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witnefs with our confciences of our loyalty, and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majefty's juft power and great

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IV. WE fhall alfo, with all faithfulness, endeavour the discovery of all fuch as have been, or fhall be incendiaries, nalignants, or evil inftruments, 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 brought to public trial, and receive condign punishment, as the degree of their offences fhall require or deferve; or the fupreme judicatures of both kingdoms refpectively, or others having power from them for that effect, fhall judge convenient.

V. AND whereas the happiness of a blessed peace between thefe kingdoms, denied 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 Par laments; we fhall, each of us, according to our place and intereft, endeavour that they nay remain conjoined in a firm peace and union to all posterity; and that justice may be done upon the wilful oppofers thereof, in manner expreffed in the precedent article.

VI. WE fhall alfo, according to our places and callings, in this common cause of religion, liberty, and peace of the kingdoms, affift and

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defend all those that enter into this league and covenant, in the maintaining and purfing thereof; and fhall not fuffer ourselves, directly or indirectly, by whatfoever combination, perfuafion, or terror, to be divided or withdrawn from this bleffed union and conjunction, whether to make defection to the contrary part, or to give ourselves to a deteftable indifferency and neutrality in this caufe, which fo much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the kingdoms, and honour of the King; but fhall, all the days of our lives, zealously and constantly continue therein, against all oppofition, and promote the fame, according to our power, against all lets and impediments whatfover; and what we are not able ourfelves to fupprefs or overcome, we shall reveal and make known, that it may be timely prevented or removed. All which we fhall do as in the fight of God.

AND becaufe thefe kingdoms are guilty of many fins and provocations against God, and his Son Jefus Chrift, as is too manifeft by our prefent diftreffes and dangers, the fruits thereof: we profefs and declare, before God and the world, our unfeigned defire to be humbled for our own fins, and for the fins of thefe kingdoms; especially, that we have not, as we ought, valued the ineftimable benefit of the Gospel, that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof, and that we have not endeavoured to receive Chrift in our hearts,

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nor to walk worthy of him in our lives; which are the caufes of other fins and tranfgreffions, fo much abounding amongst us; and our true and unfeigned purpose, defire, and endeavour, for ourselves, and all others under our power and charge, both in public and private, in all duties 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 thefe Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace. And this covenant we make in the prefence of ALMIGHTY GOD, the fearcher of all hearts, with a true intention to perform the fame, as we fhall anfwer at that day when the fecrets of all hearts fhall be dif clofed: Moft humbly befeeching the Lord to ftrengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end, and to blefs our defires and proceedings with fuch fuccefs, as may be deliverance and fafety to his people, and encouragement to other Christian Churches, groaning under, or in danger of the yoke of Antichriftian tyranny, to to join in the fame, or like affociation and covenant; to the glory of God, the enlargement of the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, and the peace and tranquility of Christian kingdoms and commonwealths."

I SHALL NOW make fome REFLECTIONS on the British Foederal Tranfactions.

I. THESE

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1. THESE Covenants were perfectly agreeable to the laws of the country, and the renovation of them no violation of the conftitution. There are a clafs of men, who feem to be fprung from the ancient Samaritans, they fuggefted, that the covenanters in Nehemiah's day were a parcel of rebels. A branch of the fame tree, having the fame root of bitterness, feems to have existed in the days of the Primitive Church. Nero and Trajan, however oppofite in character, agreed in finding the covenanting Chriftians enemies to the State. was upon the fame footing that the Waldenfes were perfecuted by the Court of Turin. The patrons of the doctrines of non-refiftance and paffive obedience feem to have borrowed thefe Antichriftian weapons, to fight a Covenanted Reformation in this land. This needs not greatly furprife us, as thefe men did not choose to understand the civil or religious rights of mankind. But we behold, with aftonishment, a Reverend Doctor of this enlightened age, ftanding at the head of the roll in the lift of candidates for literary fame, announcing the National oath to have been employed, in 1638," to promote VIOLENT and UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEASURES." There is no other method to account for it, but that polite negligence for which the works of that author are fo remarkably diftinguished. Had the Reverend Doctor found leifure to confult the lawauthorities quoted in the introduction to the bond

bond ufed in 1638, as they are to be found fub joined to that nearly antiquated system, THE CONFESSION OF FAITH; and the divine authority, to be found in a still more antiquated code of laws, the Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament, I have little room to doubt, fuch is the CANDOUR, MODERATION, and LIBERALITY OF SENTIMENT which falls to the portion of the Reverend PRINCIPAL, but that he fhould have found the meafures purfued as conftitutional and falutary as the Transactions themfelves were warrantable and laudable: And the covenanters, initead of rebels, the best patriots which that, or any other age ever produced.

2. THE political views, and hypocritical purpofes, which induced fome enemies to Reformation principles to enter into the National Covenant and Solemn League, are no objections against thefe Tranfactions themselves; nor against the conduct of fuch as entered into them with fincerity of heart. In the days of danger, the Church is diminished by apoftacy; and in the days of profperity, she is no lefs endangered by a too rapid increase in hypocrify. The latter was the cafe in the last age. But, if the argument be good in this cafe, it must alfo be valid against Christianity itself; as it is well known, that nations and princes have fometimes been induced to embrace Chriftianity from political views. One

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