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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Covenanters
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Presbyterians who pledged themselves to maintain their form of worship and church government in Scotland. The first important bond between them was the National Covenant of 1638, formed in opposition to a new liturgy which *Charles I was attempting to foist upon Scotland. In the resulting conflict (known as the Bishops' Wars, 1639–40) Charles was defeated. Three years later, when the king was at war with his English parliament, the Scots made a new extended pact, the Solemn League and Covenant (1643), by which they gave their support to parliament in return for a guarantee of a presbyterian church in Scotland and (so they hoped) in England too.
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When this pledge was not honoured by Cromwell, the Covenanters changed their support to the Stuarts. This left no-one with any great obligation to them, and their cause seemed lost when *Charles II re-imposed bishops upon Scotland. But their original purpose was finally achieved, after the revolution of 1688, when *William III established a presbyterian *Church of Scotland.
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