and withstanding the same they have thought fit That all who are true hearted and lovers of their Countrey should binde themselves each to other in a sacred Vow and Covenant in manner and form as followeth and accordingly I A. B. in humility and reverence of the Divine Majesty declare my hearty sorrow for my own sins and the sins of this Nation which have deserved the Calamities and Iudgements that now lie upon it And my true intention is by Gods grace to endeavor the amendment of my own wayes And that I do abhor and detest the said wicked and treacherous Design lately discovered And that I never gave nor will give my assent to the execution thereof but will according to my power and Vocation oppose and resist the same and all other of the like nature And in case any other like Design shall hereafter come to my knowledge I will make such timely discovery as I shall conceive may best conduce to the preventing thereof And whereas I do in my conscience beleeve That the Forces Raised by the two Houses of Parliament are raised and continued for their just Defence and for the Defence of the true Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subject against the Forces raised by the King I do here in the presence of Almighty God Declare Vow and Covenant That I will according to my power and vocation assist the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by the King without their consent and will likewise assist all other persons that shall take this Oath in what they shall do in pursuance thereof And will not directly or indirectly adhere unto nor shall willingly assist the Forces raised by the King without the consent of both Houses of Parliament And this Vow and Covenant I make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as I shall answer at the great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed COme let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten Iere. 50. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Prov. 25. 5. And all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest round about 2 Chron. 15. 15. The excellent Usefulnesse of this COVENANT VNion with God Conformity to God and Vnity of the three Kingdoms are things most desireable In the first we are happy In the second holy In the third is strength peace and safety These are the kindly fruits of this Covenant and a Covenant that brings forth these how gladly should it be embraced and how willingly received They are lovely Bands that binde us to be happy holy and safe The heart of man is backsliding and a Covenant is like a hedge or wall to stop us from going back it being a good and ready answer to a tempter or tentation How shall I do this and break my Covenant Surely we have been too loose toward God having almost lost a Religion too loose in our lives and too dis-united among our selves and well it may be thought that a main end of this Rod which now lyes upon us is to beat us into this Covenant that thereby we may be knit faster to God to holinesse and each to other by this Band of Vnity Yet the taking is not the chief part of a Covenant but the keeping The benefits of a Covenant are then sure and stedfast to us when we are stedfast in the Covenant Now a main cause of unstedfastnesse in the Covenant is forgetfulnesse of it To prevent this the Covenant is presented in this form that being set up before us it may be daily seen and by seeing remembred and by remembring performed And withall let us remember this that all the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant But because no man is strong in his own strength let us seek strength of Him who is both our strength and our Redeemer that by Him we may be enabled to keep our Covenant with him that so he may delight to dwell with us to be called our God and to call us his people upon which happy condition attend Peace Prosperity and all blessings of Heaven and Earth temporall and eternall VVEE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland 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 publique Liherty 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 and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present publike Testimonies we have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves 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 Solemne 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 I. THat we shall sincerely really constantly through the Grace of God indeavor in our severall places callings the preservation of the reformed religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest Conjunction and Vniformity 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 II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Arch
ENGLAND AND SCOTLANDS COVENANT With their GOD VIZ. In The Protestation The Vow and Covenant The Solemn League and Covenant and an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament for the taking the same together with an Exhortation made by the Assembly of DIVINES An Ordinance for the better Observation of the Lords-Day An Ordinance together with an Order for the strict keeping the Monthly fast ORdered by the Commons in Parliament That these Covenants and Ordinances be forthwith printed and published Printed for Edw. Husband Printer to the Honorable House of Commons 1645. Die Mercurii 5. Maii 1641. IT is this day Ordered by the House of Commons now Assembled in Parliament That the Preamble together with the Protestation which the Members of this House made the third day of May shall be forthwith Printed and the Copies Printed brought to the Clerk of the said House to attest under his hand to the end that the Knights Citizens and Butgesses may send them down to the Sheriffs and Iustices of Peace of the severall Shires and to the Citizens and Burgesses of the severall Cities Boroughs and Cinque Ports respectively And the Knights Citizens and Burgesses are to intimate unto the Shires Cities Boroughs and