A Lesson for Us All
Greyfriars Kirk (Church) in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, dates back to 1602. It was in the pews directly in front of the old pulpit of this kirk that in 1638 the Scottish Covenanters signed a document – some of them in their own blood – that sent tremors throughout Scotland and England and, eventually, around the world. The Scots had no great love for the king, his bishops, and the Episcopal Church. They much preferred their own brand of government; elected elders, and Presbyterianism. The document they signed fired the first salvo in the struggle that degenerated into the Three Nations War – and the founding of the Presbyterian church. The beautiful old churchyard surrounding the old kirk was at one time a prison for more than 1,200 Covenanters held “at His Majesty’s pleasure” – but not at the Scots’! Given the history of church and churchyard, it is no surprise to see crowds of tourists thronging the area. What is surprising is the reason that most of them are there. It’s not ecclesiastical history for the most part! In the mid-nineteenth century the area around Greyfriars Church was patrolled by an Edinburgh policeman called John Gray. A well known and highly respected figure in the neighborhood, his constant companion was a wiry little Skye Terrier called
;
