SERMON AT LONDON.
BY EDMOND CALAMY.[14]
"Truce-breakers (or covenant-breakers)."—2 Tim. iii. 3.
In the beginning of the chapter, the apostle tells us the condition that the church of God should be in, in the last days. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." In the second verse, he tells us the reason why these times should be such hard and dangerous times; "for men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous," &c. The reason is not drawn from the miseries and calamities of the last times, but from the sins and iniquities of the last times. It is sin and iniquity that make times truly perilous. Sin, and sin only, takes away God's love and favour from a nation, and makes God turn an enemy to it. Sin causeth God to take away the purity and power of His ordinances from a nation. Sin makes all the creatures to be armed against us, and makes our own consciences to fight against us. Sin is the cause of all the causes of perilous times. Sin is the cause of our civil wars. Sin is the cause of our divisions. Sin is the cause why men fall into such dangerous errors. Sin brings such kinds of judgments, which no other thing can bring. Sin brings invisible, spiritual, and eternal judgments. It is sin that makes God give over a nation to a reprobate sense. Sin makes all times dangerous. Let the times be never so prosperous, yet if they be sinful times, they are times truly dangerous. And if they be not sinful, they are not dangerous, though never so miserable. It is sin that makes afflictions to be the fruits of God's avenging wrath, part of the curse due to sin, and a beginning of hell. It is sin, and sin only, that embitters every affliction. Let us for ever look upon sin through these scripture spectacles.
The apostle, in four verses, reckons up nineteen sins, as the causes of the miseries of the last days. I may truly call these nineteen sins, England's looking-glass, wherein we may see what are the clouds that eclipse God's countenance from shining upon us; the mountains that lie in the way to hinder the settlement of church-discipline: even these nineteen sins, which are as an iron-whip of nineteen strings, with which God is whipping England at this day; which are as nineteen faggots, with which God is burning and devouring England. My purpose is not to speak of all these sins; only let me propound a divine project, how to make the times happy for soul and body. And that is to strike at the root of all misery, which is sin and iniquity: to repent for and from all these nineteen sins, which are as the oil that feeds and increases the flame that is now consuming of us. For, because men are lovers of themselves, usque ad contemptum Dei et republicæ; because men drive their own designs, not only to the neglect, but contempt of God and the commonwealth. Because men are covetous, lovers of the world, more than lovers of God. Because they are proud in head, heart, looks and apparel. Because they are unthankful, turning the mercies of God into instruments of sin, and making darts with God's blessings to shoot against God. Because men are unholy and heady, and make many covenants, and keep none. Because they are (as the Greek word diaboloi signifieth) devils, acting the devil's part, in accusing the brethren, and in bearing false witness one against another. Because they have a "form of godliness, denying the power thereof." Hence it is that these times are so sad and bloody. These are thy enemies, O England, that have brought thee into this desolate condition! If ever God lead us back into the wilderness, it will be because of these sins. And therefore, if ever ye would have blessed days, you must make it your great business to remove these nineteen mountains, and repent of these land-devouring and soul-destroying abominations.
At this time, I shall pick out the first and tenth sin to speak on. The first is, Self-love; which is placed in the forefront, as the cause of all the rest. Self-love is not only a sin that makes the times perilous, but it is the cause of all these sins that make the times perilous; for, because men are lovers of themselves, therefore they are covetous, proud, unholy. The tenth sin is, Truce-breakers, and, for fear lest the time should prevent me, I shall begin with this sin first.
The tenth sin then is truce-breakers; or, as Rom. i. 31., "Covenant-breakers." The Greek word is aspondoi, which signifieth three things; First, Such as are fœderis nescii, as Beza renders it; or, as others, infœderabilis; that is, such as refuse to enter into covenant. Or, Secondly, Such as are fœdifragi, qui pacta non servant, as Estius hath it, or sine fide, as Ambrose; that is, such as break faith and covenant. Or, Thirdly, Such as are implacabilis; or, as others, sine pace; that is, such as are implacable, and haters of peace. According to this threefold sense of the word, I shall gather these three observations.
Doctrine 1. That to be a covenant-refuser is a sin that makes the times perilous.
Doct. 2. That to be a covenant-breaker is a sin that makes the times perilous.
Doct. 3. That to be a peace-hater, or a truce-hater, is a sin that makes the times perilous.
Doct. 4. That to be a covenant refuser is a sin that makes the times perilous; to be fœderis nescius, or infœderabilis. For the understanding of this, you must know that there are two sorts of covenants, there are devilish and hellish covenants, and there are godly and religious covenants. First, There are devilish covenants, such as Acts xxiii. 12, and Isa. xxviii. 15, such as the holy league, as it was unjustly called in France, against the Huguenots, and that of our gun-powder traitors in England. Now, to refuse to make such covenants is not to make the times perilous, but the taking of them makes the times perilous. Secondly, There are godly covenants, as Psal. cxix. 106, and as 2 Chron. xv. 14: and such as this is which you are met to take this day. For you are to swear to such things which you are bound to endeavour after, though you did not swear. Your swearing is not solum vinculum, but novum vinculum, is not the only, but only a new and another bond to tie you to the obedience of the things you swear unto; which are so excellent and so glorious, that if God gave those that take it a heart to keep it, it will make these three kingdoms the glory of the world. And as one of the reverend commissioners of Scotland said, when it was first taken in a most solemn manner at Westminster, by the parliament and the assembly, "That if the pope should have this covenant written upon a wall over against him sitting in his chair, it would be unto him like the hand-writing to Belshazzar, causing his joints to loose, and his knees to smite one against another." And I may add, that if it be faithfully and fully kept, it will make all the devils in hell to tremble, as fearing lest their kingdom should not stand long. Now then, for a man to be an anti-covenanter, and to be such a covenant-refuser, it must needs be a sin that makes the times perilous.
And the reasons are, 1. Because you shall find in scripture, That when any nation did enter into a solemn religious covenant, God did exceedingly bless and prosper that nation after that time, as "That thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, that He may establish thee to-day for a people to Himself, and that He may be unto thee a God." And therefore to be a covenant-refuser, is to make our miseries perpetual. 2. Because it is the highest act of God's love to man, to vouchsafe to engage Himself by oath and covenant to be his God; so it is the highest demonstration of man's love to God, to bind himself by oath and covenant to be God's. There is nothing obligeth God more to us, than to see us willing to tie and bind ourselves unto His service: and therefore, they that in this sense are anti-covenanters are sons of Belial, that refuse the yoke of the Lord, that say, "Let us break His bands asunder, and cast away His cords, from us;" such as oderunt vincula pietatis, which is a soul-destroying, and a land-destroying sin. 3. Because that the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, into one covenant, is the chief, if not the only preservative of them at this time. You find in our English chronicles, that England was never destroyed, but when divided within itself. Our civil divisions brought in the Romans, the Saxons, Danes and Normans; but now the anti-covenanters divide the parliament within itself, and the city within itself, and England against itself; they are as stones separated from the building, which are of no use to itself, and threaten the ruin of the building. Jesus Christ is called in Scripture, the "Corner-stone," which is a stone that unites the two ends of the building together. Jesus Christ is a stone of union: and therefore they that sow division, and study unjust separation, have little of Jesus Christ in them. When the ten tribes began to divide from the other two tribes, they presently began to war one against another, and to ruin one another: the anti-covenanter, he divides and separates and disunites. And therefore he makes perilous times.
My chief aim is at the second doctrine,
Doctrine 2. That for a covenant-taker to be a covenant-breaker, is a sin that makes the times perilous. For the opening of this point, I must distinguish again of covenants. There are civil, and there are religious covenants; a civil covenant is a covenant between man and man; and of this the text is primarily, though not only, to be understood. Now, for a man to break promise and covenant with his brother, is a land-destroying, and a soul-destroying abomination. We read, 2 Sam. xxi., that because Saul had broken the covenant that Joshua made with the Gibeonites, God sent a famine in David's time, of three years' continuance, to teach us that, if we falsify our word and oath, God will avenge covenant-breaking, though it be forty years after. Famous is that text in Jeremiah. Because the princes and the people brake the covenant which they had made with their servants, though but their servants, God tells them, "Because ye have not hearkened unto Me, in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother.... Behold, I proclaim liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine: and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." We read also, that God tells Zedekiah, because he brake the covenant he had made with the king of Babylon, that therefore, "He would recompense upon his head the oath that he had despised, and the covenant that he had broken, and would bring him to Babylon, and plead with him there for the trespass which he had trespassed against the Lord." David tells us, that it is a sin that shuts a man out of heaven. The Turkish history tells us of a covenant made between Amurath, that great Turk, and Ladislaus, king of Hungary, and how the pope absolved Ladislaus from the oath, and provoked him to renew the war: in which war the Turk, being put to the worst, and despairing of victory, pulls out a paper which he had in his bosom, wherein the league was written, and said, "O Thou God of the Christians, if Thou beest a true God, be avenged of those that have, without cause, broken the league made by calling upon Thy name." And the story says, that after he had spoken these words, he had, as it were, "a new heart, and spirit put into him and his soldiers," and that they obtained a glorious victory over Ladislaus. Thus God avenged the quarrel of man's covenant. The like story we read of Rudolphus, duke of Sweden, who, by the pope's instigation, waged war with Henry IV., emperor of Germany, to whom he had sworn to the contrary. But, in the fight it chanced that Rudolphus lost his right hand, and falling sick upon it, he called for it and said, "Behold this right hand with which I subscribed to the emperor, with which I have violated my oath, and therefore I am rightly punished." I will not trouble you with relating that gallant story of Regulus, that chose rather to expose himself to a cruel death, than to falsify his oath to the Carthaginians. The sum of all is, if it be such a crying abomination to break covenant between man and man; and if such persons are accounted as the off-scouring of men, not worthy to live in a Christian, no, not in a heathen commonwealth: if it be a sin that draws down vengeance from heaven; much more for a man to enter into covenant with the great Jehovah, and to break such a religious engagement: this must needs be a destroying and soul-damning sin. And of such religious covenants I am now to speak.
There are two covenants that God made with man, a covenant of nature, and a covenant of grace. The covenant of nature, or of works, was made with Adam, and all mankind in him. This covenant Adam broke, and God presently had a quarrel against him for breaking of it. And, to avenge the quarrel of the covenant, he was thrust out of paradise, and there was a sword also placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, to avenge covenant-breaking. And by nature we are all children of wrath, heirs of hell, because of the breach of that covenant. And therefore we should never think of original sin, or of the sinfulness and cursedness of our natural condition, but we should remember what a grievous sin covenant-breaking is.
But, after man was fallen, God was pleased to strike a new covenant, which is usually called a covenant of grace, or of reconciliation. This was first propounded to Adam by way of promise, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." And then to Abraham by way of covenant, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed." And then to Moses by way of testament. It is nothing else but the free and gracious tender of Jesus Christ, and all His rich purchases to all the lost and undone sons of Adam, that shall believe in Him: or as the phrase is, "That shall take hold of the covenant." Now you must know that baptism is a seal of this covenant, and that all that are baptised do, sacramentally at least, engage themselves to walk before God, and to be upright; and God likewise engages Himself to be their God. This covenant is likewise renewed when we come to the Lord's Supper, wherein we bind ourselves, by a sacramental oath, unto thankfulness to God for Christ. Add further, that besides this general covenant of grace, whereof the sacraments are seals, there are particular and personal, and family and national covenants. Thus, Job had his covenant; and David. And when he came to be king, he joined in covenant with his people to serve the Lord. Thus Asa, Jehoiada, Josiah, and others. Thus the people of Israel had not only a covenant in circumcision, but renewed a covenant at Horeb and Moab, and did often again and again bind themselves to God by vow and covenant. And thus the churches of Christ. Christians, besides the vows in baptism, have many personal and national engagements unto God by covenant, which are nothing else but the renovations and particular applications of that first vow in baptism. Of this nature is that you are to renew this day.
Now give me leave to shew you what a sword-procuring and soul-undoing sin, this sin of covenant-breaking is; and then the reason of it. Famous is that text, "And I will send My sword, which shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant." The words in the Hebrew run thus, "I will avenge the avengement," which importeth this much, that God is at open war and at public defiance with those that break His covenant: He is not only angry with them, but He will be revenged of them. "The Lord hath a controversy with all covenant-breakers." "The Lord will walk contrary to them." First, God takes His people into covenant, and then He tells them of the happy condition they should be in, if they did keep the covenant; but if they did break covenant, He tells them, "that the Lord will not spare him; but the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him. And when the nation shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto the land? What meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then shall men say. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers." This was the sin that caused God to send His people Israel into captivity, and to remove the candlestick from the Asian churches. It is for this sin, that the sword is now devouring Germany, Ireland, and England. God hath sent His sword to avenge the quarrel of His covenant.
The reasons why this sin is a God-provoking sin, are, First, because that, to sin against the covenant is a greater sin than to sin against a commandment of God, or to sin against a promise, or to sin against an ordinance of God. 1. It is a greater sin than to break a commandment of God; for the more mercy there is in the thing we sin against, the greater is the sin. Now there is more mercy in a covenant than in a bare commandment. The commandment tells us our duty, but gives no power to do it. But the covenant of grace, gives power to do what it requires to be done. And therefore, if it be a hell-procuring sin to break the least of God's commandments, much more to be a covenant breaker. 2. It is a greater sin than to sin against a promise of God; because a covenant is a promise joined with an oath. It is a mutual stipulation between God and us: and therefore, if it be a great sin to break promise, much more to break covenant. 3. It is a greater sin than to sin against an ordinance, because the covenant is the root and ground of all the ordinances. It is by virtue of the covenant that we are made partakers of the ordinances: the word is the book of the covenant, and the sacraments are the seals of the covenant. And if it be a sin of an high nature to sin against the book of the covenant, and the seals of the covenant, much more against the covenant itself. To break covenant, is a fundamental sin; it razeth the very foundation of Christianity, because the covenant is the foundation of all the privileges, and prerogatives, and hopes of the saints of God: and therefore we read that a stranger from the covenant is one "without hope." All hope of heaven is cut off, where the covenant is willingly broken. To break covenant is an universal sin, it includes all other sins. By virtue of the covenant, we tie ourselves to the obedience of God's commandments, we give up ourselves to the guidance of Jesus Christ, we own Him for our Lord and King; all the promises of this life, and that which is to come, are contained within the covenant. The ordinances are fruits of the covenant: and therefore they that forsake the covenant, commit many sins in one, and bring not only many but all curses upon their heads. The sum of the first argument is, "If the Lord will avenge the quarrel of his commandments," if God was avenged upon the stick-gatherer for breaking the Sabbath, much more will he be avenged upon a covenant-breaker. If God will avenge the quarrel of an ordinance; if they that reject the ordinances shall be punished, "of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy, that trample under their feet the blood of the covenant?" If God was avenged of those that abused the ark of the covenant, much more will He punish those that abuse the Angel of the covenant.
The Second reason why covenant-breaking is such a land destroying sin is, because it is a solemn and serious thing to enter into covenant with God; a matter of such great weight and importance, that it is impossible but God should be exceedingly provoked with these that slight it, and disrespect it. The vow in baptism is the first, the most general, and the solemnest that any Christian took, saith Chrysostom; wherein he doth not only promise, but engage himself by covenant in the sight of God, and His holy angels, to be the servant of Jesus Christ; and therefore God will not hold him guiltless, that breaks this vow. The solemnity and weightiness of covenant-taking consisteth in three things. 1. Because it is made with the glorious majesty of heaven and earth, who will not be trifled and baffled withal; and therefore, what Jehoshaphat said to his judges, "Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for men, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you," the like I may say to every one that enters into covenant this day; "Take heed what ye do; for it is the Lord's covenant, and there is no iniquity with the Lord: wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; for our God is a holy God, He is a jealous God, He will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins." 2. Because the articles of the covenant are weighty, and of great importance. In the covenant of grace, God engageth Himself to give Christ, and with Him all temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings, and we engage ourselves to be His faithful servants all our days. In this covenant, we oblige ourselves to do great matters, that nearly concern the glory of God, the good of our souls, and the happiness of the three kingdoms. And in such holy and heavenly things, which so nearly concern our everlasting estate, to dally and trifle must needs incense the anger of the great Jehovah. 3. The manner used both by Jews, heathens and Christians in entering into covenant, doth clearly set out the weightiness of it, and what a horrible sin it is to break it. The custom among the Jews, will appear by divers texts of scripture. It is said, "And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof." The words they used when they passed between the parts, were "So God divide me, if I keep not covenant." Nehemiah took an oath of the priests, and shook his lap, and said, "So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise; even thus be he shaken out and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen." Abraham divided the heifer, and she-goat, and a ram. "And when the sun was down, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp, passed between these pieces." This did represent God's presence, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, and as if God should say, "Behold, this day I enter into covenant with thee, and if thou keepest covenant, I will be as a burning lamp to enlighten, and to comfort thee: but if thou breakest covenant, I will be like a smoking furnace to consume thee." Thus also Moses makes a covenant with Israel, and offers sacrifices, and takes the blood of the sacrifices and divides it, and half of it he sprinkles upon the altar, (which represents God's part) and the other half he sprinkles upon the people, as if he should say, "As this blood is divided, so will God divide you, if ye break covenant." This was the custom among the Jews, amongst the Romans. Sometimes they make covenants by taking a stone in their hands, and saying, "If I make this covenant seriously and faithfully, then let the great Jupiter bless me; if not so, let me be cast away from the face of the gods, as I cast away this stone." This was called jurare per Jovem lapidem. All these things are not empty notions and metaphorical shadows, but real and substantial practices; signifying unto us, that God will and must (for it stands with His honour to do it) divide and break them in pieces that break covenant with Him. This day you are to take a covenant by the lifting up of your hands unto the most high God, which is a most emphatical ceremony, whereby we do as it were call God to be a witness and a judge of what we do, and a rewarder or revenger, according as we keep or break this covenant. If we keep it, the lifting up of our hands will be as an evening sacrifice; if we break it, the lifting up our hands will be as the lifting up of the hands of a malefactor at the bar, and will procure woe and misery, and wringing of hands at the great day of appearing.
The Third reason why God will be avenged of those that are covenant-breakers, is: Because that a covenant is the greatest obligation and the most forcible claim that can be invented to tie us to obedience and service. God may justly challenge obedience without covenanting, by virtue of creation, preservation and redemption: He hath made us, and, when lost, He hath purchased us with His blood. But being willing more abundantly to manifest His love, that we be the more fastened to Him, He hath tied Himself to us, and us to Him, by the strong bond of a covenant: as if God should say, Oh ye sons of men! I see you are rebellious and sons of Belial, and therefore, if it be possible, I will make sure. I will engage you unto Me, not only by creation, preservation and redemption, but also by the right of covenant and association. I will make you Mine by promise and oath. And surely he that will break these bonds is as bad as the man possessed with the devil in the gospel, whom no chains could keep fast. When we enter into covenant with God, we take the oath of supremacy, and swear unto Him, that He should be our chief lord and governor, and that we will admit of no sovereign power or jurisdiction, but that God shall be all in all. We likewise take the oath of allegiance, to be His servants and vassals, and that He shall be our supreme in spirituals and temporals. Now, for a Christian that believes there is a God, to break both these oaths of allegiance and supremacy, it is cursed treason against the God of heaven, which surely God will be avenged of. Amongst the Romans, when any soldier was pressed, he took an oath to serve the captain faithfully, and not to forsake him, and he was called miles per sacramentum. Sometimes one took an oath for all the rest, and the others only said, the same oath that A.B. took, the same do I. And these were called milites per conjurationem. And when any soldier forsook his captain, he had the martial law executed upon him. Thus it is with every Christian: he is a professed soldier of Christ, he hath taken press-money, he hath sworn and taken the sacrament upon it to become the Lord's, he is miles per sacramentum, and miles per conjurationem: and if he forsake his captain and break covenant, the great Lord of Hosts will be avenged of him, as it is written, "Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of the covenant." To break covenant is a sin of perjury, which is a sin of an high nature; and if for oaths the land mourneth, much more for breach of oaths. To break covenant is a sin of spiritual adultery; for by covenanting with God, we do as it were, "join ourselves in marriage to God," as the Hebrew word signifieth. Now, to break the marriage knot is a sin for which God may justly give a bill of divorce to a nation. To break covenant is a sin of injustice; for by our covenant we do enter, as it were, into bond to God, and engage ourselves as a creditor to his debtor; now the sin of injustice is a land-destroying sin.
The Fourth reason why God must needs be avenged on those that are covenant-breakers, is, It is an act of the highest sacrilege that can be committed. For, by virtue of the covenant, the Lord lays claim to us as His peculiar inheritance. "I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest Mine." "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." It is a worthy observation, that in the covenant there is a double surrender, one on God's part, and another on our part. God Almighty makes a surrender of Himself, and of his Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Behold, saith God, I am wholly thy God; all My power, and mercy, and goodness, all is thine; My Son is thine, and all His rich purchases; My Spirit is thine, and all His graces: this is God's surrender. On our part, when we take hold of the covenant, we make a delivery of our bodies and souls into the hands of God; we choose Him to be our Lord and Governor, we resign up ourselves into His hands. Lord, we are Thine at Thy disposing: we alienate ourselves, and make a deed of gift of ourselves, and give Thee lock and key of head, heart, and affections. This is the nature of every religious covenant, but especially of the covenant of grace. But now, for a Christian to call in, as it were, his surrender, to disclaim his resignation, to steal away himself from God, and lay claim to himself after his alienation; to fulfil his own lusts, to walk after his own ways, to do what he lists, and not what he hath covenanted to do, and so to rob God of what is His: this is the highest degree of sacrilege, which God will never suffer to go unpunished. And surely if the stick-gatherer, that did but alienate a little of God's time; and Ananias and Sapphira, that withheld but some part of their estate: and if Belshazzar for abusing the consecrated vessels of the temple, were so grievously punished; how much more will God punish those that alienate themselves from the service of that God to whom they have sworn to be obedient? It is observed by a learned author, of the famous commanders of the Romans, that they never prospered after they had defiled and robbed the temple of Jerusalem. First, Pompey the Great, went into the sanctum sanctorum, a place never before entered by any but the high-priest, and the Lord blasted him in all his proceedings, "that he that before that time wanted earth to overcome, had not at last earth enough to bury him withal." The next was Crassus, who took away 10,000 talents of gold from the temple, and afterward died, by having gold poured down his throat. The third was Cassius, who afterwards killed himself. If then God did thus avenge Himself of those that polluted His consecrated temple; much more will He not leave them unpunished, that are the living temples of the Holy Ghost, consecrated to God by covenant, and afterwards proving sacrilegious, robbing God of that worship and service, which they have sworn to give Him.
The Fifth reason why this sin makes the times perilous, is; Because covenant-breakers are reckoned amongst the number of those that have the mark of reprobation upon them. I do not say that they are all reprobates, yet I say, that the apostle makes it to be one of those sins which are committed by those that are given up "to a reprobate mind." The words are spoken of the heathen, and are to be understood of covenants made between man and man; and then the argument will hold a fortiori. If it be the brand of a reprobate to break covenant with man, much more a covenant made with the great Jehovah by the lifting up of our hands to heaven.
The Last reason is, because it is a sin against such infinite mercy. It is said, "Which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them;" that is, although I had chosen them for my spouse, and married myself unto them with an everlasting covenant of mercy, and entailed heaven unto them, yet they have broken my covenant. This was a great provocation. Thus, "When thou wast in thy blood, and no eye pitied thee, to have compassion upon thee, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live: Yea, I said unto thee, Live." It is twice repeated. As if God should say, "Mark it, O Israel, when no eye regarded thee, then I said unto thee, Live." Behold, saith God, "Thy time was the time of love." Behold, and wonder at it. "And I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest Mine." And yet for all this, thou has sinned grievously against Me. "Wo, wo unto thee, saith the Lord God."
