Scotland/Scots > Life of John Knox ; and, The life of Alexander Henderson

LIFE OF ALEXANDER HENDERSON.
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over the rights of the church, may easily be vindicated.
But this is toto ccelo different from bishops sitting as
Lords of Parliament, or filling the highest offices of
state, which, besides other evils, renders it impossible for
them to attend to the important duties of their ecclesi¬
astical function.
Mr. Henderson was one of the fourteen chief persons
among the covenanters, who were sent for by the king
to meet him at Berwick, after the Scottish army was dis •
banded. But an alarm having spread of a design against
their life or liberty, they were stopped at the water-gate
of Edinburgh, when they were setting out on their jour-
ney, by the populace, who took their horses from them,
and obliged them to return; nor was it judged prudent
that they should afterwards proceed : a measure which
gave great offence to his Majesty. At the opening
of the General Assembly, which m£t at Edinburgh,
August 12, 1639, Mr. Henderson preached from Acts
iv. 23, and in the conclusion of his discourse, addressed
suitable exhortations to the royal commissioner, (the
Earl of Traquair) and to the m embers of Assembly. The
commissioner earnestly requested that the former modera¬
tor should be continued in the chair, out of respect to
Mr. Henderson’s abilities, as he protested, but rather, as
was suspected, to support his majesty’s pretensions to the
right of nominating the person who should occupy that
place, and of continuing him in it at pleasure. But this
was opposed by the members of Assembly and by none
more than Mr. Henderson himself, who urged, that it
favoured the practice of constant moderator, which in
former times had been employed as an introduction to
Prelacy. On the 31st of August Mr. Henderson preach¬
ed an excellent sermon, at the opening of the Parliament,
from 1 Tim. ii. 1—3, in which he treated of the end,
utility, and duties of magistracy.
In the year 1640, he was placed at the head of the uni¬
versity of Edinburgh, by the Town Council of that city.
They had been accustomed to visit the college annually