of Scotland England and Ireland by the providence of GOD living under one King and being of one reformed Religion Having before our eyes the glory of GOD and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the Honour and Happinesse of the Kings Majesty and his Posterity and the true publick Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included And calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of GOD against the true Religion and Professours thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publick testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestation and Suffering for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the example of GODS People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and 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 Chuch 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 endeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Arch-bishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresy Schism Prophanesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness Lest we partake in other mens 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 severall vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms And to preserve and defend the Kings Majesty's Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms That the world may bear witnesse with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesty's just power and greatnesse 4. We shall also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil instruments by hindering the Reformation of Religion dividing the 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 broughr to publick triall and receive condigne punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the supream Judicatories of both Kingdomes respectively or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient 5. And whereas the happinesse of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of GOD granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and settled by both Parliaments We shall each one of us according to our place and interest endeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firme Peace and Union to all Posterity And that Justice may be done upon the willfull Opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article 6. We shall also according to our places and callings in 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 our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and conjunction whither 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 honour of the King But shall all the dayes 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 our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveale and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All 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 professe and declare before GOD and the world unfained 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 inesteemable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives wich are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfained purpose desire and endeavour for ourselves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all dutyes 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 peform the same As we shall answer at that 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 blesse our desires and proceedings with such successe as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to other Christian Churches
them over-ruled in the Year 1640. the King and Prelats vigorously arm again and prepare for a new war But this intended War is composed by a new Pacification and in the mean time the Parliament formerly adjourned until Iune 1640 doth conveen at the time appointed and by their fourth fifth and sixth Acts fully establish Presbyterial Government ratify the Covenant with the Addition and Explanation of the Assembly and all Acts made thereanent abrogat the Estate of Bishops and all Acts whatsoever made in their favours Thereafter in the Treaty ensuing the Pacification it is agreed that the Acts past in the last Parliament with these to be made in the next Session thereof shall be published in the King's Name and have the strength of Laws in all time coming Which Treaty being closed and the last Session of the above-mentioned Parliament sitting in the Moneth of Iune 1641. the King in person being present among them and the Oath of Parliament for maintenance of Religion in purity as then established and of the King's Authority and the Peoples Liberties according to the Covenant and for endeavouring by all just and humble meanes of Union and Peace betwixt the three Kingdomes appointed to be taken by that all succeeding Parliaments being taken by the second Act thereof superscribed by the King and subscribed by the President the foresaid Treaty is amply and perpetually confirmed and the whole Articles thereof are ratifyed and recorded Thus by all the Security that either Sacred Oaths or Acts of Lawful Authorized Assemblies Ordinances of King and Council doubled and re-iterated Pacifications and Treaties Acts of Parliament Enacted Re-enacted the Kings Authority and Consent being often and solemnly interposed both by promise and hand-writ And all that either Religion Truth Faith Honour or Honesty could devise or grant these Wicked Prelats are cast out of this Church and Kingdom Presbyterial Government fully established the pure Worship of God with His pure and powerful Ordinances and Ministry restored and in the maintenance and pursuance of all these great Blessings the whole Land by many Oaths most Solemn tyes engaged unto the Lord for ever By all which Blessings and the restoring of the Lord 's own Ordinances amongst us as the Work of the Gospel and the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus in the Conversion of many thousands were greatly advanced and the Glory of God in the abounding of true Piety and flourishing of Righteousness did eminently shine amongst us as the memory of these times in all such as fear God and love our Lord Jesus Christ doth sweetly testify so all these great things were transacted to the perpetual shame and confusion of all our calumnious Adversaries without any diminution of his Majesty's just Authority and Greatness As the Power and Glory of the Lord was great in this Land so the splendor and fame thereof reaching unto other Nations it pleased the Lord thereby to provoke His People in England at that time grievously groaning under the Tyrannous yoke of Prelacy and justly alarmed by the imminent fears of prevailing Popery to set about and intend the like blessed Reformation It doth not concern us to reflect on the Causes and beginnings of that War betwixt the King and Parliament there nor what were the transactions betwixt the two Kingdoms in order to that Aid and Assistance given by Scotland and how the same was mannaged But this is certain that upon the Representation of the most just and important grounds of the maintenance of Religion and Liberty against the prevailing power of Popery Prelacy and Tyranny in that Kingdom of England and their most instant and earnest desires for our help and Assistance and rhe most rational clear motives of our own Security the hazard and loss whereof had undoubtedly been the consequence of the Prelats Victory there this Kingdom was induced in the Year 1643. to enter into that Sacred Bond of the Solemne League and Covenant never to be forgotten containing no other Articles then every one's Sincere and constant endeavours in their several places callings for the preservation of the Reformed Religion in this Church in Doctrine VVorship Discipline and Government the Reformation of the same in England and Ireland according to the VVord of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches and the nearest Conjunction and Vniformity of all the three in Truth Faith and Love the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Error and Profanity the preservation of the rights and Liberties of the People and of the Kings person and Authority in defence of the true Religion and the Kingdom 's Liberties the Discovery and the punishment of Incendiaries the retaining of the Peace and Vnion of the Kingdomes the mutual assistance and defence of all entering into this League and the performing of all duties we owe to God in the amendment of our lives and in walking exemplarly one before another And all these in order to no other end then the Glory of God the advancement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ the Honor and Happiness of the King and his Posterity and the true Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdom This is that Covenant which in all the controversies it hath occasioned did never receave a greater confirmation then from the malice and opposition of it's adversaries who in the same Spirit with the same Spite have alwayes persecuted and reproached it with the same Calumnies of Rebellion Sedition and Blood which from the beginning the Devill hath ever been most active to raise and stir up against the Lord Jesus his Gospel Kingdom and Followers But seing such only as are blessed do evite the offence of Truth and all who truely seek Gods Glory or Love the Lord Jesus did and still do heartily approve and embrace this Covenant though it had brought the Sword not only into Britain but with the Truth into all the Earth though it were reproached as unfriend not only to our King but with our Lord Jesus to Caesar and all the Kings of the Earth though it had divided and disturbed not only Realms and States but with the Gospel families and nearest relations and had with Paul moved Sedition throughout the whole World we ought not thereby to be either shaken or offended We know also that all the subtilty and malice of Hell have been set on work and spared no calumny or cavillation by which either it's Words Matter or Manner might be impugned But these are so often and fully answered and without the assistance of any man's Patrociny by the obvious plainness of it's Phrase the Holiness Importance of it's Purpose and the Justice and Necessity of it's way and Manner so clearly confuted that nothing can be added Only seing the Constancy of Truth ought not to cede to the Confidence of prevailing Powers as we have asserted and do hold the subject matter of this League and Covenant to be in it self Holy Just and True so we cannot but disprove
and utterly insufficient at the sole arbitrement of Patrons violently obtruded upon the People without and against their own consent Presbyteries constrained contrary to the Rule of the Holy Scriptures to ordaine men whom the People neither choised nor could cheerfully receave Foundations of prejudice strife betwixt Pastor and People laid whereby the one cannot preach nor the other hear with profit Symoniacal Pactions often basely made betwixt Patrons the person presented to the disgrace of the Holy Calling as-wel as to the sin and shame of the Persons And the Ministry of too many in dispencing of Word Sacraments Censures made to depend too much upon the Will and pleasure of Man But also because it hath no Precept in the Word of God nor Example in the old Jewish nor new primitive and pure Christian Church to warrant it because Intentionally and Natively it spoileth the People of that Right and Priviledge in Electing their own Pastors which Scripture and Reason alloweth And because being the Patron 's pretended Heritage and therefore by him vendible to whom he pleaseth the whole and sole Power of Presenting of Ministers Planting of Churches Preaching of the Gospel settling Maintenance may be turned over unto put in the hands of men not only Profaâ—e Strangers to both Church Common-wealth but also proâ—esâ—ed Enemies of the Truth yea even Papists or Pagans And therefore being in itself a grievous and unwarrantable Burthen destructive of the Church and Peoples Liberties obstructive of the free course of the Gospel the Freedom Power Plainness of the Ministry and occasional of much base Flattery Partiality under which from the very times of Superstition which introduced it the Church did heavily groan it must needs be so much the greater Blessing to be delivered from it The second Advantage which the Lord's work receaved was by that great and long Transaction with the King in order to His return and Admission to the Government which at length after repeated Addresses many Treaties and the interposing of Forraign States and Princes produced the King's Approbation and Allowance of the Nationall and Solemn League and Covenant Which both by his great Oath unto the Most High God and his hand-writ and Subscription he most amply assured promising in the same manner to advance prosecute their Ends and to seek and procure the establishment thereof and of Presbyterial Government and of the whole work of God in all his Dominions We know our Adversaries persisting in their old malice disown and exclaim upon this Transaction as most disloyal and insolent for Subjects whose part is only to surrender submit to require and enter into Treaties with their Prince But 1. as these reproaches are from the same wicked Spirit false grounds and base and carnall ends which from the very times of popery have resisted and been objected against the Work of Reformation in this Land so do wee thereto oppose in full assurance before God and all the World these solid and evident reasons and warrants whereby not only these Treaties and Transactions with the late King but all these old Contracts and Agreements betwixt the then Powers and People which in some sort are the very foundation of the Protestant Religion in this Realm are justifyed and approven wherein if there be any disparity the difference of a King upon His Throne actually Exercing from a Prince only ascending thereto must cast the advantage on our side 2. Seing there is no Voluntary Kingdom which is not both erected sustained and continued by a Fundamental Contract and no Right thereto so good though even that of Divid himself and His Posterity who held the Kingdom both by inmediate grant and interposed Oath of the Most High which is not setled and confirmed by this agreement 2 Sam. 5.3 2 Kings 11.17 can any rationall man disprove or condemn Treaties so naturally antecedent and previous thereto 3. The reason and necessity of this Treaty is so dependent upon the preceeding War with the last King in which as-well as in his Kingdomes this King did succeed him that seing it can have no opposers but such as therein were enemies we willingly refer hoth the cases to the determinations of the same reasons And as for such who asserting the Covenant and the Justice of the long Parliaments War do nevertheless disprove our procedure in this Treaty as their mis-information doth not prejudge the Truth so neither are we answerable for their inconsequence The third Advantage which the Lord gave His Work was by what the King did after his arrival in Scotland both before and at his Coronation for the greater confirmation of the Covenant and Work of God and the more strong engaging of himself and this whole Land unto the Lord. Before his Coronation he emitteth that Declaration at Dumfermling sufficiently known by this designation wherein Professing and appearing in the full persuasion and love of the Truth he repenteth as having to do with in the sight of God His Fathers opposition to the Covenant and VVork of God and his own reluctancies against the same hoping for mercy through the blood of Iesus Christ and obtesting the Prayers of the faithful to God for his stedfastness and then protesteth his truth and sincerity in entering into the Oath of God resolving to prosecute the ends of the Covenant to his utmost and to have with it the same common friends and enemies exhorting all to lay down their enmity against the Cause of God and not to prefer Man's Interest to God's which will prove an Idole of Iealousy to provoke the Lord and he himself accounteth to be but selfish flattery so-forth proceedeth in the most cordial sincere assuring terms to testify his love and zealous resolutions for God his People and Covenant and on the other hand his great dislike and detestation of all Persons courses and Interests contrary thereto A Declaration so full of heart-professions and high attestations of the Great God that none seriously considering the present times can reflect thereon without horror and trembling from the Holy Jealousy of the Lord either for the then deep Dissimulation or the present unparalelled Apostacy However seeing the same is so assertive that no words could adde to it's assurance nor no argument less then the present Apostacy render it to any neutral person suspect of the least dissimulation sure we are that the generality of the Kingdom did thereby obtain all the warrant of the King 's most full and clear assent to and allowance of the Covenant that either Law or Reason could require Thereafter at his Coronation how the King did again confirm the Covenant and both He and his People thereby again engage themselves unto the Lord the order thereof printed and published to the World doth fully declare In which these passages are very observable 1. That the King is desired in Name of the People jointly to accept the Crown and maintain Religion ACCORDING TO THE
and Kingdome as Gods undoubted truth grounded only upon his written Word The other cause was for maintaining the Kings Majesty His Person and Estate the true worship of GOD and the Kings 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 mindes and confessing with our mouthes that the present and succeeding generations in this Land are bound to keep the foresaid nationall Oath Subscription inviolable Wee Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers Commons under subscribing considering divers times before especially at this time the danger of the true reformed Religion of the Kings honour and of the publick peace of the Kingdome By the manifold innovations and evills generally conteined and particularly mentioned in our late supplications complaints and protestations Do hereby professe and before God his Angels and the World solemnly declare That with our whole hearts we agree resolve all the dayes of our life constantly to adhere unto and to 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 publicke Government of the Kirk or civil places and power of Kirk-men till they be tryed allowed in free assemblies and in Parliaments to labour by all meanes lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel as it was stablished and professed before the foresaid Novations and because after due examination we plainely perceave and undoubtedly believe that the Innovations and evils contained in our Supplications Complaints and Protestations 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 do sensibly tend to the re-establishing of the Popish Religion and Tyranny and to the subversion and ruine of the true Reformed Religion and of our Liberties Lawes 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 lesse then if every one of them had been expressed in the Foresaid confessions and that we are obliged to detest abhorre them amongst other particular heads of Papistry abjured therein And therefore from the knowledge and consciences of our duety to God to our King and Countrey without any wordly respect or inducement so farre as humane infirmity will suffer wishing a further measure of the grace of God for this effect We promise and sweare by the Great Name of the Lord our GOD to continue in the Profession and Obedience of the Foresaid Religion That we shall defend the same and resist all these contrary errours and corruptions according to our vocation and to the uttermost of that power that GOD hath put in our hands all the dayes of our life and in like manner with the same heart we declare before GOD and Men That we have no intention nor desire to attempt any thing that may turne to the dishonour of GOD or to the diminution of the Kings greatnesse and authority But on the contrary we promise and sweare that we shall to the uttermost of our power with our meanes and lives stand to the defence of our dread Soveraigne the Kings Majesty his Person and Authority in the defence and preservation of the foresaid true Religion Liberties and Lawes of the Kingdome As also to the mutual defence and assistance every one of us of another in the same cause of maintaining the true Religion and his Majesty's Authority with our best counsel our bodies meanes 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 genearal and to every one of us in particular And that we shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer our selves to be divided or withdrawn by whatsoever suggestion allurement or terrour from this blessed loyall Conjunction nor shall cast in any let or impediment that may stay or hinder any such resolution as by common consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends But on the contrary shall by all lawful meanes labour to further and promove the same and if any such dangerous divisive motion be made to us by Word or Writ We and every one of us shall either suppresse it or if need be shall incontinent make the same known that it may be 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 seing what we do is so well warranted and ariseth from an unfeined desire to maintaine the true worship of God the Majesty of our King and peace of the Kingdome for the common happinesse of our selves and the posterity And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon our proceedings except with our Profession and Subscription we joine such a life conversation as beseemeth Christians who have renewed their Covenant with God We therefore faithfully promise for our selves our followers and all other under us both in publick in our particular families and personal carriage to endeavour to keep our selves within the bounds of Christian liberty and to be good examples to others of all Godlinesse Sobernesse and Righteousnesse and of every duety 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 unfained Resolution as we shall answere to JESUS CHRIST in the great day and under the pain of Gods everlasting wrath and of infamy and losse of all honour and respect in this World Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings with a happy successe that Religion and Righteousnesse may flourish in the Land to the glory of GOD the honour of King and peace and comfort of us all In witnesse whereof we have subscribed with our hands all the premisses c. The Article of this Covenant which was at the first Subscription referred to the determination of the General Assembly being determined and thereby the 5 Articles of Perth the Government of the Kirk by Bishops the Civill places and Power of Kirkment 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 A Solemn League and Covenant For Reformation and Defence of Religion The Honour and Happiness of the King and the Peace and Safety of the three Kingdoms of Scotland England and Ireland WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms
