dividing our selves from the Recusants and making defection to the party imposing them and opposing the Covenants And by Combination of those that preferred Peace to Truth and Ease to Duty by the terror of threatned continuance of Persecution and the perswasion of a promised Relaxation and immunity from Troubles many Ministers have been divided from the Testimony of the Church of Scotland against the encroaching Supremacy and Absolute Power and one from another and have made defection to that part and Party that were advancing these Encroachments and Usurpations on the prerogatives of Christ and Priviledges of his Church by receiving Indulgences and Tolerations from them in their own nature destructive unto and given and received on terms inconsistent with the Duties of the Covenants which were contrived and conferred on purpose to divide them from this cause and from their Brethren that more tenaciously adhered to it and did effectuate that design in a great measure And others gave themselves to a detestable indifference in complying with conniving at and not witnessing against these defections but passing them over in a secure and submissive silence And yet many of us have not shewed our dislike of these backsliding courses by discountenancing withdrawing from and keeping our selves free of all participation with them And others have withdrawn that have not mourned for the sin of these things to the irritation and offence rather than conviction of these they withdrew from Moreover in the same Article we are sworn all the dayes of our lives zealously and constantly to continue in this Cause against all Letts and Impediments whatsoever And what we are not able our selves to suppress and overcome to reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed And in the National Covenant never to cast in any Lett or Impediment that may stay or hinder any such resolution as by common consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends but on the contrary by all lawful means to labour to further and promove the same And if any such dangerous and divisive motion be made to us by word or writ that we and every one of us shall either suppress it or if need be incontinent make the same known that it may be timeously obviated agreeing very well with Scriptures Num 14 9 10 Neh 6 3 6 8 9 10 11 c. Psal 69 9 Isa 8 12 14 Acts 4 19 Acts 20 24 21 13 Gal 2 5 Phil 1 28. Nevertheless many have been the lets and impediments that have been cast in the way to retard and obstruct the Lords work by Prelacy Supremacy Indulgences Tolleratâ—on and absolute Tyrannie and complyances therewith enacted by Law and all the mischiefs establâ—shed by a Throne of iniquity these 28. years Yet few have ever zealously contented and fewer have constantly continued in contending against these obstructions so destructive to the cause Many have keeped Secret the first motions and appearances of these things while they might have been suppressed and overcome And the generality have passed them over in silence and made not known nor adverted unto the Evil of these things when declared by witnessing against these things when they could not be otherwise removed or overcome Yet many of us have our selves cast in Lets and Impediments obstructive to the Cause by our Defections Divisions and Disorders against Common Consent precipitencies without coÌ„mon consent even of our Brethren adhering to the Testimony Many a divisive Motion hath not been counted dangerous as those which tended to divide us from the Covenanted Cause And many a good and necessary Motion hath been counted Divisive namely such as proposed the necessity of confessing and forsaking sin Besides these and many other breaches of the Articles of the Covenant in the matter thereof which concerneth everyone of us to search out and acknowledge before the Lord as we would wish his wrath to be turned away from us So have many of us failed exceedingly in the manner of following and pursuing the duties contained therein not only seeking great things for our selves and mixing private interests and ends concerning our selves and friends and followers with these things that concern the publick good but many times preferring such to the honour of God and good of his Cause and retarding Gods work untill we might carry alongst with us our own Interests and Designs It hath been our way to trust in the means and to rely upon the arm of flesh for success albeit the Lord many times hath made us meet with disappointment therein and stained the pride of all our glory by blasting every carnal confidence unto us We have followed for the most part the counsels of flesh and blood and walked more by the Rules of Policy than Piety and have hearkned more unto men than unto God. In the Conclusion of the Solemn League and Covenant there is a Profession and Declaration before GOD and the World of our unfeigned desires to be humbled a Ez k 7 16 for our own sins and b Ezek 9 4 for the sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not c Matth 22 5 valued as we ought the inestimable benefite of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the d Acts 2 42 1 Tim 6 13 14. Purity and e 2 Tim 3 5 Power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to f Ephes 3 17 Colloss 2 6 receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk g Colloss 1 10 worthy of Him in our lives h 2 Thes 2 11 12 which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding among us All which we are under many obligations to confess and mourn over from the Word And of our true and unfeigned purpose and desire to endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all Duties we owe to God and Man to amend our Lives and each one to go before another in the example of a real Reformation that the Lord might turn away His Wrath and heavy Indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in Truth and Peace Yet we have refused to be Reformed and have walked proudly and obstinatly against the Lord not valuing His Gospel nor submitting our selves unto the obedience thereof nor seeking after Christ nor studying to honour Him in the excellency of His Person nor employ Him in the vertue of His Offices not making Conscience of Publick Ordinances nor Private nor Secret Duties nor studying to edifie one another in Love. The Ignorance of God and of His Son Jesus Christ prevails exceedingly in the Land. Even our Eathers in their purest times confessed in their Acknowledgement of Sins That the greatest part of Masters of Families among Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses and Commons neglected to seek God in their Families and to endeavour the Reformation thereof And albeit it had been much preswaded yet few of the Nobles and Great Ones could be perswaded to
