NOAH'S DOVE, with a green Olive-Leaf, OR, The National Covenant, and Solemn League Renewed.
That it was Antecedently a Duty, before it was made and sworn, delineated and proved To what; and how far it was Obligatory.
THe BIBLE assures us, The Earth shall disclose her Dead, and no more cover her slain. The Widows bloody napkin crys, how long! GODS book is by Him, and His bottle by Him, He will hold a Court of Oppression, Psalm 9. Antichrist has carried the Grapes of Christs Flesh into the Wine-press of the wrath of GOD, and squeezed it by wicked men, who are GODS Hands and his Sword, sayeth David, yet he keeps the handle in his own hand: Tho no simple National or Personal interest, can answer the great Design of God either in his Glorious Manifestation! or Marvellous Dispensation, a Wheal in a Wheel, and Hand under the Wing, or by Blazing Comet; in the 1681: and 1682: whereon we observed, then in Print, what was relative to the rise, reign, ruine of the man of sin. Yet as Israel a chosen Family of old, so other nations since may be said, to be more dear, and near GOD! Whom He brings into the school of Correction, when others are brought into the place of Execution, else we had been as Sodom; witness that famous Bohemian Martyr, a Noble Man, ardently in prison, imploring the Mediator for a sign of that poor Churches Restauration, and accordingly [...] Rain-Bow appeared over the Execution place; and he sung that Psalm 85. 17. A symptome that GOD will rake up the Ashes of that Church, as Ours upon these Considerations.
Con: 1. We were previously bound to extirpat Popery, which is Idolatry, overturning the Foundation of Religion, either in flat terms, or by consequence of the Cossandrian Doctrine, whose League makers we enervat, in that Book printed in 1 [...]8 [...]: Entituled, Scotland pulling down the gates of Rome: Proving the difficulty of the Salvation of a Papist living and dying in Perjury and Idolatry. Thess: 2 Ch: 11: v: No Faith, no Covenant, keep either to GOD, or Man, but kill, murder and destroy, such truculent practices are Mercenary duties, witness their own Patriots, and the Jesuits morals.
Con: 2. Prelacy in Scotland, is a bitter Sprig of the same Tree, springing from the verge of the Civil Roman Empire, as Learned Burnet and Baxter delineats! It's true the University of Salmon say: that there is no model of Primitive Church discipline, but that God hath left, in equilibrio to humane choice. (When all Divines agree, that the Essentials of a Church Officer, are in ruling as well as teaching.) But they afterwards check themselves in a Recantation. The Laws of England, say, we grant, and we give to the Clergy, the Title of Lords, Jure Carolino, but go near, to make it Treason, if they should plead Jure Divino. tho we, derogare, nothing from the Bishops of Englands due worth: resembling in their Lives more the Scripture Bishops then ours! Pious Ʋsher calls himself Primus Presbyteriorum. Yet their Famous Historian, Holingshead commensurates the dimentions of the Primitive Bishops, according to their Pastoral Relation; unus Episcopus was the note of their individination. And Ignatius requires to know, their flock by name, denominating their Church, Fraternity, Consociation, Or Presbytery. Taking Episcopacy of oversight willingly! Pamelius, Albaspineus. Hence there is no Delegation, of teaching and ruling Power, establishing non residency: Can the Privy Seal of a Nation delegat his Charge, Christs Royal Priesthood, to the hands of Hirelings, whose Sword is on their right Arm, and right Eye utterly Darkned Which we have discussed in the Discipline of Christian Religion, Printed in the 84 So that a Scripture Bishop, is nothing else save a Preses or Speaker in a Parliament, else its Oligarthical Tyrranny! Thus of the Authority which the Lord hath given to us not for destruction, but for your Edification against Popery which is Idolatry, Prelacy: Perjury, Tolerarion, a Grave for Reformation.
Con: 3. We do not retreat from a positive Divine Law, to a Covenant Law, Save when Johns and Israel Prince and People, enter in a Solemn Covenant, the [...]eath wherto [Page 2] in Perjury and Bloodshed; GOD avengeth and expiateth by a Thunderbolt of his wrath on the race of Saul for many years after. As also Almerick King of Jerusalem, Ʋladislains breaketh Covenant with the Turks, Herold last King of the Danes in England! Nor can we shelter our selves by the Irregularities of Joshuas Covenant, for they do not annihilat the Obligation; it being only the sinfuln [...]ss of the matter sworn, not the circumstances conversant about the Act of Swearing Tho Jephtha should be robbed of their dearest delights and Zedekiah, besieged with Tumults within and Warrs without! Hea [...]ken Bishop Hall, the facilite of Israel, led them into a Covenant, yet most they not in ringe their Oath, &c. King Charles 1st, advises to keep Covenant in all Just wayes to his Son King Charles the 2d. The Kirk of Scotland was unite 54 years by means of Discipline. Learned Bishop Sanderson grants the vanity of that Distinction: Relaxation of the matter and of the Oath! But some say, a King cannot be under the Laws of Federacy. But say I, how then is he under the Laws of Matrimonie.
Con: My will contracts according to what my knowledge reacheth: mutually espousing Persons, Lives, Goods, &c. The Commons Espousing, the Ministers, in rescuing, them from Death: tho we have been Eye Witness to the Pilla [...]ing, R [...]bbing, yea Murdering 1 [...]00 and 5 [...] men, 9 Women; within these 27 years who sealed this with their Blood. We shall for Antiquity of Presbytery, refer you to he convyance of Presbytery done by us. Hence to be the witness to those Barbarities, where Mens hearts were shot thorow their Backs, and Noses shot thorow their Necks, in the open Field, and many died in the Mountains, and not in their station. To assist made us as guilty as we had been the Actors; And this we may read love in GODS Heart, yet there is wrath in His Hands (till we humble our selves under the Mighty Hand of GOD, by sincere Fasting and Prayer) seeing a volumn betwixt the Sun and the Earth could not contain our Perju [...]ies, Apostacys, &c. Christs dethroning supremacy, yea, exquisite tortoring by Boots, by Pricks, Thumikens, and fire matchess drowning Women very young, of some exceeding Aged. Yet sure I am: Tho' I cannot Determine, whether it shall be by a Formal Sworn Covenant: or more Glorious Manifestation: that CHRIST shall be a Crowned King over his Church: against Papists, Athiests, Anabaptists. Yea that Scotsmen, shall darken the Seat of the Beast, the Revelation alluding to Scotizei in the Greek Language.
Thus have we cleared the lawfulness of the Covenant, against Popery, Prelacy, Toleration, that Popish [...]ugar plumb, betraying the Mediatory glory of CHRIST, into the hands of Tyrany, and Lawless Liberty: Yet are 44. Ministers who did not accept it, only among the causes of GODS Wrath, we fear, I Kings 20. 43. Because thou let the man go whom I pointed to utter destruction.