292

HISTOEY OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XIII.

1689 .

Ministe-rial ar-range-ments inScotland.

there no reason for following that order in Scotland except areason which might be urged with equal force for maintainingPrelacy in England, Popery in Spain, and Mahometanism inTurkey? Why, too, was nothing said of those Covenantswhich the nation had so generally subscribed and so generallyviolated? Why was it not distinctly affirmed that the promisesset down in those rolls were still binding, and would to the endof time be binding, on the kingdom? W r ere these truths to besuppressed from regard for the feelings and interests of a princewho was all things to all men, an ally of the idolatrous Spaniardand of the Lutheran Dane, a presbyterian at the Hague and aprelatist at Whitehall? He, like Jehu in ancient times, haddoubtless so far done well that he had been the scourge of theidolatrous House ofAhab. But he, like Jehu, had not takenheed to w'alk in the divine law with his whole heart, but hadtolerated and practised impieties differing only in degree fromthose of which he had declared himself the enemy. It wouldhave better become godly senators to remonstrate with him onthe sin which he was committing by conforming to the Anglicanritual, and by maintaining the Anglican Church government,than to flatter him by using a phraseology which seemed to in-dicate that they were as deeply tainted with Erastianism ashimself. Many of those who held this language refused to doany act which could be construed into a recognition of the newSovereigns, and would rather have been fired upon by filesof musketeers or tied to stakes within low water mark than haveuttered a prayer that God would bless William and Mary.

Yet the King had less to fear from the pertinacious ad-herence of these men to their absurd principles, than from theambition and avarice of another set of men who had no prin-ciples at all. It^was necessary that he should immediately nameministers to conduct the government of Scotland: and, namewhom he might, he could not fail to disappoint and irritate a