unto their former obedience and that when you had possessed your selves of his Magazines and strongest Towns and Forts your selves for them off part have been defented foyled lost what you held put to great streights for Men and Money notwithstanding a rich and populous City wholly at your devotion will conclude certainly there is little encouragement for you to go on in your designes much lesse for other Churches to take example by you and to enter into League or Association against those powers God hath deputed over them and to joyn together in such attempts which tend so much to the dishonour of God the Scandalizing of the Profession of Iesus Christ and the ruine and overthrow of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths Sir you need not much wonder to see a writing come to your hand in this manner considering the Violence and Tyranny under which we live when it is almost Capitall to make any scruple or objection which may question the Infallibility of that great Court or be a means to retard their proceedings in the grand designe And we could not so much confide in you as to have recourse unto you and expresse our doubts by way of Conference when we hear of many that are so fiercely carried on in promoting of this Cause That they have vowed to betray their neerest friends that shall but speak to the prejudice of it Besides we are come neer to that passe that the Roman State was in Domitians time when as Tacitus writes ademptum esset per inquisitiones loquendi audiendique Commercium two men cannot without suspicion and danger talk together nor dare one neighbour disclose his doubts and ask the advice and counsell of another More then that we have by this means taken a more exact view of the severall branches of this Oath together with your explanation of the same If now you have any thing to return to these things which we much doubt we shall expect your Answer in some publique manner that so the benefit may redound to more and what you shall do in this kinde we shall accept with all Candour as it becometh Christians and Your Friends Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that before these Observations could with conveniency be conveyed into the hands of that Divine of the Assembly mentioned in the Title who by his explaining and pressing of this Covenant gave occasion to them he was taken out of this life yet as Charity bindes us we must hope that before his departure hence he had space and grace to repent of his errours and of this in speciall one of his last though doubtlesse none of his least commissions If these Animadversions upon that Covenant such as they are may be a means to keep any who are yet free from entring into a League so unlawfull so unchristian or to reduce any who through weaknesse have been drawn into it that so they might see and forsake their errour and not by obstinate persisting adde another offence unto the former He that collected them with that intention and now presents them to the Publique view will account so good effects an abundant requitall for his pains A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion c. WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospell and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and Professours thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publique Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. That we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-government directory for Worship and Catechizing that we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the middest of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacie that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any Faction or
nay by casting out one possesse our selves of seven worse we say nothing in defence of this sort of men we abhor their councells and say as old Iacob did concerning his two sons Gen. 49. My soul shall not come into their secret place nor be joyned with their assemblies Their wrath is fierce their rage is cruell their poyson is rank and deadly they are enemies enough and they bear a tyrannous hatred againstour Church but we could wish there were not other troublers of Israel besides them such as are among us but are not of us that oppose Rome and yet uphold her that by their attempts and practises excuse the practises of the Romish Synagogue and as if she were not impudent enough already adde more brasse to the forehead of that Whore of Balylon We wonder Sir what the Protestant Partie shall be able hereafter to object to the Popes Factors the Jesuits for their treacherous Plots for destroying Kings undermining States raising Sedition exempting Subjects from their obedience when as our present proceedings in that kinde may justly stop our mouthes and make us blush with shame as having equalled if not in some sort exceeded them You say What you do now is for Religion and the Gause of Christ and they as much That what they attempt is for Religion and the Catholique Cause and so the issue of the controversie will be the same Another motive is The deplorable estate of Ireland the distressed estate of England and the dangerous estate of Scotland For Scotland we know not nor hear of any dangers attending them besides Fears and Jealousies which being hansomely managed by the politique contrivers of this War may draw such dangerous consequents upon them as ours have done upon us For Ireland and England their condition is sad and lamentable and the course that is now taken is no means at all of curing them but of making their wounds more deep and gastly A third motive is The failing of other means Supplications Remonstrances Protestations And yet what one thing was