The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

The Confession of Faith, subscribed at first by the King's Majesty and his Houshold, in the year of God, 1580. Thereafter, by Persons of all Ranks, in the year 1581. by Ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Council, and Acts of the General Assembly. Subscribed again by all sorts of Persons in the year 1590. by a new Ordinance of Council, at the desire of the General Assembly: With a general Band for mainte∣nance of the true Religion and the King's Person. And now subscribed in the year 1638. by us, Noble-men, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons un∣der subscribing: Together with our resolution and promises, for the causes after spe∣cified; To maintain the said true Religion, and the King's Majesty, according to the Confession aforesaid, and Acts of Parliament. The Tenor wherof here followeth:

WE All, and every one of us underwritten, Protest, That after long and due exami∣nation of our own Consciences, in matters of true and false Religion, are now throughly resolved of the Truth, by the Word and Spi∣rit of God, and therefore we believe with our hearts, confess with our mouths, subscribe with our hands, and constantly affirm before God and the whole World; that this only is the true Christian Faith and Religion, pleasing God, and bringing Salvation to man, which now is by the mercy of God revealed to the World, by the Preaching of the blessed Evangel.

And received, believed, and defended, by many and sundry notable Kirks and Realms, but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland, the King's Majesty, and three Estates of this Realm, as God's Eternal Truth, and

only ground of our Salvation: as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith, established, and publickly confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliament, and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the King's Majesty, and whole Body of this Realm, both in Burgh and Land. To the which Confession and form of Religion, we willingly agree in our Con∣sciences in all points, as unto God's undoubted Truth and Verity, grounded only upon his written Word. And therefore, We abhor and detest all contrary Re∣ligion, and Doctrine: But chiefly, all kind of Pa∣pistry, in general and particular heads, even as they are now damned and confuted by the Word of God, and Kirk of Scotland: but in special we detest and re∣fuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist, up∣on the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the Civil Ma∣gistrate, and Consciences of men. All his tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian Li∣berty. His erroneous Doctrine, against the sufficiency of the written Word, the perfection of the Law, the office of Christ and his blessed Evangel. His corrupted Doctrine concerning original sin, our natural inability and Re∣bellion to God's Law, our justification by Faith only, our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the Law, the nature, number, and use of the holy Sacraments. His five bastard Sacraments, with all his Rites, Cere∣monies, and false Doctrine, added to the Ministration of the true Sacraments without the Word of God. His cruel judgment against Infants, departing without the Sacrament: his absolute necessity of Baptism: his blas∣phemous opinion of Transubstantiation, or real presence of Christ's Body in the Elements, and receiving of the same by the wicked, or bodies of men. His dispensations with solemn Oaths, Perjuries, and degrees of Marriage forbidden in the Word: his cruelty against the innocent divorced: his devillish Mass: his blasphemous Pr••st∣hood: his profane Sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the quick: his Canonization of men, calling upon Angels or Saints departed, worshipping of Imagery, Relicks, and Crosses, dedicating of Kirks, Altars, Daies, Vows to c••eatures; his Purgatory, prayers for the dead, praying or speaking in a strange Language, with his Processions and blasphemous Let any, and multitude of Advocates or Me∣diators: his manifold Orders, Auricular Confession: his desperate and uncertain repentance; his general and doubt some faith; his satifactions of men for their sins: his justification by works, opus operatum, works of su∣pererogation, Merits, Pardons, Peregrinations, and Sta∣tions: his holy Water, baptising of Bells, conjuring of Spirits, crossing, saning, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of God's good creatures, with the superstitious opinion joined therewith: his worldly Monarchy, and wicked Hierarchy: his three solemn vows, with all his shavel∣ings of sundry sorts, his erroneous and bloody Decrees made at Trent, with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruel and bloody Band, conjured against the Kirk of God: and finally, we detest all his vain Allegories, Rites, Signs, and Traditions, brought in the Kirk, without or against the Word of God, and Doctrine of this true re∣formed Kirk; to the which we join our selves willingly, in Doctrine, Faith, Religion, Discipline, and use of the holy Sacraments, as lively members of the same, in Christ our Head: promising, and swearing by the Great Name of the Lord our God, that we shall continue in the obedience of the Doctrin and Discipline of this Kirk, and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power, all the daies of our lives, under the pains contain∣ed in the Law, and danger both of body and soul in the day of God's fearful Judgment: and seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrist to promise, swear, subscribe, and for a time use the Holy Sacraments in the Kirk deceitfully, against their own Consciences, minding thereby, first, under the external cloak of Religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly God's true Religion within the Kirk, and afterward, when time may serve, to become open enemies and persecuters of the same, under vain hope of the Popes dispensation, devised against the Word of God, to his greater confu∣sion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus.

