no means be queftioned concerning their Opinion about its Obligation.

ARTICLE 4.

We shall with all faithfulness endeavour the difcovery of all fuch as have been or shall be Incendiaries, Malignants or evil Inftruments, by hindering the Reformation of Religion, dividing the King from His People, or one of the Kingdoms from another, or making any Faction or Parties among the People contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publicktrial, and receive condign punishment, as the degree of their offences shall require or deferve, or the Supreme Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively, or others, having power from them for that effect, fall judge convenient.

It is very well known what the meaning of Incendiaries and Malignants is, in this Article: And it is fhrewdly to be fufpected, That those who are perfwaded of the Obligation of this Oath, are likewife perfwaded, that thofe Incendiaries and.

Malignants,

Malignants, have not as yet been brought to condign punishment; and whatever benefit the Covenanters themselves may receive by an Act of Oblivion, it is much to be fufpected, that those who are covenanted against are looked upon as not capable of receiving any advantage by it: And there is reason to believe, that those who fcruple the Validity of that A& of Parliament which declares against the Obligation of the Covenant, are by no means to be trusted, left, if opportunity should serve, they would not likewise fcruple the Validity of that Act of Parliament which gave them Indempnity. For thus, according to their own Grounds, they may argue, The Act of Oblivion is against the Covenant, and then it followeth in the next place, that it is against their Consciences; It is against the Oath of God lying upon themselves and upon the whole Nation and upon all Pofterity, and no humane A& or Power can abfolve them or any one elfe from it; and every thing done against the Covenant is null and void,

the

the whole Nation being bound up by it to all Ages. For therefore it was That the Covenant was hung up in the Parliament, as a Compass whereby to Steer their Debates, and to dictate to all, who fhall fucceed in that place and capacity, what obligation doth before God lie upon the Body of this Nation, as I have before observed. Now upon these mens fuppofitions, there is no Security to be had, but that they who paffled an A&t of Oblivion, to pardon any thing done against the Covenant, are involved in guilt and liable to punishment for fo doing; and are upon thofe very accounts to expect, when Providence hall put an opportunity into the hands of these Zealots, the very fame Return which the Prophet made to Ahab, 1 King.20. V. 42. Thus faith the Lord, Because thon haft let go a Man whom I have ap. pointed to deftruction, therefore thy life fhall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

The next thing which I fhall obferve in this Article is this, That those Perfons who covenanted together,

among

among other things, to maintain the Liberties of the Kingdom, have fo far forgot themselves, as that in that very Covenant they have fet up an Arbitrary Government: The Rule of condign punishment here fet down, is not any known Law, no, not so much as a new one of their own making; but, as the degree of their offences fhall require or deferve, or the Supreme Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively, or others having power from them for that effect, fhall judge convenient. By which words it is plain, that they did not look upon it as fufficient to take an arbitary Power into their own hands, but likewife did delegate it to as many elfe befides as they pleased.

ART. 5.

Whereas the happiness of a blessed Peace between the Kingdoms, denied in former times to our Progenitors, is by the good Providence of God granted to us, and bath lately been concluded and fettled by both Parliaments; we shall

each

each one of us, according to our Place and Interest, endeavour that they may be conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to All Pofterity, and that Justice may be done upon all wilful oppofers thereof, in manner expressed in the precedent Article: According to the preceding Article, i.e. as shall be judged convenient.

The Modesty of these men is very admirable, in that they would outface the World, that England and Scotland were never at peace in former times, or, rather their Language is something mysterious, that the Two Nations were never at Peace till they had involved them in a War. But as in the former Article they were, as I have fhewed, tender of the Liberty of the Subject; fo in this they have been very careful of the Authority of his Majefty, in that they have taken upon them to make peace with another Kingdom without him; and withal when that very Peace was nothing else, befides their joyning Forces against him.

ART.