power nay what is there said further He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God nay he that so doth shall receive damnation What will you say and how will you answer it before the Lord at the last day and how can you answer Conscience at present when it gripes you with it what can I say why I should not receive damnation if I continue still in this condition especially when you think you made use of it to make others troublesome and may not that text be applied to you Ezek. 17.14 15.18 19. He that hath broken the Covenant shall he prosper he shall not prosper the Lord shew you in mercy how much and how often you have broken the Covenant and doe still especially you crying so as you doe against those that so doe and doe you not heare the voice within Shall I prosper I shall not I cannot it is the Lord that hath spoken it and I my selfe have applied it to others and say further surely the Kingdome hath no cause to say We blesse you in the name of the Lord or the blessing of the Lord be upon you nor to bid you good speed in this you have done wherein you have done so manie evill deeds but to follow your counsell that you give others against the Armie that so we may not be partakers with you in those evill deeds and that in Jude doth come fully upon you for you have spoken evill of dignities and have despised their dominion and therefore all that text belongeth to you and have you not run after the error of Balaam and I wish it be not for a reward and therefore persisting may you not feare you shall perish in the gaine-saying of Corah and also have not you followed and so may apply that text to your selves for have not you cried out the Parliament and Armie have taken too much upon them and is not this act of yours in gathering together so many of you is it not against the Lord while you gather together against them that are acting for the Lord and may not that text in the same sence you apply it to others be applied to your selves while you goe on in the same way and there were a considerable companie of them eminent men and famous in the Congregation and would not you be thought to be so and are not there manie of you in this and you have in some sence exceeded them for they did but speake against Moses and Aaron but you have not only spoken but written and caused it to be printed that so it might be sent all over the world and therefore consider how fitly that text Rom. 1.32 Are not you the men that have done such things that have condemned that in others that you doe your selves and therefore we cannot but thinke that you apprehend it to be a vertue and doe not you delight in them that doe as you have done and if so then aske your Consciences if you be not the men that have done things worthy of death and also that Rom. 2.13 And thinkest thou oh man that judgest and doest the same things that thou shalt escape the Judgement of God but you have done that you have judged others for as contemning powers and Magistrates and vers 2.6 11. we are sure the Judgement of God is according to truth to them that doe such things who will render to everie one according to his workes and there is no respect of persons with God except it be you that have more meanes by your parts gifts and places God will looke for more from your hands as is said of Corazin and Bethsaida in another kinde and may not that text in Ecclesiastes be applied to you because sentence against an evill worke is not executed therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe evil You have spoken largely before and no body opposed you and now you have not only spoken but written and so the world may take notice of it and is noâ— this a great evill And further I beseech you to consider if you have not mis-applyed those Texts 1 Samuel 14.4 and 1 Samuel 26.8 9. and Job 13.7 For wherein have they done wickedly for God or have not you done so and that flying Rowle you speak of may it not be more truly applyed to you then to them as hath been formerly said who have been breakers of that Solemne Oath and Covenant And although you have not done violence to the Parliament and Armie in their persons yet have you not offered violence to their names witnesse what is in Print in Mr. Prices book in answer to your Letter And have not you accused them falslie that have laid so many false things to their charge as is formerlie shewed And it were to bee desired you would be as wel content with your wages as they have bin consider if they have not gon beyond you in being so content as they have been for they have not only been content with their wages but they have been content to be without their wages which if it had been your case it is to be feared the Citie and Countrie should have heard of it by you as injustice and justlie you might have don so but where or when have you spoken for this on their behalf although it hath bin the cause of many evills as discontents discouragement in the Souldier and oppression of manie by free Quarter and so to raise up the spirits of the Countrie to hate them and despise them whom they have so much cause to esteem and honour for what they have so faithfully done in defending the Countrie and offending their enemies and if the labourer be worthie of his hire for a daies worke when he may worke without danger is not he much more that goes in danger of his life evâ—rie daie and houre in defence of his Countrie and the Cause of God especiallie and yet it seemes that you have not taken so much notice of it as you should because you have spoken no more in their behalfe and may you not fear if you persist in your way still that which is said in Numb 32.23 You have sinned your sin will find you out And whereas you say you have beene threatned if you persist in stirring up sedition among the people the Lord helpe you to consider if it be not so But whereas you say your bewayling their sins before God is accounted so it may be feared you speak against your own consciences in saying so if you speake not against conscience you speake against charity I intreat you aske conscience if you think that hee that you say threatned you did thinke that bewayling of sinne before God bee sedition But it may be in that time when you say you bewayle your sinnes before the Lord and among your bewaylings you might have some or many seditious expressions or expressions tending to Sedition And I beseech you aske conscience
