The covenant. fion in his preachings to the gentry of Kyle and Galloway (to which he was commiffioned by the faid affembly) to forewarn fome of them of the dangers, which would fhortly follow; and thereupon earnestly to exhort them to take fuch order, that they might be obedient unto authority, and yet not fuffer the enemies of God's truth to have the upper hand. And they, who understood his meaning at half a word, affembled themselves together on the 4th of September at the town of Air, where they entered into a common bond fubfcribed by the earl of Glencarne, the lords Boyd and Uchiltry, with one hundred and thirty more of note and quality, befides the provoft and burgeffes of the town of Air, which made forty The tenour of which bond was this more. that followeth : "We whofe names are under written, do promife in the prefence of God, and in the prefence of his fon our Lord Jefus Chrift, that we, and every one of us, shall and will maintain the preaching of his holy evangel, now of his mercy offered and granted to this realm; and also will maintain the minifters of the fame against all perfons, power, and authority, that will oppofe themselves to the doctrine propofed, and by us received. And further, with the fame folemnity we proteft and promife, that every one of us fhall affift another, yea, and the whole body of the proteftants within this realm, in all lawful and just occafions against all perfons; fo that whosoever shall burt, moleft, or trouble any of our bodies, shall b reputed enemies to the whole, except that the offender will be content to fubmit himself to the government of the church now established amongst HS. And this we do, as we defire to be accepted and favoured of the Lord Jefus, and accepted worthy of credit and honesty in the prefence of the godly. The covenanthemfelves the ters affume to of juftice. And in pursuance of this bond, they seize upon some priests, and give notice to others, that they would not trouble themfelves of administration complaining to the queen or council, but would execute the punishment appointed to idolaters in the law of God, as they faw occafion, whenfoever they should be apprehended. At which the queen was much offended; but there was no remedy." I forbear to enter into the particulars of the murders of David Rizzio, and of the king, and the other confpiracies and rebellions, which were the avowed and even boafted acts of the covenanters, out of refpect to the noble families, to whom I do not attribute the slightest tincture of that fanatical enthusiasm and barbarity, which impelled fome of their deluded ancestors to become actors in these disgrace ful Queen Mary driven out of her kingdom, feeks refuge ful scenes of horror. Suffice it to say, that the queen was twice taken prifoner with an from Elizabeth. armed force of open rebels: compelled to refign her kingdom to her fon, an infant under the age of two years, and to fly for protection to queen Elizabeth. Would I could draw a veil of oblivion and expiation over the treatment this unfortunate princess experienced from our government. May God for ever graciously continue upon this nation the effects of her prayer at the hour of execution, which was, for the full forgiveness of all, that were authors of her death. The covenanters juftify their the doctrine of Calvin, "When the Scots commiffioners were proceedings by commanded by queen Elizabeth to give a reafon of their proceedings against that queen, they juftified themselves by the authority of Calvin; by which they did endeavour to prove (as my author hath it) That the popular magiftrates are appointed and made to moderate, and keep in order the excess and unrulinefs of kings; and that it was lawful for them to put the kings, that be evil and wicked, into prifon, and alfo to deprive them of their kingdoms. Which doctrine, how it relished with queen Elizabeth, may be judged by any, that knows with what a foveraign power fhe Heylin's Aerius Redivivus, 1. v. p. 202. difpofed difpofed of all things in her own dominions, without fear of rendering an account to fuch popular magiftrates, as Calvin's doctrine might encourage to require it of her. But Calvin found more friends in Scotland, than in all the world; there being no kingdom, principality, or other eftate, which had herein followed Calvin's doctrine, in the imprisoning, depofing, and expelling their own natural prince, till the Scots firft led the way unto it in this fad example." It certainly argues a more intimate and certain knowledge of the cause or the antecedent to demonstrate à priori the effect or confequent, than from the effect or confequent to demonftrate à pofteriori the caufe or antecedent. Thus muft we give more credit to arch-bishop Bancroft, who wrote in the year 1591 under queen Elizabeth, for his judgment of the real tendency of thefe Geneva doctrines, before their effects had been fenfibly experienced in this country, than to Dr. Heylin and others, who had witneffed their dire confequences in the wounds and wretchedness of their afflicted country. "As you have heard how Mr. Knox, being at Geneva, in queen Mary's time, la Bancroft Dangerous Pofitions, c. i. p. 34. & feq. PP boured, and afterward proceeded to reform religion in Scotland by force and arms: fo did fundry Englishmen, that then lived there in like fort, according to the Geneva refolutions in that point, endeavour as much as lay in them to have kindled the like ftirs at that time here in England. To which special end they did write hither fundry letters and books wholly of this argument, viz. That the then counsellors, the noblemen, inferior magiftrates, and (rather than fail) the very people were bound before God to overthrow the fuperftition and idolatry, that was then in the land, and to reform religion, whether the queen would or no ; yea, though it were by putting her to death. Out of two of thefe English books, I have collected these feditious and confiftorial propofitions following: * " All men, counsellors, noblemen, inferior magistrates, and people, are bound and charged to fee the laws of God kept, and to fupprefs and refift idolatry by force." + If the magiftrates fhall refufe to put massmongers and falfe preachers to death, the people (in feeing it performed) do hew that zeal of God, which was commended in Phinees, de * Goodman, p. 73, 74, 77. Stroying |