CALEDONIAS' COVENANT.  
OR ANE PANEGYRIC TO THE WORLD.  
Wherein is briefly set down the true cause and occasioune of the present trubles of the kingdom of SCOTLAND.  
By G. L.  
They have oftentimes afflicted me from my youth: But they could not prevail against me.  
The plowers ploughed upon my back and made long furrows.  
But the righteous lord hath cut the cords of the wicked.  
PRINTED IN THE YEAR M.DC.XLI.   

CALEDONIAS' COVENANT A PANEGYRIC TO THE WORLD.  

Heaven's listen, Earth bear Witness, Time record  
My heavy grief, and Speedy help afford,  
My soul half sunk in sad despair doth faint,  
I scarce have breath to sigh out my Complaint:  
My moistened Eyes with weeping almost blind  
And parched tongue whose Cries no pity find  
Now worn with woaes and wroungs without relief  
At last give over hope and yield to Grief.   

Yet that the world may know my wretched Case,  
And where Tales run Truth may at length take place,  
To all good Christians, members of that head  

Informations and Protestations.  Whose Cause, and Church's privilege I plead,  
And in whose presence here I do protest  
To have no other aim but peace and rest,  
Relligions' purity, the Gospel's light  
To shine again through Superstitions night,  
I here rip up my breast that every Eye  
Not bleared with Passion, may my heart descry,  
And all unpartial Ears may rightly ponder  
The load of wroungs which I lie groaning under.   


The Reformation.  When from the dauning of the Gospel's day,  
The sun of Truth (long set) did first display  
His glorious beams, and gild the glowing East;  
The light so dazzled Babel's blindfold beast  
That like a roaring Lion mad he ran.  
And cast false clouds of scorn t'ecclypst again:  
Yea all that worshipped it with humbled heart  
Of his fierce rage did find the fiery smart, 
The monasteries.   
The darkened dens of Ignorance, where sat  
Blind Heresy and bowed to knew not what,  
To be discovered spewed there spite at heaven  
For fear there dwellers should from thenc be driven:  
Rome raged to see a Corner of the world  
Where from his throne his triple Croun was hurled,  
And I was then with candle, book, and bell  
By Antichrist condemned to lowest hell;  
The blessed martyrs that his threats withstood  
And sealed the glorious gospel with their blood  
With heavenly courage and with constant hop  
Preachd Christ above the pardons of the pop, 
Wishart, and others burnt by Cardinal Betoune.   
For which called Heretics, their lives did pay:  
And burned to ashes drenchd in blood, did lay  
The Churches firm foundation, which by time  
Did to a fair and beauteous temple climb,  
When God set open the eyes of Prince and peers  
And made the Gospels' trumpet pierce the ears  
Of deafened Idoll-worshippers, and call  
To mercy penitent believers all,  
The mist cleared up, the mass did vanish quite  
At the fair sunshine of the Gospel's light,  
Then ignorance and superstition fled  
To hell again where they were hathd and bred, 
The Cardinal, once killed all his sectators vanished.   
Proud priests, that on the silly people preyed  
While the cross staff above the sceptre sweyd,  
There knavery seen did melt away for shame  
And simple shepherds in there places came,  
That was my golden age, than love and fear  
Of God throughout all Scotland did appear,  

King JAMES made the covenant and commanded all the country to sign it.  My prince a pattern of true piety,  
That after ages his great zeal might see,  
To Gods pure worship, with a heart upright  
His subjects and himself did fast unite  
By covenant subscriv'd and sworn with God  
On highest pain of heaviest plague and rod,  
All superstition, popery, heresies,  
Episcopal authority, Hierarchyes,  
Will worship and what ere was then rejected  
As hurtful, or which had the church infected:  
With heart and hand with life estate and might  
Still to withstand while they could stand and fight.  
No prelate then presumed before another;  
Nor called him lord whom office made his brother.  
A Bishop and a bug bear were all one,  
And merely names there lordships were not knoune,  
Until the time great JAMES, our Solomon  
Changed Scotland England into ALBION.   


Q. Elizabeth.  ELIZA dead, Sabrina Trent and Thames,  
Fell prostrate at the feet of  JAMES,  
There peers in pomp and state louwe homadge made  
There prelate's of the church did style him head:  
And put themselves next him that rank to hold  
In Parliament and State they had of old,  
The gracious prince was pleased with what he found,  
Nor did he change the least thing being crowned,  
But for to make both one as was his aim  

