'AN W 
 
 E S S A YJ 
 
 To Prove 
 
 The Perpetual Obligation 
 
 OF THE 
 
 National Covenant 
 Church ofsCQTLANVi 
 
 IN A 
 Letter from a Low of the Covenanted Work 
 ^ of Reformation, to his Correfpondent. 
 
 Containing an Account 
 i. Of the Rife and ProgrcJs of the National Cove- 
 nant, with the fundry Shapes and Modes wherein 
 it hath appeared in this Church. 
 2, The Views that the Perfons concerned had or might 
 
 have had in the Rife and Progrefs of it. 
 •3. Arguments to prove its Perpetual Obligation. 
 
 4. Answers to the Objections againft its Perpetual. 
 Obligation. 
 
 5. The Use and Improvement which in thisprefenc 
 Juncture fhouldhe made of this Controversy* 
 
 To 6 ec e: . i 
 
 A POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 Containing 
 REMARKS on Three Scandalous Letters, fubverfive 
 pf all True Religion in the Church, and Loy- 
 alty in rhe Nation, by an Anonymous Author, 
 induftriouflv handed about, under the Name of An- 
 swers to Queries rut by the Reverend Mr. Adams 9 
 to the Reverend fylr. (?— — j Minifter at T — n. 
 
 2 Chron.xxiii. 16. And Vehoiada made a Covenant between 
 him, and between all the People , and between the Kiftg$ 
 that they fhould be the LORD's People. _ 
 
 Printed in the Year MDCCXXVIL 
 
Courteous Reader* 
 
 IE S T the Printer fhould 
 ^j have made the Price of 
 this ESSAY too high, I have 
 forborn to mark on the Margin 
 the Authorities on which I have 
 narrated Matters of Fad: : But 
 I affaire you they go on the Cre- 
 dit of Buchanan, Knox, Colder- 
 "woody Spotifwcod, Puffendorf y 
 and fundry others: As alio the 
 Adls of Parliament, and Gene- 
 ral AfTemblies of this Church. 
 
im 1 
 
 tin?* tirtM'M&&&$ ##^p 9 
 
 A N 
 
 ~ S S A Y, 
 
 T O 
 
 'Prove the perpetual Obligation 
 of the National Covenant of 
 the Church (^Scotland, &c. 
 in a Letter from^ &c. 
 
 SlTy 
 
 WITHOUT further Apology, 
 that you may have my Thoughts 
 on this Subject, which I intend 
 mainly for my own Exoneration, prefum- 
 ing you underftand the Cafe better than 
 my Felf 5 I fhall confider 
 
 I. The Rife and Progrefs of the Natio- 
 nal Covenant, i&ilb the fundry Shapes and 
 A 2 Modes, 
 
4 $he Rife and Trogrefs 
 
 Modes] wherein it hath appeared in this 
 Church. 
 
 II. The Views that the Perfons concerned 
 therein had, or might have had, in the Rife 
 and Progrefs of it 
 
 III. / /hall offer fome Arguments to prove 
 its perpetual Obligation. 
 
 IV. Endeavour to anfwer the fever al Oh* 
 jeelions made againji it, and its perpetual 
 Obligation. 
 
 Laftly, Shew, what life and Improvement, 
 ioth you, my felf, and all others, who love 
 the Proteftant reform'd Religion, ought, in 
 this Junclure, to make of it for promoting 
 Godlinefs. 
 
 fir ft, As to its Rife^ and Progrefs, with 
 the fundry Shapes and . Modes, wherein it 
 hath appeared in this Church, I remark, 
 in general, That God, in his favourable 
 Providence, having, toward the End of the 
 fir ft Century, that is, about the Year 89- 
 after the Birth of Chrift, when Domitian 
 the RomatiEmyexor, that cruel Perfecutor, 
 exercis'd his Power againft the Chriftians 
 in the Empire, caufed many Gofpel Prea- 
 chers and other Chriftians flee from under 
 his Jurifdi&ion to the Weftern Britijh Ifles, 
 efpecially, thefe belonging toScotland ; they 
 got Shelter there, and thence propagated the 
 Gofpel into the Continent, fo as, at length, 
 
 in 
 
of the National Covenant, &c f^f- 
 
 in the Reign of Donald I. King of Scots, 
 about the Year, 20 3. The King himfelf and 
 many of all Ranks received the Chrifti- 
 an Faith 5 and fo Chriftianity became 
 the National Religion, and continued in its 
 Purity through a Succeifion of many .Ages 
 under a Presbyterian Government. But 
 at length, as it befel the reft of the Chur- 
 ches in Europe •, fo it happen'd to that of 
 Scotland : By Degrees it degenerate into 
 Prelacy and Popifh Superftition ; tho* by 
 the Favour of Providence, an honeft Te- 
 ftimony was kept up, from Time to Time, 
 againft that Defe&ion by fundry Perfons of 
 eminent Piety and Learning, as, James 
 Resby, the Ltfflcls, Paul Craw, &c. 
 who feal'd the Trfith with their Blood. 
 
 Thereafter, in the Year 1527, the Lord 
 ftirred up Mr. Patrick Hamilton, Mr. George 
 Wijeheart, Mr. Walter Mill, and others, in 
 the Reign of King James V. who, with fin* 
 gular Courage and Zeal, preached and pro- 
 fefs'd the reform'd Religion, having been 
 finftruded by 'the Writings of Luther, Oe~ 
 i colampadius, &c. eminent Preachers in Ger~ 
 many. About that Time alfo, the Refor- 
 mation began in Switzerland, Geneva^ 
 France and England, by eminent Preach- 
 ers and others, as Zuinglhts, Cafoin, Cran- 
 mer, &c. 
 
 A 3 Thus 
 
<1 fflhz Rife and Twgnfs • 
 
 ' Tlvs {food the Cafe with the leformU 
 in codand, toward the Era ofrhe Reign 
 of Kir.g James V. anno i~?9, who caufea 
 forhe cf them to be burnt, others ha aim- 
 ed, and ethers imprifoned •, and, by me' In- 
 ftigation of the Biilnps and Prieits, put a 
 Lift of a great many more of them into 
 the Hands of lames Hamilton, a Baftard of 
 the E. of ArranSj and conftitute him 
 Judge for profecuting them. 
 
 In the Year 154?, the King, through 
 Diioontent at the Defeat of the Army he 
 fem to invade England, died, and left 
 Mary his only lawf il Child, an Infant, to 
 fucceed him ^ who, by the Artifices of the 
 Queen Mother, $£c. was afterward' car- 
 ried to France ', and married to the Dau- 
 fh?n. 
 
 Btftton, Archbifhop of St. Asdrews, and 
 Cardinal, forg'd a "Will, as by the King, 
 naming therein himfelf and three others 
 e Regents, during the Queen's Mino- 
 rity. But the States of the Kingdom find- 
 ing out the Deceit, chofe James Earl of 
 Arran, who, being a weak and unliable 
 Man, was, by the Intrigues of the Popfb 
 ;ons, fbon rurnM out of that Dignity, 
 and the Qneeri Dowager vuX. in his Room * y 
 as will appear by and by. The Cardinal 
 carried on the Perfections againft the 
 
 Reformed, 
 
ef the National Covenant, &c. 7 
 Reformed, particularly, MxWifebeart, and 
 other Preachers. It pleas'd God however, 
 in a very convenient Seafon, to fend Mr. 
 Knox, Mr. IVillock, and other eminent Prea- 
 chers, who fpreadthe light of the Gofpelin 
 feveral Countries and Cities of this Land : 
 And, fo foon as they began to be favour'd 
 by many Perfons of all Ranks in the Caufe 
 of Chriit and the Reformation, the Re- 
 formed began to enter into Covenant with 
 God, for promoting Religion, and AfTocia- 
 tions among themfelves, for their mutual 
 Defence therein. And the 
 
 Firft Inftance of it was at Edinburgh 
 the Occafion of it was this. The Cardi- 
 nal, of his own Inclinations, and by the 
 Inftigation of the Queen Dowager, and 
 other Papifts, went on, under the Autho- 
 rity of the Earl of Arran Regent, to per- 
 fecute the Proteftants, particularly, he con- 
 demn'd Mr. George Wifebeart, and caufed 
 him be burnt at St. Andrews, This ftirred 
 up fundry Proteftants, fome of whom had 
 perfbnal Grudges at the Cardinal, to kill 
 him in his Caftle at St. Andrews •, which 
 they, and others who came to them after^ 
 ward, held out, till fome Troops by the 
 Queen Dowager's Procurement, came from 
 France to befiege it ; whereupon it was fur- 
 render'd on Articles, which occasioned 
 A 4 John 
 
8 The Rife and Trcgrefs 
 John Knox's being put, and kept, in the 
 French Gallies a confiderable Time after. 
 But, an Englifh Army, a little afterward, 
 coming to Scotland \ the Queen Dowager, 
 the Regent, and their Party, with the French 
 Soldiers, retired to Stirling -, but, after fome 
 Time, made Head again. However, at 
 length, a Peace being concluded between 
 England and France, the Englifh withdrew, 
 and the Queen Dowager made away for 
 Paris. Some Time after fhe return'd, and, 
 by Commiffion from the Queen and the 
 Dauphin her Husband, was made Regent 
 in the Room of the Earl otArran, who there- 
 upon was created Duke of chattleherault, 
 with a Penfion •, and fo the Queen Regent, 
 with her Popifh Counfellors, proceeded 
 further to perfecute the Reform'd, and fet 
 up Popifh Superftition in all Places of 
 the Kingdom. On which the Proteftants 
 refolv'd to go on in the begun Reformation, 
 and commit themfelves and that Work to 
 God. And in Order thereto, they did, on the 
 third Day of December, 1 5 5 7, at Edinburgh y 
 folemnly enter into Covenant with God, 
 and Aflbciation with one another, as hath 
 b en faicft It was fubfcribed by the Earls 
 of Argile, Glencairn, Archibald Lord Lorn^ 
 Ermine of Dun, 8cc. The Tenor whereof, 
 follows. We perceiving, how Satan in his 
 
 Mem- 
 
^£7 
 
 of the National Covenant, &c. J> 
 
 Members, the Antichrijis of 
 
 cur Time, cruelly do raze, n The National 
 
 r . . ' , J t i Covenant Jty? 
 
 je eking to overthrow and de- form d at Edin- 
 ftroy the Go/pel of Chr'ift and ** Anno 
 his Congregation, ought, ac- 
 cording to our hounden Duty, to ftrive in 
 our Matter's Caufe even unto the Death, 
 leing certain of the Viclory in him : The 
 which our Duty being well confiderd, we 
 do promije before the Majefiy of God and 
 his Congregation, That we, ( by his Grace ) 
 fhall, with all Diligence continually apply 
 our whole Power, Subjiance, and our very 
 Lives to maintain, fet forward, and ejiablifh 
 the moft blejfed Word of God, and his Con- 
 gregation : And fhall labour according to our 
 Pmer, to have faithful Minifters, truly and 
 purely to minifter Chr'ift" s Gofpel and Sacra- 
 ments to his People : We fhall maintain 
 them, nourifh them, and defend them, the 
 Congregation of Chriff, and every Member 
 | thereof, according to our whole Powers, and 
 waging of our Lives, againfi Satan, and all 
 wicked Power, that doth intend Tyranny or 
 Trouble againfi the forefaid Congregation; 
 Unto the which holy Word and Congregation, 
 we do join us ; and fo do forfakc and re- 
 nounce the Congregation, with all the Super- 
 ft it ions, Abominations and Idolatries thereof. 
 And moreover, fhall declare our f elves mani- 
 
 fifi 
 
10 *Ihe Rife and Trogrefs 
 
 feft Enemies thereto, by this our faithful Pro- 
 mife, before God, teftifed to this Congregation^ 
 by our Subfcription at thefe Vrefents. 
 
 About that Time, the Congregation, as 
 the Proteftants were then called, not only 
 entertain'd what found Preachers they 
 could get, and wrote to Mr. Knox to come 
 hither, and to Calvin to forward him, but 
 alfo made many other publiclc Steps for 
 Reformation, appointing the Scriptures to 
 be read, and Prayers in defolate Congre- 
 gations •, and the Town of Dundee, I think, 
 was honour'd before any other, to have in 
 it ere&ed the Face of a publiclc reform'd 
 Church, where John Willock, John Knox 
 and other eminent Minifters often preach'd 
 and adminiftred the Sacraments-, which 
 provok'd the Regent to caufe fummon 
 all the Preachers to appear before her at 
 Stirling on the 10th. of May, 15:59. And, 
 when the Congregation could not prevail 
 with her to diicharge the Summons, they 
 refblv'd to keep the Diet with their Prea- 
 chers -, and accordingly the Proteftants of 
 Angus and Merns, the People of Dundee, 
 the Earl of Glencaim, with the Proteftants 
 of the Weft, &r. met at Perth for that- 
 End, whither came alfo John Willock ; John 
 Knox was in the Town before. The Con- 
 gregation form'd a Camp a little weftward 
 
 of 
 
w 
 
 of the National Covenant, ($r. it 
 of St. Johnftoun, and the Queen Regent's 
 Army had march'd as far as Auchterarderv 
 On which an Agreement, confifting of 
 fundry Articles, was made 5 one of which 
 wis, %i-at the Congregation fhould leave St. 
 Johnftoun patent to the Regent and all the 
 'Lieges $ and that, at her Departure, (he fhould 
 
 , leave no French Soldiers in it. It was fur- 
 ther agreed, That none (loould he molefied 9 
 for their being of the reformed Religion. 
 The Congregation fubmitted on fet Pur- 
 
 1 pofe to flop the Mouths of fuch as alledg- 
 ed they deiign'd to rebel, and make off the 
 Authority of the King and Queen, tho* 
 they generally reckon d, the Regent would 
 not ftick to the Articles. Wherefore, be- 
 fore their Departure, on the laft Day of 
 
 ! May, Anno 1559. They 
 
 Renewed the former Covenant with fbme 
 Alterations in Terms durable to 'the Cir- 
 
 j cumftances they were then in: 'Tis fub- 
 fcribed by Argyle, James Stuart, Robert 
 Lord Boyd, Ochiltree, 8cc. The Tenor where- 
 of follows, The Congregations of the Weft 
 Country, with the Congregations 
 of Fife, Perth, Dundee, Angus, 3£SS+? 
 Merns and Montrofe, being con- vT ond Time & 
 veend in the Town of Perth, in m - 1JSZ * 
 the Name of Jefus Chrift, for fating forth 
 his Glory, under flan ding nothing mors Necef- 
 
 fary 
 
+■ 
 
 it The Rife and Trogrefs 
 
 fary for the fame, than to keep a conftant 
 Amity ) Unity and Fellowfhip together, accord* 
 ing as they are commanded by God, are con- 
 federate and become bounden and obliged in 
 the Pre fence of God, to concur and ajfifi to- 
 gether in doing all 1 kings required of God 
 in his Scripture ; that may be to his Glory ^ 
 and at their whole Powers to deftroy and put 
 away all Things that doth Difhonour to his 
 Name, fo that God may be truly and purely 
 vjorfhipped. And, in Cafe that any Trouble be 
 intended againlt the faid Congregation, or 
 any Part or Member thereof, the whole Con- 
 gregation (hall concur, affift and conveen to- 
 gether, to the Defence of the fame Congrega- 
 tion, or Perfon troubled-, and (hall not f pare 
 Labours, Goods, Subftance, Bodies and Lives^ 
 to maintain the Liberty of the whole Congre- 
 gation, and every Member thereof, againji 
 whatfoever Perfon [hall intend the faid trou- 
 ble for Caufe of Religion, or any other Caufe 
 depending thereupon, or lay to their Charge un- 
 der Pretence thereof, alt ho 3 it happen to be co- 
 loured with any other outward Caufe. In Wh- 
 ite ffing and 'Tefiimony of the which, the whole 
 Congregation aforefaid have ordained and ap* 
 pointed the Noblemen and Perjons tofubfaibe 
 thefe Prefents. 
 
 The Queen, the Duke ofCbattleberault, 
 and Monfieur dVfelle with his French Men 
 
 enter'd 
 
cf the National Covenant, t&c. t j 
 enter'd the Town, and, in difcharging their 
 Vollies againft the Fore-ftair of Patrick Mur- 
 ray, where many People looked out, they 
 kill'd his Son of 10 or 1 2 Years of Age - 
 the Father was a zealous Proteftant, and a 
 very godly Man ; and the Queen Regent 
 being inform'd, faid it was a Pity it fell 
 not on the Father. She violate all the Ar- 
 ticles, which drew oft from her Side ma- 
 ny Proteftant Noblemen and Gentlemen, 
 who afterward join'd heartily with their 
 Brethren in carrying on the Reformation. 
 The Lord Ruthven, the Earl of Rothes, with 
 their Followers the train'd Bands of Dun- 
 dee and St. Andrews, and many others, met 
 on Coupar-muir, and by the Advice of Mr. 
 James Haliburton Provoft in Dundee, en- 
 camped on an advantageous Plat of Ground. 
 The Regent,the Duke,and Monfieur iOJellc 
 "with their Troops, lay at FaulUand fome 
 Time, and thence marched towards St. An* 
 drevus, in Queft of fuch of the Congregation 
 as they reckoned were there / But finding 
 them ready at Coupar-Muir, fhe made witn 
 them an Accomodation for eight Days, and 
 promis'd ftie fhould appoint Commif Goners 
 in that Time to treat with them of a ta- 
 iling Peace. But fhe failing in this, the 
 Congregation agreed, that the Brethren of 
 Fife, Angus, Merns, and Strathern fhould 
 
 meet 
 
*4 ^he Rife and Trogrefs 
 meet at St. John/ton, to reftore the Prote- 
 ftant Inhabitants to their Houfes there, 
 and expel the French left by the Regent, 
 contrary to Agreement, in that Town. They 
 accordingly met, and with them the Earl 
 of Mont eith, the Laird of Glenorch, and fun- 
 dry others, and execute what they intend- 
 ed. The Common People of their Party, 
 contrary to the Inclination and Orders of 
 their Leaders, delinked the Abbay of 
 Scoon. 
 
 The Regent and her French Men went 
 on to ftrengthen their Intereft, and perfe- 
 cute the Congregation. The Congregation 
 conveen'd about Edinburgh, to afiift Leith 
 againft the French ; but that Town, by the 
 Treachery of fome in it, fubmitted to 
 Monfieur dtOfelk. The Lord Erskine, 
 Captain of the Caftle of Edinburgh, de- 
 clared for the Regent and French-, which 
 obljg'd the Congregation, on Articles not 
 very advantageous to them, to retire to 
 Stirling, where they for the third Time 
 
 The c tr.ant Renew'd their Covenant and 
 kia&Atht third Affectation, with fome Altera- 
 
 Timeac Stirling, ■ fa m f u i te ^ f their thdl Cir- 
 
 cumftances. It bears Date at 
 Stirling the ift Day of Auguft, 15:5:9. It 
 luppofes, That they had mainly in View 
 the carrying on the Reformation 3 but be- 
 
 caufe 
 
of the National Covenant, & c . if 
 caufe a great many underhand Dealings 
 were us'd'by the Queen, her Husband, and 
 the French Councils in France, and the 
 Queen Regent with hers, to divide the 
 Congregation among themfelves, the fore- 
 faid Bond was agreed to and fubferibed as 
 hath been faid. 
 
 Thereafter, the Congregation under- 
 standing, That the Queen Regent never 
 meant to keep to Articles, nor fuffer the 
 Reformation to go on, they found Means 
 to addrefs Queen- Elizabeth of 'England and 
 her Council for their Support They were 
 encourag'd to this in Regard England had 
 carry d on the Reformation to a confidera- 
 fcle Length 5 and becaufe it was their L> 
 tereft to hinder the French from getting too 
 much Footing in Scotland, feeing the Wars 
 between England and France were carrying 
 on elfewhere. And that the French deWd 
 to fupprefs all that flood for the Liberty of 
 this Nation, was evident, from the Hazard 
 the E ar l f An an, the Dulce of Chat- 
 tleherault s Son, had been in in France, and 
 the Impnfonment of a Brother of his un- 
 der Age. The Earl efcap'd from France 
 came Home, and informed his Father - On 
 this he joyn'd the Congregation, and the 
 Lord James contmu d to adhere to them 
 notwithstanding the many Artifices us'd by 
 
 the 
 
lS The Rife and Trogrefs 
 the Regent to divide them ; fometimes orl 
 Pretence,That the Duke, and, other Times, 
 the Lord James, defign'd to ufurp the Au- 
 thority, and difpoffefs the King, Queen, 
 and Regent •, from which Imputation they 
 both clear'd themfelves by Letters to all 
 the three, and to the Lieges, by open Pro- 
 clamation. 
 
 ^ The Regent however carry'd on her De- 
 figns againft the Reformation as fhe could, 
 and every Day brought French Soldiers in- 
 to the Nation, efpecially into the Town of 
 heith. This brought the Congregation 
 often together, who, at length, at Edin* 
 Burgh the 21ft of Ocleber, fet down Arti- 
 cles againft her Government ; on which, in 
 Name of the King and Queen, they fufpend- 
 ed her from the Adminiftration, caus'd the 
 fame to be intimate by found of Trumpet 
 at the Crofs of Edinburgh -, and wrote her 
 felf a Miffive to that Purpofe. The Day 
 following they fummon'd Leitb to furren- 
 der ; fhe retir'd to the Caftle of Edinburgh, 
 and fo the War went on ; but the Succels, 
 for the moft Part, was on the French Side. 
 Remarkable is the Behaviour of Captain 
 Alexander Haliburton, Brother to the Pro- 
 Voft of Dundee, who with his Followers 
 made a noble Stand againft the French, 
 
 while 
 
of tie National Covenant, &c. i* 
 while purfuing, and he and many of his 
 Men loft their lives in f he Adion. 
 . The Congrc/ n, after this, departed 
 from Edinfotr 6 Stirling, where Mr: 
 Knox preach'd to \ hem a very encouraging 
 Sermon. The Regent fent Advertifement 
 to France of thefe Adventures, defiring the 
 Duke of Guife to come hither, 1 and take 
 the Honour of the Conqueft. On which he 
 fent the Marquifs d'Elbeaf and Martiques, 
 with new Troops from thence, and promi- 
 fed, that himfelf fhould follow ; which he 
 indeed intended, but was driven back to 
 Diep, and all their Tranfports, with eigh- 
 teen Companies of Foot loft-, the Ship 
 wherein himfelf afnd the other Principals 
 were, was, however, fav'd, and he acknow- 
 ledge, That GOD fought for Scotland. 
 
 In the mean Time, the F) -ench Garrifon 
 continuing in Leith, fent many Parties over 
 to Fife, who burnt, flew, and moft barba- 
 roufly us'd the Inhabitants. The Congre- 
 gation defended themfelves and their 
 Friends, as well as they could,- and op- 
 pos'd the French marching along the Co ft 
 of Fife, with a Delign to deftroy St. An* 
 jkcws and Dundee. One T hing fell out du- 
 ring thefe Adventures, 'hat is very remar- 
 kable : The Congregation order'd Andrew 
 Sands, a Man of Religion and Courage, 
 B from 
 
1 8 The Rife and Trogrefs 
 from the Harbour of Dundee with two 
 Ships to Leith-Road, where Martiques and 
 his Company had arriv'd in two Ships, out 
 of which the Principals had gone to Leith, 
 and carried their Trunks and Papers with 
 them before Sands came up : But when he 
 and his came up with the French Ships at 
 Anchor, he boarded them both, and, in 
 Sight of the French in Leith and Fife, car* 
 ried them away for Dundee Harbour. A* 
 bout that Time Advertifement was given 
 to Monfieur cTOfelle, who commanded the 
 French in Fife, that two Ships defcry'd at 
 Sea, were Englijh, come to affift the Con- 
 gregation, and that greater Numbers fol- 
 Fow'd ; on which he, and his Troops under 
 his Command, retreated by Stirling to 
 Leith. And, after fundry Turns of Provi- 
 dence, and Intrigues of State between the 
 Queen of England and the Congregation, 
 on the 2d of April, 1560, an Englijh Ar- 
 my enter'd Scotland, march'd toward Leith, 
 and at length fat down before it, and began 
 the Siege. 
 „! r : The Congregation being 
 
 Tht Covenant ■. ,, -^. ,° , ,., t> 
 
 rene^'d the gather d at Edinburgh, did, on 
 SSL£gi2 the 27th of April that Year, 
 renew their former Covenants 
 and Afjociations to the fame Purpofe as for- 
 merly. But becaufe the Tenor is very 
 
 long, 
 
of the National Covenant, &c. 19 
 long, and to be feen in Knox's Hiftory, 
 Page 24.6, and 247. under the Title o£ 
 *fhc laji Band at Leith, I forbear to record 
 it here. 
 
 • In the mean Time the Siege went on,and 
 there were fundry Skirmifhes between the 
 Befieg'd and the Befiegers, in which fome- 
 times the one, fometimes the other had the 
 Advantage 5 all the Proteftants in the King- 
 dom favoured the Engl't/h, and all the Pa* 
 pifts and Malignants the Regent and the 
 French 5 and both fpoke and a&ed accord- 
 ingly. The Regent had retired to the Ca- 
 ftle of Edinburgh, where, before the War 
 ended, Ihe died 5 and the Lord Erskine, the 
 
 ' Captain, declared for the Congregation and 
 the Englifh. 
 
 At Length Monfieur Rondam and the 
 
 ' Bifhop of Valance came to Scotland with 
 Commiffion from the Queen ,and the 
 King, who had then facceeded to the Crown 
 of France ^ and Sir William Cecil and Dr. 
 Whitton from the Queen of England^ who, 
 together with the Congregation, concluded 
 a Peace, a main Article whereof was, That 
 a Convention of the Eftates of this Kingdom 
 (houldmeet at Edinburgh on the 20. July 
 next thereafter 5 which did accordingly meet, 
 and John Knox preach'd before them with 
 great Succefs, a Preaching upon fome Texts 
 B 2 of 
 
no The Rife aiidTrogrefs 
 
 of the Prophet Haggai. The Reform'd 
 having fupplicate the Parliament to pro- 
 mote and eftablifh the Reformation, they 
 were ordered to draw up in fundry Heads, 
 what they believ'd and would have profef- 
 fed, which they accordingly did ^ and 
 it was read again and again, and, with- 
 out any Objection, approven ; the Bifhops 
 faid nothing to the contrary *, Athol, So- 
 mervel and Borthwick faid, they would be- 
 lieve as their Fathers believ'd. That Com- 
 pofure confifteth of Twenty five Articles 
 or Heads, and is commonly call'd the Con- 
 fejjion of Faith. About that Time the firft 
 Book of Difcipline was compos'd by Knox 
 and others, and approven and fubfcrib'd 
 fcy a great many of all Ranks in the Tol- 
 fcooth of Edinburgh,, on the 27. of January, 
 Anno 1560, tho'fome of a licentious Tem- 
 per, and others, out of Covetoufhefs, who 
 poffefs'dthe Church-Lands, refus'dit, tho' 
 they had hitherto concurred in. all the Steps 
 of the Reformation. 
 
 The King and Queen refufed to ratify 
 the Peace made at Leith, and the Proceed- 
 ings of the laft Parliament ^ and, on the 
 contrary, fent an Ambaflador hither to 
 the privy Council, who, by .the late Peace 
 at Leith, had the Adminiftration, demand- 
 ing, Wat the League with England fhould 
 
 bo 
 
of the National Covenant, &c. 21 
 le broken, the ancient League with France 
 renewed, and the Bi/hops and ether Church* 
 men rejior'd to their ancient Places. The 
 Council delayed an Anfwer, till the Par- 
 liament fhould meet in May following. 
 In the mean Time, the Papifts made all 
 the Head they could, under the Earl of 
 Huntley and others, let up the Mafs where 
 they could, and thought to have difap- 
 pointed the Meeting of the Parliament, 
 but were difap pointed themfelves : For the 
 
 1 Proteftants conveen'd at Edinburgh, the 7th. 
 of May, 1 5 6 1, and in the 'Tolbooth, the 
 chief of them fign'd a Supplication to the 
 Council, and others conveen'd with them, 
 againft Popery, and for Reformation : 
 Which got a good Anfwer, and the French 
 
 I Ambaflador was difmifled with a Nega- 
 tive, in very ftrong Terms, to every De«* 
 mand of his. 
 
 The French King dying in the Interim, 
 and leaving the Scots Queen a Widow, 
 without IfTue, the Reformation went on, 
 and me, at laft, arriv'd in Scotland, on the 
 19th of Auguft, 156 1. Sundry French of 
 Quality, and others, came in her Compa- 
 ny. She had Mafs faid in the Chapel of 
 Holy-Rood-Honfe t which the Body of the 
 People would have oppofed, but the Pro- 
 teftant Lords, of too much Complaifance, 
 protected it. 
 
 B 3 The 
 
iz The Rife and Progrefs 
 
 The Queen, with her evil Counfellors, 
 did all (he could to embarafs the Refor- 
 mation, and encourage Profanity. Which, 
 at length, drew, by the Advice of Mr. 
 Knox and others, the Congregations of the 
 IVtft to meet 
 At Air the 4th of September, 1562. and 
 renew the Covenant for Re- 
 ' Tb C covenant f ormat ion. It was fubferib'd 
 
 feneved ;he - . - _ -, 7 
 
 Fit Time by the Earl of dlencairn^ 
 
 ■«Air. Anno Lord Boyd ^ Ochiltree, and ma- 
 ny others. 
 No Intreaties of the Preachers nor Pro- 
 teftant Nobility could prevail with the 
 Queen to fupprefs Idolatry, and attend 
 the Preaching of the Gofpel. She made 
 a Progrefs to the North, and after fundry 
 Adventures, particularly a Battle fought 
 againft the Earl of Huntley, who had ma- 
 ny of his Friends and Men kill'd, fbme 
 taken Prifoners, and himfelf died of Grief $ 
 The Court return'd to Edinburgh, where 
 they fpent their Time in Banquetting, 
 t)runkennefs and Mafquerading, &c. 
 The Queens Behaviour to fundry Perfons 
 was the common Talk, particularly, to 
 Monfieur Chattelet, whom fhe choos'd fre- 
 quently in dancing the Purpofe; and, 
 whom (he aftenvar&'f&tts (£■*!>& <execuiwj 
 without allowing him to fpeak a Woi;d, it 
 
 v feems, 
 
5 V % 
 
 of the National Covenant, &c. 2j 
 leems, on Purpofe, to remove the Scan- 
 dal. The Minifters preach'd continually 
 againft the Diforders of the Court, which 
 incens'd her againft them. 
 
 The Queen was, at length, married to 
 the Lord Darnly, Son to the Duke of Le- 
 nox, whom fhe, a little before, created 
 Duke of Rot hf ay, Qfr And, upon the Mar- 
 riage, caus'd him be proclaim'd King 5 
 which incenfed the Nation to have a King 
 fet over them without their Confent. He 
 was a Man of a light Temper, and fpent 
 his Time in Hunting, gfr. without fide- 
 ing, at firft, either with the Proteftants 
 or Papifts, but was afterward, by the 
 Queen's Artifices, brought to Popery -, and 
 fo continued, till he became fufpicious of 
 criminal Intrigues between the Queen and 
 David Rizie, an Italian Fidler, whom fhe 
 raifed to be her Secretary for Foreign AC* 
 fairs. His Jealoufie prompted him to join 
 to himfelf the Earl of Morton, Lord Ruth- 
 ven. Lord Lindfay, and others, who took 
 the faid David from the Queen's Elbow, 
 < and caus'd flay him in a low Gallery in 
 !the Abbay. From that Time, the Queen 
 defpifed the King, order'd his Name to be 
 kept out of all publick Wr^ts 5 and, at laft, 
 
 
f&l . ' ilheRife and -Trogrefs 
 
 - .In the mean Time, me was brought to 
 *Bed ofa Son, afterward King James Yh 
 /Upon her Recovery, fhe began fbon to in- 
 trigue with the Earl of: Botbwel, who moft 
 dhjurioufly forc'd his lawful Wife to take 
 •out a Divorce againft him, that he might 
 marry the Queen.! She continuing ftill to 
 -perfecute Religion and opprefs the Lieges, 
 ihe States, at length imprifon'd her in 
 Loch-Leven Cattle, caus'd her refign the 
 Government in Favours of her Son, then a 
 Child about two Years of Age \ i and nomi- 
 nate the Lord .James, fometime before 
 created Earl of Murray, to be Regent, du- 
 ring the King's Minority. He was her Ba- 
 llard Brother, much given to true Religi- 
 on, of a fweet .Temper, great Vivacity, of 
 a quick Apprehenfion, very fhccefsful in 
 Enterprizes, valiant in Battle, prudent in 
 Counlels : God had honour'd him to be the 
 chief Inftrument of the Reformation, he 
 was generally belov'd by good Men. The 
 Queen efcaped from Loch-Leven-, her Party 
 took Arms, but were fupprefs'd, and fhe 
 fled to England. 
 
