A review of the Covenant, wherein the originall, grounds, means, matter, and ends of it are examined: and out of the principles of the remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, and ordinances of the prime covenanteers, or the firmer grounds of Scripture, law, and reason, disproved.

The Contents of the Chapters in this ensuing Discourse.

CHAP. I.

By what meanes the Covenanteers were reduced to the ne∣cessity of entering into this Combination, confessed to be their last refuge.

p. 1.

CHAP. II.

The Grounds of the Covenant, and false Assertions laid down in the Preface to it, disproved.

p. 4.

Wherein is shewed that the Covenanteers falsly affirm••

1. Themselves to be All sorts of Commons.

2. To live All under one King.

3. To be All of one Reformed Religion.

p. 5.

4. In taking this Covenant to have an eye to the King•• Honour and Peace of the Kingdomes,

5. Or upon all the Plots against Religion in all places.

6. That they sweare after mature deliberation.

7. That their supposed Enemies have an intention to subvert Religion.

p. 6.

8. That their own Supplications and Remonstrances have been any meanes to preserve it,

9. Or themselves from utter ruine.

p. 7.

10. That this Covenant is according to any former practice of these Kingdomes (The late Scottish Covenant how unlike it.)

11. Or the example of God's People (Iewes, Germans, Low-Countreymen, or other Protestants) in other Nations.

p. 9.

CHAP. III.

The unlawfulnesse of the Covenant in respect of the Cause Efficient; as made by Subjects against the will of their Superiour in such things as necessarily require his con∣sent.

p. 11.

This illegality proved upon it 1. As a Vow.

This illegality proved upon it 2. As an Oath.

p. 12.

This illegality proved upon it 3. As a League.

CHAP. IV.

The matter of the Covenant examined; and proved, first, to be against Truth.

p. 13.

In that they falsly sweare

I. The Doctrine, Discipline, Government, and Worship of the Church of Scotland to be according to Gods Word.

II. The Doctrine of England not to be so, as contradicting their practices.

p. 14.

III. The Lord not to be one amongst them, so long as Prelacy is not extirpate.

IV. That Prelacy is a sin, and that if private men should not take upon them to be Reformers, they should be partakers in other mens sinnes.

V. That the Cause of Religion is common to them all.

p. 18.

VI. That they earnestly desire to be humbled.

VII. That the sinnes by them mentioned, are the true causes of the Kingdomes distresse.

p. 19.

CHAP. V.

That the Covenant, by reason of the many ambiguities in it, especially this, Who shall be the authenticke Inter∣preter o•• it, cannot be sworne in judgement.

p. 20.

Where we enquire,

I. Who ought to be the Interpreter in other ordinary Oaths;

II. Who in this. Whether every man for himselfe, or the fore∣men for all; and how they may differ. Particular doubts proposed upon which the Covenanteers are not resolved: As,

III. Wherein the Doctrine and Discipline of Scotland con∣sists.

p. 22.

IV. Who those Common Enemies are against whom they sweare.

V. What the Doctrine, Worship, Di••cipline, and Church-Government of England is, as to the Covenanteers.

p. 23.

VI. To what that clause relates, According to the Word of God.

VII. What meant by—Whatsoever shall be found contrary to the power of godlinesse.

p. 24.

VIII. In what sense they vow to de••end his Majesties Person and Authority.

IX. And whether the Kings preservation must be preferred be∣fore the preservation of all, or any one Priviledge of Parlia∣ment.

p 25.

X What Liberty they intend. Whether to be free States.

XI, Who meant by—Both Kingdomes. And which the Supreme Iudicatory in them.

p. 26.

XII. What they understand by the Yoak of Antichristian Ty∣ranny.

CHAP. VI.

That the performance of sundry Clauses in th•• Covenant cannot be without grand inconvenience or injustice.

p. 27.

Such is their swearing

I. Constantly to preserve the Scottish Government (a humane invention) and Discipline, in its own nature alterable.

II. To reforme the English and Irish, according to the example of the best Reformed Churches: which is hard to be found, and not necessary to be followed.

p. 28.

III. To endeavour the nearest uniformity in all the three King∣domes; which is not possible to be compassed, nor fitting to be kept.

p. 30.

IV. To preserve the Priviledges of Parliaments; whereof some challenged to be such, are declared to be incompatible; others argued to be injust.

V. To accuse all Delinquents and Malignants, not excepting a mans own selfe.

p. 34.

VI. To endeavour that all such may be brought to punishment, without hope of mercy or pardon.

VII. Each man to go before another in the example of Refor∣mation; without waiting for the Ministers to shew, or Ma∣gistrates authority to lead the way.

p. 35.

CHAP. VII.

