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diff --git a/old/12381.txt b/old/12381.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e356e8c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12381.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5456 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Auchensaugh Renovation of the National +Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant, by The Reformed Presbytery + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Auchensaugh Renovation of 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, July 24, 1712. (Compared + With The Editions Of Paisley, 1820, And Belfast, 1835.) Also, The + Renovation of These Public Federal Deeds Ordained at Philadelphia, + October 8, 1880, by the Reformed Presbytery, with Accommodation of + the Original Covenants, in Both Transactions, to Their Times and + Positions Respectively + + +Author: The Reformed Presbytery + +Release Date: May 19, 2004 [EBook #12381] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION *** + + + + +Produced by Jordan Dohms and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION +OF 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, +JULY 24, 1712. +(COMPARED WITH THE EDITIONS OF PAISLEY, 1820, AND BELFAST, 1835.) +ALSO, +THE RENOVATION +OF THESE +PUBLIC FEDERAL DEEDS +ORDAINED AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880, +BY THE +REFORMED PRESBYTERY, +WITH ACCOMMODATION OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANTS, IN BOTH TRANSACTIONS, +TO THEIR TIMES AND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY. + + * * * * * + +PHILADELPHIA 1880. + + * * * * * + +PREFACE. + +The Reformed Presbytery, at a meeting in Philadelphia, October 6th 1880, +"_Resolved_, That another edition of the Auchensaugh Deed be published," +and appointed the undersigned a committee "to attend to this business +with all convenient speed." + +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 _occasion_ (not the _cause_) 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. _First._--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 _Reformation Principles Exhibited_, 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 _Covenants themselves_. _Second._--In Scotland +this faithful document was expunged in 1822, obviously to prepare the +way for the adoption of a _"New Testimony"(!)_, which appeared 1837-9. +The majority of the actors in that work who survive, are now in the Free +Church! _Third._--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 "_would +ever resist any alteration_ 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! _Fourth._--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. +_Fifth._--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 _Westminster_, 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."[1] + +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."[2] 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."[3] 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. _Sixth._--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 +_Original Secession Magazine_ 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 _actual_ 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. + +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. + +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." + +DAVID STEELE, +ROBERT ALEXANDER, +JOHN CLYDE. +_Committee_ + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 1: 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--_non causa pro causa_.] + +[Footnote 2: 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.] + +[Footnote 3: No _presumption_, 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.] + + * * * * * + + + +THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION. + +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. + + +PSALM lxxvi: 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God. + +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. + +EZEK. xvii: 18. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant +(when, lo, he had given his hand), and hath done all these _things_, he +shall not escape. + +2 TIM. iii: 3. Truce-breakers--or Covenant-breakers. + + + +HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. + + +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 +_Covenant of Grace_,) 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 _Covenants National_ and +_Solemn League_, 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. + +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; _terrible as an army with banners_. +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 _seat of that +beast_; which made malignants at home and abroad to be ashamed and +confounded, and even forced the haters of the Lord to _feign submission +to him_. 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. + +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 _poor +insignificant handful of people_, 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.[4] 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. + +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 _acknowledgment of sins_, +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 _engagement to duties_, 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, _but a handful of weak and most illiterate people_, 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 _the defence and preservation of the king's +majesty and government_, 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 +_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_. Where no judicious +person will say that there is any substantial alteration as to the +_matter of the duty_, 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. + +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. + +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. + +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, _a people in covenant with God may be forgetful of and +deal falsely in their covenant_; or that _covenant-takers may be +covenant-breakers_. 2. That, _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_. 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 _in a perpetual covenant that may not be forgotten_. (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. + +In the second head of doctrine, viz., _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_; 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--_First_, Whether all persons who +have broken covenant with God may be admitted to renew the same? +_Answer_, 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? _Answer_, 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. + +In the prosecution of this doctrine, he had occasion also to insist upon +the _reasons_, or _motives_, and _manner_ of entering into covenant. The +scope and argument of the reasons adduced as motives to the duty of +covenanting was to this effect:-- + +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." + +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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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:-- + +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." + +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. + +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 _object_ or _party covenanted with_, 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 _subject matter covenanted, or engaged to_. 