Act, Declaration, Testimony for the Whole of our Covenanted Reformation | Page 7

imprisoning and banishing many faithful ministers,
members of the general assembly, who opposed him, testified and
protested against his wicked invasion, and sacrilegious robbery of the
church's rights and privileges. And, having at last obtained the
supremacy and headship over the church, which was granted him by an
impious act of a pretended parliament, of his own stamp, called by him
for that purpose, proceeded with his design, until he had again
established Prelacy, and razed Presbytery almost to the very
foundations, notwithstanding all the opposition made to it by the
faithful in the land, both ministers and people.
Thus, after several former attempts to this effect, was Episcopacy again
established, and prelates lording over GOD'S heritage advanced,
imposing their popish ceremonies, which in that pretended assembly
convened at Perth, anno 1618, were enacted, and afterward ratified in a
subsequent parliament in the year 1621. And as the father had thus
violated his solemn professions, declarations and engagements, to
maintain the covenanted interest; so likewise, upon the accession of the
son to the throne, there was no amendment nor redress had: but he
followed the same iniquitous course, walking in the way of his father,
and in the sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. And further, obtruded
upon the church a service book, a book of popish and prelatical canons,
which was followed with a violent prosecution of the faithful
contenders for the former laudable constitutions of the church, carried
on by that monstrous Erastian high-commission court, patched up of
statesmen and clergymen: and hereby was the church again brought
under the yoke of anti-christian prelacy, and tyrannical supremacy;
which lese-majesty to Zion's King was also ratified with the sanction of

civil authority. To this yoke, oppressing CHRIST'S loyal subjects,
many of his professed servants submitted their necks, and, Issachar-like,
became servants to tribute for a considerable time.
But when the LORD'S set time to favor Zion came, he made the long
despised dust thereof again to be more pleasant and precious than ever
unto his servants and people, and the long night season and thick
clouds of adversity under which his church labored, amid some day-sky,
and sun-blinks of prosperity, she at times enjoyed, to issue in the
dawning of a day of clearer light wherein the glorious SUN of
Righteousness shone in his meridian splendor, with greater brightness
both in this and the neighboring nations, than at his first arising therein,
in a gospel dispensation; whose benign influences caused the small
grain of good seed, sown by the skill of the Great Husbandman, to
grow up to a fruitful plant, the tender twig to spread itself into a noble
vine, and the little cloud, like a man's hand, to cover the whole
hemisphere of the visible church of Scotland, which long ago, as a
church and nation, had enlisted themselves under the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, as their Royal Prince; whose peaceful and righteous scepter
being now also extended to England and Ireland, they soon submitted
themselves thereto, in a religious association and union with Scotland
in covenant engagements, for reformation from prelacy, as well as
Popery, which they had never hitherto yielded to.
Upon this gracious return of divine favor, and discovery of Almighty
power manifested against the mighty agents for prelatical superstition,
both in church and state, when, from the paucity of those who appeared
in favor of truth, in the year 1637, small opposition unto its enemies
could be expected; yet their magnanimity in witness-bearing was so
followed by manifestations of the divine countenance and favor, that
both their number and courage daily increased. The National Covenant
was again, after mature deliberation, anent both the lawfulness,
expediency and seasonableness thereof, with great solemnity renewed
in _March_, 1638, with the general concurrence of the ministry,
noblemen, gentlemen, and others, humbling themselves before the
LORD for their former defections and breach of covenant; though, at
the same time, the court faction, and many temporising ministers,

continued in their opposition, but which was indeed too weak to make
resistance unto the cause of GOD, and force of truth carried home with
suitable conviction upon the conscience.
The covenant being first renewed at Edinburgh, they provided next,
that it should also be renewed through the kingdom; and for this
purpose, copies thereof were sent with all convenient speed to the
several presbyteries, together with suitable exhortations, and
instructions for renewing of the same in every parish of their bounds;
and by this means it came to pass, through the good hand of their GOD
upon them, that in a little time almost every parish through Scotland
did, with much solemnity, cheerfulness and alacrity, renew the same,
and publicly with uplifted hand avouch the LORD to be their GOD.
And as this solemn action was everywhere accompanied with
remarkable evidences of divine