their bounds, a day for prayer, and thereafter, to write down their names on paper, and send them to their respective correspondences, that they may bring them to the next general meeting, with warrant granted by them to the clerk to subscribe

nation in particular, to give up the rights and privileges of parliament and kingdom to the will and lust of the English, and so to betray the interest both of religion and civil liberty, for unworthy by-ends; yet we purpose and promise, that we shall always in our capacities bear witness against these courses, and shall not by any means corroborate them, or encourage and countenance the maintainers and abettors of them. And if ever the Lord in his mercy shall be pleased to open a door of relief, and break the cords of the ungodly, we shall not be wanting in all lawful and suitable endeavours to promote, to our power, the recovery of that liberty and freedom which we have lost, and to have these acts and oaths, which impede reformation, rescinded; and that all the righteous laws made in favour of the covenanted reformation may be put in full force, and duly executed.

We shall earnestly pray to God, that he would give us able men, men of truth, fearing God and hating covetousness, to bear charge over his people, and that all places of power and trust, in church, state, or army, may consist of, and be filled with men of known good affection to the cause of God, and of a christian and blameless conversation; and when it shall please the Lord to give us such magistrates and judges, supreme and subordinate, then we will, in the terms of the covenant, yield allegiance to them, and loyally subject to their good government, not from any by-end, or sinistrous principle, but out of sincere obedience to God's commandment, and shall willingly support and defend them, with our estates and lives, in their preserving and defending the true reformed protestant religion, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government; and suppressing all kinds of false religion in their dominions, and in the administration of justice and punishment of iniquity; but while the Lord, in his just displeasure for our sins, withholds such from us, we intend to wait till he turn away his anger, and not to stretch forth our hands to iniquity, in owning and countenancing such as are not duly qualified, as particularly these that are popish or prelatical, in their professed principle and practice, and by oaths, engage themselves to maintain, and accordingly to defend the prelatical form of church government, who oppose and encroach upon the true government of Christ's house, by their supremacy, and tolerate sectarian errors in their dominions, and that every one of them, supreme or subordinate; and shall not corroborate their unjust authority, by paying them cess and supply, for upholding their corrupt courts and armies, employed in an unjust and antichristian quarrel, or by compearing before their judicatories, either to defend or pursue law-suits, or upon any other account.*

Because we are not in a case to bring to due trial and punishment condign, (according) to the merit of their offences, malignants and evil instruments, according to the 4th article, therefore we shall endeavour to keep ourselves, This part of the engagement has, we believe, judging from what has come under our own observation, become obsolete.

Y

in their name. 2nd, That the covenants, as they were renewed at Douglas, be henceforth made the formal terms of our communion; and that every correspondence have a bound copy, with four sheets of clean paper, for the subscriptions of all who

as far as possible, from any compliance with, or approbation of, their cause and courses, opposite to the cause and work of God, and shall endeavour to keep at a distance from every thing that may any ways import an unitive conjunction, association, or confederacy with them, or strengthening them in their opposition to the cause of God, the covenanted interest. We shall, through grace, endeavour to represent before the throne of justice their wicked courses, and pray that God would defeat their inventions, though we shall always, as becomes christians, implore the throne of grace for mercy to their souls, so far as it may be consistent with God's eternal purpose of electing love. Moreover, we shall always endeavour to guard against all unwarrantable and irregular ways, not approven in God's word, of punishing malignants and incendiaries, for their opposition to reformation.

Whereas, in the 5th article, we are bound to endeavour, that the kingdoms may remain united in a most firm peace and union to all posterity; which union did consist in an uniformity in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, though (as was said) it is now laid aside; and an union entered into which establishes multiformity therein, and so is the opposite of this covenanted Union. We shall, therefore, deny our consent unto, and approbation of this Union, and shall, as we have in weakness been witnessing against it formerly, so continue to do for the future, and shall not corroborate or strengthen the same; but upon the contrary (if the Lord afford opportunity), shall do our utmost to have the Union of the kingdoms settled upon the true covenanted basis; and shall lay out ourselves, as far as possible, to entertain correspondence and sympathy with every one in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, who do or shall, to our knowledge, adhere to this league and covenant.

