Act, Declaration, Testimony for the Whole of our Covenanted Reformation | Page 9

be
holden at Edinburgh, _August 6th_, 1639, and the parliament the 20th
of the same month, that same year, for healing the wide breaches, and
redressing the grievances both of church and state; that what was
determined by the assembly, might be ratified by the parliament. In this
assembly, the covenant was ratified and subscribed by the
commissioner, and an injunction laid upon the body of the kingdom for
subscribing the same, with an explication, wherein the five articles of
Perth, government of bishops, the civil places and power of kirkmen
were expressly condemned. Hereby the hopes of the Prelates again
being in a great measure lost, and they receiving fresh assistance from
the king (who seemed to have little conscience in making laws, and
found small difficulty in breaking them), recruited themselves the year
following, and took the field, but with no better success than formerly,
which obliged them to yield to another pacification, wherein both
religious and civil liberties were ratified; and in 1641, these were
further confirmed by the oaths, promises, laws, and subscriptions of
both king and parliament, whereat the king was personally present, and
gave the royal assent to all acts made for the security of the same; while
at the same time he was concurring in the bloody tragedy acted upon
the Protestants in the kingdom of Ireland.
The gracious countenance and abundant evidence of divine approbation
wherewith the LORD vouchsafed to bless his contending, reforming
and covenanting church in Scotland, in a plentiful effusion of his Holy
Spirit on the judicatories and worshiping assemblies of his people,
proved a happy means to excite and provoke their neighbors in England

and Ireland, to go and do likewise. For in the year 1643, when the
beginning of a bloody war between the king and parliament of England
threatened the nation with a series of calamity and trouble; the
parliament having convocated an assembly of divines to sit at
Westminster for consulting about a reformation of religion in that
kingdom, sent commissioners, consisting of members of both houses
and assembly, to treat with the assembly of the church of Scotland, and
convention of estates about these things. In the month of _August_,
they presented their proposals to the convention of estates and
assembly, desiring, that because the popish prelatical faction is still
pursuing their design of corrupting and altering the religion through the
whole island, the two nations might be strictly united for their mutual
defense against them and their adherents, and not to lay down arms
until those, their implacable enemies, were disarmed, &c.
Commissioners were deputed from the estates, and assembly, to
convene with those from England, in order to consider their proposals.
And, at the first conferences, it was agreed that the best and speediest
means for accomplishing the union and assistance desired, was for both
nations to enter into a mutual league and covenant for reformation and
defense of religion and liberty against its enemies. Which being drawn
up, and affectionately embraced, was unanimously approved by the
general assembly and sent up to England by the hands of the ministers
and elders, sent commissioners from the church of Scotland to the
synod at Westminster, where (being proposed by the parliament to the
consideration of the synod), after the interpolation of an explanatory
note in the second article, it was approven, and with public humiliation,
and all other religious and answerable solemnity, taken and subscribed
by them (the synod), and by both honorable houses of parliament and
by their authority taken and subscribed by all ranks in England and
Ireland that same year, ratified by act of the parliament of Scotland,
anno 1644, and afterward renewed in Scotland, with an
acknowledgment of sins, and engagement to duties by all ranks in the
year 1648, and by the parliament, 1649.
Thus, to the rejoicing of all true lovers of the prosperity and beauty of
the church, who longed for CHRIST the salvation of Israel, his coming
forth out of Zion, these three churches and nations combined and

embarked together in the same honorable and glorious cause of
reformation, and solemnly bound themselves by the oath of GOD, to
maintain and defend the same against all its enemies and opposers
whatever; thereby publicly professing their subjection to Christ, and
their preferring of pure and undefiled religion, the advancement of the
interest, kingdom and glory of JESUS CHRIST, to their nearest and
dearest interests in this world. And the Lord was with us while we were
with him, and steadfast in his covenant; but when we forsook him, and
broke his covenant, he also forsook us, and delivered his strength into
captivity, and his glory into the enemies' hand.
In the next place, the assembly at Westminster, with the assistance of
commissioners from the general assembly of the