There is a fivefold mercy in the covenant, especially in the covenant of grace, that makes the sin of covenant-breaking to be so odious.
1. It is a mercy that the great God will vouchsafe to enter into covenant with dust and ashes. As David saith in another case, "Is it a light thing to be the son-in-law of a king?" So may I say, "Is it a light matter for the Lord of heaven and earth to condescend so far as to covenant with His poor creatures, and thereby to become their debtors, and to make them, as it were, His equals?" When Jonathan and David entered into a covenant of friendship, though one was a king's son, the other a poor shepherd, yet there was a kind of equality between them. But this must be understood warily, according to the text. "Blessed be God, who hath called us unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." He is still our Lord, though in fellowship with us. It is a covenant of infinite condescension on God's part, whereby He enters into a league of friendship with His people.
2. The mercy is the greater, because this covenant was made after the fall of Adam. After we had broken the first covenant, that the Lord should try us the second time, is not only an act of infinite goodness of God, but of infinite mercy. There is a difference between the goodness and the mercy of God. Goodness may be shewed to those that are not in misery: but mercy supposeth misery. And this was our condition after the breach of the first covenant.
3. That God should make this covenant with man, and not with devils.
4. This sets out the mercy of the covenant, because it contains such rare and glorious benefits, and therefore it is called a covenant of life and peace. "An everlasting covenant even the sure mercies of David." It is compared to the waters of Noah, Isa. liv. 6. Famous are those two texts; Exod. xix. 5, 6; Jer. xxxii. 40, 41—texts that hold forth strong consolation. By virtue of the covenant, heaven is not only made possible, but certain to all believers, and certain by way of oath. It is by virtue of the covenant that we call Him Father, and may lay claim to all the power, wisdom, goodness and mercy, that are in God. As Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, to whom he was joined in covenant, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses:" so doth God say to all that are in covenant with Him, "My power is thine, My holiness is thine." By virtue of this covenant, whatsoever thou wantest, God cannot deny it thee, if it be good for thee. Say unto God, Lord, Thou hast sworn to take away my heart of stone, and to give me a heart of flesh, Thou hast sworn to write Thy law in my heart, Thou hast sworn to circumcise my heart, Thou hast sworn to give me Christ, to be my king, priest and prophet. And God cannot but be a covenant-keeper. By virtue of this covenant, God cannot but accept of a poor penitent sinner, laying hold upon Christ for pardon. In a word, we may challenge pardon and heaven by our covenant. God is not only merciful but just to forgive us; we may challenge heaven through Christ, out of justice. And
5. That the condition of the covenant on our part should be upon such easy terms, therefore it is called a covenant of free grace, and all that God requires of us is to take hold of this covenant; to receive this gift of righteousness; to take all Christ, as He is tendered in the covenant; and, that which is the greatest consolation of all, God hath promised in His covenant to do our part for us. Therefore it is called a testament, rather than a covenant. In the New Testament, the word diatheke, is always used by the apostle, and not syntheke. Heaven is conveyed into the elect by way of legacy. It is part of God's testament, to write His law in our hearts, and to cause us to walk in His ways. Put these together, seeing there is such infinite mercy in the covenant. A mercy, for God to enter into covenant with us, to do it with us, and not the angels; with us fallen, with us upon, such easy terms, and to make such a covenant that contains so many, and not only so but all blessings here and hereafter, in the womb of it. It must needs be a land-destroying, and soul-destroying sin, to be a covenant-breaker.
The use and application of this doctrine is fourfold. 1. Of information. If it be such a land-destroying sin to be a covenant-breaker, let us from hence learn the true cause of all the miseries that have happened unto England in these late years. The womb out of which all our calamities are come—England hath broken covenant with God, and now God is breaking England in pieces, even as a potter breaks a vessel in pieces. "God hath sent His sword to avenge the quarrel of His covenant," as Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple, with whips made of the cords which they had brought to tie their oxen and sheep withal. A covenant is a cord to tie us to God; and now God hath made an iron whip of that covenant which we have broken asunder, to whip us withal.
We are a nation in covenant with God, we have the books of the covenant, the Old and New Testament; we have the seals of the covenant, baptism, and the Lord's supper; we have the messengers of the covenant, the ministers of the Gospel; we have the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, fully, freely, and clearly set out before us in the ministry of the word: but alas! are not these blessings amongst us, as the ark was amongst the Philistines, rather as prisoners, than as privileges, rather in testimonium et ruinam, quam in salutem; rather for our ruin, than for our happiness? May it not be said of us, as reverend Mulin said of the French protestants, "While they burned us (saith he) for reading the scriptures, we burned with zeal to be reading of them; now with our liberty is bred also negligence and disesteem of God's word." So is it with us, while we were under the tyranny of bishops; Oh! how sweet was a fasting day? How beautiful were the feet of them that brought the gospel of peace unto you? How dear and precious were God's people one to another? But now, how are our fasting days slighted and vilified? How are the people of God divided one from another, railing upon (instead of loving) one another? And is not the godly ministry as much persecuted by the tongues of some that would be accounted godly, as heretofore by the bishop's hands? Is not the Holy Bible by some rather wrested than read? Wrested, I say, by ignorant and unstable souls, to their own destruction? And as for the seals of the covenant, 1. For the Lord's supper, how oft have we spilt the blood of Christ by our unworthy approaches to His table? And hence it is, that He is now spilling our blood; how hard a matter is it, to obtain power to keep the blood of Christ from being profaned by ignorant and scandalous communicants? And can we think, that God will be easily entreated to sheath up His bloody sword, and to cease shedding our blood? 2. For the sacrament of baptism; how cruel are men grown to their little infants, by keeping of them from the seal of entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and making their children to be just in the same condition with the children of Turks and Infidels? I remember, at the beginning of these wars there was a great fear fell upon godly people about their little children, and all their care was for their preservation and their safety; and for the continuance of the gospel to them. But now, our little children are likely to be in a worse condition than ever. And all this is come upon us as a just punishment of our baptismal covenant-breaking. And as for Jesus Christ, who is the angel of the covenant: are there not some amongst us that ungod Jesus Christ? And is it not fit and equal that God should unchurch us and unpeople us? Are there not thousands that have sworn to be Christ's servants, and yet are in their lives the vassals of sin and Satan? And shall not God be avenged of such a nation as this? These things considered, it is no wonder our miseries are so great, but the wonder is that they are not greater.
2. An use of examination. Days of humiliation ought to be days of self-examination. Let us therefore upon such a day as this, examine, whether we be not amongst the number of those that make the times perilous, whether we be not covenant-breakers? Here I will speak of three covenants; 1. Of the covenant we have made with God in our baptism. 2. Of the covenant we have made with God in our distresses. 3. And especially of this covenant you are to renew this day.
1. Of the covenant which we made in baptism, and renew every time we come to the Lord's supper, and upon our solemn days of fasting. There are none here, but I may say of them, "the vows of God are upon you." You are servi nati, empti, jurati, you are the born, bought, and sworn servants of God, you have made a surrender of yourselves unto God and Christ. The question I put to you is this: How often have you broken covenant with God? It is said, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; who shall dwell with everlasting torments? Who shall dwell with devouring fire?" When God comes to a church-sinner, to a sinner under the Old Testament, much more to a Christian sinner, a sinner under the New Testament, and layeth to his charge his often covenant-breaking, fearfulness shall possess him, and he will cry out, "Oh! woe is me, who can dwell with everlasting burnings? Our God is a consuming fire, and we are as stubble before Him; who can stand before His indignation? Who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? When His fury is poured forth like fire, and the rocks are thrown down before Him. Who can stand?" Of all sorts of creatures, a sinful Christian shall not be able to stand before the Lord, when He comes to visit the world for their sins. For when a Christian sins against God, he sins not only against the commandment but against the covenant. And in every sin he is a commandment-breaker, and a covenant-breaker. And therefore, whereas the apostle saith, "tribulation and anguish upon every soul that sinneth: but first upon the Jews," I may add, first, upon the Christian, then upon the Jew, and then upon the Grecian, because the covenant made with the Christian is called a better covenant: and therefore his sins have a higher aggravation in them. There is a notable passage in Austin, in which he brings in the devil thus pleading with God, against a wicked Christian at the day of judgment. Oh! Thou righteous Judge, give righteous judgment; judge him to be mine who refused to be Thine, even after he had renounced me in his baptism; what had he to do to wear my livery? What had he to do with gluttony, drunkenness, pride, wantonness, incontinency, and the rest of my ware? All these things he hath practised, since he renounced the devil and all his works. Mine he is, judge righteous judgment; for he whom Thou hast not disdained to die for, hath obliged himself to me by his sins.
Now, what can God say to this charge of the devil's, but take him, devil, seeing he would be thine; take him, torment him with everlasting torments. Cyprian brings in the devil thus speaking to Christ in the great day of judgment. I have not (saith the devil) been whipped, and scourged, and crucified, neither have I shed my blood for those whom Thou seest with me; I do not promise them a kingdom of heaven, and yet these men have wholly consecrated themselves to me and my service. Indeed, if the devil could make such gainful covenants with us, and bestow such glorious mercies upon us as are contained within the covenant, our serving of Satan and sin might have some excuse. But, whereas his covenant is a covenant of bondage, death, hell, and damnation; and God's covenant is a covenant of liberty, grace, and eternal happiness, it must needs be a sin inexcusable to be willingly and wilfully such a covenant-breaker.
2. Let us examine concerning the vows which we have made to God in our distresses; in our personal distresses, and our national distresses. Are we not like the children of Israel, of whom it is said, "When He slew them, then they sought Him, and they returned and inquired early after God. Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant." Are we not like little children that, while they are being whipped, will promise any thing; but, when the whipping is over, will perform nothing? Or like unto iron that is very soft and malleable while it is in the fire, but, when it is taken out of the fire, returns presently to its former hardness? This was Jacob's fault: he made a vow when he was in distress, but he forgot his covenant, and God was angry with him, and chastised him in his daughter, Dinah, and in his two sons, Simeon and Levi; and at last God Himself was fain to call him from heaven to keep covenant; and after that time God blessed Jacob exceedingly. We read of David, that he professes of himself, "That he would go to God's house, and pay the vows which his lips uttered, and his mouth had spoken, when he was in trouble." But, how few are there that imitate David in this thing.
3. Let us examine ourselves concerning this Solemn League and Covenant which we are to renew this day. And here I demand an answer to this question. Quest. Are we not covenant-breakers? Do we not make the times perilous by our falsifying of our oath and covenant with God? In our covenant we swear to six things.
1. "That we will endeavour to be humbled for our own sins, and for the sins of the kingdom:" But where shall we find a mourner in England for his own abominations, and for the abominations that are committed in the midst of us? It is easy to find a censurer of the sins of the land, but hard to find a true mourner for the sins of the land.
2. We swear "that we will endeavour to go before one another in the example of a real reformation." But who makes conscience of this part of the oath? What sin hast thou left, or in what one thing hast thou reformed since thou didst take this covenant? We read, "That they entered into a covenant to put away their wives and children by them," which was a very difficult and hard duty, and yet they did it. But what bosom-sin, what beloved sin, as dear to thee as thy dear wife and children, hast thou left for God's sake, since thou tookest this oath? I read, That the people took an oath to make restitution, which was a costly duty, and yet they performed it. But alas! where is the man that hath made restitution of his ill-gotten goods since he took this covenant? I read, that king Asa deposed his mother Maachah, her even, from being queen, after he had entered into covenant: and that the people, after they had sworn a covenant, brake in pieces all the altars of Baal thoroughly. But where is this thorough reformation. We say, we fight for a reformation, but I fear lest in a little time, we fight away our reformation. Or, if we fight it not away, yet we should dispute it away. For all our religion is turned into questions, in so much that there are some that call all religion into question, and in a little while will lose all religion in the crowd of questions. There was a time not many years ago, when God did bless our ministry in the city, to the conversion of many people unto God; but now there are many that study more to gain parties to themselves, than to gain souls to God. The great work of conversion is little thought on, and never so few, if any at all, converted as in these days wherein we talk so much of reformation. And is this to keep covenant with God?
3. We swear "to endeavour to amend our lives, and reform not only ourselves, but also those that are under our charge." But where is that family reformation? Indeed I read of Jacob that when he went to perform his vow and covenant, he first reformed his family. And that Joshua resolved, and performed it, "for himself and his family to serve the Lord." And so did Josiah. And oh! that I could add, And so do we. But the wickedness committed in our families proclaims the contrary to all the world. What noblemen, what aldermen, what merchants, families, are more reformed since the covenant than before? We speak and contend much for a church-reformation, but how can there be a church-reformation, unless there be a family-reformation? What though the church-worship be pure, yet if the worshippers be impure, God will not accept of the worship? And if families be not reformed, how will your worshippers be pure?
4. We swear to endeavour "to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest uniformity in religion confession of faith, form of church government, directory for worship, and catechising." But are there not some that write against an uniformity in religion, and call it an idol? Are there not many that walk professedly contrary to this clause of the covenant? There are three texts of scripture that people keep quite the contrary way. The first is, "Take no thought what ye shall eat; take no thought for to-morrow." And most people take thought for nothing else. The second is, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness;" and most people seek this last of all. The third text is, "Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat that endureth for ever;" and most people labour not for the meat that endureth for ever, but for the meat that perisheth. As these three texts are kept, so do many people keep this part of the oath; for there were never more divisions and differences in the church, never more deformity, and pleading against uniformity, than now there is.
5. We swear "to endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy, superstition, heresy, and schism." And yet, notwithstanding, there are some that have taken the oath that contend earnestly for a toleration of all religions.
6. We swear "against a detestable indifferency and neutrality in this cause, which so much concerneth the glory of God." And yet how many are there amongst us like unto Gallio, that care not what becomes of the cause of God, so they may have peace and quiet? That will not be the backwardest of all, and yet will be sure not to be too forward; for fear lest, if the times turn, they should be noted amongst the chief of the faction? That are very indifferent which side prevail, so they may have their trading again? That say as the politicians say, That they would be careful not to come too near the heels of religion, lest it should dash out their brains: and as the king of Arragon told Beza, That he would wade no further into the sea of religion, than he could safely return to shore. In all these six particulars, let us seriously search and try our hearts, whether we be not among the number of those that make the times perilous.
The third use is for humiliation. Let the consideration of our covenant-breaking be a heart-breaking consideration to every one of us this day: let this be a mighty and powerful argument to humble us upon this day of humiliation. There are five considerations that are exceedingly soul-humbling, if God bless them to us.
1. The consideration of the many commandments of God, that we have often and often broken. 2. The consideration of the breaking of Jesus Christ for our sins, how He was rent and torn for our iniquities. 3. The consideration of the breaking of the bread, and pouring out of the wine in the sacrament, which is a heart-breaking motive and help. 4. The broken condition that the kingdoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany, are in at this time. 5. The many vows and covenants that we have broken; our sacrament-covenants, our fasting-covenants, our sick-bed covenants; and especially the consideration of our often breaking our national covenant, which you come this day to renew. This is a sin in folio, a sin of a high nature: and if ever God awaken our conscience in this life, a sin that will lie like a heavy incubus upon it. A greater sin than to sin against a commandment, or against an ordinance. A sin not only of disobedience, but of perjury; a sin of injustice, of spiritual adultery, a sin of sacrilege, a sin of great unkindness, a sin that not only makes us disobedient, but dishonest; for we account him a dishonest man, that keeps not his word. A sin that not only every good Christian, but every good heathen doth abhor; a sin that not only brings damnation upon us, but casteth such an horrible disgrace and reproach upon God, that it cannot stand with God's honour not to be avenged of a covenant-breaker. Tertullian saith, "That when a Christian forsakes his covenant, and the colours of Christ, and turns to serve as the devil's soldier, he puts an unspeakable discredit upon God and Christ." For it is as much as if he should say, "I like the service of the devil better than the service of God." And it is just as if a soldier that hath waged war under a captain, and afterwards forsakes him, and turns to another; and after that, leaves this other captain, and turns to his former captain. This is to prefer the first captain before the second. This makes God complain, "What iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me?" And, "Hath any nation changed their god, which yet are no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." Basil brings in the devil insulting over Christ, and saying, "I never created nor redeemed these men, and yet they have obeyed me and contemned Thee, O Christ, even after they have covenanted to be Thine." And then he adds, "I esteem this honouring of the devil over Jesus Christ at the great day, to be more grievous to a true saint than all the torments in hell." A saying worthy to be written in letters of gold. Seeing then that covenant-breaking is so great an abomination, the Lord give us hearts to be humbled for this great abomination this day. And this will be a notable preparation to fit you for the renewing of your covenant. For we read, that Nehemiah first called his people to fast before he drew them unto a covenant: according to which pattern, you are here met to pray and humble your souls for your former covenant-breaking; and then to bind yourselves anew unto the Lord our God. As wax, when it is melted, will receive the impression of a seal, which it will not do before: so will your hearts, when melted into godly sorrow for our sins, receive the seal of God abidingly upon them which they will not do when hardened in sin.
Is every man that sins against the covenant to be accounted a covenant-breaker, and a perjured sacrilegious person? By no means. For, as every failing of a wife doth not break covenant between her and her husband, but she is to be accounted a wife, till she, by committing adultery, break the covenant: so, every miscarriage against the covenant of grace, or against this national covenant doth not denominate us, in a gospel account, covenant-breakers: but then God accounts us, according to His gospel, to break covenant when we do not only sin, but commit sin against the covenant; when we do not only sin out of weakness, but out of wickedness; when we do not only fail, but fall into sin; when we forsake and renounce the covenant; when we deal treacherously in the covenant, and enter into league and covenant with those sins which we have sworn against; when we walk into anti-covenant paths, and willingly do contrary to what we swear; then are we perjured, and unjust, and sacrilegious, and guilty of all those things formerly mentioned.
The fourth use presents unto you a divine, and therefore a sure project to make the times happy; and that is, let all covenant-takers labour to be covenant-keepers. It hath pleased God, to put it in your hearts to renew your covenant, the same God enabled you to keep covenant. It is said, "The king made a covenant before the Lord. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord. And all the people stood to the covenant." This is your duty, not only to take the covenant, but to stand to the covenant; and to stand to it maugre all opposition to the contrary, as we read, "And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman." For it is not the taking, but the keeping of the covenant, that will make you happy. God is styled, "A God keeping covenant." O that this might be the honour of this city! That we may say of it, London is a city keeping covenant with God. Great and many are the blessings entailed upon covenant-keepers. "Now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me, above all people: for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant." There are three covenants, I shall persuade you in a special manner to stand to.
1. The covenant you made with God in baptism. A Christian (saith Chrysostom) should never step out of doors, or lie down in his bed, or go into his closet, but he should remember the time when he did renounce the devil and all his works. Oh, let us not forget that which we ought always to remember! Let us remember to keep that covenant, as we ever desire God should remember us in mercy at the great day.
2. The covenant we make with God in our afflictions. Famous is that passage of Pliny in one of his epistles, to one that desired rules from him how to order his life aright; I will (saith he) give you one rule, which shall be instead of a thousand: That we should persevere to be such, when we are well, as we promise to be when we are sick. A sentence never to be forgotten: the Lord help us to live accordingly.
3. The covenant which you are to take this day. The happiness or misery of England doth much depend upon the keeping or breaking of this covenant. If England keep it, England by keeping covenant shall stand sure. If England break it, God will break England in pieces. If England slight it, God will slight England. If England forsake it, God will forsake England, and this shall be written upon the tomb of perishing England, "Here lieth a nation that hath broken the covenant of their God." Remember what you have heard this day, that it is the brand of a reprobate to be a covenant-breaker, and it is the part of a fool to vow and not to pay his vows. And God hath no delight in the sacrifice of fools. "Better not to vow, than to vow and not to pay." It is such a high profanation of God's name, as that God cannot hold a covenant-breaker guiltless; it is perjury, injustice, spiritual adultery, sacrilege. And the very lifting up of our hands this day, (if you do not set heart and hand on work to keep covenant) will be a sufficient witness against you at the great day. We read "that Jacob and Laban entered in covenant, and took a heap of stones, and they called the place Mizpah, the Lord watch between me and thee," and made them a witness, and said "this heap is a witness." "The God of Abraham judge betwixt us." Such is your condition this day. You enter into covenant to become the Lord's, and to be valiant for His truth, and against His enemies, and the very stones of this church shall be witness against you, if you break covenant; the name of this place may lie called Mizpah. The Lord will watch over you for good, if you keep it, and for evil if you break it; and all the curses contained in the book of the covenant shall light upon a willing covenant-breaker. The Lord fasten these meditations and soul-awakening considerations upon your hearts. The Lord give you grace to keep close to the covenant and a good conscience, which are both lost by breaking covenant.
There are four things I shall persuade you unto in pursuance of your covenant. 1. To be humbled for your own sins, and for the sins of the kingdom; and more especially, because we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the gospel, that we have not laboured to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of Him in our lives, which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us. Gospel sins are greater than legal sins, and will bring gospel curses, which are greater than legal curses. And therefore let us be humbled according to our covenant, for all our gospel abominations. 2. You must be ambitious to go before one another in an example of real reformation. You must swear vainly no more, be drunk no more, break the Sabbath no more. You must remember what David says. "But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee." To sin willingly, after we have sworn not to sin, is not only to sin against a commandment, but to sin against an oath, which is a double iniquity, and will procure a double damnation. And he that takes a covenant to reform, and yet continueth unreformed, his covenant will be unto him as the bitter water of jealousy was to the woman guilty of adultery, which made her belly to swell, and thigh to rot. 3. You must be careful to reform your families, according to your covenant, and the example of Jacob and Joshua, and the godly kings fore-mentioned. 4. You must endeavour, according to your places and callings, to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction, and uniformity in religion. O blessed unity! how comes it to pass, that thou art so much slighted and contemned? Was not unity one of the chief parts of Christ's prayer unto His Father, when He was here upon the earth? Is not unity amongst Christians one of the strongest arguments to persuade the world to believe in Christ? Is it not the chief desire of the holy apostles, that we "should all speak the same things, and that there should be no division amongst us?" Is not unity the happiness of heaven? Is it not the happiness of a city, to be at unity with itself? "Is it not a good and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity?" How comes it to pass then that this part of the covenant is so much forgotten? The Lord mind you of it this day; and the Lord make this great and famous city, a city of holiness, and a city of unity within itself: for if unity be destroyed, purity will quickly also be destroyed. The church of God is Una, as well as Sancta; it is but one church, as well as it is a holy church. And "Jesus Christ gave some to be apostles, etc. till we all come to the unity of the faith." The government of Christ is appointed for keeping the church in unity, as well as purity. These things which God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. That government which doth not promote unity as well as purity, is not the government of Christ. Oh, the misery of the kingdom where church divisions are nourished and fomented! A kingdom or church against itself, cannot stand. "Would it not be a sad thing, to see twelve in a family, and one of them a Presbyterian, another an Independent, another a Brownist, another an Antimonian, another an Anabaptist, another a Familist, another for Prelatical government, another a Seeker, another a Papist, and the tenth, it may be, an Atheist, and the eleventh a Jew, and the twelfth a Turk? The Lord in His due time heal our divisions, and make you His choice of instruments, according to your places, that the Lord may be one, and His name one in the three kingdoms.
