the army of Ards, who, after he and they had lately renewed the covenant, had turned over to affift the malignants; and foretel that the quarrel of the covenant should purfue them, as it foon did, in their ruin and of Ormond's army which they affifted.---The Irish Prefbyterians, in their reprefentation against the procedure of the Sectarians with K. Charles I. publicly read in their feveral congregations, avow the Solemn League, as their covenant; and warn the well affected to that covenant, to aviod all compliance with the Sectaries *. The Prefbyterian minifters in their Narrative to government of their ftedfaft loyalty, and of their fufferings. under Cromwel, fay, "We could not own them, i. e. Cromwel and his fubflitutes, as lawful magiftrates, and could not pray for their fuccefs, &c. confidering the ftrong obligation of the oath of God, that lay still upon us, to maintain his Majesty's power and greatnefs according to our covenant t." Notwitstanding all the cruel banishment, imprifonment, &c. which they had fuffered under Cromwel, for their attachment to K. Charles, there remained fo many ftaunch covenanters in Ireland, that in one Synod of Bellimenoch, fifty-nine minifters, in 1662, refufed to conform to Prelacy which is more than were in fome fix Synods in Scotland. Nor, in any Synod here, except in that of Glafgow, which confifts of above 130 minifters, and in which the Protestors chiefly refided, was that number of Non-conformists exceeded t. From these hints it appears, that the body of Proteftants in Ireland took the Solemn League and Covenant; anđ that the number of Covenanters there, could not be Chriftian Loyalty, P. 176, 177, 89, 143, 197--200, 203. + Ibid. p. 214--217. Wodrow's Hiftory Vol. I. p. 155. Appendix, p. 78. Lefs than 50 or 60,000, if it was not double or triple that reckoning. If then, Sir, the public engagements of representatives of Church and State can bind thofe reprefented by them and their pofterity ;-if the public engagements of parents can bind their descendents ;—if the public engagements of the greater part of a society can bind the whole and their fucceffors ;--Our public covenants with God must bind the Protestants in Ireland, the whole nation of England, and in a peculiar manner the Scots, who are so manifeftly affected by all the four fources of obligation, that no not our perjured Prelatifts, for their own vindication, êver dared, that I know of, to conteft it. And anfwerable to this fource, these fourfold vows must fix upon us a kind of fourfold folemn obligation to God, frequently repeated, renewed, or confirmed: How fearful then must be our guilt, if we caft all the cords of God behind our back, in favour of grofs herefy, blafphemy, idolatry, Popery! 4. Our ancestors did not covenant with God as mere individuals, but as a BODY. Covenanting at the fame time with each other, they made a joint furrender of themselves to God. In their Bond of 1636, they call it a bleffed and loyal conjunction. In their Reafons against giving it up, they call it a Bond of union and conjunction,a mutual union and conjunction amongst themselves; and in reasons of proteftation they call it a bond of inviolable union amongst themfelves. The Affembly Auguft 6th, 1649, fay,--"Our engagement therein is not only national, but perfonal."The fubject bound by the covenant being thus, not merely particular perfons, but a Church and nation, the obligation of it must be as permanent as the fociety bound by it. a Stevenson, p. 345, 354° 5. Our ancestors did what they could to make their covenant as binding as poffible. The exprefs terms in which the different forms of it are conceived, manifest it a promise, an oath, a vow, a covenant. If then there be any binding force in a promise from the truth of men which is therein pledged; if there be any religion in an oath because of the reverence we owe to the facred name of God interpofed in it; if any obligation refults from a vow, because of the fealty we thereby owe to God; if a man be obliged to keep his covenant from regard to truth or justice due to others, who are parties in it;---all thefe, tranfached with the utmost folemnity, muft concur in conftituting the binding force of this public engagement.--Hence the commission 1651, in their Warning, fay, "The bonds and obligations that lie upon us to this duty, by the law of God, the law of nature and the National Covenant and Solemn League, and the pains. therein contained, whereunto we have devoted ourfelves, if we fhall defert or fail *." In 6. Our ancestors plainly intended, that their public covenants should bind all future generations. 