Form so far as it could serve the time and the Engagements thereof quadrate with their capacities are not to be rashly condemned for their Renewing old Vows which were and in so far only as they were before and then and are alwayes binding Yea rather it were suitable and seasonable for the Representatives who can easily mend what was not within their sphere to do in stead of despising the meanness of that party and carping at the imperfections of that action to imitate their Zeal in Renewing these National Engagements with solemn Acknowledgements of the Breaches thereof in a Form that will better please them This would be a notable mean of turning away the Lords fierce Wrath from the Nation 2 Chron. 29.10 Hereby Reformation in Church and State might be promoted and preserved Order and Union in the Church which hath been long wanting might be settled and established Former Defections might be honestly and honourably removed and remedied Future Innovations and Corruptions Schismes and Dâ—sorders might be prevented and precluded And all Malignant Enemies of Reformation might be by this Test discovered and excluded from all Trust in Church or State and capacity to do either hurt Yet without any constraint or restraint upon any Mans true liberty How pleasant and acceptable both to God and Man would it be as it may be hoped it will be when the Lords people in these Lands now sore and long scattered and divided shall return going and weeping seeking the Lord their God and asking the way to Zion with their Faces thitherward That at least the Owners Lovers of Reformation were saying Come and let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten THE NATIONAL COVENANT OR The Confession of Faith of the Kirk of Scotland subscribed at first by the Kings Majesty and his Houshold in the year 1580. Thereafter by Persons of all ranks in the year 1581. By Ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Council and Acts of the General Assembly Subssribed again by all sorts of Persons in the year 1590. By a new Ordinance of Council at the desire of the General Assembly With a general Band for maintainance of the true Religion and the Kings Person And subscribed in the year 1638. By the Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers and Commons then undersubscribing Together with their resolution and promises for the causes after specified To maintain the said true Religion and the Kings Majesty according to the Confession foresaid and Act of Parliament And thereafter upon the Supplication of the General Assembly to His Majesties high Commissioner and the Lords of his Majesties Honourable Privy Council subscribed again in the Year 1639. by Ordinance of Council and Act of General Assembly And now again by Vs this present Year 1689. Acknowledging the publick breaches thereof and engaging to the Duties contained therein with Accommodation to our Case and Time. WE All and every one of Us underwritten Protest that after long and due Examination of our own Consciences in matters of true and false Religion We are now throughly resolved of the Truth by the Word and Spirit of God and therefore we believe with our hearts confess with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirm bef re God aâ—d the whole World that this only is the true Christian Faith anâ— Relâ—gion pleasing God and bringing Salvation to Man which now is by the Mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the Blessed Evangel and received believed and defended by many and sundry notable Kirks and Realms but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland * and sometimes by the Kings Majesty and Three Estates of this Realme as Gods eternal Truth and only ground of our Salvation As more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith stablished and publickly confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliament and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Majesty and whole body of this Realm both in Burgh and Land. To the which Confession and Form of Religion We willingly agree in our Consciences in all points as unto Gods undoubted Truth anâ— Verity grounded only upon his written Word And therefore we abhore and detest all contrary Religion and Doctrine But chieflly all kind of Papistry in general and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the Word of God and Kirk of Scotland But in special We detest and refuse the usurped Authority of that Roman Anti-câ—rist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Kirk the Civil Magistrate and Conscience of Men all his Tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian Liberty his erroneous Doctrine against the sufficiency of the written Word the perfection of the Law the Offices of Christ and His blessed Evangel His corrupted Doctrine concerning Original Sin our natural Inability and Rebellion to Gods Law our Justification by Faith only our imperfect Sanctification and Obedience to the Law the Nature Number and Use of the Holy Sacraments His five bastard Sacraments with all his Riâ—es Ceremonies and false Doctrine added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the Word of God. His cruel judgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament His absolute necessity of Baptism his blasphemous opinion of Transubstantiation or Real presence of Christ's Body in the Elements and receiving of the same by the wicked or Bodies of Men. His Dispensations with