February - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland
February - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland
February - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
The Great Ejection <strong>of</strong> 1662 51<br />
upon any pretence whatsoever, to take arms against <strong>the</strong> King; and that I do<br />
abhor that traitorous position <strong>of</strong> taking arms by his authority against his<br />
person, or against those that are commissionnated by him”. 3 This was not a<br />
mere pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> loyalty, which might have been easy enough to take; it<br />
was a condemnation <strong>of</strong> all who had taken Parliament’s side in <strong>the</strong> Civil War.<br />
On a practical level, <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> date for enforcing <strong>the</strong> Act <strong>of</strong> Uniformity<br />
had a cruel twist about it. Had <strong>the</strong> Ejection been left until Michaelmas, in<br />
late September, <strong>the</strong> ministers would have received <strong>the</strong> ti<strong>the</strong>s for <strong>the</strong> year; as<br />
it was, <strong>the</strong>y lost out on <strong>the</strong>ir entire remuneration for some 11 months. It must<br />
have caused great hardship to many, and it was done deliberately. Yet on<br />
24 August 1662 nearly 2000 men believed it was <strong>the</strong>ir duty to leave <strong>the</strong> ministry<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than submit <strong>the</strong>ir consciences to an Act which, <strong>the</strong>y knew, was<br />
completely contrary to <strong>the</strong> mind <strong>of</strong> God.<br />
Among <strong>the</strong>m was Edward Lawrence, a Shropshire minister, who pointed<br />
to his “11 arguments for conformity”, meaning his wife and 10 children. But<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was an altoge<strong>the</strong>r stronger argument on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side, and that argument<br />
he found irresistible: “Christ hath said, ‘Whoso loveth wife or children more<br />
than Me is not worthy <strong>of</strong> Me”. Someone asked him how he expected to maintain<br />
<strong>the</strong>m all; Lawrence replied that his family must live on <strong>the</strong> sixth chapter<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mat<strong>the</strong>w: “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye<br />
shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on”. 4<br />
Some good men did comply, including William Gurnall, author <strong>of</strong> The<br />
Christian in Complete Armour, and over 172 ejected ministers conformed<br />
at a later date. Few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ejected – Philip Henry was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> exceptions<br />
– were wealthy; some took to secular work to support <strong>the</strong>mselves, but one<br />
obvious calling, to teach in a school, was forbidden <strong>the</strong>m, by <strong>the</strong> Act <strong>of</strong><br />
Uniformity which sent <strong>the</strong>m from <strong>the</strong> pulpits. We get a sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Anglican<br />
spirit towards <strong>the</strong> Puritans from Archbishop Sheldon’s response to <strong>the</strong><br />
comment <strong>of</strong> a Dr Allen: “It is a pity <strong>the</strong> door is so strait” (in <strong>the</strong> sense <strong>of</strong><br />
narrow). Sheldon’s reply was unflinching, without a flicker <strong>of</strong> mercy for<br />
those whom he clearly considered his out-and-out enemies: “It is no pity at<br />
all; if we had thought so many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m would have conformed, we would<br />
have made it straiter”. 5<br />
Oliver Heywood had been minister at Coley, near Halifax, and was harassed<br />
for a whole year before <strong>the</strong> Great Ejection took place. “At <strong>the</strong> close <strong>of</strong> one<br />
Sabbath,” he wrote, “we can scarcely reckon on ano<strong>the</strong>r . . . and yet danger<br />
is kept <strong>of</strong>f by God’s hand.” Heywood, conscious that <strong>the</strong> providence <strong>of</strong> God<br />
3 History <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Presbyterian</strong>s in England, pp 385-6.<br />
4 Quoted in Iain H Murray, “The Last Summer”, in The Banner <strong>of</strong> Truth, issue 26, p 14.<br />
5 J B Marsden, The History <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Later Puritans, Tentmaker Publications reprint, 2002, p 459.