groaning under or in danger of the yoke of Antichristian Tyranny or to joyn in the same or like Association Covenant To the Glory of GOD the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace tranquillity of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths A Solemn Acknowledgement of publick Sins and Breaches of the Covenant AND A Solemn Engagement to all the Duties contained therein namely thâ—se which do in a more speciall way relate unto the dangers of these times ANNO 1648. WE Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts within this Kingdom by the good hand of GOD upon us taking in serious consideration the many sad afflictions and deep distresses wherewith we have been exercised for a long time past and that the Land after it hath been sore wasted with the Sword and the Pestilence and threatened with Famine and that shame and contempt hath been poured out from the Lord against many thousands of our Nation who did in a sinful way make War upon the Kingdom of England contrary to the Testimony of his Servants and desires of his People and that the remnant of that Army returning to this Land have spoiled and oppressed many of our Brethren and that the Malignant party is still numerous retaining their former principles wait for an opportunity to raise a new and dangerous War not only unto the rending of the bowells of this Kingdom but unto the dividing of us from England overturning of the work of God in all the three Kingdoms And considering also that a cloud of calamities doth still hang over our heads threaten us with sad things to come We cannot but look upon these things as from the Lord who is righteous in all his wayes feeding us with the bread of tears and making us to drink the waters of affliction untill we be taught to know how evil and bitter a thing it is to depart away from him by breaking the Oath and Covenant which we have made with him and that we may be humbled before him by confessing our sinne and forsaking the evil of our way Therefore being pressed with so great necessities and straits and warranted by the word of God and having the example of Gods people of old who in the time of their troubles and when they were to seek delivery and a right way for themselves that the Lord might be with them to prosper them did humble themselves before him and make a free and particular confession of the sins of their Princes their Rulers their Captains their Priests and their people and did engage themselves to do no more so but to reform their wayes and be stedfast in his Covenant And remembring the practise of our predecessours in the year 1596. Wherein the General Assembly and all the Kirk-judicatories with the concurrence of many of the Nobily Gentry and Burgesses did with many tears acknowledge before God the breach of the National Covenant and engaged themselves to a Reformation even as our predecessors and theirs had before done in the Generall Assembly and convention of Estates in the year 1567. And perceiving that this duty when gone about out of conscience and in sincerity hath alwayes been attended with a reviving out of troubles and with a blessing and successe from Heaven We do humbly and sincerely 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 stricken us yet we have not grieved Nay though he hath consumed us we have refused to receive correction We have not remembred to render unto the Lord according to his goodnesse and according to our own vows and promises but have gone away backward by a continued course of backsliding and have broken all the Articles of that solemn League and Covenant which we swore before God Angels and men Albeit there be in the land many of all ranks who be 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 stedfast in the Covenant and Cause of God Yet we have reason to acknowledge that most of us have not endeavoured with that reality sincerity and constancy that did become us to preserve the work of Reformation in the Kirk of Scotland Many have satisfied themses with the purity of the Ordinances neglecting the power thereof yea some have turned aside to crooked wayes destructive to both The prophane loose and insolent carriage of many in our Armies who went to the Assistance of our BRETHREN in ENGLAND And the tamperings and unstraight dealing of some of our Commissioners and others of our Nation in London the Isle of Wight other places of that Kingdom have proved great lets to the work of Reformation and setling of Kirk-Government there wherby Errour and Schism in that Land have been encreased and Sectaries hardened in their way We have been so far from endeavouring the extirpation of Prophannesse and what is contrary to the power of godlinesse that prophanity hath been much winked at and Prophane persons much countenanced many times employed until iniquity and ungodlinesse hath gone over the face of the land as a flood Nay sufficient care hath not been had to separate betwixt the precious and the vile by debarring from the Sacrament all ignorant and scandalous persons according to the Ordinances of this Kirk Neither have the Priviledges of the Parliaments and Liberties of the Subject been duly tendered But some amongst our selves have labored to put into the hands of our King an arbitrary and unlimited power destructive to both And many of us have been accessory of late to those means and ways whereby the freedom and priviledges of Parliaments have been encroached upon and the Subjects oppressed in their Consciences persons and Estates Neither hath it been our care to avoid these things which might harden the King in his evill way But upon the contrary he hath not onely been permitted but many of us have been instrumentall 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 farre 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 Our own Consciences within and Gods judgements upon us without do
together with the former Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to duties should be read publickly to the People upon the day of the Intimation and the last Fast day when the Covenant was to be sworn This resolution of the Commission upon the same grounds was unanimously approven by the Committee of Estats then sitting and by their Act October 14. Ordained to be put in Execution in all things according to the directions of the Commission And accordingly in the moneth of December it was for the second time sworn in all the Congregations of the Kingdome upon the same day except where vacancy or the Ministers being under scandal or process did occasion a delay till another day that the place was supplyed by another Minister with great Solemnity and such mixture of Joy Sorrow as became people entering in Covenant with the Lord And was thereafter Subscribed by all the Swearers After ward the Parliament Conveening in January 1649 by their very first Act except the Election of their President upon the same grounds Resolved to keep a Fast by themselves for the Causes contained in the Acknowlegment and to Renew the Covenant according to the Order of the Commission which was also most solemnly done And last of all the Generall Assembly 1649. by their Act July 7. did unanimously and expresly Ratify the Proceedings of the Commission as to the Acknowledgment of Sins Engagement to dueties the Fasts and Renewing of the Covenant by Swearing and Subscribing thereof Hence as the Covenant it self so the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagement to duties became National Authorised by the Supream Judicatures of Church and State and are still obliging by Oath Oh! that the Lord had kept these things in the Imagination of the thought of our hearts for ever ERRATA WHilst this was upon the Press some Errors which escaped in some sheets were corrected in others so that thou must not stumble though some Copies be more correct then others Besides other literal escapes which will not marr the sense before thou read the Book correct with thy pen thâ—se following Pag. 3. lin 4. for other as read as other p. 4. l. 32. r. witnesses p. 5. l. 3. r. solemn p. 6. l. 12. r strong p. 8. l. 15. r. sufficiently p. 15. l 29. for or r on â—b l. 16. r. opportunity p. 24. l. 14. for of r. or p. 25. l. 4. r. resolution Ib. l. 32. forâ— are r. are a lb. 33. r. worthies p. 30. l. 21. for 27. r. 17. lb. 23. for 10. r. 8. p. 35. l. 8. r. 1560. Ib. l. 30. r. 1571. p. 38. l. 16. r. 1584. p 67. l. 27. for hoth r. both p. 70. l. 12. for he r. the. p. 81. l. 12. r. during p. 88. l. 18. r. slain p. 100. l. 11. de e the. Ib. l. 12. r. generally Ib. 19. for the r. that p. 103 l. 14. for out r. ought p. 120. l. 16. for what r. that p 129. l 12. r. rageth in p. 154. l. 23. for where r. were p. 188 l. 6. r. his p 281. l. 27. r. it is p. 282. l. 13. r. Advocats A True and short DEDUCTION Of the WRESTLINGS of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND For the KINGDOM of JESUS CHRIST From the beginning of the Reformation of Religion unto the Year 1667. AFter all these great glorious things which the Lord in his Love Mercy and Faithfulness hath wrought for this Land and in his Holiness and Righteousness hath declared amongst us these clear and powerfull Manifestations of his blessed Truth which have so brightly shined forth to the Glory Beauty and Praise of this whole Nation After these many sacred and most solemn Engagements whereby in the evidence and power of the same Truth all Ranks and degrees from the King even to the meanest became and are still bound and devoted to the Most High and Holy Our Covenanted God and to our blessed Lord Jesus Christ who alone is King in Zion and of all Saints and whose are all the Kings and Kingdomes of the Earth for the advancement of his Glory and Kingdome and for the owning and maintaining of his glorious Work and precious Truth which is all our Felicity and Joy And after all this horrid Apostacy and Rebellion whereby the same wretched Nation in the same Generation and almost in the same Persons neither from the conviction of any pretended Reason or Conscience nor from any solid persuasion of the very Advantage designed but in the manifest Spirit of Wickedness and violence have forgotten despised and blasphemed the former power and Glory Rebelled against God by breaking the Holy Covenant Rejected our Lord and Saviour Overturned the Work of his own blessed Spirit and Arme Abrogated and rescinded all these righteous Lawes and Ordinances whereby it was established And by most Unjust Arbitrary and Cruel Lawes and Practises have endeavoured the rebuilding and promoving of the Kingdome of Darkness and Antichrist and precipitating of all men either into the same condemnation with themselves or utter ruine and Extermination After we say all these things which the Lord hath thus wrought and permitted in the midst of us neither the Discouragement and Fainting of some nor the Unsuccesfulness of the more honest and Zealous endeavours of others nor yet our Silence hithertil is greatly to be wondered at For whose eyes can behold all these things without Dimnes and affecting of the heart And whose heart can consider them without Astonishment and Horrour if not Stupefaction or Discouragement How little wonder is it that every visage suppose of the fairest Nazarit be blacker then a coale That every eye run down with waters that the souls of many refuse to be comforted neither do nor dare rejoice as other people When not only by their going a whoreing from the Lord their dayly bread is become the bread or Adversity and the waters of Affliction and when their famine of the Word of the Lord is such that though they wander from sea to sea seeking it they cannot find it Bot also the Comforter that should releeve their souls is far from them and either covereth Himself with a cloud that their prayers cannot pass through or then answereth them only by terrible things in Righteousness How can they who by their Vanities have moved the Holy God to Jealousy and thereby have provoked their Rock to fell them stand before their Enemies or chase a thousand put ten thousand to flight alâ—hough that we should plead with our Mother with our Rulers with all other ranks of persons within the Land that they would put away their whoredomes out of their sight their Adulteries from betwen their breasts yet what hope is there that Words shall prevaill where the Power and Glory of the most High is contemned Or that Reason shall be heard where the Counsell of God is rejected Here indeed is matter of Wonder and Praise even the Longsuffering of the Lord which is Salvation and the Mercy and
their most precious concernments the very ends for which the Powers are ordained be continually at the Arbitriment of any Court-Creature or flatterer proscribed and persecuted under these odious names of Treason and Rebellion Certainly neither the All-wise Providence of God not yet the frame of nature can endure such a Solecisme For our part as wee are perswaded that none pleadeth for this Absolut Submission in the People and Exemption of the Prince but such as for advancing of their own interest have first prostrated their Consciences to the Princes arbitriment in a blind Absolut Obedience whereby they know themselves sufficiently secured from all smart inconvenience of that more Brutall then Rationall submission contended for So are wee confident that seing Subjection is principally enjoyned for and in order to Obedience whatsoever Reason or Authority can be adduced to perswad an absolut indispensible Subjection will far more rationally and plausibly infer an illimited and Absolut Obedience and that to plead for a priviledge in the point of Obedience to disclam it in the point of subjection is only the flattety of such as having renounced with Conscience all distinction of Obedience would devest others of all Priviledges that they may exercise their Tyranny without without controll But He who hath called Rulers Gods Doth notwithstanding Himself remain the Most High God over all the Earth from his Obedience neither the Commands nor Violence of Kings of Clay ought in the least to remove us And as these inferior Princes do often forget their Subordination to the Most High in their unjust commands would usurpe His Throne by an uncontrollable Soverainty so the Lord by the warrand of his Word and approbation of his Providence and also of the People when by them oppressed but by Himself animated strengthned hath declared made void this their pretended exemption and impunity and removed the carcases of such Kings and broken their Scepter Amongst which precedents the instance of these times whereof we now speak is worthily recorded and deserveth better to be remembred Seing therefore that neither the Ordinance and Commission of God nor yet the Surrender of the People though into ane absolut slavery which yet no presumption less then their own most Express Consent can possibly infer can from any certain and rational ground and warrant be either produced or pleaded for vesting the Prince with that arbitrary and irresistible Power and Dominion necessary and requisit to oblidge the Subject to a stupid and brutish submission to all possible injuries and outrages and that it is impossible for any rational man to concede that Priviledge of exemption and impunity to wickedness and fury for murthering both the Souls Bodies of poor Subjects which our very adversaries deny to Weakness or Folly in case of Alienation of the Kingdome or any part thereof or any such gross act of Mal-versation lastly seing the great inconvenience of opening a door to Rebellion all disorder mainly urged by the Adversaries against the permitting of the People any judgment or reflection upon the Princes Actings doth more rationally plead for Implicit blind Obedience which they themselves disprove then militat against necessary Defence and resistance in case of persecution for lawfull non-obedience And that the great and true Salvo of all these inconveniences and the main establishment of the Throne is only true judgement and Righteousness No sober and impartial person can condemn their position who denying that a Tyrannous Magistrat was the Minister of God to them for their Good did plainly assert the lawfulness of Self-Defence and holy Reformation without the violation of the Ordinance of God But if all these things do not satisfy Let 1. the reason of Gods delivering of the Kingdom to the People and not to the King with the Law it self Deut 27. ver 14. which the maner of the Kingdom and in effect of Tyranny foretold by the Lord and Samuel 1 Sam. 10. v. 10. by way of dissuasive did no wayes repeal 2. The import of the Contract and Covenant betwixt Prince Subject with the unquestionable interpretation and execution thereof extant in the records of all Times and Nations 3. The deed of the People in opposing Saul in favours of Ionathan 1 Sam. 14. v. 45. and of the ten Tribes in rejecting of Rehoboam 1 King cap. 12. which though v. 19. iâ— be termed Rebellion yet is it no more thereby condemned then good Hezekiah who is said 2 King 18. ver 7. to have rebelled against the King of Assyria and oâ— Libna in revolting from under Iehoram 2 Cron. 21. 10 4. The Prophecies Manner Practise of the most part of the late blessed Reformations And lastly let the peculiar Right and Constution of this Kingdome by King and Parliament be considered and solidly answered And then will wee also subscribe to the condemnation of our Reformers and crave pardon for this digression Upon these grounds and principles did our Noble Ancestours vigorously bestir themselves and proceed in the Work of God And as the Lord was ever with them while they were with Him and did mind his work steadfastly in sincerity and uprightness of heart so notwithstanding all the fals-hood and faintings which many discovered yet the Lord himself did gloriously own it and ceased not until by the fair product of his own glory in the clear manifestation of his blessed Evangil he had without the least prejudice of the fundamental constitution and rights of Government to the eternal confutation of all calumnies and reproaches put on the Copestone with these joyous and never to be forgotten acclamations of Grace Grace Thus in the Year 1560. the Land is enlightned the blessed Gospel of our Lord again revealed and restored in so much that both by the first General Assembly of this Church then conveening and the Parliament then holden A large Confession of the true Faith is framed approved and published O! that men would remember seriously consider and fix in their hearts the greatness and excellency of this Work of Grace and Glory bringing Salvation Peace and Goodwil towards men And manifesting the praise and Glory of God in the highest that in the just estimation thereof they might also duly and truly ponder discern approve or reject all things conducing either to it's advantage or prejudice But here is the root of all our sinn and misery that though this Light be only our Life and the Salvation and Redemption thereby revealed be no less then the project of God's eternall love and the subject of His eternall delight and was more dear and glorious to our Lord Jesus then the bosome of the Father all the glory of Heaven yet men so greatly and highly therein concerned do at best but rejoyce therein for a season and soon relapse first into Indifferency and Formality and then into Error Superstition and all Ignorance This the Devil the author of all wickness knowing and improving to
Discipline promising by the Great Name of the Lord our God to continue in the Obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline thereof all the dayes of their lives Which Discipline as the foregoing Assertions do clearly discover to have been from the beginning fundamentally Presbyterial so the Model of Presbytery being now compleated and any shaddow of power that the Mock-Bishops had lately usurped being now fully abrogated it is sufficiently clear that both Prelacy is by this Covenant abjured and Presbytery owned and sworn to And really if it be further considered that the Assemblies both 1581. and 1590 while most intent and forward in the erecting of Presbyteries did enjoyn and require the same to be subscribed by all ranks of People in the Land and that these Acts were both seconded and enforced by Ordinances of King and Council it may be justly doubted whether the impudence of the succeeding Prelats in denying of the Obligation or Perjury in breaking of it be greater This is the Great Oath into which as the Lord God did bring us by the Power of his own Spirit and Truth in opposition to that Bloody Bond called the Holy League wherein Antichrist and his followers had at that time conjured themselves against the true Church of God So the Kingdom thereby became the Lords and we his peculiar people as-well by the people's subjecting of themselves and their Alleageance as by the King 's submitting Himself and his Scepter in a due Subordination unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ for the maintenance and defence of his Church and Gospell the Liberties of the Land and Ministration of Justice And this Oath and the Ordinances enjoyning it notwithstanding the many fearful violations thereof that have ensued do yet stand to this day unrepealed and declared against to the unanswerable conviction and condemnation even in their own Courts and Consciences of all it 's wicked Transgressors 6. As the Tulchan Bishops were the effect and product of the Avarice of these Lords that favoured them So the same principle of Avarice and Wickedness did again resist the Work of God when almost brought to Perfection by stirring up certain of the Nobles to re-induce Bishops for the better inhaunsing of their Benefices and the devouring of the Churches patrimony And not only for their better establishment that what they want of Divine Right and Warrant might be supplyed by the accession of the Kings power and Command but also that by their meanes the growing wickedness of these times might abound without restraint or control the Devil inciteth others of the more prophane licentious and violent Courtiers such as the Earle of Arran and his complices to move and instigat the King contrary both to the Word and Oath of God to usurp the Prerogative of Jesus Christ who is alone King in Zion and to invade His Churches Priviledges purchased for Her with His own Blood by assuming to Himself in the first and immediat Instance the cognition of Her Doctrine and Censures Which though the Church did constantly and valiantly oppose both by Petitions and Protestations yet this Wickedness did so impetously proceed that all at once in a Parliament summarily called in the Year 1582. the Prerogative of Our Lord is translated upon the King and his Jurisdiction and Empire exalted over all persons and Causes the Estate of Bishops their power and dignity confirmed the power of the General Assemblies of the Church put in the King's hand We mention not these things with any purpose to debate these questions which have been moved on this Subject Only we are confident that how extensive soever the King's power may be in the case of Reformation which Alas for the most part cometh short of it's reach yet where a Church is Regularly constituted and so acting and by Him sworn to be maintained no King or Prince ought so far to intrude Himself into Her Power and Priviledges unto which he is neither called nor gifted as to assume to Himself a Soveraign immediat power of judging and discerning upon Doctrine and her most spirituall Rights and Censures and thereby in effect not only to constitut Himself a Proper and direct Church-Officer without our Lords appointment but in stead of Papacy so justly abrogated and so solemnly abjured to erect and revive the same in Himself a Secular Person far more absurdly and intollerably We know that other formalities and notions are pretended as these of Treason Sedition and Disorder to palliat and colour this Usurpation but seing nothing spoken or acted by warrant of the Word of God can fall under the definition or pain of these crimes and that all Ministers and Ecclesiastick Courts are known allowed and presumed both to speak and act according to that only warrant and Lastly seing both the warrant is to them committed and the Church is priviledged and permitted to have it 's own proper power and cognition thereanent as it followeth by clear consequence that the things questioned must and ought to be first subjected to her tryal and cognition so none do deny the Magistrat's just right and power over both these things and persons they being once lawfully found to be destitut of the warrant pretended But seing both Scripture and Reason doth testify against this Usurpation as most unlawful in it self and injurious to our Lord Jesus and that all experiences have proven it to be most pernicious to His Church Kingdom therefore many of his faithful Servants have worthily and valiantly resisted it not only to bonds and banishment but even to blood for the Testimony of their Lord Master We return to the purpose of this observation which is to vindicat the honour of the Lord's Work and the memory of his faithful Servants in the discovery of the old malice and subtilty of the great Enemy of the Church of God working in the wicked Prelats their abettors who to the effect they may enjoy their carnall designes and prosecute their wicked lusts without controll endeavour mainly by an absolute surrender of all things powers persons and interests to flatter and exalt the King unto an illimited Soveraignty and pretended Omnipotency thereby both to oblidge and enable him the more to such acts deeds and grants as are requisite for the satisfying of their vain Ambition insatiable Covetousness and wicked lusts Which Flattery and Usurpation being not more agreeable to the vain heart of man then contrary to the Kingdom of our Lord and the Power and Purity of His blessed Gospel what wonder if his faithful Servants who can neither deny His Name nor dissobey His commands by complying with the wicked practices and the blasphemous flattery of these vile Apostats be not only hated of all men but with their Lord and Master become the continual object of the reproaches violence and cruelty of the wicked as enemies and rebells to lawful Authority Now that the World may perceav the wicked intent and design of this Prerogative that it is
NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT to which he declareth his cordial assent wishing no longer to live then he might see Religion this Kingdō flourish in all happiness 2. After a Sermon most pertinently plainly and powerfully preached upon that 2 Kings 11. v. 12 17. wherein amongst other things the binding power force of the Oath of God and the hazards of the breach thereof are fully represented the Action commenceth with the King 's most Solemn Renewing of the National and Solemn League and Covenant which was in this manner The King kneeling and lifting up his right hand before the three Estats of the Kingdom the Commissioners of the General Assembly and the whole People and Congregation by his great Oath in presence of the Almighty God the Searcher of hearts he assureth declareth his allowance of the NATIONAL COVENANT SOLENN LEAGUE COVENANT promising faithfully to prosecute the Ends thereof and to establish the same with the Presbyterial Government and the whole VVork of God in all his Dominions 3. That having thus taken the Covenants the King is presented to the People and their willingness to have him for their King demanded which they accordingly declare 4. That he did also swear and take the Coronation-Oath appointed and recorded Parl. 1. Iac. 6. cap. 8. to which both the Covenants are most consonant Promising by the Eternal Almighty God who liveth and reigneth for ever to observe and keep the same 5. That when he Sword was put in his hand he is desired to receave the same For the Defence of the Faith of Iesus Christ of the true Religion ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT for the Ministration of Iustice which he accordingly accepteth 6. After the Crown is set upon his head the Peoples Obligatory Oath is proclaimed whereby they all swear by the Eternal Almighty God who liveth reigneth for ever to be true faithful to the King ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT 7. Being installed and set upon the Throne he is exhorted by the Minister to remember That his Throne is the Lord's Throne 1 Chron. 29. ver 23. And being a Covenanted King set thereon he ought under God to rule for God and especially to beware that he made not the Lord's Throne a Throne of Iniquity to frame mischief by a Law even such mischievous Laws as have been enacted by his Predecessors destructive to Religion and grievous to the Lord's People 8. The Nobles of the Land being called one by one and kneeling before the King on the Throne and holding their hands betwixt his hands did Swear by the Eternal and Almighty God who liveth and reigneth for ever to be true and faithful to the King ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT 9. The action is closed by a most solid and weighty exhortation both to King and People to keep the Covenant and beware of the breach of it which is enforced by these fearful threatenings and instances recorded in the Scriptures of Truth against Covenant-breakers particularly these Nehem. 5. ver 13. where Nehemiah did shake his lap saying So God shake out every man from his house from his labour that performeth not this promise even thus be he shaken out and emptied and all the Congregation said Amen Ier. 34. v. 18 19 20 21. And 2 Chron. 24.23 24 25. With this Pathetick application That if they should break the Covenant God would shake off the King's Crown and turn him from the Throne that he would shake the Nobles out of their possessions and empty them of their Glory and would deliver both to the hands of their enemies who seek their life That breach of Covenant and Rebellion against God was an old and continued Sin in the King's house which God had already severely punished if therefore the King should not acknowledge Iesus Christ King of Zion who is above him but break this Covenant God's controversy against the King's Family would be carried on unto the weakning if not the overthrow of it And lastly both the King and Nobles are certifyed that if the King and they who are engaged to support his Crown shall conspire together against the Kingdom of Iesus Christ both the supporters and the supported will fall together This is that great Action wherein almost all the Solemnities are so twisted with that sacred Bond that the World must acknowledge that never King and People under the Sun became so expresly and strictly obliged both unto God one to another amongst themselves as we were and are by these most Sacred Oaths of the Holy Covenants most indissolubly engaged The fourth and last Advantage was that plenary and last Complement of all Securities whatsoever amongst men viz. the Ratification of all these preceeding Treaties Transactions Engagements and Actions concluded and enacted by the King then having attained the Age of 21 Years compleat and the Parliament fully and freely conveened in the Moneth of Iune 1651. whereby the same did pass into a perpetual Law And this Covenant which from the beginning was and is the most firm and Indispensible Oath of God became at length the very Fundamental Law of the Kingdom whereon all the Rights and Priviledges either of King or People are principally bottomed and secured This is the fair side of the Transactions and providences of thesse times and the effects of the Lord 's favourable presence and the consequence of that Zeal which we have mentioned O! that we had sincerely minded and walked agreeably to all these Engagements surely our times should have endured for ever but seing both our own backslidings and the Lord 's withdrawing from us do evidently testify against us let us ascribe Righteousness unto our God that in the remembrance of all these Judgements wherewith he hath punished us less then our inquities deserve we may not only take unto our selves shame and Confusion of face because we have sinned against Him and thereby stop the mouth of all these blasphemies and boastings of the Adversaries of the Lord and His Holy Covenant which our Backslidings have so widely opened but in the thoughts of His faithfulness be encouraged to hope in His Mercy and for the return of our Departed Glory although we have rebelled against Him The Principal Step of our Defection and the only Rise and Cause of all our Sin and Calamity we acknowledge to have been no other then that which is the condemnation of the World that Light indeed came unto us but we loved Darkness better then Light because our deeds were evil For the Lord did cause His Gospel to shine amongst us in as great Power and Purity as ever any Nation enjoyed and by the Advantages of his own Holy Ministry and Government the accession of our many fold Covenants and Engadgements did beautify and secure the same unto us And though that after a long continuance of all these blessings the Lord by
Glory and the Kings service that can be imagined as the Letter it self set down at large in the Apologetick Narration doth testify And though this duty and employment was no other then what the meanest subject in the most private capacity might and all were indispensibly obliged to have done yet those Ministers and one Gentleman with them are therefore instantly without hearing committed Prisoners 3. This Committee proceeding to prepare for the succeeding Parliament which was all it's work and design the Parliament siteth down the 1 day of January Where having taken the Oath of Supremacy without respect to it's due limitation contained in the 114. Act. Ia. 6. Parl. 12. 1592. then standing unrepealed and exalting the Kings prerogative upon the alleaged Warrand of the VVord of God and Laws of the Land but in effect directly contrary to both above all Offices Parliaments Laws Leagues Conventions Peace and War and likwise upon meer assertions alleageances in place of declaring upon known and certain grounds which is all that any Parliament can lawfully do directly Innovating the Fundamental Law Constitution of the Kingdom thereby making the Kings Throne the foundation of all the succeeding Perjury and Apostacy They spoil and divest first the Solemn League and Covenant and then the National Covenant Presbyterial Government the whole Work of God of all legal warrand and Authority Declaring all Acts and Practises made and standing in favours thereof to be void and null And by the same great Act rescissory they revive and reinforce all the corruptions and Superstitions of Crossing Kneeling and the like introduced by any Parliament since the Reformation As the Acts of the first Session of the last Parliament do clearly testify Although that these Acts have been and are both in themselves in their effects just cause of great astonishment and mourning to all the Faithful in the Land yet when we remember that height of Wickedness and Profanity that then abounded and the false flattering perjurious Sermons practises by which the Parliament was thereunto instigated but most of all that Act that then passed for an Anniversary Thanksgiving wherein as if we had been delivered to commit all this great Wickedness the Spirit and Work of the Lord are heinously blasphemed and calumniated as the only Author and Cause of all the Blood Bondage Usurpation Rebellion Rapine Violence and other Evils that either the malice and wickedness of men had caused or God in his Righteous Judgement had therefore permitted or inflicted and the Ranversing of our Blessed Reformation Holy Covenants and the Righteous Laws whereby they were established accounted the Restitution of Religion Righteousness and Liberties And the 29 of May as most Auspicious appointed for the yearly solemn commemoration thereof A day the profane Institution whereof cannot be better demonstrated then by it 's more profane observance and celebration ever since practised These things we say being considered do justly adde horror to our astonishment trembling unto our mourning But that their practise might be also consonant to their Acts and Statutes and by cutting off or laying aside it 's most eminent Opposers the return of Prelacy might be more effectually promoted in the same Session of Parliament not only was that Innocent and Faithful one Mr Cutâ—ry singled out and signally honoured by God to bear testimony to the Kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ His Cause and Covenant for no other fault then his faithfulness therein and his Declining the King's usurped Authority in prejudice of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus and the priviledges of His Church clearly warranded by 114 Act Parl. 12. la. 6. then standing unrepeal'd and by a great cloud of faithful Witnesses who in like manner did testify against this Usurpation cruelly slain and put to death But also under the colour of certain Epidemick crimes wherein the Soveraignity of Divine Providence more then any man's malice had involved the whole Land others who had been eminent in the Work of God particularly the Marquess of Argyle were condemned to death and forfeited and several other Faithful Ministers besides these who were at first imprisoned by the Committee of Estates were without any cause signifyed imprisoned confined or otherwise vexed and incapacitated 4. The rise and re-establishment of this Antichristian Prelacy being thus prepared in the interval after this first Session of Parliament the King nominateth and presenteth Bishops and four of them being called to Court are there Re-ordained and Consecrated and that in such a manner as doth clearly infer their disowning and renouncing their former Minstery and their Warrand Mission thereunto In consequence whereof all the Ordinary meetings of Presbyteries and Synods are discharged until they should of new be licenced Authorized thereto by the Bishops now nominated and appointed and to the effect that matters might the better succeed several of our Faithful Ministers upon groundless suspitions and for refusing of the Oath of Supremacy arbitrarly and rigorously imposed without so much as admitting such qualifications as no Christian ought or can deny are some of them Banished and others confined 5. The second Session of this last Parliament sitting in May 1662. by their first Act they restore and re-establish Prelacy in all it 's pretended Rights Dignities and Priviledges but in effect in it's real Usurpations and Corruptions And for the better setling thereof and evident declaring to the World how Erastian and Antichristian this Woful Government is both in it's Rise Designs and Effects as by this Act the Restitution thereof is expresly founded upon the King's Supremacy as being an inherent Right in the Crown for the disposal of the external Government of the Church So it is also declared that whatever the King shall determine with advice of the Bishops and such of the Clergy as he shall nominate in the externall Government of the Church shall be valid and effectual without any other Proviso then that the same be consistent with the Laws of the Realm But the Absolute Complement of all Wickedness and the Hight of Usurpation above all that ever the Papacy it self aspired unto is that which followeth whereby the King and Parliament for clearing all scruples which may occurre from former Acts and Practices do rescind all former Acts by which the sole and only power of Jurisdiction within this Church doth stand in the Church and in the Meetings and Assemblies thereof and all Acts of Parliament and Council which may be interpreted to have given any Church-power Jurisdiction or Government to the Office-bearers of the Church their respective meetings other then that which acknowledgeth a dependence upon and subordination to the Soveraign Power of the King as supream and is to be regulated and authorized in the exercise thereof by the Bishops who are to put order to Ecclesiastick matters and to be accountable to the King for their Administration And the foresaid 114 Act Parl. 12. la. 6. whereby the Priviledges Power