all other Acts and Laws that have been framed since Prelacy and Tyranny came in that have been opposite unto the said Covenant and work of Reformation The reviving and ratifying of all former Righteous Laws made in favours thereof And the restoring and recovering of all the due and true Rights and Priviledges of Parliaments And as we shall earnestly pray unto God that He would give us able men fearing God men of Truth and hating covetousness to judge and bear Charge among His people So we shall according to our Places Callings and Capacities endeavor that Judicatories and all places of Power and Trust both in Kirk and State may consist of and be filled with such men as are of known good Affection to the Cause of God and of a blameless and Christian conversation to whom we shall submit and obey and defend them and their Rights with our Estates and Lives 2. We shall also desire and do design to recover vindicate and maintain the Liberties of the Subjects in all these things which concern their Consciences Persons and Estates 3. Now after we have been long howling under a grievous Tyrannie making men like the fishes of the Sea that have no Ruler over them We shall desire and long for a good Government and seek to have it rightly setled upon such a foundation of Righteousness with such a subordination to GOD and in such hands as Religion and Liberty and we in maintaining the same may find protection and Patrociny And then in the terms of the Covenant we promise Subjection Allegiance and our best endeavours to preserve and defend the Person and Authority of our Lawfully invested Kings Princes or other Magistrates in the preservation and defence of the True Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom Ministration of Justice and punishing of iniquity Or so far as our owning and defending them may or can consist with the preservation and defence of Religion Liberty and Justice Giving unto GOD that which is GODS and to Caesar the things which are Caesars And upon other termes we purpose never to own Allegiance to mortall Man. According to the Fourth Article 1. Beinâ—â— now sensible of the sin of complyance with Mâ—l gnants we shall resolve through Grace to stand aloof and at a greater distance from every thing that may import complyance confederacy or unitive transaction with them while remaining such by Associating with them in Armes paying them Cesses and Contributions imposed for maintaining them in their Cause and course of opposition to the Cause of GOD Or by swearing subscribing or taking any of their Oaths Tests or Bonds Or any new Oaths or Bonds whatsoever which may any way condemn Limite or Restrain us in the Duâ—iâ—s whereunto we are obliged by the National or Solemn League and Covenant Yea 2. We shall be so far from conniving at complying with or countenancing of Malignancy Injustice Iniquity Profanity and Impiety that we shall not only avoid and discountenance these things and cherish and encourage these persons who are zealous for the Causâ— of GOD and walk according to the Gospel But also shall seek a more effectual course than heretofore in our respective places and Callings for punishing and suppressing these evils and faithfully endeavour that the best and fittest remedies may be applyed for taking away the causes thereof and advancing the knowledge of GOD and Holiness and Righteousness in the Land. And to this effect shall endeavour to Represent our Grievances unto competent Judicatories against those who have been open Persecuters that they may receive condign punishment as the degree of their Crimes and Offences shall require or deserve that so the Land may be purged from blood and the LORD may delight to dwell among us Ye câ—nsidering what rashness hath appeared in some in putting forth their hand to punish such Incendiaries by death and how people may be still in hazard of running upon Extravagances in this matter from the misunderstanding of this Article of the Covenant We shal therefore guard against all irregularities in seeking the punishment of Malignants Incendiaries or evil Instruments and endeavour the discoverie and bringing of them to Justice in a Right and Legal way According to the Fifth Article We shal according to our places power Interest endeavour to have the Vnion of the Kingdoms brought to it s Covenanted Basis and avoid every thing that may weaken the same or involve us in any measure of accession unto the guilt of those who have invaded or hereafter may invade the Kingdom of England to break this Covenanted Vnion And shall endeavour more correspondence and sympathie with all our Covenanted Brethren both in England and Ireland According to the Sixth Article Considering what Dangers We and all our Brethren under the Bond and owning the Obligation of these Covenants are in and may be exposed to from the Popish Prelatical and Malignant Faction still prevailing And what defects we are sensible have been among us in the duty of defending and assisting one anoâ—her in this cause We do here sâ—lâ—mnly enâ—er under a Bond of