Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

England.
The Church of Scotland had rest for twenty
years (1640 -- 1660). The Scots had repelled the
edicts and the soldiers of an arbitrary monarch, for
though chivalrously loyal to their kings, they
would give them no obedience but such as it was
meet for freemen to render; and Scotland being
again mistress of herself, her General Assemblies
continued to meet, her Presbyterian Church
government was administered, her flocks were
supplied with faithful and diligent pastors, some of
whom were distinguished by learning and genius,
and vital Christianity flourished. The only
drawback to the prosperity of the country was the
raids of Montrose, who, professing a zeal for the
king's interests, stained indelibly his own character
for humanity and honor, by ravaging many parts of
his native land with fire and sword. All the while
there raged a great storm in England, and the
northern country was too near the scene of strife
not to feel the swell of the tempest. Nor could
Scotland regard her own rights as secure so long as
those of England were in question. It was her own
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