The union.  He laboured to make them both the same,  
The greatest odds was in the Church indeed  
Which to make even did me much mischeeffe breed,  
Aspiring priests puffed up with vain ambition,  
Told Him this Church was of a base Condition,  
When every private preacher durst reprove  
The Prince Himself, whom God had set above  
The reach of censure, and it would better suit  
The Kingdom's honour, if the King would do't  
To settle Bishops, who should have the Charge  
Of Spiritual things, would He there power enlarge  
And authorize Them, with his  aid;  
Both Prince and priest should be feared and obeyed: 
Bishops established.   
Then first began my misery alace!  
And pride did from the Church Devotion chase,  
A jealous Emulation straight way filled  
My newmade Bishop's breasts, who all aspired  
To be as great as Rome's great beast in pover:  
And govern every state, for all were lower.  
The mitre, though it brought no Monarchy,  
Yet was an Ensign of there Hierarchy.  
All public charges of the crown and State  
They either did possess or aimed at, 
Meluin; and others who were banished. The first scots B s. Consecrated in England took there oaths to be conform to the Church of England, mutatis mutandis Stow.   
Which made my Zealous Pastors to cry out  
Against those wolves who closely went about,  
To slave the church to there Imperious will,  
Who had combined with England; to fulfil  
All there desires to compass there designs:  
Wherefore they banished all my best divines,  
Emprisond, silencd, whilst might daunted right,  
And Soweraignitie for them did fight.  
The neighbour world and church did shelter give,  
When persecution would not let them live  
In peace at home, Thus clad with  arms,  
Transported from themselves, bewitched with Charms  
Of Greatness; and that high Triumphant state  
In which the Neighbour England's Prelates sat,  
(Though great the disproportion was in all  
As from the shrub unto the Cedar tall,)  
My petty priests would all be Popes at once  
And (Basans bulls) into there bulls denounce  
Destruction, to all such as durst withstand  
Th'usurped pover of Prelates in Command,  

At the last coming of K. james into Scotland. An. 1617.  The first assault they gave was all in vain  
Theridamas growing pride was soon repulsd again,  
Though it had no intention but to bring  
Conformity in Church and every thing  
That England had retained, reforming first  
Those errors which Rome fostered had and nursed.  
My people were mor sharply gone to work  
And had found out what ever hid did lurk  
Into the deapest Corners most obscure;  
And what could not the light and touch endure  
As false was cast away; The King surceased  
In wise foresight and would not have it pressed  
Upon me more, when he the danger saw  
Which such an innovation on could draw,  
Heaven called him hence unto a greater Crown  
And in his Chair our Mighty CHARLES sat down,  
Those Sycophants empoisoning his Ears,  
(While thrusting in betuix Him and His Peers)  

Vbi nullus Episcopus ibi nullus Rex.  A damned Maxim mad Him understand  
No Bischop, than no King into a land:  
And which was worse, conspiring with the whore  
Whose foul embraces we cast off before  
Assisted with the Prime of England's priests  
They framed a service book, my soul detests: 
The scottish seruische book.   
Which I should first receive and make the way  
The souls of all great Britain to betray,  
For Ireland as a page must follow still  
And subject be unto her conquerors will.  
That stood against my stomach I confess  
As't was against the truth I did profess.  
God rousd my conscience and did call me up  
The course of popery in the source to stop,  
And called to mind the covenant I had made  
With him, when I from slavery first was fred, 
The covenant renewed.   
Never to return to Rome▪ my soul did bleed  
When I reneend that oath, my tears did plead  
For pity at my prince, and I besought  
No stranger rites might in my church be brought.  
But all in vain, what ever I begged ' or prayed  
I was a traitor and a rebel made, 
The proclamations,   
That durst oppose whatever was found good  
By those who in the church did what they would,  
All my petitions were cast back with scorn,  
And ere my prince had seen them, rend and torn;  
Great armies raised by sea and land, to fall  
At once upon me, neither durst I call  
To God or man for help, and what I did  
Was treason still and misinterpreted.  
The strongest forts I had for my defence  
For my destruction armed, 
Edinburgh and Dunbartan.  to give offence  
And make me guilty, were with strangers clad,  
All warlike engines for invasion made  
Against me dressed, yet did I not forbear,  
To pray and sue to those that would not hear,  
When all that I could think was tried invaine,  
And I had still my labour for my pain.  
Danger did threaten and at last drew near  

Duns longer.  Then in mine oun defence I armed with fear,  
To save my life, as nature doth allow,  
Nor did I pass my bounds as all men know,  
Mine enemies amazed to see me stand  
Upon my border still with sword in hand,  
When they could not engage me into blood  

Pacification at heretic.  And found that I but for my freedom stood  
Of church and country, under show of peace  
Betrayed me falsely with a feigned embrace:  
Whilst what was promised was not truly meant.  
Nor durst I crave, for fear of discontent.  
There main intentions were but to beguile  
My rash beleeffe: and foolle me for a while,  
Till they could take new breath and strength again  
When I had laid down arms: and fall amain  
With all there might upon me unaware,  
For which, a fresh they Parliaments prepare  

In England and Ireland  With monneys to suplie their mischeefs want,  
And ask fare more than free consent will grant.  
To neighbour princes I am portrayed black  
My cause and me both hateful for to make,  
New thunders forged, the King embarked again  
In priest's revenge, till Scotland all be slain  
And Laud be pope of Britain, 'twas then time  
For me (who's zeal to God's house was a crime)  
To look about, and if I could prevent  
The threatening Tempest which was imminent.   