Quest. But some will say, "How shall I do to get up my heart to this high pitch, that I may be a covenant-keeper?" I will propound these three helps. 1. Labour to be always mindful of your covenant, according to that text, "God is always mindful of His covenant." It was the great sin of the people of Israel, that they were unmindful of the covenant. They first forgot the covenant, and afterwards did quickly forsake it. He that forgets the covenant, must needs be a covenant-breaker. Let us therefore remember it, and carry it about us as quotidianum argumentum, and quotidianum munimentum. 1. Let us make the covenant a daily argument against all sin and iniquity; and when we are tempted to any sin, let us say, "I have sworn to forsake my old iniquity, and, if I commit this sin, I am not only a commandment-breaker, but an oath-breaker. I am perjured. I have sworn to reform my family, and therefore I will not suffer a wicked person to tarry in my family; I have sworn against neutrality and indifferency, and therefore I will be zealous in God's cause." 2. Let us make this covenant a daily muniment and armour of defence, to beat back all the fiery darts of the devil: when any one tempts thee by promise of preferment to do contrary to thy covenant, or threatens to ruin thee for the hearty pursuing of thy covenant, here is a ready answer, "I am sworn to do what I do, and, if I do otherwise, I am a perjured wretch." This is a wall of brass, to resist any dart that shall be shot against thee for well-doing, according to thy covenant. Famous is the story of Hannibal, which he told king Antiochus, when he required aid of him against the Romans, "When I was nine years old (saith he) my father carried me to the altar, and made me take an oath to be an irreconcilable foe to the Romans. In pursuance of this oath, I have waged war against them thirty-six years. To keep this oath, I have left my country, and am come to seek aid at your hands, which, if you deny, I will travel all over the world, to find out some enemies to the Roman state." If an oath did so mightily operate in Hannibal; let the oath you are to take this day work as powerfully upon you; and make your oath an argument to oppose personal-sins and family sins, and to oppose heresy, schism, and all profaneness; and to endeavour to bring the church of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity. And let this oath be armour-proof against all temptations to the contrary. And know this one thing, that if the covenant be not a daily argument and muniment against sin, it will become, upon your breaking of it, a daily witness against you, as the book of the law was, and an "everlasting shame and reproach" unto you and yours. 2. Let us have high thoughts of the covenant. Actions and affections follow our apprehensions. If thy judgment be belepered with a corrupt opinion about the covenant, thy affections and actions will quickly be belepered also: and therefore you ought to endeavour, according to your places, that nothing be spoken or written that may tend to the prejudice of the covenant. 3. You must take heed of the cursed sin of self-love, which is placed in the forefront, as the cause of all the catalogue of sins here named; "Because men are lovers of themselves, therefore they are covetous," etc., and therefore they are covenant-breakers. A self-seeker cannot but be a covenant-breaker: this is a sin you must hate as the very gates of hell.
And this is the second sin I promised in the beginning of my sermon to speak on: but the time, and your other occasions will not permit. There is a natural self-love, and a divine self-love, and a sinful self-love. This sinful self-love is, when we make ourselves the last end of all our actions, when we so love ourselves, as to love no man but ourselves, according to the proverb, "Every man for himself." When we pretend God and His glory, and the common good, but intend ourselves, and our own private gain and interest; when we serve God upon politic designs. Where this sinful self-love dwells, there dwells no love to God, no love to thy brother, no love to church or state. This sinful self-love is the caterpillar that destroyeth church and commonwealth. It is from this sinful self-love that the public affairs drive on so heavily, and that church-government is not settled, and that our covenant is so much neglected. Of this sin, I cannot now speak; but, when God shall offer opportunity, I shall endeavour to uncase it you. In the meantime, the Lord give you grace to hate it as hell itself.
THE NATIONAL COVENANTS.
[Fac-simile of old Title page of following Ceremony.]
THE NATIONAL COVENANTS
CORONATION SERMON AT SCONE.[15]
BY ROBERT DOUGLAS.
And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon
him; and gave him the testimony, and they made him king
and anointed him, and they clapped their hands, and said, God
save the king.
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king,
and the people, that they should he the Lord's people; between
the king also, and the people.—2 Kings xi, 12, 17.
In this text of Scripture you have the solemn enthronizing of Joash, a young king, and that in a very troublesome time; for Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, had cruelly murdered the royal seed, and usurped the kingdom by the space of six years. Only this young prince was preserved by Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, and wife to Jehoiada, the high priest, being hid with her in the house of the Lord, all that time.
Good interpreters do conjecture, though Joash be called the son of Ahaziah, that he was not his son by nature, but by succession to the crown. They say, that the race of Solomon ceased here, and the kingdom came to the posterity of Nathan, the son of David, because, 'tis said, "the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom;" which they conceive to be for the want of children in that house, and because of the absurdity and unnaturalness of the fact, that Athaliah, the grandmother, should have cut off her son's children. I shall not stand on the matter, only I may say, if they were Ahaziah's own children, it was a most unnatural and cruel act for Athaliah to cut off her own posterity.
For the usurpation, there might have been two motives. First, It seemeth when Ahaziah went to battle, Athaliah was left to govern the kingdom, and, her son Ahaziah being slain before his return, she thought the government sweet, and could not part with it, and because the royal seed stood in her way, she cruelly destroyed them, that she might reign with the greater freedom. Secondly, She was earnest to set up a false worship, even the worship of Baal, which she thought could not be so well done, as by cutting off the royal race, and getting the sole power in her hand, that she might do what she pleased.
The business you are about this day, is not unlike: you are to invest a young king in the throne, in a very troublesome time, and wicked men have risen up and usurped the kingdom, and put to death the late king most unnaturally. The like motives seemed to have prevailed with them. First, These men by falsehood and dissimulation, have gotten power in their hands, which to them is so sweet, that they are unwilling to part with it; and because the king and his seed stood in their way, they have made away the king, and disinherited his children, that the sole power might be in their hand. Secondly, They have a number of damnable errors, and a false worship to set up, and intend to take away the ordinances of Christ, and government of His kirk: all this cannot be done, unless they have the sole power in their hands, and this they cannot have until the king and his posterity be cut off. But I leave this, and come to the present solemnity; there's a prince to be enthroned, good Jehoiada will have the crown put upon his head.
It may be questioned why they went about this coronation in a time of so great hazard, when Athaliah had reigned six years. Had it not been better to have defeated Athaliah, and then to have crowned the king? Two reasons may be rendered why they delay the coronation. (1) To crown the king was a duty they were bound to. Hazard should not make men leave their duty; they did their duty, and left the success to God. (2) They crowned the young king, to endear the people's affections to their own native prince, and to alienate their hearts from her that had usurped the kingdom. If they had delayed (the king being known to be preserved), it might have brought on not only compliance with her, but also subjection to her government, by resting in it, and being content to lay aside the righteous heir of the crown.
The same is observed in our case; and many wonder that you should crown the king in a dangerous time, when the usurpers have such power in the land. The same reasons may serve to answer for your doing. (1) It is our necessary duty to crown the king upon all hazards, and to leave the success to God. (2) It appeareth now it hath been too long delayed. Delay is dangerous, because of the compliance of some, and treachery of others. If it shall be delayed longer, it is to be feared that the most part shall sit down under the shadow of the bramble, the destroying usurpers.
I come to the particular handling of the present text: and, to speak from it to the present time, I have read the twelfth and seventeenth verses, because of these two which meet together in the crowning of a king, and his renewing the covenant. Amongst many particulars which may be handled from this text, I shall confine myself to these five, 1. The crown, "He put the crown upon his head." 2. The testimony, "He gave him the testimony." 3. The anointing, "They anointed him." These three are in the twelfth verse. As for that which is spoken of the people's joy, we shall give it a touch when we come to the people's duty. 4. The covenant between God and king and the people; "Jehoiada made a covenant between God and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people." 5. The covenant between the king and the people; "between the king also and the people."
I. The First thing is the crown is put upon his head. A crown is the most excellent badge of royal majesty. To discourse on crowns in a state way, I shall leave unto statesmen, and lay only these three before you of the crown.
I. In putting on of the crown, it should be well fastened, for kings' crowns are oftentimes tottering, and this is a time wherein they totter. There are two things which make kings' crowns to totter, great sins, and great commotions and troubles; take heed of both.
1. There are many sins upon our king and his family: sin will make the surest crown that ever men set on to totter. The sins of former kings have made this a tottering crown. I shall not insist here, seeing there hath been a solemn day of humiliation thro' the land on Thursday last, for the sins of the royal family; I wish the Lord may bless it; and desire the king may be truly humbled for his own sins, and the sins of his father's house, which have been great; beware of putting on these sins with the crown; for if you put them on, all the well-wishers to a king in the three kingdoms will not be able to hold on the crown, and keep it from tottering, yea, from falling. Lord, take away the controversy with the royal family, that the crown may be fastened sure upon the king's head, without falling or tottering.
2. Troubles and commotions in a kingdom make crowns to totter. A crown at the best, and in the most calm times, is full of troubles; which, if it were well weighed by men, there would not be such hunting after crowns. I read of a great man who, considering the trouble and care that accompanied the crown, said, "He would not take it up at his foot, though he might have it for taking." Now, if a crown at the best be so full of troubles, what shall one think of a crown at the worst, when there are so great commotions, wherein the crown is directly aimed at? Surely it must be a tottering crown at the best, especially when former sins have brought on these troubles. As the remedy of the former is true humiliation, and turning unto God; so the remedy of the latter, speaking of David's crown, "Thou settest a crown of pure gold upon his head." God set on David's crown, and therefore it was settled, notwithstanding of many troubles. Men may set on crowns, and they may throw them off again; but when God setteth them on, they will be fast. Enemies have touched the crown of our king, and cast it off in the other kingdom, and have made it totter in this kingdom. Both the king who is to be crowned, and you who are to crown him, should deal earnestly with God, to set the crown on the king's head, and to keep it on against all the commotions of this cruel generation.
II. A king should esteem more of the people he reigneth over, than of his crown. Kings used to be so taken up with their crowns, that they despise their people. I would have a king following Christ the King of His people, who saith of them, "Thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Christ accounteth His people, His crown and diadem; so should a king esteem the people of the Lord, over whom he ruleth, to be his crown and diadem. Take away the people, and a crown is but an empty symbol.
III. A king, when he getteth the crown on his head, should think, at the best it is but a fading crown. All the crowns of kings are but fading crowns: therefore they should have an eye upon that "crown of glory that fadeth not away." And upon a "kingdom that cannot be shaken." That crown and kingdom belongeth not to kings as kings, but unto believers; and a believing king hath this comfort, that when "he hath endured a while, and been tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."
II. The Second thing in this solemnity is the testimony. By this is meant the law of God, so called, because it testifieth of the mind and will of God. It was commanded, "When the king shall sit upon the throne of his kingdom, he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, and it shall be with him, that he may read therein all the days of his life." The king should have the testimony for these three uses. 1. For his information in the ways of God. This use of the king's having "the book of the law" is expressed, "That he may learn to fear the Lord his God." The reading of other books may do a king good for government, but no book will teach him the way to salvation, but the book of God. Christ biddeth "search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they testify of Me." He is a blessed man, "who meditateth in the law of the Lord day and night." King David was well acquainted herewith. Kings should be well exercised in scripture. It is reported of Alphonsus, king of Arragon, that he read the Bible fourteen times with glosses thereupon. I recommend to the king to take some hours for reading the Holy Scriptures; it will be a good means to make him acquainted with God's mind, and with Christ as Saviour. 2. For his direction in government. Kings read books that may teach them to govern well, but all the books a king can read will not make him govern to please God, as this book. I know nothing that is good in government, but a king may learn it out of the book of God. For this cause, Joshua is commanded "that the book of the law shall not depart out of his mouth;" and he is commanded "to do according to all that is written therein." He should not only do himself that which is written in it, but do, and govern his people according to all that is written in it. King David knew this use of the testimony, who said, "Thy testimonies are my delight, and my counsellors." The best counsels that ever a king getteth are in the book of God: yea, the testimonies are the best and surest counsellors; because altho' a king's counsellors be never so wise and trusty, yet they are not so free with a king as they ought: but the scriptures tell kings very freely, both their sins and their duty. 3. For preservation and custody. The king is custos utriusque tabulæ, the keeper of both tables. Not that he should take upon him the power, either to dispense the word of God, or to dispense with it: but that he should preserve the word of God and true religion, according to the word of God, pure, entire, and uncorrupted, within his dominions, and transmit them so to posterity; and also be careful to see his subjects observe both tables, and to punish the transgressors of the same.
III. The Third thing in this solemnity is the "anointing of the king." The anointing of kings was not absolutely necessary under the Old Testament, for we read not that all the kings of Judah and Israel were anointed. The Hebrews observe that anointing of kings was used in three cases. 1. When the first of a family was made king, as Saul, David. 2. When there was a question for the crown, as in case of Solomon and Adonijah. 3. When there was an interruption of the lawful succession by usurpation as in the case of Joash. There is an interruption, by the usurpation of Athaliah, therefore he is anointed. If this observation hold, as it is probable, then it was not absolutely necessary under the Old Testament; and therefore far less under the New.
Because it may be said that in our case there is an interruption by usurpation, let it be considered that the anointing under the Old Testament was typical; although all kings were not types of Christ, yet the anointing of kings, priests and prophets, was typical of Christ, and His offices; but, Christ being now come, all those ceremonies cease: and, therefore, the anointing of kings ought not to be used in the New Testament.
If it be said, anointing of kings hath been in use amongst christians, not only papist but protestant, as in the kingdom of England, and our late king was anointed with oil, it may be replied, they who used it under the New Testament took it from the Jews without warrant. It was most in use with the bishops of Rome, who, to keep kings and emperors subject to themselves did swear them to the Pope when they were anointed, (and yet the Jewish priests did never swear kings to themselves.) As for England, although the Pope was cast off, yet the subjection of kings to bishops was still retained, for they anointed the king and swore him to the maintenance of their prelatical dignity. They are here who were witnesses at the coronation of the late king; the bishops behoved to perform that rite; and the king behoved to be sworn to them. But now by the blessing of God, popery and prelacy are removed: the bishops as limbs of Antichrist are put to the door; let the anointing of kings with oil go to the door with them, and let them never come in again.
The anointing with material oil maketh not a king the anointed of the Lord, for he is so without it; he is the anointed of the Lord who, by divine ordinance and appointment is a king. God called Cyrus His anointed; yet we read not that he was anointed with oil. Kings are anointed of the Lord, because, by the ordinance of the Lord, their authority is sacred and inviolable. It is enough for us to have the thing, tho' we want the ceremony, which being laid aside, I will give some observations of the thing.
1. A king, being the Lord's anointed, should be thinking upon a better unction, even that spiritual unction wherewith believers are anointed. "The anointing ye have received of Him abideth in you." And "He that hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us." This anointing is not proper to kings, but common to believers: few kings are so anointed. A king should strive to be a good Christian, and then a good king: the anointing with grace is better than the anointing with oil. It is of more worth for a king to be the anointed of the Lord with grace, than to be the greatest monarch of the world without it.
2. This anointing may put a king in mind of the gifts, wherewith kings should be endowed, for discharge of their royal calling. For anointing did signify the gifts of office. It is said of Saul, when he was anointed king; "God gave him another heart." And "The Spirit of God came upon him." It is meant of a heart for his calling, and a spirit of ability for government. It should be our desire this day, that our king may have a spirit for his calling; as the spirit of wisdom, fortitude, justice and other princely endowments.
3. This anointing may put subjects in mind of the sacred dues of the authority of a king. He should be respected as the Lord's anointed. There are diverse sorts of persons that are enemies to the authority of kings; as 1. Anabaptists, who deny there should be kings in the New Testament: they would have no kings nor civil magistrates. 2. The late Photinians, who speak respectfully of kings and magistrates, but they take away from them their power, and the exercise of it in the administration of justice. 3. Those who rise against kings in open rebellion, as Absalom and Sheba, who said, "What have we to do with David, the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel." 4. They who do not rebel openly, yet they despise a king in their heart, like these sons of Belial, who said of Saul, after he was anointed king, "Shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents." All these meet in our present age. 1. Anabaptists, who are against the being of kings, are very rife. You may find, to our great grief, a great number of them in that army, that hath unjustly invaded the land, who have trampled upon the authority of kings. 2. These are also of the second sort, who are secretly Photinians in this point, they allow of kings in profession; but they are against the exercise of their power in the administration of justice. 3. A third sort are in open rebellion, even all that generation which are risen up not only against the person of a king, but against kingly government. 4. There is a fourth, who profess they acknowledge a king; but despise him in their heart, saying "Shall this man save us?" I wish all had David's tenderness, whose heart did smite him, when he did but cut off the lap of Saul's garment, that we may be far from cutting off a lap of the just power and greatness which God hath allowed to the king, and we have bound ourselves by covenant not to diminish.
I have gone through the three particulars contained in verse 12. I come to the other two, in verse 17, which appertain also to this day's work; for our king is not only to be crowned, but to renew a covenant with God, and His people; and to make a covenant with the people. Answerable hereto, there is a twofold covenant in the words, one between God, and the king, and the people: God being the one party, the king and the people, the other; another between the king and the people, the king being the one party, and the people the other.
The covenant with God is the fourth particular propounded, to be spoken of. The sum of this covenant, ye may find in Josiah's renewing the covenant, "to walk after the Lord, and keep His commandments and testimonies, with all the heart, and to perform the words of the covenant." The renewing of the covenant was after a great defection from God, and the setting up of a false worship. The king and the people of God bound themselves before the Lord, to set up the true worship, and to abolish the false. Scotland hath a preference in this before other nations. In time of defection, they have renewed a covenant with God, to reform all; and because the king, after a great defection in the families, is to renew the covenant, I shall mention some particulars from the league and covenant.
1. We are bound to maintain the true reformed religion, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, established in this kingdom, and to endeavour the reformation of religion in the other two kingdoms, according to the word of God, and the example of the best reformed kirks. By this article, the king is obliged, not only to maintain religion as it was established in Scotland, but also to endeavour the reformation of religion in his other kingdoms. The king would consider well, when it shall please God, to restore him to his government there, that he is bound to endeavour the establishment of the work of reformation there, as well as to maintain it here.
2. According to the second article, the king is bound without respect of persons, to extirpate popery, prelacy, superstition, heresy, schism, and profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine, and the power of godliness. And therefore popery is not to be suffered in the royal family, nor within his dominions; prelacy once plucked up by the root, is not to be permitted to take root again; all heresy and error whatsoever must be opposed by him, to the uttermost of his power; and by the covenant, the king must be far from toleration of any false religion within his dominions.
3. As the people are bound to maintain the king's person and authority, in the maintenance of the true religion, and liberties of the kingdom: so the king is bound with them, to maintain the rights and privileges of the parliament and the liberties of the subjects, according to the third article.
4. We are bound to discover, and to bring unto condign punishment, all such as have been, or shall be, incendiaries, malignants, or evil instruments, in hindering the reformation of religion; dividing the king from the people, or one of the kingdoms from another, or making any faction, or parties amongst the people. Hereby the king is bound to have an eye upon such, and neither allow of them nor comply with them; but to concur according to his power, to have them censured and punished, as is expressed in the fourth article.
I shall sum up all in this, that a king, in entering into covenant with God, should do as kings did of old, when they entered in covenant; they and their people went on in the work of reformation, as appeareth here. "And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down," &c. And godly Josiah, when he entered in covenant, made a thorough reformation. There is a fourfold reformation in scripture, and contained in the league and covenant. 1. A personal reformation. 2. A family reformation. 3. A reformation of judicatories. 4. A reformation of the whole land. Kings have had their hand in all the four; and therefore I recommend them to our king.
1. A personal reformation. A king should reform his own life, that he may be a pattern of godliness to others; and to this he is tied by the covenant. The godly reformers of Judah were pious and religious men. A king should not follow Machiavelli's counsel, who requireth not that a prince should be truly religious, but saith, "that a shadow of it, and external simulation, are sufficient." A devilish counsel; and it is just with God to bring a king to the shadow of a kingdom, who hath but the shadow of religion. We know that dissembling kings have been punished of God; and let our king know that no king but a religious king, can please God. David is highly commended for godliness; Hezekiah a man eminent for piety; Josiah, a young king, commended for the tenderness of his heart, when he heard the law of the Lord read; he was much troubled before the Lord, when he heard the judgments threatened against his father's house, and his people. It is earnestly wished that our king's heart may be tender and truly humbled before the Lord, for the sins of his father's house, and of the land; and for the many evils that are upon that family, and upon the kingdom.
2. A family reformation. The king should reform his family, after the example of godly kings. Asa, when he entered in covenant, spared not his mother's idolatry. The house of our king hath been much defiled by idolatry. The king is now in covenant, and to renew the covenant, let the royal family be reformed; and, that it may be a religious family, wherein God will have pleasure, let it be purged, not only of idolatry, but of profanity and looseness, which hath abounded in it. Much hath been spoken of this matter; but little hath been done in it. Let the king and others, who have charge in that family, think it lieth upon them, as a duty, to purge it. And if ye would have a family well purged, and constitute, take David for a pattern, in the purgation and constitution of his, "The froward heart, wicked persons, and slanderers, he will have far from him: but his eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with him." If there be a man better than another in the land, he should be for the king, and his family: ye may extend his reformation to the court. A profane court is dangerous for a king. It hath been observed as a provoking sin in England, which hath drawn down judgment upon king and court, as appeareth this day. It is to be wished that such were in the court, as David speaketh of in that psalm. Let the king see to it, and resolve with David, "That he who worketh deceit, shall not dwell within his house: and he who telleth lies, shall not tarry in his sight."
3. Reformation in judicatories. It should be carefully seen to, that judicatories be reformed; and that men, fearing God and hating covetousness, may be placed in them. A king in covenant, should do as Jehoshaphat did. "He set judges in the land, and said, take heed what ye do; ye judge not for men, but for the Lord, who is with you in judgment: wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be before you."
4. The reformation of the whole land, the king's eye should be upon it. "Jehoshaphat went out through the people, from Beersheba to mount Ephraim; and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers." Our land hath great need of reformation; for there is a part of it that hath scarce ever yet found the benefit of reformation, they are lying without the gospel. It will be a good work for a covenanted king, to have a care that the gospel may be preached through the whole land. Care also should be taken, that they who have the gospel may live suitably thereto. If a king would be a thorough reformer, he must be reformed himself, otherwise he will never lay reformation to heart. To make a king a good reformer, I wish him these qualifications, according to the truth and in sincerity, wherewith they report Trajan the emperor to have been endued; he was, 1. Devout at home. 2 Courageous in war. 3. Just in his judicatures. 4. Prudent in all his affairs. True piety, fortitude, justice and prudence, are notable qualifications in a prince who would reform a kingdom, and reform well.
I come now to the fifth and last particular; and that is the covenant made between the king and the people: when a king is crowned and received by the people, there is a covenant or mutual contract between him and them, containing conditions, mutually to be observed: time will not suffer to insist upon many particulars. I shall only lay before you these three particulars. 1. It is clear from this covenant, that a king hath not absolute power to do what he pleaseth: he is tied to conditions by virtue of a covenant. 2. It is clear from this covenant, that a people are bound to obey their king in the Lord. 3. I shall present the king with some directions for the right government of the people who are bound to obey.
1. It is clear, that the king's power is not absolute, as kings and flattering courtiers apprehend; a king's power is a limited power by this covenant; and there is a threefold limitation of the king's power. 1. In regard of subordination. There is power above his, even God's power, whom he is obliged to obey; and to whom he must give an account of his administration, (and yesterday ye heard that text, "by Me kings reign.") Kings have not only their crowns from God, but they must reign according to His will. He is called the "Minister of God;" he is but God's servant. I need not stay upon this; kings and all others will acknowledge this limitation. 2. In regard of laws, a king is sworn at his coronation, to rule according to the standing received laws of the kingdom. The laws he is sworn to, limit him that he cannot do against them, without a sinful breach of this covenant between the king and the people. 3. In regard of government, the total government is not upon a king. He hath counsellors as a parliament or estates in the land, who share in the burden of government. No king should have the sole government: it was never the mind of those who received a king to rule them, to lay all government upon him, to do what he pleaseth, without controlment. There is no man able alone to govern all. The kingdom should not lay that upon one man, who may easily miscarry. The estates of the land are bound in this contract to bear the burden with him.