 King James- VI, hardly two Years of 
 Age, was placed on the Throne, July 25:. 
 Anno 1 J 67. The States of the Kingdom ap- 
 proved the Reiignation, and own'd the Earl 
 of Murray Regent, and put the young 
 
 King 
 
of the. National Covenant, &c. 15 
 King in' the Hands of the Earl of Mar y 
 Captain of Stirling Caftle. So the Govern- 
 ment proceeded, notwithftanding all that 
 the Queen's Party could do in the con- 
 trary. 
 
 - By this Time God had wonderfully blef- 
 fed the Gofpel in Scotland, and multiplied 
 the Preachers thereof, who, by common 
 Confent, were diftributed, as feem'd moft 
 to Edification, John Knox to Edinburgh, 
 Chriftopher Goodman 'to St. Andrews, Adam 
 Herwt to Aberdeen, Mr. John Rue to St. 
 Johnftoun, Paul Math-wen to Jedburgh, Wil- 
 liam Chryt'ifon to Dundee, David Fergufon 
 to Dumfermline, Mr. David Lin d fay to 
 Leith, and others to other Places. Befides 
 thefe, fundry other Minifters, then call'd 
 Superintendents', were appointed to travel 
 up' and down the Countries, to promote 
 the Reformation, and report their Dili- 
 gence, from Time to Time, to the gene- 
 ral Affemblies of the Church. 
 
 In the Year 1567, The Confeffion of 
 Faith, above-mentioned, was ratified in the 
 firll Pari, of King James VI. In which 
 alfo, fundry other Acts were made againft 
 Popery, and in Favours of the Reforma- 
 tion •, which, on that Footing;, fubfifted, 
 and went on, from Time to Time, during 
 the Government, -firft of the Earl of Mur- 
 ray, 
 
2,6 *¥he Rife and*Progrefs 
 ray, then by the Duke of Lenox, thereafter 
 by the Earl of Mar, and laftly, by the 
 Earl of Morton, all fucceifively Regents, 
 during the King's Minority. Tis true, 
 the Tulchan Bifbops were fometimes pre£ 
 fed on the Church, That hungry Cour- 
 tiers might, by their Means, poffefs ma* 
 ny of the Church's Rents : But the ge- 
 neral AiTemblies met often, and adted free- 
 ly, obliging all fuch Bifhops to have the 
 Charge of particular Flocks, and be no 
 more in the Church than any other Mi* 
 nifters. 
 
 Anno 1578. The King took the Govern- 
 ment upon himfelf, and, after 
 The cove- many Struggles between the 
 
 mnt rer.ew'd ~ J p^z . . 
 
 th-6th,-an4 lincere Protellors and the Mi- 
 i$S!*flfr nifters on the one Part, and 
 wo, 1638^ the malignant Popifh Party 
 on the other 5 an Abbreviate 
 of the forefaid Confeffion was made and 
 agreed to, under the Name of the Natio- 
 nal Covenant 5 the fame for Subftance with 
 the former ones, but larger, and adapted to 
 the Circumftances the Church was then in. 
 In the Year, 1580, it was fubfcrib'd by 
 the Minifters and many others, and by the 
 King and his Houlhold that Year 5 there- 
 after by Perfons of all Ranks, in the Year 
 1581, "by Ordinance of the Lords of the 
 
 Secret 
 
of the National Covenant, &c. 27 
 Secret Council, and Ads of the General 
 Aflembly. Subfcrib'd by all Sorts of Per- 
 fons in the Year 1590, by a new Ordi- 
 nance of Council, at the Defire of the Ge- 
 neral AfTembly, with a general Bond for 
 maintaining of the true Religion, and the 
 King's Perfon. And fubfcribed in the 
 Year, 1638, by the Noblemen, Barons, 
 Gentlemen, BurgefTes, Minifters and Com- 
 mons then underfubfcribing, to main* 
 tain the {aid true Religion, Sec. And a- 
 gain fubferib'd, Anno, 1659, by Ordinance 
 of Council and Adt of the General Aflem- 
 bly. 
 
 At length, in the Year, 1592, the Pref- 
 byterian Government was, in its full Ex- 
 tent, ratified in the firft of the 12 Pari. 
 of King James VI. And fo continued for 
 fundry Years, till a Popifh Party about 
 the King, and the Hopes, he had conceiv'd, 
 .of fucceeding to the Crown of England, 
 when Queen Elizabeth mould die, indue'd 
 him to obtrude upon the Nation the Eftate 
 of Bifhops, and force them on the Church, 
 as far as he could $ and fo the Defection 
 went on, all the reft of his Reign, and 
 feveral Years of that of his Son Charles 
 I, who, by the Inftigation of the Scots and 
 Englifh Bifhops, efpecially, of Archbifhop 
 Laud 7 that Firebrand, who put Britain 
 
 and 
 
s8 Tl?e Rife and *Progrefs 
 
 and Ireland into the outmoft Confufion of 
 Perjury, Bloodfhed and Rapine, caus'd 
 compile a Commoner ay er Book, and a 
 Book of Canons for Scotland •, which, to- 
 gether with the Rites of the Church of 
 England, were, by the Authority of the 
 privy Council, -^efs'd upon the Nation. 
 
 But in the Year 1637. when the Prela- 
 tick Clergy began to officiate in Edinburgh 
 after thefe fuperftitious Modes, the People 
 oppos'd it in a tumultuary Way, and the 
 Nobility, Gentry, Minifters and others, 
 that from Time to Time had been defpis'd 
 and opprefs'd by the Bilhops, took that 
 Opportunity^ meet and advife with one 
 another at Edinburgh. The Refult of which 
 was, that they fwore and fubfcrib'd the Na- 
 tional Covenant and Bond, for Maintenance 
 of the true Religion themfelves, and wrote 
 their Miifives to all Parts of the Kingdom 
 to do the like •, referring to the Determi- 
 nation of the next General AfTembly, whe- 
 ther the Government of the King by Bi- 
 fhops, and the five Articles of Perth, were 
 underftood to be abjur'd by it. 
 
 The King and privy Council, obferving 
 their Authority was like to be weaken'd by 
 thefe Meafures, Enacted, That all the Na- 
 tion (hould fwear and fubfcnbe the very fame 
 National Covenant in terminis, and under- 
 
 ftand 
 
y7j 
 
 of the National Covenant, fyc. 29 
 
 fiand it, fo as Prelacy and the five Articles 
 of Perth 'Were not abjur'd by it : This was 
 prefs'd on many with great Rigour and 
 Force. . The Neceffity of the King's Affairs 
 oblig'd him, againft his Inclinations, to 
 inditi a General Aflembly of the Church 
 to meet at Glafgow in the following Year 
 1638, which accordingly met, where the 
 Marquefs of Hamilton was Commiffioner for 
 him, who, oblerving the Way they were 
 like to ad, diflblved them and withdrew : 
 They however continued to fit, j declar'd 
 that Prelacy and the five Articles of Perth 
 were abjur'd by the Covenant and Bond 
 thereto annexed, and appointed the famen of 
 new to be fworn and fubfcrib'd ^ which was 
 accordingly done in the Year 1639. This 
 was the Rife and Progrefs of the National 
 
 1 Covenant, and the feveral Shapes and Modes 
 in which it hath appeared, whence the 
 Reader may fee they were all along de- 
 
 \ fenfive. 
 
 That Affembly depos'd all the Bilhops, 
 excommunicate fome of them, and fettled 
 the Order of the Provincial Aflemblies, and 
 
 * of the Presbyteries, much as we now 
 have them. 
 
 < The Aflembly at Edinburgh 1639, Se £ 
 fion 23. Supplicate the Earl otTraquair his 
 
 j Ma jelly's CommjiTioner, and the fecret 
 
 Council, 
 
\6 The Rife and Prcgrefs 
 Council, to enjoin, that the Confeffion and 
 Covenant fliould be fubfcrib'd by the Sub- 
 jects of all Ranks and Qualities $ which was 
 granted by Adt of Secret Council, Augujt 
 30. that Year: "Which, together with the 
 Commiffioner's Declarations thereanent 
 were made to that AfTembly, who alfo inter- 
 pofed their own Authority to that Purpofe. 
 'Tis reinarkable, that in the clofe of that 
 Supplication, the AfTembly prefs it from 
 the Example of their PredecefTors, Anno 
 1589. This they alfo enjoin'd iii the 
 AfTembly Auguft 8. 1643. 
 
 The King's Affairs, by the Influence of 
 evil Counfellors, fpecially the Englifh Bi- 
 fliops, of whom Laud was the Head, and 
 the excommunicate Scots Bifhops, who had 
 retired to London, were more and more 
 embarafs'd •, which coft him his Life, and 
 rais'd Oliver Cromwel the Ufurper ; and the 
 Anarchy in the State, and Difbrder in^ the 
 Church, continued long. In the meantime, 
 on the News of the Father's Death, the 
 Scots proclaimed his Son Charles II. King, 
 who having agreed to their Proportions, 
 was folemnly crown'd at Scoon, and fwore 
 Publickly, and fubfcrib'd the National Co- 
 venant and Solemn League and Covenant, 
 making the greateft ProfeiTions of his fin- 
 cere Purpofes to adhere thereto, and pro- 
 mote 
 
of the National Covenant, '&c. 3 1 
 Tnote the Defign of them in all his Domi- 
 nions: But, being fundry Times beaten 
 by Cromwel and his Officers, he was intirely 
 routed at IV ore eft er, Anno 165 1, whence 
 he retired to France \ and Cromwel's Ufurpa- 
 tion went on. In the mean time, the Scots 
 Royalifts manag'd after their rude barba- 
 rous Way : But the Presbyterian Ministers 
 continued to Pray for the King's Reftora- 
 tion, and the grave and foher People of all 
 Ranks did what they could to promote it, 
 except that the Earl of Argyle, the Lord 
 Wariftoun and others, gave fomeCompliance 
 with the Ufurper Cromwel, who had liv'd 
 a compleat Example of* Prudence in Coun« 
 fel, Valour in the Field, Hypocrifle in 
 the Church, and Wickednefs in his Ufur- 
 pation, died, and left his Son Richard, a 
 Man exceedingly weak, to Succeed in the 
 Government. Wherefore his Military Of. 
 ficers began to intrigue for bringing Home 
 * the King : But General Monk, then in Scot- 
 j land, by the Afliftance of that Nation, loon 
 I got the Afcendant of them all 5 and fb the 
 King was reftored and enter'd London May 
 29. 1660. 
 
 By the firft Aft pafTed in the 2. Sefllon 
 
 of his firfl: Parliament, held by the Earl of 
 
 ■ Middleton his Commiflioner, and begun 
 
 upon 8. of May Anno 1662, Prelacy in its 
 
 full 
 
-$f 7/se Rife 'and 'Progrefs 
 full Extent was reftored, upon. the Foot- 
 ing of his Majefty's Royal Prerogative b- 
 ver all Perfons and Caufes Ecclefiaftical 
 and Civil, inftead of Presbytry, which, the 
 Year before, in the firft Sefiion, had been 
 abrogate. 
 
 In the fecond Act of that 2d Seflion of 
 Parliament, Act for Prefervation of his 
 Majefty's Perfbn, &c. It was declared, a- 
 mong other Things, That the National Co- 
 "vmant^ as it was fworn and explained 'Anno 
 1638, and thereafter, was an unlawful 
 Oath. And, by the fifth Act of that Setfion 
 of Parliament, all in publick Truft were 
 obliged to fubfcribe a Declaration againft 
 it, as, by the AfTembly at Glafgow 1628, 
 It was explained to abjure Prelacy, and the 
 five Articles of 'Perth. 
 
 After this, the ^ Defection went on in 
 Scotland, and the moft horrid Barbarities of 
 Bloodfhed, Oppreffion and Rapine, by the 
 Inftigation of Prelates and corrupt Church- 
 men, were exercis'd by the civil Govern-? 
 ment on Preachers and People of all Ranks, 
 that adhered to that Covenant ; which fr^ni 
 the Year 15*5:7, until that Time had been 
 current, with but a few Interruptions, a- 
 mong all Perfons that regarded Religion 
 and common Honefty. 
 
 Mhafl 
 
of the National Covenant, &r. 33 
 I fhall not here Remark all that I might 
 on the Parties that renewed that Covenant . 
 afterwards, and fuffered for their doing fo $ 
 their Adions on the Matter were juft, but, 
 whether the Timing and Manner and Way 
 in which they manag'd them was Prudent, 
 I will not determine ^ but am fure, that the 
 •fconeft Teftimony they gave, from Time 
 to Time, for Presbytery, and the Obliga- 
 tion of the National Covenant , has, by the 
 BlerTmg of God, been the Means of prefer- 
 ving the Doctrine, Difcipline and Govern- 
 ment of this National Church, as we now, 
 by the Favour God, enjoy thefe $ and I 
 would not, for any Thing, entertain uncha- 
 ritableThoughts of the many precious Chri- 
 ftians, both Minifters and others, who have 
 loft their Liberties, Fortunes or Lives in 
 the Defence of it, in the late Times of 
 Prelacy and arbitrary Power, and I am 
 fure too, he muft have an odd Confcience, 
 a bitter Spirit, and a ftrange Brow for a 
 Bargain, that hath read the Hiftory of thefe 
 Times, and yet would think or fpeak dis- 
 gracefully of thofe precious Worthies, who, 
 both on the Score of the Matter, and For- 
 mality of the National Covenant, fuffered 
 in their Lives, Eftates or Liberties from 
 and after the Reftoration of King Charles II. 
 ■until. November 1688, when the glorious 
 C Liberty 
 
54 *Fhe Rife and Trogrefs 
 Liberty of this National Church began to 
 dawn by the Noble Adventures of the 
 Prince of Orange, afterward our King, a 
 Perfon of the greateft Vivacity, and in 
 all other Refpe&s, of the brighteft Cha- 
 racter, of any Prince that livd on Earth 
 in his Time j efpecially, if it be confi- 
 der'd, that, under his aufpicions Govern- 
 anent, the honourable Eftates of this Na- 
 tion, did, with his hearty Confent, in his 
 and his Royal Conforms firji Parliament> 
 Sejf. 2. Aft 18. refcind Forfaultures and 
 Fines, to the Number of four hundred and 
 upwards, of them therein mention'd -, be- 
 iide a general Claufe in the Act, including 
 all others, who, in the Commencement 
 forefaid, fuffer'd for Non-Conformity with 
 the wicked Courfes of thefe Times. That 
 Catalogue hath in it Perfons of all Ranks 
 in the Nation; Noblemen, Gentlemen, 
 Burgefles, Minifters of the Gofpel, and 
 Commons of all Sorts $ many of whom, 
 and others, not therein namd, had loft 
 their Lives, or been baniftYd by Iniquity 
 eftablifh'd by Law ; and 'tis remarkable, 
 that their Majefties and Eftates did, by 
 that Acl, rehabilitate, redintegrate and 
 reftore fo many of the faid Perfons, as 
 were then living, and the Memory of 
 them, who were dead, and their Suocet 
 
 fore 
 
of the National Covenant, &c.f%f 
 Tors and Pofterity to their Goods, Fame, 
 and worldly Honour, ©r. and fhall, any 
 of us hint at dilgracing their Memory > 
 The Scaffolds and Fields, in fundry Towns 
 and Countries of the Nation, fmok'd with 
 the Blood of thofe Innocents *, and fliall we, 
 contrary to all the Rules of Charity to the 
 Principles of the bleffed Revolution, and 
 to the Foundation of our prefent Standing, 
 fey, they did but throw away their 
 Lives* 
 
 Secondly, I come to confidei the Views, 
 that thePerfons principally concern'd had, 
 or might have had in the firfl: framing and 
 Xubfeguent renewings of this National Co- 
 venant, from Time to Time, on which I 
 fliall be very {hort 
 
 When I read the Form and Mode, in 
 which it appear'd, Anno 1557, confider 
 the Perfons fubfcribing, and the Hazard 
 they were in, on the Account of their 
 Profeffion and Actings, I cannot get my 
 felfforc'dtohave an uncharitable Thought 
 ,of them, but muft believe, excepting here 
 the common Infirmities of the Lord's 
 People, they had in View the Honour of 
 God, and the Good of their own Souls, 
 and of the Souls of others : For after the 
 Congregation had, a little before that 
 Time, written for Mr. Knox to come from 
 C 2 Geneva 
 
^6 The Rife and Trogrefs 
 
 Geneva to this Land, and to Mr. Calvin to 
 forward him, as hath been faid : When he 
 was as far in Way as Diep, having re- 
 ceiv'd Letters from his Friends, to flop, 
 In Regard, they apprehended the Congre- 
 gation to be fainting in their Purpofe, he 
 from thence wrote the Congregation a long 
 Letter of the Date, October, 27th. Anno 
 1557, which indue d them, then in the 
 utmoft Hazard of Wrath from the Popifh 
 Government, influene'd and encouraged by 
 the Court of France, to fwear and fub- 
 fcribe the Form recorded, Page 4. 
 
