The first proceeding of this
Parliament, known in the gossip of the time as the Drunken Parliament
from the too frequent condition of its chiefs, was to pass a Rescissory
Act, repealing all measures that had become law since the year 1633,
including even those passed by the Parliament professing the authority
of Charles himself. This was followed by an Act "concerning religion and
Church government," in which, after some pious but vague protestations
of the royal design to "encourage the exercise of religion both public
and private, and to suppress all profaneness and disorderly walking," it
was promised that the administration by sessions, presbyteries, and
synods would not for the present be interfered with. That present,
however, soon passed. On May 27th, two days before the anniversary of
the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Act for the Restoration of
Episcopacy was made law. A previous Act had ordained May 29th to be kept
holy; and the opposition taken to this by those who objected to all
holidays as idolatrous had in turn produced a measure which practically
marks the beginning of that system of vague bullying, as Dr. Burton has
happily called it, which was in no long time to pass into a persecution
anything but vague. On December 15th, in Westminster Abbey, Sharp was
consecrated Primate of Scotland, and at the same time Fairfoul was
raised to the see of Glasgow, Hamilton to the see of Galloway, and the
good and gentle Leighton to the see of Dunblane.
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