Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A38366
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England and Scotlands covenant with their God in viz, the protestation, the vow, and covenant, and an ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament for the taking the same / ordered by the Commons in Parliament that these covenants and ordinances bey forthwith printed and published.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing E2931; ESTC R23870
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17,390
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60
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and withstanding the same they have thought fit That all who are true hearted and lovers of their Countrey should binde themselves each to other in a sacred Vow and Covenant in manner and form as followeth and accordingly I A. B. in humility and reverence of the Divine Majesty declare my hearty sorrow for my own sins and the sins of this Nation which have deserved the Calamities and Iudgements that now lie upon it And my true intention is by Gods grace to endeavor the amendment of my own wayes And that I do abhor and detest the said wicked and treacherous Design lately discovered And that I never gave nor will give my assent to the execution thereof but will according to my power and Vocation oppose and resist the same and all other of the like nature And in case any other like Design shall hereafter come to my knowledge I will make such timely discovery as I shall conceive may best conduce to the preventing thereof And whereas I do in my conscience beleeve That the Forces Raised by the two Houses of Parliament are raised and continued for their just Defence and for the Defence of the true Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subject against the Forces raised by the King I do here in the presence of Almighty God Declare Vow and Covenant That I will according to my power and vocation assist the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by the King without their consent and will likewise assist all other persons that shall take this Oath in what they shall do in pursuance thereof And will not directly or indirectly adhere unto nor shall willingly assist the Forces raised by the King without the consent of both Houses of Parliament And this Vow and Covenant I make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as I shall answer at the great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed COme let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten Iere. 50. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Prov. 25. 5. And all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest round about 2 Chron. 15. 15. The excellent Usefulnesse of this COVENANT VNion with God Conformity to God and Vnity of the three Kingdoms are things most desireable In the first we are happy In the second holy In the third is strength peace and safety These are the kindly fruits of this Covenant and a Covenant that brings forth these how gladly should it be embraced and how willingly received They are lovely Bands that binde us to be happy holy and safe The heart of man is backsliding and a Covenant is like a hedge or wall to stop us from going back it being a good and ready answer to a tempter or tentation How shall I do this and break my Covenant Surely we have been too loose toward God having almost lost a Religion too loose in our lives and too dis-united among our selves and well it may be thought that a main end of this Rod which now lyes upon us is to beat us into this Covenant that thereby we may be knit faster to God to holinesse and each to other by this Band of Vnity Yet the taking is not the chief part of a Covenant but the keeping The benefits of a Covenant are then sure and stedfast to us when we are stedfast in the Covenant Now a main cause of unstedfastnesse in the Covenant is forgetfulnesse of it To prevent this the Covenant is presented in this form that being set up before us it may be daily seen and by seeing remembred and by remembring performed And withall let us remember this that all the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant But because no man is strong in his own strength let us seek strength of Him who is both our strength and our Redeemer that by Him we may be enabled to keep our Covenant with him that so he may delight to dwell with us to be called our God and to call us his people upon which happy condition attend Peace Prosperity and all blessings of Heaven and Earth temporall and eternall VVEE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel 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 Liherty 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 publike Testimonies we have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves 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 Solemne 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 constantly through the Grace of God indeavor in our severall places 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 nearest Conjunction and Vniformity 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 midst of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Arch