ever denyed by His Majesty which was fitting for a King to give away or for Subjects to require All the security for Religion and Liberty that could conveniently be made was fairly offered The fourth and last motive is The practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the example of Gods people in other Nations It 's marvell you gave no instance in your Explanation it will be hard to finde one in all our Histories that may be a president for such a Covenanting as this we have heard of none more like it then that League of Association which the Anabaptists in Germany made for strengthning of themselves against opposition which they had cause to fear or that la sainte Ligue the holy League of late yeers in France and sure you will be ashamed to make either of those your pattern But as for the example of Gods people in other Nations you instance in the Covenants that Moses made and Ioshuah Iehoida Iosiah Nehemiah c. Custome of sinning how impudent it makes men to be strange that you should not be ashamed at length to make such gulls of poor simple people to delude them with such notorious falsities and so deceive them to their destruction and as strange that the people should endure any longer to be thus perniciously abused Let any man but of the meanest understanding search where these Covenants are registred and compate any of them with this Deut. 29. 2 Chron. 15.12 2 King 11. 2 King 22. Nehem. 9. he shall easily perceive a vast difference both for the manner and the matter In those Jewish Covenants we finde the whole Nation Covenanting and not some particular Faction The Prince or supream Magistrate as Moses and Ioshua were consent and call the people to their Covenant not some of the People bandye themselves together against their Prince and others of their fellow-Subjects In these Jewish Covenants the matter was so apparantly just and good that none could question it The matter of this Covenant seems so unjust to many and is of it self so dubious and suspicious that most men must be pressed and urged to it and threatned for refusall when indeed a Vow or Covenant should be voluntary To conclude as it may be collected from those places this is the sum and substance of the Covenants the Jewes made with God viz To be the Lords people to have nothing to do with Baal to abhor the Idolatry of the Nations to walk after the Lord and to keep his Statutes and his Iudgements with all their heart c. If this were the substance of this Covenant now enjoyned he were not worthy to live upon the earth that would refuse it It appears therefore sufficiently to every considering man how little reason there is from any of these motives to induce us to enter into this League or Covenant So from the Preface to that which you call the substance of this Covenant The first branch of the first Article whereof is this we shall endeavour in our severall places the preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government This you said was no more then desiring the good of Gods Church according to that Psal 122.7 8. And if that be all may they long enjoy it we shall pray for the peace of Jerusalem in generall in speciall for them they are our Brethren and Neighbours we wish them prosperity and shall seek to procure their welfare But we would fain be resolved of this Whether or no when we vow the preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland as it is now established for Discipline and Governmens we do not binde our selves by Oath to preserve unalterably that which is alterable of it self and may be altered upon occasion if the necessity of the Church requires seeing it is held by all the soundest and most learned That forms of Discipline and Government may be altered at least in many things that appertain unto them and we finde by experience daily that some Lawes and Orders which were good at first afterwards do grow inconvenient The next branch in that first Article is The Reformation of Religion in England and Ireland In our Protestation we vowed to maintain defend the Doctrine of the Church of England now we swear to reform that Doctrine surely this is somewhat preposterous first we should have reformed it then after we knew what it was maintain and defend it This for ought we see is no better then the taking of Gods name in vain 1 we swear to maintain the true reformed Protestant Religion which might well seem a strange expression we used to know is by the name of Protestant which doth implie Reformed but it seems it is not enough Protestant till it be again Reformed and then it must be truly Reformed before it can come to the power and purity Then we must swear to reform it though which
way it must be done or how far this reformation must proceed we know not Then if this Reformation please not unconstant heads there must be another League for Reformation This is plainly to swear to we know not or care not what The Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government Here 's all out of frame it seems nothing right yet there is nothing in the Doctrine of our Church expressed in the 39. Articles and Homilies but all consonant to the harmony of the Confessions of other Churches The greatest Corruption in Doctrine that is amongst us is in that point of Obedience to the Prince as they shall finde who read the Homilies against Rebellion and Disobedience And for Discipline and Government what is amisse therein hath rather proceeded from the fault of these that exercise it then from the Discipline it self But you cry out and say It must be no longer dissembled A great many things there are to be reformed A great deal of Superstition to be cast out Defects in the Liturgy