be the mind of God they have done then I hope you will see that you have gone against the mind of God in what ye have done in this your accusation of them and that you have cause to be humble and give what satisfaction you can although I feare you cannot hardly be able to give satisfaction to the full And therefore it will not be amisse to consider what our condition was before the beginning of these troubles and what it hath been since You may remember before these troubles began there were many sore burthenâ— which lay upon the hearts of the honest party in the Kingdome which I suppose many of you if not all were sensible of I am sure if you were not some were so sensible of them that they chose rather to forsake their dear native Country and hazzard themselves in a wildernesse among wild-men and wild-beasts and many other sadde hazzards to themselves and families to be at freedome from them and injoy their liberties to honour God in his own wayes rather then to indure those burdens for they saw and you might see also that the whole law of God was violated in ahigh degree which stands in our duty toward God in knowing and worshiping of him in a right manner according to his Word and in our duty we owe to men with whom we have to deal which in sum is that our Saviour tels us is the fulfilling of the whole law and in these are the priviledges of all those that fear God that they may injoy both these as God doth require and you being hindred in both these your burdens were insufferable but we had no remedy but your only hope under God lay in a Parliament to helpe to right us and releive us in this condition and therefore our desires were earnest for a Parliament which through many difficulties the Lord was pleased to grant us and then you thought you had a power to countervaile that power which before did oppresse you which made you conceive by this means you might be set at liberty from your fore named burthens and procure a freedome in both to act for the glory of God but when it came to the pinch you know what was done by that power which did hold you in bondage what plotting and contriving there was against that power which should act for your liberty as hath appeared by many Declarations of Pâ—â—liament that they were such as tended to bring in Popery and Tyranny And it doth appeare further by their late Declaration of the 18 of January last where it appeares they sought unto the King by making their complaints to him by humble Petitions and Remonstrances and Declarations but all in vaine and the obstruction did continually flow from the Kings immediate designe which did appeare in what he did offer to the English Army and also to the Scots as to give them the four Northern Counties and the plunder of the City of London as appears in the sixth page of the fore named Declaration And further it appeares in that he did in Ireland as there it appears And further his withdrawing from the Parliament and setting up his Standard against it and then they being in such a condition they were fain to raise an Army and then seeing in what manner they were opposed and fearing the people might be drawn aside they did enter into a Covenant themselves and caused the people so to do that by this they might have a strong tye upon them to bind them to do that they were in duty bound to do which was to hold for the glory of God to maintain that in the Priviledges of the Parliam whereby the Law of God might be preserved which caused the most part of the godly people in the Kingdom to be willing to enter into that Covenant and I hope it was that you aimed at in perswading and stirring up the people so to do and therefore the Covenant was taken to that end and must be so taken if lawfully taken according to the rule which we must sweare in Truth in Righteousnesse and Judgement and therefore there must not be a Covenant that any part thereof should crosse that end so as the King and his party must be preserved to that end and no further and the Priviledges of Parliament and the liberties of the Kingdome must be preserved for that end and no further for all must stoop to that maine end the glory of God because therein consists all our Priviledges and peace and what ever else is good So as if the King or Parliament in part or in whole or any other person or persons whatsoever will go contrary to that end the Covenant binds to take them to be enemies to God and the peace and Priviledges of Parliament and Kingdome For it may be said as sometime Jehu said to Jehoram what peace can there be c. So we may say what peace can there be so long as Idolatry or oppression remaines or is sought to remaine in the Kingdome And the Covenant does bind all that have taken it to do their utmost to bring all such to tryall that they may receive condigne punishment and that with their lives and estates and not only so but they must aide and assist all those that doe take and bring any such to tryal to receive such condigne punishment as shall be according to their deserts And therefore if the King will go contrary to that forenamed end the glory of God wherein stands the Priviledges of Parliament and the peace and liberties of the Kingdome he must be brought forth or if any in Parliament will do so they must be brought forth or any other person whatsoever for there is none excepted in the Covenant And therfore you preached curse you Meroze because he came not out to helpe the Lord against the mighty and therefore your aime was against them principally aske conscience if it were not them for who could have carried on that designe but those and you did well so to do and to minde the people of their Covenant And however then your breadth of charity was such as you might think the King was led by evill Counsell at those times and therefore you might thinke to preserve his person if it could and might appeare it was so really but however you were resolved to go on in acting for the glory of God therein for the peace and liberties of the Kingdoms to free them from their former burthens and therefore he being among them if he would continue among them they must go out as well against him as against any other and he might fal by a bullet or a sword as well as any other nay there was more cause to go against him then against any one man because he was the only man able to carry on such a designe by his Authority And for the Parliament because you saw nothing but that they did act for those ends you did incourage people