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 _danger and dreadful punishment of +breaking the covenant_; 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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +_doing according to the covenant_ is exegetical of _standing to it._ +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." + +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. + +In the exhortation, he pressed upon us who are embodied together to +renew our _covenant-engagements_, by giving an open and public testimony +of our adherence to the _covenants, national_ and _solemn league_, 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 _national covenants._ And +likewise because of the weightiness of the duties engaged to in our +_national covenant_, and in the _solemn league_ and _covenant_, which +he proved to be a covenant that ought to be renewed by us in this nation +no less than our _national covenant_, 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. + +Beside these two more general doctrines which were chiefly insisted +upon, he observed several others pertinently deducible from the words, +as first, _That unfaithful dealing in God's covenant will breed distance +and estrangement from God._ 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. + +Sermon being ended, after prayer, the covenants were first read +according to the _Directory for renewing the solemn league and +covenant_, prescribed by the Act of the General Assembly at Edinburgh, +6th October, 1648, post meridiem, entitled, _Act for renewing of the +Solemn League and Covenant;_ 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. + +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, _Whose are you?_ _and +what is your name?_ To which question, one shall answer, _I am the +Lord's;_ another, _I am one of old Jacob's family and offspring_; +another, if you desiderate my name, look the covenant subscriptions and +you will find it there; another shall say, whatever my name was before, +_my sirname now is an Israelite_. 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: + +_1. That the Lord is graciously pleased sometimes to privilege his +people with very remarkable tokens of his gracious presence._ 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." + +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. + +The Second Doctrine, resulting more directly from the words, was, _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._ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _first_ 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. _That he will by no means clear the +(obstinately and impenitently) guilty_. + +A _second_ 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. + +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. + +A _third_ consideration, whereby the duty of renewing covenant with God +appears to be difficult and weighty, was deduced from _the manner and +way of engaging_; whereunto several things of great difficulty to be +attained were showed to be absolutely necessary, as, 1st, _Judgment_, 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, _Seriousness_, 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, _Deliberation_; 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, _Heart-integrity_, 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. + +A _fourth_ consideration, from whence the work of covenanting comes to +be a difficult and hard work, was deduced from the _way and manner of +performing_ 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. + +A _fifth_ consideration, from whence the difficulty of covenanting with +God is sometimes heightened, was taken from _the meanness of such as +attempt the work_. When the great ones, the nobles that are called _the +shields of the earth_, 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. + +A _sixth_ consideration, which may sometimes render such a work hard and +difficult, was drawn from _the want of the concurrence of civil +authority; and the opposition made thereunto by the laws of the land_; +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. + +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, _That the work is the +Lord's_, 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 _he looks not upon his people in such undertakings, +as in themselves_, 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; _but he considers his people in their covenanting +with him, as in their head, Christ, his eternal Son_; 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 _the Lord has promised +his presence to his own work_; 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 _the Lord puts none of his people to any piece of +his work upon their own proper expense and charges, but upon his own_; +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 _the undertakers have +God's call and commandment to set about it_; 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. + +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 _second_ 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. + +1st, As to the things that might seem to speak against us: 1st, _Our +darkness_, 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, _Our want +of a frame suitable for the greatness and weightiness of the work_, +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. + +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. + +The _third_ thing proposed was to give some advices and directions for +right managing the duty intended. The scope and substance whereof +briefly follows: + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +He closed the Sermon with a two-fold advice or exhortation, to two sorts +of persons. + +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. + +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 _Jacob_, and their sirname _Israel_, 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, _the Lord +is there._ 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. + +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. + +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 _first principles_ 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." + +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 _authoritatively_: 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. + +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, _Who art thou, O man, that judgest?_ 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, + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _a +God of order_, 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. + +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. + +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. + +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, + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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 _holy communion_, 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. + +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 _sermons_ is because there are some things handled in +them which behoved to have been inserted in this _preface_, 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 _of the sermons_ in particular, or of the _work_ 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. + +There have been many objections made against the _design, matter_ and +_form_ of the _covenants_: 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. + +_Object_. 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." + +_Ans_. 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 _positively_, that all these are obliged to enter into +covenant, but not _negatively_, 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]. + +_Object_. 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." + +_Ans_. 