Cinque Ports with that willingnesse all the Members of this House made this Protestation And further to signifie that as they justifie the taking of it in themselves so they cannot but approve it in all such as shall take it VVE the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament finding to the great grief of our hearts that the Designes of the Priests and Iesuites and other adherents to the See of Rome have of late been more boldly and frequently put in practice then formerly to the undermining and danger of the ruine of the true Reformed Protestant Religion in His Majesties Dominions established And finding also that there have been and having just cause to suspect that there still are even during the sitting in Parliament endeavours to subvert the Fundamentall Laws of England and Ireland and to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and Tyrannicall Government by most pernicious and wicked Counsels Practices Plots and Conspiracies And that the long intermission and unhappy breach of Parliaments hath occasioned many Illegall Taxations whereupon the Subject hath been prosecuted and grieved And that divers Innovations and Superstitions have been brought into the Church multitudes driven out of His Majesties Dominions jealousies raised and somented betwixt the King and His People a Popish Army levied in Ireland and two Armies brought into the bowels of this Kingdom to the hazard of His Majesties Royall Person the consumption of the Revenues of the Crown Treasure of this Kingdom And lastly finding great cause of jealousie that endeavours have been and are used to bring the English Army into a misunderstanding of this Parliament thereby to incline that Army with force to bring to passe those wicked councels Have therefore thought good to joyn themselves in a Declaration of our united Affections and Resolutions and to make this ensuing Protestation I A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God Promise Vow and Protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine and according to the duty of my Alleagiance His Majesties Royall person Honour and Estate as also the Power and Priviledges of Parliament The lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by Force Practise Councels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further That I shall in all just and Honorable wayes endeavour to preserve the Vnion and Peace between the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope fear nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation VVHereas some doubts have been raised by severall persons out of this House concerning the meaning of these words contained in the Protestation lately made by the Members of this House Viz. The true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine This House doth Declare That by those words was and is meant onely the publike Doctrine professed in the said Church so far as it is opposite to Popery and Popish Innovations And that the said words are not to be extended to the maintaining of any Form of Worship Discipline or Government nor of any Rites or Ceremonies of the said Church of England Die Veneris 30. Iulii 1641. Resolved upon the Question THat this House doth conceive that the Protestation made by them is fit to be taken by every person that is well-affected in Religion and to the good of the Common wealth And therefore doth declare That what person soever shall not take the Protestation is unfit to bear Office in the Church or Common-wealth The Vow and Covenant appointed by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament to be taken by every Man in the Cities of London Westminster the Suburbs and Liberties thereof and throughout the whole Kingdom VVHereas the Lords and Commons now astembled in Parliament have declared That there hath been and now is a Popish and Traiterous Plot for the subversion of the true Protestant Reformed Religion and the Liberty of the Subject and that in pursuance thereof a Popish Army hath been raised and now is on foot in divers parts of this Kingdom And have further in a solemn manner Declared Vowed and Covenanted That in order to the security and preservation of the true Protestant Religion and Liberty of the Subject they will not consent to the laying down of Arms so long as the Papists now in open War against the Parliament shall by force of Arms be protected from the Justice thereof And whereas the Lords and Commons have Declared That there hath been a treacherous and horrid Design lately discovered by the great blessing and speciall Providence of God of divers persons to joyn themselves with the Armies raised by the King and to destroy the Forces raised by the Lords and Commons in Parliament to surprise the Cities of London and Westminster with the Suburbs and by Arms to force the Parliament And the said Lords and Commons finding by constant experience that many wayes of force and treachery are continually attempted to bring to utter ruine and destruction the Parliament and Kingdom and that which is dearest the true Protestant Religion And that for the preventing