to go fight for them and their party against the King and his party which did oppose those ends But afterward you might see apparently that it was not from his evill Councell alone but it was from himselfe which did appear by his refusal to hearken to those many Petitions Declarations Remonstrances and other proffers made unto him from time to time Nay when his evill Councell was taken away he came not to his Parliament but did flye to the Scots Nay when he was in Prison and after notwithstanding they did condescend to a Treaty upon tearmes of disadvantage yet he held still to his principles which had they yeelded unto they had not onely lost the Cause for which so much blood and treasure yea innocent blood of Saints was shed and that in abundance but in all liklyhood they had brought themselves and the Kingdoms into a greater and worser bondage then before And besides they had broken their Covenant in so doing And afterwards when it did appeare that many in Parliament did act so as was against your fore-named ends and did side in yeelding to the King and his party then the Army was bound if it were in their power and so all that had taken the Coven went are likewise bound so far as their power did reach to apprehend them and bring them to their tryal that they might receive condigne punishment and that by their Covenant So as if it appeare that the Parliament still sitting the Army and godly party of the Kingdom did desire and act no other ways then fâ—r the glory of God in the Priviledges of Parliament and liberties of the Kingdome and in discharge of their Covenant then they are so farre from deserving blame for what they have done as they deserve incouragement and commendations for what they have done And that they have so done may be seen and judged the better we will set down the Covenant at large which is as followeth I. THat you shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God in your severall places and callings endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdome 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 uniformity in Religion and Confession of Faith Forme of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechising that we and the 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 endeavor the extirpation of Popery and Prelacy that is Church Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deanes Deanes and Chapters Arch Deacons and al other inferiour Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godâ—inesse least we be partakers of other mens sins and in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his name one in the three Kingdomes III. We shall with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our severall vocations indeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament and the Liberties of the Kingdome And to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and Authority in the preservation of the true Religion and the liberties of the Kingdome that the World may bear witnesse with our consciences of our true Loyalty and that wee have no thoughts nor intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and Greatnesse IIII. We shal with al faithfulnesse endeavor the discovery of all such as have bin or shal be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindering the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdomes from another or making any parties for faction among the People contrary to this League and Covenant that they may bee brought to publicke tryall and receive condigne punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the Supreame Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power for that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happines of a blessed peace between these Kingdoms denied in former times to our Progenitours is by the good Providence of God granted to us and hath been lately concluded and settled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest endeavour that they may remaine conjoyned in a firme peace and union to all posterity and that justice may be done upon the wilfull opposers thereof in manner expressed in the former Article VI. We shall according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and peace of the Kingdomes assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuance thereof and shal not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by what ever combination perswasion or terror to be divided from this blessed union and conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God and the good of these Kingdomes and honor of the King but shall all the daies of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all lets and impediments whatsoever and what we are not able of our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveale and make knowne that it may be timely removed or prevented All which we do as in the sight of God Thus you have the Covenant at large that nothing may be hid but it may appeare to the Readers view now let us come to consider what may be the true meaning of it as might be in the minds of all that understand the nature of a Covenant that tooke it for every such person I suppose will observe the rule set downe by the Lord which is Thou shall sweare in truth righteousnesse and judgement and according to that let us looke seriously at the meaning of it and so much the rather because many that I suppose doe really seeke the good of the Kingdome are much stumbled about it fearing it is broken by those that have beene the most eminent Actors for the Kingdomes good and partly because those who should bee Incouragers of them that have so acted whose word goes far cry out against for the breach of Covenant and make it one of their strong holds 1. In the first branch first there is a promise and ingagement to maintaine the Scots in that Reformation in Religion in Doctrine Worship and Discipline Govâ—rnment which is exercised and practised among them