[57] This was originally the King's Confession, and was drawn up in 1580 by John Craig, minister of Holyrood House, and subscribed by James VI. and his household on 28th January, 1580-81. It is printed at length in Row's _Historie of the Kirk of Scotland_. It reaffirms the Confession of Faith of 1560, but contains also a solemn renunciation in great detail of the errors of Popery. It was approved by the General Assembly in April, 1581. A "General Band [Bond] for Maintenance of the true Religion" was added in 1588. The National Covenant of 1637 was an amplification of the previous Confessions, containing in addition an abjuration of Episcopal Church-government, as the King's Confession did of Popery. In September, 1638, Charles I. issued a proclamation for the Scottish people to subscribe this King's Confession and General Band, but the Covenanters regarded this as a subtle plot to divide them, and destroy the National Covenant, and, therefore, protested against the proclamation. The Confession and Band so subscribed, for it was subscribed by some, got the name of the "King's Covenant." It did not, of course, contain the abjuration of Episcopal Church-government. Those who adhered to it were called Malignants; while the name Covenanters was applied to those who subscribed the National Covenant.
[58] Among those who made their escape from Aberdeen along with Urquhart were Adam Bellenden, the bishop of the diocese; Alexander Innes, minister of Rothiemay; Alexander Scrogie, a Regent of King's College; together with the bishop's son, nephew, and servant (Spalding's _Memorials_).
[59] _Lives of the Scottish Writers_, vol. i.; Urquhart's MS. _Epigrams_: The Animadversion.
[62] Dunlugas is in the parish of Alvah, close by the river Deveron, on the east side.
[64] "He was alive last Whitsuntide! said the coachman.... Whitsuntide!--alas! cried Trim.... What is Whitsuntide, Jonathan, or Shrovetide, or any tide or time past, to this!" (_Tristram Shandy_, vol. v. chap. vii.).
Our author states (_Works_, p. 341) that "his father's death occurred in August in the year 1642, some four yeares after the hatching of the Covenant." He is, however, very careless in details of fact, and is in error concerning this date. Sir Thomas Urquhart, senior, is termed "_umqll_" (_i.e. "the late"_) in the Burgess Roll of Banff, on 14th June, 1642 (_Annals of Banff_, ii. 418). Perhaps the date was April instead of August. The Covenant was signed 1st March, 1638.