in the Government Sir it is not fair to bring a generall Defamation when you have no speciall charge We wonder you have sate thus long and framed no Articles of impeachment against the Liturgy that the world may see how true this Accusationis But the Liturgy is used just as the Ministers are accused silenced sequestred yet never called nor heard to speak in their own defence Certainly this could not but be we know not whether advantagious to the Cause or not yet a means of more satisfaction to the minds of men if you had expressed what particulars you except against in our Discipline and Worship For though we daily hear our Liturgy cryed down as Popish our Ceremonies as Superstitious raggs of Antichrist c. yet it is by such as we have little cause to resigne our understandings to unlesse we could see their mindes more calm from passion For while we behold them boyling to such uncharitablenesse their discourse must needs be frothy and their brains as empty of sound judgement as their tongues are full of bitternesse We cannot but think them to be led with a blinde zeal when they call light darknesse and know not to distinguish betwixt gold and drosse The Letany they say is conjuring because we pray to be heard by Christs Nativity and Circumcision by his precious death c. a childish cavill and the Buriall Popish because there is no Scripture from one end to the other that prayers were said at Burials It may be your self is convinced with some such powerfull argument for we hear you neglect the form appointed which if it be so we may well be affraid to entrust the reforming of our Religion into such weak hands though you are vouchsafed the titles of Godly and Learned According to the examples of the best reformed Churches And who shall judge which are the best reformed what hinders that this Church should not be as well reformed as any unlesse because it seems not to be so far removed from some Ceremonies used in Popery we know that vertue consists not in the furthest distance from one extream but in a prudent mediocrity between both so that Church is best reformed that keeps a distance in her Worship as well from Irreverence and Profanesse as Superstition The wise Reformers of this Church had an eye to this It was their principall care to abandon Popish Superstitions yet so as by decent orders established to procure a reverent respect unto Gods service The last branch of this Article is To endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and uniformity of Religion confession of Faith form of Church-government c. That we and our posterity may as brethren live together in Faith and Love We are glad to hear any thing of Love which is grown so much a stranger that we had thought the very name of it had been quite buried in forgetfulnesse God onely is he that can unmask the heart if men dissemble But let the world judge how little you seek this in earnest when you have blown up such sparks of dissension as have set these Kingdoms in a combustion and rent in pieces Cities Villages Families and are these the works of those that endeavour to live in love But Sir is it not possible to retain Christian love and unity in the difference of Rites and Customs and outward accidentall forms of Worship and Government Calvin respons ad Versipellem Mediat Did not the Eastern and Western Churches retain Communion notwithstanding the Difference about observing Lent and Easter Hear him whose judgement we doubt not you much approve and that is Master Calvin As concerning rites in particular Augustin Ep ad Cassula saith he let the sentence of Augustine take place who leaves it free unto all Churches to retain their own Customes yea sometimes it profiteth and is expedient that there should be a difference lest men should think that Religion it tyed to outward Ceremonies Possble therefore perchance you will grant it is but not so easie Well then it will the more commend our Christian dispositions that we can retain true brotherly love where it is hard to be retained To conclude we wonder how those men dare speak of Love who have raised and fomented the most unnaturall division that ever was or how their hearts can be affected at all with Christian Charity who think the abolishing or changing of those things they contend for in this Reformation worth so much Christian blood-shed besides the ruining of the happinesse of the Kingdom and endangering the very substance of Religion The second Article That we shall in like manner endeavour the extirpation of Popery The most warrantable course that could be taken for this end the Kings Majesty to whom this care belongs in chief was pleased long since to commend to the two Houses that is That the Children of Papists might be brought up in the Protestant Religion and why was it not then accepted But if this extirpation must be by murthering or banishing all of that Religion depriving them of their Estates and goods in which by the law of God and man they have Propriety we doubt whether it may be done without manifest breach of the sixth and eighth Commandements Now we must swear That we will extirpate them yet the manner how it must be done is not exprest Prelacy that is Church-Government by Archbishops Bishops Deans and Chapters c. Here Prelacy is set between Popery and Superstition and so it is handled in that unworthy manner that our Saviour was by the spitefull Jews when he was Crucified between two Theeves that so he might be thought as notorious a Malefactour as those were with whom he suffered Now this question may well arise from hence How those men your self as we suppose and others who have taken Sacred Orders shall be dispensed withall for their Oathes of