of such double dealing with God and his Kirk, Protest, and call THE
SEARCHER OF ALL HEARTS for witnesse, that our minds and hearts do fully
agree with this our _Confession, Promise, Oath, and Subscription_,
so that we are not moved for any worldly respect, but are perswaded
onely in our Consciences, through the knowledge and love of God’s true
Religion, printed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we shall answer
to Him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed;
and because we perceive, that the quietnesse and stability of our
Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour
of the King’s Majestie, as upon a comfortable instrument of God’s
mercy granted to this Country, for the maintaining of his Kirk, and
ministration of Justice amongst us; we protest and promise with our
hearts, under the same Oath, Hand-writ, and paines, that we shall
defend his Person and Authority with our goods, bodies, and lives,
in the defence of Christ his Evangel, Liberties of our Countrey,
ministration of Justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all
enemies within this Realme or without, as we desire our God to be
a strong and mercifull Defender to us in the day of our death, and
comming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; to whom, with the Father, and the
Holy Spirit, be all honour and glorie eternally.
“Like as many Acts of Parlament, not onely in generall doe abrogate,
annull, and rescind all Lawes, Statutes, Acts, Constitutions, Canons,
civill or Municipall, with all other Ordinances, and practicke
penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice of the true Religion, and
Professours thereof; or of the true Kirk discipline, jurisdiction, and
freedome thereof; or in favours of Idolatrie and Superstition, or of
the Papisticall Kirk: As Act 3, Act 31, Parl. 1, Act 23, Parl. 11, Act
114, Parl. 12. of King James the Sixt. That Papistrie and Superstition
may be utterly suppressed, according to the intention of the Acts of
Parlament, reported in Act 5, Parl. 20, K. James 6. And, to that end,
they ordaine all Papists and Priests to be punished by manifold Civill
and Ecclesiasticall paines, as adversaries to God’s true Religion,
preached and by law established within this Realme, Act 24, Parl. 11,
K. James 6, as common enemies to all Christian government, Act 18,
Parl. 16, K. James 6, as rebellers and gainstanders of our Soveraigne
Lord’s authoritie, Act 47, Parl. 3, K. James 6, and as Idolaters, Act
104, Parl. 7, K. James 6; but also in particular, (by and attour the
Confession of Faith,) do abolish and condemne the Pope’s authoritie and
jurisdiction out of this land, and ordaines the maintainers thereof to
be punished, Act 2, Parl. 1, Act 51, Parl. 3, Act 106, Parl. 7, Act
114, Parl. 12, K. James 6, doe condemne the Pope’s erroneous doctrine,
or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to any of the Articles of the
true and Christian Religion, publikely preached, and by Law established
in this Realme; and ordaines the spreaders and makers of Books or
Libels, or Letters, or writs of that nature, to be punished, Act 46,
Parl. 3, Act 106, Parl. 7, Act 24, Parl. 11, K. James 6, doe condemne
all Baptisme conform to the Pope’s kirk, and the idolatry of the Masse;
and ordaines all sayers, wilfull hearers, and concealers of the Masse,
the maintainers and resetters of the Priests, Jesuits, traffiquing
Papists, to be punished without any exception or restriction, Act 5,
Parl. 1, Act 120, Parl. 12, Act 164, Parl. 13, Act 193, Parl. 14, Act
1, Parl. 19, Act 5, Parl. 20, K. James 6, doe condemne all erroneous
books and writs containing erroneous doctrine against the Religion
presently professed, or containing superstitious Rites and Ceremonies
Papisticall, whereby the people are greatly abused, and ordaines the
home-bringers of them to be punished, Act 25, Parl. 11, K. James 6,
doe condemne the monuments and dregs of bygane Idolatrie, as going
to Crosses, observing the Festivall dayes of Saincts, and such other
superstitious and Papisticall Rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt
of true Religion, and fostering of great errour among the people, and
ordaines the users of them to be punished for the second fault, as
Idolaters, Act 104, Parl. 7, K. James 6.
“Like as many Acts of Parlament are conceived for maintenance of God’s
true and Christian Religion, and the puritie thereof in Doctrine
and Sacraments of the true Church of God, the libertie and freedome
thereof, in her Nationall Synodall Assemblies, Presbyteries, Sessions,
Policie, Discipline, and Jurisdiction thereof, as that puritie of
Religion, and libertie of the Church was used, professed, exercised,
preached, and confessed, according to the reformation of Religion in
this realme: As, for instance, Act 99, Parl. 7, Act 23, Parl. 11, Act
114, Parl. 12, Act 160, Parl. 13, K. James 6, ratified by Act 4, K.
