blafphemy, and by repentance make amends, as much as in him lies, to God, our Lady, St. Peter, and the worshipful company of this church; and as the staff of this holy cross now falls down, fo may he, except he recants and repents. (Signed) PHILIP DUNN. No. XVII. The Oath of Allegiance appointed to be taken by King James I. of England. I (See p. 234.) A. B. do truly and fincerely acknowledge, profefs, teftify, and declare in my confcience, before God and the world, that our foveraigne Lord King James is lawful and rightful king of this realme, and of all other his majesty's dominions and countreyes, and that the Pope, neither of himself or by any authority, by the church and See of Rome, or by any other meanes with any other, hath any power or authority to depofe the king, or to difpofe of any of his Majefty's dominions or kingdomes, or to authorize any forraigne prince to invade or annoy him or his countreyes, or to difcharge any of his fubjects, of their alleagiance and obedience to his Majefty, or to give licence or leave to any of them to bear armes, raise tumults, or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty's royal perfon, ftate, or government, or to any of his Majefty's fubjects within his Majesty's dominions. Alfo I do fwear from my heart, that notwithstanding any declaration or fentence of excommunication or deprivation made or granted, or to be made or granted, by the Pope or his fucceffours, or by any authority derived, or pretended to be derived, from him or his See, against the faid king, his aires or fucceffours, or any abfolution of the faids fubjects from their obedience; I will bear faith and true allegiance to his Majesty, his aires and fucceffours, and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power, againft all confpiracies and attempts whatfoever, which fhall be made against his or their perfones, their crowne and dignity, by reafone, or colour of any fuch fentence, and declaration, or otherwife; and will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majefty, his aires and fucceffours, all treafons, or treitours, or conípiracies, which I fhall know or hear of to be against him or any of them. And 1 do furder fwear, that I do from my heart heart abhore, deteft, and abjure, as impious and heretical, this damnable doctrine and pofition, that princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be depofed, or murdered by their fubjects or any other whatfomever. And I do believe, and in confcience am refolved, that neither the Pope, nor any person whatsomever, hath power to abfolve me of this oath, or any part thereof, which I acknowledge, by good and lawful authority, to be lawfully miniftred unto me; and do renounce all pardons and difpenfations to the contrary. And all thefe things I do planely and fincerely acknowledge, and fwear according to thefe expreffe words by me fpoken, and according to the plane and common fenfe and understanding of the fame words, without any equivocation, mental evafion, or fecret refervation whatsoever. And I do make this recognition and acknowledgment heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Chriftian. So help me God. No. XVIII. The Judgment of the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, concerning the Toleration of Popery, in 1626. (See p. 341.) THE religion of the Papists is fuperftitious and idolatrous; their faith and doctrine erroneous and heretical; their church, in respect of both, apoftatical. To give them, therefore, a toleration, or to consent that they may freely exercise their religion, and profefs their faith and doctrine, is a grievous fin, and that in two refpects; for, First, It is to make ourselves acceffary not only to their fuperftitions, idolatries, herefies, and, in a word, to all the abominations of Popery, but also (which is a consequent of the former) to the perdition of the feduced people, which perish n the deluge of the Catholic apoftacy. - Secondly, To grant them a toleration, in refpect of any money to be given, or contribution to be made by them, is to fet religion to fale, and with it the fouls of the people, whom Christ our Saviour hath redeemed with his most precious blood. And as it is a great fin, fo alfo a matter of most dan gerous confequence, the confideration whereof we commend to the wife and judicions; befeeching the zealous God of truth to make them who are in authority zealous of God's glory, and of the advancement of true religion; zealous, re folute, folute, and couragious against all Popery, fuperftition, and idolatry. Amen. Fa. Armachanus, (Signed) Mal. Cafhleu, Rich. Cork, Cloyne, Roffes, Tho. Kilmore and Ardugh, Mich. Waterford and Lym. No. XIX. The firft Covenant for Reformation of Religion in Scotland. (See p. 366.) WE perceaving how Sathan in his memberis, the Anti chriftis of our tyme, cruellie doth rage, feiking to dounthring and diftroy the evangell of Chrift, and his congregatioun, aught, according to our boundin dewtie, to ftryve in our mafteris caus, evin unto the deithe, being certain of the victorie in him: the quhilk our dewtie being weill considderit, we do promeis befoir the Majestie of God and his congregatioun, that we, be his graice, fall with all diligence continuallie apply our haill power, fubftance, and our very lyves, to manteine, fet fordward, and establish the molt bliffit word of God, and his congregatioun; and fall labour at our poffibility to have faythfull