intimation of a solemne publik humiliation and fast the second Sabbath of December, to be kept vpon the next Thursday and Lords day thereafter, at which intimation the League and Covenant, and the publik Acknowledgment of sinnes and Engagement vnto duties, are to be publickly read by the Minister in the audience of all the people; and they are to be exhorted to get copies thereof that they may be made acquainted therewith; And the Humiliation and Fast is to be kept the next Thursday thereafter in reference to the breaches of the Covenant contained in the solemne publick Acknowledgment as the causes thereof; And the next Lords day thereafter, which is also to be spent in publik humiliation and fasting, immediatly after the sermon, what is to be applyed to the bussinesse of that day, the publick Acknowledgment and Engagement is againe to be publickly read, and thereafter prayer is to be maid containing the confession of the breaches mentioned therein, and begging mercy for these sines, and strength of God for renewing the Covenant in sincerity and truth; And1 which prayer, the Solemne League and Covenant is to be read by the Minister, and then to be sworne by him and all the people who are to ingage themselves for performance of all the duties contained therein, namely, those which are mentioned in the publik Acknowledgment and Engagement, and are opposit vnto the sines therein confessed. And the action is to be closed with prayer to God that his people may be enabled in the power of his strength to doe their duty according to their oath now renewed in so solemne a way. It is also hereby provided that all those who renew the League and Covenant shall againe subscribe the same, and that none be admitted to the renewing and subscribing thereof who are excluded by the other Act and direction sent herewith.

2

persons acces

vnlawfull En

"The Commissioners of the Generall Assembly having found Act concerning it necessarie that the Solemne League and Covenant be re- the debarring of newed after so great evident breaches thereof by many in this sorie to the late Kingdom; And considering how manifestly the cause of God gagement in hath been endangered heretofore by too sudden receiving into war from renewthe Covenant those who have been in actuall opposition nant, receiving

1

After in contemporary print.

2 And inserted in print.

ing the Cove

ion, and from

exercise of ecclesiastick

office, with an

advice to Pres

byteries for cele

bration of the

Communion.

the Commun- therevnto, before sufficient tryall and evidence had of their repentance, Doe therefore appoynt and ordain, that all Presbyteries and Ministers within this Church in their severall bounds and respective charges take speciall care at the time of renewing the League and Covenant, that none who have had charge in the Army which, vnder the conduct of Duk Hamilton, engaged in war against the Kingdome of England, or with the forces that were in and about Stirling vnder the command of the Earl Lanerk and George Monro, or have taken and subscribed any Oathes, Bands, or Declarations for carrying on these sinfull courses, or any other Oath or Band condemned by the Generall Assembly as destructive to the Covenant, or have been forcers, vrgers or seducers of others to joyne in the said Engagements and services so destructive to Religion, or have been active promoters thereof, be admitted to subscribe or renew the oath of the League and Covenant, or to exercise anie office or power in any of the judicatories of this Kirk.

The Solemn

Acknowledg.

'And further, considering that it is referred to ws from the late General Assembly to give advertisement to the Presbyteries of a fitt opportunity of celebrating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and to send such advice as we should find necessarie for the time; Wee have thought fitt to advertise Presbyteries that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper may be celebrated after the renewing of the Covenant as Ministers have conveinency in their severall congregations; and that we have found it necessary that all who are involved in the afore mentioned guiltinesse be suspended from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper vntill the Generall Assembly shall take such course as they thinke fitt concerning the receiving of them vnto the Covenant and Communion.'

"A Solemn Acknowledgement of publick sins and Breaches of the Covenant, and a solemn Engagment to all the Duties contained therein, namely, those which do in a more speciall way relate unto the dangers of these times.1

Wee, Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers of ment of Publik the Gospel, and Comons of all sorts within this Kingdom, by the sinnes and a solemn Engage1 'A Solemn Acknowledgment of Public Sins and Breaches of the Covenant, ment to publik and a Solemn Engagement to all the Duties contained therein, namely, those dewties. which do in a more special way relate unto the Dangers of these times, with two

81 good hand of God vpon ws, taking in serious consideration the many sad afflictions and deepe distresses wherewith we have been exercised for a long time past, and that the land after it hath been sore wasted with the sword and the pestilence, and threatned with famine, and that shame and contempt have been poured out from the Lord against many thousands of our nation who did in a sinfull way make war vpon the Kingdome of England, contrary to the testimony of his servants and desires of his people, and that the remnants of that Army returning to this land have spoiled and oppressed many of our brethren, and that the Malignant Party is still numerous, and retaining their former principles wait for an opportunity to raise a new and dangerous war, not only vnto the rending of the bowels of this Kingdome, but vnto the dividing ws from England, and overturning of the worke of God in all the three Kingdoms: And considering also that a cloud of calamities doth still hang over our heads and threaten ws with sad things to come, we cannot but look vpon these things as from the Lord, who is righteous in all his wayes, feeding ws with the bread of teares, and making ws to drinke the waters of affliction, vntill we be taught to know how evill and bitter a thing it is to depart away from him by breaking the oath and Covenant which we have made with him, and that we may be humbled before him by confessing our sinne and forsaking the evil of our way.

