Alexander Henderson

1583-1646. Scottish minister. Born in Fife, he matriculated at St. Andrews when he was sixteen, and shortly after graduation (1603) was appointed teacher of philosophy there. Having found favor with the archbishop, he became minister of nearby Leuchars contrary to the wishes of parishioners who secured the church doors against him. A few years later he was converted through hearing Robert Bruce preach on John 10:1, and threw in his lot with the Presbyterian party that was resisting James VI's ritualism. When that royal policy was intensified under Charles I, Henderson was prominent among those who defied the king and became co-author of the National Covenant.* Elected moderator (1638) of the first general assembly for two decades, Henderson became leader of the Covenanters,* was appointed minister of the High Kirk of Edinburgh (1639), and largely drafted the Solemn League and Covenant.* He did much to further the cause of education in Scotland, introduced Hebrew into the regular curriculum at Edinburgh University (of which he was rector during the last six years of his life), and was highly respected even by the Episcopal party.