minifteris, puirlie and trewlie to minifter Chriftis evangell and facramentis to his pepill. We fall maintein thame, nurifche thame, and defend thame, the haill congregatioun of Chrift, and every member thairof, at our haill poweris and wairing of our lyves, against Sathan and all wicked power that dois intend tirrannie or trubill against the foirfaid congregatioun. Unto the quhilk holie word and congregatioun we do joyn us; and alfo dois renunce and forfaik the congregatioun of Sathan, with all the fuperftitionis, abbominatiounis, and idolatry thairof: and, mairover, fall declare ourselfis manifeftlie enemies thairto. Be this our faythful promeis befoir God, teftified to his congregatioun, be our fubfcriptioun at thir prefens. At Edinburghe the 3d day of December, 1557 yeirs. God caillit to witnes. No. XX. The fecond Covenant for Reformation of Religion in Scotland: AT Perthe the last day of Maii, the yeir of God 1559, the congregatioun of Fyfe, Perthe, Dundie, Angus, Mernis and Montrois, being conveinit in the town of Perthe, in the name of Jefus Chrift, for furthsetting of his glory, underftanding nathing mair neceffar for the fam, than to keip ane conftant amitie, unitie and fellowfhip togither, according as they ar commandit be God, ar confidderat, and becume bundin and obleift, in the prefens of God, to concurre and affift togither, in doing all thingis required of God in his fcripture, that may be to his glorie; and that thair haill powers to deftroy, and away put all thingis that dois difhonour to his name; fo that God may be puirlie and trewlie wórfchipped. And in cais, that only truble beis intendit against the faidis congregatiounis, or ony part, or member thairof, the haill congregatioun fall concurre, affift, and convein togidder, to the defence of the fam congregatioun, or perfone trubled; and fall not spair labouris, guidis, fubftances, bodies, and lyves in manteining the liberties of the haill congregatioun, and everie member thairof, againft quhatfoevir power that fall intend the faid truble, for caus of religioun, or any other caus depending thairupon, or layed to their charge under pretence thairof, althocht it happin to be colloured with ony other outward caus. In witnefling and teftimonie of quihilkis, the haill congregatiounes foirfaids hes ordeyned, and appointit the nobillmen, and perfones underwritten, to fubfcryve thir prefens. No. XXI. Another Covenant for Reformation; called the laft Band at AT Edinburghe, the 27th day of Aprill in the yeir of God 1560 yeirs, we, whofe names ar underwritten, have promitted and oblifched our felfis faythfully, in the prefens of God, and be thir prefentis promitts, that we altogither in generall, and every ane of us in fpecial by himself, with our bodies, gudes, friends, and all that we may do, fall fet forward the reformation of religioun, according to God's word, and procure, by all means poflible, that the truth of God's word 1 word may have free paffage within this realme, with dew ads ministration of the facraments, and all things depending upon the faid word. And ficklyke deiply weying with our selfis the misbehaviour of the Frenche minifteris here, the untol lerabill oppreffion committed be the Frenchemen of weir upon the puir fubjectis of this realm, by mantenance of the quein dowager, under colour and pretence of authority, the tyrranny of their captanes and leaders, and manifeft danger of conqueft in whiche the cuntry prefently stands, be ressoun of divers fortifications upon the fea coaft, and under novelties of lait attempted be thame; promitt that we fall, every one with uther, as weill as altogither, with the quein of England's armie presently cum in for our deliverance, effectually concurre, joyn togither, taking and hald plain parte for expulfion of the faids ftrangears, oppreffours of our liberty furth of this realme, and recoverie of our ancient liberties and freedomes, to the end that in time cuming we may, under the obedience of the king and quein our foveranes, be onely rulled be the lawis and cuftomes of the cuntry, and borne men of the land; and that nevir one of us fall have privy intelligence by wrytting, meffage, or communicatioun with ony of our faids enemies, or adverfaries in this caus, but by the advyfe of the rest (at least of fyve) of the counfail. Attour yet, we fall tender the common caus, as if it war the caus of every ane of us in particular; and that the causes of every ane of us now joynt togither, being honeft and lawful, fall be all our caufes in generall; and he that is enemy to the causes foirfaids, fall be enemy to us all, in sa far, that quhatfoevir perfone will planely refift thir our godly interprifes, and will not concure, as ane gude and true member of this commoun-welthe, we fall fortifie the authority of the counfaill, to reduce them to thair dewty. Lykas we fall fortifie the authority foirfaid of the counfaill, in all things tending to the furtherance of the faid caufes. And if any parti cular debait, quarrell or contraverfie fall aris, for quhatfoevir caufes bygone, prefent or to cum, betwixt any of us (as God forbid) in that cais, we fall fubmit our felfis and our faids queftions to the decifion of the counfaill or to arbitratours to be maid be thame, &c. provyding alwayis, that this be not prejudiciall to ordinar jurifdictioun of juges; bot that men may perfew thair actiounes by ordour of law civilly or crimi nally as they pleis. |