 I might make the fame Reflections, 
 upon the Main, on all the fubfequent Re- 
 newings of it, Annis, at Perth 1559, At Air 
 that Year -, at Edinburgh -1560, at Air 1562, 
 at Edin. and thro* the whole Kingdom 
 1580, 1581, 1590^ 1658, 1659, and at 
 the Coronation of King Charles II. at Scoon. 
 I will not deny, but that, in fundry of 
 thofe Periods, carnal Men and Hypocrites 
 inight have defignd the increafing their 
 worldly Intereft out of the Church's Rents; 
 others, Refentrnents of the Covetoufhefs 
 and Pride of the Popifh and Prelatick 
 Clergy, and their own religious Pride and 
 Vanity : But I am fure, the Contexture of 
 this National Covenant in all its Shapes, 
 and particularly, as it ftands, and is bound 
 
 up 
 
off be National Covenant, (jc. ^gv 
 up with our Confeffwn of Faith., and as it, 
 with the general Bond for Maintenance of 
 the true Religion and the King's Perfon 
 -and Government annexed to it, and fworn 
 and fubfcruVd Anno 1638, 1659, is, with- 
 out all Exception, in the Form really good ; 
 .and it were the moft uncharitable Thing 
 imaginable to diilike it on the Score of 
 fome pernicious Defigns, fome Perfons 
 might have had, in going into it. 
 
 "fis true, That the Views of King 
 Charles II, and the Malignants of his 
 Party, could not but appear to the think- 
 ing Men of that Generation, to have been 
 Hyp° cr ify i R Religion, and a State In- 
 trigue to promote his Affairs : But the 
 extraordinary Affection that the Stots Na- 
 tion, innate to them, had, at that Time, to 
 Loyalty to their Princes, made them over- 
 look that, on Hopes, they had Power e- 
 nough firffc to fettle him on the Throne, 
 and then to keep him to his Engagements ^ 
 tho' in this, the wife Providence of God 
 thought fit to difappoint them. 
 
 Thirdly, I come to offer fome Arguments 
 for the Perpetual Obligation of the Natio- 
 nal Covenant upon the Pofterities of thofe, 
 who firft form'd it, and of thofe who- 
 afterward, from Time to Time, renew- 
 ed it. And to this Purpofe, I propofe 
 to be confider'd, 1. 'That the Matter of it 
 C 3 is 
 
3 8 -Arguments for the Terpet. Obligation 
 is perpetually binding. 2. tfhat, according to 
 the fever al Shapes and Modes, in which it 
 .has appear' d, it is fo too. 
 
 1. That the Matter of the National Co- 
 venant of the Church of Scotland is per- 
 petually binding, will not be denied by 
 any Presbyterian ; it engages to Reformat 
 lion from Popery, Prelacy, Superftition, 
 and every Thing that's contrary to found 
 Doctrine and the Power of Godlinefs $ and 
 engages to found Dodtrine, Faith, Religion, 
 Difcipline, right Ufe of the holy Sacra- 
 ments, and Reformation of Life according 
 to the Scriptures. 
 
 I fliall not here confider the Queftion $ 
 if Prelacy, fuch as it was in Scotland, 
 Anno 166 1, and afterwards, was abjur'd 
 by it, before the Year 1638, tho', for my 
 Part, I am fully perfwaded of it, and I 
 think, all honeft Presbyterians are fo too <, 
 fcut that not lying in my Way here fo di- 
 rectly, I come, 
 
 In the 2d. Place, to fhew, That the Na- 
 tional Covenant, according to the ieveral 
 Shapes, and Modes, in which it hath ap- 
 peared, is perpetually binding. For, if 
 any Engagements whatfoever can be flip- 
 po's'd binding on Pofierity, National Cove* 
 trams mull be fuch, where the Matter is 
 Xeiormation, adhering to God's Inftituti- 
 
of the National Covenant, &c. ^g$ 
 
 ©ns, and keeping his Commandments, as 
 the Matter of this is, altho' a Claufe re- 
 specting Pofterity be not contain'd in 
 them 5 yea, it is fo too fometimes even 
 fe the Cafe of indifferent Things. And, to 
 make all this out, we need only to reflect 
 on fome Paffages of Scripture, where we 
 will find I. That publick Promifes, fuch 
 as that of the Nobles of the Jews, anent 
 remitting Ufury, Hebe. ?. 12, 13. which, 
 if it had been broken by their Pofterity, 
 they had been involv'd in the Curfe, tho' its 
 contain'd no Claufe ^ exprefly refpedling 
 them. 2. Publick Adjurations, where the 
 Community, either exprefly or tacitely 
 confents thereto and the View of them, are 
 perpetual, and the Matter either indiffe- 
 rent, or objectively binding, oblige Pofte- 
 rity ^ as in the Cafe of JofhuaFs adjuring 
 the People, not to build Jericho, Jo(b. 6. 
 26. And accordingly, the Breach of it 
 brought the Curfe upon Hid the Betb elite. 
 1. Kings, 16. 34. 3. Publick Vows do 
 bind Pofterity, fo did Jacob's, Gen. 28. 
 SI. and his did own it, Hof. 12. 4. He 
 bad Power over the Angel, and prevail' '</—*- 
 He found him in Bethel, and there he 
 fpake with us. 4. Publick Oaths do oblige 
 the Pofterity of thofe who enter into them, 
 in the Cafe above-ftated ^ Jofepb exacted an 
 C 4 Oath 
 
40 The Terpetual Obligation 
 Oath of the Children oHfrael, That they 
 fhould bury his Bones in Canaan, Gen. 
 ?o. 2?. And, long after all that Genera- 
 tion was dead, their Pofterity thought 
 themfelves bound, and acted accordingly, 
 Exod. 13. 19. Jefh. 24. 32. 5. National 
 Covenants with Men, where the Oath of 
 God is interpofed, are binding on Pofte- 
 rity •, Saul and his bloody Houfe, with the 
 whole Nation of Ifrae% after many Ages, 
 were plagu'd for his breaking JofhuaFs Co- 
 venant with the Gibeonites, altho' he and 
 the Elders -of lfrael were brought into it by 
 the Guile of that People. 6. National Co- 
 venants with. God, before Men, about 
 Things objectively obliging, are perpetu- 
 al, and binding upon Pofterity, efpecially, 
 if they are of an hereditary Nature, the 
 Subject permanent, and the End good, as 
 was always in the Cafe of this National Co- 
 venant ♦, and hence, fuch Covenants ai£ cal- 
 led perpetual, Jer. 5:0. $. 'They (Ball ask the 
 Way to Zion, — A Come, and lei us join our 
 /elves to the. Lord in a Perpetual Covenant, 
 that (hall not be forgotten. Tis plain, That 
 the folemn National Covenant, the Lord 
 enter'd into with the People oitfracl, Deut. 
 29. renewed afterward by Jofljiiah, Heze-- 
 kiah, Jehojadah, Jofiah, Ezra and Nehe- 
 ■mi ah, were binding on Pofterity, tho' 
 
 Claufes, 
 
$99 
 
 of the National Covenant, &c 41 
 Claufes exprefly refpecling them were 
 not infert -, and the People were often 
 plagu'd of God for their Breaches of it. 
 
 'Tis true, the feveral Forms of the Na- 
 ■tionai Covenant of this Church had not any 
 Claufes in them exprefly refpecling Pofte- 
 rity, until the general Bond for the Main- 
 tenance of the triie Religion was form'd ^ 
 .yet it cannot be denied, That, all along, 
 •before that Time, the Subfcribers meant, 
 it fhould refpedl Pofteritjr, even as thefc 
 Scripture Covenants I have already men- 
 tion'd. This in our Nation hath been of- 
 ten folemnly ratified by Authority of 
 Church and State, and made the Founda- 
 tion of the People's Compact with the King 
 in the Coronation Oath of Scotland 5 And 
 as it was fubfcrilM, Anno 1638, it has 
 Claufes expreiiing its Perpetuity. 
 
 Fourthly ', I fhall endeavour to Anfwer 
 .the feveral Objections againft the National 
 Covenant, and its perpetual Obligation. ^ 
 
 1. 'Tis objected. That in the Preamble, 
 the Expreflioiis, We all, and every one of 
 us prote/t, after due Examination of our Con- 
 fciences — and therefore we believe with our 
 .Hearts, conffs with our Mouths. And in 
 the clofe of the Bond annexed thereto, We, 
 from the Knowledge and Ccnfcience of our 
 Duty to God — and other Expremons, are 
 
 fo 
 
42 Objections againjl it) audits 
 
 fo very folemn and ferious, as necefl#rily 
 fuppole every one of the Subfcribers to 
 have been in a State of Grace, and truly 
 religious : Whereas it was very well 
 known, That too many of them were Hy- 
 pocrites, and others perverfly wicked. To 
 this it is 
 
 dnfwer'd, That the Covenant itfelf, and 
 the Bond annex'd to it, being very ferious 
 and folemn, fuch a ferious and folemn 
 Preamble is very agreeable to its Nature and 
 Pefign \ and 'tis to be lamented, That all 
 the Subfcribers came not up to the fame ; 
 yet that's no relevant Objection : For the 
 Preamble expreffes rather what the Sub- 
 fcribers ought to be, than what really they 
 were, or might reafonably be fuppos'd all 
 to be. Mojes never imasin'd, That all 
 that great Company he took into Covenant 
 with God, Dent. 29. 10. and downward, 
 were true Converts \ and yet Chap. 7. 
 ver. 6. he fays to them, Thou art a holy 
 People unto the Lord thy God, Sec. And 
 Chap. 28. vet. 9. it may be too on that 
 very Day he took them into Covenant, he 
 fays, The Lord (hall eftabli/Jj thee an holy 
 People unto himfelf. Further, 'tis well 
 known, That fuch as have a competent 
 Meafure of Knowledge, and a juftifiable 
 Profeilion of Religion before Men, are, 
 
 according 
 
&3 
 
 perpetual Obligation, avjwer'd. 4 j 
 
 according to Scripture, and the Rules of 
 this Church, admitted folemnly to renew 
 their perfbnal Covenant with God at the 
 Lord's Table, tho' alas they are but the 
 fmalleft Number of that Sort that are re- 
 ally in a State of Grace. 
 
 2. Tis objected, That the Church of Scot- 
 land 'having foraetimes made confenting 
 to the Covenant a Condition of Church 
 Communion, ftraitned the Door motfe 
 than ever God intended, or is ufual in any 
 other Proteftant Church. To which it is 
 
 Anfwer'd, That there is nothing con- 
 tain^ in the National Covenant, abftradting 
 from the Government of the Church by 
 Bifhops, and the five Articles of Perth, 
 but what all the reform'd Churches in Eu- 
 rope believe and profefs •, and I hope no 
 Presbyterian will grudge, on Account of 
 thefe excepted Refpecls, efpecially when 
 he confiders, That the Prelatifts in Scot- 
 land have, for moft Part, been always 
 looking Southward to Rome 5 particularly 
 now, when their Darling the Pretender 
 is there, Befide, all the Proteftant Chur- 
 ches have, on the Matter, enter'd into the 
 like Covenants \ which, in the like Cir- 
 cumftances of their firft entring into 
 them, they reckon'd perpetually Binding. 
 The Proteftants in Germany enter'd into a 
 
 League 
 
44 Objections againft it , and its 
 
 League and Covenant at Smalcald, Anno 
 1530, and renew'd it at that Place Anno 
 1535 •, the Bohemians at Prague j the Swift, 
 Proteftant Cantons at fundry Places and 
 Times ^ the United Proteftants, headed firft 
 hy the Lord of Brederode, and afterward 
 hy Lewis Earl of Naffau, at fundry Times 
 and Places, in the Beginning of their Re- 
 formation, came into folemn Covenant and 
 Affociation to promote Religion, and main- 
 tain their Liberty againft the King of 
 Spain, and the bloody Inquifition. Frede* 
 rick L King of Denmark, for himfelf, and 
 his People, made a League with the Prote- 
 ftant Princes of Germany, for carrying 
 on the Reformation of Religion }* and fo 
 did Henry VIII. of England with the fame 
 Princes. Charles Gu ft avus Duke of Sun der- 
 mania, and the Swedes, enter'd into a 
 League and Covenant againft Popery ^ 
 and becaufe Sigifmund then King of 
 Poland, who ought to have fucceeded to 
 the Crown, was for Popery, and againft 
 the Reformation, he and his Son were 
 both put by the Succeffion, and the faid 
 Charles put in his Room. Moreover, what 
 elfe are the XXXIX Articles of the Church 
 of England, and Confent requir'd to them, 
 than a National Covenant upon the Mat- 
 ter : And I prefume, That any Man ipeak- 
 
 ing 
 
perpetual Obligation, anfwerd. 45* 
 Ing overtly, or writing againft the Tranfc 
 ■adtions above-mention'd, or againft the 
 Confeflions of the feveral other Proteftant 
 Churches, which alfo have fomething of 
 the Nature of National Covenants in them, 
 tho' they contain not exprefly an Aflbcia- 
 tion for mutual Defence,' is competent 
 enough in thefe Churches to hinder from 
 Church Communion in fealing Ordinances 
 among them \ and I think any Man would 
 "fee wonder'd at, that Would reafon againft 
 the perpetual Obligation of them, in the 
 Circumftances in which they were enter'd 
 into. 
 
 3. 'Tis ohjeeled y That the Covenant was 
 fore'd upon the People by. the Church, un- 
 der Pain of Cenfure *, and, at the Re- 
 tjuenY of the Church, by the State, under 
 Civil Penalties-, as appears from the Sup. 
 plication of the General Aflembly Anno 
 . 1 559, to n ^ s Majefty's High Commiflioner, 
 f§c. from the Ad of the Lords of Coun- 
 cil in their Anfwer to that Supplication, 
 an A& of that fame Aflembly, and alfo 
 from another A£fc of the Aflembly 1645. 
 
 Anf. The Supplication objected fhews, 
 •That at that Time the Malignants about 
 the King imprefs'd him with a Jealoufy, 
 That the Church intended to fhake off his 
 Authority 5 wherefore* to exprefs their 
 
 Abhor- 
 
4 6 Objections againft it? and its 
 Abhorrence of that groundlefs Imputation; 
 they at that Time were warm, I confefs, 
 in preffing the Covenant : But I hope no 
 reafonable Man will, from that one fan- 
 j>os'd wrong Step conclude, againft the 
 Warrantablenefs of the Covenant it felf, or 
 againft its perpetual Obligation : And f pre* 
 fume, if the wifeft Presbyterian now in 
 Scotland had liv'd at that Time, he had 
 thought it Very proper to give into thofe 
 Meaftires, efpecially feeing the Preferva- 
 txon of the King's Perfon and Authority, 
 in the Defence of the true Religion, is one 
 confiderable Article fworn to-, and fo it 
 Was then, as formerly, wholly Defenfive. 
 Befide, the AfTembly 1649, Seff. 19. and 
 elfewhere, appoints fuch Exa&nefs in re?- 
 ceiving the Engagers, &c. and inftrudting 
 them, and others, That they fubfcribe witfr 
 Judgment and in Right eoufnefs, that 'tis a 
 Wonder any mould Quarrel it. 
 
 4. 'Tis objefted, That the National Cove- 
 nant is declar'd illegal by A& of Parlia- 
 ment, Cba. II. Par. 1. Se/f. 2. Aft 2. and 
 Aft 5. of that Seifion, appointing the De- 
 claration againft it thereto fubjoin'd, to be 
 fubfcrib'd by all Perfons in publick Truft. 
 Item, Cha. II. Par. impofing the Teft, @r. 
 which to this Day were never repeal'd : 
 Concluding thence, That the owning the 
 
 Obligation 
 
£ 
 
 91 
 
 perpetual Obligation, avfwer'd. 47 
 Obligation of it, is, according to thefe AQs 9 
 treafonable and rebellious. To which it is 
 
 Anfwer'd, That, even by thefe Tyranni- 
 cal Adts and Declaration mention d, the 
 National Covenant is not fimply treafonable 
 tor rebellious -, but as it was fworn and ex- 
 plain'd Anno 1633, i.e. as it abjures the 
 .Government of the Church by Bifhops, 
 the Civil Power of Church-Men, and the 
 five Articles of Perth, in which Refpects 
 thefe Ads are refcinded generally. Aft 3. 
 Par. 1. King William and Queen Mary, 
 Seff. I. and Aft 5. Par. 1. ratifying The 
 Confeffion of Faith, and fettling Presbyteri- 
 an Church-Government ; and particularly 
 Par. King William and Queen Mary, Seff. 2. 
 ,Aft. 27. entituled, Aft rejeinding the Laws 
 for Conformity. 
 