These men who have flattered kings to take unto themselves an absolute power, to do what they please, have wronged kings and kingdoms. It had been good that kings, of late, had carried themselves so, as this question of the king's power might never have come in debate; for they have been great losers thereby. Kings are very desirous to have things spoken and written, to hold up their arbitrary and unlimited power; but that way doth exceedingly wrong them. There is one, a learned man, I confess, who hath written a book for the maintenance of the absolute power of kings, called Defensio Regis, whereby he hath wronged himself in his reputation, and the king in his government. As for the fact, in taking away the life of the late king, (whatever was God's justice in it) I do agree with him to condemn it, as a most unjust and horrid act, upon their part who did it: but when he cometh to speak of the power of kings, in giving unto them an absolute and unlimited power, urging the damnable maxim, quod libet licet, he will have a king to do what he pleaseth, impune, and without controlment. In this, I cannot but dissent from him.
In regard of subordination some say, that a king is accountable to none but God. Do what he will, let God take order with it; this leadeth kings to atheism, let them do what they please, and to take God in their own hand: in regard of laws, they teach nothing to kings but tyranny: and in regard of government, they teach a king to take an arbitrary power to himself, to do what he pleaseth without controlment. How dangerous this hath been to kings, is clear by sad experience. Abuse of power and arbitrary government, hath been one of God's great controversies with our king's predecessors. God in His justice, because power hath been abused, hath thrown it out of their hands: and I may confidently say that God's controversy with the kings of the earth is for their arbitrary and tyrannical government.
It is good for our king to learn to be wise in time, and know that he receiveth this day a power to govern, but a power limited by contract; and these conditions he is bound by oath to stand to. Kings are deceived who think that the people are ordained for the king; and not the king for the people; the Scripture sheweth the contrary. The king is the "minister of God for the people's good." God will not have a king, in an arbitrary way, to encroach upon the possessions of subjects, "A portion is appointed for the prince." And it is said, "My princes shall no more oppress My people; and the rest of the land, shall they give unto the house of Israel, according to their tribes." The king hath his distinct possessions and revenues from the people; he must not oppress and do what he pleaseth, there must be no tyranny upon the throne.
I desire not to speak much upon this subject. Men have been very tender in meddling with the power of kings; yet, seeing these days have brought forth debates concerning the power of kings, it will be necessary to be clear in this matter. Extremities would be shunned. A king should keep within the bounds of the covenant made with the people, in the exercise of his power; and subjects should keep within the bounds of this covenant, in regulating that power. Concerning the last, I shall propound these three to your consideration.
1. A king, abusing his power to the overthrow of religion, laws and liberties, which are the very fundamentals of this contract and covenant, may be controlled and opposed; and if he set himself to overthrow all these by arms, then they who have power, as the estates of a land, may and ought to resist by arms: because he doth, by that opposition, break the very bonds, and overthroweth all the essentials of this contract and covenant. This may serve to justify the proceedings of this kingdom against the late king, who, in an hostile way, set himself to overthrow religion, parliaments, laws and liberties.
2. Every breach of covenant, wherein a king falleth, after he hath entered into covenant, doth not dissolve the bond of the covenant. Neither should subjects lay aside a king for every breach, except the breaches be such as overthrow the fundamentals of religion, and of the covenant with the people. Many examples of this may be brought from scripture. I shall give but one. King Asa entered solemnly into covenant with God and the people. After that, he falleth in gross transgressions and breaches. He associated himself and entered into league with Benhadad, king of Syria, an idolater; he imprisoned Hanani, the Lord's prophet, who reproved him, and threatened judgment against that association, and at that same time he oppressed some of the people: and yet, for all this, they neither laid him aside, nor accounted him an hypocrite.
3. Private persons should be very circumspect about that which they do in relation to the authority of kings. It is very dangerous for private men, to meddle with the power of kings, and the suspending them from the exercise thereof. I do ingenuously confess that I find no example of it. The prophets taught not such doctrine to their people, nor the apostles, nor the reformed kirks. Have ever private men, pastors or professors, given in to the estates of a land as their judgment, unto which they resolve to adhere, that a king should be suspended from the exercise of his power? And, if we look upon these godly pastors, who lived in king James's time, of whom one may truly say, more faithful men lived not in these last times: for they spared not to tell the king his faults, to his face: yea, some of them suffered persecution for their honesty and freedom, yet we never read nor have heard, that any of these godly pastors joined with other private men, did ever remonstrate to parliament or estate as their judgment, that the king should be suspended from the exercise of his royal power.
II. It is clear from this covenant, that people should obey their king in the Lord: for, as the king is bound by the covenant to make use of his power to their good; so, they are bound to obey him in the Lord in the exercise of that power. About the people's duty to the king, take these four observations.
1. That the obedience of the people is in subordination to God; for the covenant is first with God, and then with the king. If a king command any thing contrary to the will of God—in this case, Peter saith, "it is better to obey God, than man." There is a line drawn from God to the people, they are lowest in the line: and have magistrates inferior and supreme above them, and God above all. When the king commandeth the people that which is lawful, and commanded by God, then he should be obeyed; because he standeth in right line under God, who hath put him in his place. But if he command that which is unlawful, and forbidden of God, in that he should not be obeyed to do it; because he is out of his line. That a king is to be obeyed with this subordination, is evident from scripture; take one place for all. At the beginning, ye have both obedience urged to superior powers, as the ordinance of God, and damnation threatened against those who resist the lawful powers.
It is said by some, that many ministers in Scotland would not have king JESUS, but king Charles to reign. Faithful men are wronged by such speeches. I do not understand these men. For, if they think that a king and JESUS are inconsistent, then they will have no king: but I shall be far from entertaining such thoughts of them. If they think the doing a necessary duty for king Charles is to prefer his interest to Christ's, this is also an error. Honest ministers can very well discern between the interest of Christ, and of the king. I know no minister that setteth up king Charles, with prejudice to Christ's interest.
There are three sorts of persons who are not to be allowed in relation to the king's interest, 1. Such as have not been content to oppose a king in an evil course, (as they might lawfully do) but contrary to covenant vows and many declarations, have cast off kings and kingly government. These are the sectaries. 2. These who are so taken up with a king, as they prefer a king's interest to Christ's interest; which was the sin of our engagers. 3. They who will have no duty done to a king, for fear of prejudicing Christ's interest. These are to be allowed, who urge duty to a king in subordination to Christ.
I shall desire that men may be real, when they make mention of Christ's interest; for these three mentioned profess and pretend the interest of Christ. The sectaries cover their destroying of kings with Christ's interest; whereunto, indeed, they have had no respect, being enemies to His kingdom. And experience hath made it undeniable. The engagers alleged they were for Christ's interest; but they misplaced it. Christ's interest should have gone before, but they drew it after the interest of a king, which evidenced their want of due respect to Christ's interest. As for the third, who delay duty for fear of preferring the king's interest to Christ's, I shall not take upon me to judge their intentions. I wish they may have charity to those who think they may do duty to a king in subordination to Christ, yea, that they ought and should do duty, whatever men's fears be of the prejudice that may follow.
If to be against the suspending of the king from the exercise of his power, and to be for the crowning of the king, according to the public faith of the kingdoms, he first performing all that kirk and state required of him in relation to religion, and civil liberties: if this be, I say, to prefer a king to Christ, let all men that are unbiassed, be judges in the case. We shall well avow, that we crown a king in subordination to God and his interest, in subordination to Christ's, which we judge, not only agreeable to the word of God, but also, that we are bound expressly in the covenant, to maintain the king in the preservation and defence of the true religion, and liberties of the kingdom, and not to diminish his just power and greatness.
2. That the covenant between God and the king and the people, goeth before the covenant between the king and the people; which sheweth, that a people's entering covenant with God doth not lessen their obedience and allegiance to the king, but increaseth it, and maketh the obedience firmer: because we are in covenant with God, we should the more obey a covenanted king. It is a great error to think, that a covenant diminisheth obedience, it was ever thought accumulative. And indeed true religion layeth strict ties upon men in doing of their duty. "Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake." A necessity to obey is laid upon all. Many subjects obey for wrath, but the godly obey for conscience' sake.
3. That a king covenanted with God should be much respected by his subjects. They should love him. There is an inbred affection in the hearts of the people to their king. In the 12th verse it is said, that "the people clapped their hands for joy, and said, God save the king." They had no sooner seen their native king installed in his kingdom, but they rejoiced exceedingly, and saluted him with wishes of safety. Whatever be men's affections, or respects, this day, to our king, certainly it is a duty lying on us both to pray for, and rejoice in his safety. The very end that God hath in giving us kings maketh this clear. "That we may live under them in godliness and honesty." And therefore, prayers and supplications are to be made for all kings; even for those that are not in covenant; much more for these that are in covenant. Ye are receiving this day a crowned covenanted king, pray for saving grace to him, and that God would deliver him and us, out of the hand of these cruel enemies, and bless his government, and cause us to live a quiet and peaceable life under him in all godliness and honesty.
4. That as the king is solemnly sworn to maintain the right of the subjects against enemies, and is bound to hazard his life, and all that he hath for their defence: so, the people are also bound to maintain his person and authority, and to hazard life, and all that they have, in defending him.
I shall not take the question in its full latitude, taking in what a people are bound to in pursuing of a king's right in another nation, which is not our present question. Our question is, what a people should do when a kingdom is unjustly invaded by a foreign enemy, who seeketh the overthrow of religion, king and kingdom. Surely, if men be tied to any duty to a king and kingdom, they are tied in this case. I have two sorts of men to meet with here, who are deficient in doing this covenanted duty: 1. These who do not act against the enemy. 2. These who do act for the enemy. 1. The first I meet with, are they who act not, but lie by, to behold what will become of all: three sorts of men act not for the defence of an invaded kingdom; 1. Those who withdraw themselves from public councils, as from parliament or committee of estates: this withdrawing is not to act. 2. These act not who, upon an apprehension of the desperate state of things, do think that all is in such a condition, by the prevailing of the enemy, that there is no remedy: and therefore that it is best to sit still; and see how things go.
They who do not act upon scruple of conscience. I shall ever respect tenderness of conscience; and I wish there be no more but tenderness. If there be no more, men will strive to have their consciences well informed.
They may be supposed to scruple upon one of these grounds: 1. To act in such a cause, for the king's interest; sure I am, this was not a doubt before, but all seemed to agree to act for the king's interest, in subordination to Christ's, and this day there is no more sought. We own the king's interest only in a subordination to Christ's. Or, 2. To join with such instruments as are enemies to the work of God. Our answer to the estates' query resolves that such should not be entrusted: but we do not count these enemies who profess repentance, and declare themselves solemnly to be for the cause and the covenant, and evidence their willingness to fight for them. If it be said their repentance is but counterfeit, we are bound to think otherwise in charity, till the contrary be seen: no man can judge of the reality of hearts: for we have now found by experience, that men who have been accounted above all exception have betrayed their trust. If any who have not yet repented of their former course shall be intrusted, we shall be sorry for it; and plainly say, that it ought not to be.
But I think there must be more in this, that men say they cannot act. For myself, I love not that word in our case; it is too frequent, he cannot act, and he cannot act. I fear there be three sorts of persons lurking under this covert. 1. Such as are pusillanimous, who have no courage to act against the enemy; the word is true of them, they cannot act because they dare not act. 2. Such as are selfish men, serving their idol credit: he hath been a man of honour, and now he feareth there will be no credit to fight against this prevailing enemy: therefore he cannot act, and save his credit. Be who thou wilt that hast this before thee, God shall blast thy reputation. Thou shalt neither have honour nor credit, to do a right turn in God's cause. 3. Such as are compilers, who cannot act, because they have a purpose to comply. There are that cannot act in an army, but they can betray an army by not acting; there are that cannot act for safety of a kingdom, but they betray it by not acting. In a word, there are who cannot join to act with those whom they account malignants (I speak not of declared and known malignants; but of such as have been, and are, fighting for the cause; yet by them esteemed malignants), but they can join with sectaries, open and declared enemies to kirk and kingdom. I wish subjects, who are bound to fight for the kingdom, would lay by that phrase of not acting, which is so frequent in the mouth of compliers, and offensive to them, who would approve themselves in doing duty for endangered religion, king and kingdom.
That men may be the more clear to act, I shall offer to your consideration some passages of Scriptures, about those who do not act against a common enemy.
1. There are many reproved for lying still while an enemy had invaded the land: as Reuben, with his divisions: Gilead, Dan, and Asher seeking themselves, are all reproved for not joining with the people of God, who were willing to jeopard their lives against "a mighty oppressing enemy." But there is one passage concerning Meroz, which fitteth our purpose, "The angel of the Lord said, Curse ye Meroz, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." What this Meroz was, is not clear: yet all interpreters agree that they had opportunity and power to have joined with, and helped the people of the Lord, and it is probable they were near the place of the fight. They are cursed for not coming to the help of the Lord's people. This may be applied to those in the land, who will not help the Lord against the mighty.
2. Another passage you have. Reuben and Gad having a multitude of cattle, and having seen the land of Gilead, that it was a place for cattle, they desire of Moses and the princes, that the land may be given them, and they may not pass over Jordan. Moses reproveth them in these words, "Shall your brethren go to war; and shall ye sit still? Wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel?" Reuben and Gad make their apology, showing that they have no such intention to sit still, only they desire their wives and little ones may stay there: they themselves promise to go over Jordan, armed before Israel, and not to return before they were possessed in the land. Then Moses said unto them, "If you do so, then this shall be your possession. But, if ye do not so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sins will find you out."
I may apply this to them that cannot act; will ye sit still, when the rest of your brethren are to hazard their lives against the enemy? We have reason to reprove you. If Moses, that faithful servant of God, was still jealous of Reuben and Gad, even after their apology and promise to act—for he saith, "If ye do not so"—have not honest and faithful servants of God, ground to be jealous of their brethren who refuse to act? Let them apologize what they will; for their not acting, I say, they sin against the Lord, and their sins shall find them out. It will be clearly seen, upon what intention they do not act.
3. A third passage. Saul hath David enclosed, that he can hardly escape. In that very instant there cometh a messenger to Saul, saying, "Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land." At the hearing of this message, "Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines." It is true, the Lord did provide for his servant David's escape, by this means: but, if ye consider Saul, he took it not so. Nothing moved him to leave this pursuit but the condition of the land, by the invading of an enemy. Three things might have moved Saul to stay and pursue David. 1. He hath him now in a strait, and hath such advantage, that he might have thought not to come readily by the like. 2. That altho' the Philistines be enemies, yet David is the most dangerous enemy; for he aimeth at no less than the crown. It were better to take conditions off the enemy, than to suffer David to live, and take the crown. 3. He might have said, if I leave David at this time and fight with the Philistines, and be beaten, he will get a power in his hand to undo me and my posterity. These may seem strong motives; but Saul is not moved with any of them. The present danger is the Philistines invading the land, and this danger is to be opposed, come of the danger from David what will. As if Saul had said, I will let David alone, I will meet with him another time, and reckon with him: now there is no time for it, the Philistines are in the land, let us make haste against them. I wish that many of our countrymen had as great a love to their country, and as public a spirit for it, as this profane king had, then there would not be so many questions for acting, as men make this day.
The objections I have been touching are in men's thoughts and heads. First, some say, now the malignants are under, for this enemy is their rod. It is best to put them out of having any power: yea, there are some who would more willingly go to undo these, whom they account malignants, than against the common enemy, who are wasting the land. If they had Saul's resolution, they would say, the Philistines are in the land, let them alone, we will reckon with them at another time; we will now go against the common enemy.
They have also the second objection, the malignants are more dangerous enemies than the sectaries. I shall not now compare them to equal distance, and abstract from the present danger: but I shall compare them to the present posture of affairs. I am sure the sectaries having power in their hands, and a great part of the land in their possession, are far more dangerous than malignants, who have no power for the present: and therefore, the resolution should be, the sectaries have invaded the land, and are destroying it, let us go against them.
3. The third observation weigheth much with many. The malignants, being employed to fight for their country, may get such power in their hands as may hurt the cause. For answer: 1. The resolution given the query of the estates provideth against that, for therein is a desire that no such power should be put in their hand. 2. This fear goeth upon a supposition, that they do not repent their former course. This is an uncharitable judgment. We are bound to be more charitable of men professing repentance, for with such we have to do only. And, to speak a word by the way to you who have been in a malignant course. Little good is expected from you, I pray you be honest, and disappoint them. I wish you true repentance, which will both disappoint them, and be profitable to yourselves. 3. I desire it may be considered, whether or not, fear of a danger to come from men, if they prevail against the common enemy, being only clothed with a capacity to fight for their country, be an argument against rising to oppose a seen and certain danger, coming from an enemy, clothed with power, and still prevailing. I conceive, it ought to be far from any, to hinder men to defend their country in such a case. I confess, indeed, the cause which we maintain hath met with many enemies, who have been against it, which requireth much tenderness; therefore men are to be admitted to trust, with such exceptions as may keep them out who are still enemies to the cause of God, have not professed repentance, renounced their former courses, and declared themselves for cause and covenant. I doubt not, but it shall be found, that the admitting such to fight in our case as it standeth, is agreeable to the word of God, and is not against the former public resolutions of kirk and state.
The second sort of persons we are to meet with, are such as act for the enemy, against the kingdom. If they be cursed who will not come out to help the Lord against the mighty; what a curse shall be upon them, who help the mighty against the Lord, as they do who act for the enemy? Three ways is the enemy helped against the cause and people of God.
1. By keeping correspondence with them, and giving them intelligence; there is nothing done against kirk or state, but they have intelligence of it. A baser way hath never been used in any nation. Your counsels and purposes are made known to them. If there be any such here (as I fear they be), let them take this to them, they are of these who help the mighty against the Lord, and the curse shall stick to them.
2. By strengthening the enemies' hands with questions, debates and determinations, in papers tending to the justifying of their unjust invasion. Whatever have been men's intentions in taking that way, yet the thing done by them, hath tended to the advantage of the enemy, and hath divided these who should have been joined in the cause, to the great weakening of the power of the kingdom, and this, interpretatively, is to act for the mighty against the Lord.
3. By gross compliance with the enemy, and going into them, doing all the evil offices they can, against their native kingdom. If Meroz was cursed for not helping, shall not these perfidious covenant-breakers and treacherous dealers against a distressed land be much more accursed, for helping and assisting a destroying enemy, so far as lieth in their power? These words may be truly applied to them who are helping strangers, enemies to God, His kirk, and religion, "Both he that helpeth, shall fall; and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fall together."
III. The third particular about this covenant remains to be spoken of; to wit, Some directions to the king, for the right performing of his duty, whereof I shall give seven.
1. A king, meeting with many difficulties in doing of duty, by reason of strong corruption within and many temptations without: he should be careful to seek God by prayer, for grace to overcome these impediments, and for an understanding heart to govern his people. Solomon, having in his option to ask what he would, he asked an understanding heart, to go out and in before his people; knowing that the government of a people was a very difficult work, and needed more than ordinary understanding. A king hath also many enemies (as our king hath this day), and a praying king is a prevailing king. Asa, when he had to do with a mighty enemy, prayed fervently and prevailed. Jehoshaphat was invaded by a mighty enemy, He prayed and did prevail. Hezekiah prayed against Sennacherib's huge army and prevailed. Sir, you have many difficulties and oppositions to meet; acquaint yourself with prayer, be instant with God, and He will fight for you. Prayers are not in much request at court; but a covenanted king must bring them in request. I know a king is burthened with multiplicity of affairs, and will meet with many diversions; but, sir, you must not be diverted. Take hours, and set them apart for that exercise: men being once acquainted with your way, will not dare to divert you. Prayer to God will make your affairs easy all the day. I read of a king, of whom his courtiers said, "He spoke oftener with God, than with men." If you be frequent in prayer, you may expect the blessing of the Most High upon yourself, and upon your government.
2. A king must be careful of the kingdom which he hath sworn to maintain. We have had many of too private a spirit, by whom self-interest hath been preferred to the public; it becometh a king well to be of a public spirit, to care more for the public than his own interest. Senates and states have had mottoes written over the doors of their meeting-places. Over the senate house of Rome was written, Ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat. I shall wish this may be written over your assembly-houses; but there is another which I would have written with it, Ne quid ecclesia detrimenti capiat. Be careful of both; let neither kirk nor state suffer hurt; let them go together. The best way for the standing of a kingdom is a well constitute kirk. They deceive kings who make them believe that the government of the kirk—I mean presbyterial government—cannot suit with monarchy. They suit well, it being the ordinance of Christ, rendering unto God what is God's, and unto Cæsar what is Cæsar's.
3. Kings who have a tender care of the kirk are called nursing fathers. You should be careful that the gospel may have a free passage through the kingdom; and that the government of the kirk may be preserved entire according to your solemn engagement. The kirk hath met with many enemies, as papists, prelates, malignants, which I pass as known enemies: but there are two sorts more, who at this time should be carefully looked on. 1. Sectaries, great enemies to the kirk, and to all the ordinances of Christ, and more particularly to presbyterial government, which they have, and would have, altogether destroyed. A king should set himself against these, because they are enemies, as well to the king as to the kirk, and strive to make both fall together. 2. Erastians, more dangerous snares to kings than sectaries; because kings can look well enough to these, who are against themselves, and their power, as sectaries, who will have no king. But erastians give more power to kings than they should have, and are great enemies to presbyterial government; for they would make kings believe that there is no government but the civil, and derived from thence, which is a great wrong to the Son of God, who hath the government of the kirk distinct from the civil, yet no ways prejudicial to it, being spiritual, and of another nature. Christ did put the magistrate out of suspicion, that His kingdom was not prejudicial to civil government, affirming, "My kingdom is not of this world." This government, Christ hath not committed to kings, but to the office-bearers of His house, who, in regard of civil subjection, are under the civil power as well as others; but, in their spiritual administration, they are under Christ, who hath not given unto any king upon earth the dispensation of spiritual things to His people.
Sir, you are in covenant with God and His people, and are obliged to maintain presbyterial government, as well against erastians as sectaries. I know this erastian humour aboundeth at court. It may be, some endeavour to make you encroach upon that for which God hath punished your predecessors. Be who he will that meddleth with this government to overturn it, it shall be as heavy to him as the burthensome stone to the enemies of the kirk. "They are cut in pieces, who burden themselves with it." 3. A king in covenant with the people of God, should make much of these who are in covenant with him, having in high estimation the faithful ministers of Christ, and the godly people of the land. It is rare to find kings lovers of faithful ministers and pious people. It hath been the fault of our own kings to persecute the godly. 1. Let the king love the servants of Christ, who speak the truth. Evil kings are branded with this, that they contemned the prophets. When Amaziah had taken the gods of Seir, and set them up for his gods, a prophet came to him and reproved him; unto whom the king said, "Who made thee of the king's council? Forbear, lest thou be smitten." This contempt of the prophet's warning is a forerunner of following destruction. Be a careful hearer of God's word; take with reproof; esteem of it, as David did, "It shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head." To make much of the faithful servants of Christ, will be an evidence of reality. 2. Let the king esteem well of godly professors. Let piety be in account. It is a fault very common, that pious men, because of their conscientious and strict walking, are hated by the profane, who love to live loosely: it is usual with profane men to labour to bring kings to a distaste of the godly; especially when men who have professed piety have become scandalous, whereupon they are ready to judge all pious men to be like them; and take occasion to speak evil of piety. I fear at this time, when men who have been commended for piety, have fallen foully and betrayed their trust, that men will take advantage to speak against the godly of the land; beware of this, for it is Satan's policy to put piety out of request: let not this move any; fall who will, piety is still the same, and pious men will make conscience both of their ways and trust; remember, they are precious in God's eyes who will not suffer men to despise them, without their reward. Sir, let not your heart be from the godly in the land, whatever hath fallen out at this time: I dare affirm, there are very many really godly men who, by their prayers, are supporting your throne.