1638, they lamented their own fins as breaches of the covenant made or renewed in 1581, 1590, 1596 †. In their Reasons against giving up their fworn covenant, they affirm, "Our religious ancestors, by the like oath, have obliged us to the fubftance and tenor of this.---This our oath being a religious and perpetual obligation fhould ftand in vigour, for the more firm establishment of religion in our own time, and in the generations following.---Although the innovations of religion were the occafion of the making of this covenant, yet our intention was against these * Stevenfon, P. 10. + Hift Mot. p 43. Short Relat. on 1638. Aff. Letter to Helt vetians. Steven p 285. Bail. Let. p. 35. Apol. Relat. p. 47 Wilfon's Defence, p. 237.238, 242, &c. and all other innovations and corruptions, to eftablifh religion by an everlasting covenant, never to be forgotten." In their preamble to the covenant that year, they fay, Being convinced in our own minds, and profeffing with our mouths, that the prefent and fucceeding generations are bound to keep the forefaid national oath and fubfcription (of 1581, 1590, 1596,) inviolable." In the Solemn League, they fwear, "We fhall endeavour that these kingdoms may remain conjoined in a firm peace and union to all pofterity." 7. The ends of thefe covenants declared in their exprefs words are perpetual till the end of time, viz. "To maintain the true worship of God, the majefty of our king, and the peace of the kingdom, for the common happiness of ourselves and our pofterity,that religion and righteousness may flourish in the land to the glory of God, &ct." "To promote the glory of God, and the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,—the honour and happinefs of the King's Majefty, and his pofterity, and the public liberty, fafety, and peace of the kingdoms; that we and our pofterity may, as brethren, live in faith and love, and the Lord delight to dwell in the midst of us;-that the Lord may be one and his name one in the three kingdoms,--may turn away his wrath, and establish thefe Churches and kingdoms in peace ." If then, the matter being moral duty, was proper for a covenant of perpetual obligation; if the covenanters had full power to bind the whole fociety and their pofterity; if the fubject upon which the obligation was laid be permanent; if the end of the covenanters and their covenant was to fix the obligation upon pofterity, as well as upon the im * Stevenson, p. 347, 348, 351. Covenant of 1638. Covenant of 1643. mediate engagers; and if they did every thing in their power to render that obligation folemn and permanent, What further evidence of the perpetuity of that obligation can any man demand, who fingly regards the honour of God, or the welfare of this Church and nation? May I therefore adopt the words of a truly great man, "It was the glory of Scotland, that we were folemnly in covenant with God,-wherein our forefathers, for themselves engaged and fwore against Popery, Prelacy, fuperftition, and every thing contrary to the word of God;-and to the doctrine, worship, difcipline and government of the reformed Church of Scotland, and that as we fhouid answer to Jefus Chrift at the great day, and under the pain of his everlafting wrath;-May not our hearts bleed to think on our defection from old covenanted principles, and our violation of our en gagements, yea of the burning and burial of our covenants, and the prevalence of abjured Popery in this land. Covenant obligation to duty is what we ftill ftand under, though many be afhamed and refuse to own thefe obligations,the glory of our land. -Let us go forward-lamenting our finful defection from a covenanted reformation, and acknowledging our folemn covenant-obligation*. Never was a - nation more folemnly bound to the Lord by national covenants. Religious covenants in fcripture comprehend abfent as well as prefent, and posterity to come as well as the covenanting forefathers, Deut. xxix. 14, 15, 22, 24, 25. Now, our folemn cove nants, which our forefathers entered into, being no thing but a fuper added and accumulative obligation, to what we were previously bound to by the word of God, they cannot but ftand binding upon us their pofterity t As Ifrael avouched the Lord to be R. Erkine's Works fol. Vol. I. p. 62. † Ibid, p. 170, 304: |