 5. 'Tis objefted, That in the National Co* 
 tenant, and the general Bond, the Subfcri- 
 iers are folemnly fworn to maintain the 
 King's Perfbn and Authority, the Liberties 
 x)f our Country, Miniftration of Juftice, 
 and Punifhment of Iniquity 5 and in the 
 folemn League, Art. 9. the Rights and Pri- 
 vileges of the Parliament, and the Liber- 
 ties of the Kingdom, which, more than 
 the thoufand Part of the Church and Na- 
 tion of Scotland neither do, nor can be fup- 
 jjos'd to understand, and fo cannot fwear 
 
 ia 
 
48 Objections again /? it, 'and its 
 
 in Truth, Righteoufnefs and Judgment: 
 Befides, they are ingag'd to do all with 
 their beft Counfel, their Bodies, Means, 
 and their whole Power, againft all Sorts of 
 Perfons whatfoever *, which would feem to 
 engage, by an Oath, all the Subfcribers to 
 be Soldiers in the Caufe of the Covenant \ 
 and Judges, and Executioners, with Re- 
 fpect to Malignants. To this is 
 
 Anfwered, (i.) That an Oath binding 
 limply to Particulars of mere Fa& doth, 
 no Doubt, require that it-be in Truths Righ- 
 teoufnefs and Judgment, that the Taker 
 both know the Things (worn to, and be per- 
 fwaded that they are true ; and righteous •, 
 •as, if a Man ihould fwear to maintain the 
 Life, Honour and Eftate of his Friend or 
 Superior, in fuch and fuch particular Points, 
 ■againft the Ihvaiion and Oppreffion of o- 
 thers. (2.) On the other Hand, if an Oath 
 r do bind to a certain Duty, either general- 
 ly exprefs'd and qualifi a with Righteouf- 
 nefs, and agreeable to the* Station and Ca- 
 pacity of the Taker, the very Notion of 
 the Duty fo qualified is fufficient to fit the 
 Perfoii to bind his Soul by fuch an Oath. 
 Suppofe I mould engage my felf by Oath 
 to perform all Righteoufnefs, as a Judge, 
 between Man and Man, it fufficiently qua- 
 lifies me to come under fuch an Engage- 
 ment, 
 
>?7 
 
 'perpetual Obligation, anfwefd. 49 
 iment, if I underftand the general Notion 
 of Righteoufnefs, tho 5 I cannot polfibly 
 know for the Time, every Thing that may 
 be included therein. (3.) Oaths of a mix'd 
 Nature, fuch as the Abjuration now in Ufe, 
 that I may fwear in Truth, Righteoufnefs 
 and Judgment : 'Tis neceffary, indeed, I 
 know on what Grounds his Majefty is King 
 de jure ^ but when, by my Oath I aflert 
 he has Right to all his other Dominions 
 to him belonging, 'tis not neceffary, before 
 I be concern'd to ad, that I underftand 
 the Ground of his Right to every particu- 
 lar Place, he, as King of thefe Nations,' 
 claims a Right to. In like Manner, when I 
 fwear to maintain the King's Authority, 
 the Privileges of the Parliament, the Liber- 
 ties of the People, the Difcipline and Go- 
 vernment of the Church ^ 'tis ftill under- 
 ftood, to be in the Defence of the Gofpel, 
 and according to Juftice (as the faid Cove- 
 nant qualifies the Oath) tho' I do not clear- 
 ly underftand the Particulars : I have fwoni 
 that his Majefty hath not only a Right to 
 the Crown of thefe Realms, but alfo to all his 
 other Dominions to him belonging ^ and, 
 when my Oath is qualified with Righteouf- 
 nefs, I think I have fworn in Truth and 
 Judgment, altho' I know not exactly what 
 his Right is to Madrafpatan in Coromandd y 
 D Bombay 
 
50 Objections 'againft it? 'and its 
 Bombay on the Weft Coaft of Cambaia, and 
 Twelve other Places on the Coaft otCoro- 
 mandel, Nine in the Gulph of Bengal, 
 Five in the Mogul's Entire, Eight in A- 
 rabia F<elix, Three in Perfect, Eighteen in 
 the Ifland of Sumatra, on the Maly Coaft, 
 in Si am, China, and fundry other Places 
 in Afea, befides Seventeen in Africa, and 
 Twenty four large Countries or Iflands in 
 America. Is a Man in my Station oblig'd 
 by my Oath, particularly and clearly to 
 underftand the King's Right to Jamaica, 
 Barb a does, Antegoa, St Ckriftopher's, New* 
 England, Penfelvania, See. Further, the 
 Oath of the National Covenant, and Bond 
 annex'd thereto, is qualify'd with, Accord- 
 ing to our Vocation ~, and in the Preamble, 
 all Ranks of Men in the Nation, fpecifical- 
 ly defign'd, plainly declare, That the Co- 
 venant Engagements, are refpe£tive to the 
 feveral Places and Relations : A Privy 
 Counfellor, a Member of Parliament, an 
 Officer in the Army -, yea, a fingle Centi- 
 nel, a Minifter in the Church-, yea, a 
 Husband-Man, with Induftry, tilling his 
 Ground, and threfhing his Corns, $§c. by 
 which he is enabled to pay the Taxes, can 
 as well, according to his Vocation, anfvver 
 the Ends of the Covenant, as any of the 
 forme* Sorts in their Stations^ tho' I deny 
 
 not 
 
bo-f 
 
 perpetual Obligation, anfwerd. $y 
 not, That they and he too would he 
 bound to fxght for it, in cafe of extream 
 Neceility. 
 
 6. 'Tis objected , That, many Perfons 
 very ignorant, not only of the King's Au- 
 thority, as above •, but alfo of tlie Difci- 
 pline of the Church, were folemnly fworn 
 into the Covenant. To which it is 
 
 Anfwered, That all that great Company,' 
 Man, "Wife, Bairn, bought and hir'd Ser- 
 vant, that, in Dent. 29. 10. enter'd into 
 Covenant with the Lord, - underftood as 
 little of the Merits of that Caufe, as the 
 Scots Covenanters did of theirs. 'Tis to 
 no Purpofe to deny Confequence from the 
 \ Old Teftament- Antecedents in this Cafe 5 
 : or to alledge, there's no Inftance of Nati- 
 1 cnal Covenants in the New Teftament. For 
 (1.) The Reafon of the People's coming in- 
 \ to Covenant with God, viz. the Receipt of 
 I remarkable Favours from him, great De- 
 ifedHon from their firft Love to him, and 
 ! their firft Works, preffing univerfal Cala* 
 ^mities, imminent Judgments, and the like, 
 j is the lame, under both Teftaments. (2.) I 
 doubt not but that Paffage, Jerem. 70. $. 
 ^They /hall ask the Way to Zion with their 
 J Faces thitherward, faying, Come, let us jo'm 
 I cur /elves to the Lord in a perpetual. Cove- 
 nant which frail not be forgotten, is, at once, 
 D 2 a Pro- 
 
y 2 Objections againjl it, audits 
 $ Prophecy of the Return of the .Je-wifb 
 Captivity from Babylon • and of Ezra and 
 NehemiaWs National Covenants h and alfo, 
 of the like National Covenants under the 
 Difpenfation of the Gofpel : And I could 
 even think, That in it the Spirit of G O D 
 had a Refped to poor Scotland, and this 
 .Covenant. (3.) Even under the New Te- 
 ilament, there are Inftances of what, by 
 ..Analogy, may be call'd National Cove* 
 ^ants. Acls 16. 33, 34. the Jaylor and 
 all his, which was a Sort of little Nation, 
 fceliev'd, made a Profeffion of the Gofpel, 
 and were baptiz'd 5 and, if the Magiftrates 
 -of Philippi had done the like, the Covenant 
 had been farther, fubjectively, extended 5 
 and, yet further, if thefe having the Ad- 
 miniftration, and all Ranks in the King- 
 dom of Macedon : For my own Part, I 
 can fee no Odds from the Nature of the 
 Thing. The Corinthians, 2 Cor. 8. 5. gave 
 themfelves firft unto the Lord, and then to 
 Paul and his Companions, Minifters of the 
 Gofpel, by the Will of God 5 which very 
 ftiortly expreffes the two principal Heads 
 largely declar'd in the National Covenant, 
 viz. Subjedion to God, and, under him, to 
 a Gofpel-Miniftry and Ordinances, in Re- 
 fped to the Concerns of Salvation, (4-.) 
 Seeing the Al Wife GOD thought not fit, 
 
 within 
 
^perpetual Ohligation-) anfwer'd. ? 5 
 
 within the Commencement of the New 
 Teftament-Hiftory, generally to convert 
 any one Nation in the "World to the Chri- 
 ftian Religion, 'tis unwarrantable to infer, 
 That a Nation, when generally in Profef- 
 iion it fubmits to the Gofpel, may not en- 
 ter into Covenant for the Defence of it. 
 
 7. If it be objefted, That now the Go- 
 vernment of the Church is fettled by Law, 
 an excellent Conjeffion of Faith receiv'd in 
 the Church, and enacted by Authority of 
 Parliament, and Formula's declaring, in 
 ample Form, our Adherence to the Do- 
 ctrine, Worfhip, Difcipline and Church- 
 Government by Presbytery ^ the Obliga-* 
 tion of the Covenant, as to the Formality 
 of it, is determin'd, and the above Secu- 
 rities come in its Room. 
 
 It is anfwered. The faid Confeffion and 
 Formula's do not exprefly contain an Obli- 
 gation on the Subfcribers, to ftand by one 
 another in the Defence of the Gofpel, as 
 the National Covenant and Bond there- 
 to annex'd do •, it is very proper all Ranks 
 be imprefs'd with its perpetual Obligation, 
 especially in that Refpedt, feeing, tho' the 
 Enemies of Chrift's Gofpel have not all the 
 Power they were wont to have, they have 
 yet abundance of ill Will • and how foon 
 a jufl: and jealous GOD may, for our Sins, 
 D 3 put 
 
£4 *Fhe Improvement. 
 
 pirt Power in their Hands, we cannot tell • 
 J>ut iince the gracious Authority we live 
 under, has not thought fit hicherto to en- 
 join the fubfcribing the Covenant, and jet 
 have remov d all Laws that flood againft 
 it, we ought, at leaft, freely and openly 
 to acknowledge its Obligation on us and 
 our Pofterity. And it may be the AiToci- 
 ation enter'd into with the Prince of 
 Orange at Exeter, ought rather to have 
 fceen continued from Time to Time (muta- 
 tis mnt a nd 'is) than declar'd determined by 
 A£t of Parliament, efpecially feeing they 
 were oblig'd to enter into a new One, on 
 the Occaiion- of the Plot by Pendergrafs, 
 Char nock ^ and others. 
 
 Laftly, I come, to mate a very fhort Ap- 
 plication of the Premiffes. And they are 
 of Ufe to humble all Ranks, under a Senfe 
 of our miferable Defection and Apoftafy 
 from the Covenant of our GOD, who, 
 notwithftanding it feems, remembers the 
 Kindnefs of our Youth, and the Love of 
 cur Efpcujals, Jer. 2. 2. May the Confi- 
 deration of his infinite Gocdnefs lead us to 
 Repentance :' May the LORD pour out,, 
 on all Ranks, a 'Spirit of Grace and Sup- 
 plication, that may engage to own the 
 Obligation of his Covenant in fuch Man- 
 ner, 
 
*Tbe Improvement. <;$ 
 
 her, as may be for his Honour, the Com- 
 fort of his People, a clear Teftimony a- 
 gainft our former and prefent Defe&ion . 
 and of Ufe to convey favoury Impreilions 
 of C H R I S T's early Love to this poor fin- 
 ful Land, and for the Prefervation of the 
 Proteftant Succeffion. 
 
 I hope it will give Offence to none that 
 I, according to the feveral Acknowledg- 
 ments and Acts of the General Ailemblies 
 of this Church, take Notice of fundry E- 
 normities in the Lives and Callings even 
 of Minifters, and alfo of others 5 and ac- 
 cordingly fuggeft proper Remedies. 
 
 Firfi as to Minifters. "We have much 
 fruitlefs Converfation in all Companies ; 
 the "Want of Gravity in our Carriage and 
 Apparel 5 and more Acquaintance with 
 other Books than with thofe of the facred 
 Scriptures 5 a corrupt "Way of entering in- 
 to the Miniftry by Means of Letters of 
 Recommendation to Heritors, and others ^ 
 Silence in publick Caufe, and not labouring 
 I to cure the Difaffecvtion and Apoftafy of the 
 I People •, "Want of Zeal and Love for the 
 Conversion of Souls, not being weighted 
 with the Want of Succefs in reclaiming 
 Sinners ^ felf-feeking in Preaching, affe- 
 cting rather a dry Clink of Rhetorical Dif- 
 courie, than the folic!, convincing, metho- 
 D 4 dical 
 
yi .•»♦/>*»' 
 
 5'<? 27^ Improvement. 
 
 dical Way of Preaching, which the LORD 
 
 us'd fo fignally to blefs in this Land. 
 
 Secondly -, With Refpeft to the People, 
 Their Want of Confcience in fetting and 
 keeping up the Worfhip of God in their 
 Families, their negle&ingFamily-Catechi- 
 iing and Difcipline, their giving Way to 
 themfelves and thofe under their Care to 
 tipple, be drunk, profane the Lord's Day, 
 and mock at Sin, and jeft the Difcipline 
 of the Church, particularly againft that 
 brutal and horrid Sin of Fornication, &c. 
 
 As Remedies to thefe Evils, I prefume, 
 in all Humility, to fuggeft, That, in pri- 
 vate Trials for Licence to Probationers, 
 Presbyteries would be very ferious, as far 
 as poifible, to be fatisfied, That the Par- 
 ty is well acquainted with an experimen- 
 tal Work of Grace in his Converfion y 
 efpecially, That fuch of the Presbytry, as 
 fuggeft, that a young Man be taken on 
 Trials, be able, with all the Affurance 
 that the Nature of the Thing can admit, to 
 fpeak to that Purpofe : That Minifters be- 
 ware of encouraging Settlements by Re- 
 commendation to difaffedred Heritors, till 
 firft the Body of the People, efpecially, the 
 beft affected of them, fignify their Satisfa- 
 ction with his Piety and other niinifterial 
 Qualifications ; That Minifters take fpe- 
 <, rial 
 
■Tbe Improvement. 57 
 
 ml Care to have their Converfation in Hea- 
 ven, and that Godly Conference be had a- 
 rnong them at their Meetings, even at 
 their ordinary Refrefhments : That they 
 be more diligent in Catechifmg, vifiting. 
 Families and the fick $ and generally, 
 That, in Converfation with their People, 
 their Difcourfe be to edifying. 
 
 As to the People, I humbly fuggeft, That 
 every one of a Family apart beftow fome 
 Moments in fecret Prayer, Morning and 
 Evening; That, in Family-Religion, the 
 Duties be fhort and ferious, but that no 
 Part, neither Praife, Reading nor Praye* 
 fee omitted 5 That on the Lord's Day, Fa- 
 milies and Perfons be very ferious in their 
 TVorfhip, and beftow more Time than or- 
 dinarily 5 particularly, that they be in Fa- 
 mily and fecret Prayer very importunate, 
 for God's Prefence and Blefling in and upon 
 the publick Ordinances. Here, I would 
 fuggeft three Things, in which, I hope, fe- 
 rious Chriftians will find Comfort : t. That 
 Families may, now and then, as Occafion 
 cafts up, have Family-Fafts 5 2. That eve- 
 ry well-meaning Ghriftian, immediately 
 after publick divine Worlhip/go to God in 
 fecret, and cry for a Bleifing on it. 3. That, 
 when any Member of a Family goes from 
 Home, fuppofe it were to a Market, he be 
 
 frtry 
 
 alone 
 
$S 7 he Improvement. 
 
 alone with God in fecret for his Protect 
 on : And, when he returns, he be likewife, 
 before he eats or drinks, fome Minutes 
 with God in fecret. 
 