4. A king should be careful whom he putteth in places of trust, as a main thing for the good of the kingdom. It is a maxim, that trust should not be put in their hands who have oppressed the people, or have betrayed their trust. There is a passage in a story meet for this purpose: one Septimus Arabinus, a man famous, or rather infamous, for oppression, was put out of the Senate, but re-admitted about this time; Alexander Severus being chosen to the empire, the Senators did entertain him with public salutations and congratulations. Severus, espying Arabinus amongst the senators, cried out, O numina! Arabinus non solum vivit, sed in senatum venit. Ah! Arabinus not only liveth, but he is in the senate. Out of just indignation, he could not endure to see him. As all are not meet for places of trust in judicatures, so all are not meet for places of trust in armies. Men should be chosen who are godly, and able for the charge.
But there are some who are not meet for trust. 1. They who are godly, but have no skill or ability for the places. A man may be a truly godly man who is not fit for such place; and no wrong is done to him nor to godliness, when the place is denied to him. I wonder how a godly man can take upon him a place, whereof he hath no skill. 2. They who have neither skill nor courage, are very unmeet; for, if it be a place of never so great moment, faint-heartedness will make them quit it. 3. They who are both skilful and stout, yet are not honest, but perfidious and treacherous, should have no trust at all. Of all these we have sad experience, experience which should not move you to make choice of profane and godless men, by whom a blessing is not to be expected, but it should move you to be wary in your choice; I am confident such may be had, who will be faithful for religion, king and kingdom.
5. There hath been much debate about the exercise of the king's power; yet he is put in the exercise of his power, and this day put in a better capacity to exercise it by his coronation. Many are afraid that the exercise of his power shall prove dangerous to the cause, and indeed I confess there is ground of fear, when we consider how this power hath been abused by former kings: therefore, Sir, make good use of this power, and see that you rather keep within bounds, than exceed in the exercise of it. I may very well give such a counsel as an old counsellor gave to a king of France; he, having spent many years at court, desired to retire into the country for enjoying privacy fit for his age; and, having obtained leave, the king his master required him to sit down, and write some advice of government, to leave behind him, which he out of modesty declined: the king would not be denied, but left with him pen and ink and a sheet of paper; he, being alone, after some thoughts, wrote with fair and legible characters in the head of the sheet, modus; in the middle of the sheet, modus; and in the foot of the sheet, modus; and wrote no more in all the paper, which he wrapped up and delivered to the king; meaning that the best counsel he could give him, was, that he should keep temper in all things. Nothing more fit for a young king than to keep temper in all things. Take this counsel, Sir, and be moderate in the use of your power. The best way to keep power, is moderation in the use of it.
6. The king hath many enemies, even such as are enemies to his family and to all kingly government; and are now in the bowels of this kingdom, wasting and destroying; bestir yourself, according to vows and oaths that are upon you, to be active for the relief of Christ's kingdom, borne down by them, in all the three kingdoms; and for the relief of this kingdom grievously oppressed by them. We shall earnestly desire that God would put that spirit upon our king, now entered upon public government, which He hath put upon the deliverers of His people from their cruel oppressors.
In speaking of the king's behaviour to enemies, one thing I cannot pass. There is much spoken of a treaty with this enemy: I am not of the judgment of some, who distinguish a treaty before invasion and after invasion, and say, treatying is very lawful before invasion; because it is supposed that there is a little wrong done; but after invasion, when a kingdom is wronged and put to infinite losses, then they say a treaty is to be shunned; but in my judgment, a treaty may be lawful after invasion and wrongs sustained; the end of war is peace, neither should desire of revenge obstruct it, providing it be such a treaty and peace as is not prejudicial to religion, nor to the safety of the kingdom, nor to the undoubted right of the king, nor to the league and covenant, whereunto we are so solemnly engaged.
But, I must break off this treaty with a story related in Plutarch. The city of Athens was in a great strait, wherein they knew not what to do. Themistocles in this strait said he had something wherein to give his opinion, for the behoof of the state, but he thought it not fit to deliver himself publicly. Aristides, a man of great trust, is appointed to hear him privately, and to make an account as he thought meet. When Aristides came to make his report to the senate, he told them that Themistocles' advice was indeed profitable, but not honest, whereupon the people would not so much as hear it. There is much whispering of a treaty, they are not willing to speak publicly of it: hear them in private, and it may be the best advice shall be profitable, but not honest. If a treaty should be, let it be both profitable and honest, and no lover of peace will be against it.
7. Seeing the king is now upon the renewing of the covenants, it should be remembered that we enter into covenant, according to our profession therein, with reality, sincerity, and constancy, which are the qualifications of good covenanters. Many doubt of your reality in the covenant, let your sincerity and reality be evidenced by your stedfastness and constancy; for many have begun well, but have not been constant. In the sacred history of kings, we find a note upon kings according to their carriages: one of three sentences is written upon them. 1. Some kings have this written on them, "He did evil in the sight of the Lord." They neither begin well, nor end well; such an one was Ahaz, king of Judah, and divers others in that history. 2. Others have this written on them, "He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart." Such an one was Amaziah king of Judah. He was neither sincere nor constant: when God blessed him with victory against the Edomites, he fell foully from the true worship of God, and set up the gods of Edom. 3. A third sentence is written upon the godly kings of Judah, "He did right in the sight of the Lord, with a perfect heart." As Asa, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah, they were both sincere and constant. Let us neither have the first nor the second, but the third written upon our king, "He did right in the sight of the Lord, with a perfect heart." Begin well, and continue constant.
Before I close, I shall seek leave to lay before our young king, two examples to beware of, and one to follow. The two warning examples, one of them is in the text, another in our own history.
The first example is of Joash. He began well, and went on in a godly reformation all the days of Jehoiada; but, it is observed, "That after the days of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came, and did obeisance to the king, and he hearkened unto them." It appeareth, they had been lying in wait till the death of Jehoiada; and took the opportunity to destroy the true worship of God, and set up false worship, flattering the king for that effect: for it is said, "They left the house of the Lord, and served groves and idols;" and were so far from being reclaimed by the prophet of the Lord that was sent unto them, that they conspired against Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, who reproved them mildly for their idolatry, and stoned him with stones, and slew him at the king's commandment. And it is said, "Joash remembered not the kindness that Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son." Sir, take this example for a warning. You are obliged by the covenant to go on in the work of reformation. It may be, some great ones are waiting their time, not having opportunity to work for the present, till afterward they may make obeisance, and persuade you to destroy all that hath been done in the work of God, these divers years. Beware of it; let no allurement or persuasion prevail with you, to fall from that which this day you bind yourself to maintain.
Another example I give you, yet in recent memory, of your grandfather, king James. He fell, to be very young, in a time full of difficulties: yet there was a godly party in the land who did put the crown upon his head. And when he came to some years, he and his people entered into a covenant with God. He was much commended by godly and faithful men, comparing him to young Josiah standing at the altar, renewing a covenant with God; and he himself did thank God that he was born in a reformed kirk, better reformed than England: for they retained many popish ceremonies: yea better reformed than Geneva; for they keep some holy days; charging his people to be constant and promising himself to continue in that reformation, and to maintain the same. Notwithstanding of all this, he made a foul defection: he remembered not the kindness of them who had held the crown upon his head; yea he persecuted faithful ministers for opposing that course of defection: he never rested till he had undone presbyterial government and kirk assemblies, setting up bishops, and bringing in ceremonies, against which formerly he had given large testimony. In a word, he laid the foundation whereupon his son, our late king, did build much mischief to religion, all the days of his life. Sir, I lay this example before you the rather because it is so near you, that the guiltiness of the transgression lieth upon the throne and family, and it is one of the sins for which you have professed humiliation very lately. Let it be laid to heart, take warning, requite not faithful men's kindness with persecution; yea, requite not the Lord so, who hath preserved you to this time, and is setting a crown upon your head. Requite not the Lord with apostasy and defection from a sworn covenant: but be stedfast in the covenant, as you would give testimony of your true humiliation for the defection of these that went before you.
I have set up these two examples before you, as beacons to warn you to keep off such dangerous courses, and shall add one for imitation, which, if followed, may happily bring with it the blessing of that godly man's adherence to God. The example is of Hezekiah, who did that "which was right in the sight of the Lord." It is said of him, "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, and he clave unto the Lord, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments." And "The Lord was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went forth."
Sir, follow this example, cleave unto the Lord, and depart not from following Him, and the Lord will be with you, and prosper you, whithersoever you go. To this Lord, from whom we expect a blessing upon this day's work, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
CHARLES II. TAKING THE COVENANTS.
Sermon being ended, prayer was made for a blessing upon the doctrine delivered. The king began to renew the covenants. First the National Covenant and then the Solemn League and Covenant were distinctly read. After the reading of these covenants, the minister prayed for grace to perform the contents of the covenants, and for faithful stedfastness in the oath of God: and then (the ministers, commissioners of the General Assembly, desired to be present, standing before the pulpit) he administered the oath unto the king, who, kneeling and lifting up his right hand, did swear in the words following.
"I Charles, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, do assure and declare, by my solemn oath, in the presence of Almighty God, the searcher of hearts, my allowance and approbation of the National Covenant, and of the Solemn League and Covenant above written, and faithfully oblige myself to prosecute the ends thereof in my station and calling; and that I for myself and successors, shall consent and agree to all acts of parliament enjoining the national covenant and the solemn league and covenant, and fully establishing presbyterial government, the directory for worship, confession of faith, and catechisms, in the kingdom of Scotland, as they are approven by the General Assemblies of this Kirk, and Parliament of this kingdom; and that I shall give my royal assent, to acts and ordinances of parliament passed, or to be passed, enjoining the same in my other dominions: and that I shall observe these in my own practice and family, and shall never make opposition to any of these, or endeavour any change thereof.[16]
After the king had thus solemnly sworn the National Covenant, the League and Covenant, and the King's Oath, subjoined unto both, being drawn up in a fair parchment; the king did subscribe the same, in presence of all.
Thereafter the king ascended the stage, and sitteth down in the chair of state. Then the lords, great constable, and marshal, went to the four corners of the stage, with the lion going before them; who spoke to the people these words, "Sirs, I do present unto you the king CHARLES, the rightful and undoubted heir of the crown, and dignity of this realm: this day is by the parliament of this kingdom appointed for his coronation; and are you not willing to have him for your king, and become subject to his commandments?"
In which action, the king's majesty stood up, showing himself to the people, in each corner; and the people expressed their willingness, by cheerful acclamations in these words, "God save the king, CHARLES the Second."
Thereafter the king's majesty, supported by the constable and marshal, cometh down from the stage, and sitteth down in the chair, where he heard the sermon. The minister, accompanied with the ministers before-mentioned, cometh from the pulpit toward the king, and requireth, if he was willing to take the oath, appointed to be taken at the coronation? The king answered, he was most willing.
Then the oath of coronation, as it is contained in the eighth act of the first parliament of king James, being read by the lion, the tenor whereof followeth:
"Because that the increase of virtue, and suppressing of idolatry, craveth, that the prince and the people be of one perfect religion; which of God's mercy is now presently professed within this realm: therefore it is statuted and ordained, by our sovereign lord, my lord regent, and three estates of this present parliament: that all kings, princes, and magistrates whatsoever, holding their place, which hereafter at any time shall happen to reign, and bear rule over this realm, at the time of their coronation, and receipt of their princely authority, make their faithful promise, in the presence of the eternal God; that, enduring the whole course of their lives, they shall serve the same eternal God to the uttermost of their power, according as He hath required in His most holy Word, revealed and contained in the New and Old Testaments; and, according to the same words, shall maintain the true religion of Christ Jesus, the preaching of His holy Word, and due and right ministration of the sacraments now received and preached within this realm: and shall abolish and gainstand all false religions, contrary to the same: and shall rule the people committed to their charge, according to the will and command of God, revealed in His foresaid Word, and according to the loveable laws and constitutions received in this realm, no ways repugnant to the said Word of the eternal God; and shall procure to the uttermost of their power, to the kirk of God and whole Christian people, true and perfect peace, in time coming. The rights and rents, with all just privileges of the crown of Scotland, to preserve and keep inviolated: neither shall they transfer, nor alienate the same. They shall forbid and repress, in all estates and degrees, rife oppression, and all kind of wrong: in all judgments they shall command and procure that justice and equity be keeped to all creatures, without exception, as the Lord and Father of Mercies, be merciful unto them: and out of their lands and empire they shall be careful to root all heretics, and enemies to the true worship of God, that shall be convict by the true kirk of God, of the foresaid crimes; and that they shall faithfully affirm the things above written by their solemn oath."
The minister tendered the oath unto the king, who, kneeling and holding up his light hand, swore in these words, "By the Eternal and Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, I shall observe and keep all that is contained in this Oath."
This done, the king's majesty sat down in his chair and reposeth himself a little.
Then the king riseth from his chair, and is disrobed by the lord great chamberlain, of the princely robe wherewith he entered the kirk, and is invested by the said chamberlain, in his royal robes.
Thereafter, the king being brought to the chair on the north side of the kirk, supported as formerly; the sword was brought by Sir William Cockburn of Langtown, gentleman usher from the table, and delivered to lion king of arms; who giveth it to the lord great constable, who putteth the same in the king's hand, saying, "Sir, receive this kingly sword, for the defence of the faith of Christ, and protection of His kirk, and of the true religion, as it is presently professed within this kingdom, and according to the national covenant and league and covenant, and for executing equity and justice, and for punishment of all iniquity and injustice."
This done, the great constable receiveth the sword from the king, and girdeth the same about his side.
Thereafter, the king sitteth down in his chair, and then the spurs were put on him by the earl Marshall.
Thereafter, Archibald, Marquiss of Argyle, having taken the crown in his hands, the minister prayed, to this purpose:
"That the Lord would purge the crown from the sins and transgressions of them that did reign before him; that it might be a pure crown; that God would settle the crown upon the king's head: and, since men that set it on were not able to settle it, that the Lord would put it on, and preserve it." And then the said Marquiss put the crown on the king's head.
Which done, the lion king of arms, the great constable standing by him, causeth an herald to call the whole noblemen, one by one, according to their ranks, who, coming before the king, kneeling, and with their hand touching the crown on the king's head, swore these words, "By the Eternal and Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever; I shall support thee to my uttermost." And when they had done, then all the nobility held up their hands and "swore to be loyal and true subjects, and faithful to the crown."
The earl Marshall, with the lion, going to the four corners of the stage, the lion proclaimeth the obligatory oath of the people; and the people, holding up their hands all the time, did swear, "By the Eternal and Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, we become your liege men, and truth and faith shall bear unto you, and live and die with you against all manner of folks whatsoever, in your service, according to the National Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant."
Then did the earls and viscounts put on their crowns, and the lion likewise put on his. Then did the lord chamberlain loose the sword wherewith the king was girded, and drew it, and delivered it drawn into the king's hands; and the king put it into the hands of the great constable, to carry it naked before him. Then John, earl of Crawford and Lindsay, took the sceptre, and put it in the king's right hand, saying, "Sir, receive this sceptre, the sign of royal power of the kingdom, that you may govern yourself right, and defend all the Christian people committed by God to your charge, punishing the wicked, and protecting the just."
Then did the king ascend the stage, attended by the officers of the crown, and nobility, and was installed in the royal throne by Archibald, Marquiss of Argyle, saying, "Stand, and hold fast from henceforth the place whereof you are the lawful and righteous heir, by a long and lineal succession of your fathers, which is new delivered unto you by authority of Almighty God."
When the king was set down upon the throne, the minister spoke to him a word of exhortation as followeth.
"Sir, you are set down upon the throne in a very difficult time, I shall therefore put you in mind of a scriptural expression of a throne. "It is said, Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord." Sir, you are a king, and a king in covenant with the Lord; if you would have the Lord to own you to be His king, and your throne to be His throne, I desire you may have some thoughts of this expression.
1. "It is the Lord's throne. Remember you have a King above you, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who commandeth thrones. He setteth kings on thrones, and dethroneth them at His pleasure: therefore take a word of advice; be thankful to Him who hath brought you through many wanderings to set you upon this throne. Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and learn to serve Him with fear who is terrible to the kings of the earth.
2. "Your throne is the Lord's throne, and your people the Lord's people: let not your heart be lifted up above your brethren. They are your brethren, not only flesh of your flesh, but brethren by covenant with God. Let your government be refreshing unto them as the rain upon the mown grass.
3. "Your throne is the Lord's throne. Beware of making His throne a throne of iniquity: there is such a throne, which frameth mischief by a law; God will not own such a throne, it hath no fellowship with Him. Sir, there is too much iniquity upon the throne by your predecessors, who framed mischief by a law, such laws as have been destructive to religion, and grievous to the Lord's people; you are on the throne, and have the sceptre, beware of touching mischievous laws therewith: but, as the throne is the Lord's throne, let the laws be the Lord's laws, agreeable to His word, such as are terrible to evil-doers, and comfortable to the godly, and a relief to the poor and oppressed in the land.
4. "The Lord's throne putteth you in mind whom you should have about the throne. Wicked counsellors are not for a king upon the Lord's throne; Solomon knew this, who said, 'Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness:' and 'A king upon the throne scattereth away all evil with his eyes.'
5. "The Lord's throne putteth you in mind, that the judgment on the throne should be the Lord's. Take the exhortation, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne, thou and thy servants and thy people, execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressors, and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David. But, if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.' And 'I will prepare destroyers against thee.'
"Sir, destroyers are prepared for the injustice of the throne. I entreat you to execute righteous judgment, if ye do it not, your house will be a desolation; but, if ye do that which is right, God shall remove the destroyers: and you shall be established on your throne; and there shall yet be dignity in your house, for your servants, and for your people.
"Lastly, If your throne be the throne of the Lord, take a word of encouragement against throne adversaries. Your enemies are the enemies of the Lord's throne: make your peace with God in Christ, and the Lord shall scatter your enemies from the throne; and He shall magnify you yet in the sight of these nations, and make the misled people submit themselves willingly to your government.
"Sir, If you use well the Lord's throne on which you are set, then the two words in the place cited, spoken of Solomon sitting on the throne of the Lord, 'He prospered and all Israel obeyed him,' shall belong unto you; your people shall obey you in the Lord, and you shall prosper in the sight of the nations round about."
Then the lord chancellor went to the four corners of the stage, the lion king of arms going before him, and proclaimed his majesty's free pardon to all breakers of penal statutes, and made offer thereof: whereupon the people cried, "God save the king."
Then the king, supported by the great constable and marshall, and accompanied with the chancellor, arose from the throne, and went out at a door prepared for the purpose, to a stage; and sheweth himself to the people without, who clapped their hands, and cried with a loud voice a long time, "God save the king."
Then, the king returning, and sitting down upon the throne, delivered the sceptre to the Earl of Crawford and Lindsay, to be carried before him: thereafter the lion king of arms rehearsed the royal line of the kings upward to Fergus the First.
Then the lion called the lords one by one who, kneeling and holding their hands betwixt the king's hands, did swear these words, "By the Eternal and Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, I do become your liege man, and truth and faith shall bear unto you, and live and die with you, against all manner of folks whatsoever in your service, according to the National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant."
And every one of them kissed the king's left cheek.
When these solemnities were ended, the minister, standing before the king on his throne, pronounced this blessing:
"The Lord bless thee, and save thee; the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; the Lord send thee help from the sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Zion. Amen."
After the blessing was pronounced, the minister went to the pulpit and had the following exhortation, the king sitting still upon the throne.
Ye have this day a king crowned, and entered into covenant with God and His people; look, both king and people, that ye keep this covenant; and beware of the breach of it. That ye may be the more careful to keep it, I will lay a few things before you.
I remember when the Solemn League and Covenant was entered into by both nations. The commissioners from England being present in the East kirk of Edinburgh, a passage was cited out of Nehemiah, which I shall now again cite. Nehemiah requireth an oath of the nobles and people, to restore the mortgaged lands, which they promise to do; after the oath was tendered, he did shake his lap, and said, "So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen."
Since that time, many of those who were in the covenant, are shaken out of it; yea, they have shaken off the covenant, and laid it aside. It is true, they are prospering this day, and think that they prosper, by laying aside the covenant; but they will be deceived. That word spoken then shall not fall to the ground; God shall shake them out of their possession, and empty them for their perfidious breach of the covenant.
The same I say to king and nobles, and all that are in covenant; if you break that covenant, being so solemnly sworn, all these who have touched your crown, and sworn to support it, shall not be able to hold it on; but God will shake it off, and turn you from the throne: and ye noblemen, who are assistant to the putting on of the crown, and setting the king upon the throne, if ye shall either assist, or advise the king to break the covenant, and overturn the work of God, He shall shake you out of your possessions, and empty you of all your glory.
Another passage I offer to your serious consideration. After that Zedekiah had promised to proclaim liberty to all the Lord's people, who were servants, and entered into a covenant, he and his princes let them go free, and according to the oath had let them go; afterwards they caused the servants to return, and brought them into subjection. What followeth upon this breach? "Ye were now turned, and had done right in My sight, in proclaiming liberty; but ye turned, and made them servants again." And therefore, "I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant, which they made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof; I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, into the hand of them that seek their life, even Zedekiah and his princes."
If the breach of the covenant made for the liberty of servants was so punished, what shall be the punishment of the breach of a covenant for religion, and the liberty of the people of God? There is nothing more terrible to kings and princes than to be given into the hand of enemies that seek their life: if ye would escape this judgment, let kings and princes keep their covenant made with God: your enemies who seek your life, are in the land; if ye break the covenant, it may be feared God will give you over unto them as a prey: but, if ye keep the covenant, it may be expected God will keep you out of their hands.
Let not the place ye heard opened, be forgotten, for in it ye have an example of divine justice against Joash and the princes, for breaking that covenant. The princes who enticed to that breach, are destroyed: and it is said, "The army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand;" because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers: so they executed judgment against Joash. "His own servants conspired against him and slew him on his bed."
The conspiracy of servants or subjects against their king is a wicked course: but God in His righteous judgment suffereth subjects to conspire and rebel against their princes, because they rebel against God: and He suffereth subjects to break the covenant made with a king, because he breaketh the covenant made with God. I may say freely, that a chief cause of the judgment upon the king's house hath been the grandfather's breach of covenant with God, and the father's following his steps in opposing the work of God, and His kirk within these kingdoms; they broke covenant with God, and men have broken covenant with them: yea, most cruelly and perfidiously have invaded the royal family and trodden upon all princely dignity.
Be wise by their example: you are now sitting upon the throne of the kingdom, and your nobles about you. There is One above you, even Jesus, the King of Zion; and I as His servant, dare not but be free with you: I charge you, Sir, in His name, that you keep this covenant in all points; if you shall break this covenant and come against His cause, I assure you the controversy is not ended between God and your family: but will be carried on to the further weakening, if not the overthrow of it: but if you shall keep this covenant, and befriend the kingdom of Christ, it may be from this day God shall begin to do you good. Although your estate be very weak, God is able to raise you, and make you reign, maugre the opposition of all your enemies: and howsoever it shall please the Lord to dispose, you shall have peace toward God, through Christ the Mediator.
