The Covenants And The Covenanters | Page 7

their times. Yes, the Covenanters were
not narrow, sectarian, bigoted; but large, liberal, Catholic.
These Covenants were deeds of lofty imperial significance. The
reformation of the Church, however complete, would have been a
limited Reformation. There are two powers ordained of God and both
must be reformed. The comprehensive aims of the Covenanters
embraced both State and Church. Their deeds were civil as well as
ecclesiastical. A Church thoroughly reformed and Christian in a State
unreformed and anti-Christian, would never have satisfied the
Reformers. The State also must be no longer a vassal of the Pope, it
must be a servant of the blessed and only Potentate. God in His word
here also as in the Church must be joyfully granted the exclusive
supremacy. The Covenanters vowed to defend the King in the defence
and preservation of the reformed religion. They secured the recognition

of the Church by Parliament. The members of Parliament themselves
became Covenanters. In short, Christianity pervaded and adorned the
constitution and administration of civil government in the United
Kingdom. The Covenanters were convinced that no power, except that
provided by the Word of God, could possibly resist the arbitrary claims
of the monarchs, secure the safety of the State, and promote civil
liberty in the land. Religion in the realm of citizenship is the very
crown of any realm. In the face of the despotisms of Pope and Monarch,
it would not have been surprising had the Covenanters invented and
endeavoured to apply to the State the modern theory of religious
equality, which denies the right of the State to even acknowledge the
Prince of the kings of the earth. If ever they dreamt of such a theory,
their thought of the supremacy of Jesus would make it vanish as a
dream. Much less would they ever admit the possibility of deliverance
by the theory of a concurrent recognition of all religions, as this would
lower a nation to the position of heathenism with its "gods many," and
would soon involve the strongest empire in disaster. Papalism in the
State in the ascendancy, absolute Monarchism in the State, Secularism
in the State, Polytheism in the State--these are four despotisms, and
must be flung with detestation out of all Christian lands. The State that
is not on the side of Christ, and Christ alone, is in antagonism to all the
moral forces of the universe. Its throne is against the throne of the
Highest. The Scottish Covenanters placed the crown of the State on the
Head of its rightful Monarch, and so lifted their kingdom to imperial
grandeur.
There are some spots of this world that have secured undying
memorials, as they have been stages for the settlement of questions of
momentous importance in the destinies of nations. There is Marathon
in Greece, Waterloo in France, Sadowa in Austria, and Trafalgar on the
sea, but probably the scenes associated with these pale in glory in the
presence of Greyfriars and Westminster, where nations won
unparalleled victories in the surrender of themselves to their Covenant
God. These two spots were the earthly centres of spiritual movements
of mighty magnitude, and possess in the eyes of the God of Heaven and
of the principalities about His Throne a splendour not eclipsed by any
that ever shone on a battlefield. When the day of millennial glory

comes, the people of the new Era will not look to the Sadowas and the
Sedans, but to such spots as these where the greatest heroes of the
pre-millennial times reflected millennial light and anticipated
millennial triumphs. For there, by an army without sword or spear, the
absolutism of Monarchies and the tyranny of Hierarchies were scattered
like chaff before the wind. As the Covenanters entered into and
rejoiced in their vows to God, the Imperialism of King Jesus conquered
the Imperialism which prince and priest had been enforcing with rigour;
and this Imperialism shall be in the ascendancy yet the world over
when the empires of earth shall crown the Christ of God as King of the
Church and King of nations.
But the Covenanters have scarce time to estimate and enjoy the benefits
of their conquests before a tempest burst forth suddenly and threatened
the destruction of all the attainments of the past. In a moment of
national infatuation the Stuart dynasty was restored to the throne, and
Charles II. instantly proceeded to set up once more the Dagon of the
Royal Supremacy and enforce its recognition by all his power. On two
occasions he had subscribed the Solemn League, and he had issued
instructions in its favour, professing warm admiration of both
Covenants and of the Reformation. But now the perjured monarch
employed all his craft and power to overthrow the whole Covenanted
Reformation in Church and State. Parliament, the slave of his