inclined to leave off the hopeless and
pernicious contest; and, in the year 1592, an Act of Parliament was
passed, ratifying all the essential elements of the Presbyterian Church,
in doctrine, government, discipline, and worship. But this proved to be
merely a cessation of hostilities on the part of the King, preparatory to
their resumption in a more insidious and dangerous manner, and by the dark
instrumentality of his boasted "king-craft."

The first indication of the crafty monarch's designs was in the year 1597,
when he, "of his great zeal and singular affection which he always has to
the advancement of the true religion, presently professed within this
realm," to use his own words, enacted that all who should be appointed to
the prelatic dignity, should enjoy the privilege of sitting and voting in
Parliament. The pretence was, that these persons would attend better to
the interests of the Church than could be done by laymen; the intention
was, to introduce the prelatic order and subvert the Presbyterian Church.
And, that this might be done quietly and imperceptibly, the question
respecting the influence which these parliamentary representatives of the
Church should have in the government of the Church itself, was left to be
determined by the King and the General Assembly. Many of the most
judicious and clear-sighted of the ministers perceived the dangerous
tendency of this measure, and gave it their decided and strenuous
opposition; but others, wearied out by their conflict with the avaricious
and tyrannical conduct of the nobility, which they hoped thus more
effectually to resist, or gained over by the persuasions of the King and
the court party, supported the proposal. The result was, that the measure
was carried in the Assembly of 1598, by a majority of ten, and that
majority formed chiefly by the votes of the elders, whom the King had
induced to support his views. Scarcely had even this step been taken, when
the Church became alarmed at the possible consequences; and, in order to
avoid increasing that alarm, all further consideration of the measure,
with reference to its subordinate details, was postponed till the meeting
of the next Assembly. Nor was this enough. As the time for the next
Assembly drew near, the King felt so uncertain of success, that he
prorogued the appointed meeting, and betook himself to those private
artifices by which his previous conquest had been gained.

When the Assembly of 1600 met,