As for you who are nobles and peers of the land, your share is great in this day of coronation; ye have come and touched the crown, and sworn to support it; ye have handled the sword and the sceptre, and have set down the king upon his throne.
1. I charge you to keep your covenant with God; and see that ye never be moved yourselves to come against it in any head, or article thereof; and that ye give no counsel to the king to come against the doctrine, worship, government and discipline of the kirk, established in this land, as ye would eschew the judgment of covenant-breakers. If the king and ye who are engaged to support the crown, conspire together against the kingdom of Christ, both ye that do support and he that is supported will fall together. I press this the more, because it is a rare thing to see a king and great men for Christ. In the long catalogue of the kings, which ye have heard recited this day, they will be found few who have been for Christ.
2. I charge you also, because of your many oaths to the king; that you keep them inviolable. Be faithful to him, according to your covenant. The oaths of God are upon you; if, directly or indirectly, ye do anything against his standing, God, by whom ye have sworn, will be avenged upon you for the breach of His oath.
And now, I will shut up all with one word more to you. Sir, you are the only covenanted king with God and His people in the world; many have obstructed your entry in it: now, seeing the Lord hath brought you in over all these obstructions, only observe to do what is contained therein; and it shall prove an happy time for you and your house. And because you are entered in times of great difficulty, wherein small strength seemeth to remain with you in the eyes of the world, for recovering your just power and greatness; therefore take the counsel which David when he was dying gave to his son Solomon, "Be strong, and show thyself a man; and keep the charge of the Lord thy God: to walk in His ways, and keep His commandments; that them mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself."
After this exhortation, the minister closed the whole action with prayer; and, Psalm xx. being sung, he dismissed the people with the blessing.
Then did the king's majesty descend from the stage with the crown upon his head; and, receiving again the sceptre in his hand, returned with the whole train, in a solemn manner, to his palace, the sword being carried before him.
THE ACTS RESCISSORY.
FIRST PARLIAMENT OF CHARLES II.
January, 1661.—7.—"Act concerning the League and Covenant and
discharging the renewing thereof without his Majesties Warrand
and approbation.
"Forasmuch as the power of Armes, and entering into, and making of Leagues and Bonds, is an undoubted privilege of the Crown, and a proper part of the Royal Prerogative of the Kings of this Kingdom, and that in recognisance of His Majesties just Right, the Estates of Parliament of this His most ancient Kingdom of Scotland, have declared it high Treason to the Subjects thereof, of whatsoever number, lesse or more, upon any pretext whatsoever, to rise, or continue in Armes, or to enter into Leagues and Bonds, with Forraigners, or among themselves, without His Majesties special Warrand and Approbation, had and obtained thereto, and have Rescinded and Annulled all Acts of Parliament, Conventions of Estates, or other Deeds whatsoever, contrary to, or inconsistent with the same; And whereas during these troubles, there have occurred divers things, in the making and pursuance of Leagues and Bonds, which may be occasion of jealousie in and betwixt his Majesties Dominions of Scotland, England, and Ireland. Therefore and for preventing of all scruples, mistakes or jealousies that may hereafter arise upon these grounds, The King's Majesty with advice and consent of His Estates of Parliament, doth hereby Declare, that there is no Obligation upon this Kingdom by Covenant, Treaties or otherwise, to endeavour by Armes a Reformation of Religion in the Kingdom of England, or to meddle with the publick Government and Administration of that Kingdom. And the King's Majesty with advice and consent foresaid, doth Declare, That the League and Covenant, and all Treaties following thereupon, and Acts or Deeds that do, or may relate thereto, are not obligatory, nor do infer any obligation upon this Kingdom, or the Subjects thereof, to meddle or interpose by Armes, or any seditious way, in any thing concerning the Religion and Government of the Churches of England and Ireland, or in what may concern the Administration of His Majesties Government there. And further, His Majesty, with advice and consent of his Estates, doth hereby Discharge and Inhibite all His Majesties Subjects within this Kingdom, that none of them may presume upon any pretext of any Authority whatsoever, to require the renewing or swearing of the said League and Covenant, or of any other Covenants, or publick Oaths concerning the Government of the Church or Kingdom, without His Majesties special Warrand and Approbation; And that none of His Majesties Subjects offer to renew and swear the same, without His Majesties Warrand, as said is, as they will be answerable at their highest peril."
SAME PARLIAMENT.—15.—"Act Rescinding and Annulling the
pretended parliaments in the years 1640, 1641, etc.
"The Estates of Parliament, considering that the Peace and Happiness of this Kingdom, and of His Majesties good subjects therein, doth depend upon the Safetie of His Majesties Person, and the maintenance of His Royal Authority, Power, and Greatness: And that all the miseries, confusions, and disorders which this Kingdom hath groaned under, these twenty-three years, have issued from, and been the necessarie and natural products of these neglects, contempts, and invasions, which, in and from the beginning of these troubles, were upon the specious (but false) pretexts of Reformation (the common cloak of all rebellions) offered unto the Sacred Person and Royal Authority of the King's Majesty, and His Royal Father of blessed memory. And notwithstanding, that by the Sacred Right, inherent to the Imperial Crown (which His Majesty holds immediatelie from God Almightie alone) and by the ancient constitution and fundamental Laws of the Kingdom; the power of convocating and keeping Assemblies of the Subjects; the power of Calling, Holding, Proroguing and Disolving of Parliaments, and making of Laws; the power of entering into Bonds, Covenants, Leagues and Treaties; the power of raising Armes, keeping of Strengths and Forts are Essential parts, and inseparable privileges of the Royal Authoritie and Prerogative of the Kings of this Kingdom: Yet, such hath been the madness and delusion of these times, that even Religion itself, which holds the Right of Kings to be Sacred and Inviolable, hath been pretended unto, for warrand of these injurious Violations and Incroachments, so publickly done and owned, upon and against His Majesties just Power, Authority and Government; By making and keeping of unlawful Meetings and Convocations of the People; By entering into Covenants, Treaties and Leagues; By seizing upon, and possessing themselves of His Majesties Castles, Forts and Strengths of the Kingdom: and by Holding of Pretended Parliaments, making of Laws, and raising of Armes for the maintaining of the same; and that not only without warrand, but contrary to His Majesties express Commands. And although the late King's Majesty, out of His meer grace and respects to this His native Kingdom, and the peace and quiet of His people, and for preventing the consequences which such bad example and practice might occasion, to the disturbance of the peace of his other Kingdoms, was pleased in the year, one thousand six hundred and forty one, to come into this Countrey, and by his own presence, at their pretended Parliaments and other wayes, to comply with, and give way to, many things neerly concerning the undoubted Interest and Prerogative of the Crown, expecting that such unparalleled Condescentions should have made His Subjects ashamed of their former miscariages, and the very thoughts thereof, to be hatefull to them and their posteritie for ever. Yet, such was the prevalencie of the spirit of Rebelion that raged in manie for the time, that not content with that peace and happiness which, even above their desires, was secured to them: nor of these manie Grants of honour and profit, by which His Majestie endeavoured to endear the most desperat of them to their duty and obedience, they then, when His Majesty had not left unto them anie pretence or shaddow of anie new desire to be proposed, either concerning themselves or the Kingdom, did most unworthilie engage to subvert His Majesties Government, and the publick peace of the Kingdom of England: For which purpose, having joined in a League with some there, they, for the better prosecution of the same, did assume unto themselves the Royal Power, kept and held Parliaments at their pleasure; by the pretended Authoritie of which, they laid new exactions upon the people (which in one month did far exceed what ever by the Kings Authoritie had been raised in a whole year) levied Armes, sent out Edicts, requiring obedience unto their unlawful demands; and with all manner of violence pursued such as out of duty to His Majesties Authoritie opposed them by fines, confinements, imprisonment, banishment, death, and forfeiture of their property; and with their Armie thus raised, invaded His Majesties Kingdom of England, and joyned with such as were in Arms against His Majestie there. And thus maintaining their usurped power, and violently executing the same against all Law, Conscience, Honour and Humanity, have made themselves instruments of much loss, shame and dishonour to their native Countrey, and have justly forfeited anie favour they might have pretended to, from His Majesties former concessions. And forasmuch as now it hath pleased Almighty God, by the power of His own right hand, so miraculously to restore the Kings Majestie to the Government of his Kingdoms, and to the exercise of His Royal Power, and Soveraigntie over the same, The Estates of Parliament do conceive themselves obliged, in discharge of their dutie and conscience to GOD and the Kings Majestie, to imploy all their Power and interest, for vindicating His Majesties Authoritie from all these violent invasions that have been made upon it, and so far as possible to remove out of the way everything that may retain anie remembrance of these things, which have been so injurious to His Majestie and His Authoritie, so predjudicial and dishonourable to the Kingdom, and destructive to all just and true interests within the same. And considering that, besides the unlawfulness of the Publick Actings during the troubles, most of the Acts in all and every of the Meetings of these pretended Parliaments, do highly encroach upon, and are destructive of that Sovereign Power, Authority, Prerogative, and Right of Government, which by the law of GOD, and the ancient Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom, doth reside in, and belong unto, the Kings Majestie, and do reflect upon the honour, loyaltie, and reputation of this Kingdom; or are expired, and serve only as testimonies of disloyaltie and reproach upon the Kingdom, and are unfit to be any longer upon Record. Therefore the Kings Majestie and Estates of Parliament do hereby Rescind and Annull the pretended Parliaments, kept in the years one thousand six hundred and fourty, one thousand six hundred and fourty one, one thousand six hundred and fourty four, one thousand six hundred and fourty five, one thousand six hundred and fourty six, one thousand six hundred and fourty seven, and one thousand six hundred and fourty eight, and all Acts and Deeds past and done in them, and Declares the same to be henceforth void and null. And His Majesty, being unwilling to take any advantage of the failings of His Subjects during these unhappy times, is resolved not to retain any remembrance thereof, but that the same shall be held in everlasting oblivion: and that all difference and animosities be forgotten, His good subjects may in a happy union, under His Royal Government, enjoy that happiness and peace, which His Majestie intends, and really wisheth unto them as unto himself, doth therefore, by advice and consent of His Estates of Parliament, grant His full assurance and indemnity to all persons that acted in, or by virtue of the said pretended Parliaments, and other Meetings flowing from the same, to be unquestioned in their Lives or Fortunes, or any Deed or Deeds done by them in their said usurpation, or by virtue of any pretended Authority derived therefrom, excepting alwayes such as shall be excepted in a general Act of Indemnity, to be past by His Majestie in this Parliament. And it is hereby declared that all Acts, Rights and Securities, past in any of the pretended Meetings above written, or by virtue thereof, in favours of any particular persons for their civil and private interests shall stand good and valid unto them, untill the same be taken into further consideration, and determined in this, or the next Session of this Parliament."
SECOND SESSION OF FIRST PARLIAMENT OF CHARLES II.
Edinburgh, May, 1662.—Act for preservation of His Majesties Person, Authority and Government.
The Estates of Parliament, taking into their consideration the miseries, confusions, bondage and oppressions, this Kingdom hath groaned under since the year, one thousand six hundred and thirty seven years, with the causes and occasions thereof: Do, with all humble duty and thankfulness, acknowledge His Majesties unparrallel'd grace and goodness, in passing by the many miscarriages of His Subjects, and restoring the Church and State to their ancient Liberties, Freedom, Rights and Possessions; and the great Obligations thereby lying upon them to express all possible care and zeal in the preservation of His Majesties person, (in whose honour and happinesse consisteth the good and welfare of His people) and in the security and establishment of His Royal Authority and Government, against all such wicked attempts and practices for the time to come. And, since the rise and progress of the late troubles did, in a great measure, proceed from some treasonable and seditious positions infused into the people. That it was lawfull to Subjects for Reformation, to enter into Covenants and Leagues, or to take up Arms against the King, or those Commissionated by Him, and such-like: And that many Wilde and rebellious courses were taken and practised in pursuance thereof, by unlawful meetings and gatherings of the people, by mutinous and tumultuous petitions, by insolent and seditious Protestations against His Majesties Royal and just commands, by entering into unlawfull Oaths and Covenants, by usurping the name and power of Council Tables and Church Judicatories, after they were by His Majesty discharged, by treasonable Declarations, that His Majesty was not to be admitted to the exercise of His Royal power, untill He should grant their unjust desires and approve their wicked practices, by rebellions rising in Arms against His Majestie and such as had Commission from Him; And by the great countenance, allowance and encouragement given to these pernicious courses by the multitude of seditious Sermons, Libels, and Discourses, preached, printed and published in defence thereof: And considering that as the present age is not full freed of those distempers; so posterity may be apt to relapse therein, if timous remeed be not provided. Therefore the King's Majestie and Estates of Parliament do Declare that these positions, That it is lawfull to Subjects, upon pretence of Reformation, or other pretence whatsoever, to enter into Leagues and Covenants, or to take up arms against the King; or that it is lawfull to subjects, pretending His Majestys Authority, to take up Arms against His person or those Commissionated by Him, or to suspend Him from the exercise of his Royal Government, or to put limitations upon their due obedience and allegiance, Are Rebellious and Treasonable, And that all these Gatherings, Convocations, Petitions, Protestations, and Erecting and keeping of Council-tables, that were used in the beginning, and for carrying on, of the late troubles, were unlawful and seditious: And particularly, that these Oaths, whereof the one was commonly called The National Covenant, (as it was sworn and explained in the year one thousand, six hundred and thirty-eight, and thereafter) and the other entituled, A Solemn League and Covenant, were, and are in themselves unlawful Oaths, and were taken by, and imposed upon, the Subjects of this Kingdom, against the fundamental laws and liberties of the same; and that there lyeth no obligation upon any of the Subjects from the saids Oaths, or either of them, to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State; And therefore Annuls all Acts and Constitutions, Ecclesiastical or Civil, approving the said pretended National Covenant or League and Covenant, or making any interpretations of the same or either of them. And also, it is hereby Declared by His Majesty and Estates of Parliament, That the pretended assemblie kept at Glasgow in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty eight, was in itself (after the same was by His Majestie discharged, under the pain of Treason) an unlawfull and seditious Meeting; and that all Acts, Deeds, Sentences, Orders, or Decreets past therein, or by vertue of any pretended Authority from the same, were in themselves from the beginning, are now, and in all time coming, to be reputed unlawful, void and null; And that all Ratifications or Confirmations of the same, past by whatsoever Authority or in whatsoever Meetings, shall from henceforth be void and null. Likeas, His Majesty and Estates of Parliament, reflecting on the sad consequences of these rebellious courses, and being carefull to prevent the like for the future, have therefore Statute and Ordained, and by these presents Statutes and Ordains, that, if any person or persons shall hereafter Plot, contrive or intend destruction to the King's Majesty, or any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, or any restraint upon his Royal Person, or to deprive, depose, or suspend Him from the stile, Honour and Kingly Name of the Imperial Crown of this Realm, or any others His Majesties Dominions, or to suspend him from the exercise of His Royal Government, or to levy War or take up Arms against His Majesty or any commissionated by Him, or shall entice any strangers or others to invade any of His Majesties Dominions; and shall by writing, printing, preaching or other malicious and advised speaking, express or declare such their Treasonable intentions, every such person or persons, being upon sufficient probation legally convicted thereof, shall be deemed, declared and adjudged Traitors, and shall suffer forfeiture of life, honour, lands, and goods as in cases of high Treason. And further, it is by His Majesty and Estates of Parliament Declared, Statute and Enacted, That if any person or persons shall, by Writing, Printing, Praying, Preaching, Libelling, Remonstrating, or by any malicious and advised speaking, express, publish, or declare any words or sentences to stir up the people to the hatred or dislike of His Majesties Royal Prerogative and Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastick, or of the Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops as it is now settled by Law, or to Justifie any of the deeds, actings, practices or things above-mentioned and declared against by this present Act: that every such person or persons so offending, and being, as said is, Legally convicted thereof, are hereby declared incapable to enjoy or exerce any place or imployment, Civil, Ecclesiastical, or Military, within this Church and Kingdom, and shall be lyable to such further pains as are due by the Law in such cases; Provided alwayes, that no person be processed for any of the offences aforesaid, contained in this Act, (other than these that are declared to be high Treason) unless it be by order from His Majesty, or by order of His Privy Council for the time; neither shall they incur any of the penalties above-mentioned, unless they be pursued within eight Months after the offence committed, and sentenced thereupon within four Months after the intenting of the Process. And it is also Declared, that if His Majesty grant His pardon to any person convicted for any of the offences contained in this present Act; after such pardon, the party pardoned shall be restored to all intents and purposes, as if he had never been pursued nor convicted any thing in this Act to the contrary, notwithstanding.
THE TORWOOD EXCOMMUNICATION.[17]
After public worship, Mr. Cargill proceeded thus:—We have now spoken of excommunication, of the nature, subject, causes, and ends thereof. We shall now proceed to the action itself, being constrained by the conscience of our duty, and by zeal for God, to excommunicate some of those who have been the committers of such great crimes, and authors of the great mischiefs of Britain and Ireland, but especially those of Scotland. In doing this, we shall keep the names by which they are ordinarily called, that they may be better known.
I, being a minister of Jesus Christ, and having authority and power from Him, do, in His name and by His Spirit, excommunicate and cast out of the true Church, and deliver up to Satan, Charles II., king, etc., and that upon the account of these wickednesses:—
1st, For his high contempt of God, in regard that after he had acknowledged his own sins, his father's sins, his mother's idolatry, and had solemnly engaged against them in a declaration at Dunfermline, the 16th of August, 1650, he hath, notwithstanding all this, gone on more avowedly in these sins than all that went before him.
2ndly, For his great perjury in regard that, after he had twice at least solemnly subscribed that covenant, he did so presumptuously renounce, and disown, and command it to be burnt by the hands of the hangman.
3rdly, Because he hath rescinded all the laws for establishing that religion and reformation engaged unto in that covenant, and enacted laws for establishing its contrary; and also is still working for the introduction of Popery into these lands. And
4thly, For commanding armies to destroy the Lord's people, who were standing in their own just defence, and for their privileges and rights, against tyranny, and oppression and injuries of men, and for the blood he hath shed on fields, and scaffolds, and seas, of the people of God, upon account of religion and righteousness (they being willing in all other things to render him obedience, if he had reigned and ruled according to his covenant and oath), more than all the kings that have been before him in Scotland.
5thly, That he hath been still an enemy to, and persecutor of, the true Protestants; a favourer and helper of the Papists, both at home and abroad; and hath, to the utmost of his power, hindered the due execution of the laws against them.
6thly, For his bringing guilt upon the kingdom, by his frequent grants of remissions and pardons to murderers (though it is in the power of no king to pardon murder, being expressly contrary to the law of God), an indulgence which is the only way to embolden men to commit murders, to the defiling of the land with blood. And
Lastly, To pass by all other things, his great and dreadful uncleanness of adultery and incest, his drunkenness, his dissembling both with God and men, and performing his promises, where his engagements were sinful. Next,
By the same authority, and in the same name, I excommunicate and cast out of the true Church, and deliver up unto Satan, James, Duke of York, and that for his idolatry (for I shall not speak of any other sin but what hath been perpetrated by him in Scotland), and for setting up idolatry in Scotland to defile the Lord's land, and for his enticing and encouraging to do so. Next,
In the same name, and by the same authority, I excommunicate and cast out of the true Church, and deliver up unto Satan, James, Duke of Monmouth, for coming unto Scotland at his father's unjust command, and leading armies against the Lord's people, who were constrained to rise, being killed in and for the worshipping of the true God, and for refusing, that morning, a cessation of arms at Bothwell Bridge, for hearing and redressing their injuries, wrongs and oppressions. Next,
I do, by virtue of the same authority, and in the same name, excommunicate and cast out of the true Church, and deliver up unto Satan, John, Duke of Lauderdale, for his dreadful blasphemy, especially for that word to the Prelate of St. Andrews, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool;" his atheistical drolling on the Scriptures of God, and scoffing at religion and religious persons; his apostasy from the covenants and reformation, and his persecuting thereof, after he had been a professor, pleader, and presser thereof; for his perjury in the business of Mr. James Mitchell, who being in Council gave public faith that he should be indemnified, and that, to life and limb, if he would confess his attempt on the Prelate; and notwithstanding this, before the Justiciary Court, did give his oath that there was no such act in Council; for his adultery and uncleanness; for his counselling and assisting the king in all his tyrannies, overturning and plotting against the true religion; for his gaming on the Lord's day, and lastly for his usual and ordinary swearing. Next,
I do, by virtue of the same authority, and in the same name, excommunicate, cast out of the true Church, and deliver up to Satan, John, Duke of Rothes, for his perjury in the matter of Mr. James Mitchell; for his adulteries and uncleanness; for his allotting of the Lord's day to his drunkenness; for his professing and avowing his readiness and willingness to set up Popery in this land at the king's command: and for the heathenish, and barbarous and unheard of cruelty (whereof he was the chief author, contriver, and commander, notwithstanding his having engaged otherwise), to that worthy gentleman, David Hackstoun of Rathillet, and lastly, for his ordinary cursing, swearing, and drunkenness. And,
I do, by virtue of the same authority, and in the same name, excommunicate, and cast out of the true Church and deliver up to Satan, Sir George M'Kenzie, the King's Advocate, for his apostasy in turning into a profligacy of conversation, after he had begun a profession of holiness; for his constant pleading against, and persecuting unto the death, the people of God, and for alleging and laying to their charge things which in his conscience he knew to be against the word of God, truth and right reason, and the ancient laws of this kingdom; for his pleading for sorcerers, murderers, and other criminals, that before God and by the laws of the land ought to die, and for his ungodly, erroneous, fantastic, and blasphemous tenets printed in his pamphlets and pasquils. And,
Lastly, I do by virtue of the same authority, and in the same name, excommunicate, and cast out of the true Church, and deliver up to Satan, Dalziell of Binns, for his leading armies, and commanding the killing, robbing, pillaging and oppressing of the Lord's people, and free subjects of this kingdom; for executing lawless tyrannies and lustful laws; for his commanding to shoot one Findlay at a post at Newmills, without any form of law, civil or military (he not being guilty of anything which they themselves accounted a crime); for his lewd and impious life, led in adultery and uncleanness from his youth, with a contempt for marriage, which is an ordinance of God; for all his atheistical and irreligious conversation, and lastly, for his unjust usurping and retaining of the estate of that worthy gentleman, William Mure of Caldwell, and his other injurious deeds in the exercise of his power.
Now I think, none that acknowledge the word of God, can judge these sentences to be unjust; yet some, it may be, to flatter the powers, will call them disorderly and informal, there not being warning given, nor probation led. But for answer: there has been warning given, if not with regard to all these, at least with regard to a great part of them. And, for probation, there needs none, their deeds being notour and public, and the most of them such as themselves do avow and boast of. And as the causes are just, so, being done by a minister of the Gospel, and in such a way as the present persecution would admit of, the sentence is just, and there is no king, nor minister on earth, without repentance of the persons, can lawfully reverse these sentences upon any such account. God being the Author of these ordinances to the ratifying of them, all that acknowledge the Scriptures of truth, ought to acknowledge them. Yet perchance, some will think that though they be not unjust, yet that they are foolishly rigorous. We shall answer nothing to this, but that word which we speak with much more reason than they that first used it, "Should he deal with our sister, as with an harlot?" Should they deal with our God as an idol? Should they deal with His people as murderers and malefactors, and we not draw out His sword against them?
