ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

A SOLEMN ACKNOWLEDGMENT

OF

PUBLICK SINS

AND

BREACHES OF THE COVENANT;

AND

A SOLEMN ENGAGEMENT

ΤΟ

ALL THE DUTIES CONTAINED THEREIN ;

NAMELY,

THOSE WHICH DO IN A MORE SPECIAL WAY RELATE UN

TO THE DANGERS OF THESE TIMES:

TOGETHER WITH

The Act of the Commission of the General Assembly 1648, and Act of Parliament 1649, for renewing the League and Covenant.

[ocr errors]

The Act of the Commission of the General Assembly for renewing the Solemn League and Covenant.

EDINBURGH, October 6, 1648.

HE Commission of the General Assembly, considering that a great part of this land have involved themselves in many and gross breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant; and that the hands of many are grown slack in following and pursuing the duties contained therein; and that many, who not being come to sufficient age when it was first sworn and subscribed, have not hitherto been received into the same; do, upon these, and other grave and important considerations, appoint and ordain the Solemn League and Covenant to be renewed throughout all the congregations of this kingdom. And, because it is a duty of great weight and consequence, ministers, after the sight hereof, would be careful to take pains, in their doctrine and otherwise, that their people may be made sensible of these things wherein they have broken the Covenant, and be prepared for the renewing thereof with suitable affections and dispositions. And, that these things may be the better performed, we have thought it necessary to condescend upon a Solemn Acknowledgment of Publick Sins and Breaches of the Covenant, and a Solemn Engagement to all the Duties contained therein, namely, those which do in a more special way relate unto the dangers of these times: And this Solemn Acknowledgment and Engagement, sent herewith, shall be made use of, and the League and Covenant shall be renewed in such manner as follows: First, There shall be an intimation of a solemn publick humiliation and fast the second Sabbath of December, to be kept upon the next Thursday, and the Lord's day thereafter; at which intimation, the League and Covenant, and the Publick Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement unto 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 solemn publick acknowledgment, as the causes thereof; and the next

Lord's day thereafter, which is also to be spent in publick humiliation and fasting, immediately after the sermon, which is to be applied to the business of that day, the Publick Acknowledgment and Engagement is again to be publickly read; and thereafter prayer is to be made, containing the confession of the breaches mentioned therein, and begging mercy for these sins, and strength of God for renewing the Covenant in sincerity and truth; after which prayer the Solemn League and Covenant is to be read by the minister, and then to be sworn by him and all the people, who are to engage themselves for performance of all the duties contained therein; namely, these which are mentioned in the Publick Acknowledgment and Engagement, and are opposite unto the sins 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 do their duty, according to their oath, now renewed in so solemn a way. It is also hereby provided, That all those who renew the League and Covenant shall again subscribe the same; and that none be admitted to the renewing or subscribing thereof, who are excluded by the other act and direction sent herewith.

A. KER.

The Act of the Committee of Estates of Parliament for renewing the Solemn League and Covenant.

THE

EDINBURGH, October 14, 1648.

HE Committee of Estates being very sensible of the grievous backslidings of this land, in the manifold breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant, made and sworn to the most high God; do therefore unanimously and heartily approve the seasonable and pious resolution of the Commission of the General Assembly for a solemn Acknowledgment of Publick Sins and Provocations, especially the breaches of the Covenant, and a solemn engagement to a more conscionable performance of the duties therein contained, and for renewing the Solemn League and Covenant; and do require and ordain, That the Directions of the said Commission of Assembly, in their act of the 6th of this onth, for a publick Acknowledgment of Sins, and En

gagement to Duties, be carefully followed; that the fast and humiliation, appointed by them, be religiously, observed; and that the Solemn League and Covenant be sincerely and cordially renewed and subscribed, in the manner they have prescribed in their said Act.

Extractum,

Mr. THO. HENDERSON.

A Solemn Acknowledgment of PUBLICK SINS, and Breaches of the COVENANT;

-AND

A Solemn Engagement to all the DUTIES contained therein, namely, those which do in a more special Way relate unto the DANGERS of these Times.

WE,

E, Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers of the Gospel, and Commons of all sorts, within this kingdom, by the good hand of God upon us, taking into serious consideration the many sad afflictions and deep 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 threatened with famine; and that shame and contempt hath been poured out from the Lord against many thousands of our nation, who did in a sinful way make war upon the kingdom 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 unto the rending of the bowels of this kingdom, but unto the dividing us from England, and overturning of the work of God in all the three. kingdoms; and considering also, that a cloud of calamities doth still hang over our heads, and threaten us with sad things to come, we cannot but look upon these things as from the Lord, who is righteous in all his ways, feeding us with the bread of tears, and making us to drink the waters of afflic

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »