The Covenanter Story

Not rated • YouTube

Not many Christians know about Scottish Covenanters, but we should. In the 17th century, these men and women opposed King Charles II’s claim of authority over the Scottish Church (or Kirk), and for that opposition, many were killed. On its YouTube channel, Banner of Truth hopes to educate the contemporary church with The Covenanter Story (three of four planned episodes are currently available).

The Covenanters derived their name from the National Covenant of 1638, a document signed by hundreds of thousands of Scotsmen that declared the Reformed faith to be the religion of Scotland and insisted the king’s God-ordained authority did not extend to the church. Charles II—restored to the throne in 1661—claimed a right to rule the Kirk, setting up a confrontation with the most committed Covenanters.

As Episode 1 explains, the crown decided to make an example of James Guthrie, hanging him at the market cross in Edinburgh when he refused to recant. Episode 2 introduces Hugh Mackail in the context of the Pentland Resistance of 1666. The uprising in Pentland followed attempts to collect fines against those who refused to worship in churches with clergy installed by the crown. After royalist forces crushed the violent uprising, they arrested Mackail and unsuccessfully used torture to try to get him to divulge information about the resistance. After a trial, the royalists hanged Mackail, also at the market cross.

The series is quite sympathetic to the Covenanters, and—so far, at least—doesn’t get into their more controversial beliefs about church and state. But Christians don’t have to agree with these Scotsmen on every detail to appreciate their great faith and intense commitment to keep the church free of unbiblical influence from government authorities. This series is a good start for those who want to learn more about the Covenanters.