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 _form_ there is +a clause expressing their perpetuity. + +All which ingredients of perpetual obligations are clear in Scotland's +Covenants, which are _national promises_, adjuring all ranks of persons, +under a curse, to preserve and promote reformation according to the word +of God, and extirpate the opposite thereof. _National vows_, devoting +the then engaging, and succeeding generations to be the Lord's people, +and walk in his ways. _National oaths_, solemnly sworn by all ranks, +never to admit of innovations, or submit to usurpations, contradictory +to the word of God. _National covenants_, 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, _national laws_, 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 _national +covenants with God_, 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 _matter_ is _moral_, antecedently +and eternally binding, albeit there had been no formal covenant: the +_ends_ of them perpetually good, to wit, _the defence of the true +reformed religion, and the maintenance of the King's Majesty's person +and estate_, (as is expressed in the National Covenant,) _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_, as it is expressed in the +Solemn League. And in the _form_ of them there are clauses expressing +their perpetuity. In the National covenant it is said, _that the present +and succeeding generations in this land are bound to keep the foresaid +National Oath and Subscription inviolable_. And in the Solemn League, +Article 1, _That we and our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live +in faith and love_. And Art. 5, _That they may remain conjoined in a +firm peace and union to all posterity_. + +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. + +_Object_. 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." + +_Ans_. 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, _either as a league +amongst men_ or _a covenant between God and men_: in the former sense, +as it notes a _league offensive and defensive_ 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. + +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. + +_Object_. 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." + +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. + +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. + +It may be some will desiderate an account of the other _solemn holy +action_ 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 _substantial or formal_ 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. + +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; _That the Minister should have +unreasonably and presumptuously excommunicated the Queen and Parliament, +and the whole Ministers of the established church of Scotland_; +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." + +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. + +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 _he-goats before the flock_ in paving our +way to Zion, but are rather _making to themselves captains_ 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, _who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working_) 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 _Hephzibah_, and our land _Beulah_. + +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. + +_A Testimony to the truth of_ JESUS CHRIST _and to our Solemn League +and Covenant, &c., subscribed by the Ministers of Christ, within the +province of London, December_ 14, 1649 Head IV. + +"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." + +_The harmonious consent of the Ministers of the county Palatine +Lancaster with their Reverend Brethren the Ministers of the province of +London._ Head V. + +"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." + +_Mr. Philip Nye's Exhortation at the taking of the Covenant, September +29th, 1649, p. 2._ + +"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." + + * * * * * + +_THE NATIONAL COVENANT, OR THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE KIRK OF +SCOTLAND_; + + +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. + +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 _Kirk of Scotland, +and sometimes by the King's Majesty, and the three estates of this +realm_, 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, _opus operatum_, 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. + +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 _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 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. + +We, therefore, willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy, and of +such double dealing with God and his Kirk, protest, and call _the +Searcher of all hearts for witness_, that our minds and hearts do fully +agree with this our _Confession, Promise, Oath_, and _Subscription_, 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[5] +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[6] 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. + +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. + +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, _God's true religion--Christ's +true religion--the true and Christian religion--and a perfect religion_; +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. + +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[7] at his coronation in +Edinburgh, 1633, as may be seen in the order of the coronation. + +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,[8]] 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,[9] +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,[10]] 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,[11]] 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 _great name of the +Lord our God_, to continue in the profession and obedience of the +foresaid religion; that we shall defend the same, and resist all these +contrary 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[12]] 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[13]] 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[14]] +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 [[15] our King,] and peace of the +kingdom, for the common happiness of ourselves and the posterity. + +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[16]] and peace and comfort of us all. In witness whereof we have +subscribed with our hands all the premises, &c. + +The article of this covenant, which was at first subscription +referred[17] 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. + + * * * * * + +_THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, FOR REFORMATION AND DEFENCE OF +RELIGION, ETC_. + + +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[18] 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 [[19] 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-- + +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. + +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. + +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[20] and the +liberties of the kingdoms; and to preserve and defend [the King's[21] +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[22] Majesty's] just power and +greatness. + +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[23] +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. + +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 [[24]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[25] 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. + +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[26] 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. + +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. + +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. + + * * * * * + +_A SOLEMN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PUBLIC SINS, AND BREACHES OF THE NATIONAL +COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT_. + + +We all and every one of us--being _by the good hand of our God upon us_, +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 _Cloud of witnesses, which through faith and patience have +inherited the promises_, 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 _National +Solemn acknowledgment of Public Sins and Breaches of the Solemn League +and Covenant, and Solemn Engagement to all the duties contained +therein_, (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." + +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." + +"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." + +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 _public resolution principles_ +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. +There has also been great short coming of _real, sincere and constant +endeavors to preserve the worship of God_, 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, _Act for preventing the Disturbing of +those of the Episcopal Communion in that part of Great Britain called +Scotland_. 