ordained Neither can this inference appear unwarranted or hard unto any who will impartially consider that though the same qualification doth in the like maner affect and define all duties whatsoever which we owe either to God or our Countrey yet it were most absurd thence to infer that if these more eminently intrusted should either turn directly Apostates and enemies to the Christian Faith or adversaries and destroyers of the Common-wealth the people of an inferior degree might not step forward to occupy the places and assert the Interests which these wicked men had so traiterously forfaulted and deserted All which must necessarily be granted if it be but rightly considered that as Order and the Observance thereof is only a mean subordinate to and intended for the Glory of God and the good of the people so must all the Regulation and Determination thereof be only admitted in so far as it is Conducible and no wayes to render it Destructive or Repugnant to these great Ends of its appointment From all which we clearly conclude that thir words in the Covenant of Places and Callings are no more Restrictive in the cases above mentioned then a General 's command to his souldiours entering in battel being thus qualifyed doth impede the necessity of Succession in case of the vacancy of any charge either through death or desertion requisit for the obtaining of the proposed end of Victory but that they are in effect specially the antecedent and subjoined words sincerely really and constantly all the dayes of our life being considered rather Exegetick and Ampliative 8. That whatsoever Laws Covenants and Engagements were standing and binding unto us before this late fearful Apostacy and Defection they are still in the sight of God and in the Consciences of all that fear His Name and mind his Glory the rather more strong and obligeing then in the least infringed or dissolved It being impossible that such Sacred Oaths so solemnly sworn unto the most High and such Righteous Laws by vertue thereof statuted and enacted for the carrying on and establishment of the Work of God thereby intended should be Ambulatory and Mutable at the pleasure of men specially of such who without regard of God Conscience Honor or Honesty have in the very pride and power of Wickedness not only broken the Lords bands casten away His cords and violently under the pretext of abused Authority overturned his whole Work but done despite against the same both by ignominious Burning and Blaspheming of the Lords holy Covenant And this Position Rescissory we oppose unto their great Act Rescissory and to all Acts and practices of the like nature antecedent thereto or dependent thereupon Being fully perswaded that though now they appear unequally ballanced yet the Lord shall declare from heaven His Righteousness and laugh at His enemies Acts and Devises and have them all in derision 9. That though we do heartily approve their 〈◊〉 veneration and just esteem of lawfull Authority the great and excellent Ordinance of God who to prevent all prejudice that it may incur and inconvenience that may ensue thereon do so far transmit this respect to the person therewith vested as to hold for a Maxime but indeed equally against Religion Reason and Experience that the King doeth no wrong And though we are perswaded that the true rise and cause of the sin and calamity under which we lye is from the malice perjury flattery and violence of that Antichristian spirit ruling in the apostat Prelates and therefore would willingly cloath our selves even in the sight of man with that ample Allowance and full Authority whereby the King did once approve the holy Covenant and countenance the Lords Work as if the same did yet stand as it ought not retracted or repeal'd Yet seing our late Parliament by their second Act Session second have reprobated and discharged all pretences of Authority in this kind notwithstanding that the same hath been and may be most necessary in many cases for the preserving of the Kingdom salving of State-inconveniences we do therefore rather subsist on the former grounds and turn our complaint and prayer unto God who is the great King over all looking for His appearance and waiting for His salvation 10. That the Glory of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ the Defence and Maintenance of the blessed Gospel and it 's precious Ministry and Ordinances are Duties Concernments infinitly more important then the defence and preservation of our Lives Liberties and the Common-wealth against the most barbarous and horrid violences and injuries that can be imagined Like-as the violation and destruction of all these is so evidently designed and wickedly practised by this late and present Apostacy that a clearer ground and cause of Self-defence and Reformation cannot possibly be supposed so that to condescend to answer the peevish clamours of these Neutral and careless men who say what needeth all this noise for the extrinsick and arbitrary forms of Government and modes of VVorship both with and without which Religion and Righteousness have equally flourished and prospered where to shut our eyes from beholding the Glory and Grace of God that in this Land hath so visibly appeared in and been advanced by this great Ordinance of PRESBYTERY by Himself for that end appointed and also from the observing of these deludges of Profanity Wickedness Superstition and Violence which the Devill by his great engine of PRELACY hath alwayes and in all Churches caused and procured 11. That as such was the State Condition and Engagements of this Church and Kingdom at the time of the King's return and before the re-erecting of this Prelacy that all and every one of the Nation were most strictly obliged sincerely really and constantly to have resisted and opposed this wicked Defection to the last drop of their blood so the sinfull complyance of many and wofull fainting and withdrawing of others might indeed incapacitat such as remain faithful from the best but neither could nor can dis-engage them from their utmost endeavours From these grounds and what hath been formerly represented the argument of the Indictment of Treason above-mentioned viz. That all Convocations and Risings in Arms or Subjects entering in Leagues without or against the Kings Authority are treasonable But such was the late Rising and renewing of the Covenant Therefore c. May be easily and clearly answered that all such Risings and entering into Leagues as are not warranded and commanded by the Superior Law and Authority of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords which by our own express Acts and Statutes are acknowledged and are not founded upon the Fundamental Right and necessarily intended for the preservation of Religion and Righteousness the great and principal End of all Laws and Governments according whereunto our Laws have also by posterior Statutes been expresly interpreted are indeed treasonable But such the late Rising was not but on the contrary was more clearly approven by these grounds then
towards God and true Loâ—alty and during the King's Exile did retain a more faithful remembrance of his Interest according to the Covenants then many other places of the Kingdom be of all other Shires within the same in recompense thereof rewarded with the Titles of disaffected persons Rebells men of pernicious and disloyal principles and spoiled of their goods Whence should these who being spoiled of all Armes first by the English and then by the Council since the King's return be presumed to have concealed Armes What ground is there to suggest unto the World the transportation of Armes from Enemies Must every man who will not throw away for nothing his Horse and Armes which he hath purchased by his money be therefore a seditious and disaffected person and accordingly proceeded against with all rigor If none within these Shires must keep a horse exceeding the value above-mentioned how impossible is it to labour much of the ground How are covetous wretches in hope of gaining horse without Payment and the half of the Fines for concealed Armes animated to give in invidious Informations against the owners and many poor well meaning people tempted to redeem their beasts at the rate of Perjury and breach of Covenant What an absurd thing is it to punish men otherwayes innocent only for not accepting or deserting publick trust whereunto they neither have access nor can continue in without formal and express Perjury How irrational and unjust is it to command under a penalty Parishioners to do that which may be impossible yea without the compass of their knowledge such as opposing but much more apprehending and presenting surprizers wherewith I pray you shall these who must deliver up all their Armes reserving not so much as a sword defend themselves or any other man against violence and surprizall We read in our History of a Law whereby for repressing of Theft men were not to shut their doors in the night and satisfaction was ensured to the owner for any thing that should be stoln from him whereupon a Countrey-man alleaging his goods to be stoln obtained payment but being found thereafter that himself had hid them he was hanged for a reward to himself and example to others Now what if some of these covetous and malicious Men should for who can rationally promise and secure but that they who have done worse may also thus abstract or cause abstract their own goods what if the Lord should immediatly smit them for offering strange fire or thieves and robers should fall upon them or evil Spirits in humane shape should haunt or hurt them must Innocent people upon their invidious false alleagance be therefore punished As if the Parishioners of Carphaâ—â— should pay for Mckinney's silver plate which his own servant stole from him Ah Scotland which the Lord planted a noble vine wholly a right seed how are thow turned into a degenerate plant of a Strange Vine Where is now the Spirit of the Fathers that as if thy inhabitants were neither Christians Men nor Patriots Religion the Land Ourselves and the Posterity in Bodies Consciences and Estats should be thus emancipated to the Interest Lust and Designe of 14 Prelats and their Hirelings whom the Lords sparing is a greater wonder then if he should convert them into Pillars of salt for their Apostacy O Backslideâ— Scotland remember from whence thow art fallen Repent and Do the First works or else he will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestcik out of his place except thow Repent FINIS
God with more Faithfulness and Stedfastness in the Truth without the least injurious reflexion thereupon or their own adherence thereunto with more Equability and composure of Spirit sweetly tempered with the Sorrow 's of Sin and Joyes of the Holy Ghost in assurance of Pardon and Life Everlasting and with less perturbation of mind and alteration of Carriage or Countenance then these Worthies did Here indeed was the Faith and Patience of the Saints here did the Lord stand by and strengthen them whom others forsook Yea the Lord to the Admiration of all the conviction of many of their adversaries the confirmation Establishment of the Cause the Encouragement of many thousands His own Eternall Glory and their Immortal Commendation did Work in the hearts of all Beholders more ample enduring Epistles of Commendation then the most Eloquent and Pathetick Rhetorician can Writ in their Favours This accompt further I will give yow of the first ten who died together December 7. that they once resolved to speak severally to the People at their death but thereaâ—â—â— considering that for one Common Cause and upon the same alleageances they were all appointed to die one manner of death together at one time and in one place and having the conveniency of being together in the Prison they preferred to leave a word jointly behind them in writ which as it was the cause of one conjunct Testimony and some others severally So the Foreseing Providence of God in this is very observable for had it been otherwise seing they were not at all permitted to speak to the People upon the scaffold there had nothing of their joint Testimony been extant more then is of these who were not suffered to speak at their death in Glasgow of the rest who Suffered in otheâ— places of the West of whom we have heard nothing more particularly but that the same Spirit of Glory and of God resting upon them did work in them all the same Stedfastness Patience Humility Consolation Courage and Confidence These being the last times wherein Sin aboundeth and the love of many is waxed cold I cannot devine what pity shall be shewed to them that are in Misery especially considering the Universall decay of Religion and dark cloud of prejudice and discountenance whereby the Kingdom of Christ is overshaddowed generally the whole world over and even amongst the Reformed Churches Nevertheless there being a Communion of Saints which should be entertained amongst both Persons and Churches whereby these of the same true Religion amongst other things reciprocally give and receave information of their common affaires that if they can or will express no other act of Love they may at least the more sutably Sympathize and mutually pray one for another And the Lord in his Providence giving the opportunity I thought it convenient yea necessary to communicat the following Deduction of the Wrestlings of the Church of Scotland for the Kingdome of Christ hoping that as it beareth the Name so the Wrestling Church of Scotland in due time shall reap the Blessing of NAPHTALI who Gen. 49.21 is called a Hinde let loose and said to give goodly words for who can tell but Her Wrestlings may be swallowed up of Victory and Liberty and Her ancient Covenanted Doctrin Worship and Government may become as Pleasant and Acceptable as it is Profitable not only within herself but also amongst the Churches abroad This Title being only affirmative of Her and not Negative of other Churches as if only She and not also They had Wrestled for the Kingdom of Christ let no man offend thereat For as the Lord Redeemer hath several Offices equally Necessary in themselves and Inseperable by Man and as particular Churches as well as Persons have their peculiar gifts and Excellencies and accordingly their distinct work assigned unto them whereby amongst other things they more or less eminently assert and Propugn this or that particular Truth So in this distribution whereas other Churches have asserted and contended for his Priestly and Propheticall Offices the lot seemeth to have fallen upon Scotland to assert and wrestle more eminently then many others for the Croun and Kingdom of Jesus Christ For the establishment of this did our first famous Reformers strive by the evidence of Holy Scripture as well as for Soundness of Doctrine and Purity of Worship for Preservation and Restauration of this did their Worthy Successors Zealously contend by Petitions Warnings Conferences and Disputations all Invasion Usurpation or the least encroachment upon this diâ— they valiantly resist by Protestations and Declinatures and for a Testimony to this did they patiently Suffer Bonds Imprisonment Confinement Sentences of Death and of late Death it self Neither should any man think this strange as if Presbyterial Government were in itself Unlawful or the Species of Church Government were indifferent and consequently Contending and Suffering therefore Unwarrantable or Needless as Pretenders to different Forms upon the right and left hand would have the World beleeve Hithertil indeed the Church of Scotland hath heen as a Speckled bird and the birds round about have been against her She hath endured the scourge of many tongues as well as the Violence of many hands upon both hands false witnesses have laid to her charge things which she knew not as being amongst other things too Laxe or too Rigide Yea as Unnatural Children have eaten thorow their Mothers bowels so Unkindly Brethren have rewarded her evil for good Standing on the other side and looking upon her and her affliction in the day of her calamity rejoicing over her in the day of her destruction and speaking proudly in the day of her distress yea laying hands on her Substance in the day of her calamity The wrath of man worketh not the Righteousness of God neither doth his invincible Truth need the help of humane Passions if therefore such men do not fear I shall not desire that their own tongues may fall upon themselves and that the Lord may render unto them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours but rather study the revenge of good will by Prayer that He would open their eyes convert their hearts that they may take revenge on themselves Charity which thinketh no evil obleegeth to beleeve till wee see the contrary that Scripture Conscience Covenant and Credite will make those who did once laudably assert constantly propugn and adhere to the Ius Divinum of Presbyterial Government until they publish which none can do as convinceing reasons of Retractation contrary Practice And whatever might be expected of others Religion Reason Candor Gratitude and Policy would seem to require that those who in their distress intreated obtained the succesful Assistance of the Covenanted Interest of Scotland others who owe thereunto whatever they are or have more then just nothing debt or broken fortunes should have been so far from contâ—mptuous throwing away the Covenant as an old Almâ—nack when by it as a
convince us of the manifold willfull renewed breaches of that Article which concerneth the discovery and punishment of Malignants whose crimes have not onely been connived at but dispensed with and pardoned and themselves received unto intimate fellowship with our selves and entrusted with our Counsels admitted unto our Parliaments and put in places of Power and Authority for managing the publick affaires of the Kingdome Whereby in Gods justice they got at last into their hands the whole power and strength of the Kingdome both in judicatories and Armies And did imploy the same unto the enacting and prosecuting an unlawful Engagement in warre against the Kingdome of England Notwithstanding of 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 Shyres and of the Declarations of the Generall Assembly and their Commissioners to the contrary Which ingagement as it hath been the cause of much sinne so also of much misery and calamity unto this Land and holds forth to us the grievousnesse of our sinne of complying with Malignants in the greatnesse of our judgement 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 passe unto us because of this our trespasse and after that grace hath been shewed unto us from the Lord our God by breaking these mens yoke from of our necks and putting us again into a capacity to act for the good of Religion our own safety and the Peace and safety of this Kingdowe should we again-break his Commandment and Covenant by joyning once more with the people of these abominations and taking into our bosome those Serpents which had formerly stung us almost unto death This as it would argue great madnesse and folly upon our part So no doubt if it be not avoided will provoke the Lord against us to consume us untill there be no remnant nor escaping in the Land And albeit the Peace and Union betwivt the Kingdoms be a great blessing of God unto both and a Bond which we are obliged to preserve unviolated And to endeavour that justice may be done upon the 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 endeavours have been used by any of us for punishing of such We have suffered many of our Brethren in severall parts of the Land to be oppressed of the common Enemy without compassion or relief There hath been great murmuring and repining because of expense of means and pains in doing of our duty Many by perswasion or terror have suffered themselves to be divided and withdrawn to make defection to the contrary part Many have 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 have made it their study to walk so as they might comply with all times and all the revolutions thereof It hath not been our care to countenance encourage intrust and employ such onely as from their hearts did affect and mind Gods Work But the hearts of such many times have been discouraged and their hands weakened their sufferings neglected and themselves slighted and many who were once open enemies and alwayes secret underminers contenanced and employed Nay even those who had been looked upon as Incendiaries and upon whom the Lord had set marks of desperate Malignancy falshood deceat were brought in as fit to manage publick affaires Many have been the lets and Impediments that have been cast in the way to retard and obstruct the Lords work and some have keeped secret what of themselves they were not able to suppresse and overcome Besides these and many other breaches of the Articles of the Covenant in the matter thereof which it concerneth every one of us to search out and acknowledge before the Lord as we would wish his wrath to be turned away from us So have many of us failed exceedingly in the manner of our following and pursuing the duties contained therein not onely seeking great things for our selves and mixing of private interests and ends concerning our selves and friends and followers with those things which concern the publick good but many times preferring such to the Honour of God and good of his cause and retarding Gods work until we might carry alongs with us our own interests and designes It hath been our way to trust in the means and to rely upon the arm of flesh for successe Albeit the Lord hath many times made us meet with dispointment therein and stained the pride of all our Glory by blasting every carnall confidence unto us We have followed for the most part the counsels of flesh and blood and walked more by the rules of policy then Piety and have hearkened more unto men then unto God Albeit we made solemn publick profession before the World of our unfained desires to be humbled before the Lord for our own sinnes and the sinnes of these Kingdoms especially for our undervaluing of the inestimable benefit of the Gospel and that we have not laboured for the power thereof and received Christ into our hearts and walked worthy of him in our lives and of our true and unfained purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all other under our power and charge both in publick and private in all dutyes which we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord might turn away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Kirks and Kingdoms in truth and peace Yet we have refused to be reformed and have walked proudly and obstinatly against the Lord not vâ—lueing his Gospel nor submitting our selves unto the obedience thereof not seeking after Christ nor studying to honour him in the excellency of his person nor employ him in the vertue of his offices not making conscience of publick Ordinances nor private nor secret duties nor studying to edify one another in love The ignorance of God and of his Son Jesus Christ prevailes exceedingly in the Land The greatest part of Masters of families amongst Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses and Commons neglect to seek God in their families and to endeavour the the Reformation thereof And albeit it hath been much pressed yet few of our Nobles and great ones ever to his day could be perswaded to perform family duties themselves and in their own persons which makes so necessary and useful a duty to be misregarded by others of inferior rank Nay many of the Nobility Gentry and Burrows who should have been examples of Godlinesse and sober walking unto others have been ring-leaders of excesse and rioting
faithfulness of our God who hath not only hithertil preserved a Remnant even a holy seed which shal be the substance of our Land But after this late suddain and astonishing stroak of his holy Indignation which seemed to presage no less then the woful overturning of this sinking Church into the depth of all darkness and the dreadful overthrow of this whole Land and Nation in the consummation of his fierce anger to have been poured out in our desolation hath made Light and Salvation to arise and Glory and Praise to spring forth in making his grace more manifest and commending and asserting His Work and Covenant more in the Sufferings and Death of His faithfull Servants and Witnesses then in all the prosperity and Victories which formerly he vouchsaved upon us O! blessed and exalted be his most Holy Name and aboundant Grace who for the wicked and momentany rejoycing of our adversaries hath given to his People such sweet consolations and Exuberant Praise and from the depths of our present distresses and amidst the feares of so imminent and great judgments hath in stead of an Apology before the world put a song of Salvation in our Mouth that as well to Testify for the Lord against the backsliders as for the comfort and consolation of all who love and wait for his Salvation we may call the Heavens to hear and the Earth to give ear that we may publish the Name of the Lord and ascrib Greatness to our God whose work is perfect and all his wayes Iudgment A God of Truth and without Iniquity Just and Right is He. We have corrupted ourselves our spot is not the spot of his Children we are a perverse and crooked generation Do we thus requit the Lord O foolish people and unwise Yet is not He our Father that hath bought us Hath not He made us and established us Let us then remember the dayes of old when the most High did visit us and the Lord became Our God and we became His People and Inheritance This is the Testimony of his dying withnesses this is the voice of his present Dispensations We will therefore call to mind the Years of the right hand of the Most High and the wondrous works of the Lord which He alone did work in our Land We will also declare our manifold Engagements and our most selemn and sacred Covenants with and to Our God that the Lord 's Loving Kindness may be made known that the Innocency Strength and Joy of his Servants may appear that the glory of all his Righteous Judgments which are either already come upon us or which we have reason to fear may be made manifest that wickedness may stop it's mouth and that all the Enemies of the Lord may be confounded It is not here intended to resume these debates which as the Adversaries have formerly moved and pertinaciously maintained against the Work of God and almost against every passage and transaction thereof so have the Lovers and Owners of it abundantly satisfied and the Lord Himself determined with that power and Evidence that the Conversion of some and Conviction of almost all and even of it's most desperat opposers is not the smalest part of it's Glory But seing the party that now prevaileth hath disdained that method and only by plain force and Violence in the most gross and desperat Rebellion Blasphemy and Perfidy against God and his Cause and the highest and most determined contempt and misreguard of all good Conscience and sacred Oathes that ever the sun beheld hath carried on and advanced this present Apostacy and defection under which all the Godly do mourn and the Land perisheth We shall only here endeavour the sincere and candid Representation of these things which as they were once the Glory of the Lord and joy of his people in this poor Nation so are they now the Testimony and Triumph of his witnesses and the Patience and Hope of all his Sufferers and may be the full Satisfaction of all who shall hear of these late and present troubles wherewith the Lord doth Exercise us and will undoubtedly in the end prove etiher the Exaltation and Praise or the Desolation and perpetuall Confusion of BACKSLIDEN SCOTLAND When Scotland through the usurpation of the Roman Antichrist and the contagion of his abominations and through the Prid Lust and Tyranny of Prelacy the very root and strength of that Kingdom of wickedness had fallen into that gross and black darkness of Ignorance and Superstition and into these strong Delusions wherewith the Lord as he hath threatned so hath he ever infallibly plagued that Antichristian course and for many hundreth Years had lien involved therein It pleased the Lord in his wonderful mercy and free love to cause the glorious Light of the everlasting Gospell again to arise and shine forth amongst us Which as it is ever best witnessed by its own Power and Purity So through the Power and Wisdome of God alone even by the Weakness of very mean instruments in the midst of the flames of fiery persecutions and against the rage and fury of the Devil and of all the powers of Hell was this Work advanced and effectuated As the recordes of these times from 1494. until about the Year 1560. do plainly discover Dureing which period of time these things are very observable First That where and when ever the Light and Truth of God did discover testify against the Corruptions Errors Idolatry and Superstitions of Popery in the same manner it testified and declared that the Popes usurped Tyranny and the Prid Idleness and Domination of the wicked Prelates were cheefly the Authors and Maintainers thereof Secondly That such as the Lord did from time to time call to and send forth for the work of the Ministry did walk therein with the same Painfulness Poverty Simplicity Humility and Equality which the Holy command and practises of our blessed Lord and his Apostles do so constantly commend Hence it is that in so far as this point could fall under the enquiry of these times it is clearly held out that they acknowledged no Officer in God's House Superior to a Preaching Minister and according to the standard of this Office did they try reject and crave the Reformation of exorbitant Prelacy As the examinations and testimonies of the faithfull in these dayes do witness Thirdly That as the love of God and his blessed Truth and the Precepts Promise and Presence of our Lord Jesus Chirst did enable unto all Patience with joy such as by the call of a clear and necessary providence the Lord sett forth to be his witnesses who for the love and Testimony of Jesus cheerfully embraced the fire and faggott so when the Lord did multiply the faithful to a Reasonable Capacity they were so far from resigning themselves and abandoning that First and most just Priviledge of Self-defence to the arbitriment even of the lawful Powers and of that Authority which they did acknowledge that they not only
the uttermost for the advancement of his own Kingdom doth quickly take advantage of for setting on work and promoving of that Mystery of iniquity Which springing up in that bitter root of Pride and working in the Spiritual power and subtilty thereof as it began to work very early in the Christian Church even amongst the Disciples themselves in presence of their and our Lord as appeareth by their contention who should be greatest And notwithstanding all the Grace Power and Presence of the Lord which appeared in the times that followed all the long violent persecution wherewith the Church of God was then exercised yet continuing it's motion did still advance until attaining it's maturity in the revelation of the Man of Sin it filled and overwhelmed the Christian World with these strong delusions of Superstition Idolatry and all darkness that so long prevailed therein So it is the main and only Engine whereby Sathan as in all other Churches so in this of Our's hath so actively bestired himself and attempted the overthrow of their later Reformations These are the causes why notwithstanding of that great and glorious Light which the Lord made to shine amongst us the true Government and Discipline of the Church of Christ though his own great Ordinance instituted both for Fencing and securing of Truth in Purity and for promoving of the same in Power and though by the Light of that same Truth clearly discovered and Manifested through long opposition and many difficulties did scarce in these dayes attain it's establishment Yet the Lord who of his own free Mercy and Grace did visit us with the day-spring of his blessed Gospel from on high did also by his own Power and Presence in and with his faithful Servants at length also compleat his work and establish his Kingdome over us and his Government amongst us And so the Kingdome became the Lord's even the first fruits of the Kingdomes of the Earth unto our Lord Jesus Christ The Progress and Period of this work was from the Year 1560. unto the Year 1592. dureing which space these things are very observable 1. So soon as this Church attained to freedome from persecution and contrary violence they Assembled in their first National Synod in the Year 1560. by vertue of that Intrinsick Power and Priviledg granted by our Lord unto his Church and exercised by his Apostles and their followers and that without any question or control Nor did they so much as petition for the licence of the then Authority though the same might have been more easily obtained then the warrant at that time impetrated for conveening of the Parliament 2. As they first Assembled and by vertue of the same warrant did set on foot and continue a constant series of their Courts and meetings except in so far as by plain force and violence they were restrained so they held the same in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ only and in his sole Authority by Direction of his Word and Spirit concluded all their Counsels Votes and Acts. It 's true that they much and long wished for and thereafter heartily accepted the countenance and concurrence of the Powers for the time and that not only for Decency but also as the gracious performance of that promise Isa 49. ver 23. of the favour and assistance of Kings and Queens to the Church in the later dayes But as they were persuaded that the Lord Jesus perfect in all his house when invested at his exaltation with all Power in Heaven and in Earth did make a full grant and Commission of all Gifts and Offices requisit in his Church 1 Cor. 12. ver 28. Ephes 4. v. 8. 11. Wherein neither King nor Prince is mentioned and that there was no Authority wanting to these first Decrees made at Ierusalem though emitted upon that simple warrant Ast. 15. ver 28. It seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and unto us wherein neither King nor Prince was included so did they account it a gross usurpation for the Kings on Earth in place of their promised Patrociny to which they are oblidged to claim and invade an Over-ruling Arbitriment in the matters of God and his Church beleev that He who established the distinction and confirmed their Right by separating Caesar's things from the things of God doth also exact the same on their part 3. The Brethren conveening in these Assemblies did meet in perfect Parity and Equality against which the Extraordinary employments and Commissions delegated to some upon the account of the particular exigence of these times did grant no Priviledge or Preheminence From these three observations without mentioning the first Book of Discipline containing the true grounds and frame of Presbyterial Government which was compiled in the Year 8560. and then approved by the whole Church and subscribed to by a great many Lords and Counsellors it is evident that Presbyterial Government was from the beginning of the Reformation constantly intended and it's foundation really laid We need not mention that the Pope's Authority and all Jurisdiction flowing therefrom was by Law in the same Year 1560 expresly abrogated and discharged nor that in these first Assemblies greater Benefices were craved to be dissolved and Prelacy reputed to be only an Humane Device nor is it necessary for us to clear how that Extraordinary employment of Superintendency used for a few Years in the beginning was both only designed for an Interim and in it self wholly different from Prelacy and was at length rejected as burthensome All these things are sufficiently cleared by the late Large Apology 4. It is observable that as the Avarice and Power of some who possessed and grasped after the Churches Revenues did by the procurement of a few packed Commissioners in the Year 1671 introduce these Mock-Bishops called Tulchan for the better securing of their own gain which in the Assemblies immediatly succeeding were first protested against then quarrelled and lastly restrained and subjected thereunto So the Lord used the same as a warning to awaken and animat his Servants to a more vigorous prosecution of the establishment of His House in it's due Government In pursuance whereof the Assemblies with the King's concurrence from the Year 1575 until the Year 1581. did with much Prayer Fasting and Painfulness intend the work until by perfecting of the Second Book of Discipline and reducing of the Bishops to a simple Dimission and condemning their Office as unwarrantable they câ—mpleated their work in the exact model of Presbyterial Government in all it's Courts and Officers 5. During this space in March 1581. as we now reckon and after the Assembly had condemned the Office of Bishops as unwarrantable the King his Court and Council did swear and subscribe to the National Covenant By which both the Pope's usurped Authority over the Church in one Article and his wicked Hierarchy in another are abjured And the swearers did join themselves unto this true Reformed Church in Doctrine Faith Religion and
none other then that of the Devil as to conciliat and endear the Powers to Prelats who while they creat the King's Prerogative pretend themselves to be the King 's only Creatures so to arm and animat the same Powers against our Lord and His followers Let it's Rise and Effects both first and last be marked and observed and the search will declare that wicked men lusting to Tyranny and licentiousness are checked and galled by the freedom and power of faithful Ministers in the application of the Holy Word and Spiritual Censures What remedy This freedom is found Treasonable and prejudiciall to the King's service and Interest and the plain Zeall of God is therefore taxed as Sedition and Treason and under these formalities the Priviledges of the Church are infringed and all the asserters thereof lashed with the same calumny whereupon and to perfect the cure the King must be declared IN ALL and OVER ALL And by vertue of his fained Omnipotency and for recovery of that Unity and Order which only the coming of our Lord His blessed Gospel and Powerful Ministry is pretended to have disturbed the Ancient Policy or the Church must be restored and the greatest flatterers made the Archest Prelats who by inhaunsing and by destroying the Power may compesce the pretended insolency of the Ministry and by the continual pretending of Dissatisfaction and Disloyalty may terrify men out of all Conscience until by the introducing of Will-worship and vain Superstitions they may extinguish all Light and thereby reduce that Golden Age of Order into stupid Flattery and of Unity into Implicit Obedience And if these be not the kind caresses and most native issues of Prerogative and Prelacy and the very restoring and re-establishing of the Kingdom of Antichrist he who cannot find it in this Period will find all supplyed by the next 7. Though we love not to reflect on Events and know that no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him yet seing thereby the Lord's Judgments are made manifest men ought both to observe and fear The dissastrous ends of all the promoters of Prelats in these dayes viz of the Earle of Morton beheaded Mr Iohn Douglass Archbishop of St Andrews dying in the pulpit the Earle of Arran after disgrace privately killed Mr Patrick Adamson Arch-bishop of St Andrews after recantation and disgrace dying in extream poverty may justly cause their course the rather to be shunned and detested But that which we love rather to observe is that as the promoters and advancers of Prelacy were alwayes known to be men of no Principles and for the most part of very flagitious practices so the resisters thereof and favourers of Presbytery especially the Lord 's faithful Ministers in these dayes were not only very eminent in Knowledg Piety and Holiness but above all had that great Testimony and confirmation which our Lord Himself maketh use of Iohn 7.18 that they sought not their own glory and therefore neither spoke nor did of themselves but sought His Glory that sent them and therefore were true and no unrighteousness was in them As both their slighting of Court favours by which they were much tempted and their obstinat refusall of Bishopricks whereof King Iames himself bare them witness doth Testify 8. The Lord whose Work is perfect and who when He beginneth will also make an end hereafter in the Year 1586. shineth through the cloud dissipateth the darkness and after the storm blesseth us with a great calm wherein the Assemblies re-assuming their just power and the matter by the King being brought to a treaty and Conference the Bishops are first Restrained then Reduced Thereafter the order of Presbyteries being set down perfected in the Year 1590. both the Nationall Covenant is renewed and subscribed by Order of the Secret Council at the Assemblies desire and all the power that remained either in Bishops or Commissioners by the Assembly is devolved upon the new erected Presbyteries And thus the Work of the Lord in the Parl. 12. Iam. 6. bv the 114. Act. thereof ratifying Presbyterial Government in all it's Assemblies Courts and Officers qualifying and restricting the former Act. 1584. anent the King's Prerogative and abrogating all Acts contrary thereto or inconsistent therewith and by other Acts there recorded receaveth it's last and full accomplishment with Power and Beauty added to the former Grace and Glory 9. That as only the malice of Sathan and wickedness of men have in all Ages opposed the establishment of Presbytery so the Lord whose great Work and Ordinance it is doth no less evidently commend it by making as on the one hand it 's sincere and holy severity powerfully to coerce and restrain all vice and profanity so on the other hand the harmonious and orderly Subordination of it's Courts and Assemblies most efficaciously to prevent and suppress all Schisme and Heresy Which both the experience of these and all succeeding times do most clearly confirm But though the Lord had shewed us all these great and manifold temptations and troubles and terminated them all in such an wonderful and blessed deliverance that we might for ever fear His great Name love His precious Truth and keep His holy Covenant and though in the short Sun-shine of that day of Salvation He caused both King and People to taste and see the Order Beauty and Power of that Establishment Yet O! how soon did we forget the Works of the Lord We keeped not His Covenant O Lord the People of thine Inheritance enjoyed it but a litle It is not necessary for our design that we should trace and recount all these sad steps and degrees by which the Holy and Wise God thought fit to bring back his Church in this Land unto that great distress that hereafter ensued and caused her to wander long in a Wilderness of great Desertion nor what were the causes and beginnings of that so horrid Defection which the Histories of the most partial pens whatever provocations they pretend to be in the Lord 's faithful Ministers cannot purge nor palliat from a mere design of carnal Policy carryed on by manifest Diâ—simulation and palpable fraud It is enough for us let the true Histories of these proceedings be examined and it will appear without the help of our obsevation that as the beginnings of that Defection were no other then the Unfaithfulness of Man and the inconsistence of the Wisdom of God with the carnal wisdom of this World and that old opposition and rooted prejudice of the Kings and Powers of the Earth who have for the far greatest part set themselves and taken counsel against the Lord and against His Anointed so for the unquestionable confirmation of all that hath been said either as to the wicked Rise or woful Effects of Prelacy in this Church the Devil's part therein was visibly to promote his own Kingdom by re-acting the most palpable and gross Mystery of Iniquity that can possibly be described In so far