According to the 6th article, considering what danger we and all our brethren, under the bond and owning the obligation of these covenants, are in, and may be exposed unto, from the popish and prelatical malignant faction still prevailing, and from this backslidden church; and being sensible of the many defects, which have been amongst us, in the duty of defending and assisting one another, in maintaining the common cause of religion and liberty, we do here solemnly enter into a bond of association with all that do now renew these covenants, with the acknowledgment of the public sins and breaches, and the engagement to the duties thereof, and concert and assert the old covenanted cause and quarrel, as our fathers stated and contended for it, from the year 1658 to the year 1650. Which cause of the covenanted reformation in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, and all interests or rights, religious or civil, contended for during the foresaid space of years; conducing to promote the same, we faithfully promise to prosecute, propagate, preserve, and maintain, to the utmost of our power, with our lives and all that we have; and to adhere to all the faithful testimonies, protestations, and de

are, or shall be members constituent of their correspondence. We find also, stricter conclusions adopted, with respect to the appointment, and the attendance of commissioners to their general meetings, and orders issued for filling up their session

clarations, in the defence of the foresaid covenanted reformation, agreeable to, and founded on, God's word, ever since the foresaid year 1650, not regarding the foul aspersions of rebellion, combination, or schism, or what else our adversaries, from their craft and malice, would put upon us; seeing what we do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain the true religion; to obtain the protection and preserve the honour of righteous government, and promote the peace and happiness of the kingdoms.

And, for the better performance of what we here engage to, we shall sympathize, bear all burdens, embark our interest with, assist and defend all those who enter into, or join with this association and covenant, and shall reckon whatsoever is done to the least of us, for this cause, as done to us all in general, and to every one of us in particular; and shall account it a breach of covenant, if, sceing our brethren pursued for this cause, and having sufficient means to comfort and assist them, any of us shall either make peace with the persecutors, bind up their hands, by oaths and bonds, from resisting them, refuse to hide, harbour, or supply their brethren, decline to venture in lawful and necessary attempts for their relief, or withdraw from their dutifu! support; and being thus united and associated in this cause, as we resolve and oblige ourselves to abide in this firm conjunction, and neither consent nor concede to any combination or counsel, suggestion, persuasion, allurement, or terror, that may have any known tendency or influence, whether direct or indirect, to seduce us, either to division amongst ourselves, or defection to our adversaries, or a base indifferency and neutrality between the two; but shall, with all zeal, fidelity, and constancy, communicate our best help, counsel, and concurrence, for promoting all resolutions, which, by common consent, shall be found to conduce to the good of the cause; and shall endeavour to discover, oppose and suppress all contrivances or counsels, that may cast in any let or impediment, that may be obstructive or prejudicial to the same. So we shall likewise desire, design, and endeavour, (whenever the Lord in his providence shall offer opportunity) to get the defections, unworthy neutralities, and unhappy divisions, which have long and lamentably wounded and wrecked this church, removed and remedied. And shall be willing, with all tender sympathy and compassion, to embrace and welcome, with the outmost bowels of kindness and respect, that we can, all who shall confess and forsake these defections, and, according to their stations, as ministers or private christians, shall, by all proper means, labour to satisfy the consciences of the godly, that are, through these defections and scandals, justly offended, and that, according to the rules of Christ, delivered in his word, and received in this church in her reforming times, and join cordially with us in the prosecution of this cause; and we shall be willing also, at their desire, to acknowledge and forsake, for peace and unity, whatever we can rationally be convinced to be bad in our

book, by inserting the names of all persons who had been married, and of all children baptized. To receive the stamp upon linen cloth, or to pay the malt tax, lately imposed by the British parliament, was also declared incompatible with the testimony, and strictly prohibited. It was also found, that former recommendations, to provide arms and ammunition, had not been" duly observed," and they "do recommend the same, to the several correspondences, that the neglecters be admonished; and if they continue, be censured, as neglecters of the conclusions of this meeting."*

As the fever of party feeling, that raged through the country, approached to its crisis, their measures became still bolder, and assumed a more decisive character. The several correspondences, were ordered "to get a true list of the martyrs, who were shot, or otherwise killed, without process of law; what were their names and abodes; time and place of their deaths; who killed them; and any other remarkable particulars about them, with a true double of the elegies on all the stones,

conduct and management, as we must acknowledge, that in all things we fail, and come exceedingly short of that perfection which we should and would be at.