Association with all that do nâ—w renew these Covenants with the Acknowledgement of the publick Breaches and Engagement to the duties thereof and shall concert and assert the old Covenanted Cause and Quarrel as our Fathers stated and contended for it from the year 1638. to 1650. Which cause of the Covenanted Reformation in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and all Interests and Rights Religious or Civil contended for during that foresaid space of years conducing to promote the same we faithfully promise to prosecute and endeavour to propagate preserve and maintain with the hazard of our Lives and all that we have Not fearing or regarding the soul Aspersions of Rebellion Combination or what else our Adversaries from their Craft and Malice would put upon us Seing what we do is so well warranted and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain the true Religion to obtain the Protection and preserve the Honour of Righteous Government and promote the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom for the present Safety and future Felicity of our Selves and Posterity and encouragement of others groaning under oâ— in danger of the Yoke of Antichristian or Erastin Popish or Prelatical Tyranny to joyn in the same or l ke Association In maintaing which we shall faithfully and stedfastly according to our place and power sympathize bear all burdens and imbark our Interests with and assist and defend all these who enter into or joyn with this Association and Covenants And shall reckon whatsoever shal be done to the least of us for this Cause as done to us all in general and to every one of us in particular And shal account it a breach of Covenant if seing our Brethren pursued for this Cause and having sufficient means to comfort and assist them any of us shall either make peace with the Persecuters bind up their hands by Oaths or Bonds from resisting them refuse to hide
harbour or supply the Persecuted decline to venture in lawful and necessary attempts for their relief or withdraw from their dutiful support And being thus united and Associate in this Cause as we resolve and oblige our selves to abide in this firm conjunction and neither consent nor concede to any Combination or Counsel suggestion perswasion allurement or terror that may have any direct or indirect tendency tentation or influence to seduce us either to division among our selves or defection to our Adversaries or a base indifferency neutrality between the two but shall with all Zeal Fidelity and constancy communicate our best help counsel and concurreâ—ce for the promoving all resolutions as by common consent shall be found to conduce for the good of the cause And endeavour to discover oppose and suppress all contrivances or counsels that may cast in any let or â—mpediment that may be obstructive or prejudicial to the cause So we shall likewise desire design and endeavour to get the defections unworthy neutralities and unhappy divisions that have long and lamentably wounded and wrâ—cked this Church removed Differences settled and Breathes healed in such a way and upon such terms as may be honourable and advantagious for the Cause And if our Brethren and we between whom such differences have fallen in and have been sadly fomented on all hands will search and try our wayes respectively how far they and we have recedâ—d from the good Old Way of the Church of Scotland and in our impartial search shall find out our respective defections and breaches of Covenant on the one hand and on the other and unite in confessing these by joyning in this or the like acknowledgement of publick sins and keeping days of Humiliation and Mourning for the same And as we offer and promise to confess our sins here acknowledged or any other so far as we can be convinced any manner of way that they shall desire or appoint So if they will at least confess theirs Doctrinally and they and we both forsake them mutually And forsaking concur in procuring the condemnation of them in Ecclesiastical Synods or Assemblies and so return unto and fix our ground on the Old established Foundations according to the Word of GOD and Constitutions of this Church settled before the Covenanted Reformation stopped We will then embrace and maintain Union and Communion with them and offer and avouch our concurrence with them and submission to them in the LORD And shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terror to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and Conjunction And because there be many who heretofore have not made Conscience of the Oath of God but some through fear others by perswasion and upon base ends and humane Interests have entered thereunto who have afterwards discovered themselves to have dealt deceitfully with the Lord in swearing falsly by His Name Therefore We who do now renew our Covenants in reference to these duties and all other duties contained therein Do in the sight of Him who is the searcher of hearts Solemnly Profess that it is not upon any Politick advantage or Private Interest or by-end or because of any terror or perswasion from men or hypocritically or deceitfully that we do again take upon us the oath of God But honestly and sincerely and from the sense of our Duty And that therefore denying our selves and our own things and laying aside all self-interests and ends we shall above all things seek the Honour of GOD the good of His Cause and the wealth of His People And that forsaking the counsels of flesh and blood and not leaning upon Carnal confidence we shall depend upon the LORD walk by the Ruâ—e of His Word and hearken to the voice of His Servants In all which professing our own weakness we do earnestly pray to GOD who is the Father of Mercies through His Son Jesus Christ to be merciful unto us and to enable us by the power of His-Might that we may do our Duty unto the praise of His Grace in the Churches AMEN FINIS