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diff --git a/12381-h/12381-h.htm b/12381-h/12381-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..39f4802 --- /dev/null +++ b/12381-h/12381-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5280 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta name="generator" content= +"HTML Tidy for Windows (vers 1st March 2004), see www.w3.org"> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Auchensaugh Renovation, +by The Reformed Presbytery.</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + * { font-family: Trebuchet MS, Times, sans-serif; } + P { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + font-size: 11pt;} + A { font-size: 9pt;} + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12381 ***</div> + +<p align="center"> </p> +<h4>THE</h4> +<h2>AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION</h2> +<h6>OF THE</h6> +<h4>NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT;</h4> +<h6>WITH THE</h6> +<h3>ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES,</h3> +<h6>AS THEY WERE</h6> +<h4>RENEWED AT AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS,</h4> +<h5>JULY 24, 1712.</h5> +<h6>(COMPARED WITH THE EDITIONS OF PAISLEY, 1820, AND BELFAST, +1835.)</h6> +<h5>ALSO, THE RENOVATION OF THESE PUBLIC FEDERAL DEEDS ORDAINED AT +PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880,</h5> +<h6>BY THE</h6> +<h3>REFORMED PRESBYTERY,</h3> +<h5>WITH ACCOMMODATION OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANTS, IN BOTH +TRANSACTIONS, TO THEIR TIMES AND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY.</h5> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<p style="text-align:center;">PHILADELPHIA 1880.</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;"> +<a name="PREFACE." id="PREFACE."></a> +<h2>PREFACE.</h2> +<p>The Reformed Presbytery, at a meeting in Philadelphia, October +6th 1880, "<i>Resolved</i>, That another edition of the Auchensaugh +Deed be published," and appointed the undersigned a committee "to +attend to this business with all convenient speed."</p> +<p>This Presbytery, after forty years' experience, during which +opportunities have been afforded for examining the opinions and +practices of all parties, professing any regard for the Covenanted +Reformation, is still deeply impressed with the conviction that the +transaction at Auchensaugh 1712, is the only faithful renovation of +our Covenants, National and Solemn League. The fidelity of our +fathers in that hazardous and heroic transaction, it is believed, +has ever since been the <i>occasion</i> (not the <i>cause</i>) of +all opponents manifesting their hostility to the whole covenanted +cause, by first assaults upon that detested Bond. And that this is +the real state of the case we proceed to prove by the following +historical facts. <i>First.</i>—In connection with remodeling +the Testimony; or rather by supplanting it in 1806, the Terms of +Communion, without submitting an overture, were also changed to +harmonize with <i>Reformation Principles Exhibited</i>, by +excluding the Auchensaugh Renovation from the fourth Term, where it +had stood for nearly a century. The same party have for years +excluded from their abstract of Terms the <i>Covenants +themselves</i>. <i>Second.</i>—In Scotland this faithful +document was expunged in 1822, obviously to prepare the way for the +adoption of a <i>"New Testimony"(!)</i>, which appeared 1837-9. The +majority of the actors in that work who survive, are now in the +Free Church! <i>Third.</i>—At the time when defection was +progressing in the R.P. Synod of Scotland, the sister Synod of +Ireland strenuously resisted an attempt to remove the foresaid Bond +from its place in the Terms. The Rev. Messrs. Dick, Smith and +Houston in 1837, were faithful and successful for the time in +resisting that attempt. Mr. Houston "<i>would ever resist any +alteration</i> in respect of the Auchensaugh Bond, regarding the +objection laid against it as in reality aimed at the Covenants +themselves." Yet as a sequel to their Renovation of the Covenants +at Dervock 1853, the Auchensaugh Bond was subsequently "shown to +the porch"—removed from the Terms! <i>Fourth.</i>—At +what was called covenant-renovation at Pittsburgh 1871, we believe +no one spoke in behalf of their fathers' noble achievement in 1712. +Indeed this could not be rationally expected in a body who could +tolerate members vilifying the very Covenants which they pretended +to renew. <i>Fifth.</i>—Other parties farther removed from +the position of their reforming progenitors; but who still claim +ecclesiastical affinity with John Knox, and commonly prefix to the +symbols of their faith the historical word <i>Westminster</i>, give +very strong expression to their feelings of hostility—not to +the Auchensaugh Bond, of which probably they never heard, but to +the British Covenants expressly; yea, to the very ordinance of +public social covenanting itself. But we shall let them speak for +themselves. One Doctor of divinity is reported as saying—"I +am opposed to the whole matter of covenanting. Covenants do an +immense sight more harm than good. Those Scotch Covenanters brought +persecution upon themselves by their covenants."<a name="FNanchor1" +id="FNanchor1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1"><sup>[1]</sup></a></p> +<p>Another Dr. said, "I have always been opposed to covenanting. +One generation of God's people have no right to enter into bonds +that entail obligations upon future generations."<a name= +"FNanchor2" id="FNanchor2"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_2"><sup>[2]</sup></a> A third Dr. said, "I hold it is a +sin for men to go into the august presence of God and enter into +covenant with him. It is base presumption."<a name="FNanchor3" id= +"FNanchor3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3"><sup>[3]</sup></a> A fourth +Dr. said, "I hold that the church as an organization is not a +responsible moral agent. Neither is the nation!" These sentiments +may well excite astonishment and alarm, when proclaimed by +accredited teachers of morality and religion. +<i>Sixth.</i>—Seceders have all along their history claimed +to be the sole heirs of the Scottish covenanted inheritance. They +are not ignorant of the Auchensaugh Renovation. How they view that +transaction may be best ascertained from their own language. The +<i>Original Secession Magazine</i> for November 1880, p. 861, +speaks thus, "The distinction drawn between 'Covenanters' and +'Seceders,' we have shown to be groundless. Are Reformed +Presbyterians covenanters at all? There is not an <i>actual</i> +Covenanter among them. They renewed the Covenants after a fashion +in 1712. In our view the Covenants were not renewed, they were only +mangled," &c. These sentiments are sufficiently strong and +explicit to be intelligible. The writer's feelings evidently +interfered with judicial discrimination, while openly expressing +that hostility to the Auchensaugh Bond which is concealed by +others. The Rev. John McMillan, whom the Lord honored to take the +lead at Auchensaugh, is especially branded by this writer who +asserts,—"he did not secede and retire, he was expelled; nor +was the position of his early associates in the ministry of the +purest water." Moreover, this writer asserts "that they (Seceders) +have actually renewed the Covenants, from time to time, during the +whole period of their existence." How could this be, since Seceders +have all along rejected "the civil part of the Covenants?" But +these documents bear on their face a direct aim at personal, +domestic, ecclesiastical, and civil reformation. No party can +intelligently and honestly renew the National Covenant and Solemn +League, while eulogizing the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, while +in allegiance to the British throne—that "bloody horn of the +beast;" or whose political principles will identify them with any +other horn which may have power to scatter "Judah." Zech. i: +21.</p> +<p>We have thus attempted by an induction of particulars, as +concisely as we could, to point out existing opposition to our +Covenanted Reformation, by various parties who assail the British +Covenants directly, or by a first assault upon the Auchensaugh +Bond, would reach a fatal stroke at the Covenants themselves. We +believe with our predecessors that those who reject the Auchensaugh +Renovation, by logical necessity will relinquish the Covenants +themselves.</p> +<p>The reader may be assured that neither we nor the Reformed +Presbytery, whose committee we are, claim Papal infallibility or +Christian perfection; nor do we ask implicit faith in any +uninspired documents. But we sincerely believe ourselves that the +Auchensaugh Renovation and the Bond, to which the foregoing +statements are prefixed, will be found on examination to be sound, +faithful, and "in nothing contrary to the word of God."</p> +<table cellpadding="8" summary= +"List of the three members of the Committee: David Steele, Robert Alexander, and John Clyde"> +<tr> +<td>DAVID STEELE,<br> +ROBERT ALEXANDER,<br> +JOHN CLYDE.</td> +<td style="border-left: 1px solid black"><i>Committee</i></td> +</tr> +</table> +<p>FOOTNOTES:</p> +<p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor1">[1]</a></p> +<blockquote>This gentleman does not seem to know that infidels use +similar argument against Christianity. Or, did he never +read—"I came not to send peace on the earth, but a sword." +His logic also is as faulty as his theology—<i>non causa pro +causa</i>.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor2">[2]</a></p> +<blockquote>On what principle does this minister dispense the +ordinance of baptism to subjects in their minority? Is baptism a +mere ceremony, involving no obligation upon the children of +believers? Gen. xvii: 14.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor3">[3]</a></p> +<blockquote>No <i>presumption</i>, when graciously invited to do +so. Is. lvi: 4, 6, 11. This teaching tends to the subversion of +social order—the moral order of the universe. 2 Pet. ii: +10.</blockquote> +<hr style="width: 65%;"> +<a name="THE_AUCHENSAUGH_RENOVATION." id= +"THE_AUCHENSAUGH_RENOVATION."></a> +<h2>THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION.</h2> +<p>THE NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, WITH THE +ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES: AS THEY WERE +RENEWED AT AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS, 24th JULY, 1712, WITH +ACCOMMODATION TO THE (THEN) PRESENT TIMES.</p> +<p>PSALM lxxvi: 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God.</p> +<p>ISAIAH xxiv: 5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants +thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, changed the +ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.</p> +<p>EZEK. xvii: 18. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the +covenant (when, lo, he had given his hand), and hath done all these +<i>things</i>, he shall not escape.</p> +<p>2 TIM. iii: 3. Truce-breakers—or Covenant-breakers.</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;"> +<a name="HISTORICAL_INTRODUCTION." id= +"HISTORICAL_INTRODUCTION."></a> +<h4>HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.</h4> +<p>It is the ineffable product of eternal love, and infinite +condescension in God toward his rational creatures, that ever he +was pleased to make a covenant with them, and not to command and +require obedience to his holy and just will, by virtue of his most +absolute supremacy and rightful dominion only; but even to superadd +sweet and precious promises, as a reward of that obedience, which +he might of right have required, without giving any such +incitements or pursuasives to it. And as no tongue of men or angels +is sufficient to express, no strength of imagination to conceive, +no sublimity of intellectual faculties to comprehend the depth of +that spring, and breadth of that ocean of unbounded love, which +hath exerted itself in God's covenanting with man; yea, with sinful +man, by means of a Mediator: so shall it always afford matter of +wonder and admiration to all finite and intelligent beings, to the +ages of eternity, and shall never be comprehended by any, but by +him whose understanding is infinite; wherefore He, who is +all-sufficient and self-sufficient, should invite, yea, press and +entreat unworthy indigent nothings, the sinful children of men to +such an incomparable degree of honor, dignity and advancement, as +that is, to enter into a covenant relation, and come into a solemn +treaty of peace and conjunction with Him, who is infinitely removed +beyond all blessing and all praise. To have this invitation, is +indeed the honor and privilege of all within the visible church, to +whose ears the joyful sound of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ +hath come; but few are so wise as to accept and approve it. Many, +too many, account themselves unworthy of this honor, and by +despising this privilege, and rejecting this dignity, deprive +themselves of the greatest happiness; but as all nations, upon whom +the day-star of the gospel hath arisen, have had the invitation to +this duty, and all sound and real believers have actually +participated of this honor, to have God making a covenant with +them, and they striking hands with Him through a Mediator (which +covenant is commonly termed the <i>Covenant of Grace</i>,) so these +three kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland conjunctly, and +Scotland by itself, as an independent nation, had in an eminent way +and manner the honor, above most nations in the world, to dedicate +and surrender themselves to the Lord, by a most voluntary, free and +deliberate choice, and to come under the bond of a most solemn +oath, in a most religious manner, devoting their all to Christ, his +interest and honor, the flourishing and thriving of his kingdom, +the success of his gospel, and reformation of his churches; and +openly avouching him for their Lord and Master, to the honor of his +name, and confusion of his enemies; which <i>Covenants National</i> +and <i>Solemn League</i>, though we look not upon them to be the +same with the covenant of grace, yet we conceive of them as a +solemn superadded and new obligation, tying us to all the duties, +as well of a particular Christian conversation, as these which tend +to the public and national advancement of reformation in religion, +whereof the covenant of grace is the spring and foundation.</p> +<p>These covenants, as they were the effects and consequents of +many remarkable and signal expressions of divine love and goodness, +many singular mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to these nations, +as the return of many earnest prayers and wrestlings of the Lord's +people with him; so they were the occasions of many blessings, and +great indications of God's favor and loving-kindness. Then the Lord +delighted to dwell in the nations; then did he beautify the place +of his sanctuary; then did he fill his people's hearts with joy and +gladness, by the familiar intimations of his special love and down +pourings of his Spirit's gracious influences, as our land can +afford many instances. Then did he enlarge his people's affections, +and animate their spirits with zeal and courage, attended with +knowledge, prudence and discretion to act for him, and advance his +kingdom. Then did he illustrate his churches in these kingdoms, as +bright and sparkling stars arising out of the thick clouds of +antichristian darkness, and getting out from under Prelatic and +Erastian yokes of bondage and slavery, and made them go forth as +the meridian sun glorious and excellent; <i>terrible as an army +with banners</i>. Hence it came to pass that these nations sent out +a savory report to all the neighboring reformed churches, a report +which comforted, revived, strengthened, animated and encouraged all +the true and loyal subjects of Christ's kingdom; which struck +terror and amazement to the hearts of his enemies; which shook and +caused to tremble the pillars of Antichrist's kingdom, and +disquieted the very foundations of the <i>seat of that beast</i>; +which made malignants at home and abroad to be ashamed and +confounded, and even forced the haters of the Lord to <i>feign +submission to him</i>. Numberless were the advantages and +privileges which did redound to these nations by, and were the +lovely attendants and sweet consequents of, these covenants; +whereby God did set to his seal of approbation, and gave clear +evidence and demonstration of his acceptance of his people's +cheerful and willing adventures in this duty of covenanting with +him: and as these blessings and mercies, which, as the dew of +Hermon, were distilled upon his people's heads and hearts, while +they abode steadfast with him, and faithful in his covenant were so +many irrefragable proofs of his acquiescence in their first and +laudable undertakings; so the many sad and fearful plagues, +distractions, confusions and miseries, which have attended and +followed the many gross breaches and violations of these covenants +and departures from God, are no less evident discoveries, +undeniable signs and pregnant convictions of the Lord's most just +displeasure and indignation with the bypast and present courses of +revolting and backsliding from him; which courses of declension and +grievous apostatizing from God and his covenant, all the three +kingdoms and in special this nation, and every individual therein +capable of such a work, are, without all controversy, called to +bewail and confess before God, and by speedy amendment to turn from +them, in order to avert judgments, and turn away justly impendent +wrath and long threatened strokes.</p> +<p>The consideration of these blessings and benefits, on the one +hand, which followed the zealous entering into, and sincere +performing of these sacred oaths; and upon the other hand the sense +we desire to retain of the plagues and curses, threatened by God in +his word against covenant-breaking inflicted upon covenant-breakers +in former ages, and foreign nations, and visibly impending upon us +in these nations, for our perfidious dealing in God's covenant; +hath moved us a <i>poor insignificant handful of people</i>, +unworthy indeed to be called the posterity of our zealous reforming +ancestors, though heartily desirous to be found adhering to the +same standard of doctrine, worship, discipline and government to +which they adhered, to attempt this solemn and weighty duty of +renewing (in our capacities and stations) these covenant +obligations, that we might at least give some discovery of our +respect to the cause of God, for the advancement and preservation +whereof these covenants were first entered into, and afterwards +again and again renewed by our religious progenitors, and by the +whole representative body of the three kingdoms, who had any zeal +for the interest of religion. And that we might, for our parts, be +in some measure instrumental to transmit a testimony for the work +of God in our land to the succeeding generation. Neither do we +want, besides these general motives, some special inducements to +this undertaking. As 1. Because these national covenants, having +been nationally broken, and their funeral piles erected by wicked +and perfidious rulers in the capital cities of the kingdom, with +all imaginable ignominy and contempt, have long lien buried and +(almost) quite forgotten under these ashes; most people either +hating the very name and remembrance of them, or at least being +ashamed honorably to avouch their adherence to them, and afraid to +endeavor a vigorous and constant prosecution of the duties +contained in them: So that it is high time that every one should do +his utmost towards a reviving of them. 2. Because many openly +declare their sorrow and grief that ever these covenants should +have been entered into: malignants calling them a conspiracy, +attributing every miscarriage of the persons engaged in them to the +covenants themselves as their native effects; and others, who would +take it ill to be called malignants, making them the causes of all +the tyranny, rapine, bloodshed and persecution of the late reigns, +as having raised the spleen of the enemies of religion, and +accounting it safer that they should lie still in their graves, +than that they should irritate malignants any more by their +resurrection.<a name="FNanchor4" id="FNanchor4"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_4"><sup>[4]</sup></a> Therefore we judge it our duty to +renew them, that we might evidence, that notwithstanding all these +malicious calumnies and false consequences cast upon them, we are +still of the same judgment with our reformers, that they are the +most sovereign means, under the blessing of God, for the reviving +and preserving the work of God in the land. 3. Because of the +courses that are carried on in direct opposition to these +covenants; the nations, formerly cemented in peace and love in +conjunction with truth and righteousness, having broken these +bonds, and united themselves upon another footing, by the late +sinful incorporating union: and imposing new oaths in opposition to +the covenant; such as abjuration, &c. granting license, +protection and toleration to all the evils abjured in the covenant; +as heresies and errors in doctrine, superstition in worship, +Prelacy and Erastianism in government, and overthrowing all good +discipline. 4. Because of our own sinful miscarriages in, and woful +declinings from our covenanted duties, our proneness to break +covenant with God, and to be indifferent, lax, negligent and +unsteadfast in the cause and work of God, and to be led away with +the error of the wicked, and to fall from our steadfastness; +wherefore we thought it necessary to bind ourselves by a new tie to +the Lord, and one to another in a zealous prosecution of covenanted +duties, that the covenant might be as a hedge to keep us from +running out into the paths of destroyers. 5. We being sincerely +desirous and having an earnest longing to celebrate the sacred +ordinance of the Lord's Supper, whereof many had unjustly called us +despisers and contemners, and finding it to have been the laudable +practice of the church of Scotland formerly, that all such as were +admitted to that holy table should swear and subscribe the covenant +before their coming thereunto; we judged it a fit preparation for +our receiving a sacramental confirmation of God's covenanted love +and favor to us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that we should +avouch Him for our God, and testify our adherence to His cause and +truth, by our renewing our national covenants with Him.</p> +<p>Upon these and the like weighty considerations we resolved to +set about this solemn and tremendous duty; and being assured that +we have no sufficiency in ourselves for any such undertaking, after +frequently imploring the Lord for light and direction, strength and +assistance, and seeking for ourselves a right way in the +performance of the duty, upon days of humiliation, both in our +private societies and publicly in the fields, we did condescend +upon the following <i>acknowledgment of sins</i>, the more to +enable us to remember our own and the land's breaches of covenant, +in our solemn public confession thereof; and did draw up the +following <i>engagement to duties</i>, not to superadd any new oath +and obligation to the covenants, but only to adjust the articles of +the covenant to the circumstances of the time, and to explain in +what sense the covenant binds us against the present evils that are +now prevalent in the land, and to the contrary duties. As for the +covenants themselves, we made no material alteration in them, as +judging it a work more proper for an assembly of divines, or +representative body of church and state (had they been upright and +faithful in this cause) than for us, who, as we are called by +others in contempt, must own ourselves in truth to be, <i>but a +handful of weak and most illiterate people</i>, and but as babes in +comparison of the first framers of our covenants; only that we +might make them in some measure accomodable to the present +lamentable circumstances, whereinto we are involved by our +iniquities, we have annotated some few necessary alterations upon +the margin, wherein the judicious will find that we have in nothing +receded from the scope and substance of the covenant, but only in +the phrase; for instance, where the covenant binds to <i>the +defence and preservation of the king's majesty and government</i>, +in regard we have no king nor supreme civil magistrate so +qualified, as God's law and the laudable laws of this realm +require, to whom we might, for conscience sake, subject ourselves, +in a consistency with our defending the true reformed religion in +all its parts and privileges: Therefore, we can only bind ourselves +to <i>defend and preserve the honor, authority and majesty of +lawful sovereigns, or supreme magistrates, having the +qualifications aforesaid, when God shall be pleased to grant them +to us</i>. Where no judicious person will say that there is any +substantial alteration as to the <i>matter of the duty</i>, but +only as to the object to whom the duty is to be performed; there +being none such in being as can justly claim, or to whom we may +with a good conscience pay such an allegiance.</p> +<p>Having mutually agreed concerning these prerequisites to this +sacred action, that the same might be orderly gone about, and might +not be performed in a clandestine way, so as to preclude any +upright-hearted friends to the covenanted reformation from joining +with us in that so necessary a duty, there was public intimation +made of the design a competent space of time before, upon a day of +humiliation, and likewise upon the Lord's day immediately preceding +the work.</p> +<p>As for the particular way and manner, method and circumstances +of the work, we had not given any narrative of them; but that some, +who came with an evil eye, to spy out our liberty, for criticizing, +not for joining or profiting, have in part misrepresented the same, +and may further do so; therefore, to obviate all such misreports, +we have thought fit to make this brief relation thereof.</p> +<p>Upon Wednesday, July 23d, those who had the work in design being +met together, the minister began the day's work with prayer for +special assistance to attain due preparation, and a suitable frame, +throughout the whole solemnity: and thereafter had a prefatory +discourse to the people, showing the nature of the work in general, +its lawfulness, expediency, and necessity, from scripture +precedents and approven examples of the people of God, adducing the +9th chapter of Ezra, Neh. Ezek. Dan. and Neh. x. 28, 29, for proof +thereof; and of the day in particular, that it was a day of fasting +and supplication, with preaching of the word, in order to +preparation for the solemnities intended, both of renewing the +covenants and celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's, Supper. +After which a part of the lxxviii. Psalm, from the 5th to the 12th +verse being sung, Mr. John M'Neil, preacher of the gospel, had a +sermon upon Jer. 1. 4, and 5. "In those days, and in that time, +saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the +children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and +seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their +faces thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the +Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." From +which text he raised and prosecuted largely, and particularly the +two following observations, as most pertinent for the work of the +day; the first implicitly supposed, the other more explicitly +asserted in the words; viz. 1. That, <i>a people in covenant with +God may be forgetful of and deal falsely in their covenant</i>; or +that <i>covenant-takers may be covenant-breakers</i>. 2. That, +<i>it is the duty of a people who have broken covenant with God to +engage themselves again to the Lord by the renovation of their +covenant</i>. Where in prosecuting the former, he showed by what +gradual steps of declension a people usually come to deal falsely +in God's covenant, such as, (1.) By forgetfulness, Deut. iv. 23. +There being a connexion between forgetting and forsaking, or +dealing falsely in God's covenant, so the church intimates, Psal. +xliv. 17, 18. "All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten +thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant; our heart is +not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way." And +the returning remnant of Israel being sensible of this connexion, +resolve to bind themselves to the Lord <i>in a perpetual covenant +that may not be forgotten</i>. (2.) By seeking shifts and arguments +to elude and evade the obligation of the covenant and to defend the +breaches thereof; which is after vows to make inquiry. (3.) By +despising the bond of it; Ezek. xvi. 59. "Which hast despised the +oath in breaking the covenant." (4.) By defection to the iniquities +which are sworn and engaged against in the covenant, Jer. xi. 10. +"They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which +refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve +them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my +covenant, which I made with their fathers." (5.) By changing the +government, laws, and ordinances sworn to be maintained in the +covenant; either the government of the state, without consulting +divine direction, and due inspection into the qualification of the +persons set up, Hos. viii., compare the 1st and 4th verses. "They +have transgressed my covenant, &c. They have set up kings, but +not by me, princes and I knew it not;" that is, without consulting +me to know my will, and without my approbation and consent; or the +government of the church, without regard to the revealed will of +God. Thus, Abijah justly chargeth Jeroboam that he had "cast out +the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites," and +that he had "made priests after the manner of the nations of other +lands;" but encourages himself that he and Judah had the Lord for +their God, because they had not forsaken him; "and the priests +which ministered unto the Lord were the sons of Aaron." 2 Chron. +xiii. 6, 10. (6.) By an entire forsaking and disowning the +obligation of the covenant, Dan. xi. 30. "He------ shall have +intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." (7.) By a +stated opposition to the covenant, and persecuting of these who +adhere thereunto. Thus Elijah justly charges Israel, 1 Kings xix. +10, that they had forsaken God's covenant, because they had thrown +down his altars, slain his prophets, and sought after Elijah's +life. And in a use of lamentation deduced from the foresaid +doctrine, he showed, that all ranks in the land had reason to mourn +over their breach of covenant, in regard that some of all ranks, +from the throne to the dunghill, in church and state, are, or have +been guilty of dealing falsely in God's covenant, in all and every +one of these diverse ways, and of declining from it: and in regard +that there has been so much ignominy and contempt cast upon these +sacred covenants, not only by breaking them openly, but also +avowedly disowning and disdaining their obligation, and making the +adherence to them criminal; and, which is above all, burning them +by the hand of the hangman, and burying them so long in +forgetfulness. This guiltiness he applied not to great persons +only, but also to professors, to ministers, and particularly to +ourselves, who are called dissenters from the present +establishment; pressing upon us no less than others, the absolute +and indispensable necessity of being convinced of, and mourning +over these, not as the sins of others only, but also as our +own—we having a chief hand in the trespass; pressing upon all +present concerned in the work the duty of self-examination, and +putting themselves to the trial, concerning their knowledge of the +covenant obligations, both as to their nature and extent, as well +as their sense of the breaches of these obligations.</p> +<p>In the second head of doctrine, viz., <i>That it is the duty of +a people who have broken covenant with God, to engage themselves +again to him by renovation of their covenant</i>; after proving the +proposition by several heads of arguments deduced—1st, From +the lawfulness of entering into covenant with God, whether +personal, as Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 20, 21, or economical, as Joshua +and his family, Josh. xxiv. 15, or national, as God brought his +people Israel under a covenant with himself, Exod. xix 5. The +consequence holding undeniably, that if it be lawful and necessary, +in any of these respects, to enter into covenant with God, it must +needs be also lawful and a duty to renew the same after the breach +thereof. 2dly, From Scripture precedents of the people of God, who, +after breaking off and declining from God's covenant, renewed the +same. As for instance, the covenant made with Israel at Horeb, was +renewed at the plains of Moab, Deut. xxxix;—by Joshua, chap, +xxiv.;—by Asa, 2 Chron. xv. 13, 14;—by Jehoiada, 2 +Kings xi. 17;—by Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxix. 10;—by +Josiah, 2 Kings, xxiii. 2;—by Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra, x. +3;—Neh. ix ult. and x. 28, 29. 3dly, From Scripture precepts, +Deut. xxix. 1—"These are the words of the covenant which the +Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the +land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in +Horeb." Psalm, lxxvi. 11—"Vow, and pay unto the Lord your +God." 4thly, From Scripture promises, wherein the Lord promiseth as +a blessing and mercy to his church and people, that they should +renew their covenant with him, Isaiah xix. 21, 23—25; Zech. +ii. 11. For further opening of the proposition, these two questions +were proposed and solved—<i>First</i>, Whether all persons +who have broken covenant with God may be admitted to renew the +same? <i>Answer</i>, All sorts of persons in the three kingdoms are +under the obligation of the covenant, and consequently, bound to +renew and keep it inviolable; but all are not in present capacity, +and therefore have no actual right to enter into covenant: such as +are obstinately wicked, living in error, profanity, or malignancy, +have not God's call and right from him, as such, to renew a +covenant with him; for, Psal. 1. 16, 17—"God says to the +wicked, What hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth?" But +all such as are reformed, or reforming from all iniquity, and +namely from the defections and compliances of the time; who have +some suitable sense of the breaches, and competent knowledge and +understanding of the duties engaged unto in the covenant, Neh. x. +28, have a right and an immediate call to the duty of renewing the +covenant. 2dly, If any number of people may renew a national oath +and covenant without the consent and concurrence of royal +authority, or at least, without the concurrence of some chief and +principal men in church and state? <i>Answer</i>, Without the +concurrence of church and state, a covenant cannot be taken or +renewed nationally, speaking strictly; yet a few may publicly +declare their adherence to their covenant-engagements by renewing +them, not only without the consent and concurrence of authority, +but against it; and there are several precedents for so doing, both +before and since the established reformation. As for instance, that +covenant at Edinburgh, Anno 1557; at Perth, 1559; at Stirling, the +same year; another at Leith, Anno 1560; another at Ayr, 1562. And +at Lanark, a small handful of the Lord's people renewed it in +direct opposition to, and at Lesmahago, without the consent or +concurrence of authority; which instances may be both an inducement +and encouragement to us to renew, and in our mean capacity, to +testify to the nation our approbation of, and adherence to these +covenants.</p> +<p>In the prosecution of this doctrine, he had occasion also to +insist upon the <i>reasons</i>, or <i>motives</i>, and +<i>manner</i> of entering into covenant. The scope and argument of +the reasons adduced as motives to the duty of covenanting was to +this effect:—</p> +<p>1. The turning away of the Lord's wrath and anger from a land, +or people, which covenant-breaking hath deserved, may be a motive +to renewing covenant with God; this was the motive that prompted +the good reforming King Hezekiah to make a covenant with the Lord, +2 Chron. xxix. 10—"Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant +with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away +from us." And Nehemiah, with the returned captives, Neh. ix. +38—"And because of all this, we make a sure covenant."</p> +<p>2. Reviving and advancement in reformation, being the ordinary +consequent and effect of upright covenanting with the Lord, may be +another motive and inducement thereunto; this appears both in +personal and national covenanting—In personal, Psal. cxix. +106—"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep +thy righteous judgments." The Psalmist's having sworn, was a very +quickening consideration to excite him to the performance of his +duty. In national covenanting, we always find, after the people of +Israel and Judah had covenanted with the Lord, they made progress +in reformation, and the land was purged of abominations and idols. +Thus it was in Asa's covenant, 2 Chron. xv. 12 to 19; for there, +the people have entered into a covenant with the Lord, "and sworn +with all their soul, and with all their heart," the Lord was found +of them; and Asa removed his mother, Maachah, from her royal +dignity, and stamped the idol which she had made, and burnt it at +the brook Kidron; and he brought into the house of the Lord the +things that his father and himself had dedicated. Thus it was also +in Jehoiada's covenant, which he made "between the Lord, and the +king, and the people, that they should be the Lord's people," 2 +Kings xi. 17, 18, 20; for, immediately after the making of his +covenant, "all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, +and brake it down—his altars, and his images brake they in +pieces thoroughly; and the priest appointed officers over the house +of the Lord;" and they slew Athaliah with the sword. The like is +evident in Hezekiah's covenanting, 2 Chron. xxxiv., xxxv. +chapters.</p> +<p>3. This upright renewing of covenant with the Lord is a way and +mean to procure many mercies, both spiritual and temporal, from the +hand of the Lord; which should be a strong inducement and motive to +engage us thereunto. Spiritual mercies are entailed upon it, Deut. +xxix. 12, 13. "That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the +Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with +thee this day: that he may establish thee to-day for a people to +himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto +thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, +and to Jacob." Temporal mercies are also promised to this upright +renewing and keeping covenant, Deut. xxix. 9—"Keep therefore +the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all +that ye do." And, it is remarked, 2 Chron. xv. 15, that after Asa's +covenant, "the Lord gave them rest round about."</p> +<p>4. The malice and opposition of the Popish, Prelatical, and +malignant party against the covenants, and their doing what in them +lies, to make their obligation void and null, may be a motive and +argument for the people of God so much the more to avouch their +respect to them by a public adherence, especially after long +continued breaches.