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in our native land, as far as I know, to inform us as to her practice prior to the rife of Antichrift. But, fince his begun downfall, the Church of Scotland hath not come behind other Reformed Churches in respect of her Foederal Tranfactions. At a time when MARY of Lorrain was violating every tic, and straining every nerve to wreath the iron yoke of Antichristian tyranny in the Church, and absolute government in the State, upon the neck of this land, the Lord was pleafed to ftir up a Kkkk 2 few

few friends to the civil and religious liberties of mankind, to form themselves into a CoNGREGATION; unto whom, under God, we owe the preservation of our Liberties in the State, and the Reformation of Religion in the Church. To accomplish thefe purposes, they entered into a folemn Covenant as follows:

"WE, perceiving how Sathan, in his mem bers, the antichrifts of our time, cruelly do rage, feeking to overthrow and to destroy the Gospel of Chrift and his Congregation, ought, according to our bounded duty, to ftrive, in our Mafter's caufe, even unto the death, being certain of the victory in him. The which, our duty being well confidered, we do promife, before the Majeftie of God, and his Congregation, that we (by his grace) fhall, with all diligence, continually apply our whole power, fubftance, and our very lives, to maintain, fet forward, and establish, the most bleffed word of God, and his Congregation; and shall labour, at our poffibility, to have faithful mafters, truly and purely to minifter Chrift's Gofpel and Sacraments to his people: We fhall maintain them, nourish them, and defend them, the whole Congregation of Chrift, and every member thereof, at our whole powers, and waging of our lives, againft Sathan and all wicked power that doth intend tyranny or trouble against the forcfaid Congregation. Unto the which holy word and Congregation we do joyne us; and fo do

-forfake

forfake and renounce the congregation of Sathan, with all the fuperftitious abomination and idolatry thereof; and moreover, thall declare our felves manifeftly enemies thereto, by this our faithful promife before God, teftifie I to his Congregation, by our fubfcription at these prefents. At Edinburgh, the 3d day of December 1557 years. God called to witnefs. Earl of Argyle; Glencarne; Mortoun; Archibald Lord of Lorne; John Erskine of Dun," &c.

A.

THE Occafions of the preceding Covenant were, The Danger of Perfecution to which the preachers were expofed, from the bigotry of the Queen Regent: And the unfteadinefs of the Reformers. Add to thefe, the importance of the Reformation itself: "Their country was in a miferable state of oppreffion; the bodies and fouls of the people being holden in bondage."" In the caufe which they had embraced (the Reformers rightly judged), they ought to be fervent and ftrenuous. The Almighty, fpeaking to their confciences, called upon them to hazard their lives for the deliverance of the nation, Were they to prefer their worldly reft to the glory of God? Or the friendship of the wicked to the falvation of their brethren? And, while they were to receive honour and homage on earth, they expected eternal comfort and joy in heaven *."

* Dr STUART's Hiftory of the Reformation, p. 88.

THE

THE next Federal Transaction runs thus:

"AT Perth, the laft day of May, the year of God 1559 years, the Congregations of the Weft Country, with the Congregations of Fyfe, Perth, Dundee, Angus, Mearns, and Montrofe, being conveened in the town of Perth, in the name of Jefus Chrift, for forth fetting of his glory, understanding nothing more neceffary for the fame than to keep a conftant amity, unity, and fellowship together, according as they are commaunded by God, are confederat, and become bounden and oblift, in the prefence of God, to concur and affift together, in doing all things required of God in his Scripture that may be to his glory; and, at their whole powers, to destroy and away put all things that doth dilhonour to his name; fo that God may be trewly and purely worshipped. And, in cafe that any trouble be intended against the faid Congregations, or any part or member thereof, the whole Congregation fhall concur, affift, and conveen together, to the defence-of the fame congregation or perfon troubled; and fhall not spare labours, goods, fubftance, bodies, and lives, in maintaining the liberty of the whole Congregation, and every member thereof, against whatfoever power that shall intend the faid trouble, for caufe of religion, or any other caufe depending thereupon, or lay to their charge, under pretence thereof, although it happen to be coloured with any other outward

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ward cause. In witneffing and teftimony of the which, the whole Congregations aforefaid have ordained and appointed the noblemen, and perfons underwritten, to fubfcribe thir prefents. Arch. Argyle; James Stewart; Glencarne; R. Lord Boid; Wchiltree; Matthew Campbell of Tarmgannar."

THE alarms of the Congregation, with refpect to Perfecution from the Popish party and the Queen Regent, were but too well founded. The Archbishop of St Andrew's having, in vain, tried the force of addrefs on fome of the heads of the Reformation, refolved on feverity; but he was equally unfuccefsful. It was determined to pour out a flood of perfecution on the chief of the Reformers, while the Church fhould exhauft all her thunder: But WALTER MILL, a prieft, was the only victim which he dared to facrifice at this time, His Chriftian heroifm on the one hand, and the barbarity of his execution on the other, ftruck the Reformed with unfpeakable horror: "By yielding to the light of their confcience, they faw themselves expofed to a cruel death. By conforming to the established faith, they hazarded their falvation *." mutual defence were taken. establish the new form of from the few to the many.

* STUART.

Subfcriptions for

The covenant to religion extended When the lead

ers