substance of Laud's liturgy. Too much is claimed, however, when the
assertion is made that there was no real objection among the people to
the introduction of an elaborated service such as that which was
proposed. The liberty of free prayer so dear to the Scottish reformers
was, if not entirely denied, largely encroached upon; a responsive
service, to which, in common with the great leaders of Geneva, Knox and
Melville had been so uniformly opposed, was introduced; and
particularly in the service for the administration of the Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper, forms of words were employed which seemed to teach
doctrines rejected by the reformers. Here then was abundant ground for
opposition to Laud's liturgy when judged on its merits, and this ground
the stern theologians of that day were not likely to overlook.

Nor is it to be forgotten that in the many supplications which from
time to time were presented to the King both from Church and State
against the introduction of the Service Book, the anti-English plea
never found a place, but uniformly, reference was made in strong terms
to the unscriptural form of worship suggested for adoption by the
Scottish people, together with a protest against the arrogant
imposition upon them of a form of service not desired. Persistently in
these supplications the subscribers expressed their desire that there
should be no change in the form of worship to which they had been
accustomed, and prayed for a continuance of the liberty hitherto
enjoyed. In a complaint laid before the Privy Council the Service Book
and Canons are described as "containing the seeds of divers
superstitions, idolatry and false doctrine," and as being "subversive
of the discipline established in the Church." The Earl of Rothes in an
address spoke thus: "Who pressed that form of service contrary to the
laws of God and this kingdom? Who dared in their conventicles contrive
a form of God's public worship contrary to that established by the
general consent of this Church and State?" And that the _form_ of
worship ever held a prominent place in the discussions of the time,
appears from a letter supposed to have been written by Alexander
Henderson, in which he defends the Presbyterian Church against a charge
of disorder and neglect of seemly procedure in worship; he says, "The
form of prayers, administration of the Sacraments, etc., which are set
down before their Psalm Book, and to which the ministers are to co