treating upon the fubject of an union of the two churches. The two nations entered into a mutual League and Covenant, and the affembly of divines were ordered by both Houses to frame an exhortation to the taking of the covenant, to be publicly read in every church. It was ordered to be printed and published, and appointed to be taken by all the members of parliament, and the affembly of divines, which was performed with great folemnity. This inftrument, which marked the complexion of the times, and the religious principles of the predominant party, is fo extraordinary in its nature, and proved fo important in its influence, as to induce me to transcribe it at length, for the fatisfaction of those who have not had an opportunity of meeting with it.

A folemn League and Covenant for Reformation and Defence of Religion, the Honour and Happiness of the King, and the Peace and Safety of the three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland:

"We, noblemen, barons, knights, gentlemen, citizens, burgeffes, minifters of the gofpel, and commons of all forts, in the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by the providence of God, living under one king, and being of one reformed religion, having before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, the honour and happiness of the king's majefty, and his pofterity, and the true public liberty, fafety, and peace of the kingdoms, wherein every one's private condition is included; and calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plöts, confpiracies, attempts, and practices of the enemy of God, againft the true religion, and profeffors thereof, in all places, especially in these three kingdoms, ever fince the reformation of religion; and how much their rage, power, and prefumption, are of late and at this time increafed and exercised; whereof the deplorable estate of the church and kingdom of Ireland, the diftreffed eftate of the church and kingdom of England, and the

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dangerous estate of the church and kingdom of Scot land, are present and public teftimonies: we have (now at laft) after other means of fupplication, remonstrance, protestations, and fufferings for the preservation of ourselves and our religion from utter ruin and destruction, according to the commendable practice of these kingdoms in former times, and the example of God's people in other nations, after a mature deliberation, refolved and determined to enter into a mutual and folemn league and covenant, wherein we all subscribe, and each one of us for himself, with our hands lifted up to the most high God, do fwear:

"I. That we fhall fincerely, really, and conftantly, through the grace of God, endeavour in our feveral places and callings, the prefervation of the reformed religion in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worfhip, difcipline, and government, against our common enemies, the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government, according to the word of God, and the example of the best reformed churches; and we shall endeavour to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion, confeffing of faith, form of church government, directory for worship and catechifing, that we, and our pofterity after us, may as brethren live in faith and love, and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us.

II. That we fhall in like manner, without respect of perfons, endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy (that is, church-government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors and commiffaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclefiaftical officers depending on that hierarchy), fuperftition, herefy, fchifm, profaneness, and whatsoever fhall be found to be contrary to found doctrine, and the power of godliness, left we partake in other men's fins, and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues, and that the Lord may be one, and his name one, in the three kingdoms.

" III. We

"III. We fhall with the fame fincerity, reality, and conftancy in our feveral vocations, endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preferve the rights and privileges of the parliaments, and the liberties of the kingdoms; and to preferve and defend the King's Majesty's person and authority, in the prefervation and defence of the true religion and liberties of the kingdom, that the world may bear witness with our confciences of our loyalty; and that we have no thoughts or intention to diminish his Majesty's just power and greatnefs.

“IV. We fhall also, with all faithfulness endeavour the discovery of all fuch as have been or fhall be incendiaries, malignants, or evil inftruments, by hindering the reformation of religion, dividing the King from his people, or one of the kingdoms from another, or making factions or parties among the people, contrary to this league and covenant, that they may be brought to public trial, and receive condign punishment, as the degree of their offences fhall require or deferve, or the fupreme judicatories of both kingdoms respectively, or others having power from them for that effect, fhall judge convenient.

"V. And whereas the happiness of a bleffed peace between these kingdoms, defired in former times to our progenitors, is by the good providence of God granted unto us, and hath been lately concluded and fettled by both parliaments; we shall each one of us, according to our place and interefts, endeavour that they may remain conjoined in a firm peace and union to all pofterity, and that justice may be done upon the wilful oppofers thereof, in manner expreffed in the precedent articles.

"VI. We fhall alfo, according to our places and callings in this common caufe of religion, liberty and peace of the kingdoms, affift and defend all those who enter into this league and covenant, in maintaining and pursuing thereof; and fhall not fuffer ourfelves directly or indirectly, by whatsover combination, per

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fuafion or terror, to be divided and withdrawn from this bleffed union and conjunction, whether to make defection on the contrary part, or to give ourselves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause, which fo much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the kingdom, and the honor of the King, but fhall all the days of our lives, zealously and conftantly continue therein against all oppofition, and promote the fame according to our power against all lets and impediments whatfoever; and what we ourselves are not able to fupprefs or overcome, we fhall reveal and make it known, that it may be timely prevented or removed; all which we fhall do, as in the fight of God.

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"And because these kingdoms are guilty of many fins and provocations against God, and his fon Jefus Christ, as is too manifeft by our present diftreffes and dangers, and the fruits whereof, we profefs and declare before God and the world, our unfeigned defire to be humbled for our fins, and for the fins of these kingdoms especially; that we have not as we ought valued the ineftimable benefit of the gofpel, that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof, and that we have not endeavoured to receive Chrift in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our lives, which are the causes of other fins and tranfgreffions, fo much abounding among us; and our true and unfeigned purpose, defire and endeavour for ourselves, and all others under our power and charge both in public and in private, and in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the example of a real reformation, that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation, and establish thefe churches and kingdoms in truth and peace. - And this covenant we make in the prefence of Almighty God the fearcher of all hearts, with a true intention to perform the fame, as we fhall anfwer at that great day when the fecrets of all hearts Ihall be difclofed; moft humbly befeeching the Lord

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to strengthen us by his holy spirit to this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with fuch fuccefs as may be deliverance and fafety to his people, and encouragement to other Chriftian churches groaning under, or in danger of the yoke of Anti-chriftian tyranny, to join in the fame or like affociation or covenant, to the glory of God, the enlargement of the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, and the peace and tranquillity of Christian kingdoms and commonwealths."

If we credit the teftimony of Wood, Hale fub. fcribed to this memorable League and Covenant, and, as he had been told, appeared feveral times with other laymen among the affembly of divines. At the firft view of this part of his conduct, it might feem difficult to explain the motives which impelled him to pursue a courfe fo totally repugnant to his principles as a Churchman, and his feelings as a Chriftian. It might be urged, that in folemnly fwearing to exert his endeavours for the extirpation of prelacy, he profeffedly abjured this form of church government, and furrendered his pretenfions to that spirit of toleration and candour in religion, which pervades his writings and adorns his character This was a public and authentic teft, by which the religious principles of those who fubfcribed were to be fully recognised. He became therefore no longer a filent fpectator, and paffive inftrument of the times, but an avowed and decided partifan of the Prefbyterian faction. If it were an act of injuftice to impeach the memory of Hale for this inftance of fervile compliance and facrifice of his religious principles; upon what ground are the names of Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer, embalmed in our memory, or even of Charles himself, as martyrs in the cause of religion? If it be no crime to swear the destruction of a fabric, which has Christ and his Apostles for its builders, the conduct of our Reformers, who fealed with their blood the truths they maintained, partakes no longer the character of primitive zeal and apoftolical firmness, but of obftinate bigotry and childish fuperftition.

VOL. I.

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