God great and just who tries the heart and reins  
Is witness, if to war my heart inclines, 
Entry into England.   
Or if I mean to England harm at all:  
But only banished justice to recall,  
And have Religion set all Liberty,  
A Captive handmaid late to Tyranny,  
Twed saw my Tears and knows I did not pass  
His stream to prey or spoil, but that I was  
Constrained in surety to march on my way  
And seek redress, for what I took to pay: 
The reasons and carriage of it.   
To offer no man wrung but friendly aid.  
Nor ever meant my neighbours to invade:  
The want of justice, breach of promise past.  
Religion slaved, and utter ruin last  
In such extremes made need a law to me;  
To seek my safety and her liberty.  
My first encounter when I passed the Tine  
What blood was spilt it was no fault of mine,  
And heavens are witness I did never intent  
In quiet passage England to offend,  
But with all love and friendship jointly go  
In Common cause to find the Common foe,  
And to remove the wicked from the King  
Whose malice seeks on both a scourge to bring,  
For though I spoke she thought no less than I:  
But durst not shaik the Church authority:  
And rather choosed in silence for to suffer  
Then have her nose and ears to be cut off her,  
As many had bein served by th' High Commission.  
Near cousin to the Spanish Inquisition.   

Newcastle found no force but saw us freynds,  

Balcanquell  So Durrham did, (whose Deans unlucky ends  
A providence prevented, and will pay  
His lies with there reward some happy day)  
And when command to march no further, came,  
In hope of hearing I obeyed the same,  
Till England's Parliament should we'll considder  
The justice of that cause that brought me hither,  
And well examine if I have done well;  
Or with hostility should me expel.  
That sacred senate having leave to speak,  
And of all state abuse the source to seek:  

The L. Deputy of Irland and the Archbishop of Canterbury  Found in her bosom and about the Prince  
Those vipers whom high treason doth convince.  
Those factious firebrands that so falsely deal  
With God and King in church and common weal  
Shall of their merit find the earned meed;  
Fare better they should then tuo nations bleed.  
Those that have scaped by flight to foreign lands;  
A power shall reach which over all commands,  
And give the just reward as it is due  

The Scottish Bishops and other corrupted Statesmen,  there's no protection when the heavens pursue.  
Those monsters unto whom I once lent birth  
Become my bane, a scandal to the earth;  
Though now at court a time they shelterd be  
With guilty conscience for there wroungs to me:  
A day will come I hope when they shall find  
There mischeeffs merit in the highest kind.  
Will CHARLES but leave them to my Parliament  
There they shall have deserved punishment,  
So shall great Britain prosper, and his reign  
Bring to this isle the golden age again.   

But ah! my fears forbidden to hope so much: 
The Spanish fa●●ion.   
The subtle Spanish serpent's craft is such,  
That all our aims hoveuer well begun  
Even in the bud are presently undone.  
That wretched gold, that fare fetched Indian dross  
All our attempts and good designs doth cross.  
Corruption is a court disease become,  
And takes no doctors counsel but from Rome;  
Which never wholly cures the lame or blind  
But always there remains some dregs behind  
Which like the fire in ashes hid breaks out  
And of a sudden kindleth all about:  
Though for a time it lie as close as dead  
I fear that foul infection forth shall spread:  
Unless it please that God by whom kings reign  
To give us war against both Rome and Spain:  
Which we have now just cause to undertake  
For CHARLES his sister and his nephews sake. 
Q. of Boheme.   
But we must wait with prayers on our God  
Who'il give us peace at home and war abroad.   

Here like the hart that panteth for the spring,  
My soul awaits good tidings from my King.  
My prayers are the weapons which I use  
That heaven will in his sacred breast infuse  
True wisdom, that his reasons eyes may sie,  
Through all the clouds of spite and flattery  
My upright heart, the churches sore oppression,  
And scan the truth of every mouths confession,  
Reward the good, rebuke the reprobate,  
Remeed the greevances of church and state,  
Maintain the Gospel in its purity,  
Remove false Doctors, root out heresy,  
Lay down good laws, do justice unto all,  
Curb vice, without respect in great and small,  
That those whom God hath joined, may under him  
And his, live happy to the end of Time.   

This is my hearty wish and prayer still:  
Which heaven will hear I hope and soon fulfil,  
To send me home a song of joy to sing  
And pray for faiths defender, CHARLES the King.   SUNT ARTIBUS ARMA DECORI. 
FINIS.