 And generally, becaufe Admiffion to the 
 Hord's Table, and coming to it, is the 
 great Criterion of Religion, fpecial Care 
 would be had on the one Hand, to avoid a 
 promifcuous Admiffion and going to it, left 
 the Lord be thereby provok'd to abhore 
 that fblemn Part of his Worfhip \ and, 
 on the other Hand, that the People, in this 
 unconftant Time, do not fpurn at that fa- 
 cred Ordinance. 
 
 I profefs, 'tis not Arrogance, has led me 
 into the above Cenfure of any of the re- 
 verend Miniftry of this National Church, 
 but the Hopes I conceiv'd, that laying the 
 PremiSes before the People, into whole 
 Hands this Effay may come, might engage 
 them the better to bear with the Duty of 
 Minifters in their Calling and Office 5 and, 
 if it mail have, in fomeMeafure, its denYd 
 Effect, I'll be encourag'd to offer more on 
 that Subject, with Refpect unto the People, 
 as the Lord mail give Opportunity. 
 
 I am fo far from thinking, that preffing 
 the People publickly, by Oath, Subfcrip- 
 tion, or otherwife, to own the Obligation 
 of the National Covenant of this Church, 
 
 would 
 
The Improvement. $9 
 
 would have a good Effect, that I believe 
 the doing it, in this Jun&ure, would be 
 attended with man)?" obvious Inconvenien- 
 cies : But I am humbly of Opinion, 1. That 
 the Church, in her feveral Judicatures, 
 Ihould acknowledge the famen, as Occafion 
 cafts up. 2. That Minifters mould, in 
 their Preaching and Catechifing, let the 
 People into the Hiftory of this Church in 
 the feveral Periods thereof, and the WrenV 
 lings of our Reformers and Sufferers for a 
 covenanted Work of Reformation, which 
 God hath hitherto honoured to be the 
 Means of our prefent {landing and work- 
 ing in the Lord's Vineyard. 3. That Mi- 
 nifters and ferious People mould pray 
 warmly, ' That the Lord may pour out 
 4 from on high, his Spirit, to fit, and qua- 
 c lify this National Church, to make a fo- 
 
 * lemn Acknowledgment of publick Sins 
 c and Breaches of the Covenant, and a ib- 
 
 * lemn Engagement to all the Duties con- 
 
 * tain'd therein, more efpecially thefe, that 
 c relate to the Dangers of thefe Times -, and 
 
 * that all, who fear the Lord, may, with 
 c Patience and Hope, wait for fuch a Sea- 
 
 I * fon, is the Prayer of, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Toms, Sec. 
 
 POST- 
 
to 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 Advertifement, 
 
 WHEN three anon)nnous Letter^ 
 tending to the Subversion of all true 
 Religion and Order in the Church, and 
 Loyalty in the State, and which are, in 
 Writ, induftrioufly lent about, fell into 
 my Hands, after I had refolv'd on publish- 
 ing the preceeding EfTay, I was once mind- 
 ed to engrofs them here, which, I almoft 
 thought, might be a fufficient Confutation 
 of them : But, on Reflection, I ghefs'd, it 
 might be better to make the following Re- 
 marks on them, as an Antidote to the more 
 incautious Reader, into whofe Hands they 
 may be induftrioufly put. 
 
 Remarks on the fir ft Letter to tie Reverend 
 
 Mr. Adams Minifter of the Go/pel at K d, 
 
 containing an Anfwer to the Queries proposed 
 
 by him to the Reverend Mr. G s Minifter 
 
 of the Gofpel at T n, concerning the Nati- 
 onal Covenant, &c. 
 
 The firft Paragraph contains the mod 
 diigracefl.il Reflections on our Forefathers, 
 as if their promifing to continue, during 
 Life, in the Obedience of the Doctrine and 
 Difcipliae of this Church, under the Pains 
 
 con- 
 
6// 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 6x 
 
 contain'd in the Laws, and of the fearful 
 Judgment of G O D at the Great Day, did 
 import, That they were of Opinion Reli- 
 gion, i.e. (as he explains it in the Pro- 
 grefs of his Letters) the true Grace of 
 GOD, was to be produc'd by human Pe- 
 nalties, That they made the Authority of 
 Man the Ground of Faith, &c. and then 
 concludes, That either they made the leaft 
 Variation from the Doclrine and Difci- 
 pline of that Time infer the divine Judg- 
 ment, and thence alledges, that was an 
 aflerting their own Infallibility, and (ve- 
 ry ironically ) palling a modeft Sentence 
 on every Man and Church, who. in the lean: 
 differ'd from them h or elfe, That they 
 were to accompany the Church in all the 
 poffible Changes it might undergo in Do- 
 ctrine and Discipline. On which I 
 
 remark, i. That the fcurrilous Author, ei- 
 
 ! ther of Ignorance or Defign, takes no No- . 
 
 tice, that the Compilers and Subfcribera 
 
 of the National Covenant exprefly declare, 
 
 that the Doctrine, then own d, ( and ftill 
 
 continuing in this Church ) is that reveaFd 
 
 to the World by the preaching of the blef- 
 
 fed Evangel. 2. That he groundlefly in- 
 
 iinuates, that the Doctrine of this National 
 
 ■ Church and Covenant was peculiar to our 
 
 ! Reformers - 7 tho' they plainly fay, it was 
 
 receivd 
 
&i Kemarh on the frji Letter. 
 receiv'd by many and f undry notable Kirks 
 and Realms. 3. That they were ib far 
 from paffing a Sentence of Divine Judg- 
 ment againft others, who, in fome Points 
 of Difcipline, difFer'd from them, that the 
 General AfTembly, Anno 15 66, wrote in 
 another Strain to their Brethren the Bi- 
 fhops of England, on the Occafion men- 
 tion'd in their Letter. 4. That they are, 
 by that Covenant, no farther bound to ac- 
 company the Church, than the Church fol- 
 low Chrift in the blelfed Evangel. ?. I 
 am fure, it never came into their Minds, 
 That faving Grace was to be produc'd by 
 legal Penalties, ( efpecially, feeing they 
 exprefly abjure the Popifli Opus operatum ) 
 ibut that, under the Penalties contain'd in 
 the Laws of the Land, they fhould conti- 
 nue in the outward ProfefTion and Practice 
 of the Doctrine and Difcipline of the 
 Church ; which, at that Time, was necef- 
 lary as a Teft to know their Friends and 
 Enemies, and fo very proper for their own 
 Defence. 
 
 In the 2d Paragraph he falls on the So- 
 lemn League, which he fays, as appears to 
 liim from the \ft and 4th Articles of it, was 
 defign'd in Effecl to put the Faith of the three 
 Nations and their religious Practice under 
 the Command of the Clergy and Army — , 
 
 and 
 
THemarfa on the firfl Letter. G$ 
 find makes a Mock of the exprefs Defign of 
 it, viz. That the three Nations might dwell 
 together in Unity -, as if it were ridiculous 
 to expert the Lord's Dwelling among a 
 People, the rather, that they agree in the 
 Truth and Uniformity of Religion, exprefc 
 lty contrary to fundry Paftages of Scripture. 
 I will not trace him with Refpect to the 
 Solemn League, it being none of my pre lent 
 Bufinefs-, I mull only remark 5 i. That 
 he is miftaken in denying, That the Inqui- 
 iition and nerfecuting Spirit of Popery is 
 abjur'd in it : For that's exprefly abjur'd in 
 the National Covenant, and that again is 
 expreflly adopted by the Solemn League, Ar. 
 i. 2. That whoever lhall read that League 
 and the National Covenant of this Church, 
 and compare them with the Situation of 
 Affairs in thefe Times, will, at fir ft Sight, 
 fee, the whole was neceffary in the De- 
 fence of the Gofpel, and the King's Safe* 
 I ty and juft Greatnefs, efpecially, in the 
 Time of King James VI. when a Popifh 
 'and malignant Party were continually 
 forming Intrigues againft both *, firft with 
 the Queen Mother, and then with the 
 King of Spain : Our Anceftors then acting 
 fuchaPart as Jebojadab, 2 Kings 11. 4, 
 @r. 3. That his Senfe of our Lord's Words, 
 My Kingdom is not of this World, is very 
 
 odd, 
 
#4 Remarks on the fir ft Letter. 
 odd, and his Saying, That Religion always 
 abates in Proportion, as human Authority 
 prevails. What thinks he of the noble Pro- 
 mifes, That Kings fhould be nurfing Father s^ 
 and their Queens nurfing Mothers to ths 
 Church ? What, was it worfe with the 
 Church under the aufpicious Government 
 of Hezekiah, Joftah, &c. than under the 
 wicked Princes, that went before, or fuo 
 ceeded them? 
 
 Then the Author goes on to anfwer the 
 Queries put by the Reverend Mr. A — /, 
 who, I doubt not, has fully and convincing- 
 ly replied : But, feeing that the Letters 
 containing thefe Queries with the Author's 
 Anfwer s are in my Hand, I humbly offer 
 a few Thoughts on thefe Anfwers. 
 
 And, as to the ift Query, He cleverly 
 miftakes the Meaning of it, as if the 
 Church, as a Society, had an intrinfick 
 Power, abftracledly from the Word of God, 
 to prescribe and impofe their own Terms 
 of Communion, even by Contract and 
 Covenant ; whereas the Querift all along 
 Intends it in the exprefs'd Senfe of the 
 National Covenant 5 namely, That it was 
 enter'd into according to the bleffed Evan- 
 gel : And I am fure, whatever Divifions 
 arife in the World, by Accident from the 
 Chriftiah Religion, the reveal'd Intend- 
 ment 
 
'Remarks on the fiji Letter. 6$ 
 ment of it is, That all its ProfefTors fliould 
 keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond 
 of Peace. 
 
 His Anfwer to the 2d and 3d Queries, is 
 the moft infipid Stuff I ever faw ; 'tis well 
 known, the Prince of Peace faid, Mark 9. 
 50. Have Salt in your [elves, and have Peace 
 one with another -, That Paul enjoin'd the 
 Ephefians Chap. 4. v. 3. to keep the Unity 
 cfthe Spirit, Sec. and that he required the 
 Corinthians Chap. 16. v, 17 to mark them 
 which caufe Divifwns, See. which any wife 
 Man will reckon equivalent to enjoining 
 them a Covenant •, and that they, by their 
 Profeffion, reftipulate, I think, will be as 
 little queftioned. I'm as little of a perfe- 
 cting Spirit as the Author h but am fure, 
 that Chriftian Exhortations to Meeknefs 
 and Forbearance, yea, Church Cenfures, are 
 very confiftent with being in Covenant with 
 God and one another -, and even in fome 
 Cafes, .as the Execution of a Murderer as 3 
 Sacrifice to the Juftice of the Law, the 
 Good of his Soul may be intended by the 
 Deftrudtion of his Body. 
 
 His Anfwers to the ^th, $tft, 6th, -jth and 
 %tb Queries are childifh : I only remark, 
 that the very Nature of confenting to a 
 Form of Doctrine, as was among the Primi- 
 tive Chriftians with Refpeft to the Apoftles 
 E Creed, 
 
66 Remarh on the fir ft Letter. 
 Creed, the Kicem Faith, and the Creed of 
 Atbanafius, came up to the Import of a Co- 
 venant with Gpd, and among themfelves 5 
 efpeeially feeing, all Chriftians, particu- 
 larly Preachers, were bound to carry with 
 them, where ever they went, Letters of 
 Communion^ hearing their Confent to the 
 Orthodox Faith •, which Remark, I think 
 will be very grating to the Author, who all 
 along breathes after an odd Sort of Liberty, 
 which he knows is very acceptable to moft 
 Men, that on that Footing, he may build 
 his Reputation, becaufe it feems he cannot 
 fee how to do it any other "Way. 
 
 In his Anfwer to the gtb and 10th Que- 
 ries, he jumbles a great many different 
 Purpofes to confufe the State of the Cafe, 
 which I think is clear'd above ^ and it feems 
 he will not believe it juft for a Man in the 
 Caufe of Religion to ac~fc defenfively,till they 
 are leading him forth to Execution. If the 
 King of Britain had not acted otherwife de- 
 fenfively thefe two Years bygone, thefe Na- 
 tions had been given up to Popery and Sla- 
 very. As to the Inftance of the Difciples 
 defiring Fire to come down from Heaven 
 againft the Samaritans, 'tis not to the Pur- 
 pofe : For, as a new Method of Religion 
 was but in Emlryo at that Time j fo our 
 Jword never intended it fliould be propaga- 
 ted 
 
(yfy 
 
 Remarks on thefiffl Letter. 67 
 fed by Civil Penalties, and yet that hinders 
 not, but that the Profeffors of it may be 
 brought under a Tell or Trial -, and often 
 God has fixed Marks of his Difpleafure up- 
 on Hypocrites, as in the Cafe of Ananias 
 and Sapphira. 
 
 His Anfwer to 11 12 and 13th Queries 
 are not to the Purpofe ; That Prophefie 
 'Rev. 17, 16, was not only defigned to re- 
 frefh the then perfecuted Church 5 but it 
 alfo infinuates that the Adtors were to per- 
 form that Work with Honour and Approba- 
 tion, which never was, nor could be in the 
 Cafe of our Lord's Murderers. 
 
 His Anfwers to the 14th, 15th, and 16th 
 Queries are not worth noticing. 
 
 His Anfwer to the 17th Query is very 
 
 fenfelefs. The Church of Scotland has been 
 
 hitherto freer of Divifions than any other 
 
 Proteftant Church in Europe •, and if Per- 
 
 fons of Libertine Principles-,like the Author, 
 
 were duly and timely marked, there would 
 
 ■fee lefs Divifion and more Edification 5 and 
 
 I think, 'tis in a great Part owing to the 
 
 Confcience of the perpetual Obligation of 
 
 the National Covenant, that our Divifions 
 
 are fo few. I am fure alfo, that the moft 
 
 ferious and religions Part of the Nation 
 
 think that they ,by their Forefathers,took the 
 
 Covenant in the Year 1580, (i. e.) 6$ 
 
 E 2 Years 
 
£8 Remarks on the fr ft Letter. 
 Years fooner than he imagines, and I'm of 
 the Mind they took it in the Year 1557, 
 that is 170 Years fince. 
 
 His Anfwer to the 18th Query is a long 
 Libertine Cant, not deferving a Reply, and, 
 againft the Wickednefs and Folly of which, 
 we have had in Scotland a ftancling glori- 
 ous Teftimony fince the happy Revolution •> 
 when our Princes have poflefTed their juft 
 Authority and Greatnefs, the Church her 
 juft Rights, and the People true Chriftian 
 Liberty*, and were the Obligation of the 
 Covenant better known, and more confci- 
 entioufly regarded,$there would be a propor- 
 tionable Increafe of true Religion and Pie- 
 ty. His Story abopt King Charles II. is in- 
 fipid ^ for, 'tis plain, that fuch a venerable 
 Body, as the Affembly of this National 
 Church, could never be in fuch Danger of 
 giving up the Liberties of the People to the 
 Appetite of a Tyrant, as Fourteen Bifhops 
 are. 
 
 I cannot fpend Time in Reply to his An- 
 fwer to the 1 9th Query. On that to the 20 
 I remark, ill, That 'tis very like he's a 
 Presbyterian Minifter, and I am forry at 
 it. 2. That on the Matter he is an Apoftate* 
 and glories in it. 3. That he's the moft 
 uncharitable "Wretch I have Occafion to 
 confider of, for what be fays-amounts to this, 
 
 that 
 
Remarh on thefirjl Letter. 69 
 7% at no honeft Man was ever a Covenanter-, 
 and if the Church (hould again make it a farm 
 of Communion, they would underftand them- 
 f elves to be Knaves, andfuffer none, but fucb 
 as they defigtfd Jhould be Knaves, to come into 
 Church Communion with them. 
 
 He is fo choak'd with the 2 2d and 23d 
 Queries, and fome Regard to his Reputati- 
 on, that he can't breathe as ordinarily, 
 nor fpeak fo intelligibly to me as I can make 
 any Reply 5 only he does well to neglect 
 the Glory of the Sufferers for Religion, for 
 if he mould fufFer for his, his Memory 
 would be very unfavoury: Befide, being 
 out of Breath, he has forgot that the gloria 
 ous Stand made by our worthy Anceftors, 
 was on the Footing of their Covenant with 
 God, and Affbciation among themfelves for 
 that very Purpofe. 
 
 When jrou mall read the Author's Anfwer 
 
 to the 24th Query, you will fee it wants no 
 
 Reply-, the Author is very unconcerned a- 
 
 | bout giving Offence, and very uncharitable 
 
 to a vaft Number of Minifters and People 
 
 i in Scotland-, but when he brings them all to 
 
 ; Mr. F- — -A- cTs Temper, it feems he'll 
 
 be in a better Humour. 
 