ACT AGAINST CONVENTICLES.[18]
Forasmuch as the assembling and convocating of his majesty's subjects, without his majesty's warrant and authority, is a most dangerous and unlawful practice, prohibit and discharged by several laws and acts of parliament, under high and great pains: and that notwithstanding thereof, diverse disaffected and seditious persons, under the specious but false pretences of religion and religious exercises, presume to make, and be present at conventicles and unwarrantable meetings and conventions of the subjects, which are the ordinary seminaries of separation and rebellion, tending to the prejudice of the public worship of God in the churches, to the scandal of the reformed religion, to the reproach of his majesty's authority and government, and to the alienating of the hearts and affections of the subjects from that duty and obedience they owe to his majesty, and the public laws of kingdom. For the suppressing and preventing of which for the time to come, his majesty, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, hath thought fit to statute and enact, likeas they do hereby statute and command, that no outed ministers who are not licensed by the council, and no other persons not authorized, or tolerate by the bishop of the diocese, presume to preach, expound scripture, or pray in any meeting, except in their own houses, and to those of their own family; and that none be present at any meeting, without the family to which they belong, where any not licensed, authorized, nor tolerate as said is, shall preach, expound scripture, or pray: declaring hereby, all such who shall do in the contrary, to be guilty of keeping of conventicles; and that he, or they, who shall so preach, expound, or pray, within any house, shall be seized upon and imprisoned, till they find caution, under the pain of five thousand merks, not to do the like thereafter, or else enact themselves to remove out of the kingdom, and never return without his majesty's license; and that every person who shall be found to have been present at any such meetings, shall be toties quoties, fined according to their qualities, in the respective sums following, and imprisoned until they pay their fines, and further, during the council's pleasure, viz., each man or woman, having land in heritage, life-rent, or proper wadset, to be lined in a fourth part of his or her valued yearly rent; each tenant labouring land, in twenty-five pounds Scots; each cottar, in twelve pounds Scots, and each serving man, in a fourth part of his yearly fee: and where merchants or tradesmen do not belong to, or reside within burghs royal, that each merchant or chief tradesman be fined as a tenant, and each inferior tradesman as a cottar: and if any of the persons above-mentioned shall have their wives, or any of their children living in family with them, present at any such meeting, they are therefore to be fined in the half of the respective fines aforesaid, consideration being had to their several qualities and conditions. And if the master or mistress of any family, where any such meetings shall be kept, be present within the house for the time, they are to be fined in the double of what is to be paid by them, for being present at a house conventicle. And it is hereby declared, that magistrates of burghs royal are liable, for every conventicle to be kept within their burghs, to such fines as his majesty's council shall think fit to impose; and that the master or mistress of the house where the conventicle shall happen to be kept, and the persons present thereat, are to relieve the magistrates, as the council shall think fit to order the same; it being notwithstanding free to the council to fine the inhabitants of burghs for being present at conventicles within or without burghs, or where their wives or children shall be present at the same.
And further, his majesty understanding that divers disaffected persons have been so maliciously wicked and disloyal, as to convocate his majesty's subjects to open meetings in the fields, expressly contrary to many public laws made thereanent, and considering that these meetings are the rendezvouses of rebellion, and tend in a high measure to the disturbance of the public peace, doth therefore, with advice and consent foresaid, statute and declare, that whosoever, without license or authority foresaid, shall preach, expound scripture, or pray, at any of those meetings in the field, or in any house where there be more persons than the house contains, so as some of them be without doors (which is hereby declared to be a field conventicle) or who shall convocate any number of people to these meetings, shall be punished with death, and confiscation of their goods. And it is hereby offered and assured, that if any of his majesty's good subjects shall seize and secure the persons of any who shall either preach or pray at these field-meetings, or convocate any persons thereto, they shall, for every such person so seized and secured, have five hundred merks paid unto them for their reward, out of his majesty's treasury, by the commissioners thereof, who are hereby authorised to pay the same; and the said seizers and their assistants are hereby indemnified for any slaughter that shall be committed in the apprehending and securing of them. And, as to all heritors and others aforesaid, who shall be present at any of these field-conventicles, it is hereby declared, they are to be fined, toties quoties, in the double of the respective fines appointed for house conventicles; but prejudice of any other punishment due to them by law as seditious persons and disturbers of the peace and quiet of the kirk and kingdom.
And, seeing the due execution of laws is the readiest means to procure obedience to the same; therefore, his majesty, with consent and advice foresaid, doth empower, warrant, and command all sheriffs, stewarts of stewartries, lords of regalities, and their deputes, to call before them, and try all such persons who shall be informed to have kept, or been present at, conventicles within their jurisdictions, and to inflict upon these who shall be found guilty, the respective fines exprest in this act; they being always countable to the commissioners of his majesty's treasury, for the fines of all heritors within their bounds. And his majesty, for the encouragement of the said sheriffs, stewarts, and lords of regalities, to be careful and diligent in their duties therein, doth allow to themselves all the fines of any persons within their jurisdictions, under the degree of heritors; and requires the lords of his majesty's privy council to take exact trial of their care and diligence herein; and if the sheriffs, stewarts, and bailiffs, be negligent in their duties, or if the magistrates within burghs shall be negligent in their utmost diligence, to detect and delate to the council all conventicles within their burghs, that the council inflict such censures and punishments upon them as they shall think fit. And the lords of his majesty's privy council are hereby required to be careful in the trial of all field and house-conventicles kept since the first day of October, one thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, and before the date hereof, and that they punish the same conform to the laws and acts of state formerly made thereanent. And lastly, his majesty, being hopeful that his subjects will give such cheerful obedience to the laws as there shall not be long use of this act, hath therefore, with advice foresaid, declared that the endurance thereof shall only be for three years, unless his majesty shall think fit that it continue longer.
THE SANQUHAR DECLARATION.[19]
It is not amongst the smallest of the Lord's mercies to this poor land that there have been always some who have given their testimony against every course of defection, (that many are guilty of) which is a token for good, that He doth not as yet intend to cast us off altogether, but that He will leave a remnant in whom He will he glorious, if they, through His grace, keep themselves clean still, and walk in His way and method, as it has been walked in and owned by Him in our predecessors of truly worthy memory, in their carrying on of our noble work of reformation in the several steps thereof, from popery, prelacy, and likewise Erastian supremacy, so much usurped by him, who (it is true so far as we know) is descended from the race of our kings, yet he hath so far deborded from what he ought to have been, by his perjury and usurpation in Church matters, and tyranny in matters civil, as is known by the whole land, that we have just reason to account it one of the Lord's great controversies against us, that we have not disowned him and the men of his practices, (whether inferior magistrates or any other) as enemies to our Lord and His crown, and the true Protestant and Presbyterian interest in thir lands, our Lord's espoused bride and Church. Therefore, although we be for government and governors such as the Word of our God and our Covenant allows, yet we for ourselves and all that will adhere to us as the representatives of the true Presbyterian Kirk and Covenanted nation of Scotland, considering the great hazard of lying under such a sin any longer, do by thir presents disown Charles Stuart, that has been reigning (or rather tyrannizing as we may say) on the throne of Britain these years bygone, as having any right, title to, or interest in, the said Crown of Scotland for government, as forfeited several years since, by his perjury and breach of covenant both to God and His Kirk, and usurpation of His crown and royal prerogatives therein, and many other breaches in matters ecclesiastic, and by his tyranny and breach of the very leges regnandi in matters civil. For which reason we declare, that several years since he should have been denuded of being king, ruler, or magistrate, or of having any power to act, or to be obeyed as such. As also, we, being under the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ, Captain of Salvation, do declare a war with such a tyrant and usurper, and all the men of his practices, as enemies to our Lord Jesus Christ and His cause and covenants; and against all such as have strengthened him, sided with, or any wise acknowledged him in his tyranny, civil or ecclesiastic, yea, against all such as shall strengthen, side with, or any wise acknowledge any other in the like usurpation and tyranny, far more against such as would betray or deliver up our free reformed mother-kirk unto the bondage of antichrist, the Pope of Rome. And by this we homologate that testimony given at Rutherglen, the 29th of May, 1679, and all the faithful testimonies of these who have gone before, as also of these who have suffered of late. And we do disclaim that Declaration published at Hamilton, June, 1679, chiefly because it takes in the king's interest, which we are several years since loosed from, because of the foresaid reasons, and others, which may after this (if the Lord will) be published. As also we disown, and by this resent the reception of the Duke of York, that professed papist, as repugnant to our principles and vows to the Most High God, and as that which is the great, though not alone, just reproach of our Kirk and nation. We also by this protest against his succeeding to the crown; and whatever has been done, or any are essaying to do in this land (given to the Lord), in prejudice to our work of reformation. And to conclude, we hope after this none will blame us for, or offend at our rewarding these that are against us as they have done to us as the Lord gives opportunity. This is not to exclude any that have declined, if they be willing to give satisfaction according to the degree of their offence.
Given at Sanquhar, June 22nd, 1680.
PROTESTATION AGAINST THE UNION.[20]
It will, no doubt, be reputed by many very unseasonable to protest at this time, against this Union, now so far advanced and by their law established; but the consideration of the superabundant, palpable and eminent sins, hazards, and destructions to religion, laws, and liberties that are in it, and natively attend it, is such a pressing motive, that we can do no less, for the exoneration of our consciences in shewing our dislike of the same, before the sitting down of the British Parliament, lest our silence should be altogether interpreted, either a direct or indirect owning of, or succumbing to the same: and though, having abundantly and plainly declared our principles formerly, and particularly in our last declaration, May 21, 1703, against the then intended Union; and waiting for more plain discovery of dissatisfaction with, and opposition unto this abominable course, by these of better capacitie, yet being herein so far disappointed in our expectations of such honourable and commendable appearances, for the laudable laws, and antient constitutions of this kingdom, both as to sacred and civil concerns, all these appearances, whither by addresses or protestations being so far lame and defective, as that the resolutions and purposes of such have never been fairly and freely remonstrat to the contrivers, promoters and establishers of this Union. The consideration of which, and the lamentable case and condition the land already is, and may be in, by reason of the same, hath moved us, after the example and in imitation of the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, to protest against the same, as being contrar to the Word of God, and repugnant to our former Union with England in the terms of the Solemn League and Covenant.
And whereas it hath been the good will and pleasure of Almighty God, to grant unto this nation a glorious and blessed reformation of the true Christian religion, from the errors, idolatry, and superstition of popery and prelacy, and there withall to bless us with the power and purity of heavenly doctrine, worship, discipline, and government in the Church of God, according to His will revealed in the Holy Scriptures; and to let us have all this accompanyed and attended with many great and singular blessings, in the conversion and comfort of many thousands, and in reforming and purging the land from that gross ignorance, rudeness and barbarity, that once prevailed among us. Wherefore our zealous and worthy forefathers, being convinced of the benefit and excellency of such incomparable and unvaluable mercies, thought it their duty, not only by all means to endeavour the preservation of these, but also to transmit to posterity a fair depositum and copy in purity and integrity, and as a fit expedient and mean to accomplish and perfect the same, they entered into the National Covenant (no rank or degree of persons, from the highest to the lowest excepted) wherein they bound themselves to defend the reformation of religion in every part and point of the same, with their lives and fortunes to the outmost of their power, as may be seen in the National Covenant of this Church and kingdom, which was five times solemnly sworn.
Likeas the Lord was so pleased to bless our land, and to beautify it with His presence, that our neighbour nations of England and Ireland, who beheld this, and were groaning under and likeways aiming at the removal and abolishing of popery and prelacy, had sought and obtained assistance from this nation to help them in their endeavours for that end, and had been owned of God with success, they likeways thought it fit to enter into a most Solemn League and Covenant with this Church and kingdom for reformation and defence of religion, wherein, with their hands lifted up to the most High God, they do bind and oblige themselves to maintain, preserve and defend, whatever measure and degree of reformation they had attained unto, and mutually to concurr, each with another with their lives and fortunes in their several places and callings, in opposition to all the enemies of the same, as may be seen at large in the Solemn League and Covenant. By means of which, these nations became (as it were) dedicated and devoted to God in a peculiar and singular manner, above all other people in the world and that by an indisolvable and indispensable obligation to perform, observe and fulfill the duties sworn too, and contained therein, from which no power on earth can absolve us. And so to prosecute and carry on the ends of the same, and to evidence our firm adherance to it, with the outmost of our endeavours, in opposition to every thing contradictory or contrar unto or exclusive of these our sacred vows. We have from time to time for these several years bypast, emitted and published several declarations and publick testimonies against the breaches of the same, as is evident not only from our declarations of late, but also from all the wrestlings and contendings of the faithful in former times, all which we here adhere to, approve of, and homologate, as they are founded upon the Word of God and are agreeable thereto.
And in this juncture to perpetuat and transmit to posterity the testimony of this Church, and to acquit ourselves as faithful to God, and zealous for the concerns of religion, and every thing that's dear to us as men and Christians. We here testify and protest against the prompters to, promoters or establishers of, and against every thing that hath tended to the promoting, advancing, corroborating, or by law establishing such a wicked and ruining Union; and hereby we also declare against the validity of the proceedings of the late Parliament with reference to the carrying on, and establishing the said Union; and that their acts shall not be look't upon as obligatory to us, nor ought to be by posterity, nor any way prejudicial to the cause of God, and the covenanted work of reformation in this Church, nor to the beeing, liberty, and freedom of Parliaments, according to the laudable and antient pratique of this kingdom, the which we do not only for ourselves, but also in the name of all such as shall join or concurr with us in this our protestation, and therefore we Protest.
In regard, That the said Union is a visible and plain subversion of the fundamental antient constitutions, laws and liberties of this kingdom, which we as a free people have enjoyed for the space of about two thousand years, without ever being fully conquered, and we have had singular and remarkable stepts of Providence preventing our utter sinking, and preserving us from such a deludge and overthrow, which some other nations more mighty and opulent than we, have felt, and whose memory is much extinct: while by this incorporating Union with England in their sinful terms, this nation is debased and enslaved, its antient independency lost and gone, the parliamentary power dissolved which was the very strength, bulwork and basis of all liberties and priviledges of persons of all ranks, of all manner of courts and judicatories, corporations and societies within this kingdom; all which, now, must be at the disposal and discreation of the British Parliament, (to which, by this Union, this nation must be brought to full subjection) and furder the number of peers, who have many times ventured their lives for the interest of their country, having reputation and success at home and were famous and formidable abroad: and the number of barons and burrows famous sometime, for courage and zeal for the interest of their country (and, more especially in our reforming times) all these, reduced to such an insignificant and small number in the Brittish Parliament, we say, (as is also evident from the many protestations given in to the late Parliament against this Union) how far it is contrary to the honour, interest, foundamental laws, and constitutions of this kingdom, and a palpable surrender of the soveraignity, rights and priviledges of the nation; and how by this surrender of parliament and soveraignity the people are deprived and denuded of all security, as to any thing that's agreed to by this Union, and all that's dear to them, is daily in danger to be encroached upon, altered or subverted by the said Brittish Parliament, managed intirely by the English, who seldom have consulted our well-fare, but rather have sought opportunity to injure us, and are now put in a greater capacity with more ease to act to our prejudice: and poor people to be made lyable to taxes, levies and unsupportable burdens, and many other imminent hazards and impositions, all which we here protest against.
As also that which is little considered (tho' most lamentable), how the foundamental constitutions should be altered, subverted, and overturned, not only, renitente and reclamante populo, but also by such men, who, if the righteous and standing laws of the nation were put in execution, are uncapable of having any vote or suffrage in any judicatory; seeing the Covenants National and Solemn League, which had the assent and concurrence of the three estates of Parliament, and the sanction of the civil law, cordially and harmoniously assenting to, complying with, and coroborrating the acts and canons of ecclesiastick courts in favour of these covenants, whereby they became the foundation whence any had right to reign or govern in this land, and also became the foundation, limitation, and constitution of the government and succession to the crown of this realm, and the qualification of all magistrats supreame, and subordinate, and of all officers in church, state, or army, and likewise the ground and condition of the peoples obedience and subjection, as may be seen in the acts, laws, and practise of these times: witness the admission of Charles II. to the government, Anno 1651. From all which it is evident how blind such men have been, who not only have enslaved the nation, but have rendered themselves unfamous by such an open and manifest violation of these solemn and sacred vows to the most High God, to the obligation of which they as well as the rest of the land, are indispensibly bound.
But ah! when we mention these Covenants, how notorious and palpable is the breach of, and indignity done to these solemn vows by this sinful Union, by means whereof they come to be buried in perpetual oblivion, and all means for prosecuting their ends are so blockt up by this incorporating Union with England, as that what ever is or may be done or acted contrair thereunto, or in prejudice thereof by any of the enemies of the same, cannot be remeided in a due and impartial exercise of church discipline, and execution of the laws of the land against such transgressors. And if we would open our eyes and consider a little with reference to our national Covenant, we may clearly see that this incorporating Union is directly contrar to that particular oath and vow made to God by us in this kingdom, which we are obliged to fulfill and perform in a national state and capacity, as we are a particular nation by ourselves, distinct in the constitution of our government and laws from these of England, and from all others: But now when we cease to be a particular nation, we being no way distinct from that of England (which is the very genuine and inevitable effect of this Union) how then can we keep our national vows to God, when we shall not be a particular nation, but only (by means of this incorporating Union) made a part of another nation, whose government is manag'd, as is very well known, in many things directly contrar to what is contained in this national Covenant of this land; though we have charity to believe, there shall multitudes be found in the land who will grant and acknowledge themselves bound to the observation of that oath by an indispensibility, which no power on earth can disolve.
And what a palpable breach is this wicked Union of our Solemn League and Covenant, which was made and sworn with uplifted hands to the most High God, for purging and reforming His house in these three nations from error, heresie, superstition and profaneness, and whatever is contrar to sound and pure doctrine, worship, discipline, and government in the same: And so it involves this nation in most fearful perjury before God, being contrar to the very first article of the Covenant wherein we swear to contribute our outmost endeavours in our several places and callings to reform England in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government; but by this Union both we and they are bound up for ever from all endeavours and attempts of this nature, and have put ourselves out of a capacity to give any help or assistance that way; But on the contrar they came to be hardened in their deformation, impious and superstitious courses. And how far contrar to the second article, where we solemnly abjure prelacy for ever, when by this Union, prelacy comes for ever to be established and settled on the surest and strongest foundations imaginable, as is evident from the ratification of the articles in the English Parliament, with the exemplification of the same in the Scots Parliament, where the prelatick government in England is made a foundamental article of the Union: so it is also impossible for us to fulfill the other part of that article, where we forswear schism, which a legal tolleration of errors will infer and fix among us, as the native result and inevitable consequence of this Union; and how far this is contrar to the Word of God, and to our covenants, any considering person may decern. As to the third article, any may see how far it is impossible for us to preserve the rights, liberties, and priviledges of Parliament and kingdom, when divested both of our Parliaments and liberties in a distinct national way, or yet as according to the same article, where we are obliged to maintain and defend the king, his majesty's person and government in defence and preservation of the true religion; how can it be supposed, that we can answer our obligation to this part of the Covenant, when a corrupt religion is established, as is by this Union already done, when prelatick government is made a foundamental thereof. And it is a clear breach of the fourth article of the Solemn League and Covenant, where we swear to oppose all malignants and hinderers of reformation and religion, and yet by this Union, the prelats, who themselves are the very malignants and enemies to all further reformation in religion are hereby settled and secured in all their places of power and dignity, without the least appearance or ground of expectation of any alteration for ever.
How offensive and displeasing unto God this accursed Union is, may be further evident by its involving this land in a sinful conjunction and association with prelats, malignants, and many other enemies to God and Godliness, and stated adversaries to our reformation of religion and sworn-to principles in our Covenants National and Solemn League, and particularly as this Union imbodys and units us in this land in the strickest conjunction and association with England, a land so deeply already involved in the breach of Covenant, and pestered with so many sectaries, errors and abominable practices, and joins us in issue and interest with these that are tollerators, maintainers and defenders of these errors, which the Word of God strictly prohibits, and our sacred Covenants plainly and expressly abjures. And further, how far and deeply it ingages this land in a confedracy and association with God's enemies at home and abroad in their expeditions and counsels; a course so often prohibeted by God in His word, and visibly pleagued in many remarkable instances of providences, as may be seen both in sacred and historical records, and the unlawfulness thereof, on just and scriptural grounds, demonstrate by famous divines, even of our own Church and nation, and set down as a cause of God's wrath against this Church and kingdom. And how detestable must such an Union be, whose native tendency leads to wear off, from the dissenting party in England, all sight, sense, consideration and belief of the indispensibility of the Solemn League, and hardening enemies in their opposition to it, and these of all ranks in the habitual breach of it: yea also, how shamefully it leads to the obliterating and extinguishing all the acts of parliaments and assemblies made in favours of these covenants and reformation, especially between 1638 and 1649 inclusive. And not only so, but to a trampling on all the blood of martyrs during the late tyrannical reigns, and a plain burying of all the testimonies of the suffering and contending party in this land, in their firm, faithful and constant adherance to the covenanted work of reformation, and their declarations, protestations, and wrestlings against all the indignities done unto, and usurpations made upon the royal crown and prerogative of the Mediator, and all the priviledges and instrinsick rights of this Church; we say, not only burying these in perpetual oblivion by this cope-stone of the land's sins and defections, but also opposing and condemning these as matters of the least concern and trivial, as not being worthy of the contending and suffering for, whereby these who ventured their lives and their all, may be reputed to have dyed as fools, and suffered justly.
We cannot here omit also to declare and testify against the constitution of the British Parliament, not only upon the consideration of the foresaid grounds and reasons, but also upon the account of the sinful mixture and unlawful admission of bishops and churchmen, to have a share in the legislative power, or in any place in civil courts or affairs, and thereto act or vote forensically in civil matters, a thing expressly forbidden and discharged by Christ the only Head and Lord of His own house, whose Kingdom, as Mediator, is not of this world, but purely spiritual; and so the officers in His house must be spiritual; so that the civil power of Church men is a thing inconsistent and incompatible with that sacred and spiritual function. Upon which consideration, how palpable a sin will it be to subject to, or accept of any oath that may be imposed by the said British Parliament, for the maintenance and support of such an Union, or for recognoseing, owning and acknowledging the authority of the said Parliament, and that because of our swearing, and promising subjection to the said Parliament, we do thereby homologate the foresaid sinful constitution, and swear, and promise subjection to the bishops of England who are a considerable part of that Parliament, and so we shall be bound and oblidged to maintain and uphold them in their places, dignities, and offices, which is contrar to the Word of God and our covenants, while the very first article of the Solemn League oblidges us to endeavour the reformation of the religion in the kingdom of England, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the Word of God, as well as in Scotland. And it is very well known that the government of bishops is not according to the Word of God, but contrar to it, and likeways contrar the second article of the Solemn League whereby we are obliged to the extirpation of prelacy, that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, &c., which we will be obliged by such an oath to maintain and defend. And besides, from the consideration of the person that by the patrons and establishes of this Union, and by the second article of the Union itself, is nominated and designed to succeed after the decease of the present Queen Anne, in the government of these nations, to wit the Prince of Hanover, who hath been bred and brought up in the Luthren religion, which is not only different from, but even in many things contrar unto that purity, in doctrine, reformation, and religion, we in these nations had attained unto, as is very well known. Now, the admitting such a person to reign over us, is not only contrar to our Solemn League and Covenant, but to the very Word of God itself; requiring and commanding one from among their brethren, and not a stranger who is not a brother, to be set over them: whereby undoubtedly is understood, not only such who were of consanguinity with the people of the land, but even such as served and worshipped the God of Israel; and not any other, and that in the true and perfect way of worshipping and serving Him, which He Himself hath appointed, as they then did, to which this intended succession is quite contrary. And besides this, he is to be solemnly engaged and sworn to the prelats of England, to maintain, protect, and defend them in all their dignities, dominion, and revenues, to the preventing and excluding all reformation out of these nations for ever.