the more to let in all these calamities upon the Kingdom and cast upon it a necessity of renewing Covenant and of entring into this If it be said the extirpation of Prelacy to wit the whole Hierarchicall Government standing as yet by the known Laws of the Kingdom is new and unwarrantable This will appear to all impartiall understandings though new to be not onely warrantable but necessary if they consider to omit what some say that this Government was never formally Established by any Laws of this Kingdom at all that the very life and soul thereof is already taken from it by an Act passed this present Parliament so as like Jezabels Carcasse of which no more was left but the skull the feet and the palms of her hands nothing of jurisdiction remains but what is precarious in them and voluntary in those who submit unto them that their whole Government is at best but a humane constition and such as is found and adjudged by both Houses of Parliament in which the judgement of the whole Kingdome is involved and declared not onely very prejudiciall to the Civill State but a great hinderance also to the perfect Reformation of Religion Yea who knoweth it not to be too much an enemy thereunto and destructive to the power of Godlinesse and pure administration of the Ordinances of Christ which moved the well-affected almost throughout this Kingdom long since to Petition this Parliament as hath been desired before even in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and of King James for a totall abolition of the same Nor is any man hereby bound to offer any violence to their persons but onely in his place and calling to end eavour their extirpation in a lawfull way And as for those Clergy-men who pretend that they above all other cannot Covenant to extirpate that Government because they have as they say taken a solemn Oath to obey the Bishops in licitis honestis They can tell if they please that they that have sworn obedience to the Laws of the Land are not thereby prohibited from indeavouring by all Lawfull means the abolition of those Laws when they prove inconvenient or mischievous And if yet there should any Oath be found into which any Ministers or others have entred not warranted by the Laws of God and the Land in this case they must teach themselves and others that such Oaths call for repentance not pertinacy in them If it be pleaded that this Covenant crosseth the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance there can be nothing further from truth for this Covenant bindes all and more strongly engageth them to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms That scruple that this is done without the Kings consent will soon be removed if it be remembred that the Protestation of the fifth of May before mentioned was in the same manner voted and executed by both Houses and after by order of one House alone sent abroad to all the Kingdom His Majesty not excepting against it or giving any stop to the taking of it albeit he was then Resident in Person at White-hall Thus Ezra and Nehemiah drew all the people into a Covenant without any speciall Commission from the Persian Monarchs then their Soveraigns so to do albeit they were not free Subjects but Vassals and one of them the meniall Servant of Artaxerxes then by Conquest King of Judah also Nor hath this doctrine or practise been deemed seditious or warrantable by the Princes that have sate upon the English Throne but justified and defended by Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory with the expence of much Treasure and Noble blood in the united Provinces of the Netherlands combined not onely without but against the unjust violence of Philip of Spain King James followed her steps so far as to approve their union and to enter into League with them as free States which is continued by His Majesty now reigning unto this day who both by his expedition for relief of Rochell in France and his strict confederacy with the Prince of Orange and the States Generall notwithstanding all the importunity of Spain to the contrary hath set to his Seal that all that had been done by His Royall Ancestors in maintenance of those who had so engaged and combined themselves was just and warrantable And what had become of the Religion Laws and Liberties of our Sister Nation of Scotland had they not entred into such a solemn League and Covenant at the beginning of the late troubles there which course however it was at first by the Popish and Prelatick Projectors represented to His Majesty as an offence of the highest nature justly deserving chastisement by the fury of a puissant Army yet when the matter came afterwards in cool blood to be debated first by Commissioners of both Kingdoms and then in open Parliament here when all those of either House who are now engaged at Oxford were present in Parliament and gave their Votes therein it was found adjudged and declared by the King in Parliament That our dear Brethren of Scotland had done nothing but what became Loyall and obedient Subjects and were thereupon by Act of Parliament publikely righted in all the Churches of this Kingdom where they had been defamed Therefore however some men hoodwinkt and blinded by the Artifices of those Iesuiticall Engineers who have long conspired to sacrifice our Religion to the Idolatry of Rome our Laws Liberties and persons to Arbitrary stavery and our Estates to their insatiable Avarice may possibly be deterred and amused with high Threats and Declarations flying up and down on the wings of the Royall Name and Countenance now captivated and prostituted to serve all their lusts to Proclaim all Rebels and Traytors who take this Covenant yet let no faithfull English heart be afraid to joyn with our Brethren of all the three Kingdoms in this Solemn League as sometimes the men of Israel although under another King did with the men of Judah at the invitation of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30. What though those tongues set on fire by Hell do rail and threaten That God who was pleased to clear up the innocency of Mordecai and the Iews against all the malicious aspersions of wicked Haman to his and their Soveraign so as all his plotting produced but this effect That when the Kings commandment and decree drew neer to be put in execution and the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them it was turned to the contrary and the Jews had rule over them that hated them and laid hands on such as sought their hurt so as no man could withstand them Esth 9. and that same God who but even as yesterday vouchsafed to disperse and scatter those dark clouds and fogs which overshadowed that Loyall and Religious Kingdom of Scotland and to make their righteousnesse to shine as clear as the Sun at noon day in the very eyes