</p> +<p>5. Upright entering into, or renewing covenant with God, is a +most sovereign medicine for healing a people's breaches, as well as +their backslidings, the covenant being a cement, as well to join +and unite the people of God one to another, as all of them in their +duty to God; and, as it flows from the nature of the covenant to +unite the friends of reformation, so it is observable as one of the +peculiar fruits of covenant-renewing, that union in the Lord has +followed thereupon: thus it was with Israel and Judah in the text, +who united together in making a covenant with the Lord. Whence all +the people of God, who are called to be united and "perfectly +joined together in the same spirit, and in the same mind;" and +especially they who have been lamentably divided one from another, +by their manifold defections from God, and from their +covenant-engagements, ought to be strongly inclined, moved, and +engaged to this duty; from this consideration, the upright +covenant-renewing is a usual mean of land-uniting and +church-uniting dispositions amongst the people of God.</p> +<p>As for the manner of renewing covenant with God, and how the +duty ought to be gone about, he propounded and opened it in the +following particulars, to this effect:—</p> +<p>1. That it must be done with understanding and judgment, both in +relation to the nature of the duties we engage to perform in the +covenant: grossly ignorant persons being justly deprived of the +privilege of engaging in covenant, though bound to inform +themselves of its nature and obligation; and also in relation to +the breaches, such as would engage into it being called to have +some suitable sense and understanding, both how it has been +violated, and by what means persons come to be guilty of the breach +thereof. So, Neh. x. 28, 29—"Every one that had knowledge and +understanding entered into the covenant."</p> +<p>2. This duty must be gone about with sincerity and uprightness +of heart; thus Joshua, when making a covenant with the people, that +they should serve the Lord, exhorts them—"Now therefore fear +the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth," Joshua, xxiv., +compare the 25th verse with the 14th. The want of which +qualification in covenant-renewing, causes unsteadfastness and +perfidy in covenant-performing—Psal. lxxviii. 36, 37.</p> +<p>3. This duty of covenant-renewing requires, as a qualification +towards the right performing of it, that there be a due +consideration, and some suitable impression of the solemnity and +weightiness of the work: which ariseth, partly from the +<i>object</i> or <i>party covenanted with</i>, the holy and jealous +God, Joshua xxiv. 19—"He is a holy God, he is a jealous God, +he will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins," and partly +from the <i>subject matter covenanted, or engaged to</i>. The +articles of the covenant of grace, which we have professedly, at +last, yielded to in our baptism, are weighty; for therein, as God +engages to give us himself, his Son Christ Jesus, and in him all +temporal and eternal blessings; so we engaged to be obedient +children, and faithful subjects to him all the days of our lives. +And the articles of these national covenants are weighty, for +therein we engage to great things relating to the glory of God, and +the good of our own and other's souls. And, partly, this +weightiness ariseth from the great <i>danger and dreadful +punishment of breaking the covenant</i>; which is threatened in +many places of Scripture. The same is also intimated to us in the +customs both of the Jews and Heathens, in entering into covenant; +particularly, we find that the Jews used to cut a calf, or some +other clean beast, in twain, and pass between the parts of +it—using this, or the like form of speech, as the Jewish +doctors relate—"So God divide or separate me, if I keep not +this covenant." Jer. xxxiv. 18, compared with verse 20—"I +will give the men into the hands of their enemies who have +transgressed my covenant, which they had made before me, when they +cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof." +Nehemiah also, chap. v. 12, 13, when he took an oath of the +priests, shook his lap and said—"So God shake out every man +from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this +promise," &c. And all the covenanters said—"Amen."</p> +<p>4. Much tenderness and heart-melting is requisite to the right +performing of this duty. So it was with covenant-renewing Israel +and Judah, who were "weeping as they went to seek the Lord their +God, and to make a covenant never to be forgotten." This brokenness +of heart, and tender-melting frame may arise, both from the +consideration of the many sins and iniquities whereby persons have +provoked the Lord their God to anger, whence they come "to be like +doves of the valley, every one mourning for his iniquity:" and +likewise from the consideration of the grace and mercy of God, +manifested in Christ Jesus, his condescension to enter into a +covenant with sinful men, and readiness, upon his people's +repentance, to pardon their former breaches; from the consideration +of this transcendently free grace, an humble and sincere covenanter +will be transported into an ecstacy of wonder and admiration; as +the church is, Mic. vii. 18, 19, 20—"Who is a God like unto +thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of +the remnant of his heritage?" &c.</p> +<p>5. Dependency and recumbency upon the Lord by faith, for +strength to perform covenant engagements, is requisite to right +covenanting, Isa. xxvii. 5—"Let him take hold of my strength, +that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." +This is to "take hold of" God's covenant, Isa. lvi. 4.</p> +<p>6. Affection to God and the duties whereunto we engage, is +requisite to right covenanting, and that in its flower and vigour, +height and supremacy. Thus, 2 Chron. xv. 12, 15, Asa and the people +"entered into a covenant, to seek the Lord God of their fathers +with all their heart, and with all their soul:—And all Judah +rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and +sought him with their whole desire." They had an affection to the +work, and did it with complacency, not in dissimulation, so as not +to design to perform it: nor through compulsion, with an eye to +secular profit or preferment, as many in these lands did.</p> +<p>7. It is necessary, in order to right covenanting, that the work +be gone about with a firm purpose and resolution (through grace +enabling us) to adhere to our covenant engagements, notwithstanding +whatever opposition and persecution we may meet with from the world +for so doing, and whatever difficulties and discouragements may +arise from the multitude of those, who prove unsteadfast in, or +foully forsake their covenant. We must stand to our covenant, as it +is said of Josiah, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 32, that "he caused all that +were present in Judah and Benjamin, to stand to" the covenant, +which implies as well a firm resolution to perform, as consent to +engage, as in the latter part of the verse, it is remarked, that +"the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, +the God of their fathers;" where <i>doing according to the +covenant</i> is exegetical of <i>standing to it.</i> David also +joins the resolution of performance with swearing; Psal. cxix. 106. +"I have sworn, and I will perform, that I will keep thy righteous +judgments."</p> +<p>From the doctrine thus confirmed and explained, he drew this +inference, by way of information, that seeing it is a people's +duty, who have broken covenant with the Lord, to engage themselves +again to him, by renewing their covenant, that it is not arbitrary +for us (as many are apt to think) to renew, or not to renew our +covenant; but that there is a plain and positive necessity for our +repenting and returning again to the Lord, by entering anew into +covenant with him, whether personal made in baptism, or at the +Lord's table, or under affliction and trouble, or national vows and +covenants entered into by ourselves or our fathers. And in a use of +lamentation, he bewailed the backwardness of these lands, and +particularly of this nation, to this duty; in that, now after sixty +years and upwards of great defections from, and grievous breaches +of our covenants by people of all ranks; yet there appears so +little sense of either the obligations or breaches of them, and of +a disposition to reviving them, even amongst those who not only +profess some love to the reformation of religion, but even some +belief of their perpetual binding obligation; and that +notwithstanding, as the Prophet Isaiah saith, concerning Judah, +chap. xxiv. 5, "The earth (or the land) is defiled under the +inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, +changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant;" our land +having been denied with Popery and Prelacy, and with a flood of +abomination and profanity, the natural consequent of perfidy, the +ordinances having been changed, perverted and corrupted, and the +covenant not only broken, but burnt ignominiously, and the +adherence to it made criminal; yet, for all this, there has not +been a time found for renewing them these twenty-three years; and +that ministers, at whose door it chiefly lay to stir up the land to +this work, have many of them been as careless as others, waiving +and putting off a stumbled and offended people, expressing some +concernedness for this duty, with these and the like pretexts, that +it was not a fit time, nor the land in a case for it (too sad a +truth), but not laboring to get the land brought to be in a case +and disposition for it, by pressing the obligation, and plainly +discovering the violations thereof; so that, instead of being +brought to a fitter condition for this duty, the covenants are +almost forgotten and quite out of mind, so that the succeeding +generation is scarce like to know that ever there was a covenant +sworn in Scotland. And more particularly, that the godly, who are +dissatisfied with, and dissent from the defections and corruptions +of the times, have discovered so little concern about the work of +reformation, and cause of God, which the covenants oblige us to +own, defend, and promote. All which laxness and remissness is for a +lamentation, and ought to be lamented and mourned over by the +people of God.</p> +<p>In the exhortation, he pressed upon us who are embodied together +to renew our <i>covenant-engagements</i>, by giving an open and +public testimony of our adherence to the <i>covenants, national</i> +and <i>solemn league</i>, that we should labor to attain a suitable +frame, and serious consideration of the weightiness, solemnity, and +awfulness of the work we were then undertaking: enforcing the same +by several cogent motives, as namely, because in renewing these +covenants we are called to remember our baptismal and personal +vows, whereby we had renounced the devil, the world and the flesh, +and devoted ourselves to the Lord to be his people; which if they +were slighted and forgotten, there could be no right, acceptable, +and comfortable entering into <i>national covenants.</i> And +likewise because of the weightiness of the duties engaged to in our +<i>national covenant</i>, and in the <i>solemn league</i> and +<i>covenant</i>, which he proved to be a covenant that ought to be +renewed by us in this nation no less than our <i>national +covenant</i>, in regard it was a religious, just, and holy covenant +made betwixt God and the three kingdoms, though it cannot now be +taken in the same consideration and extent, as at the first framing +it was, viz.: As a league betwixt us and the representative body of +the kingdoms of England and Ireland: where he took occasion to go +over the several articles of the covenant, showing the nature and +weightiness of the duties.</p> +<p>Beside these two more general doctrines which were chiefly +insisted upon, he observed several others pertinently deducible +from the words, as first, <i>That unfaithful dealing in God's +covenant will breed distance and estrangement from God.</i> This is +implied in the children of Israel and Judah seeking the Lord, +asking the way to Zion, &c.; their asking the way to Zion, +importing that they had forgotten the right way of worshipping God, +and that their sins had made a sad separation between them and +their God. Secondly, That it is necessary that persons become +sensible of their sin against God, and of his anger against them, +and lay these things to heart, that they may be concerned about +reconciliation with God, and reform their lives. Thirdly, That the +kindly exercise of repentance in a backsliding people lamenting +after the Lord, and setting about to renew their covenant with him, +hath an effectual influence to unite and cement the divided people +of God: thus in the text the children of Israel and Judah, whom +their iniquities had long and sadly divided, are uniting together +in this desirable frame of weeping and seeking the Lord their God, +and making a perpetual covenant with him. This doctrine he proved +and applied briefly as the time would permit, both because of its +native result from the text, and because of his own, and our +sincere desire to see a holy union and communion, in the way of +truth and duty effected by returning to the Lord, and renewing the +covenant with him, as among all the godly, so especially among +those that profess their dissent from, and dislike of the corrupt +courses of the times.</p> +<p>Sermon being ended, after prayer, the covenants were first read +according to the <i>Directory for renewing the solemn league and +covenant</i>, prescribed by the Act of the General Assembly at +Edinburgh, 6th October, 1648, post meridiem, entitled, <i>Act for +renewing of the Solemn League and Covenant;</i> and, thereafter, +the following Acknowledgment of Sins was also read: after which, +prayer was made, containing a comprehensive confession of the more +general heads of the foresaid Acknowledgement of Sins; and a part +of the 78th Psalm, beginning at the 36th verse, was sung; and the +minister dismissed the congregation with a short reprehension and +advice, reproving them for their unconcerned carriage and behaviour +during the reading of the acknowledgment of the breaches of these +covenants, which had been first entered into at the expense of so +much blood and treasure, and confirmed and sealed with the blood of +many honourable martyrs of all ranks in the land; withal, exhorting +all present to labour after a heart-melting frame for the right +performance of the work in hand.</p> +<p>Upon Thursday, July 24th, after singing a part of the 105th +Psalm, from the 6th to the 12th verse, and prayer—Mr. John +M'Millan preached upon Isaiah, xliv. 5—"One shall say I am +the Lord's: and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob: +and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and +sirname himself by the name of Israel." Whereupon, after the +unfolding of the context, and explication of the words, showing +that they clearly contain an intimation of a covenant relation +betwixt God and a people, and their avouching of the same upon +their part; the words seeming to have a reference to the state of +the New Testament Church, and conversion of the Gentiles, who, +being allured by the great gospel blessings and mercies bestowed by +God upon the Jews, to join themselves to the church, should avouch +their interest in the Messiah and covenant of grace, by taking the +Lord for their God, and owning themselves to be his people. So that +the words may be taken up as an answer to such a presupposed +question as this, <i>Whose are you?</i> <i>and what is your +name?</i> To which question, one shall answer, <i>I am the +Lord's;</i> another, <i>I am one of old Jacob's family and +offspring</i>; another, if you desiderate my name, look the +covenant subscriptions and you will find it there; another shall +say, whatever my name was before, <i>my sirname now is an +Israelite</i>. So sweetly should a shower of gospel grace engage +the hearts of the New Testament converts to avow their covenant +relation to the Lord, and glory in their union with his church and +covenanted people. Having taking up the sense of the words to this +effect, he deduced from them these two observations:</p> +<p><i>1. That the Lord is graciously pleased sometimes to privilege +his people with very remarkable tokens of his gracious +presence.</i> This doctrine is clear from the context, verses 3d +and 4th—"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and +floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, +and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as +among the grass, as willows by the watercourses."</p> +<p>Under this head of doctrine, he gave the following marks to +evidence whether the present time of renewing our covenant with God +was indeed to us a time of the Lord's privileging us with his +gracious presence—1st, That a time of God's privileging his +people with his gracious presence, and with a shower of gospel +grace, is a very inviting and alluring time; wherein, as the Lord +invites his people to their duty, by engaging their hearts and +souls, through his Spirit's gracious influences, to fall in love +with him and his commandments, so they mutually invite one another +to covenant with God. 2d, That such a time proves a soul-engaging +and taking time, wherein souls are engaged to fall in love with the +covenant, and with Christ the Mediator of the covenant, and are +taken in the net of the gospel. 3d, That a time of the letting out +of God's gracious presence is ordinarily a time of many sweet and +excellent resolutions, the people of God resolving to walk more +accurately and circumspectly in the ways of new obedience. 4th, +That this usually is a time of ridding marches, and clearing of +evidences. 5th, That it is a time of many and special confirmations +of God's love to the soul. 6th, That this time of God's letting out +much of his gracious presence to his people, is a very uniting and +healing time to them amongst themselves. Having given these marks, +to show whether the Lord were, at the occasion, letting out his +gracious presence, he added, by way of caution, that seeing (no +doubt) the people of God would be expecting something of all these, +upon the undertaking of so great a work; if so be that they found +it not, they should not thence be induced to have hard thoughts of +the Lord, and to conclude that he keeps not his usual method with +his people, or is not so good to them as formerly he hath been: for +whatever defects there are upon his people's part, there is none +upon the Lord's, for he remains the same to them, providing they do +so to him; the change of his dispensations towards his people being +from the change of his people's deportment towards him.</p> +<p>The Second Doctrine, resulting more directly from the words, +was, <i>That the Lord's Spirit poured out in plenty upon his people +will quickly bring them to an embracing of him, and to a public +acknowledgment and avouching of the same.</i> Thus it was with the +people of God in the text—no sooner does the Lord "pour water +upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground," even his Spirit +upon the spiritual seed of Israel, but presently they are at +covenanting work and subscribing work; "One shall say, I am the +Lord's," etc. In prosecuting this doctrine he shewed first +negatively that he was not for that occasion largely to treat of +the several ways that the Spirit useth to manage this work of +engaging the hearts of his people to embrace Christ, and so to make +a public avouchment of the same; whether he doth it by representing +to their views the sweet and precious promises made in the covenant +of grace, thereby sweetly alluring and drawing them with the cords +of love to himself, or by holding forth to their consciences the +terrors and threatenings of the law, and thereby powerfully +constraining them to fly to him as to the city of refuge from the +face of Divine Justice pursuing them: for seeing the Spirit is a +free agent and blows both how and where he listeth, he may engage a +soul to close with Christ by either of these ways, though most +usually he doth it by a conjunction and concurrence of both. Only +this ought to satisfy us, that what way soever the Spirit taketh in +bringing a soul to embrace Christ upon the gospel terms, he so +manageth the work as that the end is effectually and infallibly +attained.</p> +<p>Nor Secondly, Was he to enquire into the measure of the +outpouring of the Spirit's graces and operations, which is +effectual for attaining the end, this being one of the deep things +of God which the Spirit alone searcheth, and therefore is not +necessary for us further to know, save only that we understand so +much to be needful as may serve to empty the creature of all +confidence in or dependence upon itself, or any other +creature-helps whatsoever, and bring it to rely upon Christ alone, +for acceptance with God; so much is necessary, and less cannot be +sufficient.</p> +<p>Nor Thirdly, Was he to handle the material differences between +those who are brought really and sincerely to accept, embrace and +acknowledge the Lord for their Lord, and to avouch the same +publicly, which presupposeth a mighty power of the Spirit +manifested in the sweet impressions which he maketh upon the soul, +moving them sweetly and readily to comply with and yield to Christ +without any longer resistance, and these who only in semblance and +shew profess to avouch Christ to be their Lord, and feign +submission to him, not from the Spirit's effectual and saving +operations, but either from carnal and external considerations, or +at most from the Spirit's common motions and convictions; which +differences commonly arise from the different natures, motives, +manner or ends of this their acknowledging and avouching Christ for +their Lord, and covenanting with Him.</p> +<p>These things, as not so immediately proper for the work in hand, +though natively involved in the doctrine, being only cleared in +transition; he came in the second place more positively to insist +upon and handle the following heads. First, More generally to +propose some considerations which make such a great work as +renewing covenant with the Lord a weighty, hard and difficult work. +And upon the other hand, to lay down some counterbalancing +considerations which render such a work more easy and light, and +may afford matter of encouragement toward the undertaking of it. +Secondly, More particularly in application to ourselves and the +work in hand, to lay before those who were resolved to enter into +covenant with the Lord, what were the things that seemed to speak +against us in the work, and might prove matter of discouragement in +the undertaking of it. And what, upon the other side, might speak +for us, and be ground of encouragement to us to go forward in +humble and sincere endeavors to renew our covenant with the Lord. +Thirdly, To give some advices and directions to such as were +resolved upon the work. As for the first: The considerations which +make covenanting work weighty and difficult. The <i>first</i> +consideration was drawn from the greatness of the party to be +covenanted with, the great and glorious Jehovah, the Creator of the +ends of the earth, who is a holy and jealous God, and who will not +forgive the iniquity of such as are false hearted and perfidious in +his covenant, obstinately persisting in their false dealing; so +Joshua premonisheth a people making very fair resolutions and +promises to serve the Lord, that it was a harder work than at the +first sight they apprehended; "That they could not serve the Lord, +in regard he is an holy God, he is a jealous God, and would not +forgive their transgressions nor their sins; and that if they +should forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he would turn +and do them hurt and consume them, after he had done them good," +Josh. xxiv. 19, 20. 'Tis a part of his name, Exod. xxxiv. 7. +<i>That he will by no means clear the (obstinately and +impenitently) guilty</i>.</p> +<p>A <i>second</i> consideration that makes the work of covenanting +with God to appear a hard and difficult work, was taken from the +nature of the work itself, which is to serve the Lord in a covenant +way, and in the capacity of covenanted children, this covenant +relation involving in it a walk and conversation in all things like +the chosen of the Lord; and 'tis no small matter, so to walk, and +so to behave as to be accounted worthy of a covenanted union with +the Lord and interest in him, this covenant relation being +confirmed with such awful sanctions, as in scripture we find, Neh. +x. 29. "They------ entered into a curse and into an oath, to walk +in God's law," &c. This consideration, that covenanting work is +weighty in its own nature, was further illustrated and amplified +from the difficulty both of the things to be engaged against, and +of the things to be engaged unto. As for the former, the things to +be engaged against, which is sin in all its kinds and degrees, and +in all the inducements to it, both with reference to ourselves, and +also as to participation in the sins of others. This must first be +put away, if one would be a right covenanter. Well did old Jacob +understand the necessity of this, who being resolved to go up to +Bethel, to renew his covenant with God, that answered him in the +day of his strait, advises his family first "to put away the +strange gods that were amongst them, and to be clean." Gen. xxxv. +2. So David assures us, Psal. xxxiv. 14, that departing from evil +must precede doing of good. A man that would lift up his face +without spot in renewing covenant with God, must first "put +iniquity far away, and not suffer wickedness to dwell in his +tabernacles," as Zophar advises Job, chap. xi. 14, 15. They that +would take on with a new master must be fairly parted from the old, +there is no way of pleasing both Christ and mammon, and therefore +no possibility of serving both; whence the nature of covenanting +work requires, that there be an upright putting away of all sin; +for if the soul have any secret reserves in favor of a beloved sin, +it has no ground to think that Christ will accept it, as his +covenanted spouse and bride. Nor is this all, but 2dly, it must be +mourned over and truly bewailed, especially upon the account of the +offence done to a gracious God thereby; which sorrow must not be of +an ordinary sort, but an extraordinary and most intense sorrow, for +it cannot be an ordinary kind of sorrow, provided it be in any +suitable measure proportioned to the offence. And 3dly, which +follows upon the former, there must be a "loathing of the person's +self because of these its ways and doings that have not been good +in his sight," Ezek. vi. 9, even to that degree as to fill the soul +with wonder and astonishment, that ever it should have an occasion +of renewing covenant with God again. 4thly, There must be a sincere +and hearty resolving against all sins, consequent upon this +loathing; the soul saying with a steady purpose, "if I have done +iniquity I will do so no more," Job xxxiv. 32.</p> +<p>2dly, As to the latter, the things engaged unto render the +nature of covenanting work difficult and weighty, which are duties +of various kinds, such as, 1st, Holiness towards God, which is one +special and chief part of the covenant, and that not for a time +only, but for ever; both in regard that God, the party covenanted +with, is holy and unchangeably so, and calls his people to imitate +him in this attribute especially; and also in regard that the +covenant itself is for its nature holy, all the articles being +morally good and consonant to the royal law, the scriptures of +truth; and for the extent of its duration, of perpetual force and +obligation. This duty of holiness towards God, engaged to in the +covenant, comprehends in it a zealous endeavor to maintain the +purity of the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of his +institution, in opposition to all those who would corrupt it, or +decline from it. 2d, Righteousness towards our neighbor, and more +especially to our covenanted brother; which righteousness should +discover itself both in reference to sin and duty, by reproving him +for sin; or upon his rejecting reproof, by withdrawing from him, +that he may be ashamed, and so come to be reclaimed from his evil +course; and by affording him all that help and assistance to +covenanted duties, that may be warrantably called for, and +generally by uprightness towards him in all our transactions and +dealings of any kind. 3d, Faithfulness towards our nation, which +comprehends a constant endeavor to advance and promote in our +station the common good thereof; and a stedfast opposition to the +courses that tend to take away the privilege of the same. 4th, +Uprightness towards ourselves, in everything relating to the real +good of our own souls and bodies; by walking in all the duties of +soberness, temperance, and moderation; for as others are to have +their due, so ourselves are not to be neglected.</p> +<p>A <i>third</i> consideration, whereby the duty of renewing +covenant with God appears to be difficult and weighty, was deduced +from <i>the manner and way of engaging</i>; whereunto several +things of great difficulty to be attained were showed to be +absolutely necessary, as, 1st, <i>Judgment</i>, to know, and in +some measure comprehend, the nature of the duties to be engaged to, +and the advantages flowing from the right entering into, and +keeping of the covenant, and the losses redounding to the breakers +thereof. 2d, <i>Seriousness</i>, which, if ever it be in exercise, +will certainly then be most lively, when the soul is entering upon +a work of so high import, as making a covenant with God; for then +the creature has one of two things to look for, either covenant +blessings, or covenant curses, according as it performs or not +performs the tenor of the covenant. 3d, <i>Deliberation</i>; +rashness in covenanting is of dangerous consequence: 'tis not the +example of others only, nor raw flashes of conviction or love, nor +external considerations, as gain, honor, men's approbation, +&c., that must induce to this duty; but a fixed permanent +purpose of heart and soul, rationally and deliberately entered +into. 4th, <i>Heart-integrity</i>, That it be done with all the +heart, 2 Chron. xv. 15, for the man brings himself under a curse, +that "having a male in his flock, sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt +thing." Mal. i. 14.</p> +<p>A <i>fourth</i> consideration, from whence the work of +covenanting comes to be a difficult and hard work, was deduced from +the <i>way and manner of performing</i> the duties engaged to; +which is (as 'tis expressed in the covenant) with sincerity, +reality, and constancy; the difficulty of attaining to these +qualifications in the performance of covenant-duties, arising +partly from the strength of corruption within, the law of sin and +death, which opposes the law of God; and partly from the strength +of snares and temptations from without; which requires, that (as +becomes covenanted children) there be a daily recourse to Jesus +Christ, for light to discover, and strength to overcome these +corruptions and temptations; and life, that the soul turn not dead +and insensible under them.</p> +<p>A <i>fifth</i> consideration, from whence the difficulty of +covenanting with God is sometimes heightened, was taken from <i>the +meanness of such as attempt the work</i>. When the great ones, the +nobles that are called <i>the shields of the earth</i>, do not +afford their authority and patrociny, as an encouragement to the +undertaking; and when the wise and learned will not employ their +learning, parts, and abilities for the facilitating thereof; but +the mean and weakest are left to do the work alone. This was no +small difficulty and discouragement to the Tekoites, in their +building and repairing the wall of Jerusalem, "That their nobles +put not their necks to the work of their Lord." Neh. iii. 5.</p> +<p>A <i>sixth</i> consideration, which may sometimes render such a +work hard and difficult, was drawn from <i>the want of the +concurrence of civil authority; and the opposition made thereunto +by the laws of the land</i>; which, when it happens to be the case +of a people designing to renew national engagements cannot but be a +very difficult and discouraging ingredient amongst others in their +cup.</p> +<p>On the other hand, these counterbalancing considerations were +adduced, which are as so many props and pillars to support his +people, and to allay the difficulties of the duty of entering into +covenant with God, and to make it the more light and easy. 1st, +<i>That the work is the Lord's</i>, and he is greatly concerned in +it; and, therefore, his people may safely lean to him for help, he +having enacted no law against it, as men have. 2d, That <i>he looks +not upon his people in such undertakings, as in themselves</i>, for +then it were impossible for creatures, having the least sinful +imperfection in them, to covenant with their spotless Creator, and +come so near a jealous God, who is a consuming fire to the workers +of iniquity; <i>but he considers his people in their covenanting +with him, as in their head, Christ, his eternal Son</i>; whence we +may safely say, That our national covenant wants not a Mediator +more than the covenant of grace, in this sense, as it is through +him we have access to make this covenant with God. 3d, That <i>the +Lord has promised his presence to his own work</i>; thus we find +through the whole of the covenants made, and renewed by the people +of Israel and Judah, that the Lord discovered his gracious presence +with them, by some remarkable effect of his goodness. Thus it is +remarked of Hezekiah, that after he had entered into covenant, +"That the Lord was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went +forth," 2 Kings xviii. 7, compared with 2 Chron. xxix. 10. 4th, +That <i>the Lord puts none of his people to any piece of his work +upon their own proper expense and charges, but upon his own</i>; +and whatever complaints his people may have of want of necessary +charges, he both has wherewith to supply them, and has undertaken +to make it actually forthcoming for them, having commanded his +people to open their mouths wide, and he has promised to fill them. +5th, That the covenant has a greater entail of blessings, than what +will sufficiently compensate whatever expense and pains a people +may be at, in undertaking and performing it. In regard, that though +a Christian should lose all, yea, even life itself, upon the +account of it, yet the covenant will bring in all with advantage to +a hundred fold, and glory to the overplus, when it is duly +observed. 6th, That <i>the undertakers have God's call and +commandment to set about it</i>; this is that which, above all +other considerations, inspires a Christian with undaunted courage +and alacrity in the undertaking of a duty, when it is made clear +that the person has God's call and command for a warrant; otherwise +the want of this may make the duty to be heartlessly and doubtingly +entered upon, and lamely performed.</p> +<p>Seeing, therefore, that sometimes a work may be the Lord's, and +yet the Lord's call to such a particular person, or people to +undertake it, may be wanting; he came necessarily (which was the +<i>second</i> head proposed) to enquire, what were the several +things that might seem to speak against us, as not having this call +from the Lord, and what were the things that spake for us, and +might give us matter of encouragement in undertaking the work +before us.—In solution of which the following considerations +were proposed.</p> +<p>1st, As to the things that might seem to speak against us: 1st, +<i>Our darkness</i>, not whether covenanting be a duty, but in +regard of the want of right apprehensions of the nature and +greatness of the duty, which cannot be a sufficient ground to +neglect the duty, unless there were some duties from which a +Christian is exeemed and that this is one of them, which indeed +will not be found in the whole Bible. 2d, <i>Our want of a frame +suitable for the greatness and weightiness of the work</i>, which +speaks sadly against us, but is not to be a ground to neglect the +duty, we being commanded to look to the God of the covenant for +it.</p> +<p>Upon the other hand, the things which seemed to speak for us, +and yield matter of encouragement, that not only the work was the +Lord's, but also that we had his call to the same, were, 1st, The +many, palpable, plain, and open breaches of these covenants, are a +loud call to renew them. 2d, The undervaluing account that the +nations have made of them, is a call to all such as have any +respect to the sacred name of the Lord invocated in these +covenants, to do their utmost to vindicate them from that disgrace, +by showing how high a price and value they put upon them. 3d, The +lands enacting the perpetual banishment of these covenants, and +imposing oaths contrary and opposite to them; which brings double +perjury upon the nation, both by disregarding and omitting the +performance of this just, lawful, and commendable covenant, and by +making unjust, sinful and hateful covenants, for opposing the +growth and success of Christ's kingdom, even the reformation of +these many abuses that have corrupted the holy religion of his +institution: And perjury drawing wrath after it, as a native and +necessary fruit consequent; they that would stand in the gap, to +turn away national wrath, cannot otherwise make up the hedge, that +the land should not be destroyed, but by renewing and keeping +national covenants. 4th, That so many are speaking against them +everywhere, accounting them a conspiracy against royal authority, a +popular combination for advancing private ends and interests under +the cloak of religion, or at least unnecessary and unprofitable for +the end intended by them, binding to things of such a heterogeneous +nature, as renders the keeping of them, and keeping within the +sphere of our own activity and station, inconsistent and +impossible, and such things as whereof we now have no occasion, and +the like; which is a loud call to us, or any that retain other +thoughts of their nature and ends, than the generality do, to speak +for them; which cannot be done more fitly, honorably, nor +conspicuously any other way, than by renewing and observing them. +5th, The practice of the godly in such a juncture of time, as what +ours appears to be, is a call and encouraging consideration to set +us upon this work: the godly usually in times of great defection +from the purity and power of religion, and corruption of the +ordinances of God's worship, set about renewing their covenant, +thereby to prevent covenant curses, and procure covenant blessings; +as we find both in scripture record, 2 Chron. xv. 12, 13; xxix. 10; +xxxiv. 30, 31; Ezra x. 3, and in our own ecclesiastic history. And +the practice was justified by the success, for the most part +terminating in some reviving and reformation. 6th, The time being +come to such a crisis, that such as would keep the word of Christ's +patience cannot any longer do it in a distinguishing way from those +that are covenant-breakers, but by renewing covenant, and thereby +making a test and trial of the well-wishers to the covenanted +interest in the land, is a call to set about this work: in former +times the godly held fast this their profession, by suffering for +their adherence to covenanted duties, resisting unto blood, +striving against the sin of covenant-breaking; whereas now our call +seems to be more clear to do it, by renewing those +covenant-obligations. 7th, The covenants themselves have, as it +were, a loud voice to call us, and all who own their obligation, to +set about renewing of them; they call by the justness and intrinsic +goodness of the matter, which is of binding force by virtue of the +law of God, prior to any covenant-tie, and by the holiness and +excellency of the end, to wit, the reformation and preservation of +religion. Yea, the covenant seems to say to us, and to every true +hearted son of the church of Scotland, as Job said in another case, +"Have pity upon me, O my friends," &c. So says the covenant: +Have pity upon me, all ye that have any respect for me, for church +and state have forsaken me.