the lee side or the sunny side of the brae: but I know that ye have resolved to take Christ upon any terms whatsoever."-The Archbishop of St Andrew's, with a view to deter other per sons, gave a charge to Mr Henderson, and to other two ministers, to purchase each of them two copies of the Liturgy, for the use of their parishes, within fifteen days, under the pain of rebellion. Mr Henderson went to Edinburgh, and, in the month of Aug. 1637, presented petition to the Privy-council for himself and his brethren, stating their objections, and desiring a suspension of the charge. Upon this petition, and others of a similar nature, being very Providentially presented about the same time, a favourable answer was obtained from the Council. And an account was transmitted to London respect. ing the people's great aversion to conformity. This step was of very great utility and importance, as it directed those persons in general who were aggrieved to a regular mode of obtaining redress. And we are informed, that the Privy council having then testified their aversion to enforce the novations, did afterward, on different interesting occasions, befriend and promote the cause of the petitioners. From that time, Mr Henderson was eminently distinguished by his great activity in all the measures of the petitioners; and his prudence and diligence contributed very much to bring those measures to

a Rutherford's Letters.

b Stevenson's Hist. vol. ii. p. 190. Letter ii. and Christ. Mag. vol. x. p. 225.

Baillie's Letters, vol. i.

a comfortable conclusion. His worth was soon discover. ed, and he was frequently employed in the most important and delicate transactions of the times.

When the National Covenant was agreed upon and sworn, in the year 1638, our illustrious Reformer was called forth to act a very conspicuous part. On the first of March, that year, the covenant was sworn with uplift. ed hands, and subscribed in the Grey-friars Church, Edinburgh, by thousands of the nobility, gentry, burges. ses, ministers of the Gospel, and commons, assembled from almost all parts of Scotland; and copies of it being circulated throughout the kingdom, it was generally sworn with great alacrity. This memorable deed, of which it would be highly improper to forget the respectable authors, was prepared by Mr Henderson, and Archibald Johnston, afterward of Warringston, an advocate, in whom the supplicants chiefly confided; and revised by Balmerino, Loudon, and Rothes. Mr Henderson, with those noblemen who have been mentioned, subscrib ed the covenant on that solemn occasion. The inhabitants of the kingdom were now divided into Covenanters and Non-covenanters. And some of the Covenanters had submitted to the Bishops, and conformed to the Articles of Perth, who were yet accounted orthodox preachers, and zealous opposers of Popery and Arminianism, as Messrs Robert Baillie, Henry Rollock, John Bell, Andrew and Robert Ramsay, who, upon the first appearance of the Service-book, joined with their brethren against the innovations. Others of the Covenanters would not conform to the Articles of Perth, among whom were Messrs Henderson, Dickson, Rutherford, Blair, Cant, and the two Livingstons.When the Marquis of Hamilton was sent by the King, to act as his high commissioner, with a view to suppress the Covenanters, who had several conferences with him without success, he at last told them that the Books of canons and liturgy should be dischar ged, on condition that the Covenanters would give up their

a Laing's Hist. Scotland, val. i. B. ii. p. 134. Stevenson, vol. ii. pp. 291, 292. b Stevenson, vol. ii. pp. 294, 295.