solemn Oaths Perjuries and degrees of Marriage forbidden in the Word his cruelty against the Innocent divorced his devillish Mass his blasphemous Priest-hood profane Sacrifice for the Sin of the Dead and the Quick his Canonization of Men calling upon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of Imagery Relicks and Crosses dedicating of Kirks Altars Dayes Vowes to Creatures his Purgatory Prayers for the Dead praying or speaking in a strange Language with his Processions and blasphemous Litany and multitude of Advocates or Mediators his manifold Orders auricular Confession his desperate and uncertain Repentance his general and doubtsome Faith his satisfactions of Men for their sins his Justification by Works opus operatum Works of Supererogation Merits Pardons Peregrinations and Stations his Holy Water baptising of Bells conjuring of Spirits Crossing Saning Anointing Conjuring hallawing of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemn Vowes with all his Shavellings of sundry sorts his Erroneous Bloody Decrees made at Trent with all the Subscribers and Approvers of that cruel bloody Band conjured against the Kirk of God And Finally we detest all his vain Allegories Rites Signes and Traditions brought into the Kirk without or against the Word of God and Doctrine of this true reformed Kirk to the which we joyn our selves willingly in Doctrine Faith Religion Discipline and use of the Holy Sacraments as lively Members of the same in Christ our Head Promising and Swearing by the Great Name of the Lord our God that we
there is none other Face of Kirk nor other Face of Religion than was presently at that time by the favour of God established within this Realm which therefore is ever stilled Gods true Religion Christs true Religion the true and Christian Religion and a perfect Religion Which by manifold Acts of Parliament all within this Realm are bound to subscribe the Articles thereof the Confession of Faith to recant all Doctrine and Errors repugnant to any of the said Articles Act 4 and 9 Parl. 1. Act 45 46 47. Parl. 3. Act 71. Parl. 6. Act 106. Parl. 7. Act 24. Parl. 11. Act 123. Par. 12. Act 194 and 197. Parl. 14. of K. James 6. And all Magistrates Sherifs c. On the one part are ordained to search apprehend and punish all Contraveeners For instance Act 5. Parl. 1. Act 104. Parl. 7. Act 25. Parl. 11. K. James 6. And that notwithstanding of the King's licences on the contrary which are discharged and declared to be of no force in so far as they tend in any wayes to the prejudice and hinderance of the execution of the Acts of Parliament against Papists and Adversaries of true Religion Act 106. Parl. 7. K. James 6. On the other part in the 47. Act Parl. 3. K. James 6. It is declared and ordained seing the cause of God's true Religion and his Highness Authority are so joyned as the hurt of the one is common to both And that none shall be reputed as Loyal and Faithful Subjects to our Soveraign Lord or his Authority but be punishable as Rebellers and Gain-standers of the same who shall not give their Confession and make their profession of the said true Religion and that they who after defection shall give the Confession of their Faith of new they shall promise to continue therein in time coming to maintain our Soveraign Lords Authority and at the uttermost of their power to fortifie assist and maintain the true Preachers and Professors of Christs Evangel against whatsoever Enemies and Gain-standers of the same And namely against all such of whatsoever Nation Estate or Degree they be that have joyned and bound themselves or have assisted or assists to set forward and execute the cruel Decrees of Trent contrary to the Preachers and true Professors of the Word of God which is repeated word by word in the Article of Pacification at Perth the 23 of Febr 1572. Approved by Parliament the last of April 1573. Ratified in Parliament 1587. And related Act 123. Parl. 12. of K. James 6. with this addition That they are bound to resist all treasonable Uproars Hostilities raised against the true Religion the Kings Majesty and the true Professors Likeas all Liedges are bound to maintain the Kings Majesties Royal Person and Authority the Authoritie of Parliaments without the which neither any Laws or lawful Judicatories can be established Act 130. Act 131. Parl. 8 K. James 6. And the Subjects Liberties who ought only to live and be governed by the Kings Laws the common Laws of this Realm allanerly Act 48. Parl. 3. K. James the first Act 79. Parl. 6. K. James 4. repeated in the Act 131. Parl. 8. King James 6. Which if they be innovated or prejudged the Commission anent the Union of the two Kingdoms of Scotland and England which is the sole Act of the 17. Parl. of King James the 6. Declares such Confusion would ensue as this Realm could be no more a free Monarchy because by the fundamental Laws ancient Priviledges Offices and Liberties of this Kingdom not only the Princely Authority of his Majesties Royal descent hath been these many Ages maintained but also the Peoples security of their Lands Livings Rights Offices Liberties and Dignities preserved and therefore for the preservation of the said true Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom it is statute by the 8 Act Parl. 1. repeated in the 99 Act Parl. 7. ratified in the 23 Act Parl. 11. and 114. Act Parl. 12. of K. James 6 4 Act of K. Charles 1. That all Kings and Princes at their