</p> +<p>The <i>third</i> thing proposed was to give some advices and +directions for right managing the duty intended. The scope and +substance whereof briefly follows:</p> +<p>1st, Such as would make a covenant with God aright, so as the +same may never be broken nor yet forgotten, must labor to know if +they be in good terms with the God of the covenant, and with the +Mediator of the covenant; if they sincerely closed with the terms, +and acquiesced to the proposals of the covenant of grace; this +personal and particular acceptance of Christ in the new covenant +being the only fountain of acceptable entering into national +covenants. Hence it concerns all that would be right Covenanters, +to search and see how it may be betwixt God and them, because 'tis +but a profanation of the covenant to have the hand and tongue at +it, and the heart from it: a well informed head without a reformed +heart is not sufficient: a good opinion and liking of the covenant +without a heart and affection to the covenant avails nothing in +God's sight.</p> +<p>2d, Such as would rightly renew covenant with God, must be well +resolved concerning the motives leading them to covenant; which +motives must neither arise wholly from without, nor yet wholly from +within, for if these motives arise wholly from without, it +discovers a great deal of treachery in the persons covenanting, as +not beginning at the heart, not duly considering the inward case of +the soul, but being moved from some external considerations, as a +name amongst men, or affectation of zeal for public concerns, or +such like; if they arise wholly from within it betrays much +weakness and lowness of spirit, as not being able at the same time +both to have a concern about the inward frame of the heart, and +eternal state and condition of the soul, and likewise a zeal for +the public good of the nation, and thriving of the work of God and +kingdom of Christ. Both which interests ought to be in their due +proportion before the eyes of a sound and real Covenanter; a right +engager in covenant must be moved thereto, both from a due sense of +the strength and power of corruption within, and also from the +consideration of the lowness of God's work through defection +without.</p> +<p>3d, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the +terms of the covenant; that it excludes all coming and going, +according to the revolutions of the times, and the ebbing and +flowing of worldly interests: One that has given up his name to the +Lord in covenant, and called himself by the name of Israel, must +not, like the Samaritans, be an Israelite only in the time of +Israel's prosperity, but he must be one in adversity too: The +things engaged to in the covenant being of an everlasting and +permanent duration, in their nature, must be lasting also in their +observation.</p> +<p>4th, A right renewer of covenant must be well resolved anent the +cost and expense of steadfast keeping of covenant. This should be +first counted and deliberately resolved upon before engaging, lest +after persons have engaged they want sufficiency to finish and +fulfil the undertaking; and the Wise man assures us, it is better +not to vow, than to vow and not pay. The covenant may come to +require the cost both of doing and suffering to finish it: there +must, therefore, be a resolving upon both, before engaging.</p> +<p>5th, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the +separating nature, and the uniting tie and bond of the covenant, +for as it distinguished between friends and foes, so it unites +covenanters amongst themselves in duties, interests, and concerns. +So that they become one society, having an identity of common +duties and privileges, common crosses and rejoicings; and must +rejoice together and weep together.</p> +<p>He closed the Sermon with a two-fold advice or exhortation, to +two sorts of persons.</p> +<p>1st, To those who had some good opinion of, and some love for +the covenant, but yet were not resolved to join in covenant with +us, because of many entanglements in a world; some estate, farm, or +place of employment would be forfeited thereby; and hence, though +the covenant be, in their opinion, a lawful and commendable +engagement, yet not for them; they are in a course inconsistent +with it, and could not be otherwise without foregoing some worldly +accommodation. Those he advised to consider the matter duly; not to +engage without a resolution to forsake all interests that might +interfere with covenanted duties; for to engage in the covenant, +and yet to walk in a course opposite to it, would be exceedingly +sinful; but to labour rather after old Jacob's spirit and +disposition, who looked to and trusted in the God of the covenant +when he had nothing else to look to—no outward encouragement, +Gen. xxxii. 10—He had but his staff in his hand when he +passed over Jordan, and the Lord made him to return with two bands. +For, if a person could attain Jacob's spirit, name and sirname +would be lovely in their eyes, covenant and covenanting.</p> +<p>2dly, To those who had put their hands to many sinful covenants +in opposition to this covenant, and such as being in a natural and +unrenewed state, in league with sin and Satan, and in covenant with +hell and death. Those he advised and earnestly obtested to break +all their sinful covenants, to loathe and abhor them, and be +humbled for them: and to come and fall in with this covenant, to +say in sincerity that whereas other lords have had too long +dominion over them, henceforth they would make mention only of the +name of the Lord as their Lord; and that their name should +henceforth be <i>Jacob</i>, and their sirname <i>Israel</i>, and to +sign and seal the same with their oath and subscription. This +exhortation he enforced by the several calls to the work mentioned +before, and by the two following motives: 1st, Because right +entering into, and steadfast keeping of this covenant is the way to +a holy life, and a holy life tends to make a holy nation; for, if +we would observe this covenant sincerely, uniformly, and +constantly, we could never be an unholy, and consequently, never an +unhappy people; but it should be written as a motto upon our walls +and gates, JEHOVAH SHAMMAI, <i>the Lord is there.</i> 2d, Because +the entering rightly into and due observance of this covenant would +be our strength in the midst of all perplexing thoughts, whether +arising from inward corruptions, or from outward temptations or +dangers; the covenant yielded more satisfaction to David when dying +than a royal diadem, a melodious harp, a puissant army, strong +cities, a numerous offspring, or any earthly comforts could do, +when, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, he supports himself with this, That "though +his house was not so with God," yet He had made with him "an +everlasting covenant, well-ordered in all things, and sure." The +keeping of this covenant had been to our nation a Samson's lock, +whereby we should have been able to oppose all our enemies; whereas +the breach of it hath opened a door to all sorts of enemies to +creep in amongst us, and hence is verified that which the Lord has +threatened his people with for their breach of covenant, Deut. +xxviii. 44, that the enemy shall be the head, and his people the +tail.</p> +<p>Sermon being closed by prayer, the Acknowledgment of Sins was +again read, as preparative to the engaging part; and the minister, +in the first place, admonished all such as were guilty of such +public steps of defection as are confessed in the Acknowledgment, +to make full and free confession thereof before the congregation, +with such a due sense of, and sorrow for these public sins, as +might evidence a hearty design of abandoning them and of adhering +more closely to covenanted duties, which accordingly many did, both +with respect to the perjurious oaths of the late times and +defections of the present.</p> +<p>Because many have made a handle of this, above any other part of +the action, to reproach and render the whole of the work +contemptible, calling it Jesuitic superstition, enthusiasm, +advancing our own confessions into the room of Christ's +satisfaction, and expecting pardon upon the score of superficial +public acknowledgments:—therefore, to vindicate this part of +the work from such groundless calumny, we desire it may be +adverted. 1st, That this is a commanded duty, that such as have +violated the law and commandments of God, and being guilty of false +and unfaithful dealing in his covenant, should unfeignedly confess +their iniquity, which, if they do, God is faithful and just to +forgive. 2d, That according to the nature of the offence, as the +same has been acted secretly or publickly, and is of a secret or +public nature and concern, so it ought to be confessed. If the +offence be in its nature and way of perpetration a secret sin, +known only to God and the person's own conscience, secret +repentance sufficeth: nor can the church require any thing else, in +regard such sins come not within the sphere of her +cognizance;—but if the sin be public and national, or only +personal, but publickly acted, so as the same has been stumbling, +scandalous, and offensive to others; then it is requisite, for the +glory of God and good of offended brethren, that the acknowledgment +be equally public as the offence. These are <i>first principles</i> +that will not need to be proved, but may be taken for granted. But, +3dly, To make it appear that it is consonant to the practice of the +godly to make public confession of national backsliding, we will +advance two or three Scripture instances. Joshua, chap. vii. 19, +compared with verse 11, commands Achan, who had broken God's +covenant which he commanded Israel, and so brought upon the whole +nation the Lord's anger, that he would give glory to God, by making +confession to him. Whence it appears, that such sins as are +national in their consequences, and bring national judgments upon a +people, ought to be publickly confessed for turning away these +judgments, and vindicating the honour of the Supreme Lawgiver, Ezra +x. 1,2—"Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, +weeping, and casting himself down before the house of God, there +assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men, +women, and children: for the people wept very sore." Verse 2d, And +Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and +said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken +strange wives of the people of the land. Verse 3d, Now therefore +let us make a covenant with our God, to put away all the wives, and +such as are born of them. Verse 10, And Ezra the priest stood up +and said unto them, Ye have transgressed and taken strange wives, +to increase the trespass of Israel. Verse 11, Now therefore make +confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure. +Verse 12, Then all the congregation answered, and said with a loud +voice, As thou hast said, so must we do." Neh. ix. 1—"Now, in +the twenty and fourth day of this month, the children of Israel +were assembled with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon +them. Verse 2d, And the seed of Israel separated themselves from +all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the +iniquities of their fathers. Verse 3d, And they stood up in their +place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God, one +fourth part of the day, and another fourth part they confessed and +worshipped the Lord their God." Acts xix. 18—"And many that +believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds."</p> +<p>These Scripture examples, as we conceive, do sufficiently +evince, that such public confession, for the substance of it, is +not only expedient, but also necessary for such as would renew +their covenant with God. As for some circumstances of the manner +thereof, neither are we to vindicate them, nor can they justly be +charged upon the whole of those who made those confessions; far +less upon the minister, who, though he exhorted such as were guilty +of scandalous defection, to glorify God by a public confession, yet +obliged none thereunto <i>authoritatively</i>: and such as +confessed the sin of their thoughts, or any other sins not +scandalous or offensive to others; he exhorted to be serious in +mourning over these things secretly before the Lord; but withal +told them that these things are not the subject matter of such a +public acknowledgment. Such as were unconcerned in their +confessions, and seemed rather to do it from the examples of +others, than from a real and deep sense of their guiltiness before +God (as it must not be dissembled, there were too many,) he +exhorted to attain a sense of the things confessed, and posed their +consciences, whether they were convinced of what they pretended to +confess. If any was so ignorant and weak in their apprehensions of +the nature of right repentance and justification, as to put their +acknowledgment of sin in the room of Christ's satisfaction, and to +rely thereupon for peace and acceptance with God, as it is alleged +they did, it must be owned that they wofully erred in a matter of +the highest consequence: but to affix this either upon all in +general, or upon any particular person by name, is against the law +of charity, and a judging of the heart, which is not obvious to +man, but only to God, and so an usurping of God's prerogative; +wherefore it appears, that the objecting of these and other such +like things against this duty, is the effect of an impotent malice, +and passion against the whole design of the work, which is too +shrewd an evidence of a malignant spirit.</p> +<p>Whereas, some have taken occasion to pass injurious reflections +upon the minister, because he made confession and acknowledgment of +his own personal miscarriage; as though he did it with design to +please the people, and to excite them to make confession of the +things whereof they had no due sense, and that he should have +proposed himself, as an example to the people; therefore, to +discover the falsehood of such reports, we must declare plain +matter of fact upon this head. The minister did indeed acknowledge +his own iniquities in general, with others, and also particularly +at the entry of the work; but without any design to please party or +person; but only for the glory of God as himself declared, which if +any shall say was but hypocritical self-seeking, we must remit them +to the apostle's interrogation, to prepare an answer, <i>Who art +thou, O man, that judgest?</i> Neither did he say that he did it to +be an example to others, though, even in that case, he had not been +to be blamed, seeing the best of God's saints, in public employment +in church and state, have done the like in public assemblies, as +Josiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, in sacred record, and in our church +history, the Rev. John Davidson, who, at the renewing of the +covenant, March 30th, 1596, not only exhorted the brethren of the +ministry to a serious confession of their sins, but did also make +confession of his own, and excited the rest by his example, as is +related by Mr. Calderwood in his history of the church of Scotland, +page 317. Wherefore, seeing he has the command of God, and the most +eminent of his saints for his warrant and precedent, he may be +perfectly unconcerned, what are the constructions that such persons +as are indifferent either about national sins or judgments do put +upon this action,</p> +<p>The Acknowledgment of Sins being read, the minister prayed, +confessing therein the sins which had been publicly confessed in +the said Acknowledgment, and begging assistance to know and do the +duties engaged unto, then the Engagement to Duties was likewise +read in the audience of the congregation; where he showed that the +design of these engagements was to accommodate the covenants to our +case and circumstances. And advised the mixed multitude to beware +of entering into the covenant, unless they were duly resolved +concerning the performing of the same, according as our fathers +understood it, as the same was explained and applied to the present +condition of things in these engagements. After which the minister +having prayed for the gracious presence and assistance of the +divine Spirit, to enable us both to engage and perform; commanding +those who were to renew their covenant to stand upright, and hold +up their right hands, he proceeded to the administration of the +oath, causing the people to elevate their hands at the end of each +article. The covenants being renewed, the minister addressed +himself to those that had entered into covenant to this purpose. +Now, you who have renewed your covenant with God must not imagine +that you may sit down upon your performance and rest yourselves as +though your work was perfected and finished; nay, but you must +consider with yourselves that now it is but beginning; your race is +before you, the greatest, part of the work is before your hand: +covenanting is relative to performing; you must, therefore, +meditate upon, and ponder your engagements more now than before; +for now you have put a new bond upon your souls, to walk with God +in all the ways of new obedience. In order therefore to your +performing, as you have undertaken, I would put you in mind of +several particulars, which you must have much and frequently upon +your hearts, and before your eyes.</p> +<p>1st, You must know that a holy life is what becomes Covenanters; +it is not holiness in name, show and appearance, but holiness in +reality, in truth and substance, that must be interwoven with all +your actions and duties; though others should not look to +conscience, yet you must; though others slight and neglect +religion, you must by no means do it; you must put on a Joshua's +generous and holy resolution, "That whatever others do, you and +your house will serve the Lord." You must consider upon it, that +well-set speeches concerning the covenant, is not what you are +principally to study, but well-set hearts; you must shake off +laziness as well as hypocrisy.</p> +<p>2d. You must be very regular in your walk; an uniform +conversation in the way of holiness is that which greatly adorns a +Christian, and consequently, a Covenanter. And if you endeavor such +a regular course of life, you will not shape yourselves according +to the company you fall into. As some have a religion for every +company, so they have one for man and another for God, and will be +more careful and afraid lest their hypocrisy be discovered by men, +than they are afraid to be made manifest to the Lord. But so it +must not be with you who have renewed your covenant with the Lord: +you must be the same in the closet as in the public assembly, and +have a greater regard to the eye of Jehovah, and the answer of a +good conscience, than the approbation of fellow creatures.</p> +<p>3d, You mast be careful to perform all things which you have +engaged to, within your sphere and station, but must not go without +it: God is <i>a God of order</i>, and as he hath placed the stars +in their proper orbs for the order and ornament of the universe, so +hath he assigned to Christians their diverse stations, for the +beauty, order, and union of the Church; Christ, the Captain of +salvation, hath marshalled his soldiers into rank and file, and it +were a disordering of his army if any should break their ranks.</p> +<p>4th, You must slight no opportunity of pursuing the ends of your +covenant; whatever it may cost you when the occasion offers, +suffering must not deter you from it; and if the times be such now +as spare both your persons and purses, yet you must not be sparing +in your prayers for the reviving of the work of God in the land, +which is the very end of covenanting.</p> +<p>5th, You must be careful that you do not forget the covenant; +forgetting (as you heard before) is a step towards forsaking, and, +therefore, you must endeavour to have the covenant nearer to you +than the Israelites had it—they had it written upon the posts +of their doors, you must have it written upon the tables of your +hearts.</p> +<p>6th, You must evidence a great deal of cheerfulness and patience +under your crosses, which may occur to you for your adherence to +this your covenant; you must neither weaken your own hands in the +discharge of covenanted duties, by drooping and discouragement +under these crosses, nor stumble others, by repining at these +losses, or by any carriage and deportment under them that may +import your repenting of what you have now done. And because you +are impotent and weak in yourselves, therefore,</p> +<p>7th, You must see that faith be in exercise in all your +performances of covenanted duties. If this be wanting you will +perform nothing to purpose, "for without faith it is impossible to +please God." By this grace you must keep up acquaintance with +Christ, and have frequent recourse to him, both for cleansing you +from your defilements, when you break the covenant, and for +strength to perform what you are obliged to by covenant; both for +recovering grace, to raise you up when fallen, and for preventing +grace, to preserve you from falling or relapsing again.</p> +<p>8th, That you may be the more active and vigilant in keeping +covenant, you must labor to maintain a constant fear of breaking +it, and have a fixed impression of the tremendous threatening +denounced against covenant-breakers; and you must know that all are +such in God's account, who satisfy themselves with the form of +godliness, denying the power thereof. For this end read and ponder +these and the like scriptures.</p> +<p>Lev. xxvi. 25, "And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall +avenge the quarrel of my covenant, and when ye are gathered +together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you: +and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy." Neh. v. +13—"So God shall shake out every man from his house, and from +his labor, that performeth not this promise; even thus be he shaken +out and emptied." Jer. xi. 3, "Cursed be the man that obeyeth not +the words of this covenant, which I commanded your fathers in the +day that I brought them forth from the iron furnace." Ezek. xvii. +15, "Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doth such things? or +shall he break the covenant and be delivered?" Verse 18, "Seeing he +hath despised the oath, by breaking the covenant, when lo, he had +given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not +escape." Verse 19th, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, as I +live, surely mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that +he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head."</p> +<p>The minister having given these exhortations, closed the day's +work with prayer, and singing a part of the ciii. Psalm from the +17th to the 19th verse. And having intimated the time of meeting +for more immediate preparation for the <i>holy communion</i>, +putting the people in mind to be preparing for the work, by fervent +prayer and supplication, joined with serious and upright +self-examination, he dismissed the congregation after the usual +form.</p> +<p>This true and unbiassed account of the work in its design, +progress and issue we have given, not to pre-occupy false reports +only, which we cannot rationally suppose an entire freedom from, +unless we fall in with the opposers of our covenanted reformation, +and to purchase the good opinion and commendation of men at the +rate of losing the favor of God. The main end of relating some of +the more material heads, scope and argument of the <i>sermons</i> +is because there are some things handled in them which behoved to +have been inserted in this <i>preface</i>, to clear up our motives +and call to the work, which could not be better done than as the +same was cleared then to the people. And this brief relation, +though falling short of the matter then delivered, may serve to +bring things to the memories of those that found sweet satisfaction +in hearing them in the public. As for what may be the observations +of censorious critics, either <i>of the sermons</i> in particular, +or of the <i>work</i> in general, we are perfectly unconcerned +about them, seeing we equally value their approbation or +disapprobation; providing true matter of fact be not +misrepresented, and so truth injuriously wronged. Nor are we +willing here to make any observation of our own concerning the +issue and on-carrying of the work, though all the godly there +present ought to observe the Lord's gracious assistance and favor +(so far as they found the same afforded to themselves, or displayed +in others), lest we may either be in danger to diminish the grace +of God by complaining, or incur the suspicion of self-flatterers by +commending, but shall leave it to the judgment of such as were then +present, and the candid interpretation of others that may read this +preceding account thereof.</p> +<p>There have been many objections made against the <i>design, +matter</i> and <i>form</i> of the <i>covenants</i>: more against +subjects covenanting to defend the purity and promote the +reformation of religion, without the royal concurrence of their +sovereign princes; most of all against private persons entering +into covenant, or renewing thereof, for the said end without the +general concurrence of the representative body of the church and +state. Those which concern the former two, have been fully answered +by the greatest of our reformers, whose piety and learning set them +sufficiently above the snarling censures of whatsoever cavilling +pens or tongues: As for what are made against the last, they are +also answered better than we can pretend to, in the analysis upon +the 19th chapter of Deuteronomy, prefixed to the National and +Solemn League and Covenant renewed at Lesmahago, whereunto we refer +the reader. Only because that book may not be at hand to every one +that would desire these objections solved, we shall here transcribe +the answers to two or three of the most material of these +objections, making but small, if any, variation from the author's +words.</p> +<p><i>Object</i>. 1. "In all the national covenants whereof we read +in scripture, there was still the concurrence of either the +sovereign authority then in being, or at least of the Captains, +Elders, Officers, and Heads of the tribes; And, therefore, it +cannot be done by private subjects, without either royal or +parliamentary authority."</p> +<p><i>Ans</i>. Certainly the obligations of the Covenant, held +forth Deut. xxix. 10, 11, 12, being so extensive as to reach all +the members of church and commonwealth, of all qualities, ranks, +vocations, ages, sexes; is to be understood <i>positively</i>, that +all these are obliged to enter into covenant, but not +<i>negatively</i>, that without any of these the covenant should +not be entered into. The motives mentioned are to the small as well +as to the great; and without them as well as with them; the +articles of it, and the keeping and doing them, are common to both +alike: The relation that the small and meaner sort of people have +to God (the other contracting party) is the same that the nobles +and great ones have, and the privileges of it, to be established as +a people unto himself and to have him for their God, do no more +belong to the one than the other; And consequently the small may +renew it, as well as the great; but not nationally to bind the +whole nation formally, to which indeed the concurrence of the +representatives is necessary. As for precedents of this practice, +see them above, in the narrative of the sermons, [p. 9].</p> +<p><i>Object</i>. 2. "This covenant having been disclaimed by the +political father, and made void by law, never again revived by +authority of parliament, nor the law rescinded by which it was +declared not obligatory; is therefore of no binding force upon us, +who have never personally sworn it; and to renew it, and bring +ourselves under the bond of it, when we are free, without the +concurring or imposing authority of our rulers, is high presumption +in private subjects."</p> +<p><i>Ans</i>. If any engagements can be supposed binding to +posterity, certainly national covenants to keep the commandments of +God, and to adhere to his institutions, must be of that nature. It +cannot be denied, that several obligations do bind to posterity; +such as public promises with annexation of curses to breakers, Neh. +v. 12, 13. Thus Joshua's adjuration did oblige all posterity never +to build Jericho, Josh. vi. 26. And the breach of it did bring the +curse upon Hiel the Bethelite, in the days of Ahab. 2dly, Public +vows: Jacob's vow, Gen. xxviii. 21, did oblige all his posterity, +virtually comprehended in him, Hos. xii. 4. The Rechabites found +themselves obliged to observe the vow of their forefather Jonadab, +Jer. xxxv. 6, 14, for which they were rewarded and commended. +Public oaths do oblige posterity: Joseph took an oath of the +children of Israel, to carry up his bones to Canaan, Gen. i. 25, +which did oblige posterity some hundred years after. Exod. xiii 19. +Josh. xxiv. 32. National covenants with men before God, do oblige +posterity, as Israel's covenant with the Gibeonites, Josh. ix. 15, +19. The breach whereof was punished in the days of David, 2 Sam. +xxi. 1. Especially National Covenants with God, before men, about +things moral and objectively obliging, are perpetual; and yet more +especially (as Grotius observes) when they are of an hereditary +nature, i.e. when the subject is permanent, the matter moral, the +end good, and in the <i>form</i> there is a clause expressing their +perpetuity.</p> +<p>All which ingredients of perpetual obligations are clear in +Scotland's Covenants, which are <i>national promises</i>, adjuring +all ranks of persons, under a curse, to preserve and promote +reformation according to the word of God, and extirpate the +opposite thereof. <i>National vows</i>, devoting the then engaging, +and succeeding generations to be the Lord's people, and walk in his +ways. <i>National oaths</i>, solemnly sworn by all ranks, never to +admit of innovations, or submit to usurpations, contradictory to +the word of God. <i>National covenants</i>, wherein the king, +parliament and people did covenant with each other, to perform +their respective duties, in their several places and stations, +inviolably to preserve religion and liberty: Yea, more, <i>national +laws</i>, solemnly ratified by the king and parliament, and made +the foundation of the people's compact with the king, at his +inauguration: And, finally, they are <i>national covenants with +God</i>, as party contracting, to keep all the words of his +covenant. The subject or parties contracting are permanent, to wit, +the unchangeable God and the kingdom of Scotland, (the same may be +said of England and Ireland,) which, whilst it remains a kingdom, +is still under the obligation of these covenants. The <i>matter</i> +is <i>moral</i>, antecedently and eternally binding, albeit there +had been no formal covenant: the <i>ends</i> of them perpetually +good, to wit, <i>the defence of the true reformed religion, and the +maintenance of the King's Majesty's person and estate</i>, (as is +expressed in the National Covenant,) <i>the glory of God, the +advancement of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ; the honor and +happiness of the King's Majesty and his posterity, and the public +liberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms</i>, as it is expressed +in the Solemn League. And in the <i>form</i> of them there are +clauses expressing their perpetuity. In the National covenant it is +said, <i>that the present and succeeding generations in this land +are bound to keep the foresaid National Oath and Subscription +inviolable</i>. And in the Solemn League, Article 1, <i>That we and +our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and +love</i>. And Art. 5, <i>That they may remain conjoined in a firm +peace and union to all posterity</i>.</p> +<p>We may add also the sanctions of rewards and punishments +descending to posterity, prove the obligation perpetual: Which is, +alas! too visible in our case as to the punishments inflicted for +the breach of our covenants, and like to be further inflicted, if +repentance prevent not; so that as we have been a taunting proverb, +and an hissing, for the guilt, we may look to be made a curse and +an execration for the punishment of it. The distinction which some +make use of to elude this obligation, "That suppose they be +materially bound, yet seeing they have not sworn the covenants +personally, they are not formally bound," is both false and +frivolous; for our father's oath having all the aforesaid +qualifications, binds us formally as an oath, though we have but +virtually sworn it; and whether the obligation be material or +formal, implicit or explicit, it is all one in God's sight, if it +be real, seeing even virtual obligations have frequently brought +rewards and punishments upon the head of the observers or breakers +of them, as well as formal. Seeing, then, the obligation of the +covenant upon us is evident to a demonstration, it cannot, in +justness, be called a rebellious action against lawful authority, +to declare in our station that we believe so much and resolve to +practice accordingly. It is indeed too true that the wicked laws +enacting the perpetual breaches of these covenants have never been +rescinded; but seeing they are wicked and opposite to the +commandment and covenant of the Lord, the supreme legislator, they +are naturally void and null, and have been still so esteemed by +us.</p> +<p><i>Object</i>. 3. "Albeit the National Covenant should be +granted to be binding upon us the people of Scotland, and, +therefore, may be renewed: yet, to renew the Solemn League with +England and Ireland, as matters now stand, is ridiculous and +impossible."</p> +<p><i>Ans</i>. This objection is partly answered before in the +Sermons, [page 14,] and may be further cleared, if we consider, +that the Solemn League and Covenant may be taken under different +respects, <i>either as a league amongst men</i> or <i>a covenant +between God and men</i>: in the former sense, as it notes a +<i>league offensive and defensive</i> made betwixt the collective +bodies of these kingdoms, it is certain it cannot be taken by us, +who are but a poor insignificant handful of people, far from any +authority, or influence in church or commonwealth; the collective +and representative body of the three kingdoms having basely +abandoned their covenant with God, and united in a sinful compact +opposite thereto, so that to make a league with England or Ireland +in this sense, were to enter into a sinful confederacy with +apostate covenant breakers; but in the latter acceptation, as it is +a covenant with God, not as a witness only, but also as a party +contracting, there is no absurdity or impossibility why Scotland, +or any part thereof, may not renew it, obliging themselves by a +solemn vow to perform what they are bound to antecedently by the +law of God. And if it be considered as an association, it respects +those only who now do, or hereafter shall, adhere unto it, whether +here or in the other two kingdoms. Hence, the words in the preamble +of the Solemn League and Covenant, expressing the several ranks and +the extent of the Covenanters, were not read at the renewing of it +at Douglass, because we own ourselves to be under a league with +none but such as own the covenanted Reformation; these, and these +only, we heartily embrace as our colleagues, into the nearest and +dearest bonds of Christian union and fellowship, according to this +League and Covenant.</p> +<p>As the revolt of the ten tribes from the true religion and +covenant of the Lord their God, hindered not the godly of Judah, +nor the small party that joined in the sincere worship of God, out +of Ephraim and Manasseh, to renew their covenant under the +auspicious reigns of Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah; Nor did the horrid +apostacy of the Sectarian party in England impede our ancestors to +renew this Solemn League and Covenant in Scotland, Anno, 1649. So +neither can the defection of the generality of the three kingdoms, +which is to be bewailed, if possible, with tears of blood, hinder +us from testifying our adherence to the covenant, or invalidate +what we have done therein.</p> +<p><i>Object</i>. 4. "Albeit the action should be granted to be for +the main, lawful and right, yet it was most unseasonable to +undertake it at such a time, when the parliament and ministry is +composed of a set of men that evidence no good affection to the +present established church in Scotland, who will be ready to +interpret the action of a few immoderately and unseasonably zealous +people, as the deed of the whole Presbyterians in Scotland, and to +make a handle thereof against them, to impose upon them some new +burdens; or to take such measures as will effectually put a stop to +the more general renovation thereof throughout the land."</p> +<p>In answer to this objection, we shall only desire the gentlemen +that made it to remember, That now for the space of 24 years they +have been crying, the time is not come wherein we should set about +covenant-renewing; one while they have pretended that the time was +not seasonable, because such as were in authority were friends to +the church; and it would look like a suspecting of their integrity, +to enter into covenant for defence and reformation of religion, as +if they would not show themselves active enough for these ends, and +prove an irritation to them to turn enemies to Presbyterian +government; it would cause them to think the Presbyterians to be a +people of indiscreet and ungovernable zeal, and so disgust them at +the establishment. Another, while they excuse themselves from this +duty, because these in authority are unfriendly to the Presbyterian +establishment, they must walk cautiously now and manage prudently, +lest they give any umbrage to Jacobites and Episcopalians to +represent them ill at court, and so occasion the overthrow of the +great security founded in the Union Treaty. Formerly they needed +not renew the covenant, because religion was not in danger; now +they dare not attempt to do it because it is; they must wait till a +well-affected parliament and good counsellors set it out of danger +again, and then they will not need to covenant for its safety. +These shifts are too shrewd discoveries of neutrality in this +cause. It is to be feared that the godly have too long been +hoodwinked with such frivolous pretexts; and it is high time for +every one that has the low case of the work of God in the land at +heart, to be awakened to renew their covenant with God and keep the +same. The motives and calls to the work above mentioned will +sufficiently, we hope, demonstrate the seasonableness of it. But if +there was a defect as to the seasonableness, it was not because it +was so soon set about, but because it was no sooner.</p> +<p>We shall not dwell any longer upon these and the like +objections; there will not want mountains of difficulties in the +way till such time as the Lord, coming by his Spirit in a day of +his power, shall be pleased to level them and say, "Who art thou, O +great mountain? before Zerubabel thou shalt become a plain." In +that day (we doubt not) there shall be a willing people to enter +covenant with the Lord, even a perpetual covenant that shall not be +forgotten; but, in the mean time, they would do well to consider +the hazard they bring themselves into who wilfully raise objections +against the covenant, because they are unwilling to enter into it, +or be bound by it.</p> +<p>It may be some will desiderate an account of the other <i>solemn +holy action</i> that followed upon the back of this, in regard +there were some circumstances in it not so ordinary in this church +in former times, because of the paucity of public instruments; but +neither do we think it needful to give any large account of it, nor +will it fall so properly into this preface, which concerneth only +national covenanting, and, it is likely the reader's patience is +too far transgressed upon already; nor was there any <i>substantial +or formal</i> difference betwixt it and the comely order of the +Church of Scotland observed in our purest times of reformation in +the celebration of that sacred ordinance, except what in the form +arose from the circumstances we were in, and the reason now +mentioned. The work was awful and great, the persons employed about +it few, insignificant in their own eyes, as well as mean in the +eyes of others; and hence the Lord's power and grace was the more +conspicuous, who (we must not dissemble it) was present to the +sensible experience of many, sealing instruction upon the hearts of +some, and granting, strengthening, and confirming grace to others, +for which he ought to have all the glory.