We therefore, willing to take away all suspition of hy∣pocrisie, and of such double dealing with God and his Kirk, Protest, and call The searcher of all hearts for witness, that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession, Promise, Oath and Subscription; so that we are not moved for any worldly respect, but are perswaded only in our Consciences through the knowledge and love of God's true Religion, printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit, as we shall answer to Him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. And because we perceive that the quietness and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the King's Majesty, as upon a com∣fortable instrument of God's mercy granted to this Country for the maintaining of His Kirk, and mini∣stration of Justice amongst us, we protest and p••omise with our hearts under the same Oath, Hand-writ, and pains, that we shall defend His Person and Authority, with our Goods, Bodies, and Lives, in the defence of Christ his Evangel, liberties of our Country, mini∣stration of Justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this Realm, or without, as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful Defender to us in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally.

LIke as many Acts of Parliament not only in gene∣ral do abrogate, annul, and rescind all Laws, Statutes, Acts, Constitutions, Canons Civilor Muni∣cipal, with all other Ordinances and practick penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice of the true Religion and Professours thereof: Or, of the true Kirk Discipline, Jurisdiction and freedom thereof: Or, in favours of Idolatry and Superstition: Or, of the Papistical Kirk: As, Act. 3. Act. 31. Parl. 1. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. Parl. 12. of King James the sixth, That Papistry and Superstition may be utterly sup∣pressed, according to the intention of the Acts of Par∣liament reported in Act. 5. Parl. 20. K. James 6: And to that end they ordain all Papists and Priests to be punished by manifold Civil and Ecclesiastical pains, as Adversaries to God's true Religion, Preached and by Law established within this Realm, Act. 24. Parl. 11. K. James 6. as common enemies to all Christian Government, Act. 18. Parl. 16. K. James 6. as Re∣bellers and Gainstanders of our Soveraign Lords au∣thority, Act. 47. Parl. 3. K. James 6. and as Ido∣laters, Act. 104. Parl. 7. K. James 6. but also in particular (by and attour the Confession of Faith) do abolish and condemn the Popes Authority and Juris∣diction out of this Land, and ordains the maintainers thereof to be punished, Act. 2. Parl. 1. Act. 51. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 114. Parl. 12. K. James 6. do condemn the Pope's erroneous Doctrine, or any other erroneous Doctrine repugnant to any of the Ar∣ticles of the true and Christian Religion publickly Preached, and by Law established in this Realm: And ordains the spreaders and makers of Books or Libels, or Letters, or Writs of that nature to be punished, Act. 46. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 24. Parl. 11. K. James 6. do condemn all Baptism conform to the Pope's Kirk and the Idolatry of the Mass, and or∣dains all sayers, wilful hearers, and concealers of the Mass, the maintainers and resetters of the Priests, Jesuites, traffiquing Papists, to be punished without any exception or restriction, Act. 5. Parl. 1. Act. 120. Parl. 12. Act. 164. Parl. 13. Act. 193. Parl. 14.

Act. 1. Parl. 19. Act. 5. Parl. 20. K. James 6. d•• condemn all erroneous Books and Writs containing erroneous Doctrine against the Religion presently pro∣fessed, or containing superstitious Rites and Ceremonies Papistical, whereby the people are greatly abused, and ordains the home-bringers of them to be punished, Act. 25. Parl. 11. K. James 6. do condemn the monuments and dregs of by-gane Idolatry, as, going to Crosses, ob∣serving the Festival daies of Saincts, and such other superstitions and Papistical Rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt of true Religion, and fostering of great errour among the people, and or∣dains the users of them to be punished for the se∣cond fault as Idolaters, Act. 104. Parl. 7. King James 6.