And because there be many, who heretofore have not made conscience of the oath of God; but some through fear, others by persuasion, and upon base ends and human interests, have entered thereunto, who have afterwards discovered themselves to have dealt deceitfully with the Lord, in swearing falsely by his name: therefore we, who do now renew our covenants with reference to these duties, and all other duties contained therein, do, in the sight of him who is the searcher of hearts, solemnly profess, that it is not upon any politic advantage, or private interest, or by-end, or because of any terror or persuasion from men, or hypocritically or deceitfully, that we do again take upon us the oath of God; but honestly and sincerely, and from the sense of our duty. And that, therefore, denying ourselves and our own things, and laying aside all self-interests and ends, we shall, above all things, seek the honour of God, the good of his cause, and the wealth of his people; and that, forsaking the counsels of flesh and blood, and not leaning upon carnal confidences, we shall depend upon the Lord, walk by the rule of his word, and hearken to the voice of his servants. In all which, professing our own weakness, we do earnestly pray to God, who is the Father of mercies, through his Son Jesus Christ, to be merciful unto us, and to enable us by the power of his might that we may do our duty, unto the praise of his grace in the churches, Amen.

• Conclusions of the General Meeting, MS. &c. &c.

against the first day of January, 1713, to be sent to Edinburgh." It was also ordered, "that one or two of each correspondence, be appointed to sight the arms, and take account of the preparations that the correspondence have made, for their necessary" self-defence, in this time of public danger." "All persons, having occasion to travel abroad," were, at the same time, ordered to bring along with them, "testimonials, signed by the hands of some of the members of the fellowships, where they reside, otherwise, no secrecy is to be imparted to them."*

What was the specific object of these mysterious preparations, is somewhat difficult to determine. That the members of these societies, were equally opposed to the house of Stuart, and the house of Hanover, is abundantly obvious, though the reasons why they would join neither party, they did not think fit to declare at the time. Did they imagine, that by standing publicly on the defensive, so many from both parties, would be induced to come over to their ranks, as would give them a decided preponderance, and enable them to restore, what they supposed to be, the true and unalterable covenanted Scotish constitution? If they did, they were certainly no great politicians; and yet, in our estimation, it is only by such a supposition, that their conduct can be rationally accounted for.+

* Conclusions of the General Meeting, MS. &c. &c.

† We find, by the Hanover Papers, 1714, that they were now taken notice of, at the court of Hanover, and the following letter, is a curious specimen of their spirit and pretensions about this time.

"Mr. Kirkpatrick,

We having received information from our friends in Nithsdale, how you retaining your old malignancy, and enmity agt ye people of God, have in pursuance yrof, adventured to run ye risk of meddling wt ye monuments of ye dead, demolishing and breaking y° gravestone of a sufferer for y cause of Christ, qe is highly criminal in ye eye of ye law, and is more yn your ne ck is worth, and deserves just severity, as bringing to remembrance your old hatred, and ye hand you had in his sufferings; and now you seem to be longing for a visit for your old murthering actions, qe if you would evite, we straitly charge and command you, upon yo' peril, to repair yt stone, by laying one upon ye grave, fully as good as ye former, wt ye same precise motto, as well engraven, and ye you perform ye work wt all expedition; and if it be not done agt May-day first, qe is a sufficient time, we promise to pay you a visit, perhaps to yo cost; and if you oblige us yrto, assure yorself, yt yer old deeds will be remembered to purpose, qe to assure you of, we have ordered this to be