 1 On his Anfwer to the 2?th and 26th Qae- 
 
 ries, I remark it is all Banter, and what 
 
 ; Way rejecting the Covenants on which our 
 
 E 3 An- 
 
 Irt} 
 
7 o Remarks on the fecond Letter. 
 Anceftors proceeded, and were fo fignally 
 bleffed cf God, is the Way to defend the war- 
 rantablenefs of the Reformation, is what I 
 cannot conceive, nor I think any other 
 Mortal except himfelf-, and as little what 
 good his Reveries againft the National Co- 
 venant can intend. To make Divifion and 
 raife a Flame, which is the natural Tenden- 
 cy of his Letters, is what he will not own ; 
 he cannot hinder me from thinking that he 
 acts a Part much like Erofiratus when he 
 "burnt the Temple of Diana at Ephefus. 
 Whoever the Author is I know not, and 
 
 who is meant by Mr. G- s that dar'd not 
 
 anfwcr the Queries it matters not ^ for, to 
 the Grief of the godly, both Minifters and 
 People, fcandalous Principles are fpread in 
 thefe fcurrilons Letters handed about, and I 
 wifh the Lord may put a Stop to them. 
 
 Remarks on a fecond Letter to the Reve* 
 rend Mr. Adams. 
 
 The Author complains, That in the Na- 
 tional Covenant, ( he fhould have faid the 
 general Bond annex'd to it) that there is 
 Reference made to feveral Acts of Parlia- 
 ment ; -which evidences, that it contains an 
 Obligation to vSq Force and Perfecution a- 
 
 gainft all its Oppofers In Reply to 
 
 which 
 
Remarh'o?} tie fecond Letter. 7 r 
 which, I would have it remarked, (i.) 
 That in the whole Tradt of that Affair, one 
 that faithfully obferves the Tenor of the 
 Covenant and general Bond thereto annex'd, 
 the reftlefs Temper of the Enemies of the 
 Reformation, as appears from the Hiftory 
 of thefe Times, will eafily fee, that the en- 
 tire Management was no more then defen- 
 Jive of the Reformation than attain'd 5 tho' 
 it feems the Author has a ftrange Notion of 
 a juft and neceffary Defence, which he will 
 never allow to be warrantable at a conveni- 
 ent Diftance,nor till it be quite ufelefs. (2) 
 He falls into a Burlefque in Writing Trea* 
 fon againft the Legiflature, grieving the 
 Spirits of the Godly, reproaching the Claim 
 of Right, difgracing the greateft Defence of 
 the Nation againft Popery and Arbitrary 
 Power in the Bufinefs of the Coronation 
 Oath, like thefe filthy Dreamers that defpife 
 Dominion, and /peak evil of Dignities, Jud. 8. 
 It would fwell this Poftfcript to follow 
 the feveral Turnings and Windings of this 
 fcurrilous Letter in the Procefs of it, parti- 
 cularly with Refpect to the Government of 
 King 'Charles I. and the Courfes of that 
 Time. 5 Tis very plain, that by afpiring 
 after an abfolute defpotick Government in 
 the State, by the Influence of bad Coun- 
 fels, by his IJnconcernednefs for the Irifh 
 E \ Maflacre, 
 
♦ 
 
 7 2 Remarks on the fecond Letter. 
 Maflacre, in which, within the Commence- 
 ment of a few Days, upwards of 200000 
 Proteftants were kill'd in cold Blood, his 
 breaking in upon the Conftitution of the 
 EngUfh Government, by the Inftigation of 
 the Earl of Stafford, Archbifhop Laud, &c. 
 altering the Situation of the Communion 
 Tables, licenfing Sports on the Lord's Day, 
 levying Ship-Money, gjjk he gave an uni- 
 verial Difguft to the Subjects of both Nati- 
 ons : And yet after all, the Presbyterians 
 every where excufed him, laid the Blame 
 on his evil Counfellors, did all within the 
 Reach of their Power ( confiftent with the 
 Prefervation of their Religion ) to protect 
 his Sacred Perfon while in Danger by 
 Cromml and the Englilh Sectaries, regrated 
 Bis Deaths and exerted themfelves to the 
 ntmoft for the Reftauration of his Son. 
 3 Twas impoffible in thefe Times, now is, 
 and I think, will be to the End of the World, 
 for any Government to preferve external 
 Order, and keep different Seels from devour- 
 ing cne another, without giving the Afcen- 
 tlant to one, and fo conftituting a National 
 Religion by Authority, whatever Indul- 
 gence may be given to others. Tis fo in 
 the united Provinces, fb often objected to 
 us for Liberty in Religion ^ and it is ridi- 
 culous to fay our prefent gracious Sove- 
 
23 
 Remarks on thefecond Letter. 7 5 
 reign, and our other Princes fince the Revo- 
 lution, extended their Office only to Civil 
 Concerns ^ for they have always beftowed 
 their Royal Favour, particularly for the 
 Maintenance of the eftablifhed Church. His 
 Ridicule about Jofhua and the Congregati- 
 on of Ifrael, their going in and out at the 
 Word of Eleazar the Prien% Davids making 
 the Tefti monies of the Lord his Counfel- 
 lors, ®r. and his {peaking of believing in 
 the General AfTembly \ are really fo infi- 
 pid, as to anfwer them, would declare a 
 Man a greater Fool than the Author. The 
 Sentiments of the Church of Scotland about 
 interpreting Scripture, and believing the 
 Truths therein contain'd on the Authority 
 of God, are fo well known, that no Reply 
 needs be given to what's faid in the 3d Pa- 
 ragraph •, Where did ever an Aflembly of 
 the Church of Scotland pretend to a Magi- 
 fterial and Infallible interpreting of Scrip- 
 ture } 
 
 The Replyer agrees with the 4th Para- 
 graph in omnibus, but reclaims again ft his 
 Application in the 5th : For 'tis plain from 
 the Acts of the General AfTemblies and the 
 Hiftories ofthefe Times, That the Church, 
 in her folemn Acknowledgements of Sins 
 and Breaches of Covenant, and Injunctions 
 for reclaiming Papifts, Apoftates, Malig- 
 
 fl'ants 
 
74 'Remarks on the fecond Letter. 
 nants and Incendiaries, us'd all Gofpel Me- 
 thods •, nor were any delivered over to Sa- 
 tan and then into the Hands of the Civil 
 Magiftrate, but fuch as by traiterous Pra- 
 dtices, and open Rebellion, attempted to o- 
 verthrow the Conftitution *, and the prohi- 
 biting of and fearching for erroneous Books, 
 and fuch as tended further to inflame the 
 Nation, was as much Duty as this or any 
 other Government's fearching for inlifting 
 Soldiers, and importing Arms for the Pre- 
 tender. 
 
 Not to follow the Author's Reveries in 
 the 6th Section, 'tis well known that our 
 Reformers, and the Presbyterian Church 
 always afterward, took fpecial Care to 
 have the Scriptures ( which was denied to 
 their Anceftors in Popery ) read and ex- 
 plained to the People, which, on the Tefti- 
 mony almoft of every Man, except this 
 lingular Author, made People of all Ranks 
 grow in Knowledge in the Matters of Reli- 
 gion to a "Wonder, elpecially when Order 
 was, by the Authority of the Church, ex- 
 actly obferved. I acknowledge that a Man's 
 profeffing Religion only on the Authority 
 of Men, is little better than having no 
 Religion at all 5 but Mens complying 
 with the wholefome Injunctions of a Church 
 and Laws of a Nation, for Confcience Sake 
 i , to 
 
'Remarks on the fecond Letter. 75 
 to attend the Preaching of the Gofpel, DI- 
 ets of Catechifing and Religious Conference, 
 may be, and often is bleffed of God, to* 
 make Men truly Religious, which procures 
 a juft Refpec~t on Gofpel Principles from 
 the Chriftian People to Gofpel Minifters, 
 who never affect a Dominion over their 
 Faith. 
 
 The 7 Par. is the moft prodigious affront- 
 ing of Reafon, Scripture and common Senfe 
 that ever was written 5 and if I may be per- 
 mitted to make a Conjecture of the Author's 
 Defign, I think, Providence has permitted 
 that he mould appear a pure Original, 
 for his Like never caft up in the World hi- 
 therto : What are the reveal'd Defigns 
 of Providence in permitting Herefies and 
 Divifions, to make the Truth be the bet- 
 ter underftood ? I had always before under- 
 ftood the Defign to have been, That they 
 'which are approved may le made mam f eft. 
 I. Cor. 11. 19. cfbat Wo belonged to the 
 Man hy whom the Offence cometh. Math. 
 18. 7. gjjif. and that the Apoftles Rule, Rom. 
 16. 17. had been of perpetual Authority. 
 Now Ihejeech you, Brethren, mark them which 
 caufe Divifions and Offences, contrary to the 
 Doclrine which ye have learned 5 and avoid 
 them. What was the proper Effect of Uni- 
 formity in the bleffed Days of David, He* 
 
 zekiai % 
 
76 'Remarks on the fecond Letter, 
 zekiab, Jofiah, and other good Kings of 
 lfrael, Ignorance ? The Ignorance of the 
 Clergy and People of Spain and Italy, &c. 
 more then in fundry Provinces in Germany , 
 flows not from the Uniformity of the one, 
 or Divifions of the other, but from the 
 wrong Principles and Ignorance of the Sa- 
 cred Scriptures in the former : For I verily 
 think, on the Principles taught the Spani- 
 ards and Italians, they know better when 
 to tell their Beads and fay their Ave Maria's, 
 than moft of our People do how to perform 
 Family and Secret "Worfhip 5 and the Ig- 
 norance of the People of England Row' A. not 
 from the preciie Uniformity, but from cor- 
 rupt Principles and other obvious Caufes : 
 And I apprehend, that the delivering over 
 this Church, on the Principles of the Natio- 
 nal Covenant, into the Hands of fome infal- 
 lible Junto and univerfal Superintendant, 
 and the frightful Confequences mentioned 
 in that Paragraph, had been the laft Thing 
 in the World to be fear'd. 
 
 What appears to be a Mercy to him ( in 
 the 8th Paragraph) namely all the Mi- 
 fery we fuffer'd after the Reftauration,was, 
 I'm fure, a Grief to many precious Souls, 
 whole Sufferings on the Footing of a cove- 
 nanted Work of Reformation, is the formal 
 Reafon why he and I poflefi fuch Worldly 
 
 Ac- 
 
ozj 
 
 %emarh on the fecond Letter. 77 
 
 Accommodations for the Sake of the Gofpel, 
 and an open Door to preach it. I'm fure I 
 am better fatisfy'd in the prefent mild Ad- 
 miniftration than he, and never open'd my 
 Mouth in the loaft, to difgrace the Confti- 
 tution as he on every other Turn does in 
 thefe Letters, and yet cannot with him 
 glory in the prefent # Toleration fb much 
 abus'd by Perfbns difaffe&ed to the Go- 
 vernment 5 and for my Part, they are not 
 above the Number of 3 or 4 in the Mini- 
 ilry, I have Ground to fufpe<9:, that give in- 
 to his unbounded Principles of Liberty^ and 
 I believe his uncharitable Sufpicion of 
 gloomy Spirits among us, whp pradtife Per* 
 fecution in Theory, is very ill founded. 
 
 Unlefs I fhould have betrayed the Truth; 
 I could not have wav d calling the Author 
 Names, but have eafily forborn Jeft 5 for 
 as my Spirit is weighted with the Matter^ 
 fo I have no Faculty that Way. I hope 
 the Reader will fee I have gone into the 
 Merits of the Caufe, and prov'd that the 
 National Covenant, in the fundry Shapes 
 wherein it hath appeared in this Church, 
 is very confiftent with the Gofpel, with 
 the Principles of the Reformation, very ef- 
 fectively contributing to the Safety of the 
 State, diametrically oppofite to the licen- 
 tious Power and Bride of Church-Men 5 and 
 
 that 
 
7 8 'Remarks on the fecond Letter'. 
 that the People by believing the fame^ 
 believe not Contradi&ions. And here I take 
 the Opportunity to refer the Reader,, and 
 particularly the Author of thefe Letters, to 
 a Story of the National Covenant of this 
 Church, of greater Antiquity than every one 
 imagines, noted by Archbifhop Spotijwood 
 in the Year 500, to this Purpofe. i King 
 f Congallus, after a little while fickning, 
 c fent Columla ( a Church Man ) into Ire- 
 c land to bring home Aidanus the right 
 c Heir of the Kingdom ^ but e'er he return- 
 c ; ed, the King was dead, and Kinnatellus 
 c pofTefTed of the Crown, and the good 
 c Man debating much with himfelf, deter- 
 c mined at laft to bring home the faid Ai- 
 c danus, whom Kinnatellus received kindly, 
 1 after whofe Death Aidanus was crowned 5 
 c and Columla performing the Ceremonies, 
 e exhorted the King to the Love of Juftice, 
 c the Nobles to the Obfervance of Peace, 
 c and them all to Conftancy in the Chrifti- 
 c an Profeffion^ with which all the AfTembly 
 4 comply'd by folemn Oath. And to con- 
 clude, I heartily pray, that by the Bleffing 
 of God on this and other Means, the Au- 
 thor may become as zealous a Covenanter 
 as my felf. 
 
 Sr 9 
 
 Tours, &c. 
 
 N. B. 
 
6 Of 
 
 Remarks on thefecond Letter. 79 
 
 N. B. I have the Acts of the Aflembly 
 
 from 1638, to 1649 inclufive, and yet am 
 
 of Opinion, you the Author are quite mi- 
 
 fhken in your Matters. 
 
 Remarks on a third Letter to the Re- 
 verend Mr* Adams, 
 
 The Letter is exceedingly injurious to 
 the fovereignty of God, all revealed Reli- 
 gion, and the Intendment of the Aaronical 
 Priefthood and Inftitutions, which defign'd 
 to prefigure the Mefliah his Incarnation, 
 Pafiion, &c. and the fpirituality of the Got 
 pel Church, when it fays, that was incor- 
 porated with the Civil Conftitution of the 
 Jew'tfb Nation, and made a Condition of 
 their poffeffing the Land : For in Genefis 17. 
 
 1. 15. Abrahams Right and that of his 
 
 Poiterity to that Land was fully fettled on 
 his and their being c'ircumcifed, and walking 
 before God and being perfect -, and after his 
 Pofterity had the Moral Law promulgate 
 to them from Mount Sinai, moft of their 
 Judicial Laws and Ecclefiaftical ones too 
 fettled on the Principles of Abrahams Co- 
 venant with God. About two Years after 
 their coming out of Egypt, when- their 
 Right was confummate, they were order- 
 ed to go up and take Polfeffiqu of the Land 5 
 
 and 
 
8o Remarks on the third Letter. 
 and yet for their not adhering to God's Co- 
 venant, were forced for the Space of 38 
 Years, to wander through a vaft Wilder- 
 nefsontheEaft Side of the River Jordan., 
 when a great many of their Judicial and 
 Ceremonial Conftitutions,tho' fam'd on the 
 Principles of Abraham's Covenant, took 
 Rife from their Crimes and Scandals ^ fo 
 that to fay the Right to that Land was fuf- 
 pended on the entire Body of their Laws, 
 as Handing in the Pentateuch, is wrong, and 
 of dangerous Confequence •, for had they 
 been meek and fubmiifive, their Yoke had 
 not been made lb heavy, I acknowledge 
 that God made excellent Ufe of the Laws 
 occafioned by their Sins, as Reprefentati- 
 ons of good things to come; but for the 
 Letter to fay, that the Ceremonial Law was 
 only a Political Religion,is very unaccount- 
 able : Tis true it was defign'd to keep the 
 Seed oilfrael unmix'd with other Nations, 
 that the Genealogy of the Meffiah might be 
 without Exception ^ but we know, that the 
 Ifraelitilh Servants bought with their Mo- 
 ney, and Strangers that joyned them were 
 fubje&ed to it, either as Profelytes of the 
 Gate or of the Covenant, that there might 
 he an Uniformity in the Church. And the 
 Diftinction the Author makes between that 
 Political Religion, as he calls it, and ano^ 
 
 ther 
 
031 
 
 Remarks on the third Letter. Si 
 
 ther Religion will not anfwer hisPurpofe : 
 For all that know any Thing of Religi- 
 on underftand, that outward Obfervance 
 of its Rites, and true Grace, are quite 
 different Things, the laft of which 
 never did, nor can come under the Cog- 
 nizance of Mortals, fo as to inflict Pu- 
 nifhments or beftow Rewards - y yet that 
 can't hinder enjoying Confoftnity to an 
 unqueftionable Frame of Religion in the 
 external Obfervances of it. 
 