Charles. So that Act 6, Parl. 1, and Act 68, Parl 6 of K. James 6, in
the yeare of God 1579, declares the Ministers of the blessed Evangel,
whom God, of his mercie, had raised up, or hereafter should raise,
agreeing with them that then lived in Doctrine and administration
of the Sacraments, and the people that professed Christ, as he was
then offered in the Evangel, and doth communicate with the holy
Sacraments, (as in the Reformed kirkes of this Realme they were
presently administrate,) according to the Confession of Faith, to
be the true and holy kirk of Christ Jesus within this Realme, and
discernes and declares all and sundrie, who either gainsayes the Word
of the Evangel, received and approved as the heads of the Confession
of Faith, professed in Parlament in the yeare of God 1560; specified
also in the first Parlament of K. James 6, and ratified in this
present Parlament, more particularly do specifie; or that refuses the
administration of the holy Sacraments, as they were then ministrated,
to be no members of the said kirk within this Realme, and true Religion
presently professed, so long as they keepe themselves so divided from
the societie of Christ’s bodie: And the subsequent Act 69, Parl. 6,
K. James 6, declares, That there is no other face of Kirke, nor other
face of Religion, then was presently at that time, by the favour of
God, established within this Realme, which, therefore, is ever stiled
God’s true Religion, Christ’s true Religion, the true and Christian
Religion, and a perfect Religion. Which, by manifold Acts of Parlament,
all within this Realme, are bound to professe to subscribe the articles
thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant all doctrine and errours
repugnant to any of the said Articles, Act 4 and 9, Parl. 1, Act 45,
46, 47, Parl. 3, Act 71, Parl. 6, Act. 106, Parl. 7, Act 24, Parl.
11, Act 123, Parl. 12, Act 194 and 197, Parl. 14, of K. James 6. And
all Magistrates, Sheriffes, &c., on the one part, are ordained to
search, apprehend, and punish all contraveeners; for instance, Act 5,
Parl. 1, Act 104, Parl. 7, Act 25, Parl. 11, K. James 6. And that,
notwithstanding of the King’s Majestie’s licences on the contrary,
which are discharged and declared to be of no force, in so farre as
they tend in any wayes to the prejudice and hinder of the execution of
the Acts of Parlament against Papists and adversaries of true Religion,
Act 106, parl. 7, K. James 6; on the other part, in the 47 Act, Parl.
3, K. James 6, it is declared and ordained, seeing the cause of God’s
true Religion and his Highnesse Authority are so joyned, as the hurt
of the one is common to both; and that none shall be reputed as loyall
and faithfull subjects to our Sovereigns Lord, or his Authority; but
be punishable as rebellers and gainstanders of the same, who shall
not give their Confession, and make their profession of the said true
Religion; and that they who, after defection, shall give the Confession
of their faith of new, they shall promise to continue therein in time
comming, to maintaine our Soveraigne Lord’s Authoritie, and at the
uttermost of their power to fortifie, assist, and maintaine the true
Preachers and Professours of Christ’s Religion, against whatsoever
enemies and gainstanders of the same: and, namely, against all such
of whatsoever nation, estate, or degree they be of, that have joyned
and bound themselves, or have assisted, or assists, to set forward and
execute the cruell decrees of Trent, contrary to the Preachers and
true Professours of the Word of God, which is repeated word by word
in the Articles of Pacification at Pearth, the 23d of February 1572,
approved by Parlament the last of Aprill 1573, ratified in Parlament
1578, and related, Act 123, Parl. 12 of K. James 6, with this addition,
That they are bound to resist all treasonable uproares and hostilities
raised against the true Religion, the King’s Majestie, and the true
Professours.
“Like as all lieges are bound to maintain the K. Majestie’s Royal
Person and authority, the authority of Parlaments, without the which
neither any laws or lawful judicatories can be established, Act 130,
Act 131, Par. 8, K. Ja. 6, and the subjects’ liberties, who ought
only to live and be governed by the King’s lawes, the common lawes
of this Realme allanerly, Act 48, Parl. 3, K. James 1, Act 79, Parl.