</p> +<p>But because there has been, as we are informed, no small clamor +raised anent some expressions used in debarring the ignorant and +scandalous from the holy table of the Lord; <i>That the Minister +should have unreasonably and presumptuously excommunicated the +Queen and Parliament, and the whole Ministers of the established +church of Scotland</i>; Therefore, we shall here insert the very +words relating to that affair, as they were uttered by him without +any alteration. In warning the ignorant, scandalous and profane to +beware of presuming to approach to the holy table of the Lord, the +minister observed (as the manner is) the order of the decalogue, +where, in the sins forbidden in the second commandment, as they are +enumerated by the very Reverend the Assembly of Divines sitting at +Westminster, in their humble advice concerning a Larger Catechism, +we find these amongst others—"All devising, counseling, +commanding, using, and any ways approving any religious worship not +instituted by God himself, tolerating a false religion.---- All +superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, +taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or +received by tradition from others, though under the title of +antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretence +whatsoever." Hence, he expressed himself in these words—"I +excommunicate and debar from this holy table of the Lord, all +devisers, commanders, users, or approvers of any religious worship +not instituted by God in his Word, all tolerators and countenancers +thereof; and by consequence I debar and excommunicate from this +holy table of the Lord, Queen and Parliament, and all under them, +who spread and propagate or tolerate a false superstitious worship, +ay and until they repent," And in relation to the opposing of the +covenants and work of reformation, he had these words—"I +excommunicate and debar all who are opposers of our covenants and +covenanted Reformation, and all that have taken oaths contrary to +our covenants, and such particularly as are takers of the Oath of +Abjuration, whether Ministers or others, until they repent."</p> +<p>That this was no presumptuous and rebellious arrogance is +evident, because the sins for which he debarred Queen and +Parliament, and all others guilty of them, are proven from +Scripture to be gross breaches of God's law, and every violation +thereof persisted in without repentance, is a sufficient cause (in +the opinion of Protestant Divines) to debar and exclude from the +Lord's table. Now, it is certain that even those ministers of the +established church who make such obloquy against the work for this +particular, do the same thing in effect every time that they +administrate this ordinance, for (as can be proved if they please +to require it, or do deny it,) they excommunicate from the table +all guilty of such sins as are forbidden in the second commandment, +according as they are specified in the forsaid Catechism; and so, +by an infallible consequence, they excommunicate the Queen and +Parliament, who are grossly guilty of the most of them, only they +have not the courage ingenuously and freely to own and express the +consequence, but that it follows natively and necessarily from the +premises, even according to their own principles, they will never +be able to disprove.</p> +<p>Now, Reader, thou hast a just and true account as far as was +necessary, of our poor and weak endeavours in this matter, which we +hope will, at least, stand as a witness and testimony (without +arrogance we desire to speak it) against the apostacy of some and +indifferency of others, who should have been to us as the +<i>he-goats before the flock</i> in paving our way to Zion, but are +rather <i>making to themselves captains</i> to carry us back to +Babylon, and pollute our land with idolatry and superstition; and, +as a pledge to posterity that the Lord has not yet utterly deserted +the land, though we rather wish,(if so it may consist with his holy +purpose, <i>who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in +working</i>) that it might tend to excite, some to bethink "whence +they have fallen, and repent, and to do their first works, lest the +Lord come quickly, and utterly remove his candlestick from us:" and +engage them to renew these covenants in a more public way, and +prosecute the ends of them with more zeal, fidelity, and constancy, +"that the Lord may yet delight to dwell amongst us, make our judges +peace, and our exactors righteousness," and make us to be called +<i>Hephzibah</i>, and our land <i>Beulah</i>.</p> +<p>The reader may please to cast his eye upon the following +passages, quoted from the writings of some of the ablest divines, +wherewith these kingdoms have been blessed, since the first +reformation from Popery; wherein he will see, how far different an +opinion they have entertained of the Covenant, from what are the +thoughts of the learned Latitudinarians of our age.</p> +<p><i>A Testimony to the truth of</i> JESUS CHRIST <i>and to our +Solemn League and Covenant, &c., subscribed by the Ministers of +Christ, within the province of London, December</i> 14, 1649 Head +IV.</p> +<p>"In order unto reformation and defence of religion within these +three kingdoms, we shall never forget, how solemnly and cheerfully +the Solemn League and Covenant was sworn with hands lifted up to +the most high God.—We were, and are abundantly satisfied, +that our Solemn League and Covenant of September 27, 1643, is not +only warrantable for the matter of it and manner of entering into +it, but also of such excellency and importance,—That it will +be very hard in all points to parallel it; and, therefore, as we +did sincerely swear this covenant with God, with all our heart, and +with all our soul, much rejoicing at the oath with a true intention +to perform it, and not for promoting any politic design; so we do +believe and profess to the world that we still stand as firmly +engaged to the real performance of it, and that it is not in the +power of any person or persons on earth to dispense with it or +absolve from it."</p> +<p><i>The harmonious consent of the Ministers of the county +Palatine Lancaster with their Reverend Brethren the Ministers of +the province of London.</i> Head V.</p> +<p>"We shall never forget how solemn it (the Solemn League and +Covenant) was sworn, and what rejoicing there was at the oath, +sundry at the taking of it weeping for joy; and when the Covenant +was thus taken, we thought with ourselves, that surely now the +crown is set upon England's head: We judged the day of entering +into this Covenant to be England's coronation-day, as it was the +day of the gladness of our hearts."</p> +<p><i>Mr. Philip Nye's Exhortation at the taking of the Covenant, +September 29th, 1649, p. 2.</i></p> +<p>"This Oath is such, and in the matter and consequence of it of +such concernment, as I can truly say, it is worthy of us, yea, of +all the kingdoms of the world; for it is swearing fealty and +allegiance to Christ the King of kings, and giving up of all these +kingdoms which are his inheritance, to be subdued more to his +throne, and ruled more by his sceptre, upon whose shoulders the +government is laid."</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4><i>THE NATIONAL COVENANT, OR THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE +KIRK OF SCOTLAND</i>;</h4> +<p>Subscribed at first by the King's Majesty and his Household, in +the year of God 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. Subscribed 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 Band for the maintenance of +the true religion, and the King's person: And subscribed in the +year 1638, by the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers +and Commons, then under-subscribing; together with their resolution +and promises for the causes after specified, to maintain the True +Religion, and the King's Majesty, according to the Confession +aforesaid and Acts of Parliament; And upon the supplication of the +General Assembly to his Majesty's High Commissioner, and the Lords +of his Majesty's honorable Privy Council. Subscribed again in the +year 1639, by Ordinance of Council, and Acts of General Assembly, +&c., &c. The Tenor whereof here followeth.</p> +<p>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 thoroughly resolved in 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 before God and the whole world, that this only is +the true Christian faith and religion pleasing God, revealed to the +world by the preaching of the blessed evangel; and is received, +believed, and defended by many and sundry notable kirks and realms, +but chiefly by the <i>Kirk of Scotland, and sometimes by the King's +Majesty, and the three estates of this realm</i>, as God's eternal +truth and only ground of our salvation, as more particularly is +expressed in the Confession of our Faith, established and publickly +confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments, and now of a long time +have been openly professed by the King's 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 own consciences, in all +points, as unto God's 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 special +we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist +upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the civil Magistrate, +and consciences of men: All his tyrranous 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 God's 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 cruel judgment 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 devilish mass: His +blasphemous priesthood: 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, relics and crosses; +dedicating of kirks, altars, days; Vows 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, <i>opus operatum</i>, works of +supererogation, merits, pardons, peregrinations and stations: His +holy water, baptizing of bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing, +earning, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of God's good creatures, +with the superstitious opinion joined therewith: His worldly +monarchy, and wicked hierarchy: His three solemn vows, with all his +shavellings of sundry sorts: His erroneous and bloody decrees made +at Trent, with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruel and +bloody bond, conjured against the Kirk of God.</p> +<p>And finally, we detest all his vain allegories, rites, signs, +and traditions brought into the Kirk, without or against the Word +of God and doctrine of this true reformed Kirk; to the which we +join ourselves 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 <i>Great Name of the +Lord our God</i>, 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 days of our lives, +under the pains continued in the law and danger both of body and +soul, in the day of God's fearful judgment. And, seeing that many +are stirred up by Satan and that Roman 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 external cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert +secretly God's true religion within the Kirk, and afterwards, when +the time may serve, to become open enemies and persecutors of the +same, under vain hope of the Pope's dispensation devised against +the Word of God, to his greater confusion, and their double +condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus.</p> +<p>We, therefore, willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy, +and of such double dealing with God and his Kirk, protest, and call +<i>the Searcher of all hearts for witness</i>, that our minds and +hearts do fully agree with this our <i>Confession, Promise, +Oath</i>, and <i>Subscription</i>, so that we are not moved with +any worldly respect, but are persuaded only in our own consciences, +through the knowledge and love of God's true religion, imprinted 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 quietness and stability of our religion and +kirk, doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of +[the<a name="FNanchor5" id="FNanchor5"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_5"><sup>[5]</sup></a> King's Majesty,] as upon a +comfortable instrument of God's mercy, granted to this country, for +the maintaining of this kirk, and ministration of justice amongst +us, we protest and promise with our hearts, under the same oath, +hand-write, and pains, that we shall defend [his<a name="FNanchor6" +id="FNanchor6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6"><sup>[6]</sup></a> person +and authority,] with our goods, bodies, and lives, in the defence +of Christ's evangel, liberties of our country, ministration of +justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within +this realm, or without, we desire our God to be a strong and +merciful 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. Amen.</p> +<p>Likeas, many Acts of Parliament not only in general do abrogate, +annul, 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 favor of idolatry and superstition; or +of the Papistical kirk; as Act. 3, Act. 31, Parl. 1; Act. 23, Parl. +11; Act. 114, Parl. 12, of King James VI. that Papistry and +superstition may be utterly suppressed, according to the intention +of the Acts of Parliament, repeated in the 5th Act, Parl. 20, King +James VI. And to that end they ordain all Papists and priests to be +punished with manifold civil and ecclesiastical pains, as +adversaries to God's true religion, preached, and by law +established within this realm, Act 24, Parl. 11, King James VI.; as +common enemies to all Christian government, Act 18 Parl. 16, King +James VI.; as rebellers and gainstanders of our sovereign Lord's +authority, Act 47 Parl. 8, King James VI.; and as idolaters, Act +104, Parl. 7, King James VI. But also in particular, by and attour +the Confession of Faith, do abolish and condemn the Pope's +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 VI., do condemn the +Pope's erroneous doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrine +repugnant to any of the articles of the true and Christian +religion, publickly preached, and by law established in this realm; +and ordain the spreaders and makers of books, or libels, or +letters, or writs of that nature, to be punished, Acts 46, Parl. 3; +Act 106, Parl. 7; Act 24, Par. 11, K. James VI. do condemn all +baptism conform to the Pope's kirk, and the idolatry of the mass; +and ordains all sayers, wilful hearers, concealers of the mass, the +maintainers and resetters of the priests, Jesuits, trafficking +Papists, to be punished without any exception or restriction, Act +5, Parl. 1; Act 120, Parl. 12; Act 134, Parl. 13; Act 139, Parl. +Act 1, Parl. 19; Act 5, Parl. 20, King James VI., do condemn all +erroneous books and writs, containing erroneous doctrine against +the religion presently professed or containing superstitious rites +and ceremonies Papistical, whereby the people are greatly abused; +and ordains the home-bringers of them to be punished, Act 25, Parl. +11, King James VI., do condemn the monuments and dregs of the +bygone idolatry, as going to crosses, observing the festival days +of Saints and other superstitious and Papistical rites, to the +dishonour of God, contempt of true religion, and fostering of great +error among the people; and ordains the users of them to be +punished for the second fault as idolaters, Act 104, Parl. 7, King +James VI.</p> +<p>Likeas, many acts of parliament are conceived for maintenance of +God's true Christian religion, and the purity thereof in doctrine +and sacraments of the true church of God, the liberty and freedom +thereof in her national synodical 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 99th Act, Parl. 7, Act +23, Parl. 11; Act 114, Parl. 12; Act 160, Parl. 13, King James VI., +ratified by the 4th Act of King Charles. So that the 6th Act, Parl. +1, and 68th Act, Parl. 6, of King James VI., in the year of God +1579, declares 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 +publickly administrate) according to the Confession of Faith, to be +the true and holy kirk of Christ Jesus within this realm, and +decerns and declares 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 VI, and +ratified in this present parliament; more particularly do specify, +or that refuse the administration of the holy sacraments as they +were then administered, 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 Christ's body; and +the subsequent Act 69, Parl. 6. of King James VI. declares, that +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 styled, <i>God's true +religion—Christ's true religion—the true and Christian +religion—and a perfect religion</i>; 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, Parl. 12; Act 194 and 197, Parl. 14, +of King James VI. And all magistrates, sheriffs, &c. on the one +part, are ordained to search, apprehend, and punish all +contraveners; for instance, Act 5, Parl. 1; Act 104, Parl. 7; Act +25, Parl. 11, King James VI.; and that notwithstanding of the +King's Majesty's licence to the contrary, which are discharged and +declared to be of no force, in so far as they tend in any ways to +the prejudice and hinder of the execution of the acts of parliament +against Papists and adversaries of true religion, Act 106, Parl. 7, +King James VI. On the other part, in the 47th Act, Parl. 3, of King +James VI. it is declared and ordained, seeing the cause of God's +true religion and his highness' authority are so joined, as the +hurt of the one is common to both; and that none shall be reputed +as loyal and faithful subjects to our sovereign 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 give the confession of their faith of new, they +shall promise to continue therein in time coming, to maintain our +sovereign lord's authority, and at the uttermost of their power to +fortify, assist, and maintain the true preachers and professors of +Christ's evangel against whatsoever enemies and gainstanders of the +same; and namely, against all such (of whatsoever nation, estate, +or degree they be,) that have joined and bound themselves, or have +assisted, or assist 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 articles of +pacification at Perth, the 23rd of February, 1572; approved by +Parliament, the last of April, 1573; ratified in Parliament, 1587; +and related, Act 123, Parl. 12, of King James VI., with this +addition, that they are bound to resist all treasonable uproars and +hostilities that are raised against the true religion, the King's +Majesty, and the true professors.</p> +<p>Likeas all lieges are bound to maintain the King's Majesty's +royal person, and authority, the authority of Parliaments, without +the which neither any laws, or lawful judicatories can be +established, Act 130, Act 131, Parl. 8, K. James VI. and the +subjects' liberties, who ought only to live and be governed by the +King's laws, the common laws of this realm allenarly, Act 48, Parl. +3, K. James I. Act 79, Parl. 6, K. James IV. repeated in the Act +131, Parl. 8, K. James VI. 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 K. +James VI. declares such confusion would ensue, as this realm could +be no more a free monarchy, because by the fundamental laws, +ancient privileges, offices and liberties of this kingdom, not only +the princely authority of his Majesty's royal descent hath been +these many ages maintained, but also the people's 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 VI. and 4 Act K. +Charles I. 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 enduring the whole time of their lives; they shall serve the +same eternal God to the uttermost of their power, according as he +hath required in his most holy word, contained in the Old and New +Testaments. 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) and shall +abolish and gainstand 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 ways 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 heretics, and enemies to the true worship of God, who shall be +convicted by the true kirk of God, for the foresaid crimes, which +was also observed by his Majesty<a name="FNanchor7" id= +"FNanchor7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7"><sup>[7]</sup></a> at his +coronation in Edinburgh, 1633, as may be seen in the order of the +coronation.</p> +<p>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 bond to be made and +subscribed by his Majesty's 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-mentioned, and a +former large Confession established by sundry acts of lawful +General Assemblies, and of Parliament, unto which it hath relation, +set down in public Catechisms, and which had been for many years +(with a blessing from heaven) preached and professed in this kirk +and kingdom as God's undoubted truth, grounded only upon his +written Word. The other cause was, for maintaining the King's +Majesty, his person, and estate; the true worship of God and the +King's authority being so straitly joined 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 --------, and of the public peace of the kingdom; +by the manifold innovations and evils generally contained and +particularly mentioned, [in supplications, complaints, and +protestations,<a name="FNanchor8" id="FNanchor8"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_8"><sup>[8]</sup></a>] do hereby profess, and before +God, his angels, and the world, solemnly declare, that with our +whole hearts we agree and resolve, all the days of our life, +constantly to adhere unto and defend the foresaid true religion; +and (forbearing the practice of all novations already introduced in +the matters of the worship of God, or approbation of the +corruptions of the public government of the kirk, or civil places +and power of kirkmen,<a name="FNanchor9" id= +"FNanchor9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9"><sup>[9]</sup></a> till they +be tried and allowed in free assemblies and in Parliaments,) to +labor by all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the +gospel, as it was established and professed before the foresaid +novations; and because, after due examination, we plainly perceive, +and undoubtedly believe, that the evils contained in our +[supplications, complaints, and protestations,<a name="FNanchor10" +id="FNanchor10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10"><sup>[10]</sup></a>] +have no warrant 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 ruin 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 +abhor them, amongst other particular heads of Papistry abjured +therein; and, therefore, from the knowledge and conscience of our +duty to God, [to our King and country,<a name="FNanchor11" id= +"FNanchor11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11"><sup>[11]</sup></a>] +without any worldly respect or inducement, so far as human +infirmity will suffer, wishing a further measure of the grace of +God for this effect, we promise and swear by the <i>great name of +the Lord our God</i>, to continue in the profession and obedience +of the foresaid religion; that we shall 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 days 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 King's<a name= +"FNanchor12" id="FNanchor12"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_12"><sup>[12]</sup></a>] 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, and to the defence of [our +dread sovereign, the King's Majesty, his person and +authority<a name="FNanchor13" id="FNanchor13"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_13"><sup>[13]</sup></a>] 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 [his +Majesty's<a name="FNanchor14" id="FNanchor14"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_14"><sup>[14]</sup></a>] authority, with our best +counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all sorts of +persons whatsoever. 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; that we shall, neither +directly nor indirectly, suffer ourselves 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 motions be made to us by word or write, we, and every one +of us, shall either 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 and malice would put upon us, +seeing what we do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an +unfeigned desire to maintain the true worship of God, the majesty +of [<a name="FNanchor15" id="FNanchor15"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_15"><sup>[15]</sup></a> our King,] and peace of the +kingdom, for the common happiness of ourselves and the +posterity.</p> +<p>And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon our +proceedings, except with our profession and subscription, we join +such a life and conversation as beseemeth Christians who have +renewed their covenant with God: We, therefore, faithfully promise, +for ourselves, our followers, and all other under us, both in +public, in our particular families and personal carriage, to +endeavor to keep ourselves 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 unfeigned resolution, as +we shall answer to Jesus Christ, in the great day, and under the +pain of God's 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 nourish in the land, to the glory of God, the +honour of [our King<a name="FNanchor16" id= +"FNanchor16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16"><sup>[16]</sup></a>] and +peace and comfort of us all. In witness whereof we have subscribed +with our hands all the premises, &c.</p> +<p>The article of this covenant, which was at first subscription +referred<a name="FNanchor17" id="FNanchor17"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_17"><sup>[17]</sup></a> to the determination of the +General Assembly, being now 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 unlawful within +this kirk, we subscribe according to the determination +foresaid.</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4><i>THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, FOR REFORMATION AND DEFENCE +OF RELIGION, ETC</i>.</h4> +<p>We, having before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement +of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the honour and +happiness of [the<a name="FNanchor18" id="FNanchor18"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_18"><sup>[18]</sup></a> King's Majesty and his +posterity] and the true public liberty, safety, and peace of the +kingdoms, wherein every one's private condition is included; and +calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plots, conspiracies, +attempts and practices of the enemies of God against the true +religion and professors 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 public testimonies. We have +now at last [<a name="FNanchor19" id="FNanchor19"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_19"><sup>[19]</sup></a> after other means of +supplication, remonstrance, protestation and suffering] for the +preservation of ourselves and our religion from utter ruin and +destruction, according to the commendable practice of these +kingdoms in former times, and the example of God's people in other +nations, after mature deliberation, resolved and determined to +enter into a mutual 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—</p> +<p>1. That we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the +grace of God, endeavour in our several 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 endeavour to bring the churches of God in the three +kingdoms, to the nearest 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 midst of us.</p> +<p>2. That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, +endeavor the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy (that is, church +government by arch-bishops, bishops, their chancellors and +commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other +ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy), superstition, +heresy, schism, profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found to be +contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness; lest we +partake in other men's 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.</p> +<p>3. We shall, with the same sincerity, reality and constancy, in +our several vocations, endeavor with our estates and lives mutually +to preserve the rights and privileges of the parliaments<a name= +"FNanchor20" id="FNanchor20"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_20"><sup>[20]</sup></a> and the liberties of the +kingdoms; and to preserve and defend [the King's<a name= +"FNanchor21" id="FNanchor21"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_21"><sup>[21]</sup></a> Majesty's] person and authority, +in the preservation and defence of the true religion and liberties +of the kingdoms; that the world may bear witness with our +consciences of our loyalty, and that we have no thoughts or +intentions to diminish [his<a name="FNanchor22" id= +"FNanchor22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22"><sup>[22]</sup></a> +Majesty's] just power and greatness.</p> +<p>4. We shall also with all faithfulness endeavor the discovery of +all such as have been, or shall be, incendiaries, malignants, or +evil instruments, by hindering the reformation of religion, +dividing [the<a name="FNanchor23" id="FNanchor23"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_23"><sup>[23]</sup></a> King] from his people, or one of +the kingdoms from another, or making any faction or parties amongst +the people, contrary to this League and Covenant, that they may be +brought to public trial, and receive condign punishment, as the +degree of their offences shall require or deserve, or the supreme +judicatories of both kingdoms respectively, or others having power +from them for that effect, shall judge convenient.</p> +<p>5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed peace between these +kingdoms, denied in former times to our progenitors, was by the +good providence of God granted unto [<a name="FNanchor24" id= +"FNanchor24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24"><sup>[24]</sup></a>us] +and—concluded, and settled by both parliaments, We shall, +each one of us, according to our place and interest, endeavor that +they may be and remain conjoined<a name="FNanchor25" id= +"FNanchor25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25"><sup>[25]</sup></a> in a +firm peace and union to all posterity, and that justice may be done +upon the wilful opposers thereof, in manner expressed in the +precedent article.</p> +<p>6. We shall also according to our places and callings this +common cause of religion, liberty and peace of the kingdoms, assist +and defend all those that enter into this league and covenant, in +the maintaining and pursuing thereof; and shall not suffer +ourselves, directly or indirectly, by whatsoever combination, +persuasion or terror, to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed +union and conjunction, whether to make defection to the contrary +part, or to give ourselves to a detestable indifferency or +neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God, +the good of the kingdoms, and honor of [the<a name="FNanchor26" id= +"FNanchor26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26"><sup>[26]</sup></a> King;] +but shall all the days 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 ourselves to suppress or +overcome, we shall reveal and make known, that it may be timely +prevented or removed; all of which we shall do as in the sight of +God.</p> +<p>And because these kingdoms are guilty of many sins, and +provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ, as is too +manifest by our present distresses and dangers, the fruits thereof; +we profess and declare before God and the world, our unfeigned +desire to be humbled for our own sins, and for the sins of these +kingdoms, especially that we have not, as we ought, valued the +inestimable benefit of the gospel, that we have not labored for the +purity and power thereof, and that we have not endeavored to +receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our +lives, which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so +much abounding amongst us; and our true and unfeigned purpose, +desire and endeavor for ourselves, and all others under our power +and charge, both in public and private, in all duties we owe to God +and man, to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in +the example of a real reformation; that the Lord may turn away his +wrath, and heavy indignation, and establish these churches and +kingdoms in truth and peace. And this Covenant we make in the +presence of Almighty God, the searcher of all hearts, with a true +intention to perform the same, as we shall answer at the great day, +when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed; most humbly +beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this +end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with such success as +may be deliverance and safety to his people, and encouragement to +other Christian churches that may be groaning under, or in danger +of, the yoke of Antichristian tyranny, to join in the same, or like +association and Covenant to the glory of God, the enlargement of +the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the peace and tranquility of +Christian kingdoms and commonwealths.</p> +<p>N.B.—These Covenants above-written, formerly nationally +taken and renewed, and still nationally binding, We, in our private +station only, swear and subscribe in their genuine sense, conform +to the Explication and Application thereof, in our present +Acknowledgment of the public Sins and Breaches of the same, and +Engagement to the Duties contained therein, which do in a special +way relate to the present times, and are proper for our capacities +therein.</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4><i>A SOLEMN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PUBLIC SINS, AND BREACHES OF THE +NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT</i>.</h4> +<p>We all and every one of us—being <i>by the good hand of +our God upon us</i>, now, after a long and due deliberation, +determined to testify to the world, for the glory of God, and the +exoneration of our consciences, in the matter of our duty, our +adherance to the whole of our attained Reformation, by renewing +these our vows and Covenant-engagements with God, and knowing that +it is a necessary preparative for the right performance of that so +great and solemn a duty, that we be duly sensible of, and deeply +humbled for the many heinous breaches thereof, which these nations, +and we ourselves in particular are guilty of; do therefore, with +that measure of sorrow and repentance which God of his mercy shall +be pleased to grant us, desire to acknowledge and confess our own +sins and violations of these vows, and the sins and transgressions +of our fathers; to which we have also an example left us by the +<i>Cloud of witnesses, which through faith and patience have +inherited the promises</i>, ever since the Lord had a visible +national church upon earth, and more especially by our progenitors +in this nation; as, for instance, in the year 1596, "Wherein the +General Assembly, and all the kirk judicatories, with the +concurrence of many of the nobility, gentry and burgesses, did with +many tears acknowledge the breach of the National Covenant, and +engaged themselves into a reformation, even as our predecessors, +and theirs, had done in the General Assembly and Convention of +Estates in the year 1567." As also the more recent practice of the +godly renewing the National Covenant, and acknowledging the +breaches of it, both before they obtained the concurrence of civil +authority, in the year 1638, and again, by authority, in the year +1639. And that noble precedent of that <i>National Solemn +acknowledgment of Public Sins and Breaches of the Solemn League and +Covenant, and Solemn Engagement to all the duties contained +therein</i>, (which we are here taking for our pattern, and +enlarging the same as the sad sins and transgressions since that +time committed, and the circumstances of time give occasion) +condescended upon, "by the Commission of the General Assembly, and +approven by the Committee of Estates, and publickly owned in all +the churches, at the renewing of the Solemn League, Anno 1648, and +1649, together with that solemn renovation thereof accompanied with +such confession of sins as did best suit that time, by that small +company of the Lord's people at Lanark, before their discomfiture +at Pentland hills. And perceiving by the foresaid instances, that +this duty, when gone about out of conscience, hath very often been +attended with a reviving out of troubles—or at least out of +deadness, security, and formality, under which we and the land are +at present sinking, and with a blessing and success from +heaven;—'We do humbly and sincerely, as in His sight who is +the searcher of hearts, acknowledge the many sins and great +transgressions of the land; we have done wickedly, our kings, our +princes, our nobles, our judges, our officers, our teachers, and +our people. Albeit the Lord hath long and clearly spoken unto us, +we have not hearkened to his voice. Albeit he hath followed us with +tender mercies, we have not been allured to wait upon him and walk +in his way. And though he hath sticken us, yet we have not grieved: +nay, though he hath consumed us, we have refused to receive +correction. We have not remembered to render unto the Lord +according to his goodness, and according to our vows and promises; +but have gone away backward, by a perpetual backsliding, and have +most sinfully and shamefully broken the National Covenant, and all +the articles of the Solemn League and Covenant, which our fathers +sware before God, angels and men.'" Albeit there has been in the +land, ever since the reformation of religion, some of all ranks who +have been for a testimony unto the truth, and for a name of joy and +praise unto the Lord, by living godly, studying to keep their +garments pure, and being steadfast in the covenant and cause of +God; and there yet continues to be some, though reduced to a very +small number, destitute of outward power and ability, and other +helps fit for the right managing of a testimony, wanting the +countenance of civil authority, and having few to feed or lead +them; who are, notwithstanding all these difficulties, labouring in +the strength of Christ to keep the good old way of these faithful +witnesses who are gone before, in bearing testimony to the truths +of Christ. "Yet we have reason to acknowledge, that most of us in +this land have not endeavoured with that reality, sincerity, and +constancy that did become us, to preserve the work of reformation +in the Kirk of Scotland, as we are obliged by the first article of +the Solemn League, and by the National Covenant; wherein we promise +and swear 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 days of our lives, under the pains contained in the law, +and danger both of body and soul in the day of God's fearful +judgment, and resist all contrary error and corruptions, according +to our vocations, and the utmost of that power God hath put in our +hands all the days of our life—according to these +Scriptures."