when called to speak and act by preaching and protesting against this
unhallowed Union, which, as it is already the stain, so we swear it will
prove the ruin and bain of this poor nation; though some of them, we
grant, signified their dislike thereof, before and about the time it was
concluded, yet there was no plain and express protestation, faithfully
and freely given in to the Parliament, shewing the sinfulness and danger
of this cursed Union, being contrar, not only to the honour, interest,
and fundamental laws, and constitutions of the kingdom, and a palpable
surrender of the sovereignty, rights and priviledges of the nation, but
also a manifest breach of our Solemn League and Covenant, which was
made and sworn with uplifted hands to the most high God, for purging and
reforming the three nations from error, heresy, superstition and
prophaneness, and whatever is contrar to sound doctrine, the power of
godliness, and the purity of worship, discipline and government in the
same. And so it involves this nation into a most fearful perjury before
God, being contrar to the first article of the Covenant, wherein we
swear to contribute with our outmost endeavours, in our several places
and callings, to reform England in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and
Government; But by this Union we are bound up for ever from all
endeavours and attempts of this nature, and have put ourselves out of
all capacity to give any help or assistance that way, as ye may see more
fully in the late protestation against the Union, published at Sanquhar,
October 22, 1707.
Let none say, That what we have done here flows from ambition to exalt
ourselves above others, for as we have great cause, so we desire grace
from the Lord, to be sensible of what accession we have with others in
the land, to the provoking of His Spirit, in not walking as becomes the
Gospel, according to our Solemn Engagements, neither proceeds it from
irritation or inclination (by choice or pleasure) to discover our
mother's nakedness or wickedeness, or that we love to be of a
contentious spirit, for our witness is in heaven (whatever the world may
say) that it would be the joy of our hearts, and as it were a
resurrection from the dead, to have these grievances redressed and
removed, and our backsliding and breaches quickly and happily healed,
but it is to exoner consciences by protesting against the defections of
the land, especially of Ministers: and seeing we can neither with safety
to our persons, nor freedom in our consciences, compear before the
Judicatories, while these defections are not acknowledged and removed,
so we must, so long decline them, and hereby do decline them, as
unfaithful judges in such matters: in regard they have, in so great a
measure, yielded up the priviledges of the Church into the hands and
will of her enemies, and carried on a course of defection contrar to the
Scriptures, our Covenants, and the acts and constitutions of this our
Church. And hereby we further protest and testify against whatever they
may conclude, or determine, in their ecclesiastick courts by acts,
ratifications, sentences, censures, &c., that have been, or shall be
made or given out by them, and protest that the same may be made void
and null, and not interpreted as binding to us or any who desire firmly
to adhere to the Covenanted work of Reformation.
But let none look upon what we have here said, to be a vilipending or
rejecting of the free, lawful, and rightly constitute courts of Christ,
for we do acknowledge such to have been among the first most effectual
means appointed of God for preserving the purity and advanceing the
power of reformation in the Church of Christ; the sweet fruits and
blessed effects whereof, this Church hath sometimes enjoyed, and which
we have been endeavouring and seeking after, and are this day longing
for.
We detest and abhorr that principle of casting off the ministry,
wherewith we are odiously and maliciously reproached by these who labour
to fasten upon us the hateful names of schismaticks, separatists,
despisers of the Gospel: but, herein as they do bewray their enmity to
the cause we own, so till they bring in their own principles and
practices, and ours also, and try them by the law and testimony, the
measuring line of the sanctuary, the Word of God, and the practice of
this Church, when the Lord keeped house with, and rejoiced over her as a
bridegroom over his bride, they can never prove us schismaticks or
separatists from the kirk of Scotland upon the account of our non-union
with the backslidden multitude, ministers and others.
Finally, that we may not be judged by any, as persons of an infallible
spirit, and our actions above the cognisance of the judicatories of
Christ's appointment: we appeal to the first free, faithful and rightly
constitute Assembly in this Church, to whose decision and sentence in
the things, lybelled against us we willingly refer ourselves, and crave
liberty to extend and enlarge this our Protestation, Declinature, and
Appeal as need requires.
JO. MACKMILLAN.
JO. MACKNEIL.
BALMAGHIE MANSE, _Sept. 24th, 1708_.
"THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND."
AIRD & COGHILL PRINTERS, GLASGOW.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: This Exhortation was prepared by "Reverend Ministers of the
Gospel," who met at Edinburgh, February, 1638, and "sent to every one of
the Lords of Council severally," inviting them to subscribe the
Covenant.]
[Footnote 2: Aberdeen, Crail and St. Andrews were the only burghs in
Scotland that had no Commissioners at the renewing of the National
Covenant in Edinburgh. Henderson was appointed to proceed to St. Andrews
to secure its approval of the movement, and his mission resulted in
complete success. This sermon was preached there about the end of March,
1638.]
[Footnote 3: The author of this "Discourse and Exhortation" and of the
two Sermons that follow, was ordained minister of Pitsligo, and in 1664
was inducted to St. Nicholas' Church, Aberdeen. Part of the inscription
on his tombstone is, "A Boanerges and Barnabas: a Magnet and Adamant."
He was a member of the Assembly at Glasgow, 1638. This Exhortation was
at the renewing of the National Covenant at Inverness, 25th April,
1638.]
[Footnote 4: This sermon was delivered in 1638, immediately after the
Renovation of the National Covenant and Celebration of the Lord's
Supper.]
[Footnote 5: This sermon was preached at a "General Meeting" in
Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, on 13th June, 1638, after the Renovation
of the Covenant. In Erskine's edition, Black-Fryar is a misprint for
Gray-Fryar.]
[Footnote 6: Mr. Nye was an Independent and a distinguished member of
the Westminster Assembly. This Exhortation was given to the House of
Commons and the "Reverend Divines" of the Westminster Assembly before
they took the Solemn League and Covenant, and was published by order of
the House of Commons.]
[Footnote 7: This Address was given to the House of Commons and the
Westminster Assembly before taking the Covenant and was published by
order of the House of Commons.]
[Footnote 8: Mr. White.]
[Footnote 9: Mr. Nye.]
[Footnote 10: Mr. Henderson.]
[Footnote 11: Dr. Gouge.]
[Footnote 12: Mr. Caryl was a member of the Westminster Assembly. This
Sermon was given at Westminster "at that Publick Convention (ordered by
the Honourable House of Commons) for the taking of the Covenant, by all
such of all Degrees as wilfully presented themselves, upon Friday,
October 6, 1643." The House of Commons thanked Caryl for the Sermon and
ordered its publication.]
[Footnote 13: Mr. Case, a member of the Westminster Assembly, gave this
sermon and the one that follows, at the taking of the Covenant in Milk
Street Church, London; the former on Saturday evening, 30th September,
1643, and the other on 1st October, on "the Sabbath-day in the morning,"
immediately before the Covenant was taken. Both sermons, together with
one on the Fast, 27th September, wore dedicated to the Commissioners
from the Church of Scotland to the Westminster Assembly.]
[Footnote 14: This Sermon was delivered by Rev. Edmond Calamy, a member
of the Westminster Assembly, on January 14, 1645, "before the then Lord
Mayor of the City of London, Sir Thomas Adams; together with the
Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common Council of the said City, being the day
of their taking the Solemn League and Covenant, at Michael Basenshaw,
London."]
[Footnote 15: The coronation of Charles II. took place at Scone, 1st
January, 1651. In the "chamber of presence," the nation's
representatives invited the King to accept the crown; to which the King
replied: "I do esteem the affections of my good people more than the
crown of many Kingdoms, and shall be ready, by God's assistance, to
bestow my life in their defence, wishing to live no longer than I may
see religion and this kingdom flourish in all happiness." Thereafter,
they proceeded to the "Kirk of Scoon, in order and rank, and according
to their quality." The "King first settles himself in his chair for
hearing of sermon. All being quietly composed unto attention, Mr. Robert
Douglas, Moderator of the Commission of the General Assembly, after
incalling on God by prayer, preached the following sermon." After the
Sermon, the king took the National Covenant and the Solemn League and
Covenant.]
[Footnote 16: This second coronation oath is inserted in the 15th act of
parliament, and in the parliament, Feb. 7th, 1649; and is, with the
first coronation oath following, insert and approven in the declaration
of the General Assembly 27th July, 1649.]
[Footnote 17: At Torwood, Stirlingshire, September 1660, Donald Cargill
pronounced this sentence of Excommunication against Charles II.; the
Dukes of York, Monmouth, Lauderdale, and Rothes; Sir George M'Kenzie,
the King's Advocate; and Dalziell of Binns.]
[Footnote 18: There were several acts for the suppression of field
preachings. This one was prepared by Archbishop Sharpe and issued in
1670.]
[Footnote 19: On June 22nd, 1680, this Declaration was read by Richard
Cameron at Sanquhar, amid the breathless silence of the inhabitants who
flocked to the spot. It marked "an epoch," writes Burton, "in the career
of the Covenanters."]
[Footnote 20: The faithful followers of the Reformers and Martyrs, who
could not identify themselves with the Church and State at the
Revolution, maintained their separate existence and testimony through
their "Societies," and they prepared and published this paper against
the Union with England. Its full title is "The Protestation and
Testimony of the United Societies of the witnessing Remnant of the
anti-Popish, anti-Prelatic, anti-Erastian, anti-Sectarian, true
Presbyterian Church of Christ in Scotland, against the sinful
incorporating Union with England and their British Parliament, concluded
and established, May, 1707."]
[Footnote 21: The Rev. John Mackmillan, minister of Balmaghie,
endeavoured for years to convince the Established Church that the Church
had submitted at the Revolution to invasions of her independence by the
State, and to persuade her to return to the attainments of the
Reformation. Bitter opposition to his efforts led to his secession from
the Church, after tabling this "Protestation, Declinature and Appeal."
Mr. John Mackneil joined in the Declinature. A tablet in memory of Mr.
Mackmillan has been recently erected in Balmaghie Church by his
great-great-grandson, Dr. John Grieve, Glasgow. Part of the inscription
is, "A Covenanter of the Covenanters: a Father of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church: a Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ."]
End of Project Gutenberg's The Covenants And The Covenanters, by Various