as this Apostacy arising from small beginnings by fair and smooth pretensions crafty insinuations Court-flatteries false calumnies and suggestions open and gross perjuries and violent dissorders according to the working of Sathan After great and long opposition by Conferences Warnings petitions faithful and constant Testimonies and sufferings of the Zealous Witnesses of our Lord both unto bonds banishment Sentences of Death against the again aspiring Prerogative and usurping Prelacy under it's shaddow did in the secret and holy Judgement of God chang the Glory of God and of our Lord Jesus into the Similitude and Image of the Roman Beast turning the Power of Godliness unto Formality his faithful Ministers into corrupt Hirelings the Power and Life of Preaching into Flattery and Vanity the Substance of Religion into empty and ridiculous Ceremonies the Beauty and Purity of the Ordinances into Superstitious Inventions of Kneeling Crossing Holy Dayes and the like the Beautiful and Powerful Government of Gods House for the Edification of Souls to a Lordly Dominion over Consciences and violent Persecution of mens persons And in a word the great End of the Glorious Gospel and it's Blessed Ministry even the salvation of poor sinners which is the pleasure of the Lord the fruit of the travel of His Soul the Joy of Heaven the Crown and Glory of the blessed Apostles and the End of all things and of the second Appearance of the Great God into an Empty Title and specious pretext for the fulfilling of mens lusts and pleasures the establishing of their Power and Tyranny and the ruine and exterminion of all such as opposed and mourned for all these Abominations Thus this Work and Kingdom of Darkness did advance apace and had almost attained unto it's full maturity of hurrying this poor Land and Nation headlong into that Gulf of Confusion Error and Superstition whereinto Popery did formerly involve us when it pleased the Lord according to His Great Mercy and faithfulness to remember His Covenant though we had fearfully forgotten it and in the midst of that growing darkness and those manifold Confusions to cause His Spirit to move and Light to arise upon this Land about the middle of the Year 1637. Which appearing in the former Power and Glory did from a very small and improbable beginning even the opposition of a few weak Women to the introducing and reading of that Carcase of formality the Service-Book then ready to be imposed proceed in such an Univerâ—al Vigorous Regular and Powerful method through the whole Land without the least mixture and ingredient of force and Violence but only by these most warrantable and inquestionable meanes of Petitioning Remonstrating Protesting and renewing their Covenant with God and amongst themselves that before the end of the Year 1638. the Work of God was revived with more Glory and Splendor then ever formerly it had attained We know that not only the Renewing of the Covenant especially with the enlargement explaining the same in order to the Novations in Worship and Corruptions in Government whereunto this Church had Apostatized and the bond of Mutual Defence thereto added but also their Protestings joynt Petitionings have been condemned as Seditious Rebellious But seing the same both from the clear Word of God the pure Light of Nature the Zealous and Valiant Practices of our first Reformers and the Lawes and Constitutions of the Realme are clearly warranted And by the Power and Presence of God were signally approved and by the supervenient Acts of the King Parliament and Generall Assembly so fully established and confirmed And seing that they only were and are condemned by such as either being the Children of the Devil filled with all subtilty and mischief and enemies of all Righteousness cease not to pervert the right Wayes of the Lord or by such who for advancement of their own Interests have sacrificed all Conscience and Reason to Ambition and Covetousnes or by such who in base and open flattery of the King and of the Powers and neither knowing nor regarding any other Interest or Concernment then that which dependeth on their Pleasure do set and serve the same in place of the most High Or lastly by such who never did nor do concern themselves in such enquiryes but affect a pretended Gallantry in Gallio's Indifferency therefore remitting such as are further desirous of satisfaction unto the debats Papers of these Times and especially unto the late large Apology we shall only mention the steps and progress of the Lords Work and our Engagements therein according to our first purpose In the beginning of the Year 1638. great multitudes of people consisting of all Ranks being awaked by the Arbitrary imposing of a Service-Book more corrupt in some things then that of England and the Book of Canons and the erecting and violent exercing of the High Commission-Court to the perverting of the Pure Worship of God the utter subverting of all regular Government and the confounding of all things Divine and Humane and the destroying of our Civil Liberties and conceaving the true cause of all the abounding Sin imminent calamities of these Times to be the violation of the National Covenant formerly thrice sworn in the Land they again most Solemnly with a very wonderful gracious mixture of Tears and joy renew the same almost in all parts of the Land with the addition above mentioned to forbear the practice and approbation of all Innovations in Worship or Corruptions in Government until the same should be lawfully determined and that other of Mutual Defence and Assistance in the prosecution of the ends of that Covenant against all sorts of persons whatsoever And in November the same Year the Generall Assembly at Glasgow determined anent the foresaid novations and corruptions disproving and rejecting under these heads the five Articles of Perth the Government of the Church by Bishops the erecting of Prelacy therein and all the Corruptions flowing therefrom whereby the Oath of the Covenant is clearly explained and purifyed In the Year 1639. the Prelats being routed run to Court 〈◊〉 up the King England and Irland with all their Friends and Popish partakers in Scotland against the faithful Covenanters as Rebellious and Seditious Persons But they having prepared for their own just Defence the Lord by His outstretched Arm and Power dispelling all these menacing clouds and imminent storms doth by a Pacification concluded reduce a fair calm The King therein aggreeing that an Assembly and Parliament shall be held and that all matters respectively shall be therein determined The Assembly sitting in August thereafter the Kings Commissioner being present and assenting doth ratify the conclusions of the last Assembly at Glasgow and the Commissioner and Secret Council subscribe the Covenant as it was then explained and at the Petition of the Assembly it is enacted to be again subscribed for the Fifth time by the Body of the whole Land But no Faith Honesty nor Honor binding the Prelats and a Court by
absolutely necessary it leaves no issue or expedient It is not needful here to clear the necessity and advantages which may induce Subjects to the making of Leagues and Conventions in certain cases without the consent of the Prince nor the exigence of these Times for the Covenant we plead for These things are cleared by undenyable Records which all the Wars Blood and Confusions that thereafter ensued flowing either from the perverse and obstinate opposition violence and Persecution of the enemies of Truth or being the effect of Gods Righteous Judgement upon such whose hearts were false and proved unstedfast in His Covenant notwithstanding all the present insulting of the Adversaries doth nothing disprove Neither do we here resume the above mentioned practices of our first Reformers for justifying the case in hand and the explication of these old Acts here obtruded who by all their necessary Leagues Bands and Conventions never conceaved the same to be contraveened Only we cannot but regret that as the Act made in the last Parliament against Conventions and Bonds was a fearful step of the present great Apostacy and directly levelled against the same Covenant by which the Authors of the Acts themselves were and are indissolubly obliged so that old Act Parliament 10. Ja. 6. cap. 12. 1585. which is thereby ratifyed and revived was also one of the woful Acts and effects of the wickedness that then prevailed in the Land and doth relate to and is expresly founded upon the 43. Act. Queen Mary Parliament 6. 1555. which under the colour of discharging Bonds of Man-rent was by the Queen Regent then raging in Persecution against the Professors of the Truth directly intended for the overthrow of the Gospel and Congregation We have hitherto only justifyed the lawfulness or rather the necessity of the Covenant as a League amongst Subjects without the Princes consent and have not spoken thereto as a League with England and the Subjects of an other Kingdom Because as the first point is mainly denied by the Adversary so the same being proven upon in the same grounds first of Just Necessary Defence of our Selves Religion and Libertyes Secondly of the assistance that we owe and do expect in case of Persecution for Truth from all Christians in the bowels of Jesus Christ the obedience of his new and speciall command of Love and the remembrance of that great and last Judgement wherein by this Law all men shall be judged without respect to the difference of Nations and Kingdoms and thirdly upon the ground of the Glory of God which is the great end of all things and to which all inferiour duties of Submission and Obedience ought to cede the Justice and Necessity of the Covenant and League with England may be certainly concluded O! that men who weighing all things in the ballance of their own selfish Interests and designes do make the vain airy enjoyment of Court-favour and the evanishing possession of such advantages as may be acquired thereby preponderate and cast the scales in prejudice of these great and important concernments of the Glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Might yet be awakened by the terror of that dreadful and glorious Judgement of the last day to an impartial consideration of that duty which we owe to all these that suffer and are persecuted for Truth Surely if not visiting not relieving and supporting when it is in our power of the afflicted members of Jesus Christ shall then be the condemnation of the Reprobat against which the exception of a contrary command of any King or Prince or that the afflicted were by men for Truths sake declared Rebells and Traitors or were of an other Kingdome shall furnish no defence Can we in conscience think that the refusal of Assistance to the persecuted for Christ's sake when instantly thereto required shall be upon any of these pretended grounds excused in that day We do not here mention the supervenient consent and Authority of the King by which the alleaged defects to the acknowledgement of all our adversaries were clearly purged because though the same will afterwards fall in as a great accession to the conviction of all Apostats yet we bless the Lord who hath bottomed our Faith and Consciences upon more sure and fixed foundations and who gave His People more evident and gracious testimonies of His Favour Power and Presence while they sincerely walked conform to the grounds mentioned before the King's assent was obtained then ever since The entering into and taking of this Covenant was so much the more necessary and Praise-worthy in us in Scotland for several reasons 1. because it contains no other then the same Duties and obligations which were before by us so solemnly Covenanted to in our Nationall Covenant neither is the restriction of our Alleageance supposed to be made therein any other then the true and righteous qualification of all such engagements most consonant unto and approven by our first Large Confession of Faith Chap. 25. Anent the Civil Magistrate the Kings Coronation-Oath recorded Ia. 6. p. 1. cap. 8. and the Nationall Covenant as it was taken and subscribed both first and last And though our Adversaries have insulted upon the later Confession of Faith as if both our former principles and practises were thereby disproved yet let the words be considered Viz. Infidelity or difference in Religion doth not make void the Magistrat's Iust and Legal Authority nor free the People from due obedience And we are confident that no sober man will think the acknowledgement of just and legal Authority and due obedience a rational ground to infer that Tyranny over either Consciences or Persons is thereby either allowed or priviledged which is all that by us is contended for 2. Because the same National Covenant did powerfully oblige us thereunto not only upon the account of that obstinate opposition which the perfidious Prelats in England both by raising Wars and breach of Pacification had plainly testifyed the revival whereof in case of any probable Capacity we had just reason to apprehend and by a posterior League at that time a most necessary and probable remedy in pursuance of our former engagement to provide against but also in respect of that express ground of opposition to the bloody bond of Trent and of the detestation of all the enemies of Gods Church who thereby conjured themselves against it contained in the National Covenant which could not but be a very fair persuasion and strong inductive to engage in that sacred Bond of the solemn League Covenant against that same accursed conjuratiō which at that time appeared so active 3. Because the Oath of Parliament first taken in the Parliament 1641. the King being present obliging us to endeavour the preservation of the Peace and Vnion of the three Kingdoms did indispensibly oblige us to enter in this Covenant as a most necessary expedient thereto Having thus summarily reviewed both the Matter and Manner of
this Solemn and important League and Covenant we cannot but wonder at the poor Sophistâ—y of such especially that more Temporizing then Seasonable Casuist who delude themselves in so great matters unto such an Indifferency as to assert that this Covenant doth as necessarily depend upon the King's consent for it's establishment as the private vow of a Daughter in her Father's house or of an Wife under her Husband's power in things free and arbitrary though not absolutely in their own disposal did according to the Judicial Law of the Jewes fall under the Father and Husband's power of ratifying or annulling But the simple proposal of these cases doth hold out such a disparity both as to the Persons being only women under power the Things in themselves being free but at another's disposal and many other Circumstances tedious to insist on and even as to Law it self by which the case is determined being meerly Judicial that none who fear the Lord or mind His Glory in any measure of Sobriety will daigne it with an answer And such indeed are the rest of the Cavils and Calumnies wherewith the Adversaries of Truth have endeavoured to impugn and asperse this Holy Covenant and are so fully and often answered already that to account them worthy the resuming and refuting were in some sort after Vowes to make inquiry There is one thing that our Adversaries have frequently objected which we cannot ommit viz. that the Covenants both National and Solemn League were urged and pressed both by Church Censures and Civill Sanctions of loss of goods sequestration and other arbitrary pains which hath been heavily complained of as a great violence done to Conscience But as it was then too evident that this Priviledge of Conscience was for the most part only pretended by such as had litle or no feeling thereof so the Practice of the present times doth now fully discover that what is now so insolently retorted was never before really scrupled at But the lawfullness of the course and practice then used and the iniquity of this retortion will easily be cleared if it be considered 1. that the Nationall Covenant being a standing binding Oath upon the whole Land and in the Year 1638. only renewed with such an agreeable explanation as none could or did quarrel but such as thereby intended to palliate and persist in their proceeding manifest violations was according to the example of good Josiah who brought back the People and CAUSED them stand to the Covenant of their Fathers 2 Chron. 34.32 most justly commanded and under the pains due to the breach therof ordained to be re-taken 2. That the solemn League and Covenant containing no other obligements then what the National doth import and being a most conducible expedient both for the securing and prosecuting the ends thereof and whereunto the National Covenant upon this ground did clearly oblige The pressing of the same League is warranted not only by the former ground but from the very bond of the National became an indispensible Duty By which reasons as the former proceedings are clearly justifyed so the present practice as being a direct and violent ranversing of these things which were once so righteously and rationally established is the more condemned But whatever be the disparity of these cases in the point of Reason we are sure that light and darkness do not more differ then the Lenity of these former times from the Rigour and violence now practized that where one then suffered for obstinacy against the Covenant hundreths do now suffer for their stedfastness therein As for these Wars and great commotions that ensued upon this great Transaction of the Solemn League we will not thereon insist Only we are confident that nothwitstanding all the Calumnious constructions of our Adversaries al such as seek out and have pleasure in the Works of the Lord will applaud unto the Glory and Righteousness thereof who as by the sword of Apostats in the Years 1644 and 1645. He did punish in his Justice the Hypocrisy and Self-seeking of such in this Land whose hearts were not upright in His Covenant and thereafter in the Year 1648. did by a prevailing Sectarian Party restrain and crush the gross and Generall Apostasy then intended under an Hypocritical pretext of pursuing the ends of the Covenant at that time so palpably perverted and abused so for the manifestation of his own Glory and of His Mercy to them that fear him and did not forget his Covenant He did intermix several gracious Intervals of His aboundant Compassion and at length did give unto His Work and People a full and absolute Victory over that malignant Spirit and Party that had so long prevailed in the Land and caused the wickedness of the wicked to cease and all iniquity to stop it's mouth Thus in the Years 1649 and 1650. thereafter the Lord was with us while we were with Him and while we sought Him He was found of us but as we did forsake Him so did He also forsake us by which position all the mixture and varieties both of our Actings and Gods Providences in these times may clearly be resolved There was indeed at that time in the Land not only a party Faithful unto God and zealous for His Name but also a great Zeal of God from clear knowledge and sad experience generally and solemnly professed before God and all men in our Publick Acknowledgement Anno 1649 In consequence whereof the League and Covenant was also by the whole Kingdom renewed that same Year And in answer thereunto the Lord did mightily both save and defend us from all our Adversaries and as He soon subdued our Enemies at Stirling and turned His Hand against our Adversaries in the North and caused the haters of the Lord faign submission unto Him so for His own Glory the establishment of His People and the utter confusion of His Adversaries He did highly advance His blessed Work by the accession of all these Advantages with the Defect whereof it had been formerly calumniated The Advantages we here mention are besides that Publick Acknowledgement then made and in the deep sense thereof the League and Covenant solemnly again renewed and taken whereby our Engagements were not only doubled but strongly confirmed 1. These many necessary and righteous Lawes enacted in the then Parliaments both for the ratifying the later large Confession of faith and the larger and shorther Catechisms agreed unto by both Kingdoms and for the restraining and coercing of Impiety and Blasphemy the encouragement of the Ministry and for the promoving of Godliness Amongst which Acts that abolishing Patronages deserveth a more special and commendable remembrance Not only because of the many woful Effects Abuses of Patronage as it then was now is exercised whereby frequently Godly men and in some measure qualified for the Work of the Ministry were are unjustly restrained from labouring therein Many Congregations needlesly continued desolate without afixed Ministry Many Naughty men