 To infer from all that he had faid, That 
 the Nature of the Je-vjifb Covenants was 
 fuch as he reprefents, That Jofwb's Re* 
 formation intended no more than a Com- 
 pliance with the political Interefts and 
 Conftitutions of that Nation, is at once 
 a horrid Impiety againftGod, and a bru- 
 tal Ignorance of the Situation of the Jew- 
 i(h Affairs at that Time. The long Con- 
 tention between the Kings of Egypt and 
 Babylon^ which then was at the higheft, 
 fhould have led Jofiah and his Council, 
 had they proceeded on Principles of 
 Policy, to quite other Meafures than fo o- 
 penly and avowedly to deftroy rhe Reli- 
 gion both thefe Nations were fond of$ 
 efpecially feeing his Country lay between 
 their Empires, and the Jews almoft al- 
 ways obliged to join with the one or 
 F the 
 
82 Remarks on the third Letter. 
 the other : No, that righteous and religious 
 Prince intended by his Reformation, and 
 renewing the Covenant with Ijrael's God, 
 to obey the divine Command, that in 
 that Way, God might beftow Grace on 
 his People, and that he might maintain 
 the Church and Nation againft Pharaoh 
 Ncchoy who then was carrying on his 
 Wars againft the King of Babylon, with 
 whom Jofiah was Confederate. 
 
 The Reflections the Letter makes on 2 
 Chron. 34. 31, 32, 33. are extremely fenfe- 
 lefs : For, 'tis plain the Intendment of that 
 Covenant and Reformation was a Compli- 
 ance with the Law of the Lord, and in that 
 Way to expect the divine Grace and Fa- 
 vour ^ and that People ferving God all 
 theJDays of Jofiah, intends no more than 
 the" outward Serving of God in the Rites 
 of Religion. But I hope, in that Way, 
 there was more Ground to expecl the di- 
 vine Grace, to make Men truly Religi- 
 ous, than in the licentious and idolatrous 
 Reign of Manafleh. 
 
 The Story of King Afas Covenant, in- 
 troduced on the Back of the other, and the 
 Inferences drawn therefrom, I could not 
 read without a Blufh, and am afhamed 
 to take up Time on it \ only I muft re- 
 mark (1.) That all Mortals hitherto, except 
 
&33 
 
 Remarks on the third Letter 3 3 
 abfolute Atheifts, who deny the Being of 
 God, have agreed to that general Law, That 
 every Man ought to be puniflied that will 
 not ibek him $ and that they fhould feelc 
 him with all their Hearts : And if itfhould 
 he abfolutely certain, that a Man profef- 
 ling to do it, does but mock when he pre- 
 tends to worfhip, I am fure that, by all 
 the Laws agamft Atheifm, he ought to be 
 punifhed : But, thefe Cenfures and Penal- 
 ties being concerned in Things only that 
 appear, the Searching of the Heart muft 
 be left to God : And, if the Author fhall 
 own the Scriptures according to their genu- 
 ine Senfe exprefTed in the Confeihon of 
 Faith, (which, I prefume, he has again 
 and again fubfcribed) and live regularly 
 in his Station, I fhall alwa} r s fay, he feelcs 
 the Lord God of Ifrad with all his Heart 
 and Soul ^ and if, notwithstanding, he fhall 
 be really a Hypocrite,I fhall leave it to God 
 to punifh him, and my Hand fhall not 
 be upon him. (2.) I remark, that the Peo- 
 ple were required to be truly religious, i. e. 
 to have Grace, and exercife it, and they 
 undertook it : But the Penalty threatned 
 . refpedted no more than their external Be- * 
 haviour, which might declare the quite 
 Contrary of their Profeifion and Engage- 
 ments. (3J I wonder what Thoughts the 
 F 2 Au- 
 
$4 Remarks on the third Letter. 
 Author has of Engagements taken by Spon- 
 fors at the Baptifm of Infants. Are not 
 thefe really Covenants? Are they not 
 Engagements to feek the Lord God of their 
 Fathers with all their Hearts ? And yet 
 all the Penalties, fo far as Men are con- 
 cernd, refpect their external Behaviour. 
 The Reflection the Author makes here, is 
 but a Snare to catch the Ignorant : For, 
 whatever be the real State of a Man, with 
 Refpect to Grace, no Penalties were ever 
 intended againft any that liv'd regularly 
 according to God's Word, either in the 
 tfraetuifb Church or the' Chriftian ^ and 
 that no more was there premifed to the If- 
 ratites, and actually given them, than ex- 
 ternal Reft, is falfe : For an Increafe of 
 Grace and future Glory was promifed to 
 the godly among them y and in that Way 
 Grace was promifed to others that honeft- 
 ly fought it. Tis a "Wonder the Author's 
 virulent Pen let thefe "Words drop from it, 
 That that Covenant only hound them to 
 be hearty in the external Service of God ; 
 for, if a Man be hearty in the external 
 Service of God, I rauft think he is truly 
 religious. 
 
 HntkiaWs Covenant is alfb brought in,and 
 the Defign of it (to turn away the Wrath 
 of God from that Nation; explained into no 
 
 more 
 
02? 
 
 Remarks on the third Letter. ?S 
 
 tnore than to have aRelationtothe external 
 Jt^ilh Law, and the averting of a temporal 
 Punifhment, and that the Former, his and 
 JLzra's Covenants, were no more than Ci- 
 vil Adts of Indemnity for former Breach- 
 es of the facred Laws of the great God : 
 When IreadZk/tf. 27. n6.Gal. 3. 10. and 
 other fuch Scriptures, and compare them 
 with the Words in the Letters, I'm fhock'd 
 to the laft Degree. What! were all the 
 Crimes, Enormities and atrocious Wick- 
 ednefs of the People of Ijrarf and Judah, 
 during the Reigns of their Idolatrous Kings, 
 no more than a Breaking in on the Civil 
 Conftitution, and their iolemn renewing 
 Covenant in the Periods refer'd to, no more 
 than their accepting an Indemnity from 
 their religious Princes. 
 
 The Author having laid down and 
 made fure, as he thinks, his Principles, 
 which I'm fure are the moft pernicious 
 that ever were, goes on to infer, That 
 nothing of the Jrjuijh Reformations, and 
 their renewing their Covenants with God, 
 may be lawfully imitated by Chriftians, 
 
 with Refpecl to their Religion. On 
 
 which, I remark (1.) That whatever God's 
 fecret Purpofe, which doth not concern 
 us, was, I'm fure he never made any De- 
 clarations againft other Nations coming 
 
 in- 
 
86 Remarks on the third Letter. 
 into that Religion ^ tut, on the Contrary,' 
 that all who would fubmit to the Confti- 
 tutions of it, fhould be welcome. As to 
 the Laws againft marrying with other Na- 
 tions, thefe had a peculiar View y and Nehe- 
 miaFs forbidding his ill-defignmg Neigh- 
 bours to affift him in his Buildings, doth 
 not alter the Cafe neither. (2.) It hath 
 been hitherto, according to Scripture, a 
 current Principle, That religious Magi- 
 ftrates are peepers of both the Tables of 
 the Law 5 and tho' Chrift's Kingdom be 
 not of this World, u e. tho' his Difpen- 
 fations of Grace, and his Rewards and 
 Punifhments, mainly refpeft the other 
 World *, yet that hinders not, but that 
 Magiftrates, efpecially if they are Chrifti- 
 an, may be Minifters for Good, Rom. 13. 
 1 9. Is it an Ad of Violence in a Civil 
 Magiftrate to command, even upon Pen- 
 alties, ' that his Subjects read God's Word, 
 pray to him. That in all their Wa}<s they 
 acknowledge him^ that they attend whol- 
 fome Inftruftion, &c. > Was it an Act of 
 Violence in Abraham, even before the If- 
 rariitijl) Oeconomy was -fully fettled, to 
 command his Children and Servants to 
 know the Way of the Lord ? Was it an 
 Aft of Violence in Artaxerxes, tho' not 
 embody 'd in that Church, to order Ezra 
 
Remarks Oh the third Letter. 87 
 7. 29. tfhat wl at ever was commanded 
 ly the God of ' Heavt 77, (hould he done di- 
 ligently for the Houfe of the God of Hea- 
 ven. (9.) When the covenanted Refor- 
 mation was in greateft Credit in Britain 
 and Ireland, there were comfortable Tra- 
 ces of Religion that increafed, till Oliver 
 Cromwell's Ufurpation began in the State, 
 and a boundlefs Liberty, like that the 
 Author pleads for, broke in upon the 
 Church •, which at laft made "Way for Ty- 
 ranny and Prelacy, which, we all know, 
 irought Ignorance along with it. (4.) Tho' 
 It is not warrantable to banifh, burn, or 
 hang a Man for want of Grace $ yet, it 
 is very lawful to punifh him for Athelfm y 
 Socinianifm, prophaning the Lord's-Day, 
 Drunkennefs, ©r. according to the De- 
 merits of his Crimes. (5.) It is ftrange 
 the Author cants over and over, That the 
 Jews had temporal Promifes annexed to 
 their Obedience, fuch as the PofTeifion of 
 
 the Land of Canaan. Do not all honefl 
 
 Chriftians know, that under that Shadow 
 Heaven was intended. (6.) I acknowledge, 
 that the Believers among the Jews never 
 dream'd, that Grace could be communi- 
 cate by external Laws and Penalties : But, 
 I believe, that thro' Faith, they expedted 
 Grace and Glory in the Way of Conformi- 
 ty 
 
88 Remarks on the third Letter, 
 ty to the reveal'd Conftitutions of Religion 
 among them : And,I'm fure,a wife Scots Co- 
 venanter had never other Sort of Thoughts. 
 (7.) The Religion of the Je-vos, as to the 
 Grace and Spirituality of it, was juft the 
 fame with the Chriftian, only, we have 
 more Spirit and fewer Ordinances - 5 which 
 juftly gives the Names of Carnal to theirs, 
 and Spiritual to ours, hut does not alter 
 the Nature of the Thing 5 and fo does not 
 hinder Chriftians from Covenanting with 
 God on the fame Grounds. 
 
 The Defign of the National Covenant 
 in Scotland was never to eftablifh a Na- 
 tional Religion i but to eftablifh the Religi- 
 on of Jefus Chrift in the Nation •, and as 
 foon as they were capable, they propagate 
 that Reformation as far as they could, 
 wrote to all the reformed Churches a- 
 broad, defiring the neareft Union with 
 them-, and I believe, were it in their 
 Power, they would by Gofpel-methods, 
 fpread the fame into all the Nations and 
 Corners of the Earth ^ fo far are they from 
 fencing themfelves from Communion with 
 other Nations in their Religion. His Bur- 
 lefque on the Reformation, and the Inftru- 
 ments of it, follows indeed from his per- 
 nicious Principles, but thefe being naught, 
 the other wants no Remarks only 
 
 'tis 
 
03J 
 
 Remarks on the third Letter. 85 
 
 'tis a Wander to fee any Man write anent 
 Religion, and fo far out of his Wits, as 
 ftill to forget the Word of God, the Foun- 
 dation of it ^ thence ■' it is, he can fee no 
 Odds between the Reformation made by 
 our Anceftors and Popery.- 
 
 That the National Covenant Is popular 
 among well-meaning Chrifhians I acknow- 
 ledge, and that it was neceffary for begin- 
 ning and carrying on the Reformation, is, 
 from what hath been above-faid, very 
 plain, notwithftanding all his Confide- 
 rations on the the Contrary. 
 
 On the Firft of which, I remark (1.) That 
 the Reformation did actually confift with 
 a Covenanting thereabout. (2.) All other 
 Mortals, except the Author, can eafily fee, 
 That our Anceftors engaging to God to 
 reform, and to affift one another therein, 
 are very confiftent with all the Rules of 
 Religion and Prudence. 
 
 On his Second Confideration, I remark, 1 
 That our Fore-fathers never intended, tha€ 
 the formal Ground of their Profeifion, or 
 of the Power of the Church, fhould be hu- 
 mane Laws, but the Authority of God 
 reveal'd in the Scriptures -, and why may 
 not human Laws require Men to keep the 
 Lord's-Day* read the Scriptures, abftain 
 from Adultery, & c '- as well as Jofiab com- 
 G ' mand* 
 
£o Remarks an the third Letter. 
 manded his People to feek the Lord God 
 of their Fathers, obferve the Law of Mo~ 
 fes, Sec. 
 
 Tis ftrange,That in his^/WConfidera- 
 tion, he fhould fay, If Men in Power have 
 a Right to eftablifh Religion by National Co- 
 venants and Laws, there will be an End 
 vf all Reformation, Sec. For, if Men in 
 Tower ihall eftabliiTi Religion by the Laws, 
 or Covenants agreeable to the Word of God, 
 (which he neglects all along in his Let- 
 ter) what fliould hinder fuch Reformation 
 to go on ? It feems he is little acquainted 
 with the Hiftory of the Reformation of 
 this Church, when he fays, That every Step 
 taken in it condemns it /elf '-, and charges 
 our Reformers with the Guilt of Re- 
 bellion. Our noble Anceftors, in that 
 "Work, obferv'd a greater Submiffion than 
 the French, Dutch, Germans, Swedes, Hel- 
 vetians, Silefians, Bohemians, Hungarians ; 
 8cc. did in theirs : But, it feems, it is no 
 great Matter to him, with one Dafh of his 
 Pen, to condemn almoft all the Reform- 
 ed Churches in Europe. 
 
 In his fourth Confideration, he has a 
 ftrange Notion, as if it were unwarrant- 
 able for Men to enquire after Truth, or 
 praclife any Duty conform to it, unlefs 
 it fhould firft arife from Rulers -, which 
 
 has 
 
Remarks on the third Letter. 91 
 
 has not been the Way of Providence in 
 any Nation of Europe, except England and. 
 Denmark : And if the envious Author will 
 not allow the Lawfulnefs of our Reformers 
 Covenanating for Reformation, yet he may 
 at leaft allow it, for preferving the Re- 
 formation attain'd. Which in the Fifth 
 Confideration he feems to grant under the 
 Name of a Covenant, provided it iirport 
 no more than a Civil Aflbciation ; and he 
 is miftaken about the Covenants or Bonds 
 enter'd into by our Reformers before the 
 Year 15:60, for theyconfift in a folemn 
 Tow to God to promote the Reformation 
 of Religion, as well as a Com-promife to 
 ftand by one another in doing it. 
 
 All that I remark on the confus'd Poft- 
 fcript of that Letter is, That factious and 
 four fpirited Men, and Parties, like the 
 Author and his Accomplices, having cart 
 up in the feveral Ages and Periods of the 
 Church, made it necefTary for her, from 
 Time to Time, to form many and very 
 particular ConfeiTions of Faith -, and con- 
 Tenting to them by Oath or Subfcription, 
 reaches * one great Defign of Church-cove- 
 nanting : And if an Obligation by Oath 
 or Subfcription, to ftand by one another 
 in Maintenance of the prefent Confeilion 
 of the Church of Scotland, and the Frc- 
 
 teftant 
 
$1 Remarks on the third Letter. 
 reliant Succeffion, in the Defence of the 
 Evangel, and a iincere Refolve to follow 
 Holinefs , might be peaceably obtain'd, 
 it would be all I plead for ^ and that, I'm 
 fare, the Author is heartily againft. This 
 is what all honeft Men earnestly pray for, 
 and many hope the Lord will fooner or 
 later grant fuch a Time of Refrelhing 
 from his Prefence. 
 
 And to conclude,the Principles laid down 
 in thefe Letters, at once condemn all the 
 Wars that have hitherto been in the wide 
 "VYoiidjin Defence of the Orthodox Faith o 
 the Proteltant Religion in Europe, fince the 
 Welled Reformation from Popery, as wel 
 as Covenants and Aflbciations therefore 
 I wonder what Conceptions he muft have 
 of ConfLiutms Wars againft Lwimns, &c 
 of the Proteftant Princes of Germany a- 
 ft Chcuies V. of Queen Elizabeth who 
 afnfted all her Neighbours in Defence o 
 the Proteftant Religion, the Wars- of Gu- 
 ftamus Adolphus, Sec. For, I'm perfwaded 
 it is but a Trifle with him, to condemn 
 his poor Country-men in the fundry Ste'ps 
 ihey have talc-en, at and fince the 
 'Rcformaton •, and particularly, in bring- 
 ing about the glorious Revolution in the 
 -Year i6S3, and contributing what they- 
 I ever fince, to maintain the Wars ill 
 for the Defence of it. 
 FINIS.