That many things vowed in the Covenant are not possible to be fulfilled.

p. 36.

For it is impossible for all the Covenanteers,

I. Constantly, and all the dayes of their lives to endeavour each particular they sweare.

II. Mutually to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament of all the Kingdomes.

III. To assist and defend all that enter into thi•• Covenant.

p. 38.

IV. Never to alter their opinions to neutrality or indifferency.

V. To observe all the Cla••ses in the Covenant, some whereof imply contradiction.

CHAP. VIII.

That the very taking the Covenant, and other avowed acti∣ons of the Covenanteers, are in ••act contradictory to the formall words of their Oat••.

p. 40.

This is argued, in that they sweare,

• According to their callings, to extirpate all Popery, Superstiti∣on, Heresie, Schisme, Faction;
• And to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament, Liberties of the Kingdomes, Authority of the King:

Yet is their taking and enforcing of this Oath

I. Inconsistent with most of their Callings.

II. An act of Popery, properly so called.

p. 41.

III. As great a Superstition as Monastique vowes.

p. 44.

IV. A Branch of Aëriani••me, and so a Heresie.

p. 46.

V. A vowed Schisme from their mother Church.

p. 48.

VI. A breach of the iust Priviledges of Parliament.

p. 50.

VII. An encroachment upon the publique Liberty.

p. 53.

VIII. A contempt of the Kings Authority.

IX. A sworne Faction against the better part of the Kingdome.

CHAP. IX.

That many particulars vowed in the Covenant, and intend∣ed by the Covenanteers, are simply and absolutely un∣lawfull.

p. 55.

Such are

I. The alteration of Religion established by Law, without the Lawgivers consent.

II. The Extirpation of Episcopacy.

p. 61.

III. The pulling down the present Church••Government, before they be agreed upon another.

p. 63.

IV. The Extirpation of the present Ministery, as being Ecclesi∣asticall Officers that depend upon the Hierarchy.

p. 66.

V. The Extirpation of Deanes and Chapters, and alienation of the Churches patrimony.

p. 68.

VI. Their illegall forcing the King to go against his Oath, legally taken at his Coronation.

p. 72.

VII. Their swearing to have no respect of persons in their Ex∣tirpations.

p. 75.

VIII. Their allowing their Iudges to punish Malignants as they shall thinke convenient, though their offences do not so de∣serve.

CHAP. X.

That the Covenant is repugnant to those generall Ends for which it is pretended to be taken.

p. 78.

As being,

I. Contrary to the Glory of God.

II. Destructive to the Protestant Religion, and serving rather to advance Popery.

III. Derogatory to the Kings Honour.

p. 80.

IV. Preiudiciall to the Liberties of the Kingdomes, as taken for the upholding of their power, by whom all publike Liberty is already destroyed.

V. Inconsistent with the Peace of the Kingdomes: as tending immediately to nothing but Warre with others, and not likely to end in Peace amongst themselves.

CHAP. XI.

That the particular Ends of the severall Articles are like∣wise inconsistent with the matter of them.

p. 87.

As,

• I. A violent Reformation, with the Growth of Religion.
• II. A violent Extirpation of what is not sin, with the clearing of the Extirpers from sin.
• III. Their swearing, absolutely to preserve the power of Parlia∣ments, but the Kings Person and Authority with reservation, for this End, that the world may judge of their loyalty, and how they have no intentions to diminish his iust Power.
• Here the world is in part informed wherein the Kings iust Power consists: As,

  (1. In making

  p. 88. of Law.

  2. In making

  p. 88. of Law.

  3. In declaring

  p. 89. of Law.

  4•• In executing

  5. In appointing Iustices.

  6. In pardoning offenders.

  p. 90.

  7. In disposing of preferments.

  8. In protecting his Subiects.

  9. In Supremacy over all Estates.

  10. In calling, adiourning, proroguing, dissolving of Parlia∣ments.)

  p. 91.

• And how all these Powers are actually diminished, if not destroyed by the Covenanteers.
• In treating of the last particular, the equity, and so the validity of the late Act, Against the Dissolution of this present Parlia∣ment, is ventilated.

CHAP. XII.

The true End of framing and enjoyning this Covenant, The bringing in of the Sco••s, absolutely unlawfull.

p. 96.

I. In respect of the English inv••••ing.

p. 97.

II. In respect of the Sco••s comming. (Where the three pretended Reasons of their Invasion are de∣bated, viz.

1. The g••••d ••f Religion in England.

p. 98.

2. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of their native King.

p 99.

3. The rescuing this Kingdome from destruction.)

p. 100.

III. Their many former Oaths and Protestations to the contrary••

CHAP. XIII.

From these premises the Covenant is concluded unlawfull in respect of the Forme.

p. 104.