A Covenant for RELIGION, KING, and COUNTREY, made by a new Ordinance of Counſail at the deſire of the generall aſſem­bly of SCOTLAND.

WEall, and every one of us underwritten, proteſt that after long and due examination of our own conſciences in matters of true, & falſe religion, are now throughly reſolved of the truth by the word and Spirit of God; and therefore we beleeve with our hearts, confeſſe with our mouthes, ſubcribe with our hands, and conſtantly affirm before God, and the whole world: that this onely is the true Chriſtian Faith, and Re­ligion, pleaſing God, and bringing ſalvation to man, which now is by the mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the bleſſed Evangel: And received, beleived, and defended by many and ſundry notable Kirks and Realms; but chiefely by the Kirk of Scotland, the Kings Majeſty, and our Eſtates of this Realme, as Gods eternall truth and onely ground of our ſalvation; as more particularly is expreſſed in the Confeſſion of our faithſta­bliſhed and confirmed by many Acts of Parliaments, and now of a long time hath been openly profeſſed by the Kings Majeſty, and whole body of his Realm, both in Burgh and Land. To the which Confeſſion and forme of religion we willingly agree in our conſciences in all points as unto Gods undoubted truth and verity, grounded only upon his written word: and therefore we abhorre and deteſt all contrary religion and doctrine: but chiefely all kinde of Papiſtry, in generall and particular heads, even as they are now damned & confuted by the word of God, and Kirk of Scotland: but in eſpeciall, we deteſt and refuſe the uſurped authority of that Romane Antichriſt upon the Scriptures of God upon the Kirk, the civill Ma­giſtrate, and conſciences of men, all his tyrannous lawes made upon indifferent things againſt our Chriſ­tian liberty; his erroneous doctrine againſt the ſufficien­cy of the written word, and the perfection of the Law, the office of Chriſt and his bleſſed Evangel. His corrup­ted doctrine concerning originall ſin, our naturall ina­bility and rebellion to Gods law, our juſtification by faith only, our imperfect ſanctification and obedience to the Law, the nature, number, and uſe of the holy Sacra­ments. His five baſtard Sacraments, with all his rites, ce­remonies, and falſe doctrine added to the miniſtration of the true Sacraments, without the word of God. His cruell judgement againſt infants departing without the Sacra­ment, his abſolute neceſſity of Baptiſme, his blaſphemous opinion of Tranſubſtantiation, or reall preſence of Chriſts body in the elements, and receiving of the ſame by the wicked or bodies of men; his diſpenſations with ſolemne Oathes, periuries, and degrees of marriage forbidden in the word, his cruelty againſt the innocent divorced, his deviliſh Maſſe, his blaſphemous prieſthood, his prophane Sacrifices for the ſinnes of the dead and the quick, his Ca­nonization of men calling upon Angels or Saints departed, worſhipping of imagerie relicks, and croſſes, dedicating of kirkes, Alters, dayes, vowes to creatures, his purgatory, prayers for the dead, praying or ſpeaking in a ſtrange lan­guage, with his proceſſions, and blaſphemons lettany, and multitude of advocates or mediatours, his manifold or­ders, auricular confeſſion, his deſperate and uncertain re­pentance, his generall, and doubtſome faith, his ſatisfaction of men for their ſins, his iuſtification by works, opus opera­tum, works of ſupererogation, merits, pardons, peregrina­tions and ſtations, his holy water, baptizing of bells, conju­ring of ſaints, croſſing, fanning, anointing, coniuring, hal­lowing of Gods good creatures with the ſuperſtitous opin­ion, joyned there with his wordly Monarchy, and wicked Hierarcy, his three ſolemne vowes, with all his ſhavelings of ſundry ſorts, his erronious and bloody decrees made at Trent, with all the ſubſcribers, & approvers of that cruell and bloody and band conjured againſt the Kirk of God; and finally we deteſt all vain allegories, rites, ſignes, and traditions, brought in the Kirk, without or againſt the word of God, and doctrine of this true reformed Kirk; to the which we joyne our ſelves willingly in doctrine, faith, religion, diſcipline, and uſe of the Holy Sacraments, as live­ly members of the ſame in Chriſt our Head, prominſig and ſwering by the name of God our Lord, That we ſhall con­tinue in the obedience of the doctrine and diſcipline of this Kirk, and ſhall defende the ſame according to our vocati­on, all the dayes of our lives, under the paines contained in the law, and danger both of body and ſoule in the day of Gods fearefull Iudgements. And ſeeing that many are ſtir­red up by Sathan, and that Roman Antichriſt to promiſe, ſweare, ſubſcribe, and for a time uſe the holy Sacraments in the Kirk, deceitfull againſt their own conſciences, min­ding thereby firſt under the Externall cloak of religion, to corrupt and ſubvert ſecretly Gods true religion, within the Kirk; and afterward when time may ſerve to become open enemies and perſecutors of the ſame, under vain hope of the Popes diſpenſation, deviſed againſt the word of God to his greater confuſion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.

We therefore willing to take away all ſuſpition of hi­pocriſie, and of ſuch double dealing with God & his Kirk, proteſt, and call the ſearcher of hearts for witneſſe, that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confeſſion, Promiſe, Oath, and Subſcription; ſo that we are not mo­ved for any worldly reſpects, but are perſwaded onely in our conſciences through the knowledge & love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit, as we ſhall anſwer to him, in the day when the ſecrets of all hearts ſhall be diſcloſed: and becauſe we perceive that the quietneſſe and ſtability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the ſafety and good behaviour of the Kings Majeſty, as upon a comfortable inſtrument of Gods mer­cy granted to this Countrey, for the maintaining of his Kirk, and miniſtration of juſtice amongſt us; wee proteſt and promiſe with our hearts under the ſame oath, hand, writ, and pains, that we ſhall defend his royall perſon and authority, with our goods, bodies and lives, in the de­fence of Chriſt his Evangel, Liberties of our countrey, mi­niſtration of juſtice, and puniſhment of iniquity, againſt all enemies within this Realm or without, as wee deſire our God to be be a ſtrong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death, and comming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit bee all honour and glory eternally.