</p> +<p>Ezra ix. 10, 11, "And now, O our God, what shall we say after +this? for we have forsaken thy commandments. Verse 11. Which thou +hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, &c." Isaiah xxiv. +5, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, +because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, +broken the everlasting covenant." Jeremiah ix. 13, "And the Lord +saith, because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, +and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein. Verse 15. +Therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold +I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them +water of gall to drink." Daniel vii. 25, "And he shall speak great +words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the +Most High, and think to change times and laws." Galatians v. 1, +"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us +free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." I +Timothy iv. 16, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine: +continue in them: for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, +and them that hear thee." 2 Timothy i. 13, "Hold fast the form of +sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith, and love, which +is in Christ Jesus." Revelation in. 10, 11, "Because thou hast kept +the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of +temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that +dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly; hold fast that which +thou hast, that no man take thy crown."</p> +<p>"But we have been so far from such endeavours, that there hath +been a stupid submission to our rulers and great ones, breaking +down and ruining the whole work of reformation, razing the bulwarks +thereof, rescinding the laws in favour of the same, and not only +breaking but burning the covenants for preserving it, enacting the +breaches thereof, and declaring the obligation thereof void and +criminal to be, owned; and, upon the ruins thereof, setting up +abjured Diocesan Erastian Prelacy, with its concomitant bondage of +patronages—a blasphemous and sacrilegious supremacy and +arbitrary power in magistrate over church and state. There was +little conscience made of constant endeavours to preserve the +reformation, when there was not a seasonable testimony exhibited +against these audacious and heaven-daring attempts; when our +ministers were by a wicked edict ejected from their charges, both +they and the people too easily complied with it. Albeit, in the +National Covenant, the land is obliged to defend the reformation, +and to labour by all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty +of the gospel, by forbearing the practice of all novations +introduced in the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions +of the public government of the kirk: yet was there given all the +approbation required by law of the novation and corruption of +Prelacy by hearing the Prelatic curates. Both ministers and people, +in a great measure complied with, submitted unto, and connived at +the encroachments of the supremacy and absolute power, both in +accepting and countenancing the former indulgences and later +toleration; the generalty took and subscribed oaths and bonds +imposed during the reigns of these tyrants, Charles II. and James +Duke of York, pressing conformity with the then establishments of +church and state, most contrary to the reformation which the nation +had sworn to preserve; some of these oaths and bonds restraining +the takers from all endeavours to preserve it, as those that +renounced the privilege of defensive arms; some of them abjuring +the covenants expressly, and condemning the prosecution of the ends +of them as rebellion, viz., the declaration and test; the most part +did, Issachar like, crouch beneath all the burthens of maintaining +and defending an arbitrary power and absolute tyranny, wholly +employed and applied for the destruction of reformation, and paid +such subsidies and supplies as were declaredly imposed for +upholding the tyrant's usurpations, and suppressing all endeavours +to preserve the reformation."</p> +<p>And after the Lord was pleased in mercy to break the rod of +oppression, and burst the bands of that horrid tyranny from off his +people's necks, and to allow us a time of peace and ease; yet have +we not made conscience of keeping this our oath; but instead of all +lawful means to preserve the discipline and government of this +church, there have been frequent invasions made thereupon by the +civil powers, exercising an Erastian supremacy over her assemblies, +by indicting, prorogueing, and dissolving them at their pleasure, +and in their name and authority; whereby Christ's supremacy and +kingly dignity was highly injured. And as the state for their part +have, contrary to this article, made these usurpations upon the +government of the church, so have backslidden ministers in their +stations shamefully succumbed to, been silent at, and pleaded in +defence of these usurpations, and have not zealously and faithfully +asserted their Master's prerogatives, and the privileges of his +church, sacrilegiously encroached upon by the magistrate. And +people likewise have, in their stations, been unconcerned about +these wrongs and injuries done to Christ, and have not used all +lawful endeavour with their superiors (which they own as such,) +whether of church or state, in order to reformation thereof, nor +made faithful protestations against them, when they could not +obtain redress—and as the government of the church has not +been duly preserved; so there has been a want of constant +endeavours to preserve pure the doctrine of this reformed church; +and that ever since that fatal distraction of <i>public resolution +principles</i> began to creep into the church, which corrupted +people in that doctrine of abstaining from association with +malignants and enemies to truth and godliness, and so far prevailed +that the avowed enemies of religion were brought into places of +greatest trust and authority. And these associations have not been +made only with the haters of religion at home, but are also entered +into with the enemies to the Protestant religion abroad; and many +backsliding ministers in the late times of tyranny were very faulty +in this point of not labouring to preserve the purity of doctrine, +either by express condemning of some important truths then +persecuted, or at least in being silent and not asserting them, nor +applying their doctrine to the time's corruptions; whereby many of +the people were left to be overcome by snares—"And so laid +open to seek out other principles to justify their practices of +compliance, or extravagances on the right or left hand, not +consistent with the doctrine and rules of the Church of Scotland, +others were not constant in confessing those doctrines before men +when called to suffer for, and avouch them." Neither are there at +this day, nor has there been all along during these years of peace +and quiet, suitable endeavours for suppressing all sorts of unsound +doctrine, or purging the land of the leaven of erroneous +principles. Although there have been many laws made against Popery, +yet how have they been put to execution, when Papists are so rife +and Popery prevalent?—the idolatrous mass being set up in +several places of the kingdom; the maintainers and promoters of +Quakerism, Bourignianism, Arminianism, &c, are not punished, +but protected by the state, and connived at by the church. And +whereas, the right endeavouring of maintaining sound doctrine, doth +require uprightness and sincerity in the profession and belief +thereof, and a suitable practice accompanying that belief; we have +it to lament that the most part of us in this land are but +hypocritical in the professing of the doctrines of the gospel, and +want a suitable practice and conversation becoming the gospel, +cause, and cross of Christ. Many are grossly ignorant of the +fundamental doctrines of Christianity, or study the circumstantial +and controverted more than the fundamental truths.</p> +<p>There has also been great short coming of <i>real, sincere and +constant endeavors to preserve the worship of God</i>, public and +private. "In times of hazard, many ministers left off preaching, +and the people hearing. We have been negligent and remiss in family +worship; and, instead of preserving, many have done much to +discourage and hinder it: And in secret we have been formal and +careless: Many have satisfied themselves with the purity of the +ordinances, neglecting the power thereof, yea, some have turned +aside to crooked ways destructive to both." Neither have we been +careful to preserve the discipline, church censures being laid +aside, and not impartially exercised against scandals, personal and +public. Scandalous persons being admitted to hold up their children +to baptism, and to partake of the Lord's table and other privileges +of the church, without respect to the rules of Christ. The +discipline of the church hath also been circumscribed, limited, and +bounded by Acts of Parliament, and is now rendered ineffectual by +the late Act of the British Parliament, entitled, <i>Act for +preventing the Disturbing of those of the Episcopal Communion in +that part of Great Britain called Scotland</i>. So that ministers +could not without transgressing these Acts (which they too +punctually observe) draw out the sword of discipline against many +covenant-breakers; perjured hireling-curates being allowed to enjoy +churches and benefices without censure or molestation, if subject +to the civil government, as is evident from the 27th Act of the +fifth Session of William's first Parliament, entitled, <i>Act +concerning the Church</i>. Ministers have neglected to draw out the +sword of discipline, duly and impartially against scandalous +persons of every rank and quality; so that many gross offenders +have been passed over without censure, as, namely, such as shed the +blood of the Lord's people, complied with the tyrants and usurpers +in the times of persecution, by testing, bonding, hearing of +curates, paying of cess and other taxations, intelligencers, and +informers against the people of God, accepters of indulgences and +toleration, and such as preached under the covert of remissions and +indemnities bought by sums of money from the council, such as had +been lack and negligent in testifying against the corruptions of +the times, were not brought to an acknowledgment of it; but, upon +the contrary, encouraged as well-doers, and advanced to office and +public employment in the church without evident signs of +repentance. And many other scandalous persons are daily connived at +and superficially past, without sufficient discoveries of their +repentance and amendment: Many also have been overlooked because of +their eminency in the world, or past over for pecuniary mulcts. +And, whereas, in the same first Article of the Solemn League, we +are bound "to endeavor the promoting and propagating of the +Reformation and uniformity of religion, Confession of Faith, Form +of Church-government (which as it was primarily understood, so +still we own to be only Presbyterial) Directory for Worship and +Catechising. According to the Scriptures."</p> +<p>Isa. xix. 18. "In that day shall five cities in the land of +Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of +Hosts." Jer. xxxii. 39. "And I will give them one heart and one +way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and of +their children after them." Zech. xiv. 9. "And the Lord shall be +King over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and +his name one." Acts ii. 46. "And they continuing daily with one +accord in the temple, and breaking bread, from house to house, did +eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Acts iv. 32. +"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and one +soul." I Cor. vii. 17. "But as God hath distributed to every man, +as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk; and so ordain I +in all churches." Gal. vi. 16. "And as many as walk according to +this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of +God." Phil. iii. 16. "Nevertheless, whereto we have already +attained; let us walk by the same rule; let us mind the same +thing."</p> +<p>Yet as our fathers had reason to complain, "that the profane, +loose, and insolent carriage of many in their armies, who went to +the assistance of their brethren in England, and the tampering and +unstraight dealings of some commissioners and others of our nation, +in London, the Isle of Wight, and other places, had proved great +lets to the work of reformation and settling of kirk government +there, whereby error and schism in the land had been greatly +increased, and sectaries hardened in their way;" so much more +during the time of the late persecution, the offensive carriage of +many who went to England is to be bewailed, who proved very +stumbling to the Sectarians there.</p> +<p>There hath been little zeal or endeavour for such a uniformity, +little praying for it, or mourning over the obstructions of it; +but, upon the contrary, a toleration was embraced, introductive of +a sectarian multiformity of religion without a testimony against +the toleration even of Popery itself, under the usurper James, Duke +of York; and since the Revolution the land hath done exceeding much +to harden them. 1st, By accepting such persons to the royal dignity +over this realm as had sworn to maintain the Antichristian +hierarchy of Prelacy, with all the superstitions and ceremonies of +the Church of England, and who countenance a multiformity in the +worship of God and government of the church, and do not suppress +such as are unsound and heterodox in the fundamental articles of +the Christian faith. And, next, to put a full stop to all +endeavours of uniformity and union in the Lord's way, and to bring +the nation under an indespensible necessity of covenant breaking, +this nation hath entered into an <i>incorporating union</i> with +England in such terms, and upon such conditions as formally and +explicitly established Prelacy as the Church-government there to +all succeeding generations; and that while, in the meantime, all +manner of Sectarian errors are there encouraged, maintained, and +supported by means of a toleration. By the concluding of which +union, this land hath said upon the matter that there is no +obligation upon us to tender the advancement of religion in that +nation, or to study such means and methods as might tend to bring +them to a sense of their breach of covenant, or reduce them to a +performance of the duties whereunto they are engaged; and thus this +land hath hardened them in their sinful ways and courses, contrary +to this Solemn League, and given them ground to think that we look +upon the obligation thereof to be loosed. This land hath been +wanting in compassion to them as brethren, in not labouring to show +them their sin and danger, while persisting in a professed +violation of their vows, and refusing them help in their need, when +supplication was made by some of them to the first Assembly after +the Revolution for ministers to preach the gospel. And though this +land hath sought out methods how to entertain amity and friendship +with them, yet have they not endeavoured to have it such as that +the Lord should, upon that account, delight to dwell amongst us: +nay, upon the contrary, unless these methods be repented of and +forsaken, it is impossible that reformation should ever amount to +that degree of perfection in these kingdoms, to which, through the +mercy of God, it once arrived; so that instead of <i>living +together in peace and love, we and our posterity after us</i>, are +like to live in a joint defection from our covenant engagements +made to the Most High God.</p> +<p>In the second Article of the Solemn League and Covenant, we +swear, "That we shall, without respect of persons, endeavour the +extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Superstition, Heresy, Schism, +Profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound +doctrine and the power of godliness. And in the National Covenant +to abhor and detest the Antichristian wicked Hierarchy," &c. +According to the Scriptures.</p> +<p>Exod. xxiii. 32, 33. "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor +with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make +thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it surely will +be a snare unto thee." Exod. xxxiv. 12, 13. "Take heed to thyself, +lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither +thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye +shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their +groves." Deut. xiii. chapter throughout. Judges ii. 2. "And ye +shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; you shall +throw down their altars," &c. Zech. xiii. 2, 3. "And it shall +come to pass in that day saith the Lord of Hosts, that I will cut +off the names of idols out of the land, and also I will cause the +prophets and the unclean spirits to pass out of the land. And it +shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his +father and his mother that begat him, shall say unto him, Thou +shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and +his father, and his mother, that begat him, shall thrust him +through, when he prophesieth." I Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3. "Now the Spirit +speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from +the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils: +Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a +hot iron: Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from +meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of +them which believe, and know the truth." Rev. xvii. 5. "And upon +her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE +MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Verse 16. And the +ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the +whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her +flesh, and burn her with fire." Compared with Rev. xviii. 4, 5, 6. +"A I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my +people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive +not of her plagues: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God +hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded +you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup +which she hath filled, fill to her double."</p> +<p>Yet, alas! so far has the land been defective in this, that upon +the contrary, it hath been polluted with idolatrous masses; altars, +and other monuments of idolatry were suffered again to be erected; +the penal statutes were disabled, stopped, and suspended by an +absolute arbitrary power by means of a toleration in its own nature +tending, and in its design intending to introduce Popery and +slavery, which yet was accepted and addressed for by many +backslidden ministers, who to this day have made no public +acknowledgement of the sin of so doing, notwithstanding all the +reformation which is bragged of, and was countenanced, complied, +and concurred with by many people without a testimony or endeavour +to withstand it. Yea, the administration of the government and the +greatest offices of power and trust were committed into, and +permitted to abide in the hands of Papists; and the head of them +and great pillar and promoter of Popery, James the VII, was owned +as King, contrary to the laws of God and man and covenant +obligations, without respect of persons to extirpate Popery and +Papists; and few during that time evinced any just zeal or +indignation against, or fear of the manifest appearances of the +coming in of Popery and intended establishment of it in the land. +And not only then, but even to this day, there is too much +conniving at Papists; the laws are not put in execution against +them in their full extent and latitude: And albeit this land, yea, +whole Britain and Ireland, were purged of Popery, yet cannot we be +said to have made conscience of performing this part of the oath of +God, while there is a confederating with Papists abroad and +fighting in their quarrel, and that, whilst in the meantime they +are persecuting, with the height of rigour and severity, all such +as profess any thing of the reformed religion in their dominions. +And as there hath been great failures in respect of extirpating +Popery, so especially in the performance of that part of the +covenant which binds us to the extirpation of +Prelacy—"<i>i.e.</i> Church government by arch-bishops, +bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deans and +chapters, archdeacons, and all other officers depending upon that +hierarchy:" there hath been a most wilful and palpable violation of +the oath of God, though it be most clearly our duty prescribed in +his word.</p> +<p>Matt. xx. 25, 26. "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, ye +know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, +and they that are great exercise authority upon them: But it shall +not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him +be your minister." Luke xxii. 25, 26. "And he said unto them the +Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them," &c. Acts +xx: 17. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders +of the church." Compared with verse 28. "Take heed therefore unto +yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath +made you observers (bishops) to feed the church of God, which he +hath purchased with his own blood." I Peter v. 3. "Neither as being +lords over God's heritage: but being ensamples to the flock." 3 +John verse 9. "I wrote unto the church; but Diotrepehes, who loveth +to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not."</p> +<p>And these breaches of it were not only made during the tunes of +persecution, when Charles the II. by an arbitrary power, granted +him by a parasitical Parliament, did overturn Presbyterian +government, and introduce Prelacy, to which change the greatest +part of the ministry did perfidiously yield, and became vassals to +the bishops; such as were not willing to conform, were pressed to +it by confinement, banishment, imprisonment, confiscation of goods, +all manner of tortures, and, finally, death itself.</p> +<p>During which hour and power of darkness, many complied with the +enemy, by taking oaths and bonds, indulgencies and toleration, and +because so remiss in this matter, that it was all one to them which +government had the ascendant, so they might enjoy their worldly +accommodations. And not only then, while Satan was let loose in his +members and emissaries to persecute and waste the Church of Christ, +but since peace and quietness are obtained, this duty continues to +be greatly slighted; yea, in place of extirpating Prelacy, have +there not been courses taken effectually to establish it? To +instance a few—the accepting of William and Mary, and after +them the present possessor of the Crown, to be supreme Magistrates, +while they are knownly and professedly Prelatical in their +judgment, and engaged by oath at their coronation to maintain the +same; the swearing oaths of allegiance to them without security for +their preserving of the true reformed religion—yea, without +any limitation or qualification whatsoever; as also, the taking an +oath of adjuration, wherein, by consequence, the takers engaged to +do to the utmost of their power to procure that the Kings or Queens +of these kingdoms shall be of the communion of the Prelatical +Church, and so that they shall contribute to the support of +Prelacy.</p> +<p>Again, the Episcopal clergy who subjected to it during the time +of its legal establishment, have not been therefore prosecuted by +the discipline of the church; but such as did, and yet do profess +it as their principle, are allowed equal encouragement with the +Presbyterians, only providing they evidence good affection to the +civil government. And now, since the late <i>incorporating +union</i> with England, we of this nation have consented that +Prelacy shall be established there to all succeeding generations, +(as was observed in the first article); and, moreover, have given +into the hands of the Prelatics in England, the power of making +laws which must become binding upon this land, they being members +of the British Parliament and council; which power has been already +improved, to establish a liberty and protection for the whole +rabble of the Episcopal Clergy in the free exercise of the Popish +ceremonies of the Church of England, without any provision against +the grossest heretical opinions that they please to broach, +excepting only the denying of the doctrine of the blessed Trinity. +Where, then, are our endeavours for the extirpation of the wicked +hierarchy?—where is the abhorrence and detestation of it, +sworn and engaged to in these Covenants?—Do not many who +profess themselves to be Presbyterians show themselves so +indifferent in this point, that they can join with either, as may +suit their interest?—instance the Sacramental Testers. Few +mourn over and pray earnestly for the subversion of that hierarchy. +Few doctrinally discover the evils of such a government, and how +contrary it is to God's Word—or labour to bring their hearers +into a dislike and detestation of it, and the sad fruits which +result from it. Few study to convince others of the evil of such a +principle, and following such a course by the Apostle's rule, +avoiding all unnecessary company with them, that they may be +ashamed; but, upon the contrary, many Presbyterians too familiar +and unnecessary converse with them, encourage and harden them; and, +particularly, ministers are to be blamed herein, who preach one +half of the Lord's day in the church, and allow the curate the +other half. Few impartially reprove and warn them of their sin and +danger; but, upon the other hand, many professed Presbyterians, by +their untender and unchristian walk and conversation, or by their +lukewarmness and indifferency in Christ's matters, now called +<i>moderation</i>, and by their walking contrary to covenant +engagements, do exceedingly harden them in their evil way, and +scandalize them at their duty. Instead of endeavours to extirpate +superstition and heresy, as we are bound by the same article of the +Solemn League, and by the "National Covenant to detest all +superstition and heresy, without or against the Word of God, and +doctrine of this reformed kirk, according to the Scripture."</p> +<p>Duet. xii. 30, 31, 32—"Take heed to thyself, that thou be +not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from +before thee, and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, +How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. +Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God; for every abomination +to the Lord which he hateth, have they done unto their gods: for +even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to +their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou +shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." Acts xvii. +22—"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mar's-hill, and +said—Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are +too superstitious." Gal. iv. 10—"Ye observe days, and months, +and times, and years." Gal. v. 20—"Idolatry, witchcraft, +hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies." +Col. ii. 20—"Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the +rudiments of the world; why as though living in the world, are ye +subject to ordinances? verse 21, Touch not, taste not, handle not: +verse 23, Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in +will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any +honour to the satisfying of the flesh." Tit. iii. 10—"A man +that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, +reject."</p> +<p>Yet, in the darkness of the times of persecution, many dregs of +Popish superstition were observed, many omens and freets too much +looked to; Popish festival days—as Pasche, Yule, +Fastings-even, &c, have been kept by many; and Prelatical +anniversary days, and festivities devised of their own heart, +appointed for commemorating the King's and Queen's birthdays, (as +May 29th, October 13th, February 6th,) who were born as a scourge +to this realm, were complied with by many. Yes, some have +superstitiously made use of the Scriptures as a fortune book, +looking to that which first cast up to them, or to impressions +borne in upon their minds from such and such places of Scripture as +Divine responses, without a due search of them as the Lord hath +commanded. And many wavering and unstable souls have been seduced +unto damnable and pernicious heresies, as Quakers, and delirious +delusions, as those that followed John Gib. All which have been +breaches of Covenant, as well as of Divine commands. Yea, even to +this very day, the same superstitions are observed and practised, +as abstaining from labouring upon the foresaid festivities, and +observing presages of good or tad fortune (as it is called,) upon +them and other times; as likewise, many practisers of enchantments +and users of charms—yea, such as are in actual compact with +the devil, are not carefully sought out, nor accurately tried, in +order to be brought to punishment, but overlooked and +protected.</p> +<p>There has been also since the revolution, as well as before, a +great deluge of errors through these covenanted lands, which, to +this day, continue and increase: that might be sufficient to +convince us that there have not been proper measures taken to +suppress them, as this article obliges us to do;—nay, instead +thereof, they are tolerated, maintained, and protected by +authority, as appears both from the late Act of Parliament, and +from the liberty allowed to that pestilent generation of Quakers, +who keep their general meetings yearly in Edinburgh, being guarded +by a company of the town guards. And as the state do not prosecute +the promoters and abettors of these heresies with civil pains, as +is the duty of such as call themselves God's vicegerents, and own +themselves to be intrusted with keeping of both tables of the law; +so the church is nothing speedier or more active in drawing out +their ecclesiastical sword to cut off these luxurant branches, and +to take <i>the little foxes which spoil the wines</i>. Many whose +duty, by virtue of their office, is to give warning from Zion's +walls, as watchmen entrusted with the city of God, neglect to +discover, and from the scriptures to confute these errors, or to +show their flocks by doctrine or writing the danger of being +tainted with them. And as suitable endeavours have been wanting +effectually to extirpate heresy and error, so schism, its +inseparable companion, and necessary consequent, has exceedingly +grown and increased, to the great damage of the church of Christ in +these kingdoms, and utter subversion of that most pleasant fabric +of uniformity in religion, which the League and Covenant binds us +to endeavour. The word of God makes schism a very great sin, as is +evident from Rom. xvi. 17; 1 Cor. xi. 18, xii. 25; Heb. x. 25; Jude +19.</p> +<p>And all the nation are to be reputed guilty of it who depart +from the doctrine and laudable constitutions delivered by Christ +and his apostles, and adhered unto by the church of Scotland in her +purest times of Reformation. And if we consider schism under this +notion, as we ought to do, then will we find that the greatest part +of the land is guilty of it. Few are firmly and constantly adhering +to the attained Reformation; but many upon the left hand, have +turned aside to compliance with Prelacy and Erastianism, and so +have by their defection broken the church's <i>beauty</i> and +<i>bands</i>, order and union, in making a faction repugnant to her +established order, and, censurable by all her standing acts, in +bringing innovations in the government, and making a rent in the +bowels of the church; by causing divisions and offences contrary to +the doctrine of the church; whereby they have made themselves +guilty of schism; and some have fallen into delusions and dotages +upon the right hand, who, in seeking to be religious above what is +commanded, have come short of the truth of religion, and made a +faction repugnant to this covenant. Some, being private persons, +have pretended an immediate commission to preach the word, and +administer the sacraments. Others, being stumbled with the +defection of the time, have turned aside to independency. "Some +upon slender and insufficient grounds, have and do separate both +from faithful ministers and Christian societies and families, +because of difference in judgment and incident debates, wherein the +testimony of Christ is not much concerned; or because of personal +offences easily removed, not observing the rules of Christ for +removing of them, not having respect to his great commands of +charity, forbearance, forgiving one another, or condescendency. And +among divided parties, which in our day have been long biting and +devouring one another, there hath been too much both of sinful +union and confederacy in terms prejudicial to truth; as our +joinings in the <i>Angus regiment</i>, at the <i>Revolution</i>, +and our guarding and supplicating that corrupt <i>Convention of +Estates</i>, which consisted mostly of such as had been directly or +indirectly guilty of the murder of the Lord's people; and upon the +other hand, there hath been too much of sinful heats, animosities, +and jealousies, pride, passion, and prejudice, grieving the Spirit +of the Lord, and eating out the power and life, and much hindering +the holy practice and spiritual exercise of religion."</p> +<p><i>We have been so far from endeavouring to extirpate +profaneness, another evil engaged against in the covenant, and +condemned in the Word of God</i>. Deut. xxix. 19; Job xxi. 14; Jer. +xxiii. 15; Ezek. xxii. 26; Hos. iv. 1-3; Heb. vii. 15.</p> +<p>"That profanity hath been much winked at, and profane persons +much countenanced, and many times employed, till iniquity and +ungodliness have gone over the land as a flood; and profanity, +beginning at the court, hath spread itself through every rank and +quality in the land: so that immoralities and sins against every +precept of both tables are greatly abounding." As, namely, great +contempt of God and godliness, ignorance, atheism and irreligion, +unsuitable walking to the knowledge of him and his perfections +which we have, and not labouring in the use of means to attain +more. Much neglect of pressing after peace and reconciliation with +him, through a Mediator, and of living up to the profession which +we make of him. Despising of his holy ordinances and means of +worship; deafness and stupidity under the calls of his Word. +Profanation of his holy sacraments, neglect of secret prayer +(wherein much of the life of religion lies), and of prayer in +families, or a negligent, careless and superficial performance +thereof; many using a formality of words and expressions learned by +custom. Some using our blessed Lord's prayer as a set form, which +ought to be used as a rule of direction in all our prayers, and not +as a dead form of words: many seeking more to be seen of men in +this and all other duties, than to approve themselves to God, and +more careful to come by apposite words and expressions, when +praying with others, than to attain and entertain the breathings +and influences of the Spirit of God. Much neglect of propagating +Christian knowledge in congregations and families; ministers and +masters of families not making diligent search into the knowledge +of the flocks and families under their charge, and instructing them +suitably. Much swearing and profanation of God's name, by loose and +vain oaths in common discourse: yea, swearing by the +creatures—as, soul, faith, conscience, and the like, thereby +sacrilegiously attributing to them divine honour; as also, by +imposing upon all persons in any public trust the unlimited and +unlawful oath of allegiance, together with the bond of assurance, +and the oath of abjuration, contrary to the oath of the covenant, +thereby debauching people's consciences, and involving them in the +guilt of perjury. Great profanation of the holy Sabbath, and +neglect or careless performance of the duties therein required; +breaking it by unnecessary feasting, walking, idle, vain and +impertinent discourse, and such like recreations; yea, by hunting, +hawking, riding and going of journeys, sounding trumpets before +their lords of Justiciary when going to church, reading of +proclamations wholly irrelative to religion, and making +publications not necessary nor expedient to be made upon that day. +Much disobedience to parents, and undue carriage of persons of all +ranks and relations towards each other. Great murder and bloodshed, +so that the land is defiled with blood, and that not only the blood +of the Lord's people, who, in the times of persecution, were led +forth like sheep to the slaughter, because of their adherence to +their duty, and refusing conformity with wicked courses and +subjection to wicked laws, eversive of their covenant engagements, +not yet mourned over, nor purged away by the blood of those that +shed it; but likewise many through the land are murdered +frequently, and the murderers are not prosecuted with due severity: +nay, such are the methods that are now taken to embolden the wicked +in that and all other crimes, that whatever presumptions of guilt +may be had, or how ample confession soever be made, if it be +extrajudicial, and the very fact not proved by witnesses, the +delinquent is passed over and absolved as a well-doer, and many +actually convicted of murder are indemnified and let pass +unpunished.</p> +<p>Much uncleanness and filthiness, adultery, fornication, incest, +bestiality, sodomy, lasciviousness, promiscuous dancing, stage +plays, excessive drinking, vanity in apparel, and the like +abominable unchastity and incentives to it. Much stealing, robbery +and oppression, grinding the faces of the poor by unjust taxations +and heavy impositions, and by hindering the poor from begging, for +the support of their lives in times of scarcity, by a wicked edict. +Perverting of justice in law suits; lawyers and advocates finding +means, for their own gain and worldly advantage, to obtain decisive +sentences in favor of the rich, contrary to justice and equity; +much cheating and deceiving in bargaining; forestalling of markets +in times of scarcity; depriving the poor of their habitations and +livelihoods by building of parks and in-closures; tenants taking +leases over their neighbor's head, and the like. It is, moreover, +to be bewailed that many ministers, who should be examples of +charity and good works, are ringleaders in this sin of oppression. +Much lying and bearing of false witness, defaming one another's +good name, reproaching persons for their adherence to the truths +and cause of Christ, or for discovering any piece of zeal and +affection that way. Much covetousness and worldly-mindedness, +repining, murmuring and discontentment with God's dispensations; +revenge, wrath, malice, envy, bitterness and innumerable sins, both +against the precepts of the moral law, and the offers of Christ in +the Gospel, which plainly says that we have not used the endeavours +which in this Article we promise, for "Rooting up profaneness and +whatsoever is found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of +godliness, lest we partake of other men's sins, and so be in danger +to receive of their plagues." Nay, hath not much unsound doctrine +been maintained in the arguments which have been used for defending +the lawfulness of the courses of compliance with Prelacy and +Erastianism? and these, amongst other unsound notions, have been +entertained amongst us—"That lesser and circumstantial truths +are not to be suffered for; that confession of these truths hath +not been called for in our day; that people are not in hazard of +the sins of others, especially of magistrates and ministers, if +they do not directly act the same sins themselves; that sins of +bypast times (if they be not presently practiced) are not to be +confessed, nor the persons guilty to be stood at a distance from, +till they give evident documents of their repentance;" contrary to +express and plain Scripture.</p> +<p>2 Sam. xxi. 1; 2 Sam. xxiv. 17; 2 Kings xxi. 11, 12; Isa. xliii. +27, 28; Jer. xiv. 15,16; Mic. iii. 11, 12.