Coronation and Reception of their Princely Authority shall make their faithful Promise by their Solemn Oath in the presence of the Eternal God That during the whole time of their Lives they shall serve the same Eternal God to the uttermost of their power according as He has required in His most Holy Word contained in the Old and New Testament And according to the same Word shall maintain the true Religion of Christ Jesus the Preaching of His Holy Word the due and right ministration of the Sacraments now received and preached within this Realm according to the Confession of Faith immediatly preceeding and shall abolish and gain-stand all false Religion contrary to the same and shall rule the People committed to their charge according to the Will and Command of God revealed in His foresaid Word and according to the laudable Laws and Constitutions received in this Realm no wayes repugnant to the said Will of the Eternal God and shall procure to the uttermost of their power to the Kirk of God and whole Christian People true and perfect peace in all time coming And that they shall be careful to root out of their Empire all Hereticks and Enemies to the true Worship of God who shall be convicted by the true Kirk of God of the foresaid crimes which was also observed by * K. Charles the first his Majesty at his Coronation in Edinburgh 1633. As may be seen in the order of the Coronation In obedience to the Commandment of GOD conform to the practice of the Godly in former times and according to the Laudable Example of our Worthy and Religious Progenitors which was warranted also by Act of Council commanding a general Band to be made and subscribed by his Majesties Subjects of all Ranks for two causes One was For defending the true Religion as it was then reformed and is expressed in the Confession of Faith above-written and a former large Confession established by sundry Acts of lawful General Assemblies and of Parliaments unto which it hath relation set down in publick Catechisms and which had been for many years with a Blessing from Heaven preached professed in this Kirk and Kingdom as Gods undoubted Truth grounded only on His written Word The other cause was for maintaining the Kings Majesty his Person and Estate The true worship of God and the Kings Authority being so straitly joyned as that they had the same Friends and common Enemies and did stand and fall together And finally being convinced in our minds and confessing with our mouths that the present and succeeding Generations in this Land are bound to keep the foresaid National Oath and Subscription inviolable We under-subscribing considering divers times before and especially at this time the danger of the true reformed Religion * His Highness's honour by whose noble enterprise so signally countenanced of the Lord we have obtained this reviving in our bondage of the Kings
honour and of the publick peace of the Kingdom By the manifold innovations and evils generally contained and particularly mentioned in Supplications Complaints and Protestations †Remonstrances Declarations Testimonies of old and of late Do hereby profess and before God His Angels and the World solemnly declare That with our whole Hearts we agree and resolve all the dayes of our life constantly to adhere unto and to defend the foresaid true Religion and forbearing the practice of all Novations ‡ Former or latter introduced in the matter of the Worship of God or approbation of the corruptions of the publick Government of the Kirk or civil places and power of Kirk-men * Or any other Corruptions of the publick Government of the Kirk Prelatick or Erastian either tried or to be tried till they be tryed and allowed in free Assemblies and in Parliaments to labour by all means lawful to recover the Purity Liberty of the Gospel as it was established professed before the foresaid Novations And because after due examination We plainly perceive undoubtedly believe that the Innovations evils contained in our Supplications Complaints and Protestations †Remonstrances Declarations and Testimonies have no warrand of the word of God are contrary to the Articles of the foresaid Confessions to the intention and meaning of the blessed Reformers of Religion in this Land to the above written Acts of Parliament and do sensibly tend to the Re-establishing of the Popish Religion and Tyranny and to the subversion and ruine of the true reformed Religion and of our Liberties Laws and Estates We also declare that the foresaid Confessions are to be interpreted and ought to be understood of the foresaid Novations and Evils no less than if every one of them had been expressed in the foresaid Confessions and that we are obliged to detest and abhore them as well as the particular heads of Papistry abjured therein And therefore from the knowledge and Conscience of our duty to God to * The Government and Countrey our King and Countrey without any worldly respect or inducement so far as humane infirmity will suffer wishing a further measure of the Grace of God for this effect We promise and swear by the Great Name of the Lord our God to continue in the Profession and Obedience of the foresaid Religion That we shal defend the same and resist all these contrary Errors and Corruptions according to our Vocation and to the uttermost of that power that God hath put in our hands all the dayes of our life And in like manner with the same heart We declare before God and Men That