Like as many Acts of Parliament are conceived for maintenance of God's true and Christian Religion, and the purity thereof in Doctrine and Sacraments of the true Church of God, the liberty and freedom there, of, in her National, Synodal Assemblies, Presbyte∣ries, Sessions, Policy, Discipline and Jurisdiction there∣of, as that purity of Religion and liberty of the Church was used, professed, exercised, Preached, and con∣fessed according to the Reformation of Religion in this Realm. As for instance, Act. 99. Parl. 7. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. Parl. 12. Act. 160. Parl. 13. K. James 6. ratified by Act. 4. K. Charles. So that Act. 6. Parl. 1. and Act. 68. Parl. 6. of K. James 6. in the year of God 1579. declares the Mi∣nisters of the blessed Evangel, whom God of his mercy had raised up, or hereafter should raise, agreeing with them that then lived in Doctrine and Administration of the Sacraments, and the people that professed Christ, as he was then offered in the Evangel, and doth com∣municate with the holy Sacraments (as in the reformed Kirkes of this Realm they were presently administrate) according to the Confession of Faith, to be the true and holy Kirk of Christ Jesus within this Realm, and decerns and declares all and sundry, who either Gain∣saies the Word of the Evangel, received and approved as the Heads of the Confession of Faith, professed in Parliament, in the year of God, 1560. specified also in the first Parliament of King James 6. and ratified in this present Parliament, more particularly do specifie; or that refuses the Administration of the holy Sacra∣ments, as they were then ministrated, to be no mem∣bers of the said Kirk within this Realm, and true Reli∣gion presently professed, so long as they keep themselves so divided from the Society of Christ's body: And the subsequent Act. 69. Parl. 6. K. James 6. declares, That there is no other face of Kirk, nor other face of Religion, than was presently at that time, by the fa∣vour of God, established within this Realm, which therefore is ever stiled God's true Religion, Christ's true Religion, the true and Christian Religion, and a perfect Religion. Which, by manifold Acts of Par∣liament, all within this Realm, are bound to profess to subscribe the Articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant all Doctrine and errours repugnant to any of the said Articles, Act. 4. and 9. Parl. 1. Act. 45, 46, 47. Parl. 3. Act. 71. Parl. 6. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 24. Parl. 11. Act. 123. Parl. 12. Act. 194. and 197. Parl. 14. of K. James 6. And all Magi∣strates, Sheriffs, &c. on the one part, are ordain∣ed to search, apprehend, and punish all contraviners: for instance, Act. 5. Parl. 1. Act. 104. Parl. 7. Act. 25. Parl. 11. King James 6. And that, notwithstanding of the King's Majesties Licences on the contrary, which are discharged and declared to be of no force, in so far as they tend in any waies to the prejudice and hinder of the execution of the Acts of Parliament against Papists, and Ad∣versaries of true Religion, Act. 106. Parl. 7. King James 6. on the other part, in the 47. Act. Parl. 3. King James 6. it is declared and ordained, seeing the cause of God's true Religion and his Highness Authority are so joyned, as the hurt of the one is common to both; and that none shall be reputed as Loyal and Faithful Subjects to our So∣veraign Lord, or his Authority, but be punishable as Rebellers and Gain-standers of the same, who shall not give their Confession, and make their pro∣fession of the said true Religion; and that they who after defection shall give the Confession of their Faith of new, they shall promise to continue there∣in in time coming, to maintain our Soveraign Lords Authority, and at the uttermost of their power to fortifie, assist, and maintain the true Preachers and Professours of Christ's Religion, against what∣soever Enemies and Gain-standers of the same: and Namely, against all such of whatsoever Na∣tion, Estate, or Degree they be of, that have joined and bound themselves, or have assisted or assists, to set forward and execute the cruel De∣crees of Trent, contrary to the Preachers and true Professours of the Word of God, which is re∣peated word by word in the Articles of Pacifica∣tion at Pearth the twenty third of February 1572. approved by Parliament the last of April 1573. ratified in Parliament 1578. And related, Act. 123. Parl. 12. of King James 6. with this addi∣tion, That they are bound to resist all Treasona∣ble Ʋproars and Hostilities raised against the true Religion, the King's Majesty, and the true Pro∣fessours.

