THE NATIONAL COVENANT of the Kirk of SCOTLAND And the SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT of the three KINGDOMS EDINBVRGH Printed by a Society of Stationers Anno Dom. 1660. The Nationall Covenant Or The Confession of Faith subscribed at first by the Kings Majesty and his Houshold in the year of God 1580. Thereafter by all sorts of ranks in the year 1581. By ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Counsel and Acts of the Generall Assembly Subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year 1590. by a new Ordinance of Counsel at the desire of the Generall Assembly with a generall Band for maintenance of the true Religion and the Kings person And subscribed in the year 1638. By us Noblemen Barrons Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers and Commons then undersubscribing Together with our resolution and promises for the causes after specified To maintain the said true Religion and the Kings Majesty according to the Confession foresaid and Acts of Parliament And now upon the supplication of the Generall Assembly to his Majesties high Commissioner and the Lords of his Majesties honourable Privy Counsell subscribed again in the year 1639. by Ordinance of counsel and Act of the Generall Assembly 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 confesse with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirm before God and the whole World that this only is the true Christian Faith and Religion 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 Evangell and received believed and defended by many and sundry notable Kirks and Realms but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland the Kings Majesty and the three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternall Truth and only ground of our Salvation as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith established and publikely 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 and verity grounded only upon His written Word And therefore we abhor and detest all contrary Religion and Doctrine But chiefly 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 speciall we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Romane Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Kirk the Civil Magistrate and consciences of men all his tyrannous lawes made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty His erroneous Doctrine against the sufficiency of the written Word the perfection of the Law the Office of Christ and His blessed Evangell 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 Rites Ceremonies and false Doctrine added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the Word of God His cruell judgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament His absolute necessity of Baptism His blasphemous opinion of Transubstantiation or reall presence of Christs Body in the Elements and receiving of the same by the wicked or bodies of men his dispensation with solemn Oaths Perjuries and degrees of Marriage forbidden in the Word His cruelty against the innocent divorced His devilish Masse His blasphemous Priest-hood His profane Sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the quick His Canonization of men calling upon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of Imagery Relicts 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 blasphemous Leteny and multitude of Advocates or Mediators His manifold Orders Auricular Confession His desperate and uncertain Repentance His generall and doubtsome Faith His satisfactions of men for their sins His Justifications 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 hallowing of Gods good creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith His worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchie His three solemn vowes with all his shavellings of sundry sorts His erroneous and bloudy decrees made at Trent with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruel and bloudy Band conjured against the Kirk of God And finally We detest all his vain Allegories Rites Signes and Traditions brought in 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 shall continue in the Obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives under the pains contained in the Law and danger both of Body and Soul in the day of Gods fearful judgement And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Romane Antichrist to promise swear subscribe and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Kirk deceitfully against their own consciences minding thereby first under the externall cloak of Religion to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk and afterward when time may serve to become open enemies and persecutors of the same under vain hopes of the Popes dispensation devised against the Word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Kirk Protest and call The Searcher of all hearts for witnesse that our mindes and hearts doe fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription so that We are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded only in our consciences through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietnesse and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the Kings Majesty as upon a comfortable instrument of Gods mercy granted to this Countrey for the maintaining of this Kirk and ministration of Justice amongst us we protest and promise with our hearts under the
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 shall defend the same and resist all these contrary errours 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 Kings greatnesse 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 our dread Soveraign the Kings Majesty his Person and Authority in the defence and preservation of the foresaid true Religion Liberties and Lawes 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 means and whole power against all sorts of persons whatsoever So that whatsoever shal 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 or allurement or terrour from this blessed and loyall 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 lawfull means labour to further and promove the same And if any such dangerous and divisive motion should be made to us by word or writ we and every one of us shall either suppresse it or if need be shall incontinent make the same known that it may be timously obviated Neither do we fear the foul aspersions of rebellion combinations or what else our adversaries from their craft and malice would put upon us seeing what we do is so well warranted and ariseth from an unfained desire to maintain the true worship of God the Majesty of our King and peace of the Kingdom for the common happinesse of our selves and posterity And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon our proceedings 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 others under us both in publick in our particular Familes and personal carriage to endeavour to keep our selves within the bounds of Christian liberty and to be good examples of all godlinesse sobernesse and righteousnesse 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 witnesse who knoweth this to be our sincere Desire and unfained Resolution as we shal answer to JESUS CHRIST in the great Day and under the pain of Gods everlasting wrath and of infamy and losse 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 blesse our desires and proceedings with a happy successe that Religion and Righteousnesse may flourish in the Land to the glory of God the honour of our King and peace and comfort of us all In witnesse whereof we have subscribed with our hands all the premisses The article of this Covenant which was at the first subscription referred to the determination of the General Assembly being determined And thereby the Five 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 unlawfull within this Kirk We subscribe according to the determination foresaid FINIS
