tter of considerable importance--for
this quartering involved great expense and much destruction of property
in most cases, and absolute ruin in some.

After the battle of the Pentland Hills (in 1666), in which the
Covenanters, driven to desperation, made an unsuccessful effort to throw
off the tyrannical yoke, severer laws were enacted against them. Their
wily persecutor, also being well aware of the evil influence of
disagreement among men, threw a bone of contention among them in the
shape of royal acts of _Indulgence_, as they were styled, by which a
certain number of the ejected ministers were permitted to preach on
certain conditions, but only within their own parishes. To preach at a
separate meeting in a private house subjected the minister to a fine of
5000 merks (about 278 pounds). To preach in the fields was to incur the
penalty of death and confiscation of property. And these arbitrary laws
were not merely enacted for intimidation. They were rigorously
enforced. The curates in many cases became mere spies and Government
informers. Many of the best men in the land laid down their lives
rather than cease to proclaim the Gospel of love and peace and goodwill
in Jesus Christ. Of course their enemies set them down as self-willed
and turbulent fanatics. It has ever been, and ever will be, thus with
men who are indifferent to principle. They will not, as well as cannot,
understand those who are ready to fight, and, if need be, die for truth!
Their unspoken argument seems to be: "You profess to preach peace,
love, submission to authority, etcetera; very good, stand to your
principles. Leave all sorts of carnal fighting to us. Obey us.
Conform humbly to our arrangements, whatever they are, and all will be
well; but dare to show the slightest symptom of restiveness under what
you style our injustice, tyranny, cruelty, etcetera, and we will teach
you the submission which you preach but fail to practise by means of
fire and sword and torture and death!"

Many good men and true, with gentle spirits, and it may be somewhat
exalted ideas about the rights of Royalty, accepted the Indulgence as
being better than nothing, or better than civil war. No doubt, also,
there were a few--neither good men nor true--who accepted it because it
afforded them a loophole of escape from persecution. Similarly, on the
other side, there were good men and true, who, with bolder hearts,
perhaps, and clearer brains, it may be, re