Like as all Lieges are bound to maintain the King's Majesties Royal Person and Authority, the Authority of Parliaments, without the which nei∣ther any Laws or lawful Judicatories can be esta∣blished, Act. 130. Act. 131. Parl. 8. King James 6. and the Subjects Liberties, who ought only to live and be Governed by the Kings Laws, the Common Laws of this Realm allanerly, Act. 48. Parl. 3. K. James 1. Act. 79. Parl. 6. King James 4. repeated in Act. 131. Parl. 8. King James 6. Which if they be in∣novated or prejudged, the Commission anent the union of the two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, which is the sole Act of the 17. Parl. of King James 6. declares, such confusion would ensue, as this Realm could be no more a free Monarchy, be∣because by the fundamental Laws, ancient Privi∣ledges, Offices and Liberties of this Kingdom, not only the Princely Authority of his Majesties Roy•• discent hath been these many Ages maintained, but also the Peoples security of their Lands, Livings, Rights, Offices, Liberties and Dignities preserved; and therefore for the Preservation of the said true Religion, Laws, and Liberties of this Kingdom, it is Statute by Act. 8. Parl. 1. repeated in Act. 99. Parl. 7. ratified in Act. 23. Parl. 11. and 114. Act. of King James 6. and 4. Act. of King Charles, That all King's and Princes at their Coronation and reception of their Princely Authority, shall make their faithful promise by their solemn Oath in the presence of the Eternal God, that enduring the whole time of their Lives, they shall serve the same Eternal God, to the uttermost of their power, ac∣cording as he hath required in his most Holy Word, contained in the Old and New Testaments. And ac∣cording to the same Word, shall maintain the true Re∣ligion of Christ Jesus, the Preaching of his holy Word, the due and right ministration of the Sacraments, now received and Preached within this Realm (according to the Confession of Faith immediately preceding) and shall abolish and Gain-stand all false Religion, contrary to the same, and shall rule the people committed to their charge, according to the will and command of God revealed in his foresaid Word, and according to the lowable Laws

and constitutions received in this Realm, no ways re∣pugnant to the said will of the eternal God, and shall procure, to the uttermost of their power, to the Kirk of God, and whole Christian people, true and perfect peace in all time coming; and that they shall be careful to root out of their Empire all Hereticks, and enemies to the true worship of God, who shall be convicted by the true Kirk of God of the foresaid Crimes; which was also observed by his Majesty at his Coronation in Edenburgh 1633. as may be seen in the order of the Coronation.

