are wading
through a sea of blood in order to attain it? These were in Scotland the
topics of every conversation: with these doctrines the pulpits echoed:
and the famous curse of Meroz, that curse so solemnly denounced and
reiterated against neutrality and moderation, resounded from all
quarters.[**]

* Rush, vol. vi. p. 390. Clarendon, vol. iii. p. 68.

** Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord; curse ye
bitterly the inhabitants thereof: because they came not to
the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the
mighty. Judges, chap. v ver. 23.

The parliament of England had ever invited the Scots, from the
commencement of the civil dissensions, to interpose their mediation,
which they knew would be so little favorable to the king: and the king
for that very reason had ever endeavored, with the least offensive
expressions, to decline it.[*] Early this spring, the earl of Loudon,
the chancellor, with other commissioners, and attended by Henderson,
a popular and intriguing preacher, was sent to the king at Oxford, and
renewed the offer of mediation; but with the same success as before. The
commissioners were also empowered to press the king on the article of
religion, and to recommend to him the Scottish model of ecclesiastic
worship and discipline. This was touching Charles in a very tender
point: his honor his conscience, as well as his interest, he believed to
be intimately concerned in supporting prelacy and the liturgy.[**] [14]
He begged the commissioners, therefore, to remain satisfied with the
concessions which he had made to Scotland; and having modelled their own
church according to their own principles, to leave their neighbors in
the like liberty, and not to intermeddle with affairs of which they
could not be supposed competent judges.[***]

* Rush. vol. vi. p. 398.

** See note N, at the end of the volume.

*** Bush. vol. vi. p. 462.

The divines of Oxford, secure, as they imagined, of a victory, by means
of their authorities from church history, their quotations from the
fathers, and their spiritual arguments, desired a conference with
Henderson, and undertook by dint of reasoning to convert that great
apostle of the north: but Henderson, who had ever regarded as impious
the least doubt with regard to his own principles, and who knew of a
much better way to reduce opponents than by employing any theological
topics, absolutely refused all disputatio