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, _Act concerning +the Church_. 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." + +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." + +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. + +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 _incorporating union_ 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 _living together +in peace and love, we and our posterity after us_, are like to live in a +joint defection from our covenant engagements made to the Most High God. + +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. + +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." + +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.e._ 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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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 _incorporating union_ 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 _moderation_, 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." + +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." + +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. + +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 _the little foxes which spoil the wines_. 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. + +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 _beauty_ and _bands_, 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 _Angus regiment_, +at the _Revolution_, and our guarding and supplicating that corrupt +_Convention of Estates_, 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." + +_We have been so far from endeavouring to extirpate profaneness, another +evil engaged against in the covenant, and condemned in the Word of God_. +Deut. xxix. 19; Job xxi. 14; Jer. xxiii. 15; Ezek. xxii. 26; Hos. iv. +1-3; Heb. vii. 15. + +"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. + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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. + +Deut. i. 13; Deut. xvi. 18; Isa. i. 26. + +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. + +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 _treasonable convocation of the lieges_. + +Again, the subject's liberties, both as men and as Christian, which the +scriptures allow, we should preserve, + +I Sam. xiv. 25; Acts xxii. 25,28; xxv. 11,16,27; Gal. v. 1. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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 _the state of the quarrel_, in their _declaration +of war_, 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, _that they may be a terror to evil doers_, 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. + +"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." + +2 Sam. xxiii. 6; Esther vii. 5. 6; Psalm xxvi. 5; Psalm ci. 8; Prov. +xxv. 5. + +"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 _our fathers and us once and again_ from the +Lord our God, by breaking these men's yoke from off _their and our +necks, and sometimes_ delivering our fathers _so far from their +insultings_, 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. + +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 _King from his people, or one of the kingdoms +from another_--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 _make parties among +the people contrary to his league and covenant_, 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;[27] 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 _shall be brought to trial as shall +divide the King from his people, or one of the kingdoms from another_, +which clause hath been broken, by using endeavours to have King and +people and the kingdoms all conjoined in a _union_ 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. + +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. + +"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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _help +the Lord against the mighty_, 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, _to walk orderly in time +coming, in opposition to all schism and division_, 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. + +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." + +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. + +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." + +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 _public resolutions_, 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 _resisting the persuasion of men to make defection +to the contrary part_, 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. + +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. + +Nevertheless, _many have been the lets and impediments, that have been +cast in the way, to retard and obstruct the Lord's work_, 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. + +"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." + +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[28] for our own sins and for the sins of these +kingdoms[29]; especially that we have not valued, as we ought, the +inestimable benefit of the gospel[30], that we have not laboured for the +purity[31] and power thereof[32], and that we have not endeavoured to +receive Christ into our hearts[33], nor to walk worthy of him in our +lives[34], which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much +abounding amongst us[35]: 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[36] both in public and in private, in all dutie[37] we +owe to God and man, to amend our lives[38] and each one to go before +another[39] in the example of a real reformation, that the Lord might +turn away his wrath and heavy indignation,[40] and establish these +kingdoms in truth and peace.[41] 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." + +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. _The nobility, gentry, and barons, who should be +examples of sober walking unto others, are very generally ringleaders of +excess and rioting_. 