In obedience to the commandment of God, conform to the practice of the godly in former times, and accord∣ing to the laudable example of our worthy and religious Progenitors, and of many yet living amongst us, which was warranted also by Act of Council, commanding a general Band to be made and subscribed by his Majesties Subjects of all ranks, for two causes: One was, for de∣fending the true Religion, as it was then reformed, and is expressed in the Confession of Faith above written, and a former large Confession established by sundry Acts of lawful General Assemblies, and of Parliament, unto which it hath relation, set down in publick Catechisms, and which had been for many years with a blessing from Heaven, preached, and professed in this Kirk and Kingdom, as God's undoubted truth, grounded only upon his written Word: The other cause was, for main∣taining the Kings Majesty, his Person and Estate; the true Worship of God, and the King's Authority being so straightly joyned, as that they had the same Friends and common Enemies, and did stand and fall together. And finally, being convinced in our minds, and confessing with our mouths, that the present and succeeding Generations in this Land, are bound to keep the foresaid national Oath and subscription inviolable, We Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Mini∣sters, and Commons under subscribing, considering di∣vers times before, and especially at this time, the dan∣ger of the true Reformed Religion, of the King's ho∣nour, and of the publick Peace of the Kingdom, by the manifold innovations and evils generally contain∣ed and particularly mentioned in our late supplications, complaints, and protestations, do hereby profess, and before God, his Angels, and the World solemnly de∣clare, That, with our whole hearts we agree and re∣solve all the daies of our life constantly to adhere unto, and to defend the foresaid true Religion, and forbear∣ing the practice of all novations, already introduced in the matters of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions of the publick Government of the Kirk, or civil places and power of Kirk-men, till they be tried and allowed in free Assembles, and in Parlia∣ments, to labour by all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel, as it was established and professed before the foresaid novations, And be∣cause, after due examination, we plainly perceive, and undoubtedly believe, that the innovations and evils contained in our Supplications, Complaints, and Pro∣testations have no warrant of the Word of God, are contrary to the Articles of the foresaid Confessions, to the intention and meaning of the blessed Reformers of Religion in this Land, to the above written Acts of Parliament, and do sensibly tend to the re-establishing of the Popish Religion and Tyranny, and to the subver∣sion and ruin of the true Reformed Religion, and of our Liberties, Laws, and Estates. We also declare, that the foresaid Confessions are to be interpreted, and ought to be understood of the foresaid novations and e∣vils, no less than if every one of them had been ex∣pressed in the foresaid Confessions; and that we are ob∣liged to detest and abhor them, amongst other particular heads of Papistry abjured therein. And therefore from the knowledge and conscience of our duty to God, to our King and Countrey, without any worldly respect or in∣ducement, so far as humane infirmity will suffer, wish∣ing a further measure of the Grace of God for this effect, We promise and swear, by the Great Name of the Lord our God, to continue in the Profession and Obedience of the foresaid Religion: That we shall defend the same, and resist all these contrary errours and corrupti∣ons, according to our vocation, and to the uttermost of that power that God hath put in our hands, all the days of our life: And in like manner, with the same heart, we declare before God and Men, That we have no intention nor desire to attempt any thing that may turn to the dishonour of God, or to the diminution of the Kings Greatness and Authority: But on the con∣trary, we promise and swear, that we shall, to the utter∣most of our power, with our means and lives, stand to the defence of our dread Sovereign, the King's Maje∣sty, his Person and Authority, in the defence and pre∣servation of the foresaid true Religion, Liberties, and Laws of the Kingdom; As also to the mutual defence and assistance, every one of us of another in the same cause of maintaining the true Religion, and his Maje∣sties Authority, with our best counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all sorts of persons whatsoe∣ver. So that, whatsoever shall be done to the least of us for that cause, shall be taken as done to us all in ge∣neral, and to every one of us in particular. And that we shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer our selves to be divided or withdrawn by whatsoever suggestion, combination, allurement, or terrour, from this blessed and loyal Conjunction, nor shall cast in any let or im∣pediment, that may stay or hinder any such resolution, as by common consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends. But on the contrary, shall by all lawful means labour to further and promove the same: And if any such dangerous and divisive metion be made to us by Word or Writ, we, and every one of us, shall either suppress it, or, if need be, shall incontinent make the same known, that it may be timously obviated; neither do we fear the soul aspersions of Rebellion, Com∣bination, or what else our adversaries from their craft and malice would put upon us, seeing what we do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain the true worship of God, the Majesty of our King, and the peace of the Kingdom, for the common happiness of our selves, and the posterity. And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon our pro∣ceedings, except with our Profession and Subscription we joyn such a life and conversation, as beseemeth Christians, who have renewed their Covenant with God; We therefore faithfully promise, for our selves, our followers, and all others under us, both in publick, in our particular families and personal carriage, to endeavour to keep our selves within the bounds of Chri∣stian liberty, and to be good examples to others of all Godliness, Soberness, and Righteousness, and of every duty we owe to God and Man. And that this our Ʋ∣nion and Conjunction may be observed without violation, We call the living God, the Searcher of our Hearts, to witness, who knoweth this to be our sincere Desire, and unfeigned Resolution, as we shall answer to JE∣SƲS CHRIST in the great day, and under the pain of God's everlasting wrath, and of infamy, and of loss of all honour and respect in this world: Most humbly beseeching the LORD, to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with a happy success, that Religion and Righteousness may flourish in the Land, to the glory of God, the honour of our King, and peace and comfort of us all. In witness whereof we have subscribed with our hands all the premisses, &c.