Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/158

 took in the issuing of the Book of Sports in 1618, which spoke on the subject of pastimes and games on Sundays. The climax of his troubles came in 1633, when Laud went to Scotland with the king with the object of introducing episcopacy into that country. The Scotch were Presbyterians, and very Calvinistic in their theology. James had been brought up in the Presbyterian religion, and hated it, and he wished to establish episcopacy in Scotland, but was not able to do so. It was Laud and Charles, with their policy "Thorough," who attempted this. A liturgy was especially drawn up for the Scotch Church, and a day was fixed in the year 1637 when it should be read to the people. Laud was the chief instrument in this work. It was also ordered that the surplice should be worn in Churches. We must remember that it was the strong opposition of the Puritans to such things as these which urged Laud to be equally strong in enforcing conformity. The day arrived for the introduction of the reform. The minister was in S. Giles' Church to obey the Royal orders. He had no sooner begun to read, than a woman in the congregation hurled a stool at his head, and burst out in the hearing of all the people—"Dost thou say Mass in my lug." This small event roused the nation. The congregation was roused to protest against this new reform. This spread to the streets, throughout the whole town, and so passed from there to all Scotland. It is not my duty to show what followed this opposition. It was a very unfortunate stroke of business for Archbishop Laud. It lead to his downfall. He was altogether too arbitrary in his measures. "Stony Sunday," as that day was called, was not soon forgotten by