We have no intention nor desire to attempt any thing that may turn to the dishonour of God or to the diminution of the †The Civil Magistrates Kings Greatness and Authority But on the contrary we promise and swear that we shall to the uttermost of our power with our means and lives stand to the defence of ‡ His Highness his Person and Authority when lawfully chosen and established as King or Suprem Magistrate over us our dread Soveraign the Kings Majesty his Person and Authority in the Defence and Preservation of the foresaid true Religion Liberties and Laws of the Kingdom As also to the mutual defence and assistance every one of us of another in the same cause of maintaining the true Religion and his Majesties Authority with our best counsel our Bodies our Means and whole power against all sorts of persons whatsomever So that whatsoever shall be done to the least of us for that cause shall be taken as done to us all in general and to every one of us in particular And that we shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer our selves to be divided or withdrawn by whatsoever Suggestion allurement or terror from this Blessed and Loyal Conjunction nor shall cast in any let 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 shall by all lawful means labour to further and promote the same and if any such dangerous and divisive motion be made to us by word or writ We and every one of Us shall suppress it or if need be shall incontinent make the same known that it may be timeously obviated Neither do we fear the foul aspersions of Rebellion Combination or what else our Adversaries from their craft or malice would put upon us seing what we do is so well warranted and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain the true Worship of God * Honour of the Government the Majesty of our King and peace of the Kingdom for the common happiness of our selves and the posterity And because we cannot look for a Blessing from God upon our preceedings except with our Profession and Subscription we joyn such a Life and Conversation as beseemeth Christians who have renewed their Covenant with God We therefore faithfully promise for our selves our followers and all other under us both in publick in our particular Families and personal carriage to endeavour to keep our selves within the bounds of Christian liberty and to be good Examples to others of all Godliness Soberness and Righteousness and of every duty we owe to God and Man And that this our Union and Conjunction may be observed without violation we call the Living God the Searcher of our Hearts to witness who knoweth this to be our sincere Desire and unfaigned Resolution As We shall answer to Jesus Christ in the Great Day and under the pain of Gods Everlasting Wrath and of Infamy and loss of all honour and respect in this World. Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end and to bless our Desires and Proceedings with a happy success that Religion and Righteousness may flourish in the Land to the Glory of God the honour †Of our Soveraigns of the King and peace and comfort of us all In witness whereof we have subscribed with our hands all the Premisses c. This Article of the Covenant which was at the first Subscription ‡ Anno 1638. referred to the determination of the General Assembly being determined and thereby the 5 Articles of Perth the Government of the Kirk by Bishops the Civil places and power of Kirkmen upon the reasons and grounds contained in the Acts of the General Assembly declared to be unlawful within this Kirk We subscribe according to the determination foresaid A SOLEMN LEAGUE and COVENANT For Reformation and Defence of Religion WE Having before our Eyes the Glory of God and the Advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ * The establishment preservation of the Government the Honour and Happiness of the Kings Majesty and his Posterity and the true publick Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included And calling to mind
with the People of these Abominations and taking into our bosome those Serpents which had formerly stung us almost unto death This as it would argue great madness and folly upon our part So no doubt if it be not avoided will provoke the Lord against us to Consume us until there be no remnant nor escaping in the Land. Many times have we been warned of the Sin of Complyance with Malignants both by faithful Instructions and fatherly Corrections from the Lord Yet after all these Punishments and after all these Mercies in mitigating these Punishments We have again joyned with the People of these Abominations The Lord is Righteous for we remain yet escaped as it is this day Behold we are before Him in our Trespasses and we cannot stand before Him because of this These Incendiaries Malignants and evil Instruments made many grievous Encroachments and prevailed much in the dayes of our Fathers But not without dissent Testimonies Warnings and Declarations to the Contrary But in our unhappy dayes they have been suffered yea encouraged without any significant joynt Testimony not only to hinder the Reformation of Religion but to overturn the whole Work of Reformation to Burn and Bury the Covenants for it to re-establish abjured Prelacy erect a monstrous Christ-exauctorating and Church-enslaving Supremacy attempt the introduction of Popery and Slavery at the gate of an Antichristian Tolleration and to persecute and destroy the Godly