after Worcester fight and from beyond Sea he did confirm by private letters to persons of unquestionable credit that he was and through the Grace of God would continue the same man that he had declared Himself to be in Scotland nor that it was the conscience of that clause of the Covenant relating to the maintenance of His Person and Authority which during the times of Usurpation did retain the sence and love of his Interest so fresh and deeply rooted in mens hearts Nor that the publick owning publishing and reprinting thereof by the then Parliament in England in March 1660. was the first Public Act that durst or did appear in his favours Nor lastly need we remember that Letter written and directed by the King after his return to the Presbytery of Edinburgh and this whole Church wherein he declares Himself resolued by the Grace of God to protect and preserve the Government of the Church of Scotland as it is setled by Law without violation Seing that though according to it 's then State and posture such a Solemn and Publick Assurance might have been reputed a perpetual Security yet the whole strain of the Letter is such as tendeth only to divide the whole Ministery and to abuse the greater part of them And particularly the altering and suppressing of that most fixed and certain ground of his Engagement even the Word of God and the Holy Covenant for that of Law which is but frail and moveable did even then discover to many that latent Dissimulation and Instability whereby others were either weakly or willingly deluded The thing we observe is that both King and Peoples Obligations were not then greater then the oportunity appeared to be most happy for the accomplishing of the Lord's Work the making of his Name Great One in all these Nations the Nations happy high above all Nations in Name in Praise the establishing of the King and his posterity upon the Throne in Glory prosperity that the owning of adhering unto the Solemn League and Covenant our Magna Charta of Religion and Righteousness had both in the perswasion of all sober men and even in the conviction of the greatest part of our Adversaries infallibly produced and effectuated all these blessings But Oh! how suddenly and strangely was this blessed appearance overclouded the expectation of all the Godly disappointed the joy and peace of all corrupted and marred and this Land reduced unto this present so woful desolation and sore distress which though the groans tears and the Blood of the Persecuted the cry of Violence and Oppression the Desolation and Profanation of Gods Sanctuary the reigning power of Darkness the Pride Rage and Blasphemy of Perjury and all Profanity which hath filled the Land and the dreadful Wrath of the most Holy and Great God which both burneth round about and hangeth over it do sufficiently make manifest yet for our greater upstirring to consider and lay to heart that all these evils are come upon us because our God is not amongst us and what the heat of this great Anger meaneth also for the clearing of the Innocency Testimony of the Lords sufferers we do shortly exhibite the violent course of this precipitant Defection The King being returned and re-established in May 1660. the Antichristian Spirit of Prelacy ever enemy to the Gospel and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus and the Holy Covenant whereby the same are promoted taking occasion from these many troubles and confusions which the opposition and false-heartedness of many in the same Covenant did principally provoke the Lord to inflict upon thir Lands and advantage from the proneness of mens Power to decline unto Tyranny and their corruptions to all licentiousness did first most falsely and atrociously slander the Covenant as the Bond of all Iniquity Rebellion and Confusion which prejudice being enforced which many apparent advantages that then did attend it did so suddenly and strongly spread and root it self in the hearts of our Nobles Rulers and the generality of the Land that without so much as seriously reflecting upon their former so Solemn Engagements Sacred Oaths Publick Professions Vigorous Actings and Appearances for the Cause and Covenant of the Lord with any consideration of Conscience Honesty or Honor which so great and sudden a mutation from their former wayes though they had been as wicked as in effect they are true and righteous did certainly call for in sober and earnest Repentance they with the concurrence of such vile Sycophants and treacherous persons in the Church and Ministry as the worldly wealth and Power of Prelacy had wickedly debauched set themselves in a most determined and resolute Fury whereinto all their former zeal for God is by the malice of Satan suddenly corrupted by the plain force of Power and colour of Authority whereunto they had now attained to deface and overturn the whole Work of God raze it's fundations annul His Covenants repeal all Acts made in their favors incapacitate and persecute all opposers and lastly to efface and dissolve all sense and bond of Conscience by which this fearful course of Apostacy might be in the least checked or controlled We shall not here premise any thing for clearing of the Unlawfulness of the succeeding Acts and Deeds whereby this Apostacy was carried on and for the loosing and freeing of us from all obligation of Obedience thereto or Complyance therewith Any who can but suppose that not only a whole Parliament but also all men are and have often been found liars and compare impartially the things present with the things that are past must necessarily conclude that all these Acts and Deeds of Defection were and are Gross Perjury and Wickedness and that so long as that maxim shal hold that we ought rather to obey God then Man they can never be binding either in Conscience or Reason Seing therefore that the only Rule of these Counter-actings and overturnings was to destroy that which the Lord had so gloriously planted and to loose that whereunto we were and are indissolubly obliged referring our selves to what is already said for vindicating the Lords Work and our Holy Covenants we proceed to lay forth the Sinfulness and Wofulness of this Defection as follows 1. In July 1660. by immediate clandestine warrants without any cause signifyed or citation given the Lord Marquess of Argile and some other Gentlemen who were conceaved to have been instrumental in the former Work of God and that they might be of influence for obstructing of the then designed overthrow thereof were attached and committed close Prisoners 2. In August 1660. the Committee of Estates appointed by the Parliament 1651. being again set down the very first day of their meeting do violently seise upon several faithful Ministers peaceably and quietly assembled together and imployed in the drawing up of a monitory Letter to the King in the most rational and dutiful manner and for the most important and necessary Ends of Gods
any other the like Instance which can be adduced or instructed from the parallel of any other Age or Nation Therefore it was altogether Lawful Righteous and Necessary Which answer though the Lords faithful Witnesses did sufficiently insinuat and propone yet both the Constitution of the Court and persons of the Judges before whom they were arraigned were such as the same was rather accounted an aggravation of their Crime and Treason But seeing this was not done without the specious pretexts not only of iniquous Laws but also of Religion and Scripture We shall briefly consider first that Queree often made to them where they had read or how they could instruct that under the Pretence of Religion it is lawful for Subjects to rise in Rebellion against lawfull Authority To which it is answered that this Queree is a clear begging of the question by expresly supposing that the late Rising was only in pretence for Religion but really in Rebellion which ought first to have been proved and is in effect an arrant calumny and falshood 2. That even the Queree it self seems to imply and grant that for Subjects to rise in Arms really for the defence of Religion against the invasions of the Powers under the pretence of Lawful Authority is both lawful and laudable Which being the true case and cause of this late Rising and so clearly warranted both by the Word and Covenant of God and the practise of all Reformed Churches we are content to refer these poor mens Innocency unto the Consciences and secret thoughts of their adversaries Secondly we shall consider these texts of Scripture which were pretended against the Innocents and 1. it was much urged that Rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft To which one of themselves did roundly and clearly answer that the place having been spoken by the Prophet to a King because of his disobedience and contempt of the command of God and not to Subjects would sooner conclude his Accusers then himself to be a Rebell Secondly it answered that Rising up against Authority it self the Ordinance of God and disobeying the Powers therewith vested standing and acting in their right line of Subordination is indeed Rebellion and as the sin of witchcraft but to resist and rise up against persons Abusing sacred Authority and rebelling against God the Supream is rather to adhere to God as our Liege Lord and to vindicate both our selves and his abused Ordinance from man's wickedness and Tyranny The second text objected was that Math. 26.52 where even our Lord himself when violently seised upon by wicked men but who were then in Authority did nevertheless restrain his disciples from his own defence and rescue saying unto Peter Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shal perish with the sword To which as it was sufficiently answered without any reply by one of these Impeached whom they accounted distracted though without the least appearance of impertinency who thereto did oppone Luke 22.36 Where our Lord speaking at the same time and to the same purpose saith he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one Yet for further clearing we say 1. That from the place it self in all the Evangelists it is most evident that that command was given and these words spoken by our Lord only for to testify his voluntar submission unto the Fathers will by laying down of his life for fulfilling of the Scripture as is clear from the same 26. of Matth. v. 54. Iohn 18.11 otherwise the context being considered that not only in Luke 22.36 cited He forewarning his disciples of hazards to come adviseth them to provide swords and weapons and in the 26 of Matt. asserts his power to have called 12 legions of Angels to his assistance which clearly implyes the lawfulness thereof this Scripture objected doth more confirm then impugn the Lawfulness of Defensive Arms. 2. Is it possible that men should be so much demented by flattery as to think that it was unlawful for Jesus Christ the Mighty God and Lord over all to have defended himself by the assistance of his Disciples against the horrid Wickedness and Insurrection of the vilest of His creatures had it not been that it was necessary that the Scriptures concerning him should be accomplished 3. Where our Lord saith in the place objected all they that take the sword shal perish with the sword as He thereby only condemneth Unjust and Offensive war so the Saying it self by its later part doth tacitely imply the Lawfulness and Justice of both Defensive and Vindictive Arms the same being otherwise justly founded Though these Texts were only objected yet to help our Adversaries who are known not to be much conversant in the Scripture and to obviate the scruples that may thence arise to others we subjoyn a third text Iohn 18.36 where our Lord saith if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iews whence some infer that all Arms even in Defence of Religion are unlawfull and prohibited But it is answered as the intent and scope of our Lord's answer was to clear himself of that calumny objected against Him by the Iews that he made Himself a King in opposition to Caesar so the meaning of it is plain and obvious to wit that our Lord's Kingdom is not of the Nature and for the Ends for which other Kingdoms of this world were instituted but wholly spiritual for declaring the Truth and thereby gaining souls unto glory Whence as our Lord would there infer that he came not to conquer to himself Disciples by outward force and thereby to gain followers by the spoiling of Caesar and other Princes so it is without all shaddow of connexion thence to conclude that a people having receaved the blessing of the Gospel and Kingdom of Iesus Christ should without Resistance suffer themselves to the manifest dishonor of God and the hazard of the eternal damnation of themselves and their posterity to be impiously and sacriledgiously spoiled and deprived thereof when they are in a capacity to defend the same The truth whereof together with the hypocrisy of our Adversaries may soon be discovered if the Question be but stated in the terms of one Forraign independent Prince's invading another meerly upon the account of the Christian Faith and whatever solution or evasion they shall herein make will as exactly quadrat to the case in hand it being almost ridiculous to conceave that the greatest aggravation of Invasions of this Kind to wit that it is made by a Prince upon his own Subjects whose Profession he himself is principally bound to maintain should import any speciality and difference in the cases The last text is that of Math. 5.39 and remanent verses to the end where our Lord saith resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee c. with the other parallel places specially Rev. 13.10 But it is answered that as these
people who though continually afflicted and persecuted in their bodies though their souls be exceedingly filled with the contempt of the proud yet have not nor dare not deny the Lord His Work nor His holy Covenant whom though the Lord hath caused to turn back from the enemy and given for a spoil to them that hate them yea given them as sheep for meat and made them a reproach a scorn and a derision yet have they nor forgotten the Lord nor dealt falsly in His Covenant O! that men would consider this Grace of God whereby as he conforteth and sustaineth his servants in all their afflictions so he warneth backsliders to return and all to flee from the wrath that is to come and to save themselves from this wicked generation Which Grace as it allayeth to the Faithful the smart so ought it to remove from all the scandal of our Lord's cross and is indeed that strength and presence of the Captain of our salvation who was made perfect by suffering with all His sufferers giving for the present joy and peace and afterwards assured victory Now seing it is the Lord who hath so visibly brought upon us these sore Trialls that such as are approved may be made manifest and so graciously delivereth them from the temptation thereof yea thereby refineth purifyeth and maketh many white that they may be more abundant Partakers both of His Holiness and of His Glory and also eminently beareth witness to the Truth Grace and Power of His great Work His holy Covenant and precious Ordinances and Ministry amongst us clearing them by His own Testimony of all these calumnies wherewith either through the invention of some men's malice or the occasion of other mens weakness and sin they were formerly aspersed we shall shut up this discourse with this one word of exhortation Great hath been the Sin of this Land in not believing and obeying the glorious Gospell in not receaving the Lord Jesus in our hearts and witnessing His Light and Grace and Glory in our lives and conversations but in resting on the outward forms and appearances of the true Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government without labouring after the power of Reformation and beauty of holiness the only grace and blessing of all these enjoyments and in perverting and mannaging the possession and profession of all these things unto selfish ends and worldly advantages O foolish people and unwise have we thus requited the Lord for all these mercies of His Gospell pure Ordinances and Holy Covenants to corrupt and deprave them from that great end of the Glory of His grace and mercy in our salvation unto the base designs of serving and satifying our own lusts to His dishonour And therefore is it that the Lord having often in his mercy corrected and warned us hath now at length given us over unto this horrid Apostacy and Defection whereby as the latent malice and hypocrisy of many and the great fainting and want of zeal in all have been manifestly discovered so the Lord is feeding the wicked with their own delusions and putting the zeal and constancy of all to the Test and in effect ripening this whole Land either for a glorious deliverance from that perverse spirit and generation of Antichrist that hath been long mingled in the midst of us and even from the dayes of our first Reformation hath retained and continued the old enmity against the Lord Jesus and His blessed Gospell and Kingdom or else for a totall and final overthrow in utter darkness and desolation And therefore O Scotland because the Lord loved thy Fathers and delighteth not in thy destruction hath He after all our fearful backsliding and sinful fainting and departing which testify against us neither left Himself nor us without a witness but raised up amongst us His own faithful Servants and our brethren with whom we are all equally and indissolubly engaged in the same righteous Cause and Covenant by the mighty power of His grace from the pure zeal of His Glory enabled them first to venture and then to lay down their lives for the Testimony of His Work and Covenant that we may yet at length consider and understand that these were no more the labour and devices of carnal designs then that corruption and weakness of flesh blood could triumph both over it self death hell the chief of terrors O! that men would therefore lay to heart their bonds Engagements unto the Lord repent of their backslidings and cease from their opposition to His Cause Covenant at least that such whom the Lord hath not abandoned unto that depth of Apostacy whereunto others have made defection would yet be wise instructed repent of their fainting Neutrality in the cause of God their connivance or complyance with the declared enemies thereof beware of that wicked Declaration against the Covenant or any other Oath and Subscription likely to be the snare and temptation of these times which either under the pretext of Peace and Order or of due Obedience unto lawful Authority may be wickedly invented and imposed really for the suppressing of Truth and advancing of this Rebellion against the most High God and the establishing of this Antichristian Prelatick Tyranny We have already fully detected the mask and design of such impostures He who hath given Authority and Power unto Kings and Princes and rendered the same Sacred by His holy Sanction and Command as he hath often punished their Ingratitude and Usurpation against His own Soveraignity so will He not hold that people guiltless who being both His Creatures and sworn Subjects either connive at or comply with such Rebellious Princes in their wickedness Shall both the Law of God and the very Propension of the heart and blood to the love and obedience of Parents cede to the obedience of Kings and Rulers for the good and preservation of the Common-wealth and shall not far more all Alleagiance obedience to the same Kings Rulers cede and give place to our Obedience to the Most High our only Soveraign Lord and the conscience of His holy Oath and Commandments for advancement of his glory the great and only end of all things Fix it therefore in your hearts first to love and fear the Lord our God and then to honour and obey the King and let the sincere and inward love of our Lord Jesus Christ the dear esteem of his precious Gospel and the remembrance of our most sacred and solemn Oaths and Covenants and of that beauty power and glory of His pure Ordinances Ministry and Government which we once enjoyed alwayes dwell in your hearts and ever determine and establish you to resist and disown all wicked Usurpations against the Lord and His Anointed all Invasions against His Crown and Prerogative all Corruptions and Humane Inventions in His pure Worship and Ordinances all perversion of the true Government and comely Order in His house and alâ— violations of these indispensible holy