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + * * * * * + +_A SOLEMN ENGAGEMENT TO THE DUTIES CONTAINED IN OUR NATIONAL AND SOLEMN +LEAGUE AND COVENANT._ + +_Particularly adjusted to the Circumstances of these Times, Anno 1712_ + + +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. + +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 _written word of God_, 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[42] +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. + +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. _2dly_, 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. _3dly_, 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. + +_4thly_, 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. + +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. _2dly_, 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. _3dly_, 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _union of the kingdoms settled_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 4: In the Preface to this edition, the reader may perceive the +same spirit in 1880. | ED.] + +[Footnote 5: The lawful supreme Magistrate.] + +[Footnote 6: The persons and authority of such, when God of his mercy +shall grant them to us.] + +[Footnote 7: King Charles the First.] + +[Footnote 8: Remonstrances, declarations and testimonies of old, and of +late.] + +[Footnote 9: 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.] + +[Footnote 10: Remonstrances, declarations and testimonies.] + +[Footnote 11: To righteous governors, (when obtained), and to our +country.] + +[Footnote 12: The lawful supreme Magistrate's.] + +[Footnote 13: The person and authority of sovereigns having the +qualifications which the Scriptures require.] + +[Footnote 14: The lawful supreme Magistrate's.] + +[Footnote 15: The lawful supreme Magistrate.] + +[Footnote 16: Lawful supreme Magistrates.] + +[Footnote 17: Anno 1638.] + +[Footnote 18: Lawful supreme Magistrates.] + +[Footnote 19: After all supplications, remonstrances protestations and +sufferings of our fathers, and our own grievous sufferings and +contendings both before and since the late Revolution.] + +[Footnote 20: When restored, according to their ancient foundation.] + +[Footnote 21: The lawful supreme Magistrate's.] + +[Footnote 22: The lawful Magistrate's.] + +[Footnote 23: The lawful Magistrate, when obtained.] + +[Footnote 24: Our Reformers.] + +[Footnote 25: As they were then.] + +[Footnote 26: The lawful supreme Magistrate.] + +[Footnote 27: 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, _Hind Let Loose_, head vi., page 633, &c.] + +[Footnote 28: 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.] + +[Footnote 29: 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.] + +[Footnote 30: Matt. xxii. 5. But they made light of it, and went their +ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.] + +[Footnote 31: 1 Tim. vi. 14. That thou keep this commandment without +spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.] + +[Footnote 32: 2 Tim. lii. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the +power thereof.] + +[Footnote 33: 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.] + +[Footnote 34: Col. i. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all +pleasing.] + +[Footnote 35: 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.] + +[Footnote 36: 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.] + +[Footnote 37: 1 Tim. iii. 15----That thou mayest know how thou oughtest +to behave thyself in the house of God.----] + +[Footnote 38: 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; _Cease to_ do evil. Learn to do well.----] + +[Footnote 39: 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.] + +[Footnote 40: 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] + +[Footnote 41: 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. + +Isa. xxxii. 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the +effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. + +Zech. viii. 19----Therefore love the truth and peace.] + +[Footnote 42: 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.] + +[Typographical errors excepted, and _Historical Introduction_ +substituted for _Preface_, this edition agrees with those of Paisley, +1820, and Belfast, 1835.--ED.] + + + + +ACT OF COVENANT RENOVATION, + +AGREED UPON AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880, + +BY THE + +REFORMED PRESBYTERY, + +AFTER THE APPROVED EXAMPLE OF OUR FATHERS, AT + +AUCHENSAUGH, 1712, AND ACCOMMODATED + +TO THE PRESENT TIME. + + * * * * * + +"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous +judgments."--_Psalms_ cxix: 106. + +"They (Egyptians) shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it."--_Is_. +xix: 21. + +The Corinthians "first gave their own selves to the Lord."--_2 Cor_. +viii: 5. + + + + +COVENANT RENOVATION. + +Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God.--_Ps_. lxxvi: II. + + +PREFACE. + + +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. + +"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. + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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 +_old_ and _new_. 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 _dissenters_, 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. + +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! + +We merely refer to the Octoraro transaction, (1743,) conducted by that +unstable minister, Mr. Craighead, as being unworthy of anything more +than historical notice. + +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 +_essential_ 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 _recognized truth_; the latter substitutes for +truth _supposed piety_. 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. + +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." + +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. + +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." + +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. + + * * * * * + +CONFESSION OF PUBLIC SINS. + + +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." + +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--_First_, By joining in a military confederacy with the +American Colonies in the revolutionary war of 1776. _Second_, Joining in +a similar confederacy with Irish Papists and others to cast off the +British government in 1798. _Third_, In a similar confederacy in the war +between the United States and England in 1812. _Fourth_, 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. + +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 _Reformation Principles +Exhibited_, 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. + +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 _Covenanter_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 "_Doctrinal_ Standards," +thus leaving at loose ends individual and social Christian _practice_. +This document is therefore a defective, evasive, and consequently +inadequate renovation of our Covenants. + +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 _undefined_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + * * * * * + +ACT OF ADHERENCE TO OUR COVENANTS. NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE; AS +ADAPTED TO THE PRESENT TIME. + + +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-- + +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. + +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. + +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 +"_Doctrinal_ 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +And in testimony of our desires, and assurance to be heard, we +say--Amen. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Auchensaugh Renovation of the +National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant, by The Reformed Presbytery + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION *** + +***** This file should be named 12381.txt or 12381.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/3/8/12381/ + +Produced by Jordan Dohms and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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