who durst not in conscience comply with them And not only to divide the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from another but first to divide the bulk and body of both Kingdoms and make them pursue divided Interests from the Interest and Cause of Christ And then to divide the remnant of such as adhered to it among themselves by Indulgences and other bones of contention in order to get them more easily destroyed And at length to engage the King into such a division from the People as to make him in stead of their Protector their declared Destroyer And not only to make parties among the People contrary to this League and Covenant but to draw and divide the whole People to party with their perjuries And yet so far have we been from endeavours to have them brought to tryal and condign punishment as the supreme Judicatories of the Kingdom should judge convenient that they have been suffered to obtain and manage the whole Administration of Judgement in their own hands and to sit and act as the sole Representatives of the Kingdom Yea not only have we suffered them so to sit and act but have owned them as our Representatives in complying with their Mischiefs framed into Law in abetting strengthening and encouraging the Prelatical faction in their avowed opposition to the Covenant The generality have owned Allegiance to the Head of these Incendiaries and Malignants yea a Popish Incendiarie because he wore a Crown on his head And have payed the Cess imposed for the maintenance and encouragement of Malignants Many have Associated with them in Expeditions of War drawing up with them in their Musters and Rendezvouses thereby countenancing a Malignant cause and listing themselves under a Malignant yea Popish Banner Many have subscribed yea sworn themselves of their Faction contrary to the Covenant by taking Tests Oaths and Bonds obliging them to suâ—cease from Covenanted Duties and to keep the peace and good behaviour with them whom they were obliged by the Covenant to seek to bring to punishment yea some and not a few were inveigled in the snare of the Oath of Delation to Delate the persecuted People of GOD to their Courts and thereby made in stead of discovering Malignants according to the Covenant to discover their Brethren to Malignants And very many almost the universality of the Land were involved in the snare of the Oath of Abjuration renouncing the principle of declating War against a Malignant King and of asserting the lawfulness of bringing his murdering complyces and Incendiaries to condign punishment But on the other hand some of us have sometimes exceeded the bounds of Moderation in this matter in usurping the sword without GODS Call without respect to the Rule and against the scope of our own Declarations to take vengeance on them at our own hand yea even to that degree of taking the Lives of * such at the Curate of Carspharn and some others some of them in an extravagant manner For which we have been sadly rebuked of GOD and occasion hath been given and taken to reproach and blaspheme the Way of God upon that account In the 5th Article we are bound according to our peace and Interest to endeavour that the Kingdoms may remain Conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity and that Justice may be done on the willful opposers thereof According to Gal. 5 12. Isa 2.2.3 Isa 19.23.24.25 Jer. 50.4 5. Ezek. 37.16.17 Zech. 2.11 Zech. 8.20.22.23 But thô the Peace and Union betwixt the Kingdoms be a great blessing of God unto both and a Bond which we are obliged to preserve unviolated And to endeavour that justice may be done upon the opposers thereof Yet some in this Land who have come under the Bond of the Covenant have made it their great study how to dissolve this Union and few or no endeavours have been used by any of us for Punishing of such Yea very litle or not at all have the most of us been concerned about this Article whether there be Peace with or holiness and truth in the other Kingdoms or what sort of Peace or on what Foundations it be settled Both Kingdoms are mutually guilty of dissolving this Covenanted Union in Invading each other at several times contrary to the Covenant The English Nation in subjecting us to their Conquest and forcing us to a submission and Union with their Sectarian Usurpations on Church and State And this Nation in giving such provocations to them by the Unlawful Engagement in the year 1648 By treating with setting up and entertaining the Head of the Malignant party their Enemy and ours both as our King in the year 1650 And inwading them upon his quarrel in the Worcester expedition Anno 1651. Since which time after that Kingdom and this both united in that unhappy course of restoring the King without respect to the Covenant And re-establishing Prelacy which broke our Covenanted Union and Conjunction That Nation hath sometimes sent aid to our Persecutors for suppressing our Attempts to recover our Religion and Liberties And this Nation hath sent Forces to help their Destroyers and to suppress their Endeavours for the recovery of their Priviledges And in the mean time we have been very litle solicitons for Correspondence to settle Union with such of them as owned the Covenant Or for giving to or receiving from them mutual Informations of our respective cases and conditions under all our Calamities and Calumnies cast upon us Nor have we studied to keep up Sympathie or Communion of Saints or a