</p> +<p>Whence both ministers and people have been involved in the sins +of Prelacy, Indulgence, Toleration, Erastianism, subjecting the +government of the church to the secular and civil authority; while +they thought these only to be the sins of Prelates, or of wicked +and usurping rulers; they in the meantime yielding all the +conformity with, submission unto, and approbation of them, that was +by wicked laws required. On the other hand, many of us have rested +too much in a non-compliance with these, and "having a form of +godliness, but denying the power thereof."</p> +<p>In the third Article, whereas we are bound, "in our several +vocations, mutually to preserve the rights and privileges of +Parliaments, and liberties of the kingdoms;" meaning the true, real +and righteous privileges and liberties—consonant to the Word +of God.</p> +<p>Deut. i. 13; Deut. xvi. 18; Isa. i. 26.</p> +<p>Likeas, all lieges are bound by the laws of the land inserted in +the National Covenant, to "maintain the authority of Parliaments, +without which neither any laws nor lawful judicatories can be +established." Yet as our fathers had reason to complain "that +neither had the privileges of the Parliament nor liberties of the +subject been duly tendered; but some amongst them had laboured to +put into the hands of the king an arbitrary and unlimited power +destructive to both; and many of them had been accessory to those +means and ways whereby the freedom and privileges of Parliaments +had been encroached upon, and the subjects oppressed in their +consciences, persons and estates;" so afterwards, all alongst the +tract of tyranny and persecution, they had rather the name and show +than the real power and privileges of lawfully constituted +Parliaments; having advanced the royal prerogative to such a +boundless pitch of arbitrariness, and being so corrupted, that +faithful men and honest and honourable patriots were excluded, and +those admitted who by the law of God and man should have been +debarred; and so prelimited that the members behoved to take such +oaths (for instance, the declaration and test, abjuring and +condemning the Covenants) as engaged them to be perjured and +conjured enemies both to our religion and liberty, which both the +electors of Members of Parliament and the elected did sinfully +comply with; neither did the body of the land make conscience of +recovering these rights and privileges thus perverted and polluted; +but in stupid subjection did own those for representatives who +betrayed their liberties, and made laws to enslave the nation and +entail slavery upon, posterity. On the other hand, they that +disowned them did not make conscience of preserving those rights +and privileges of supreme judicatories, when inadvertently and +unadvisedly they put in such expressions and styles in some of +their declarations as do not belong to private persons, but only to +such judicatories. And not only then, but since the Revolution, +have there been many ways taken for corrupting and depriving the +Members of Parliament; as that all members and electors of members +have been obliged to take the oath of allegiance, with the +assurance to such as did, and do, in their dominions, support +Prelacy and exercise an Erastian supremacy over the church of +Christ.</p> +<p>And now, last of all, by the means of this fatal Union with +England, in terms and upon conditions inconsistent with our +covenanted Union, engaged to in the League and Covenant; the +nation's sovereignty and independency are given up, the rights of +Parliament entirely lost, or vanished into a shadow, little +preferable to no Parliament; so few being to represent this nation +in the Parliament of Great Britain, as can never be able to +prevent, by their number of voices, any act which it shall please +the English to make, how destructive soever the same be to our +sacred or civil concerns. Which treaty of Union was concluded in a +Parliament as manifestly prelimited, as any which ever was seen in +Scotland; the members were corrupted with bribes and preferment, +and so engaged to act contrary to the will and mind of those whome +they did represent, and to comply with that stratagem hatched by +the English, for enslaving this poor nation, and denuded it of its +privileges, as well sacred as civil. And alas! how insignificant +were the endeavours then used to prevent that course, and preserve +the privileges of the Parliament and liberties of this kingdom? +only some faint addresses, all other attempts being laid aside at +their Queen's command, by her proclamation, as <i>treasonable +convocation of the lieges</i>.</p> +<p>Again, the subject's liberties, both as men and as Christian, +which the scriptures allow, we should preserve,</p> +<p>I Sam. xiv. 25; Acts xxii. 25,28; xxv. 11,16,27; Gal. v. 1.</p> +<p>Have been miserably encroached upon by arbitrary government, +whereby the subjects have been oppressed in their consciences, +persons and estates, by all the oaths and bonds pressing conformity +with the corruptions, novations, and usurpations the government of +church and state, and persecutions for recusancy, and by +impositions of the freedom of secret thoughts, which no law of men +can reach, which yet in the time of the late persecution were +extorted, by threatening of death and manifold tortures; the +church's liberties have also been invaded by the ecclesiastical +supremacy, declared by a blasphemous law inherent to the crown, +which law, though it be not now in force, is yet still kept up in +practice by the indiction, prorogation, and dissolution of +Assemblies, and prescribing diets and causes of fasting and +thanksgiving in the magistrate's name and authority, to which +ecclesiastical supremacy, usurped by the magistrate, this +backslidden church hath always subjected, and now to discover to +the world that they are not ashamed of this surrendering of our +Lord's prerogative to his enemies they have, in their Assembly, +holden at Edinburgh, Anno 1710, most explicitly and fully +subscribed to this ecclesiastical supremacy, in their Act for +observation of fasts, wherein they affirm, "that it is much for the +honor of God that fasts whether appointed' by the church, or the +civil magistrate, be duly observed."</p> +<p>In that same third Article, we are likewise bound to defend "The +supreme magistrate's person and authority, in the preservation and +defence of the true religion and liberties of the kingdom:" as in +the National Covenant is expressed: likewise, "to defend his person +and authority, in the defence of Christ his evangel, liberties of +our country, ministration of justice, and punishment of iniquity; +and to stand to his defence, in the defence of the true religion, +liberties and laws of the kingdom;" as the duty is qualified in +scripture.</p> +<p>II Sam. v. 3.; II Kings xi. 17; II Chron. xxvi. 16, 17, 18, 21; +Rom. xiii. 3, 4, 6; I Pet. ii. 13, 14.</p> +<p>As our fathers in their acknowledgments had reason to say, +"Neither hath it been our care to avoid these things which might +harden the king in his evil way; but, upon the contrary he hath not +only been permitted, but many of us have been instrumental to make +him exercise his power in many things tending to the prejudice of +religion, and of the Covenant, and of the peace and safety of these +kingdoms; which is so far from the right way of preserving his +Majesty's person and authority that it cannot but provoke the Lord +against him unto the hazard of both. Nay, under a pretence of +relieving and doing for the king, whilst he refuses to do what was +necessary for the house of God, some have ranversed and violated +most of all the Articles of the Covenant."</p> +<p>So, during the unhappy days of the late tyranny, it was the +land's sin and shame, and ought to be our sorrow, that men were +mounted upon a throne of iniquity whose main design and practice +was to subvert religion and persecute it, to introduce Popery +itself and slavery, to destroy the nation's liberties, suppress the +evangel, and oppress its professors; who enacted and executed +manifest injustice, stopped the ministration of justice against +idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and other malefactors, and +punished equity and duty, instead of iniquity; arrogated and +obtained a monstrous prerogative above all rights and privileges of +Parliaments, all laws, all liberties; a power to tyrannize as they +pleased without control. But, as it was their sin who inaugurated +Charles II. after such discoveries of his hypocritical enmity to +religion and liberty, upon his subscription to the Covenants, so +when he burned and buried that Covenant, and degenerated into +manifest tyranny, and had razed the very foundation upon which both +his right to govern, and the people's allegiance were founded, and +remitted the subjects' allegiance by annulling the bond of it: it +was the land's sin that they continued still to own his authority +when opposite to, and destructive of religion and liberty; and of +those who appeared in arms at Pentland and Bothwell Bridge, that +they put in his interest (with application of the words of the +Covenant to him, though stated in opposition to it) into <i>the +state of the quarrel</i>, in their <i>declaration of war</i>, for +which (so far as the godly could discern) the Lord put them to +shame, and went not forth with their armies. It was likewise the +sin of the land, and a great breach of Covenant, when the Duke of +York was admitted to the exercise of the royal office against the +laws of God and man; being incapable of the Covenant qualifications +of a magistrate, and being a Papist, and so incapable of taking the +"oath of coronation to maintain the true Protestant religion, and +gainstand and abolish Popery;" which, for the preservation of the +true religion, laws, and liberties of this kingdom, is stated by +the 8th Act of Parliament, I King James VI, "That all kings, at the +reception of their princely authority, shall take and swear;" yet +this authority, though inconsistent with, and declaredly opposite +to religion and liberty, was owned and upheld, by paying cess and +supplies, expressly exacted for upholding tyranny in the +destruction of religion and liberty; and though the Lord did, for a +long time, by the tyranny of Charles II. and James VII., chastise +these covenanted lands, yet there has not been a turning to him +that smiteth: but these lands have again transgressed the Lord's +commandments, and broken this part of the Covenant of the Lord, by +receiving, admitting, supporting and subjecting to such, for Kings +and Queens over these realms as want the qualifications required in +God's word, and enacted by the righteous and laudable laws of the +land to be in magistrates, superior and inferior: which were not +brought under Covenant ties and obligations, to be for God and +religion in their own persons and families, and to advance and +preserve the same allenarly in their dominions; but in place +thereof have come under oath and obligation to countenance, protect +end advance the Romish superstitions and innovations in the worship +of God and government of the Church, which the Covenant binds these +kingdoms to suppress and extirpate, and in consequence of, and in +conformity to, these obligations, do maintain and defend, or +tolerate and allow Prelacy and Sectarian errors in their dominions, +contrary to the true religion and sound doctrine, contrary to +justice and equity; yea, contrary to that trust especially +committed to the hands of Christian Magistrates, who for that end +have the sword given them, <i>that they may be a terror to evil +doers</i>, preserve and defend the true religion and professors +thereof, and punish and extirpate false religion and heresies, and +bring the wheel over the broachers, maintainers and abettors +thereof; which did, and do exercise an Erastian supremacy over the +church, in proroguing, and dissolving General Assemblies, +appointing diets and causes of fasts and thanksgivings; and by +their civil authority causing them to be kept and observed; which +do not impartially execute justice upon all offenders, witness the +frequent indemnities and remissions granted to murderers; as +particularly, the passing without punishment the persons which +perpetrated the inhuman, barbarous and lawless action of the +massacre of Glencoe. Which waste and destroy the kingdom, by +levying men and raising money for maintaining a long and expensive +war, undertaken neither for the advancement of the true religion, +nor for the advantage and safety of the nation; but in favour of +the house of Austria, which hath been, and yet continues to be, one +of the strong pillars of Antichrist's kingdom, and inplacable +enemies to the true reformed religion, as appears by the +persecution of the Protestants in Silesia, Hungary, &c. And yet +notwithstanding of all this, many in the land of all ranks have +sworn to bear true and faithful allegiance to them, without any +conditional restriction or limitation; so that it is not possible +for them, in a consistency with their oath, to disown their +authority, and deny them subjection, or refuse to defend their +persons and government, albeit they should proceed to the greatest +pitch of arbitrariness; which is very far from the defence promised +to Magistrates in the Covenant: the whole land (almost) hath +complied with them in all the forementioned particulars so +diametrically opposite to the Covenants, and supported, +strengthened and encouraged them in these evil courses, by paying +them cess and other subsidies; and ministers have minded so much to +be loyal to their government, that they have forgotten to be +faithful to their souls, in that they have not discovered to them +the sin and danger of patronising Prelacy, and exercising +Erastianism over the church; but in order to obtain their favor, +have clapped their hands in these sins, which certainly is most +opposite to that loyalty which we ought to maintain towards +Princes, and tends rather to diminish their just power and +greatness, than to increase and preserve it; and, instead of being +a proper way of defending their persons and authority, is rather a +mean to bring the wrath of a just and jealous God upon them, and +those who defend or connive at them in these unlawful courses.</p> +<p>"Our own consciences within, and God's judgment upon us without, +do convince us of the manifold, wilful, renewed breaches of the +fourth Article, which concerneth the discovery of malignants, +consonant to the Scriptures."</p> +<p>2 Sam. xxiii. 6; Esther vii. 5. 6; Psalm xxvi. 5; Psalm ci. 8; +Prov. xxv. 5.</p> +<p>"For their crimes have not only been connived at, but dispensed +with and pardoned, and themselves received into intimate +fellowship, intrusted with counsels, admitted into parliaments, and +put in places of power and authority for managing the public +affairs of the kingdom; whereby, in God's justice, they got at last +into their hands the whole power and strength of the kingdom, both +in judicatories and armies, and did employ the same unto the +enacting and prosecuting an unlawful engagement in war against the +kingdom of England, notwithstanding the dissent of many +considerable members of parliament, who had given constant proof of +their integrity in the cause from the beginning; of many faithful +testimonies and free warnings of the servants of God; of the +supplications of many synods, presbyteries, and shires; and the +declaration of the General Assembly and their Commissioners to the +contrary; which engagement, as it was the cause of much sin, so +also of much misery and calamity unto this land, and held forth the +grievousness of our sin, in complying with malignants in the +greatness of our judgment, that we may be taught never to split +again upon the same rock, upon which the Lord hath set so +remarkable a beacon. And, after all that is come to pass unto us, +because of this our trespass, and after that grace hath been showed +unto <i>our fathers and us once and again</i> from the Lord our +God, by breaking these men's yoke from off <i>their and our necks, +and sometimes</i> delivering our fathers <i>so far from their +insultings</i>, that he put them in a capacity to act for the good +of religion, their own safety, and the peace and safety of the +kingdoms, should they and we again break the commandment and +covenant of the Lord, by joining once more with the people of these +abominations, and taking unto our bosom these 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 is no +remnant nor escaping in the land? many times have we been warned of +the sin of complying with malignants, both by faithful ministers, +and fatherly corrections from the Lord;"—yet, after all these +punishments, we have again joined 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 trespass, we +cannot stand before him because of this.</p> +<p>These incendiaries, malignants, and evil instruments, made many +grievous encroachments, and prevailed much in the days of our +fathers—yet not without dissent, testimonies, warnings, and +declarations; but more especially in the dismal days of persecution +and tyranny, they were suffered, yea, encouraged, without any +significant joint 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 anti-Christian toleration, and to persecute and destroy +the godly, who durst not in conscience comply with them; and not +only to divide the <i>King from his people, or one of the kingdoms +from another</i>—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 amongst themselves, by indulgences and other +bonds 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, instead of their protector, their declared +destroyer; and not only to <i>make parties among the people +contrary to his league and covenant</i>, but to draw and divide the +whole people into a party with perjuries. The generality, +notwithstanding, did own allegiance to the head of these +incendiaries and malignants, yea, a Popish incendiary, because he +wore a crown on his head; and did pay the cess imposed for the +maintenance and encouragement of malignants; many did associate +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 subscribed and sware themselves contrary to the covenant by +taking tests, oaths, and bonds, obliging them to surcease from +covenanted duties, and to keep the peace and good behaviour with +them, whom they were obliged by 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 them (instead 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 declaring war against a malignant King, and of +asserting the lawfulness of bringing his murthering accomplices and +incendiaries to condign punishment; but, on the other hand, some of +the suffering party did sometimes exceed the bounds of moderation +in this matter, in usurping the sword without God's call, without +respect to the rule, and against the scope of their own +declarations, to take vengeance on them at their own hand; yea, +even to that degree, of taking the lives of some of them in an +extravagant manner;<a name="FNanchor27" id= +"FNanchor27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27"><sup>[27]</sup></a> for +which, they were sadly rebuked of God, an occasion was given and +taken to reproach and blaspheme the way of God upon that account. +But to descend to our own time, we have it to bewail, that whatever +alteration there is in the face of affairs since the yoke of +tyranny was taken off our neck, yet there is no alteration in this +matter to the better, but rather to the worse; malignants are so +far from being brought to condign punishment, that they are the +whole administrators of the affairs of the kingdom; whence it is +come to pass, that the supreme judicatories which should take trial +of such and bring them to punishment, and to whom they should be +delated, are wholly, or mostly composed of such; yea, none may now +be reputed malignant unless he be disaffected to the civil +government; so that malignancy is not now disaffection to the cause +and work of God, but disaffection to the present establishment, and +so far are they that are truly disaffected to Christ and his +interest this day advanced and strengthened in their designs, that +they have (so far as in them lies) put a final stop to all further +progress in reformation in these covenanted kingdoms; so that +instead of discovering and bringing to punishment them who make +parties and factions against the League and Covenant, and +reformation therein concerted, the most part of Britain and Ireland +are nought else but a party and faction against it, who have cast +it out of doors, and, for what is apparent, are never minded to +receive it again; and, upon the contrary, such as are labouring to +adhere most closely (though in weakness) to these engagements, and +prosecute the ends of these covenants, are unjustly looked upon as +a party and faction, and prosecuted as offenders by such as, +according to the genuine sense of this Article, ought to be brought +to condign punishment. It is likewise promised in this Article, +that such <i>shall be brought to trial as shall divide the King +from his people, or one of the kingdoms from another</i>, which +clause hath been broken, by using endeavours to have King and +people and the kingdoms all conjoined in a <i>union</i> and +conjunction contrary to, and eversive of this Solemn League and +Covenant; and these that go under the character of ministers, from +whom it might in all reason be expected that they should interpose +for having malignants duly punished, are so far from doing so, that +they make it their endeavour to please them; and upon the contrary, +they spare no pains to incense the persons in the government +against those whose design it is, in the Lord's strength, to adhere +to their covenant engagements, and keep themselves unspotted from +the abominations of the times. We acknowledge also ourselves guilty +of the breach of this Article, in so far as we have not more +frequently and fervently, from a real respect and zeal to the glory +of God, after we saw no means of getting such evil instruments and +opposers of reformation punished and suppressed by human +judicatories, applied by prayer and supplication to God, that he +would either of his infinite mercy convince them of, and reclaim +them from, or in justice reprove and punish them for their +opposition to his cause and interest. As also, that we have not +duly searched into our own sins, and especially the malignancy of +our own hearts: by means whereof, the Lord is highly provoked to +permit such evil instruments not only to afflict and oppress us, +but also to retard the success of his own work; and that we have +not impartially or sincerely mourned over these sins in our own +hearts and lives, which hinder our own personal, and so have +influence to impede national reformation, and have not forsaken and +abandoned them.</p> +<p>In the fifth Article, we are bound, "according to our place and +station, to endeavor, that the kingdoms may remain conjoined in a +most firm peace and union to all posterity; and that justice may be +done upon the wilful opposers thereof;" according to Isa. ii. 2, 3, +xiv. 23, 24; Jer. 1, 4, 5; Ezek. xxxvii. 16, 17; Zech. ii. 11. +viii. 21, 22; Gal. v. 12.</p> +<p>"But through the peace and union of the kingdoms (while duly +subordinate to the interest of religion) was a great blessing of +God unto both, and a bond which we are bound to preserve +inviolated, and to endeavor that justice may be done upon the +wilful 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 endeavors have been used by any +of us for punishing of such;" yea, very little, or none 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 foundation it be settled: both +kingdoms are mutually guilty of dissolving this Covenant 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 to 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 invading them upon his +quarrel, at 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 the 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 endeavors for the recovery of +their privileges. And in the mean time, we have been very little +solicitous 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 sympathy or communion of saints, or mutual bearing of one +another's burdens, as became covenanted brethren.</p> +<p>On the other hand instead of union in truth and duty according +to the bond of the Covenant, a confederacy hath been studied in +defection from the Covenant, and an union and peace which wanted +the foundation laid down in the foregoing Articles of the Covenant, +viz., "uniformity in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, +against Popery, Prelacy, Schism, Sectarianism, for our religion, +laws and liberties, and discovering, suppressing and punishing the +enemies of these interests." Such an Union has not been studied nor +sought, but on the contrary an Union against the Reformation and +Uniformity, for Prelacy and Sectarianism multiformity, by +maintaining tyranny and strengthening malignancy. Yea, by the means +of this incorporating Union now of late established, Prelacy is not +only strengthened and confirmed, but so settled as to continue to +all succeeding generations, and this nation's slavery as well as +their sin perpetuated. And persons of all ranks have had a deep +hand in this trespass: the nobility and gentry who represented the +nation, in surrendering their own and the nation's rights and +privileges; ministers in not warning them faithfully to beware of +that covenant-breaking course, which could not but provoke God to +anger against this poor island, but showing more concern in that +juncture for settling their own, then for securing and advancing +Christ's interest; and the body of the land, in that they did not +bestir themselves, for the defence of their own liberties in a +lawful way.</p> +<p>In the sixth Article we are bound, "according to our places and +callings, in this common cause of religion, liberty and peace, to +assist and defend all those that enter into this League and +Covenant, in the maintaining thereof. And in the National Covenant, +in like manner, we are bound to stand to the mutual defence and +assistance, every one of us of another, in the same cause, with our +best counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all sorts +of persons whatsoever; so that whatsoever shall be done to the +least of us for that cause, should be taken as done to all of us in +general, and to every one of us in particular." A duty very clear +in the scriptures; Judges v. 23; 1 Chron. xii. 1, 18; Neh. iv. 14; +Prov. xxiv. 11, 12.</p> +<p>But alas! how little conscience hath been made of this duty? "We +have suffered many of our brethren in many parts of the land to be +oppressed of the common enemy, without compassion or relief. There +hath been great murmuring and repining because of expenses of means +and pains in doing of our duty;" and not only so, but many did +swear and subscribe oaths and bonds expressly against such +assistances, and to condemn all such endeavors, to assist, defend +and rescue them, as rebellion and sedition, and obliging them to +assist their murdering malignant enemies, by such occurrences as +they required. Yea, many instead of coming out to <i>help the Lord +against the mighty</i>, and defending their brethren, did come out +to the help of the mighty against the Lord, his cause, Covenant, +and oppressed people; concurring in arms against them at all the +appearances that were made and essayed for the cause of Christ; +compearing at courts, held for informing against and condemning +their brethren, that were present at, or concerned in such +appearances for the Covenanted cause, and coming in as witnesses +against them; sitting in assizes for condemning them, and guarding +them to their executions, when martyred for their duty, and the +interest of truth. Many likewise denied to reset, harbor or +entertain their brethren, persecuted for maintaining the Covenanted +Reformation; some raised the hue and cry after them, thereby +occasioning, and assisting in, the murder of several faithful +brethren; the most part owned the great murderer who authorized all +the rest, and enacted all these murders, and assisted him and his +accomplices, and executioners of his murdering mandates, with their +persons and estates, in paying the supplies professedly demanded, +and declaredly imposed, for enabling them to accomplish these +mischiefs. Yea, many were so far from assisting, that they added +afflictions to their afflicted brethren, their reproaches, and +persecuting by the tongue those whom the Lord had smitten, and +talking to the grief of those he had wounded. And all sorts of us +have been wanting in our sympathy with, and endeavoring succor to, +our suffering brethren, let be to deliver them from their enemies' +hands according to our capacity. So also, it is for matter of +lamentation, that many ministers all alongst discovered great +unconcernedness with, and contempt of, poor despised and reproached +sufferers, condemned the heads of their suffering, forgot or +refused to pray for them publicly. And as this Article was all +alongst through the persecuting times, most grossly violated, so to +this day it continues to be. Any that would appear in the least +active in this cause, are so far from being assisted that they are +borne down, derided, sentenced, and sometimes imprisoned; whatever +motions are made in private discourses, or public sermons, which +may import a respect to, or liking of, this noble cause of +religion, or a dislike of, and displacency with the courses +opposite unto it, are so far from being countenanced, that the +movers are hated, vilipended, contemned or censured, as raisers of +dust, formenters of division, pragmatic, turbulent and fractious +spirits, and loaded with many other defamatory epithets and +calumnies. Many instances of which may be given since the +Revolution. For example, when in the year 1690, there was a paper +of grievances presented to the Assembly by some of those who had +been keeping up a witness against the iniquitous courses of the +times, and were now expecting that as the fruit of a merciful +delivery from tyrannical usurpations, and antichristian +persecutions, Reformation should be revived, grievances redressed, +judicatories rightly constituted, and duly purged, it was far from +receiving a kind and friendly reception and they who presented it +left without assistance and help, contrary to the tenor of the +Covenant, so that that paper could not be allowed a hearing, let be +a redress, and the persons who offered it to their consideration +were, to their great sorrow and grief of heart, dismissed without a +satisfying answer. As also when Messrs. Linning, Shields and Boyd, +who had been carrying on a Testimony against the time's defection, +and were now minded to join with the Assembly, after the exhibition +of their Testimony, whatever acceptance it might meet with at their +hands, had in prosecution of this their design, exhibited their +proposals to the Committee of Overtures, these proposals, though +both worthy of consideration and necessary to be redressed, were +not allowed a hearing in open Assembly, but rejected as being "made +up of mistakes, reflections, unseasonable and impracticable +overtures," and the said persons, so far from being assisted, in +order to a removal of the evils therein complained of, as +destructive to the cause of God, that upon the contrary the four +named persons stand in the fifth Act of that pretended Assembly +characterized with the name and epithet of persons who had followed +courses contrary to the order of the church, and in their +Moderator's exhortation, <i>to walk orderly in time coming, in +opposition to all schism and division</i>, their former practice of +testifying against the corruptions of the times was implicitly +condemned as disorderly, schismatic and divisive. Another instance +of this appeared not long after; when in the year 1692, some of the +godly of the land published their declaration disowning William and +Mary's government, because not qualified as God's word, and our +Covenants do require, as it is specified at large in the narrative +of that declaration; some of them were apprehended and imprisoned, +for that piece of adherence to the Covenanted Reformation, and +opposing or at least witnessing against the courses which they +found to be contrary to it. Yet who at that juncture appeared to +assist them in their laudable undertakings? And all alongst since, +whosoever has offered grievances, or any way witnessed against the +bypast and present defections, have been and are prosecuted with +church censure, or persecuted with bitter and malicious invectives +and reproaches, falling from the tongues and pens of those that are +obliged by Covenant to have assisted, defended and encouraged them. +And especially ministers, who by virtue of their office, as well as +Covenant engagements, are obliged to excite persons to, and assist +them in their duty, have been active to do the quite contrary; for +instance, when some persons offered to give public satisfaction for +their compliance with Christ's enemies, they refused to admit them. +But to what purpose do we repeat these instances? It is too certain +and evident, that there is more assistance and encouragement +afforded to the enemies of this cause and Covenant, by persons of +all ranks than to the friends and well wishers of it. Love to, and +zeal for this cause are greatly decayed, and therefore mutual +sympathy and affection amongst the people of God in the prosecution +and maintenance of it are much a wanting.</p> +<p>In the same Article we are bound, "not to suffer ourselves +directly or indirectly, by whatsoever combination or terror, to be +divided or withdrawn from this blessed union and conjunction, +whether to make defection to the contrary part, or to give +ourselves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause; +and in the National Covenant, that we shall neither directly nor +indirectly suffer ourselves to be divided, or withdrawn, by +whatsoever suggestion, allurement or terror, from this blessed and +loyal conjunction. According to scripture warrants."</p> +<p>Gen. xiii. 8; Psal. cxxxiii. throughout; Zech. viii. 19; I Cor. +i. 10; Eph. iv. 3; Phil. i. 27, ii. 2; Heb. xxi. 14; Jer. ix. 3; +Ezek. xxii. 25; Hag. i. 2; Phil. ii. 21; II Tim. iv. 10; Rev. iii. +15.</p> +<p>But, alas! it is long since our fathers had reason to complain +and confess, "That many in their day through persuasion or terror, +suffered themselves to be divided and withdrawn to make defection +to the contrary part. Many had turned off to a detestable +indifferency and neutrality in this cause, which so much concerneth +the glory of God, and the good of these kingdoms. Nay, many had +made it their study to walk so, as they might comply with all +times, and all the revolutions thereof. That it was not their care +to countenance, encourage, entrust, and employ, such only as from +their hearts did affect and mind God's work; but the hearts of +such, many times had been discouraged, and their hands weakened, +their sufferings neglected, and themselves slighted, and many who +had been once open enemies, and always secret underminers, +countenanced and employed. Nay, even those who had been looked upon +as incendiaries, and upon whom the Lord had set marks of desperate +malignancy, falsehood and deceit, were brought in as fit to manage +public affairs."</p> +<p>All which sins and breaches of covenant have now increased to a +great height of heinousness; for, in our day, these incendiaries, +desperate and engrained malignants have only been employed in, and +admitted to the management of the affairs of the kingdom, and none +but they accounted habile by law; and such divisions from the +Covenanted-conjunction, and defections to the contrary part have +been, and are enacted and established by law; yea, all the unhappy +divisions that have been from the <i>public resolutions</i>, and +downward, have been the woful consequents and effects of defections +to the contrary part. At the first erection of Prelacy, many, both +ministers and professors, partly by terror, partly by persuasions, +did withdraw from this covenanted conjunction, and make defection +unto Prelacy, with which they combined, conforming with, and +submitting to the ministry of the conforming curates; and +afterward, by the terror of the fear of men, and the persuasions of +their counsel and example, many of the land were seduced into a +combination with malignants, in taking oaths and bonds contrary to +the covenant, thereby dividing themselves from the recusants, and +making defection to the party imposing them, and opposing the +covenants. By combination of those that preferred peace to truth, +and ease to duty—by the terror of threatened continuance of +persecution, and the persuasion of a promised relaxation and +immunity from troubles; many ministers have been divided from the +testimony of the Church of Scotland, against the enroaching +supremacy and absolute power, and one from another, and have made +defection to that part and party that were advancing these +encroachments and usurpations on the prerogatives of Christ and +privileges of his church; by receiving indulgences and tolerations +from them, in their own nature destructive unto, and given and +received on terms inconsistent with the duties of the covenants, +which were contrived and conferred on purpose to divide them from +this cause, and from their brethren that more tenaciously adhered +to it; and did effectuate that design in a great measure—and +others gave themselves to a detestable indifferency in complying +with, conniving at, and not witnessing against these defections, +but passing them over in a secure submissive silence. And as, in +the times of persecuting violence, these breaches of this Article +were made by reason of the snares of that sinful time; so much more +has there been a manifest violation of it since, when at this day +there is such a universal combination of interests in opposition to +the covenanted reformation. Are not the most of the three kingdoms +in one great combination against it, by this cope-stone of +defection, this incorporating union? How have we made conscience of +performing that part of the covenant anent <i>resisting the +persuasion of men to make defection to the contrary part</i>, when +the whole land is so deeply involved into it? There has been, alas! +too much way given to carnal arguments and persuasives—such +as worldly gain, ease, profit, and preferment, and too much slavish +fear and terror of men, whose breath is in their nostrils, has been +entertained, without a due reliance and dependance upon +Omnipotency; which has greatly carried men off their feet, and +wheedled them into a compliance with, and defection to the contrary +part, or into a neutrality and indifferency in this cause; so that +few are found valiant for the truth upon the earth. What strange +laxness and Laodicean indifference has there appeared in this +cause, through the whole conduct of affairs in church and state, +since the revolution; whereby many discover to every observant eye +that they are satisfied if they obtain a peaceful enjoyment of +their own things, and liberty to dwell in their ceiled +houses—albeit the Lord's house (in a great measure) lies +waste? Where are there any acts of Assemblies, or proceedings of +the church, which discover any due concern or zeal for the +covenanted interests? Nay, the contrary has too frequently +appeared; as for instance, when by the 5th act of the 2d session of +William and Mary's 1st Parl., the establishment of the church was +calculated for the meridian of state-policy, according to act 114, +Parl. 12, King James VI. Anno 1592. On purpose to pass over in +shameful oblivion the church's choicest attainments in reformation +betwixt 1638 and 1649; and particularly, to make void the League +and Covenant, with the Assembly's explanatory declaration affixed +to the National, the malignants' grand eye-sore, there was no +faithful protestation and testimony exhibited against this by the +Assembly, then indicted, and convened the 16th of October +following; which, if duly pondered in all its circumstances, +without the mask and pretexts industriously drawn over it, will +appear to be, perhaps one of the greatest sins of this nation, and +to be little inferior in nature and aggravations to the burning of +the covenants, which is granted by all Presbyterians to be a most +atrocious act of contempt done to the eternal God, and to his Son +Jesus Christ, and cannot be called to mind by any of the godly +without great abhorrence and detestation of it; in so far as the +passing over and not ratifying these acts of Parliament and +Assembly by the respective judicatories, which were made during +that time of reformation, was a practical and interpretative +condemning of them as unprofitable, and did greatly corroborate the +acts whereby Charles II. had declared them null and not obligatory; +and did likewise import a vilifying and despising of what God had +wrought for his people in these lands, during that time; and, +lastly, was a manifest indication of disregard to the oath of God, +which these lands had come under. Neither did that, nor any +succeeding Assembly, impartially and explicitly enumerate the +land's sins in their national fasts; namely, the indulgence and +toleration, with the addresses and thanksgiving for it, and the +burning of the covenant, &c.; neither have they, in any of +their addresses to their King or Queen, by letters, or other means, +declared unto them the indispensable duty of renewing the +covenants, nor applied to the Parliament for that effect; neither +have they, by their Assembly-acts, asserted the intrinsic power of +the church; neither did they in any of their acts, or public +papers, make honourable mention of those who had laid down their +lives for their adherence to Christ's truths during the times of +persecution, nor testified their approbation of what was done that +way; and yet many of us have been wanting in testifying our dislike +of these backsliding courses, by discountenancing, withdrawing +from, and keeping ourselves free of all participation with them; +but have received the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, +and the privilege of marriage at their hands, and paid tithes and +stipends. By all which, it is apparent now much indifferency there +has been in this cause of covenanted interest, which so much +concerneth the glory of God, the good of the kingdoms, and the +honour of the civil Magistrate.