6, K. James 4, repeated in Act 131, Parl. 8, K. James 6; which, if
they be innovated or prejudged, the Commission anent the union of the
two Kingdomes of Scotland and England, which is the sole Act of the
17 Parl. of K. James 6, declares such confusion would ensue, as this
Realme could be no more a free Monarchie, because by the fundamentall
lawes, ancient priviledges, offices, and liberties of this kingdome,
not onely the Princely authoritie of his Majestie’s royal discent
hath bin these manie ages maintained, but also the people’s securitie
of their lands, livings, rights, offices, liberties and dignities
preserved; and, therefore, for the preservation of the said true
Religion, Lawes, and Liberties of this kingdome, it is statute by Act
6, Parl. 1, repeated in Act 99, Parl. 7, ratified in Act 23, Parl. 11,
and 114 Act of K. James 6, and 4 Act of K. Charles, That all Kings and
Princes at their Coronation and reception of their princely authoritie,
shall make their faithfull promise by their solemn oath in the presence
of the eternall God, that enduring the whole time of their lives, they
shall serve the same eternall God, to the uttermost of their power,
according as he hath required in his most holy Word, contained in the
Old and New Testaments. And according to the same Word, shall maintain
the true Religion of Christ Jesus, the preaching of his holy Word,
the due and right ministration of the Sacraments, now received and
preached within this Realme, (according to the Confession of Faith
immediately preceding,) and shall abolish and gainstand all false
Religion, contrarie to the same, and shall rule the people committed
to their charge, according to the will and command of God, revealed in
his foresaid Word, and according to the lowable lawes and constitutions
received in this Realme, no waies repugnant to the said will of the
eternall God, and shall procure, to the uttermost of their power, to
the kirk of God, and whole Christian people, true and perfit peace in
all time comming; and that they shall be carefull to root out of their
Empire all Hereticks, and enemies to the true worship of God, who shall
be convicted by the true kirk of God of the foresaid crimes; which was
also observed by his Majesty at his Coronation in Edinburgh 1633, as
may be seene in the order of the Coronation.
“In obedience to the commandement of God, conform to the practice of
the godly in former times, and according to the laudable example of
our worthy and religious Progenitors, and of many yet living amongst
us, which was warranted also by Act of Councell, commanding a generall
Band to bee made and subscribed by his Majestie’s subjects of all
ranks, for two causes: One was, for defending the true Religion, as
it was then reformed, and is expressed in the Confession of Faith
above written, and a former large Confession established by sundrie
Acts of lawfull Generall Assemblies and of Parlament, unto which it
hath relation set downe in publicke Cathechismes, and which had beene
for many yeeres, with a blessing from heaven, preached and professed
in this Kirk and Kingdome, as God’s undoubted truth, grounded onely
upon his written Word: The other cause was, for maintaining the King’s
Majestie his Person and Estate; the true worship of God, and the
King’s authoritie being so straightly joyned, as that they had the
same friends and common enemies, and did stand and fall together. And,
finally, being convinced in our minds, and confessing with our mouthes,
that the present and succeeding generations in this Land, are bound
to keep the foresaid nationall Oath and subscription inviolable, Wee
Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons under
subscribing, considering divers times before, and especially at this
time, the danger of the true reformed Religion, of the King’s honour,
and of the publicke peace of the Kingdome, by the manifold innovations
and evils generally contained and particularly mentioned in our late
supplications, complaints, and protestations, doe hereby professe,
and, before God, his Angels, and the World, solemnely declare, That,
with our whole hearts wee agree and resolve all the daies 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
publick Government of the Kirk, or civill places and power of Kirkmen,
till they bee tryed and allowed in free Assemblies, and in Parlaments,
to labour by all means lawfull to recover the purity and libertie of
the Gospel, as it was established and professed before the foresaid
novations: And because, after due examination, we plainly perceive, and
undoubtedly beleeve, 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 Parlament, and doe 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 bee interpreted, and ought to be understood of the
foresaid novations and evils, no lesse then if everie one of them
had beene expressed in the foresaid Confessions; and that wee are
obliged to detest and abhorre them, amongst other particular heads
of Papistrie abjured therein. And, therefore, from the knowledge and
conscience of our dutie to God, to our King and countrey, without
any worldly respect or inducement, so farre as humane infirmitie
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 contrarie 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 wee have no intention nor desire to attempt anything that
may turne to the dishonour of God, or to the diminution of the King’s
Greatnesse and authoritie: But, on the contrarie, wee promise and
sweare, that wee shall, to the uttermost of our power, with our meanes
and lives, stand to the defence of our dread Sovereign, the King’s
Majestie, his person and authoritie, in the defence and preservation
of the foresaid true Religion, Liberties, and Lawes of the Kingdome:
As, also, to the mutuall defence and assistance, everie one of us of
another in the same cause of maintaining the true Religion, and his
Majestie’s authoritie, with our best counsell, 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 generall, and to everie one of us in
particular. And that wee shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer
ourselves to be divided or withdrawn by whatsoever suggesttion,
combination, allurement, or terrour, from this blessed and loyall
conjunction, nor shall cast in any let or impediment that that may
stay or hinder any such resolution, as by common consent shall be
found to conduce for so good ends. But, on the contrarie, shall, by
all lawfull meanes, labour to further and promove the same; and if any
such, dangerous and divisive motion be made to us by word or writ,
wee, and everie one of us, shall either suppresse it, or, if need
be, shall incontinent make the same known, that it may bee timeously
obviated; neither do we feare the foule aspersions of rebellion,
combination, or what else our adversaries, from their craft and malice
would put upon us, seeing what we do is so well warranted, and ariseth
from an unfained desire to maintaine the true worship of God, the
majestie of our King, and the peace of the Kingdome, for the common
happinesse of ourselves and posteritie. And because we cannot look for
a blessing from God upon our proceedings, except with our profession
and subscription we joyne such a life and conversation, as beseemeth
Christians, who have renewed their Covenant with God; Wee therefore
faithfully promise, for ourselves, our followers, and all others
under us, both in publicke, in our particular families and personall
carriage, to endevour to keep ourselves within the bounds of Christian
libertie, and to be good examples to others of all Godlinesse,
Sobernesse, and Righteousness, and of everie dutie we owe to God and
Man. And that this our Union and Conjunction may bee observed without
violation, we call the living God, the Searcher of our Hearts, to
witnesse, who knoweth this to be our sincere Desire, and unfained
Resolution, as wee shall answer to JESUS CHRIST in the great day, and
under the paine of God’s everlasting wrath, and of infamie, and of
losse of all honour and respect in this World. Most humblie beseeching
the LORD, to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end, and to
blesse our desires and proceedings with a happie success, that Religion
and Righteousnesse may flourish in the land, to the glorie of God,
the honour of our King, and peace and comfort of us all. In witnesse
whereof we have subscribed with our hands alt the premisses,” &c.