'Therefore, being pressed by so great necessities and straits, and warranted by the Word of God, and having the example of Gods people of old, who in the time of their troubles, and when they were to seek deliverie and a right way for themselves, that the Lord might be with them to prosper them, did humble themselves before him, and make a free and particular confession of the sines of their Princes, their Rulers, their Captains, their Priests, and their People, and did ingage themselves to do no more so, but to reforme their ways and be stedfast in his Covenant; And remembring the practise of our predicessours in the year 1596, wherein the General Assembly, and all the Kirk judicatories, with the

Acts of the Commission of the General Assembly of the sixth October for renewing the Solemn League and Covenant, and for debarring of persons accessory to the late unlawful Engagement from renewing the Covenant, receiving the Com. munion, and from exercise of Ecclesiastical office, with their advice to Presbyteries for celebrating the Communion, together also with an Act of the Committee of Estates of 14th October for renewing the League and Covenant.' Edinburgh: Printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most excellent Majesty. 1648.

concurrence of many of the Nobilitie, Gentry, and Burgesses, did with many tears acknowledge before God the breach of the Nationall Covenant, and ingaged themselves to a Reformation, even as our predecessours and theirs had before done in the Generall Assembly and Convention of Estates in the year 1567; And perceiving that this duty, when gone about out of conscience and sinceritie, hath alwayes been attended with a reviving out of troubles, and with a blessing and successe from heaven, Wee doe humbly and sincerely, as in his sight, who is the searcher of hearts, acknowledge the many sins and great transgressions of the land: Wee have done wickedly, our Kings, our Princes, our Nobles, our Judges, our Officers, our Teachers, and our People. Albeit the Lord hath long and clearly spoken vnto ws, we have not hearkened to his voice; Albeit he hath followed ws with tender mercies, we have not been allured to wait vpon him and walk in his way; And though he has stricken ws, yet we have not grieved: Nay, though he hath consumed ws, we have refused to receive correction; Wee have not remembred to render vnto the Lord according to his goodnesse and according to our own vows and promises, but have gone away backward by a continued course of backsliding, and have broken all the Articles of that solemne League and Covenant which we swore before God, angels, and men.

'Albeit there be in the land many of all ranks who be for a testimony vnto the truth, and for a name of praise and joy1 vnto the Lord, by living godly, studying to keepe their garments pure, and being stedfast in the Covenant and Cause of God; yet we have reason to acknowledge that most of ws have not endeavoured with that reality, sincerity and constancy that did become ws, to preserve the worke of Reformation in the Kirk of Scotland. Many have satisfied themselves with the purity of the ordinances, neglecting the power thereof; yea, some have turned aside to crooked wayes destructive to both. The prophane, loose, and insolent cariage of many in our Armies who went to the assistance of our Brethren in England, and the tamperings and vnstraight dealings of some of our Comissioners and others of our nation in London, the Isle of Wight, and other places of that Kingdom, have proved great lets to the work of Reformation and setling of Kirk Government there, whereby errour and schisme in that land have been encreased, and sectaries hardned in their way. We have been so far from

1 In the print joy and praise.

2

2 In the print dealing.

endeavouring the extirpation of prophannesse, and what is contrary to the power of godlinesse, that prophanity hath been much winked at, and prophane persons much countenanced and many times imployed, vntill iniquity and vngodlinesse hath gone over the face of the land as a flood. Nay, sufficient care hath not been had to seperate betuixt the precious and the vile, by debarring from the Sacrament all ignorant and scandalous persons according to the Ordinances of this Kirk.

'Neither have the priviledges of the Parliaments and liberties of the subject been duly tendered, but some amongst ourselves have labored to put into the hands of our King an arbitrary and vnlimited power destructive to both; And many of ws have been accessorie of late to those means and ways whereby the freedom and priviledges of Parliaments have been encroached vpon, and the subjects oppressed in their consciences, persons and estates. Neither hath it been our care to avoid these things which might harden the King in his evil way; But vpon the contrary he hath not only been permitted, but many of ws have been instrumentall to make him exercise his power in many things tending to the prejudice of Religion and of the Covenant, and of the peace and safety of these Kingdoms; Which is so farre from the right way of preserving his Majesties person and authoritie, that it cannot but provocke the Lord against him vnto the hazard of both; Nay, vnder a pretence of relieving and doing for the King whilst he refuses to do what was necessarie for the house of God, some have ranversed and violated most of all the Articles of the Covenant.

Our own consciences within, and Gods judgements vpon ws without, do convince ws of the manifold, wilfull, renewed breaches of that Article which concerneth the discovery and punishment of Malignants, whose crimes have not only been connived at but dispensed with and pardoned, and themselves received into intimate fellowship with ourselves, and entrusted with our Counsells, admitted vnto our Parliaments, and put in places of our power and authority for managing the publik affaires of the Kingdome, Whereby in Gods justice they got at last into their hands the whole power and strength of the Kingdome, both in judicatories and Armies, and did imploy the same vnto the enacting and prosecuting an vnlawfull Engagement in warre against the Kingdome of England, notwithstanding of the dissent of many considerable members of Parliament, who had given constant proof of their integritie in the cause from the beginning, of many faith