</p> +<p>Moreover in the same Article we are sworn, "All the days of our +lives, zealously and constantly to continue in this cause, against +all lets and impediments whatsoever, and what we are not able +ourselves to suppress and overcome, to reveal and make known the +same that it may be timeously prevented. And in the National +Covenant, never to cast in any let, that may stop or hinder any +such resolution, as by common consent shall be found to conduce for +so good ends; but on the contrary, by all lawful means, to labor to +further and promote the same; and if any such dangerous or divisive +motion be made to us by word or writ, that we and every one of us +shall either suppress it, or if need be, incontinent make the same +known, that it may be timeously obviated. Agreeing very well with +the scriptures." Numb. xiv. 9, 10; Neh. vi. 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11; +Isa. viii. 12, 13, 14; Acts iv. 19, 20, 24, xxi. 13; Gal. ii. 5; +Phil. i. 28.</p> +<p>Nevertheless, <i>many have been the lets and impediments, that +have been cast in the way, to retard and obstruct the Lord's +work</i>, by Prelacy, supremacy, indulgences, toleration, and +absolute tyranny and compliance therewith, enacted by law, and all +the mischiefs established by a throne of iniquity since the unhappy +restoration of Charles II. to this day. Yet few have ever zealously +contended and fewer have constantly continued in contending, +against these obstructions, so obstructive to the cause, many have +kept secret the first motions and appearances of these things, +while they might have been suppressed and overcome, and the +generality have passed them over in silence, and not made known, +nor advertised unto evil of these things when declared, by +witnessing against these things, when, they could not be otherwise +removed or overcome. Yea, many of us have ourselves cast in lets +and impediments, obstructive to the cause, by our defections +divisions and disorders against common consent, and precipitances, +without common consent even of our brethren adhering to the +testimony. Many a divisive motion hath not been counted dangerous, +of those which tended to divide us from the Covenanted cause. And +many a good and necessary motion hath been accounted divisive, +namely, such as proposed the necessity of confessing and forsaking +sin.</p> +<p>"Besides these and many other breaches of the Articles of the +Covenant, in the matter thereof, which concerneth every one of us, +to search out and acknowledge before the Lord, as we could wish his +wrath to be turned away from us, so have many of us failed +exceedingly in the manner of following and pursuing the duties +contained therein, not only seeking great things for ourselves, and +mixing private interests, and ends concerning ourselves, and +friends, and followers, with those things which concern the public +good; but many times preferring such to the honour of God and good +of his cause; and retarding God's work until we might carry alongst +with us our own interests and designs: it hath been our way to +trust in the means, and to rely upon the arm of flesh for success, +albeit the Lord hath many times made us meet with disappointments, +and stained the pride of all our glory, by blasting every carnal +confidence unto us. We have followed for the most part the counsels +of flesh and blood, and walked more by the rules of policy than +piety, and have hearkened more unto men than unto God."</p> +<p>In the conclusion of the Solemn League and Covenant there is a +profession and declaration "before God and the world of our +unfeigned desires to be humbled<a name="FNanchor28" id= +"FNanchor28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28"><sup>[28]</sup></a> for our +own sins and for the sins of these kingdoms<a name="FNanchor29" id= +"FNanchor29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29"><sup>[29]</sup></a>; +especially that we have not valued, as we ought, the inestimable +benefit of the gospel<a name="FNanchor30" id= +"FNanchor30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30"><sup>[30]</sup></a>, that +we have not laboured for the purity<a name="FNanchor31" id= +"FNanchor31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31"><sup>[31]</sup></a> and +power thereof<a name="FNanchor32" id="FNanchor32"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_32"><sup>[32]</sup></a>, and that we have not +endeavoured to receive Christ into our hearts<a name="FNanchor33" +id="FNanchor33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33"><sup>[33]</sup></a>, nor +to walk worthy of him in our lives<a name="FNanchor34" id= +"FNanchor34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34"><sup>[34]</sup></a>, which +are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding +amongst us<a name="FNanchor35" id="FNanchor35"></a><a href= +"#Footnote_35"><sup>[35]</sup></a>: all which we are under many +obligations to confess and mourn over from the word; and, of our +true and unfeigned purpose and desire, to endeavour for ourselves +and all others under our power and charge<a name="FNanchor36" id= +"FNanchor36"></a><a href="#Footnote_36"><sup>[36]</sup></a> both in +public and in private, in all dutie<a name="FNanchor37" id= +"FNanchor37"></a><a href="#Footnote_37"><sup>[37]</sup></a>] we owe +to God and man, to amend our lives<a name="FNanchor38" id= +"FNanchor38"></a><a href="#Footnote_38"><sup>[38]</sup></a> and +each one to go before another<a name="FNanchor39" id= +"FNanchor39"></a><a href="#Footnote_39"><sup>[39]</sup></a> in the +example of a real reformation, that the Lord might turn away his +wrath and heavy indignation,<a name="FNanchor40" id= +"FNanchor40"></a><a href="#Footnote_40"><sup>[40]</sup></a> and +establish these kingdoms in truth and peace.<a name="FNanchor41" +id="FNanchor41"></a><a href="#Footnote_41"><sup>[41]</sup></a> Yet +we have refused to be reformed and have walked proudly and +obstinately before the Lord, not valuing his gospel, nor submitting +ourselves unto the obedience thereof; not seeking after Christ, nor +studying to honour him in the excellency of his person, nor to +employ him in the virtue of his offices; not making conscience of +the public ordinances, nor studying to edify one another in love. +The ignorance of God and his Son Jesus Christ prevails exceedingly +in the land." Even our fathers in their purest times confessed, in +their acknowledgement of sins, "That the greatest part of masters +of families among noblemen, barons, gentlemen, burgesses, and +commons, neglected to seek God in their families, and to endeavour +the reformation thereof. And albeit it had been much pressed, yet +few of the nobles and great ones could be persuaded to perform +family duties themselves in their own persons, which made so +necessary a duty to be disregarded by persons of inferior +rank."</p> +<p>We may add, in our degenerate times, not only the great ones +generally profess the neglect and contempt of so necessary a duty, +both in their own persons and in the use of chaplains; but the +great part of the commons are altogether strangers to it; many +performing no part of the family worship at all, others only +singing a psalm and reading a chapter without praying, and others +making a fashion of all, but very perfunctoriously, formally, and +indifferently, and scarcely once in a day. And ministers also +making little conscience of visiting families to see how this duty +is performed, not pressing it upon the negligent, nor stirring up +the formal to a more spiritual way of performing it, nay, some +giving bad examples to their flocks, by neglecting it themselves in +their own families. <i>The nobility, gentry, and barons, who should +be examples of sober walking unto others, are very generally +ringleaders of excess and rioting</i>. We have been far from +amending our lives and promoting a personal reformation, and going +before one another in the example of a real reformation, when we +have been examples of deformation in our personal practices and +public transactions, and being too-familiar and too far united with +the patrons and patterns of the land's deformations. "Our fathers +also acknowledged, albeit they were the Lord's people engaged unto +him in a solemn way; yet they had not made it their study that +judicatories and armies should consist of, and places of power and +trust be filled with men of blameless and Christian conversation, +and of known integrity and approved fidelity, affection, and zeal +unto the cause of God. And not only those who were neutral and +indifferent, but disaffected and malignant, and others who were +profane and scandalous were intrusted. By which it came to pass +that judicatories, EVEN THEN, were the seats of injustice and +iniquity. And many in their armies, by miscarriages, became their +plague unto the great prejudice of the cause of God, the great +scandal of the gospel, and the great increase of looseness and +profanity throughout all the land." But, since the time of that +acknowledgment there has still been more and more degeneracy, so +that judicatories have consisted of, and been filled with perjured +traitors to God and their country. And armies made up of these +plagues marshalled under a displayed banner against Christ and his +interest, not only to the scandal, but for the suppression of the +gospel, and forcing people to profanity throughout the land; and +now are, to the disgrace of the Protestant religion, made up of the +refuse of the lands, and employed in the support of an +Antichristian interest abroad. Yet have we not sighed and cried for +these abominations, nor have we been concerned, as we ought, with +the abounding of them through the land. As also, with blushing, we +must confess our pride and presumptuous boasting of external +privileges of the gospel and outward reformation, and of a +testimony which we bragged of, as if that had made us better than +others, while we made no conscience of personal reformation, which, +no doubt, amongst other sinful miscarriages, was a main cause of +the Lord's depriving us so long a time of the comfortable and +soul-enriching mercy of a faithfully dispensed gospel.</p> +<p>And, in like manner, the conceitedness of some in suffering and +contending for truth, rather for keeping up the contention abetting +a party, and many times under too lofty names of the suffering +party, and remnant, and the like, than to keep and hold fast the +word of the Lord's patience to his glory as our crown; and many +other evidences of pride hateful to God, such as boasting in the +strength of armies in the suffering times in an ostentatious way, +vaunting of, and being too much taken up with them, though then +necessary for the defence of our lives; rejoicing in our +numerousness or worldly abilities, or in the number of them that +frequent the public ordinances in the fields; or that they, who are +owners of the testimony, are for the most, part kept free from the +gross out-breakings into which others are left to fall; which +things, though very good and desirable in themselves, may yet be, +and have been, occasions of sin when boasted in, more than humbly +and thankfully acknowledged to be from the hand of God. As also, +revengeful resenting of affronts, passionate and disdainful +refusing to take reproof for faults, or for the excess in any duty, +as to the manner of it, when we thought the matter was right.</p> +<p>And, it is likewise matter of regret, that both in the time of +greatest suffering and afterwards, idleness of both kinds did too +much prevail amongst us; both that when we were in a manner driven +from the world, and shut up from all employment but the exercise of +godliness, many did not improve that opportunity of the cross to +promote acquaintance and communion with God, being slothful in +prayer, reading and other duties; and some again, even when they +might have had access to lawful employments, continued idle and out +of work, to the opening of the mouths of many against the cause; +albeit they were not called to, or employed in any public business +for the same.</p> +<p>And besides all these things, there may be many other +transgressions whereof the lands wherein we live are guilty, and +these attended with many heinous aggravating circumstances beyond +what they were in our fathers, which we have not been humbled for +to this day; but, instead of mourning for them, confessing and +forsaking them, we have been rather defending or daubing, covering +or coloring, excusing or extenuating them. All which we now desire +to acknowledge and be humbled for, that the world may bear witness +with us, that righteousness belongeth unto God, and shame and +confusion of face to us, as appears this day.</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4><i>A SOLEMN ENGAGEMENT TO THE DUTIES CONTAINED IN OUR NATIONAL +AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT.</i></h4> +<h5><i>Particularly adjusted to the Circumstances of these Times, +Anno 1712</i></h5> +<p>Because it is requisite, in order to obtain mercy, not only to +confess, but also to forsake our sins, and to do the contrary +duties; therefore, that the sincerity and reality of our repentance +may appear, we resolve, and solemnly engage before God, in the +strength and through the assistance of Christ, that we shall +carefully endeavour, in all time coming, to avoid all these +offences, whereof we have now made solemn public acknowledgment, +and all the snares and temptations tending thereunto; and to +testify this sincerity of our resolution, and that we may be better +enabled in the power of the Lord's might, to perform the same, we +do again renew our Covenants, both National and Solemn League, +promising to make conscience of a more exact performance of all the +duties therein contained, so far as we, in our stations, and +present deplorable circumstances, are capable; particularly such as +follow.</p> +<p>Because religion is of all things the most excellent and +precious in its own nature, and therefore most to be desired by the +children of men, and the knowledge of the great truths of the +gospel, so generally decreased in this land, is so absolutely +necessary to salvation; therefore in order to attain it, we shall +labor to be better acquainted with the <i>written word of God</i>, +the only infallible rule of faith and manners; and shall (according +to our capacity) study more than formerly the doctrine of the +reformed church of Scotland, summed up in our<a name="FNanchor42" +id="FNanchor42"></a><a href="#Footnote_42"><sup>[42]</sup></a> +Confession of Faith, Catechisms Larger and Shorter, Sum of +Christian Doctrine and practical Use of Saving Knowledge, Directory +for Worship (as the same was received and observed by this church +in her purest times, viz. in the year 1649,) Propositions +concerning Church Government, and Ordination of Ministers, annexed +to the Confession of Faith, and other writings clearing and +confirming these truths, approven by this church, and agreeable to +the word of God.</p> +<p>We shall likewise endeavor the advancing and promoting the power +of this true Reformed Religion, against all ungodliness and +profanity, the securing and preserving the purity thereof, against +all kinds of errors, heresy and schism, as namely, Independency, +Brownism, Anabaptism, Antinomianism, Arminianism, Socinianism, +Libertinism, Familism. Scepticism, Quakerism, Deism, Burignonism +and Erastianism; and as we declare, that we willingly agree in our +consciences unto the doctrine of the church of Scotland in all +points, as unto God's undoubted truth and verity, grounded only +upon his written word, so we resolve constantly to adhere unto, +maintain and defend, profess and confess, and (when called of God) +to yield ourselves sufferers for the said doctrine, as we shall +desire to be approven and confessed by Jesus Christ, before God and +his holy angels. <i>2dly</i>, We shall also study more sincerity, +uprightness and heart-integrity in the worship of God, and shall +not satisfy ourselves with the form of it, without the power and +spirituality, which God the only object of religious worship, doth +require: and shall endeavor the due performance of all the duties +of religious worship, which God hath in his most holy word +required. And shall (if Providence offer occasion) endeavor to +recover, and labor to preserve the purity thereof from all +corruptions, mixtures, innovations and inventions of men, Popish, +Prelatical, or any other; and while we are not able, by reason of +the prevailing power of the abettors and maintainers of them, to +get them removed, we shall labor (through grace) to keep ourselves +free from all sinful communion and participation with them, and +shall, in our stations, testify against these corruptions and +perversions of God's worship, by all competent means. <i>3dly</i>, +We shall likewise by all lawful means endeavor, that Presbyterian +church government in kirk-sessions, presbyteries, synods and +general assemblies, may be recovered in its former purity, +established upon its proper basis and foundation, the word of God; +and that it may be freed from all encroachments and invasions made +thereupon by the powers of the earth; and that the discipline of +the church may be impartially exercised against all scandalous +offenders, great or small; and when the ministers of this church, +or any of them, shall sincerely and conscientiously endeavor the +restoration of the government in all its privileges, and freedom +from all Erastian encroachments, and to have the discipline duly +and impartially exercised, then we promise to be obedient, and be +subject thereunto, as becomes the flock of Christ; but shall always +testify our dislike of all encroachments made and yielded to, +prejudical to the privileges which Christ hath bestowed upon his +church.</p> +<p><i>4thly</i>, We shall always desire and pray for the reviving +of the work of uniformity in the three kingdoms, and (if the Lord +in his providence shall offer opportunity) shall seek and endeavour +it by other means possible, lawful, expedient, and competent to us +in our capacities; and shall never cordially consent unto, nor +cease to testify against, whatsoever doth obstruct and hinder that +work of uniformity, and shall detest and abhor all multiformity, +introduced by Erastianism, Prelacy, and Sectarianism, now so +prevalent, and confirmed by this late union with England.</p> +<p>According to the second Article, we shall do our utmost +endeavour to have the land purged of Popish idolatry, and the +monuments thereof destroyed, particularly the abomination of the +mass; and, so far as lies in our power, shall never suffer the same +to be re-introduced or erected again, nor favour any attempts +tending thereunto. We shall never make any conjunction with these +abominable Popish idolaters, at home or abroad, in armies or +otherwise; and shall, according to our National Covenant, detest +and abhor all their wicked superstitious rites and ceremonies. We +shall never consent, for any reason whatsoever, that the Penal +Statutes made against Papists should be annulled; but shall, when +opportunity offers, be ready to concur in putting them to a due and +vigorous execution. <i>2dly</i>, We shall, by all approven means, +in our stations and vocations, endeavour the extirpation of +Prelacy; and shall never submit to that wicked hierarchy of +Bishops, Archbishops, &c., having superiority of order and +jurisdiction above preaching Presbyters, whether Erastian or only +Diocesan, in any form or degree, howsoever reformed, accommodated, +limited, or restricted by cautions and provisions of men; seeing +that all such superiority is flatly condemned in the Word of God, +and hath proven many times fatal to the church of Christ. We shall +detest and abhor, and in our stations witness against whatsoever +courses, tending to the establishment of that abominable hierarchy; +and particularly, the oaths of allegiance, with the assurance, and +oath of abjuration, lately imposed on the persons of public trust +in these realms, in regard they may justly be interpreted to +strengthen that hierarchy, by upholding the persons that maintain +the same. We shall not submit to any orders issued forth by +Bishops, nor own them as our lawgivers, nor acknowledge any title +they have to be members of parliament or council. <i>3dly</i>, We +shall in like manner detest, and abhor, and labour, to extirpate +all kinds of superstition—all rites and ceremonies superadded +by human invention to the worship of God, not enjoined and required +in his Word; together with all heresy and false doctrine, and all +profaneness and immortalities of every kind, and whatsoever is +contrary to sound religion; and shall in the strength, and through +the help of Christ, endeavour to deny all ungodliness and worldly +lusts, and from henceforth to live righteously towards our +neighbour, soberly in ourselves, and to walk humbly with our +God.</p> +<p>We shall upon the one hand, endeavour to keep ourselves, as far +as we can, from all partakings in other men's sins, by consenting +unto associations, incorporations, combinations, compliance with, +or conniving at, their sins. And upon the other, to guard against +all schism, and sinful separation, or unjust, rash, and disorderly +withdrawing from societies, congregations or families, or any part +of the communion of the true reformed church of Scotland, holding +purely and entirely the doctrine, worship, discipline and +government of the same, in principle and exercise, according to the +rules of Christ, and standing acts and constitutions of this +church, consonant thereunto, so far as the Lord gives light +therein. And as we look not upon our practice in withdrawing from +the backslidden ministers of the present Erastian church, for +reasons valid and sufficient, to be a gathering and setting up +formed separate churches under other ordinances and ministry, +distinct from the Presbyterian church of Scotland, (although we be +falsely aspersed as doing it) so we purpose and resolve always to +adhere to that standard of doctrine, discipline, and government, +and that purity and form of worship, which during our reforming +times were established, and to embrace such ordinances, and such a +ministry as are of divine appointment; and that we shall not +presume to withdraw from minister or member of that body for any +offence, in any case, where either the offence may be legally +removed without withdrawing, or cannot be instructed to be +condemned by the word of God, and constitution of this church, or +is in itself an insufficient ground of withdrawing, or where it is +not defended, or obstinately persisted in, or is a thing to be +condescended upon, forborn, or forgiven; but shall study to +maintain union and Christian communion, with all and every one, +whether ministers or private Christians, who adhere unto the purity +of the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of the church +of Scotland, and to the whole word of Christ's patience, in the +sufferings and contendings of his people, in opposition to his +enemies' encroachments; and shall join, in the way of truth and +duty, with all who do, and in so for as they do, adhere to the +institutions of Christ. And because many have labored to supplant +the liberties of the true kirk, and have in a great measure, of +late by indulgences and toleration, and now by oaths of allegiance +and abjuration, and encroaching on the freedom of Christ's courts, +obtained their design: we shall therefore, to our power withstand +and witness against all these encroachments made upon the liberties +of Christ's church in our land, and when we can do no more, shall +withdraw our countenance and concurrence from such as hold their +freedom from, and are modified by such usurpation; and shall +neither hear their sermons, nor pay them stipends, while they +continue unfaithful; and shall, whenever God gives us opportunity, +endeavor to recover, and when recovered, to maintain and defend the +liberties and privileges of the church of Scotland, against all who +shall oppose or undermine the same, or encroach thereupon, under +any pretext whatsoever.</p> +<p>With reference to the third Article, wherein we are bound to +defend the privileges of the Parliament, liberties of the kingdoms, +and the King's Majesty's person and authority, in the defence of +the true Reformed religion: albeit God, in his righteous judgment, +hath left the nations so far to the counsels of their own hearts, +as to suffer them to set up Magistrates, wanting the qualifications +requisite, and to fill places of power and trust with insufficient +and disaffected persons, who have no respect to the interest of +religion, and this nation in particular to give up the rights and +privileges of Parliament, and kingdom, to the will and lust of the +English, and so to betray the interest both of religion and civil +liberty for unworthy by-ends; yet we purpose and promise, that we +shall always in our capacities bear witness against these courses, +and shall not by any means corroborate them, or encourage and +countenance the maintainers and abettors of them. And if ever the +Lord in his mercy shall be pleased to open a door of relief, and +break the cords of the ungodly, we shall not be wanting in all +lawful and suitable endeavors to promote, to our power, the +recovery of that liberty and freedom which we have lost, and to +have those acts and oaths, which impede Reformation, rescinded: and +that all the righteous laws, made in favor of the Covenanted +Reformation, may be put in full force, and duly executed.</p> +<p>We shall earnestly pray to God that he would give us able men, +men of truth, fearing God and hating covetousness, to bear charge +over his people, and that all places of power and trust in church, +state, or army, may consist of, and be filled with men of known +good affection to the cause of God, and of a Christian and +blameless conversation; and when it shall please the Lord to give +us such magistrates and judges supreme and subordinate, then we +will, in the terms of the covenant, yield allegiance to them, and +loyally subject to their good government, not from any by-end or +sinistrous principle, but out of sincere obedience to God's +commandment; and shall willingly support and defend them, with our +estates and lives, in their persevering and defending the true +reformed Protestant religion, in doctrine, worship, discipline and +government, and suppressing all kinds of false religion in their +dominions, and in the administration of justice and punishment of +iniquity; but while the Lord, in his just displeasure for our sins, +withholds such from us, we intend to wait till he turn away his +anger, and not to stretch forth our hands to iniquity, in owning +and countenancing such as are not duly qualified; as, particularly, +those that are Popish or Prelatical in their professed principle +and practice, and by oaths engage themselves to maintain, and +accordingly to defend, the Prelatical form of church government, +who oppose and encroach upon the true government of Christ's house +by their supremacy, and tolerate Sectarian errors in their +dominions, and that every one of them supreme and subordinate; and +shall not corroborate their unjust authority, by pacing them cess +and supply, for upholding their corrupt courts and armies, employed +in an unjust and antichristian quarrel; or, by compearing before +their judicatories, either to defend or pursue lawsuits, or upon +any other account.</p> +<p>Because we are not in a case to bring to due trial and +punishment, condign, according to the merit of their offences, +malignants and evil instruments, according to the fourth Article; +therefore, we shall endeavour to keep ourselves, as far as +possible, from any compliance with, or approbation of their cause +and courses, opposite to the cause and work of God; and shall +endeavour to keep at a distance from everything that may anyways +import a unitive conjunction, association, or confederacy with +them, or strengthening them in their opposition to the cause of +God—the covenanted interest. We shall, through grace, +endeavour to represent before the throne of justice their wicked +courses; and pray that God would defeat their inventions, though we +shall always, as becomes Christians, implore the throne of grace +for mercy to their souls, so far as it may be consistent with God's +eternal purpose of electing love. Moreover, we shall always +endeavour to guard against all unwarrantable and irregular ways, +not approven in God's Word, of punishing malignants and +incendiaries, for their opposition to reformation.</p> +<p>Whereas, in the fifth Article, we are bound to endeavour, that +the kingdoms may remain united in a most firm peace and union to +all posterity; which union did consist in a uniformity in doctrine, +worship, discipline and government, though, as was said, it is now +laid aside, and a union entered into which establishes multiformity +therein, and so is the opposite of this Covenanted Union. We shall, +therefore, deny our consent unto, and approbation of this union, +and shall, as we have in weakness been witnessing against it +formerly, so continue to do for the future, and shall not +corroborate or strengthen the same; but upon the contrary, if the +Lord afford opportunity, shall do our utmost to have the <i>union +of the kingdoms settled</i> upon the true covenanted basis; and +shall lay out ourselves, as far as possible, to entertain +correspondence and sympathy with every one in the kingdoms of +England and Ireland, who do, or shall, to our knowledge, adhere to +this League and Covenant.</p> +<p>According to the sixth Article, considering what danger we and +all our brethren, under the bond and owning the obligation of these +covenants, are in, and may be exposed unto, from the Popish and +Prelatical malignant faction still prevailing, and from this +backslidden church; and being sensible of the many defects which +have been amongst us, in the duty of defending and assisting one +another in maintaining the common cause of religion and liberty, we +do here solemnly enter into a bond of association with all that do +now renew these covenants, "with the Acknowledgement of the Public +Sins and Breeches, and the Engagement of Duties thereof, and +concert and assert the old covenanted cause and quarrel," as our +fathers stated and contended for it, from the year 1638 to the year +1650. Which cause of the covenanted reformation in doctrine, +worship, discipline and government, and all interests, or rights, +religious or civil, contended for during the foresaid space of +years, conducing to promote the same, we faithfully promise to +prosecute, propagate, preserve and maintain, to the utmost of our +power, with our lives and all that we have; and to adhere to all +the faithful testimonies, protestations and declarations, in the +defence of the foresaid covenanted reformation, agreeable to, and +founded on God's Word, ever since the foresaid year 1650, not +regarding the foul aspersions of rebellion, combination or schism, +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 unfeigned desire to maintain the true religion, to obtain +the protection and preserve the honour of righteous government, and +promote the peace and happiness of the kingdoms.</p> +<p>And for the better performance of what we here engage to, we +shall sympathize, bear all burdens, embark our interest with, +assist and defend all those, who enter into, or join this +association and Covenant, and shall reckon whatsoever is done to +the least of us, for this cause, as done to us all in general and +to every one of us in particular: and shall account it a breach of +Covenant, if seeing our brethren pursued for this very cause, and +having sufficient means to comfort and assist them, any of us shall +either make peace with the persecutors, bind up their hands by +oaths and bonds from resisting them, refuse to hide, harbor, or +supply their brethren, decline to venture, in lawful and necessary +attempts for their relief, or withdraw from their dutiful support; +and being thus united and associated in this cause, as we resolve +and oblige ourselves to abide in this firm conjunction, and neither +consent nor concede to any combination or counsel, suggestion, +persuasion, allurement or terror, that may have any known tendency +or influence, whether direct or indirect, to seduce us either to a +division amongst ourselves, or defection to our adversaries, or a +base indifferency and neutrality between the two; but shall, with +all zeal, fidelity and constancy, communicate our best help, +counsel and concurrence, for promoting all resolutions, which by +common consent shall be found to conduce to the good of the cause, +and shall endeavor to discover, oppose and suppress, all +contrivances or counsels, that may cast in any let or impediment, +that may be obstructive or prejudicial to the same. So we shall +likewise desire, design and endeavor, (whenever the Lord in his +providence shall offer opportunity) to get the defections, unworthy +neutralities, and unhappy divisions, which have long and lamentably +wounded, and wrecked this church, removed and remedied. And shall +be willing, with all tender sympathy and compassion, to embrace and +welcome with the utmost bowels of kindness and respect that we can, +all who shall confess and forsake these defections, and according +to their stations, as ministers or private Christians, shall, by +all proper means, labor to satisfy the conscience of the godly, +that are through these defections and scandals justly offended, and +that according to the rules of Christ, delivered in his word, and +received in this church, in her Reforming times, and join cordially +with us in the prosecution of this cause; and we shall be willing +also, at their desire, to acknowledge and forsake, for peace and +unity, whatever we can rationally be convinced to be bad in our +conduct and management, as we must acknowledge, that in all things +we fail, and come exceedingly short of that perfection, which we +should and would be at.</p> +<p>And because there be many who heretofore have not made +conscience of the oath of God—but some, through fear, others +by persuasion, and upon base ends, and human interests, have +entered thereinto, who have afterwards discovered themselves to +have dealt deceitfully with the Lord, in swearing falsely by his +name; therefore, we, who do now renew our covenants with reference +to these duties, and all other duties contained therein, do, in the +sight of him who is the searcher of hearts, solemnly profess, that +it is not upon any politic advantage, or private interest, or +by-end, or because of any terror or persuasion from men, or +hypocritically or deceitfully, that we do again take upon us the +oath of God; but honestly and sincerely, and from the sense of our +duty. And that, therefore, denying ourselves and our own things, +and, laying aside all-self interests and ends, we shall, above all +things, seek the honour of God, the good of his cause, and the +wealth of his people; and that, forsaking the counsels of flesh and +blood, and not leaning upon carnal confidences, we shall depend +upon the Lord, walk by the rule of his Word, and hearken to the +voice of his servants. In all which, professing our own weakness, +we do earnestly pray to God who is the Father of mercies, through +his Son JESUS CHRIST, to be merciful unto us, and to enable us, by +the power of his might, that we may do our duty, unto the praise of +his grace in the churches. Amen.</p> +<p>FOOTNOTES:</p> +<p><a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor4">[4]</a></p> +<blockquote>In the Preface to this edition, the reader may perceive +the same spirit in 1880. | ED.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_5" id="Footnote_5"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor5">[5]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_6" id="Footnote_6"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor6">[6]</a></p> +<blockquote>The persons and authority of such, when God of his +mercy shall grant them to us.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_7" id="Footnote_7"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor7">[7]</a></p> +<blockquote>King Charles the First.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_8" id="Footnote_8"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor8">[8]</a></p> +<blockquote>Remonstrances, declarations and testimonies of old, and +of late.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_9" id="Footnote_9"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor9">[9]</a></p> +<blockquote>Or any other corruptions thereof, Prelatic or Erastian, +either tried or to be tried; such as indulgence, the toleration, +the magistrates appointing fasts without advice and consent of the +church, dissolving assemblies, &c.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_10" id="Footnote_10"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor10">[10]</a></p> +<blockquote>Remonstrances, declarations and +testimonies.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_11" id="Footnote_11"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor11">[11]</a></p> +<blockquote>To righteous governors, (when obtained), and to our +country.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_12" id="Footnote_12"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor12">[12]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate's.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_13" id="Footnote_13"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor13">[13]</a></p> +<blockquote>The person and authority of sovereigns having the +qualifications which the Scriptures require.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_14" id="Footnote_14"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor14">[14]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate's.