. Charles the Second, who was indolent,
incapable and entirely given over to self-indulgence, handed over the
affairs of Scotland to an unprincipled cabal of laymen and churchmen,
who may be fittingly described as drunken libertines. By these men--of
whom Middleton, Lauderdale, and Sharp were the chief--all the laws
passed in favour of Presbytery were rescinded; new tyrannical laws such
as we have elsewhere referred to were enacted and ruthlessly enforced;
Prelacy was established; the Presbyterian Church was laid in ruins, and
all who dared to question the righteousness of these transactions were
pronounced rebels and treated as such. There was no impartial tribunal
to which the people could appeal. The King, who held Presbyterianism to
be unfit for a gentleman, cared for none of these things, and even if he
had it would have mattered little, for those about him took good care
that he should not be approached or enlightened as to the true state of
affairs in Scotland.

Sharp himself devised and drafted a new edict empowering any officer or
sergeant to kill on the spot any armed man whom he found returning from
or going to a conventicle, and he was on the point of going to London to
have this edict confirmed when his murderous career was suddenly
terminated.

In the days of James the Sixth and Charles the First, the bishops,
although forced on the Scottish Church and invested with certain
privileges, were subject to the jurisdiction of the General Assembly,
but soon after Charles the Second mounted the throne ecclesiastical
government was vested entirely in their hands, and all the ministers who
refused to recognise their usurped authority were expelled.

It was in 1662 that the celebrated Act was passed by Middleton and his
colleagues in Glasgow College. It provided that all ministers must
either submit to the bishops or remove themselves and families out of
their manses, churches, and parishes within a month. It was known as
the "Drunken Act of Glasgow," owing to the condition of the legislators.
Four hundred brave and true men left their earthly all at that time,
rather than violate conscience and forsake God. Their example
ultimately saved the nation from despotism.

The Archbishop of Saint Andrews was chief in arrogance and cruelty among
his brethren. He afterwards obtained permission to establish a High
Commission Court in Scotland--in other words, an Inquisition--for
summarily executing all laws, acts,