same Oath hand-writ and pains that we shall defend his person and Authority with our goods bodies and lives in the defence of Christ his Evangell Liberties of our Countrey ministration of Justice and punishment of Iniquity against all enemies within this Realm or without as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and Glory eternally LIke as many Acts of Parliament not only in generall do abrogate annull and rescind all Laws Statutes Acts Constitutions Canons civil or municipal with all other Ordinances and practique penalties whatsoever made in prejudice of the true Religion and Professors thereof or of the true Kirk discipline jurisdiction and freedom thereof Or in favours of Idolatry and Superstition Or of the Papisticall Kirk As Act. 3. Act. 31. Parl. 1. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. Parl. 12. of King James the sixt That Papistry and Superstition may be utterly suppressed according to the intention of the Acts of Parliament repeated in the 5 Act. Parl. 20. King James 6. And to that end they ordain all Papists and Priests to be punished by manifold Civil and Ecclesiasticall pains as adversaries to Gods true Religion preached and by Law established within this Realme Act. 24. Parl. 11. King James 6. as common enemies to all Christian government Act. 18. Parl. 16. King James 6. as rebellers and gainstanders of our Soveraign Lords Authority Act. 47. Parl. 3. King James 6. and as Idolaters Act. 104. Parl. 7. King James 6. But also in particular by and attour the Confession of Faith do abolish and condemn the Popes Authority and Jurisdiction out of this Land and ordain the maintainers thereof to be punished Act. 2. Parl. 1. Act. 51. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 114. Parl. 12. King James 6. do condemn the Popes erroneous doctrine or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to any of the Articles of the true and Christian Religion publikely preached and by Law established in this Realm And ordain the spreaders and makers of Books or Libels or Letters or Writes of that nature to be punished Act. 46. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 24. Parl. 11. K. James 6. do condemn all Baptisme conform to the Popes Kirk and the Idolatry of the Masse and ordain all sayers willfull hearers and concealers of the Masse the maintainers and resetters of the Priests Jesuits traffiquing Papists to be punished without any exception or restriction Act. 5. Parl. 1. Act. 120. Parl. 2. Act. 164. Parl. 13. Act. 193. Parl. 14. Act. 1. Parl. 19. Act. 5. Parl. 20. K. James 6. do condemn all erroneous books and writes containing erroneous doctrine against the Religion presently professed or containing superstitious Rites and Ceremonies Papisticall whereby the people are greatly abused and ordain the home bringers of them to be punished Act. 25. Parl. 11. K. James 6. do condemn the monuments and dregs of bygane Idolatry as going to the Crosses observing the Feastival dayes of Saints and such other superstitious and Papistical Rites to the dishonour of God contempt of true Religion and fostering of great error among the people and ordain the users of them to be punished for the second fault as Idolaters Act. 104. Parl. 7. K. James 6. LIKE AS many Acts of Parliament are conceived For maintenance of Gods true and Christian Religion and the purity thereof in Doctrine and Sacraments of the true Church of God the liberty and freedome thereof in her National and Synodal Assemblies Presbyteries Sessions Policy Discipline and Jurisdiction thereof as that purity of Religion and liberty of the Church was used professed exercised preached and confessed according to the Reformation of Religion in this Realm As for instance the 99 Act. Parl. 7. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. Parl. 12. Act. 160. Parl. 13. of King James 6. ratified by the 4 Act. of King Charles So that the 6 Act. Parl. 1. and 68. Act. Parl. 6. of King James 6. in the year of God 1579. declare the Ministers of the blessed Evangel whom God of his mercy had raised up or hereafter should raise agreeing with them that then lived in Doctrine and Administration of the Sacraments and the people that professed Christ as he was then offered in the Evangel and doth communicate with the holy Sacraments as in the reformed Kirks of this Realm they were publikely administrate according to the Confession of Faith to be the true and holy Kirk of Christ Jesus within this Realm And decern and declare all and sundry who either gainsay the Word of the Evangel received and approved as the heads of the Confession of Faith professed in Parliament in the year of God 1560. specified also in the first Parliament of King James 6. and ratified in this present Parliament more particularly do specifie or that refuses the administration of the holy Sacraments as they were then ministrated to be no members of the said Kirk within this Realm and true Religion presently professed so long as they keep themselves so divided from the society of Christs Body And the subsequent Act 69. Parl. 6. of King James 6. declares that there is none other Face of Kirk nor other Face of Religion then was presently at that time by the favour of God established within this Realm which therefore is ever stiled 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 professe to subscribe the articles thereof the Confession of Faith to recant all doctrine and errours 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. Parl. 12. Act. 194. and 197. Parl. 14. of King 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 Kings Majesties 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 hinder 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 seeing the cause of Gods true Religion and his Highnesse authority are so joyned as the hurt of the one is common to both and that none shall be reputed as loyall and faithfull Subjects to our Soveraign Lord or his authority but be punishable as rebellers and gainstanders 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