mistaken nor was not fighting against a man of straw I was also desirous and did use some poor Endeavours to have the Church of God purged of Insufficient and Scandalous and Corrupt Ministers and Elders for these things I have been mistaken by some and hated by others But I bless the Lord as I had the testimony of my own Conscience so I was and am therein approven in the consciences of many of the Lord 's precious Servants and People and how little soever I may die Desired by some yet by these I know I do die Desired and their approbation and prayers and affection is of more value with me then the Contradiction or Reproach or Hatred of many others the love of the one I cannot Recompence and the mistake or hatred or reproach of the other I do with all my heart Forgive and wherein I have offended any of them do beg their mercy and forgiveness I do from my soul wish that my death may be profitable unto both that the one may be confirmed and established in the straight wayes of the Lord and that the other if the Lord so will may be convinced cease from these things that are not good do not Edify but Destroy One thing I would warn yow all of that God is wroth yea very wroth with Scotland and threatneth to depart and remove His candlestick The causes of his wrath are many and would to God it were not One great cause that Causes of Wrath are despised and rejected of men Consider the case that is recorded Ier. 36. and the consequence of it and tremble and fear I cannot but also say that there is a great addition and increase of wrath 1. By that deludge of Prophanity that overfloweth all the Land and hath reins loosed unto it every where in so far that many have lost not only all use and exercise of Religion but even of Morality and that common Civility that is to be found amongst the Heathen 2. By that horrible Treachery and Perjury that is in the matter of the Covenant and Cause of God and Work of Reformation Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Shall be break the Covenant and prosper Shal the throne of iniquity have fellowship with God which frameth mischief by a Law I fear the Lord be about to bring a Sword on these Lands which shall avenge the quarrell of His Covenant 3. Horrible Ingratitude The Lord after 10 years oppression bondage hath broken the yoke of Strangers from off our necks but what do we render unto Him for this goodness Most of the fruit of our delivery is to work wickedness and to strengthen our Selves to do evill 4. A most dreadful Idolatry and sacrificing to the Creature We have changed the glory of the Incorruptible God into the image of a corruptible Man in whom many have placed almost all their Salvation and desire and have turned that which might have been a Blessing unto us being kept in a due line of Subordination under God into an Idol of Jealousy by preferring it before him God is also wroth with a generation of Carnal Corrupt Time-serving Ministers I know and bear testimony that in the Church of Scotland there is a True and Faithful Ministry Blessed be God we have yet many who study their duty and desire to be found faithful to their Lord and Master And I pray you to Honor and Reverence and Esteem much of these for their Works sake And I pray them to be encouraged in their Lord and Master who is with them to make them as iron-pillars and brazen walls and as a strong defenced city in the faithful following of their duty But oh that there were not too many who mind Earthly things and are enemies to the cross of Jesus Christ who push with the side and shoulder who strengthen the hands of evill doers who make themselves transgressors by stustudying to build again what they did formerly warrantably destroy I mean PRELACY and the CEREMONIES and the SERVICE-BOOK a Mystery of iniquity that works amongst us whose steps lead unto the house of the great Whore BABYLON the Mother of fornications Or whosoever else he be that buildeth this Jericho again let him take heed of the curse of Hiel the Bethelite and of that flying roll thereatened Zech. 5. And let all Ministers take heed that they Watch and be Stedfast in the Faith and quit themselves like men and be strong and give faithful and seasonable Warning concerning Sin and Duty Many of the Lords People do sadly complain of the fainting and silence of many Watchmen And it concerneth them to consider what God calleth for at their hands in such a day Silence now in a Watchman when he is so much called to speak and give his Testimony upon the Peril of his life is doubtless a great Sin The Lord open the mouths of His Servants to speak his word with all boldness that Covenant-breaking may be discovered and reproved and that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may not be supplanted nor the souls of His People destroyed without a witness I have but a few words moe to adde All that are Profane amongst you I exhort them to Repentance for the day of the Lord's vengeance hasteneth and is near But there is yet a door of mercy open for you if ye will not despise the day of salvation All that are Maligners and Reproachers and Persecuters of Godliness and of such as live godly take heed what ye do it will be hard for you to kick against the Pricks You make your selves the Butt of the Lord's fury and his flaming indignation if ye do not cease from and repent of all your ungodly deeds All that are Neutral and Indifferent and Lukewarm Professors be zealous and repent lest the Lord spew you out of His mouth You that lament after the Lord and mourn for all the abominations that are done in this City and in the Land and take pleasure in the stones and dust of Ziâ—n cast not away your confidence but be comforted and encouraged in the Lord. He will yet appear to your joy God hath not cast away his People nor work in Brittain and Ireland I hope it shall once more Revive by the Power of His Spirit and take root downward and bear fruit upward There is yet a Holy Seed and precious Remnant whom God will preserve and bring forth but how Long or Dark our Night may be I do not know the Lord shorten it for the sake of his Chosen In the mean while be ye patient stedfast immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord in love one to another Beware of Snares which are strawed thick Cleave to the Covenant Work of Reformation Do not decline the
yoke of PRELACY which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear which is Destructive to all our true Interests Religious and Civill As ye would not involve your selves in the guilt and plagues of Perjury and Breach of Covenant And as you tender the good of your own Names Persons Estates Families and Liberties as well as of your immortal Souls And as ye would partake of the good of God's chosen and of our joyes when ye come so near Eternity as we are We shall say no more but as we were not afraid to take our lives in our hands so we are not afraid to lay them down in this Cause And as we are not ashamed of Christ because of His cross so we would not have you offended in Christ nor discouraged because of us For we bear you record that we would not exchange lots with our Adversaries nor redeem our Lives Liberties and Fortunes at the price of Perjury and breach of Covenant And further we are assured though this be the daâ— of Iacob's trouble that yet the Lord when He hath accomplished the Triall of His own and filled up the cup of His Adversaries He will awake for judgement plead His own Cause avenge the quarrel of His Covenant make inquiry for blood vindicate His People break the arm of the wicked and establish the just For to Him belongeth judgement and vengeance And though our eyes shall not see it yet we believe that the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing under His wings that He will revive His Work repair the breaches build the old wastes and raise up the desolations Yea the Lord will judge His people repent Himself for His servants when their power is gone and there is none shut up or left And therefore Rejoyce O ye Nations with His People For He will avenge the blood of His servants and will render vengeance to His adversaries and He will be merciful to His Land and People So let thy Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love Him be as the Sun when He goeth forth in His might Sic subscribitur Iohn MeCulloch of Barholm And. Arnot Iohn Gordon of Knockbrex Robert Gordon his Brother Iohn Ross Iohn Schields Iames Hamilton Iohn Parker in Bosby Christopher Strang. Gawin Hamilton Another Testimony which was also left by such of the Former ten Persons as were in the same Chamber with Thomas Paterson Merchant in Glasgow who being in like manner Indited but dying of his Wounds before Sentence did communicate the same to his friends with his Assent thereunto MEn and Brethren being condemned by our Rulers as Traitors lest we should seem to many to suffer as evill doers In the first place we bless and praise the Lord our God who hath made us the unworthiest of all men Worthy to be faithfull to Him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and in simplicity and godly Sincerity singly to mind his glory and who also maketh the cross of Christ though by men superscribed with Treason our sweet consolation and his own joy our strength 2. We declare in the presence of the same God before whom we are now ready to appear that we did not intend to Rebell against the King and his just Authority Whom as we acknowledg for our Lawful Soveraign so we do earnestly pray in his behalf that God would open his eyes and Convert his heart that he may remember his Vowes made unto God relieve this oppressed Kirk and long reign and flourish in righteousness 3. We declare that perceaving the Holy Covenants of our God broken the Work of the Lord overturned the Gospel and Kingdome of Jesus Christ despised and trampled upon his pure Ordinances corrupted his faithful and our soul-refreshing Ministers cast out and the Land filled with Perjury and Profanity and like to be hurried back to that gulf of Ignorance Superstition and Confusion whence the Lord did so gloriously deliver us And finding our selves not only Spoiled of our most precious blessings and most dear enjoyments but urged and compelled by cruel Violence and Barbarous Persecution to wicked Apostacy from our Holy Covenants and to Rebellion against our God And all this done by no other hand then the wicked and perjured Prelats And for no other ends whatever they may pretend then the satisfying of their own vile lusts and establishing their so often abjured Antichristian Tyranny over both Souls and Bodies of Men And lastly finding former Petitions condemned as Seditious and our private complaints when but muttered insolently rejected We did in the fear and Zeal of our God and by the warrant of his Holy Word according to the first and most Innocent instinct of pure Nature and the Practice of all People and Persons in the like case And after the Example of all the oppressed Kirks of Jesus Christ and of our Noble Ancestors take the Sword of Necessary Self-defence from the rage and fury of these wicked violent Men until we might make our heavy Grievances known to his Majesty and obtain from his Justice a satisfying remedy We will not now mention our particular Sufferings nor the sighes and groans of poor wasted Galloway which though very heavy from the hand of man are all to light for Jesus Christ Nor are we willing to reflect upon these grievous and bitter Lawes and Edicts by which they seem to be warranted Only we know that God is Righteous whose Lawes and judgments are Superior and above all the Lawes and Actions of men And to him who will judge righteously We intirly Commit our Cause which is none other then the Reviving of the Work of God and Renewing of his Covenant Which though it pleased the Holy and Wise God not to favour with Success in the field and though by men it be made our Condemnation yet it is our Righteousness Innocency and Confidence in his sight And all praise and thanks be unto our God who not only kept us stedfast in his Covenant and made us Willing and Ready to adventure our Lives for His Name but hath also accepted and dignifyed our Offer with this publick Appearance Where in his own glorious presence before whom we shall instantly appear and before our often Sworn and once Zealous and tender Brethren in the same Cause and in midst of Thee O Edinburgh once famous for the Glory and Zeal of God and of this Covenant we may give and Seal this our Testimony with our blood We therefore the unworthiest of all the Faithful do in the Spirit of God and Glory Testify and Seal with our Blood and Lives that both the National Covenant and Solemne League and Covenant are in Themselves Holy Just and True and perpetually Binding containing no other thing then our Indispensable Obligations to all Duties of Religion and Righteousness according to the revealed Will of God which no Authority nor Power of Man is or ever shall be able to disannul And that our blessed Reformations both from Popery
gone before me left behind them concerning our common Cause to leave a word in writ for satisfaction of them who survive me That for preservation defence of the true Religion of this Church and for the relief of my poor brethren afflicted persecuted therefore I joyned with others in Armes that I renewed the Covenant that all men might the better know my Cause and Principles I am so far from denying or being ashamed of that I both acknowledge and avow it as my duty But let no man that will not condemn himself upon the same common obligations to do what I did account me a Rebell therefore because with the same breath that I did swear and with that same hand that I did subscribe to preserve and defend Religion I did also swear to defend the King and his Authority Our Church was not more glorious in her self terrible to her Adversaries while we enjoyed pure Ordinances of Word and Sacraments and her beautiful Assemblies for Government and Discipline of the Lords own Institution then she became of late deformed by the Usurpation and Tyranny of Prelacy And I do solemnly declare as a dying man who dare not dissemble that as I thought and still averre that the erecting of this abjured Prelacy is the cause of much of the Sin in the Land and of all the sufferings of the Lords People therein so I had no worse design then the restoring of the Work of Reformation according to the Covenant and more particularly the extirpation of Prelacy to which his Ma and all the Subjects are as much obliged as I. And let that be removed and the Work of Reformation restored and I darâ— die in saying that his Ma shall not have in all his Dominions more loving loyall peaceable and faithfull Subjects then these who for their non-complyance are loaded with the reproaches of Phanaticisme and Rebellion The sufferings and insupportable oppression of these that could not because of the Command and Oath of God acknowledge comply with Prelacy may seem light to some in whom the spirit of the old enmity that is betwixt the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent remaineth and to others perhaps their Friends who look thereupon at adistance but as there is just reason to think that if these rigid oppressions had been made known to his Ma his justice and clemency would have provided a remedy and as the half thereof would have made the Prelats their patrons and adherents impatiently mad for as loyal as they pretend to be So in the like cases of irresistible necessity when there is little open door for representing of grievances and desires and less hope of relief thereby I suppose it will not be found condemned by the Confessions of Reformed Churches or doctrine of sound Divines but that it is authorized by the light and law of Nature by uncondemned examples in the Holy Scripture and by the practice of all Christian States by Armes to preserve and defend men Lives their Religion Liberties and Fortunes And especially where they are not seeking to acquire a new Religion or new Liberties but only to preserve their old or recover them when they are violently unjustly spoiled of the same as in our case Otherwise we should sin against the generation of the just and condemn as rebellious the most of the through Reformations of the Reformed Churches abroad and of our own at home If this course was lawfull and if it was our duty to joyn therein as I believe and lay down my life in the perswasion that it was and if all the Kingdom was as they are bound by Covenant to assist and defend one another in the â—ommon Cause of Religion and Liberty whatever may be said of these that came not forth to help the Lord against the mighty it cannot but be their dreadful sin who joyned themselves in Armes or took Oaths to oppose suppress and break it seing they have sided themselves against the Lord and his Work and their carriage is a much higher degree of Accession to the blood that is shed then Paul's keeping of the clothes of them that stoned Stephen to death And I wish that they may lay the matter to heart and repent of it that God may forgive them as I forgive all men and particularly Morâ—on who did apprehend me I know that there is a holy seed in the Land who shall be the substance thereof and I pray that the Lord may make them more zealous and valiant for the truth upon earth I know also that there are many whose bowells of compassion have been drawn forth toward these who took their lives in their hands by Prayers to God for them and Charity to them and especially in Edinburgh toward the poor Prisoners of whom I may not only say that what they have done deserveth to be told for a Memorial wherever the Gospel is preached but am assuredly confident that besides the blessings of the poor and persecuted the Lord is not unrighteous to forget their work and labor of love which they have shewed towards his Name in that they have ministred to the Saints do minister And yet I must needs regret that so many in this City once famous and honoured for harmonious owning of the Cause and Covenant of God and blessed above many other Cities with solemn Assemblies for Worship and Government should have been ensnared into an Oath so contradictory to the Oath of the Covenant which was devised contrived and imposed in lieu of the Declaration against the same and for a Grave-stone to suppress the revival of the Work of God within this Land The Apostacy of this Land is very great by Perjury and breach of Covenant and so much the worse and more aggreageble that it is Authorized and very universal And as I cannot but regret that so many are insnared therein so I must needs warne all to abhorre and beware of all Declarations and Oaths contradictory to the Covenant and renunciatory thereof as they would not involve themselves in the guilt and plagues denounced against and ordinarily inflicted upon Perjury and breach of Covenant and so much the rather because this is like to be the Shibboleth and triall of the times As for my self I have seen and do find so much worth in Truth which is to be bought at any rate but sold at none And so much transcendent excellency and amiableness in Christ that not only with cheerfulness confidence I lay down my life for Him and His Truth committing my soul to Him to be kept in hope of a joyfull Resurrection of the body but also bless Him that gave me a life to lose and a body to lay down for Him And although the Merket and price of Truth may appear to many very high yet I reckon it low and all that I have or can do little and too little for Him who gave Himself for me and to me for I account