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_15" id="Footnote_15"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor15">[15]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_16" id="Footnote_16"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor16">[16]</a></p> +<blockquote>Lawful supreme Magistrates.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_17" id="Footnote_17"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor17">[17]</a></p> +<blockquote>Anno 1638.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_18" id="Footnote_18"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor18">[18]</a></p> +<blockquote>Lawful supreme Magistrates.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_19" id="Footnote_19"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor19">[19]</a></p> +<blockquote>After all supplications, remonstrances protestations +and sufferings of our fathers, and our own grievous sufferings and +contendings both before and since the late Revolution.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_20" id="Footnote_20"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor20">[20]</a></p> +<blockquote>When restored, according to their ancient +foundation.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_21" id="Footnote_21"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor21">[21]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate's.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_22" id="Footnote_22"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor22">[22]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful Magistrate's.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_23" id="Footnote_23"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor23">[23]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful Magistrate, when obtained.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_24" id="Footnote_24"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor24">[24]</a></p> +<blockquote>Our Reformers.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_25" id="Footnote_25"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor25">[25]</a></p> +<blockquote>As they were then.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_26" id="Footnote_26"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor26">[26]</a></p> +<blockquote>The lawful supreme Magistrate.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_27" id="Footnote_27"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor27">[27]</a></p> +<blockquote>Such as the Curate of Carsphairn, and some others. But +it is to be noted, that this sentence is not meant of those who +either designed or actually executed that act of extraordinary +justice upon the Archbishop of St. Andrews, who being an +arch-traitor, and public incendiary, and implacable enemy to the +work of God, and all the godly in the kingdom, was therefore justly +put to death; though (because of the defect of justice in those +that had authority,) the act, in respect of the persons executing, +was singular and extraordinary. See the same vindicated, <i>Hind +Let Loose</i>, head vi., page 633, &c.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_28" id="Footnote_28"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor28">[28]</a></p> +<blockquote>Ezek. vii. 16. But they that escape of them shall +escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the vallies, +all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_29" id="Footnote_29"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor29">[29]</a></p> +<blockquote>Ezek. ix. 4.---- Set a mark upon the foreheads of the +men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in +the midst thereof.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_30" id="Footnote_30"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor30">[30]</a></p> +<blockquote>Matt. xxii. 5. But they made light of it, and went +their ways, one to his farm, another to his +merchandise.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_31" id="Footnote_31"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor31">[31]</a></p> +<blockquote>1 Tim. vi. 14. That thou keep this commandment without +spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus +Christ.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_32" id="Footnote_32"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor32">[32]</a></p> +<blockquote>2 Tim. lii. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying +the power thereof.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_33" id="Footnote_33"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor33">[33]</a></p> +<blockquote>Eph. in. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by +faith.---- Col. ii. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus +the Lord, so walk ye in him.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_34" id="Footnote_34"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor34">[34]</a></p> +<blockquote>Col. i. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto +all pleasing.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_35" id="Footnote_35"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor35">[35]</a></p> +<blockquote>2 Thes. ii. 10, 11, 12. Because they received not the +love of the truth----For this cause God shall send them strong +delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be +damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in +unrighteousness.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_36" id="Footnote_36"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor36">[36]</a></p> +<blockquote>Josh. xxiv. 15.---- But as for me and my house, we will +serve the Lord. Gen. xviii. 19. For I know him, that he will +command his children and his household after him, and they shall +keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_37" id="Footnote_37"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor37">[37]</a></p> +<blockquote>1 Tim. iii. 15---- That thou mayest know how thou +oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.----</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_38" id="Footnote_38"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor38">[38]</a></p> +<blockquote>Psal. ci 2. I will walk within my house with a perfect +heart. Jer. vii. 3. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of +Israel; amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to +dwell in this place. Isa. I. 16, 17; <i>Cease to</i> do evil. Learn +to do well.----</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_39" id="Footnote_39"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor39">[39]</a></p> +<blockquote>Jer. 1. 8. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go +forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be ye as the he goats +before the flocks.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_40" id="Footnote_40"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor40">[40]</a></p> +<blockquote>Zech. i 3. Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, +and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Psal. lxxxv. 3. +Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from +the fierceness of thine anger. Verse 4th. Turn us, O God of our +salvation and cause thine anger towards us to cease</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_41" id="Footnote_41"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor41">[41]</a></p> +<blockquote>Psal. lxxxv. 9, 10. Surely his salvation is nigh them +that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth +are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each +other.<br> +Isa. xxxii. 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and +the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.<br> +Zech. viii. 19---- Therefore love the truth and peace.</blockquote> +<p><a name="Footnote_42" id="Footnote_42"></a><a href= +"#FNanchor42">[42]</a></p> +<blockquote>Note. The Confession of Faith is here adhered to, as it +was received and approven by the General Assembly of this church, +by their Act of the 27th of Aug. 1647, Sess. 23, the 2d Article of +the 31st Chap, being understood, as explained in that Act, and the +4th Sect, of the 23d Chap, being understood, as it is explained in +our Informatory Vindication, page 196, 2d Edition.</blockquote> +<p>[Typographical errors excepted, and <i>Historical +Introduction</i> substituted for <i>Preface</i>, this edition +agrees with those of Paisley, 1820, and Belfast, +1835.—ED.]</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;"> +<a name="ACT_OF_COVENANT_RENOVATION" id= +"ACT_OF_COVENANT_RENOVATION"></a> +<h2>ACT OF COVENANT RENOVATION,</h2> +<h4>AGREED UPON AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880,</h4> +<h6>BY THE</h6> +<h2>REFORMED PRESBYTERY,</h2> +<h4>AFTER THE APPROVED EXAMPLE OF OUR FATHERS, AT</h4> +<h4>AUCHENSAUGH, 1712, AND ACCOMMODATED</h4> +<h4>TO THE PRESENT TIME.</h4> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<p>"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy +righteous judgments."—<i>Psalms</i> cxix: 106.</p> +<p>"They (Egyptians) shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform +it."—<i>Is</i>. xix: 21.</p> +<p>The Corinthians "first gave their own selves to the +Lord."—<i>2 Cor</i>. viii: 5.</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;"> +<a name="COVENANT_RENOVATION." id="COVENANT_RENOVATION."></a> +<h2>COVENANT RENOVATION.</h2> +<p>Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God.—<i>Ps</i>. lxxvi: +II.</p> +<h4>PREFACE.</h4> +<p>Having in prospect a united, public and solemn approach to our +covenant God, some important principles should be understood, that +we may proceed with intelligence and have sure ground for our +faith.</p> +<p>"God is love;" and reciprocal love constitutes "the bond of +perfectness" between God and rational creatures. Communion with God +is the supreme felicity and highest honor of which angels and men +are capable. The first emanation of divine love revealed to us was +displayed in the covenant of works; although not called a covenant, +the narrative contains all the elements essential to a federal +deed, comprising a summary of the whole moral law. Thus the +sovereign love of God was manifested through the medium of law and +covenant inseparably combined; and this is the Lord's manner of +dealing with mankind till the present time.</p> +<p>That covenant was made with us in Adam as our common father and +public representative. By the breach of it we are born in Adam's +image and "children of wrath;" for the principle of representative +identification pervades the moral universe. Our rational and social +nature fits us both for personal and federal responsibility.</p> +<p>When we had "destroyed ourselves" by apostasy from God, then did +God "show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward +us through Christ Jesus." The gift of his Son to be a covenant head +to sinners is God's highest, and most glorious demonstration of his +ineffable love. The breadth, and length, and depth, and height of +the love of Christ passeth knowledge; and the displays of this love +through the covenant of grace will doubtless furnish matter of +admiration to holy angels, and of adoring gratitude to redeemed +sinners throughout eternity. Rev. i: 5, 6.</p> +<p>Ever since our fall in Adam God has dealt with our sinful race +by covenant. This covenant was made with Christ as Mediator between +God and man, and as the representative of all whom the Father gave +him to be redeemed and brought to glory. John xvii: 2. Accordingly, +the Lord Jesus, immediately on the fall of our first parents, +entered upon his work of mediation. To them first he announced his +commission, declaring his purpose to "bruise the serpent's +head—to destroy the works of the devil." Gen. iii: 15; 1 John +iii: 8. Christ is given "for a witness to the people; a leader and +commander to the people; to have power over all flesh, that he +should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given +him."</p> +<p>Throughout the whole of the mediatorial administration the law +and the covenant are distinct, though inseparably connected: and +although many covenants are mentioned in the Scriptures, and even +distinguished as <i>old</i> and <i>new</i>. Jer. xxxi: 31; Heb. +viii: 8; yet we must understand these as only different and +successive modes of administering one and the same Covenant of +Grace. This covenant was proclaimed before the deluge by prophets, +as Enoch and Noah; after the flood by patriarchs; then by the +ministry of Moses and other prophets, when John the Baptist and the +Messiah in person proclaimed it; and from the day of Pentecost till +the end of the world is the last dispensation—still, the +covenant is immutably the same. The most solemn and memorable act +of covenanting with God was at Horeb, otherwise called Sinai, when +the Israelites were first and formally organized in ecclesiastical +and civil relations. Then "Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his +dominion." Ps. cxiv: 2.</p> +<p>Besides circumcision and the passover, both of which involved +covenant obligation, God instituted the additional ordinance of +public and social federal transaction, that the whole body might +glorify him by a united act of solemn dedication as his special +property separated visibly from the world. Is. lxiii: 19. And that +this is a moral ordinance, and of perpetual obligation, is evident +from the practice of God's people, both under the Old and New +Testament, and the language of prophecy. Deut. xxix: 10-12; 2 Cor. +viii: 5; Is. xliv: 5.</p> +<p>Again, when we renew our covenant, we do not mean that the +obligation has ceased, or that we can increase its obligation, for +this is infinite and permanent; we intend by our personal act to +deepen and render more durable our sense of preexisting obligation. +This is, indeed, the immediate object of all renovations, by Moses, +Joshua, kings of Judah and Nehemiah. And as we have seen, this +ordinance was observed by Christians in the time of the apostles, +so their practice may be traced through history afterwards, however +obscure, until the time of the Reformation from Popery; when in +Europe, both continental and insular, this ordinance was revived +and exemplified. Among all nations in Christendom Scotland stands +preeminent since first emancipated from bondage in mystical +Babylon, for the frequency and fidelity of her ecclesiastical and +national vows to the Most High. After many struggles with Popery +and Prelacy, during which Christ's witnesses in that land derived +strength and courage from vows renewed to withstand these organized +oppressors; at length by their example and influence the kingdoms +of England and Ireland were brought into a confederation by that +famous and grand document, the Solemn League and Covenant. Taken in +connection with the National Covenant of Scotland, those three +nations and the churches in them were voluntarily bound to God and +to each other by all the solemnity of cords and bands made in +heaven. Yet, through the corruption of human nature and the +restless malice of the Dragon and his angels, these bands were +treacherously broken and the cords cast away. Although those +symbols of the public faith were Scriptural documents, yet the +reformation as truly described by the late Mr. Robert Lusk, was to +the majority "a reformation only on paper." Like Israel of old the +hearts of most of the people were not right with God, neither were +they steadfast in his covenant. Ps. lxxviii: 37. This was soon made +manifest by the Public Resolutions, accepting Indulgences, and the +subsequent twenty-eight years of persecution inflicted upon those +who "stood to the covenant." Then followed, in 1689, what the +apostates called, and their successors still fondly hail, as the +"glorious Revolution settlement!"—a settlement which, by +forms of law, consigned the nations' solemn vows to oblivion, with +all possible expressions of detestation by the infamous "Act +Rescissory." In the year 1707, the "Act of Incorporation" brought +the church and kingdom of Scotland under degrading bondage to the +anti-Christian, Prelatic and Erastian throne of Britain.</p> +<p>While these steps of apostasy were in progress, the Lord +preserved a "wasted remnant" of witnesses, who "resisted unto blood +striving against sin." These valiant Christian patriots—"the +Society People"—kept themselves and their garments clean, and +kept also the word of Christ's patience. They never were +<i>dissenters</i>, nor properly called the "Old Dissenters." During +this hour of temptation they were destitute of the help and +guidance of a public ministry. At length, in the year 1706, Mr. +John M'Millan, wearing the honorable badges of suspension and +deposition, imposed by his apostate brethren for advocating in +their Assembly the continued obligation of the Covenants. National +and Solemn League, (Is. lxvi: 5,) was joyfully received as their +minister by the voice of the Society people. In the year 1712, at +Auchensaugh, Mr. M'Millan, with the assistance of Mr. John M'Neil, +licentiate, "resolved to set about this solemn and tremendous duty +of renewing their national covenants with God." Their mode of +procedure was Scriptural, following the examples of Moses and +others to Nehemiah—"the footsteps of the flock." They framed +three papers, History, Confession and Engagement. The text of the +Covenants of our fathers was left entire, only some explanatory +words and phrases being placed in the margin. These explanations +were then necessary to clear that question of +questions—"Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with +thee?"—a question to be finally settled only at the sounding +of the last Apocalyptic trumpet. Rev. xi: 15. That transaction was +ever after incorporated with the Terms of Communion.</p> +<p>Some years after this transaction another renovation took place +in Scotland, at a locality called Crawford-John; but no attainments +were then made, nor has any authentic record of the proceedings +been transmitted to posterity. Also the Seceders, soon after their +erection as a distinct organization in Scotland, and repeatedly +since in Britain and America, by public covenanting have +contributed to the preservation of sound doctrine and Christian +practice. We cannot, however, accord to them the honor of being the +successors of the covenanted witnesses, which they unwarrantably +claim, seeing that they disowned the "civil part" of the public +Covenants, and thus unwittingly, we charitably believe, passed an +implied censure on the One Lawgiver for having given us a second +table in the moral law!</p> +<p>We merely refer to the Octoraro transaction, (1743,) conducted +by that unstable minister, Mr. Craighead, as being unworthy of +anything more than historical notice.</p> +<p>The two most noteworthy instances of avowed covenant-renovation +within the present century are those at Dervock, Ireland, in 1853, +and in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1871; and we class them +together, because however the respective documents differ in their +provisions, and in our judgment some of these are irreconcilable, +yet the parties have ever since agreed to coalesce. Reference is +here made only to a sample of <i>essential</i> discrepancies. In +the Dervock bond the British Covenants are expressly mentioned and +owned; in the Pittsburg bond they are neither owned nor mentioned, +although both were urged at the time, while they were openly +vilified without rebuke. In the former Prelacy is abjured, in the +latter it is not so much as named. The fourth article of the former +is irreconcilable with the fourth article of the latter. The former +is limited by <i>recognized truth</i>; the latter substitutes for +truth <i>supposed piety</i>. But since these two parties, in the +face of such antagonistic fundamental principles, do actually +harmonize in practice, coming down to treat with opposing parties +in the plain of Ono, their example of treachery in covenant can be +regarded only as a beacon of warning.</p> +<p>Strictly speaking, no new obligation has been imposed or assumed +since the law was given at Sinai. We are to "keep the words of the +covenant, the ten commandments." This is just what Christ still +enjoins upon his disciples—"Teaching them to observe all +things whatsoever I have commanded you." The footsteps of Christ's +flock differ nothing now from what they were in the days of +Solomon. Some turn back into Egypt, while others turn aside with +the "flocks of the companions to right-hand extremes or left-hand +defections"; for the harlot's "ways are moveable that thou canst +not know them," and we are warned—"Come not near the door of +her house."</p> +<p>The federal deeds which we propose to renew are, of course, +those of our witnessing fathers, the National Covenant of Scotland +and the Solemn League of Scotland, England and Ireland, adapting +these public deeds to our time, and comprising all preceding and +subsequent attainments, as was done by our predecessors at +Auchensaugh. Our condition and surroundings are in many respects +similar to theirs. "Their soul was exceedingly filled with the +scorning of those that were at ease, and with the contempt of the +proud"; but they were also exposed to many perils from the existing +ecclesiastical and civil authorities which they publicly +disowned.</p> +<p>All inspired records of public vows to God by his united people, +from the time of Moses to Nehemiah, contained a synopsis of special +providence towards themselves and others, of sins, mercies and +judgments; and these were motives to this special duty, though not +a rule—"And because of all this we make a sure covenant and +write it."</p> +<p>After these examples, which we judge "written for our learning," +we renew our own and our ancestors' covenants, neither +ecclesiastically nor nationally as representatives of either church +or state, as they are now confederated against the Lord and his +Anointed: but we appear publicly as a "despised remnant," avowing +allegiance to Zion's only King and "Prince of the kings of the +earth," pledging adherence to those public deeds of our +progenitors, in which the divine ordinances of Church and State are +exhibited; and in which they are exemplified as co-ordinate, +mutually independent, friendly, and helpful to the family and to +each other. Thus acted the people of God under the covenant of +grace in all ages; and so acted his servants at Auchensaugh, whose +more immediate example we propose to follow.</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4>CONFESSION OF PUBLIC SINS.</h4> +<p>All authentic history confirms the declaration of the Sacred +Scriptures, That by one man sin entered into the world, and that +there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. +Yet there is mercy with God that he may be feared, and plenteous +redemption to redeem Israel from all his trespasses. But we are +assured that "he that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but +whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."</p> +<p>Believing these teachings of God's word, and in view of renewing +solemn vows to him, we now give glory to the Lord God of Israel by +making confession of our own and our fathers' sins in violating our +solemn covenants. We acknowledge the heinous sins of repeated +violation of our covenanted unity—<i>First</i>, By joining in +a military confederacy with the American Colonies in the +revolutionary war of 1776. <i>Second</i>, Joining in a similar +confederacy with Irish Papists and others to cast off the British +government in 1798. <i>Third</i>, In a similar confederacy in the +war between the United States and England in 1812. <i>Fourth</i>, +By the like military association in the recent civil war: and these +sins were aggravated by framing oaths of allegiance or fidelity in +the years 1812 and 1863.</p> +<p>Some of those who had violated their covenants by military +association with the United Irishmen fled for refuge to the United +States; and without undergoing censure became active agents in +constituting a presbytery without authority had from the parent +body in Scotland, 1798; and proceeded in 1806 to frame and publish +<i>Reformation Principles Exhibited</i>, a work which removed +landmarks which the fathers had set; and which with an abstract of +Terms of Communion unpresbyterially introduced, unsettled the +foundations and issued in the lamentable disruption of 1833.</p> +<p>In Scotland the leaders of the people caused them to err by +changing the Terms of Communion in the year 1822, and the Testimony +in 1837. While these changes were made in the Covenanted Church's +organic law some of the most popular and influential +ministers—theological professors, were publicly transgressing +our covenants by joining in affinity with divers confederacies for +moral reform. Doctor Andrew Symington, the most influential +minister in the Synod did actually and publicly co-operate with the +Evangelical Alliance; and in 1841 the same professor was among the +foremost in projecting a plan for a "concert of prayer," by diverse +sorts of professors, those of the Established Church of Scotland +being expressly mentioned. No wonder the hesitating +<i>Covenanter</i> ventured at least to express preferance for "more +generally small meetings for prayer, to a large number of +Christians of different names." This kind of amalgamation being +contrary to Scripture was a breach also of the Solemn League, the +sixth article of which was evidently designed by our fathers to +prevent such social sins under the name of religion. The +Theological Seminary in Scotland, as a corrupt fountain, polluted +all the streams, the ministers taking the lead in the defection, as +is now manifested to the world.</p> +<p>All along our history in Scotland, Ireland and America, the sin +of the antediluvians and of Israel after the flesh has been +imitated by us—joining with the known enemies of truth and +righteousness, in the face of many fearful judgments for such +breaches of solemn vows.</p> +<p>The ministers took the lead in joining and inducing others to +join the Colonization Society, a scheme for the removal of colored +freedmen from among the bondmen, that slavery might be more secure +and more certainly perpetuated by removing the disturbing element; +and all this under the guise of evangelizing Africa! The General +Synod which had unanimously patronized that scheme in 1828, +discovering the deception, did in 1836, by a majority transfer its +patronage to the rival cause of Abolition, thus continuing and +persevering in the same transgression, from which they are not +reclaimed to this day.</p> +<p>About the same time when we were ensnared in these unscriptural +confederacies, occasional hearing naturally became developed in a +sabbath-school, which for a short time was conducted jointly by +three denominations in Pittsburgh—Covenanters, Seceders and +Associate Reformed, violating our covenanted unity and erecting an +unauthorized agency for spiritual instruction. The General Synod +did, in 1840, abolish its own deligation form and the Subordinate +Synods in violation of conventional law and Presbyterial order, and +still continues to adhere to this two-fold breach of the brotherly +covenant. That body, carrying on defection, joined in military +association as noticed above, during the late civil war between the +Union and Confederate armies, framing an "oath of fidelity," and +thus profaning a divine ordinance by pledging themselves to enforce +an atheistical constitution and execute the laws: and some of them +glory in their shame and boast of this flagrant and complicated +breach of solemn vows to the contrary.</p> +<p>While recognizing many precious principles embodied in the +Dorvock bond, we cannot give it our approbation as an adequate +renovation of our National Covenant and Solemn League, because it +not only omits but obviously excludes the Form of Presbyterial +Church Government and the Directory for Public Worship, and seems +to substitute for these the Testimony which is incompatible with +that of 1761; although the two documents above named were received +by our General Assembly of Scotland as "part of the uniformity" to +which we are bound in the Solemn League. And besides, all their +symbols of faith mentioned in the Dervock transaction as +subordinate, are owned only as "<i>Doctrinal</i> Standards," thus +leaving at loose ends individual and social Christian +<i>practice</i>. This document is therefore a defective, evasive, +and consequently inadequate renovation of our Covenants.</p> +<p>The sound principles comprised in the Pittsburgh bond are still +more palpably rendered nugatory by contradictions, manifold +evasions and ambiguous phrases; such as "accepted manuals, our +fathers' covenants," etc.; while the solemn pledge to "maintain +Christian friendship with pious men of every name, and to feel and +act as one with all in every land who pursue this grand end +"—an <i>undefined</i> end—would overthrow, if this were +possible, the whole scriptural fabric of our Presbyterial +Covenanted Reformation. Treachery and perfidy, not to say perjury, +are bound up in the Pittsburgh bond, especially in pledging +themselves to the performance of civil duties "not forbidden in the +law of God." Some of the native fruits of this transaction, tending +still more to corrupt themselves and others are the continual +practice of occasional hearing, exchange of pulpits and +correspondence by delegation.</p> +<p>This body has placed itself under the authority of the +Pennsylvania Legislature, having petitioned for and obtained an act +of incorporation, and having voluntarily submitted to the Erastian +civil jurisdiction of the state of Pennsylvania and of the United +States. The civil Charter expressly institutes and appoints its +trustees to be regulated and limited in the exercise of the +functions of their respective offices by the constitutions of +Pennsylvania and of the nation. Their bond prepared the way for +this more gross and practical surrender of all that is distinctive +in our covenanted position. And finally, so far as we know all +parties in the three lands claiming to be Reformed Presbyterians, +have for years renounced those provisions of our Directory which +require the lines to be read in public praise to God, and the banns +to be proclaimed before marriage.</p> +<p>The nations throughout Christendom, continue in league with +Antichrist and give their strength to the beast. They still refuse +to profess and defend the true religion in doctrine, worship, +government and discipline, contrary to the example of the kingdoms +of Scotland, England and Ireland in the seventeenth century. Some +of them have waged wars of conquest, under pretence of opening a +way for the spread of the gospel; and disregarding international +law, have violated solemn treaties among themselves, and all of +them practically disregard divine authority; habitually profaning +the Christian Sabbath, by carrying the mail, by commercial traffic, +and parties of pleasure on land and water.</p> +<p>Acknowledging the righteousness of divine judgment upon +ourselves and others for manifold violations of God's law and +breaches of our own and our fathers' solemn vows in our domestic, +ecclesiastical and civil relations; we desire to humble ourselves +before God for these sins, and for others not contained in this +enumeration. Seeing that God hath punished us less than our +iniquities deserve, and hath left us a small remnant in his +sovereign mercy, our prayer to him is that he may enable us by his +grace to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, to the glory of +his great and holy name, and the commendation of his pardoning +mercy.</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;"> +<h4>ACT OF ADHERENCE TO OUR COVENANTS. NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE; +AS ADAPTED TO THE PRESENT TIME.</h4> +<p>We, office-bearers and members of the Reformed Presbyterian +Church, convinced by the Word and Spirit of God of our guilt and +depravity by our breach of covenant in Adam; of utter inability to +save ourselves from the ruins of the falls or its just penal +consequences; desiring moreover to bless, the Lord, that when we +were yet without strength Christ died for the ungodly; that a door +of faith has been opened to the Gentiles, and repentance unto life +granted to such; taking our warrant and encouragement from God +alone, with our hands lifted up toward him:—do swear by his +great and fearful name as the Lord our God, that—</p> +<p>I. We accept God in Christ for ourselves and our children as +offered to us in the gospel, to be our everlasting portion; and we +joyfully surrender ourselves and our all to him as his rightful and +exclusive property. We cordially approve the Covenant of Grace, and +embrace it as all our salvation and all our desire. Dead to the law +as a covenant of works, we cheerfully receive it from Christ's hand +as our perfect rule of life, to direct our personal and social +conduct. Aiming to glorify God as our chief end, and to do good +unto all men as we have opportunity—especially to the +household of faith—we promise in the strength of divine grace +to search the Scriptures, conforming heart and life to this +standard, in constant opposition to the course of this world, +exemplifying godliness and honesty before men all our days.</p> +<p>II. Set for the defence of the gospel, and under manifold +obligations to contend earnestly for the faith which was once +delivered to the saints, we acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old +and new Testament to be the Word of God and the alone infallible +rule of faith and manners, rejecting any and all additions or +subtractions, false translations, perverting or wresting them to +men's destruction.</p> +<p>We own also, as subordinate standards of faith and practice of +doctrine and order, the National Covenant and Solemn League: as +also the Westminster formularies, well known by their +names—viz., the Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter +Catechisms, Form of Church Government, and Directory of Public +Worship; as these were received respectively by the Church of +Scotland in the years 1645, '47, and '48, not merely as +"<i>Doctrinal</i> Standards," but as symbols, all of them, of +Christian practice also, and as a part of the uniformity sworn to +in the Solemn League. We adhere to the Renovation of the National +Covenants at Auchensaugh, 1712, as comprising the same grand +Scriptural principles with the original deeds, and preserving the +identity of the moral person, which became more visible in 1761 by +a Judicial Testimony, re-exhibited in 1858 and 1876.</p> +<p>We repudiate the Renovation at Dervock, 1853, as being +inadequate, defective, and unfaithful—part of the document +couched in abstract, evasive, and equivocal language. Also, we +condemn and reject the Pittsburgh Bond, as ambiguous, +self-contradictory and treacherous—"a snare on Mizpah." We +abjure and testify against Popery, as delineated by our ancestors +in the National Covenant, together with the fictitious dogma of the +Immaculate Conception, and the blasphemous assumption by the Pope +of Jehovah's incommunicable prerogative of Infallibility. In like +manner we reject Prelacy, whether Erastian or Diocesan, as abjured +in the National Covenant and more explicitly in the Solemn League; +while in pity for the persons involved in these despotic systems, +we will pray and labor for the extirpation of these poisonous +plants, and the emancipation of their deluded admirers. We condemn +and disown all existing systems which involve the infidel element +called Voluntaryism, representing the divine ordinances of Church +and State as mutually inimical or in any way antagonistic, thus +impeaching the wisdom of the Almighty.</p> +<p>III. Believing that the Son of God has been, as Mediator +appointed heir of all things, and invested with universal dominion; +that he reigns and must reign till all his impenitent enemies be +put under his feet: we pledge ourselves in reliance on divine grace +to continue our advocacy of his claims upon the homage and willing +obedience of individual and social man, in the family, the church +and the civil commonwealth. We will maintain and urge his exclusive +right to prescribe the faith and order of the church by his royal +authority. We promise to inculcate and exemplify Presbyterian +Church Government as alone of divine right and unalterable.</p> +<p>Believing, moreover, that civil government, originating in the +will of God as Creator, has been placed by the Father under the +authority of the Mediator, and that the principal objects to be +promoted by this divine ordinance are the glory of its Author, the +welfare of mankind, and the prosperity of the church; we engage to +endeavor the reformation of the nations by testifying against all +neglect or contempt of Messiah's claims, or impious invasion of his +rights by either rulers or subjects. In joyful anticipation of the +universal reign of righteousness and peace on the earth, we will +labor and pray for a gospel ministry and a Scriptural magistracy; +testifying against all corruptions of these or substitutes for +them. Persuaded of the adaptation and sufficiency of divine +ordinances to effect reformation, we will refuse to identify or +incorporate with any substitutes for these, or to co-operate with +voluntary associations for moral reform, whether secret and sworn, +or open and pledged, as these imply want of faith in divine +ordinances, and in the wisdom and beneficence of our covenant +God.</p> +<p>IV. Believing that the Christian Church is one by her divine +constitution, and lamenting existing divisions among the children +of God; recognizing the obligation upon us to love the brotherhood, +we will endeavor to cultivate charity in private intercourse +towards all who reflect the divine image; and help to elevate them +to the platform of the Covenanted Reformation as our only +recognized bond of organic and ministerial church-fellowship. Nor +will we, in reliance upon the promised and continued supplies of +the Spirit of Jesus Christ, permit ourselves to be divided from +this our covenanted unity and uniformity by the promises, threats, +or solicitations of surrounding communities. Through divine grace +we will endeavor, by practical manifestation of the truth, to +commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, as +the most effectual means of healing Zion's breaches, that are great +like the sea.</p> +<p>V. Having learned from God's Word that all who live godly in +Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, in their character, in their +substance, or in their persons; and knowing from the recorded +history of those who nobly stood to their covenant that they were +subjected to all these kinds of suffering; and since our Sovereign +Lord in his holy providence for the trial of the patience and faith +of his saints permits Antichrist to practice and prosper, the kings +of the earth still giving their strength unto the beast: we +therefore, anticipating like treatment from an opposing world +wherever we may sojourn, resolve in his strength to follow the +Lamb, whithersoever he goeth, as our leader, endeavoring so to +diffuse the sweet savor of his name, that in due time and in every +land men shall be blessed in him, and all nations shall call him +blessed.</p> +<p>VI. Finally, this solemn renewal of our federal obligations we +confirm by oath in the presence of the omniscient God, who +searcheth our hearts, uninfluenced by any selfish, worldly, +politic, or carnal motives or ends; but singly with a view to the +glory of God and the temporal and eternal welfare of our +fellow-men; beseeching our Father in heaven for Christ's sake so to +furnish us with the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit, that we +may prove faithful unto death, and joyfully welcome, the glorious +appearing of our final and chosen Judge.</p> +<p>And in testimony of our desires, and assurance to be heard, we +say—Amen.</p> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12381 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |