The First Rednecks

On this day in 1638 the National Covenant was signed in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was one of many covenants adopted by the Scots regarding the liturgy and polity of the Church of Scotland. Liturgy refers to the manner in which a worship service is conducted. Polity refers to the how the business of the church is conducted and by whom. The King of England, Charles I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, wanted the Church of Scotland to conform to the Church of England. Scotland was under the authority of King Charles, and he was in charge of the church. The King preferred the Episcopal structure with a hierarchy of bishops. It made sense for the church to be uniform across the kingdoms. The Scots disagreed. They favored a system that would become the Presbyterian Church (To my church history friends: I know this is an oversimplification).

Many of the Scots preferred the liturgy and polity of the Calvinist Reformers. They signed the covenants to show their dedication to their vision of the Church of Scotland. It was a serious matter tying religion and politics together that didn't always work well. Some of the Covenanters, as those who signed the National Covenant were known, also rejected the authority of Charles I. They tied the covenant to Scottish Nationalism. However, there were many Scots who wanted to remain loyal to Catholicism. Violent conflicts would eventually break out between Scottish Separatists and Loyalists as well as Protestants and Catholics. The entire event demonstrates the danger of state churches.

Eventually, the Covenanters did establish the Presbyterian Church as the dominant church of Scotland.  Predominantly drawn from the poor and lower classes, the Covenanters were criticized as unruly and uneducated by the Loyalist upper classes. The Covenanters were dedicated to their cause and put their lives on the line for their faith. Many of the Covenanters signed the National Covenant and the covenants that followed it in their own blood. To show their convictions, they wore red cloths tied around their neck. The Loyalists started calling the Covenanters "Rednecks." Though intended as an insult, the Covenanters adopted the name with pride. For many years in Scotland, Redneck became synonymous with Presbyterian. The first Rednecks were Scots who boldly proclaimed their faith as Reformed Protestants.