And upon the like and other weighty reasons and considerations (as popish education, conversation, etc.) We protest against, and disown the pretended Prince of Wales from having any just right to rule or govern these nations, or to be admitted to the Government thereof: and whereas (as is reported) we are maliciously aspersed by these who profess themselves of the Presbyterian perswasion, especially the Laodicean preachers, that we should be accessory to the advancement of him whom they call the Prince of Wales to the throne of Britain: Therefore to let all concerned be fully assured of the contrary, We protest and testifie against all such so principled to have any right to rule in thir lands, because we look upon all such to be standing in a stated opposition to God and our covenanted work of reformation. Not that we contemn, deny or reject civil government and governours (as our former declared principles to the world make evident) but are willing to maintain, own, defend and subject to all such governours as shall be admitted according to our Covenants, and laws of the nation, and act in defence of our covenanted work of reformation, and in defence of the nations ancient liberties and priviledges, according to the laudable laws and practique of this kingdom.
And further, We cannot but detest, abominate and abhor, and likeways protest against the vast and unlimitted tolleration of error and sectaries, which, as a necessary and native consequence of this Union, will inevitably follow thereupon, and whereby a plain and patent way is laid open for these errors, which will certainly have a bad influence upon all the parts, pieces, and branches of the reformation, both in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, yea even upon the most momentuous and fundamental articles of the Christian faith: For hereby Anabaptists, Erastians, Socinians, Arminians, Quakers, Theists, Atheists, and Libertines of all kinds, with many others (which abound and swarm in that land) will come crouding and thronging in among us, venting and vomiting up their damnable and hellish tenets and errors to the destruction of souls, and great dishonour of God in many respects, and that without any check or control by civil authority, as is evident from the present practice of England, as having gotten full and free libertie for all this by means of this accursed Union. How then ought not every one to be affrayed, when incorporating themselves with such a people so exposed to the fearful and tremendous judgments of God, because of such gross impieties and immoralities (not that our land is free of such hainous wickednesses as may draw down a judgment, but there these evils are to a degree) for what unparalelled, universal, national perjury is that land guilty of, both toward God and man (though there were no more) by the breach of the Solemn League and Covenant that they once made with this nation, for the defence and reformation of religion: but also what abominable lasciviousness, licentiousness, luxury, arrogancy, impiety, pride and insolence, together with the vilest of whoredoms, avowed breach of Sabbath, and most dreadful blasphemies, yea, the contempt of all that's sacred and holy; gets liberty to reign and predomine without check or challenge, so that joining with such people, cannot but expose us, as well as them, to the just judgment of God, while continuing in these sins.
And here we cannot pass by the unfaithfulness of the present ministers (not that we judge all of them to be cast in the same ballance) who at the first beginning of this work seemed to be so zealously set against it, and that both in their speeches, sermons and discourses (which was duty). But yet in a very little after flinched from, and became generally so dumb, silent, indifferent or ambiguous to the admiration of many, so that people knew not what to construct.
But from what cause or motive they were so influenced, they know best themselves: Sure their duty both to God and man was, to shew and declare how shameful, hurtful, and highly sinful this course was as so circumstantiat. And if ministers faithfulness and zeal to the concerns of Christ had led them to such freedom and plainness, as was duty in such a matter, and had discovered how contrary this Union was to the fundamental laws and sworn principles, by all probability they might have had such influence as to stop such an unhallowed and unhappy project. But it seems their policy hath utwitted their piety, their pleasing of Man in conniving at, if not complying with their design that was carried on, hath weighed more with them, than the pleasing of God, in their witnessing and testifying against it. (But to say no more) by the negligence of ministers on the one hand, and the politicks of statesmen on the other hand, this wicked and naughty business has been carryed on and accomplished, to the provocking of God, enslaving the nation, and bringing the same under manifest perjury and breach of Covenant. But how to evite the judgments pronunced against such, we know not, but by returning to their first love, taking up their first ground, and standing to sworn Covenants, solemnly unto God, and adhereing to the cause of God, and the faithful testimonies of this Church, and seeking back unto the old path, abandoning and shaking off and forsaking all these God-provoking and land-ruining courses; we say, We know and are perswaded, there can be no mean to retrive us in this land, but by unfeigned repentance, and returning unto Him from whom we have so deeply revolted. And among the politicks of this Age, it could not but be reckoned the wisdom of the nation, if ever they get themselves recovered out of the snare, to animadvert upon all such, as have had any hand in the contriving or manadging it, as being enemies both to God and their country; which course, if it had been taken in former times, with such who were enemies to religion and liberty, it would have deterred such from being so active in this fatal stroak.
Upon these and many more weighty considerations, plain and demonstrable evils in this complex mass of sin and misery, all the true lovers of Zion who desire to be found faithful to God, to their vows and sworn principles, and who seek to be found faithful in their generation and duty of the day: and all such, who desire, love and respect the honour, independency, liberty and priviledge of their native countrey, especially in such a juncture, when long threatned judgments are so imminent, and religion and liberty as it were, in their last breathing, will easily find it to be their bound duty (as they would not conspire with adversaries to religion and liberty) to show no favour or respect, and give no encouragement or assistance that may tend to the upholding or supporting this Union; but that it is their duty and concernment (as well as ours) to testify and declare against the same, and to concurr with their utmost endeavours to stop and hinder the same, and to deny their accession to, connivance at, or complyance with any thing that may tend to the continuing such an unsupportable yoke upon themselves or their posterity.
And now to draw this, our protestation, to a conclusion, we heartily invite, and in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ intreat all in both nations, who tender the glory of God, the removing the causes of His wrath, indignation and imminent judgments upon us, and who desire the continuance of His tabernacle, gospel ordinances, and gracious presence among us, and seek and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; and labour to follow the footsteps of these who throu' faith and patience inherit the promise, the noble cloud of witnesses who have gone before us; we say, we heartily invite and intreat such to consider their ways, and to come and join in a harmonious, zealous, and faithful withstanding all and every thing that may be like a hightning, or cope-stone of our defections, and particularly to join with us (according to our reformation, Covenants, Confession of Faith, and testimonies of our Church, as agreeable to the sacred and unerring rule of faith and manners, the Holy Scriptures) in this our protestation and testimony. And for these effects, we desire that this our protestation may be a standing testimony to present and succeeding ages, against the sinfulness of this land-ruining, God-provoking, soul destroying and posterity-enslaving and ensnaring Union, and this ad futurum rei memoriam. And to evite the brand and odium of passing the bounds of our station, and that this our protestation may be brought to the view of the world; we have thought fit to publish and leave a copy of the same at Sanquhar by a part of our number, having the unanimous consent of the whole so to do.
Given on the 2nd day of October, 1707.
SECESSION FROM THE REVOLUTION CHURCH.[21]
We, Mr. John Mackmillan, present minister of the Gospel at Balmaghie, and Mr. John Mackneil, Preacher of the Gospel, being most odiously and invidiously represented to the world as schismaticks, separatists and teachers of unsound and divisive doctrine, tending to the detriment of Church and State, and especially by Ministers with whom we were embodied, while there remained any hope of getting grievances redressed. Therefore, that both Ministers and Professors may know the unaccountableness of such aspersions, let it be considered that this backsliding Church (when we with others might have been big with expectations for advancement in Reformation) continued in their defections from time to time, still, as occasion was given, evidencing their readiness to comply with every new backsliding course, instance that of the Oath of Alledgance, and Bond of Assurance to the present Queen; which additional step to the former gave occasion and rise to our unhappy contentions and divisions. And now at this time, for the glory of God, the vindication of truth and of ourselves (as conscience and reason obligeth us), to make evident to the world the groundlesness of these aspersions and calumnies as renters and dividers, and particularly in the commissions late odious and malicious lybel, wherein are contained many gross falsehoods, such as swearing persons not to pay cess, and travelling throw the country with scandalous persons in arms, which, as they are odious culumnies in themselves, so they will never be proven by witnesses: and, as to our judgment anent the cess, we reckon it duty in the people of God to deny and withhold all support, succour, aid, or assistance that may contribute to the upholding or strengthening the man of sin, or any of the adversaries of truth, (as the Word of God instructs us) or for supporting any in such a way, as tending to the establishing the kingdom of Satan, and bringing down the kingdom of the Son of God, in a course tending this way, how deeply these nations are engadged (contrar to the Word of God and our indispensible oaths and covenants, whereby these lands were solemnly devoted to God) is too palpable and plain, especially in the sinful terms of the late God provoking, religion destroying, and land ruining union: we judge it most necessary to give to the world a brief and short account of our principles in what we own or disown (referring for larger, more ample information, to several protestations and testimonies given by some of the godly heretofore at different times and places) and hereby that truth may be vindicated and our consciences exonered.
We declare to the world our hearty desire to embrace and adhere to the written Word of God, contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as the only and compleat rule and adequat umpire of faith and manners, and whatever is founded thereupon, and agreeable thereunto; such as our Confession of Faith; Larger and Shorter Catechisms; Directory for Worship; Covenants National and Solemn League; the acknowledgment of sin and engagement to duties; causes of God's wrath, and the ordinary and perpetual officers of Christ's appointment, as pastors, doctors, elders and deacons, and the form of Church government, commonly called Presbyterian.
Next, we declare our firm adherence to all the faithful contendings for truth, whether of old or of late, by ministers and professors, and against whatever sinful courses, whether more refined or more gross, and particularly the public resolutions Cromwel's usurpation, the toleration of sectaries, and heresies in his time, and against the sacraligious usurpation and tyranny of Charles II., the unfaithfulness of ministers and professors in complying with him, and accepting his indulgences first and last. And in a word to everything agreeable to the matter of this our testimony, as it is declared in page 25 and 26 of the Informatory Vindication; printed Anno 1687.
Likeways, we declare our adherence unto the testimony against the abominable toleration granted by the Duke of York, and given in to the ministers at Edinburgh, by that faithful minister and now glorified martyr, Mr. James Renwick, January 17, 1688. And to whatever wrestlings or contendings have been made, or testimonies given against the endeavours of any in their subtle and sedulous striving to insinuate and engadge us in a sinful confederacy with a malignant interest and cause, contrar to the Word of God, our Solemn League and Covenant, and testimony of this Church.
Next, we bear testimony against persons being invested with royal power and authority in thir covenanted lands, without a declaration of their hearty complyance with, and approbation of the National and Solemn League and Covenant and engadgment to prosecute the ends thereof, by consenting to and ratifying all acts and laws made in defence of these Covenants, agreeable to the Word of God, and laudable acts and practise of this kirk and kingdom in our best times.
Moreover, we bear testimony against all confederacies and associations with popish prelats and malignants, contrary to the Word of God and our solemn engadgments. The magistrats adjourning and dissolving of assemblies, and not allowing them time to consider and exped their affairs: their appointing them dyets and causes of Fasts, particularly that in January 14: and the Thanksgiving Aug. 26, Anno 1708, which is a manifest encroachment upon, and destructive to the priviledges of this Church: their protecting of curats in the peaceable exercise of their ministry, some in kirks, others in meeting houses, yea, even in the principal city of the kingdom, if qualified according to law by swearing the Oath of Alledgance. Their not bringing unto condign punishment enemies to the Covenant and cause of God, but advancing such to places of power and trust: all which we here bear testimony against.
Next, we bear testimony against lukewarmness and unfaithfulness in ministers anent the corruptions and defections the Church was guilty of in the late times, not yet purged and removed by censures, and other ways, as was duty. And their not leaving faithful and joint testimonies against all the encroachments made upon the Church by the civil powers, since the year 1690. And we bear testimony against the settling the constitution of this Church, according as it was established in the year 1592. And the ministers not testifying against this deed, seems to import a disowning all the reformation attained to betwixt 1638 and 1649 inclusive. At least cowardice in not daring to avouch the same, or their being ashamed to own it, because many famous and faithful acts of assemblies, especially about the year 1648, would have made them lyable to censure, even to the length of silencing and deposition; for their defection and unfaithfulness during the late times, of the lands apostasie. Particularly, the weakning the hands and discouraging the hearts of the Lord's suffering people, by their bitter expressions, and aspersions cast on them for their zeal and tenderness, which would not allow them to comply with a wicked, arbitrary and bloody council as many of them did. Their not renewing the Covenant buried for upwards of fifty years by the greatest part of the land, contrar to the former practise of this Church, especially after some grosser steps of defection. Their receiving of perjured curats into ministerial communion, without covenant tyes and obligations and evident signs of their repentance, contrary to the former practise of this Church. Their receiving some lax tested men, and curates, elders, into kirk offices, without some apparent signs at least of their repentance in a publick appearance, contrar to the former practise of this Church in such like cases, evident by the Acts of the Assemblies. Their not protesting formally, faithfully and explicitly against the magistrate adjourning and dissolving of Assemblies, and recording the same, contrar to the practise of this Church in our reforming times. We are not concerned to notice the protestation of some few persons at particular times, seeing their precipitancy and rashness in this matter, (as they accounted it) was afterward apologized for; and that it was not the deed of the Assembly. Their not asserting in any explicit and formal act the divine right of Presbytry, and the instrinsick power of the Church, though often desired by many privat Christians, and some several members, their not confirming and ratifying the Acts of the Assemblies that were made in our best times for strengthening and advancing the work of reformation, contrar to the former practise of this Church. Their admitting in many places, ignorant and scandalous persons to the Lord's table, contrar to the Acts of former Assemblies: Their not protesting against the present sinful confederacy with papists, malignants, and other enemies of religion and godliness; contrar to the Word of God, and former practise of this Church: their offensive partiality in their respective judicatories as to some particular members, where, the more lax and scandalous are overlooked and past by, and the more faithful and zealous are severely dealt with and handled, contrar to the rule of equity and the former practise of this Church: Their refusing and shifting to receive and redress the people's just and great grievances, and little regard had to prevent the giving offence to the Lord's people, and small endeavours to have these things removed that are stumbling and offensive to them, contrar to the Apostle's rule and practise, who became all things to all Men that by all means he might save some: their not declaring faithfully and freely against the sins of the land former and latter, without respect of persons, contrar to that express precept, "Set the trumpet to thy mouth, and show My people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sin."
Lastly, we bear testimony against Ministers sinful and shameful silence, when called to speak and act by preaching and protesting against this unhallowed Union, which, as it is already the stain, so we swear it will prove the ruin and bain of this poor nation; though some of them, we grant, signified their dislike thereof, before and about the time it was concluded, yet there was no plain and express protestation, faithfully and freely given in to the Parliament, shewing the sinfulness and danger of this cursed Union, being contrar, not only to the honour, interest, and fundamental laws, and constitutions of the kingdom, and a palpable surrender of the sovereignty, rights and priviledges of the nation, but also a manifest breach of our Solemn League and Covenant, which was made and sworn with uplifted hands to the most high God, for purging and reforming the three nations from error, heresy, superstition and prophaneness, and whatever is contrar to sound doctrine, the power of godliness, and the purity of worship, discipline and government in the same. And so it involves this nation into a most fearful perjury before God, being contrar to the first article of the Covenant, wherein we swear to contribute with our outmost endeavours, in our several places and callings, to reform England in Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government; But by this Union we are bound up for ever from all endeavours and attempts of this nature, and have put ourselves out of all capacity to give any help or assistance that way, as ye may see more fully in the late protestation against the Union, published at Sanquhar, October 22, 1707.
Let none say, That what we have done here flows from ambition to exalt ourselves above others, for as we have great cause, so we desire grace from the Lord, to be sensible of what accession we have with others in the land, to the provoking of His Spirit, in not walking as becomes the Gospel, according to our Solemn Engagements, neither proceeds it from irritation or inclination (by choice or pleasure) to discover our mother's nakedness or wickedeness, or that we love to be of a contentious spirit, for our witness is in heaven (whatever the world may say) that it would be the joy of our hearts, and as it were a resurrection from the dead, to have these grievances redressed and removed, and our backsliding and breaches quickly and happily healed, but it is to exoner consciences by protesting against the defections of the land, especially of Ministers: and seeing we can neither with safety to our persons, nor freedom in our consciences, compear before the Judicatories, while these defections are not acknowledged and removed, so we must, so long decline them, and hereby do decline them, as unfaithful judges in such matters: in regard they have, in so great a measure, yielded up the priviledges of the Church into the hands and will of her enemies, and carried on a course of defection contrar to the Scriptures, our Covenants, and the acts and constitutions of this our Church. And hereby we further protest and testify against whatever they may conclude, or determine, in their ecclesiastick courts by acts, ratifications, sentences, censures, &c., that have been, or shall be made or given out by them, and protest that the same may be made void and null, and not interpreted as binding to us or any who desire firmly to adhere to the Covenanted work of Reformation.
But let none look upon what we have here said, to be a vilipending or rejecting of the free, lawful, and rightly constitute courts of Christ, for we do acknowledge such to have been among the first most effectual means appointed of God for preserving the purity and advanceing the power of reformation in the Church of Christ; the sweet fruits and blessed effects whereof, this Church hath sometimes enjoyed, and which we have been endeavouring and seeking after, and are this day longing for.
We detest and abhorr that principle of casting off the ministry, wherewith we are odiously and maliciously reproached by these who labour to fasten upon us the hateful names of schismaticks, separatists, despisers of the Gospel: but, herein as they do bewray their enmity to the cause we own, so till they bring in their own principles and practices, and ours also, and try them by the law and testimony, the measuring line of the sanctuary, the Word of God, and the practice of this Church, when the Lord keeped house with, and rejoiced over her as a bridegroom over his bride, they can never prove us schismaticks or separatists from the kirk of Scotland upon the account of our non-union with the backslidden multitude, ministers and others.
Finally, that we may not be judged by any, as persons of an infallible spirit, and our actions above the cognisance of the judicatories of Christ's appointment: we appeal to the first free, faithful and rightly constitute Assembly in this Church, to whose decision and sentence in the things, lybelled against us we willingly refer ourselves, and crave liberty to extend and enlarge this our Protestation, Declinature, and Appeal as need requires.
JO. MACKMILLAN.
JO. MACKNEIL.
BALMAGHIE MANSE, Sept. 24th, 1708.
"THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND."
AIRD & COGHILL PRINTERS, GLASGOW.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This Exhortation was prepared by "Reverend Ministers of the Gospel," who met at Edinburgh, February, 1638, and "sent to every one of the Lords of Council severally," inviting them to subscribe the Covenant.
[2] Aberdeen, Crail and St. Andrews were the only burghs in Scotland that had no Commissioners at the renewing of the National Covenant in Edinburgh. Henderson was appointed to proceed to St. Andrews to secure its approval of the movement, and his mission resulted in complete success. This sermon was preached there about the end of March, 1638.
[3] The author of this "Discourse and Exhortation" and of the two Sermons that follow, was ordained minister of Pitsligo, and in 1664 was inducted to St. Nicholas' Church, Aberdeen. Part of the inscription on his tombstone is, "A Boanerges and Barnabas: a Magnet and Adamant." He was a member of the Assembly at Glasgow, 1638. This Exhortation was at the renewing of the National Covenant at Inverness, 25th April, 1638.
[4] This sermon was delivered in 1638, immediately after the Renovation of the National Covenant and Celebration of the Lord's Supper.
[5] This sermon was preached at a "General Meeting" in Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, on 13th June, 1638, after the Renovation of the Covenant. In Erskine's edition, Black-Fryar is a misprint for Gray-Fryar.
[6] Mr. Nye was an Independent and a distinguished member of the Westminster Assembly. This Exhortation was given to the House of Commons and the "Reverend Divines" of the Westminster Assembly before they took the Solemn League and Covenant, and was published by order of the House of Commons.
[7] This Address was given to the House of Commons and the Westminster Assembly before taking the Covenant and was published by order of the House of Commons.
[8] Mr. White.
[9] Mr. Nye.
[10] Mr. Henderson.
[11] Dr. Gouge.
[12] Mr. Caryl was a member of the Westminster Assembly. This Sermon was given at Westminster "at that Publick Convention (ordered by the Honourable House of Commons) for the taking of the Covenant, by all such of all Degrees as wilfully presented themselves, upon Friday, October 6, 1643." The House of Commons thanked Caryl for the Sermon and ordered its publication.
[13] Mr. Case, a member of the Westminster Assembly, gave this sermon and the one that follows, at the taking of the Covenant in Milk Street Church, London; the former on Saturday evening, 30th September, 1643, and the other on 1st October, on "the Sabbath-day in the morning," immediately before the Covenant was taken. Both sermons, together with one on the Fast, 27th September, wore dedicated to the Commissioners from the Church of Scotland to the Westminster Assembly.
[14] This Sermon was delivered by Rev. Edmond Calamy, a member of the Westminster Assembly, on January 14, 1645, "before the then Lord Mayor of the City of London, Sir Thomas Adams; together with the Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common Council of the said City, being the day of their taking the Solemn League and Covenant, at Michael Basenshaw, London."
[15] The coronation of Charles II. took place at Scone, 1st January, 1651. In the "chamber of presence," the nation's representatives invited the King to accept the crown; to which the King replied: "I do esteem the affections of my good people more than the crown of many Kingdoms, and shall be ready, by God's assistance, to bestow my life in their defence, wishing to live no longer than I may see religion and this kingdom flourish in all happiness." Thereafter, they proceeded to the "Kirk of Scoon, in order and rank, and according to their quality." The "King first settles himself in his chair for hearing of sermon. All being quietly composed unto attention, Mr. Robert Douglas, Moderator of the Commission of the General Assembly, after incalling on God by prayer, preached the following sermon." After the Sermon, the king took the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant.
[16] This second coronation oath is inserted in the 15th act of parliament, and in the parliament, Feb. 7th, 1649; and is, with the first coronation oath following, insert and approven in the declaration of the General Assembly 27th July, 1649.
[17] At Torwood, Stirlingshire, September 1660, Donald Cargill pronounced this sentence of Excommunication against Charles II.; the Dukes of York, Monmouth, Lauderdale, and Rothes; Sir George M'Kenzie, the King's Advocate; and Dalziell of Binns.
[18] There were several acts for the suppression of field preachings. This one was prepared by Archbishop Sharpe and issued in 1670.
[19] On June 22nd, 1680, this Declaration was read by Richard Cameron at Sanquhar, amid the breathless silence of the inhabitants who flocked to the spot. It marked "an epoch," writes Burton, "in the career of the Covenanters."
[20] The faithful followers of the Reformers and Martyrs, who could not identify themselves with the Church and State at the Revolution, maintained their separate existence and testimony through their "Societies," and they prepared and published this paper against the Union with England. Its full title is "The Protestation and Testimony of the United Societies of the witnessing Remnant of the anti-Popish, anti-Prelatic, anti-Erastian, anti-Sectarian, true Presbyterian Church of Christ in Scotland, against the sinful incorporating Union with England and their British Parliament, concluded and established, May, 1707."
[21] The Rev. John Mackmillan, minister of Balmaghie, endeavoured for years to convince the Established Church that the Church had submitted at the Revolution to invasions of her independence by the State, and to persuade her to return to the attainments of the Reformation. Bitter opposition to his efforts led to his secession from the Church, after tabling this "Protestation, Declinature and Appeal." Mr. John Mackneil joined in the Declinature. A tablet in memory of Mr. Mackmillan has been recently erected in Balmaghie Church by his great-great-grandson, Dr. John Grieve, Glasgow. Part of the inscription is, "A Covenanter of the Covenanters: a Father of the Reformed Presbyterian Church: a Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ."