THE

NATIONAL COVENANT:

The Confeffion of FAITH.

Subfcribed at firft by the King's Majefty and his Houfhold, in the Year 1580; thereafter by Perfons of all Ranks in the Year 1581, by Ordinance of the Lords of Secret Council, and Acts of the General Affembly; fubfcribed again by all Sorts of Perfons in the Year 1590, by a new Ordinance of Council, at the Defire of the General Alfembly; with a general Bond for the maintaining of the true Chriftian Religion, and the King's Perfon; and, together with a Refolution and Promife for the Caufes after expreffed, to maintain the true Religion, and the King's Majefy, according to the forefaid Confeffion and Acts of Parliament, fubfcribed by Barons, Nobles, Gentlemen, Burgeffes, Minifters and Commons, in the Year 1638; approven by the General Affembly 1638 and 1639 and fubfcribed again by Perfons of all Ranks and Qualities in the Year 1639, by an Ordinance of Council, upon the Supplication of the General Affembly, and All of the General Affembly; ratified by an Act of Parliament 1640, and fubfcribed by King Charles II, at Spey, June 23, 1650, and at Scoon, January 1, 1651.

WE

7E all, and every one of us underwritten, proteft, That after long and due Examination of our own Confcience in Matters of true and falfe Religion, we are now throughly refolved in the Truth by the Word and Spirit of God: And therefore we believe with ourHearts, confefs with our Mouths, fubfcribe with our Hands, and

as

conftantly affirm before God and the whole World, That this only is the true Chriftian Faith and Religion, pleafing God and bringing Salvation to Man, which now is, by the Mercy of God, revealed to the World by the preaching of the bleffed Evangel; and is received, believed, and defended by many and fundry notable Kirks and Realms, but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland, the King's Majefty and three Eftates of this Realm, as God's eternal Truth, and only Ground of our Salvation; more particularly is expreffed in the Confeffion of our Faith, eftablished and publickly confirmed by fundry Acts of Parliament, and now of a long Time hath been openly profeffed by the King's Majefty, and whole Bo dy of this Realm both in Burgh and Land. To the which Confeffion and Form of Religion we willingly agree in our Confcience in all Points, as unto God's undoubted Truth and Verity, grounded only upon his written Word. And therefore we abhor and deteft all contrary Religion and Doctrine; but chiefly all Kind of Papiftry in general and particular Heads, even as they are now damned and confuted by the Word of God and Kirk of Scotland. But in fpecial we deteft and refufe the ufurped Authority of that Roman Antichrift upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the Civil Magiftrate, and Confciences of Men: All his tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent Things against our Chriftian Liberty; his erroneous Doctrine against the Sufficiency of the written Word, the Perfection of the Law, the Office of Chrift and his blessed Evangel: His corrupted Doctrine concerning original Sin, our natural Inability and Rebellion to God's Law, our Juftification by Faith only, our imperfect Sanctification and Obedience to the Law; the Nature, Number, and Ufe of the holy Sacraments; his Five baftard Sacraments; with all his Rites, Ceremonies and falfe Doctrines, added to the Ministration of the true Sacraments without the Word of God; his eruel Judgment against Infants departing without the Sacrament; his abfolute Neceffity of Baptifm; his blaf phemous Opinion of Transubstantiation, or real Prefence of Chrift's Body in the Elements, and receiving of the fame

fame by the Wicked, or Bodies of Men; his Difpenfations with folemn Oaths, Perjuries, and Degrees of Marriage forbidden in the Word; his Cruelty against the Innocent divorced; his devilish Mafs; his blafphemous Priesthood; his prophane Sacrifice for the Sins of the Dead and the Quick; his Canonization of Men, calling upon Angels or Saints departed; worshipping of Imagery, Relicks and Croffes; dedicating of Kirks, Altars, Days Vows to Creatures; his Purgatory, Prayers for the dead; praying or speaking in a ftrange Language; with his Proceffions and blafphemous Litany, and Multitude of Advocates or Mediators; his manifold Orders, auricular Confeffion; his desperate and uncertain Repentance; his general and doubtfome Faith; his fatisfactions of Men for their Sins; his Juftification by Works opus operatum, Works of Supererogation, Merits, Pardons, Peregrinations and Stations; his holy Water, baptiling of Bells, conjuring of 'Spirits, Croffing, Sayning, Anointing, Conjuring, Hallowing of God's good Crea tures, with the fuperftitious Opinion joined therewith his worldly Monarchy, and wicked Hierarchy t; his three folemn Vows, with all his Shavellings of fundry Sorts; his erroneous and bloody Decrees made at Trent, with all the Subscribers or Approvers of that cruel and bloody Band, conjured against the Kirk of God. And finally, we deteft all his vain Allegories, Rites, Signs, and Traditions brought in the Kirk, without or against the Word of God, and Doctrine of this true reformed Kirk; to H 4 the

1

In the Copy which is in the Harmony of Confeffions, printed 1586, it is defperfed and uncertain Repentance; and in the Latin Tranflation, which is in the Syntagma Confeffionum, it is difperfam & incertam poenitentiam: But in the Copy which is in the Colledge of Edinburgh, written 1585, and fubfcribed by the Graduates, till the Defection at the Reftauration of King Charles II. and in the Copies which were fubfcribed 1638 and 1629, it is defperate: And in the Original fubfcribed by the King, &c, and in the Copy printed by. Robert Waldgrave 1581, it is defpered Which is the old Scotish Word for Wefperate.

See the Explication of Hierarchy, in sth Act of Assembly, after the Form of Prefbyterian-Government.

the which we join purfelves willingly, in Doctrine, Faith, Religion, Difcipline, and Ufe of the Holy Sacraments, as lively Members of the fame in Chrift our Head: Promis fing and fwearing by the great Name of the LORD our Gop, That we fhall continue in the Obedience of the Doctrine and Difcipline of this Kirk, and hall deferd the fame, according to our Vocation and Power, all the Days of our Lives, under the Pains contained in the Law, and Danger both of Body and Soul in the Day of God's fearful Judgment,

*

And feeing that many are ftirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrift, to promife, fwear, fubfcribe, and for a Time ufe the holy Sacraments in the Kirk deceitfully, against their own Confcience; minding hereby, fire under the external Cloke of Religion, to corrupt and fubvert fecretly God's true Religion within the Kirki and afterward, when Time may ferye, to become open Enemies and Perfecutors of the fame, under vain Hope of the Pope's Difpenfation, deviled against the Word of God, to his greater Confufion, and their double Cone dempation in the Day of the Lord Jeius: We therefore willing to take away all Sufpicion of Hypocrify, and of fuch double Dealing with God and his Kirk, proteft, and call the Searcher of all Hearts for Witness, That our Minds and Hearts do fully agree with this our Con feffion, Promife, Oath, and Subfcription; fo that we are not moved with any worldly Refpect, but are perfwa, ded only in our Confcience, through the Knowledge and Love of God's true Religion, imprinted in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we shall anfwer to him in the Day when the Secrets of all Hearts fhall be difclofed.

And because we perceive that the Quietness and Stability of our Religion, and Kirk, doth depend upon the Safety and good Behaviour of the King's Majefty, as upon a comfortable Inftrument, of God's Mercy granted

The Confeffion which was fubfcribed at Halys udbause the 25th of February 1587 8, by the King, Lennox, Huntly, the Chancellor, and about 95 other, Perfons hath here added, Agreeing to the Ward Sir John Maxwel of Palleck hath the original Parchment.

ted to this Country, for the maintaining of his Kirk and Miniftration of Justice amongst us; We proteft and promife with our Hearts, under the fame Oath, Hand. writ, and Pains, that we fhall defend his Perfon and Au. thority with our Goods, Bodies and Lives, in the Defence of Chrift his Evangel, Liberties of our Country, Miniftration of Justice, and Punishment of Iniquity, a❤gainst all Enemies within this Realm or without, as we defire our God to be a strong and merciful Defender to us in the Day of our Death, and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift: To whom, with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all Honour and Glory eternally,

L'

IKE as many Acts of Parliament, not only in gene

ral do abrogate, anpul, and refcind all Laws, Sta tutes, Acts, Constitutions, Canons civil or municipal, with all other Ordinances, and practique Penalties whatsoever, made in Prejudice of the true Religion and Profeffors thereof: Or, of the true Kirk Difcipline, Jurisdiction, and Freedom thereof: Or, in Favours of Idolatry and Superftition: Or, of the Papistical Kirk, as, At 2, Act 31, Part. 1, Act 23, Parl. 11, Act 114 Parl. 12. of King James VI, That Papiftry and SuperAtition may be utterly fuppreffed, according to the Intenton of the Acts of Parliament, repeated in the 5 Act, Part, 20. King James VI. And to that end they ordain all Papifts and Priefts to be punished by manifold Civil and Ecclefiaftical Pains, as Adversaries to God's true Re ligion, preached, and by Law established within this Realm, 4t 24, Part. 11. King James VI. as common Enemies to all Chriftian Government, At 18, Parl. 16, K. James VI. as Rebellers and Gainftanders of our Sove. reign Lord's Authority, Act 47, Parl. 3, King James VI. and as Idolaters, Act 104, Part. 7. King James VI. But also in particular, by and attour the Confe:lion of Faith,

In the Act of Parliament, it is Fraćticks penal.

da

116. The Acts of Parliament are quoted according to Sir John Skene's Edition, in which the Acts are in fome Places wrong numbered ; as they are likewife in Glendock's Folio Edition: the Numbors on the Foot-margine are according to Glendock's Edit, in 12mo. Profelled,