CHAPTER VII. SCOTLAND. Two Kings and two Loyalties-Charles II. in Scotland-Cromwell's Letter to the General Assembly and to the Scotch Commander in Chief Battle of Dunbar-Despatch to Parliament-The Edinburgh Preachers in the Castle-Cromwell's Letter-All Christians ought to preach Christ-The Malignants-Cromwell's Illness-Two Letters-Cromwell concerning His Son Richard-WorcesterProsperity of Scotland-Cromwell's Military Career-Two Symbols. THE Scots had begun the great movement whose object was at once to resist the tyranny of the Stuarts and the tyranny of Rome, and which was destined to result in incalculable consequences for Europe. But now they retraced their steps, and put themselves in opposition to the Commonwealth of England. They wanted a leader. "With "Oliver Cromwell born a Scotchman," says Car แ lyle; "with a Hero King and a unanimous "Hero Nation at his back, it might have been far "otherwise. With Oliver born Scotch, one sees "not but the whole world might have become "Puritan."* * Letters and Speeches, ii. 169. Without shutting our eyes to the truth there may be in this passage, we find the cause of this northern war elsewhere. In spiritual things the Scots acknowledged Jesus Christ as their king; in temporal, they recognised Charles the Second. They had no wish that the latter should usurp the kingdom of the former; but they also had no desire that Cromwell should seize upon the Stuarts' throne. They possessed a double loyalty-one towards the heavenly king, and another to their earthly sovereign. They had cast off the abuses of the latter, but not the monarchy itself. They accordingly invited the prince, who was then in Holland, to come to Scotland, and take possession of his kingdom. We may believe that this was a great fault and a great misfortune: we may regret that loyal men should have carried their fidelity so far as to bring the youthful monarch from the midst of the debaucheries in which he was indulging at Breda, to replace him on the throne of his fathers. This rendered a second revolution necessary and yet we cannot forbear respecting the Scots even in this their error. ; Charles at this time was conniving at Montrose, who was spreading desolation throughout Scotland; and the young king hoped by his means to recover a throne without having to take upon himself any embarrassing engagement. But when the marquis was defeated, he determined to surrender to the Scottish parliament. One circumstance had nearly caused his ruin. Among Montrose's papers was found a commission from the king, giving him authority to levy troops and subdue the country by force of arms. The indignant parliament immediately recalled their commissioners from Holland; but the individual to whom the order was addressed treacherously concealed the document from his colleagues, and by showing it to none but the prince, gave him to understand that he could no longer safely temporize. Charles being thus convinced hurried on board, and set sail for Scotland, attended by a train of unprincipled men. The most serious thinkers in the nation saw that they could expect little else from him than duplicity, treachery, and licentiousness. It has been said that the Scotch compelled Charles to adopt their detested Covenant voluntarily. Most certainly the political leaders cannot be entirely exculpated of this charge; but it was not so with the religious part of the government. When he declared his readiness to sign that deed on board the ship, even before he landed, Livingston, who doubted his sincerity, begged him to wait until he had reached Scotland, and given satisfactory proofs of his good faith. But it was all to no effect; and when again, at Dunfermline, Charles wished to append his signature to a new declaration, by which he renounced popery and episcopacy, and asserted that he had no other enemies than those of the Covenant, the Rev. Patrick Gillespie said to him: "Sire, unless in your soul and conscience you are "satisfied, beyond all hesitation, of the righteous ness of this declaration, do not subscribe it: no, "do not subscribe it, not for the three kingdoms." L "Mr Gillespie, Mr Gillespie," replied the King, "I "am satisfied, I am satisfied;......and therefore will "subscribe." If Charles Stuart had thought of ascending his native throne only, Cromwell and the English would have remained quiet; but he aimed at the recovery of the three kingdoms, and the Scotch were disposed to aid him. Oliver immediately saw the magnitude of the danger which threatened the religion, liberty, and morals of England, and did not hesitate. On the 26th of June 1650, he was appointed commander-in-chief of all the armies of the Commonwealth, and set out immediately. Cromwell's feelings, as he marched against Scotland, were different from those which had led him to Ireland. To him the people were brethren— brethren who had gone astray when they invited over the licentious Charles II. That country was afterwards to feel, by twenty-eight years of horrible persecution (from 1660 to 1688), that the Protector was not deceived. Oliver determined to do all in his power to restore Scotland to herself. It was Cromwell's belief that, if sin had divided men and nations against one another, the aim of Christianity was to bring together all the families of the earth, and establish unity among them. He thought that the Gospel, by sanctifying the people, would make them one vast community of brethren. Wherever he saw disciples of Christ, there his heart # Hetherington, History of the Church of Scotland, 117. Edinburgh, 1843. beat for them. It was therefore a remarkable and a sorrowful spectacle which might then be viewed on the borders of Scotland,-one christian army advancing against another christian army! This sight, no doubt, has been too often witnessed in history. But in most cases the troops which march against each other are christian only in name, while the two forces of Scotland and of England possessed, to speak generally, both the spirit and the reality of Christianity. This was a misfortune. Cromwell remembered that although a Christian may be sometimes summoned to war, he should at least cast aside all hatred, and ever be inclined towards peace. He sent letters accordingly both to the general assembly and to the commander-in-chief: to the latter of whom he wrote as follows: "For the Right Honourable David Lesley, Lieutenant'general of the Scots Army: These. "SIR, "From the Camp at Pentland Hills, 14th August 1650. "I received yours of the 13th instant, with the paper you mentioned therein, enclosed,-which "I caused to be read in the presence of so many "officers as could well be gotten together; to "which your Trumpet can witness. We return you this answer; by which I hope, in the Lord, "it will appear that we continue the same we have professed ourselves to the Honest People in Scot แ |