Today in Covenanter History

Today is the 385th anniversary of the signing of the National Covenant.

On February 28th, 1638, more than 60,000 people gathered at Greyfriars in Edinburgh, Scotland to witness the signing of the National Covenant. The document was created by Alexander Henderson, a statesman-like minister, and the lawyer Archibald Johnstone of Warriston, who later became Lord Clerk Register of Scotland. The Covenant was read aloud by Warriston and a prayer was offered by Henderson. Then, amidst great emotion, the Earl of Sutherland stepped forward and began the signing.

The National Covenant renewed the 1581 King’s Confession with two additional sections. The King’s Confession was a covenant signed by the king and people across Scotland in 1581, which promised to accept the Protestant faith and oppose Roman Catholicism. The two new sections added by Warriston and Henderson were a legal section that listed over sixty acts of Parliament supporting the Presbyterian cause, and also a section with a practical application.

Those who signed the National Covenant pledged to defend the true religion against innovations that were against the Bible, the teachings of the Reformers, and the acts of Parliament listed on the Covenant. They also promised to live lives that showed they were in covenant with God and to be good examples to others. The Covenant was a national effort and a significant move forward in the Reformation in Scotland.

The Covenant was taken so seriously that many people broke into their veins and signed their names in their own blood. One minister witnessed more than a thousand people lifting up their hands and shedding tears as they entered into covenant. This event led to the creation of the name “Covenanter.”