* * * * *
After much deliberation, and the reconcilement of many scruples of
conscience and difficulties among the various classes of Presbyterians,
this elaborate and solemn compact and vow was publicly promulgated,
and, for the first time, sworn in Edinburgh, on the 28th of February
1633.[20] An immense concourse of spectators assembled in the
Greyfriars’ church and churchyard, at an early hour, on the morning
of that day; and at two o’clock, Rothes and Loudon of the nobility,
Henderson and Dickson of the clergy, and Johnston, their legal adviser,
arrived with the Covenant ready for signature. Henderson began the
solemnities of the day with prayer, and Loudon followed in an oration
of great courage and power; after which, about four o’clock, the Earl
of Sutherland was the first to step forward and inscribe his name on
the Covenant; and he was immediately followed by Sir Andrew Murray, a
minister at Abdy in Fife, and all who were within the church; after
which it was laid out on a flat gravestone in the churchyard, and
signed, till the parchment was full, by persons of all ranks, sexes,
and ages, with uplifted hands, and consecrated by solemn invocations to
heaven, and with such demonstrations of enthusiasm as it is difficult,
in these latter times, to imagine. It was a day, as piously and
eloquently described by Henderson, in which the people in multitudes
offered themselves to the service of Heaven “like the dew drops in the
morning”—“wherein the arm of the Lord was revealed”—and “the Princes of
the people assembled to swear allegiance to the King of kings.”
These impressive proceedings did not terminate till nine o’clock
in the evening; but the next day copies of the Covenant were laid
open through the city and signed, with very few exceptions, by all
the people. They were transmitted through all the provincial towns
and parishes; and, unless, by a few at St Andrew’s, Aberdeen, and
Glasgow, the Covenant was hailed with mingled emotions of devotion and
patriotism, such as, perhaps, never either before or since pervaded
any nation with such simultaneous unanimity. Its spirit spread far and
wide over the land like fire over its heath-clad hills, penetrating
the shadows which brooded in the firmament; and, as the fiery cross
was wont to be the signal for array in feudal strife, it summoned the
sons of the hill and the dale to prepare their swords, should these be
needed, for combat in a holier cause—subduing, with unexampled power,
the hereditary feuds of hostile clans, and combining the whole nation
into one mighty phalanx of incalculable energy.
It is unnecessary, in this place, to trace all the turnings and
windings of the tortuous policy by which, after this decisive
demonstration of physical, as well as of moral strength, King Charles
and his abettors endeavoured, for some months, to break down this
great combination. Every variety of intrigue, and every artifice for
procrastination, was employed to divide the Covenanters, and quell the
spirit which had thus been evoked by his arbitrary proceedings; and the
duplicity of Charles, in holding forth terms of accommodation, while
he was preparing to crush Scotland by force of arms, is a fact fully
demonstrated by many documents of unquestionable authenticity, which
leaves one of the deepest stains that still rest on the memory of that
misguided and unfortunate monarch. On one occasion when the Marquis
of Hamilton came from Court, on a pretended amicable mission as the
King’s Commissioner, he was received at his entrance by 60,000 of his
Majesty’s Scottish subjects, including nearly all the nobility, gentry,
and 600 clergymen, in a body, whose line extended from Musselburgh to
the outskirts of the Metropolis; presenting a spectacle which moved
the Commissioner even to tears, and drew from him a wish, that his
monarch had but witnessed such a host of his subjects, seeking only the
enjoyment of their civil and religious liberties.