State tracts, being a farther collection of several choice treaties relating to the government from the year 1660 to 1689 : now published in a body, to shew the necessity, and clear the legality of the late revolution, and our present happy settlement, under the auspicious reign of their majesties, King William and Queen Mary.

THE INSTRUMENT OR Writing of Association, THAT THE True Protestants of ENGLAND entred into, IN THE Reign of Q. Elizabeth.

FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath Ordained Kings, Queens and Princes, to have Dominion and Rule over all their Subjects, and to preserve them in the Possession and Observation of the true Christian Religion, according to his holy Word and Commandment: And in like sort, that all Subjects should Love, Fear and Obey their Soveraign Princes, being Kings or Queens, to the utmost of their Power; at all times to withstand, pursue and suppress all manner of Persons that shall by any means intend and attempt any thing dangerous or hurtful to the Honour, States, or Persons of their Soveraigns.

Therefore we whose Names are or shall be subscribed to this Writing, being Natural Born Subjects of this Realm of England, and having so gracious a Lady, our Soveraign Elizabeth, by the Ordinance of God, our most rightful Queen, Reigning over us these many Years with great Felicity, to our inestimable Comfort: And finding lately by divers Depositions, Confessions, and sundry Advertisements out of Foreign Parts from credible Persons, well known to her Majesties Council and to divers others; That for the fur∣therance and Advancement of some pretended Title to the Crown, it hath been ma∣nifested that the Life of our gracious Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth, hath been most dangerously to the Peril of her Person; if Almighty God her perpetual Defender, of his Mercy had not revealed and withstood the same. By whose Life we and all other her Majesties True and Loyal Subjects, do enjoy an inestimable be∣nefit of Peace in this Land; do for the Reasons and Causes before alledged not only acknowledge our selves most justly bound with our Lives and Goods for her Defence, in her Safety, to persecute, suppress and withstand all such Intenders, and all other her Enemies, of what Nation, Condition and Degree whatsoever they shall be, or by what Council or Title they shall pretend to be her Enemies, or to attempt any Harm upon her Person; but do further think it our bounden Duties for the great Be∣nefit of Peace, Wealth, and Godly Government, we have more plentifully received these many Years, under her Majesties Government, then any of our Forefathers have done in any longer time of any other Progenitors, Kings of this Realm.

Do declare, and by this Writing make manifest, our bounden Duties to our said So∣vereign Lady for her Safety. And to that end, We, and every of us, First Calling to Wit∣ness the Name of Almighty God, do Voluntarily and most willingly bind our selves, every one of us to the other, joyntly and severally in the Band of one Firm and Loyal Society. And do hereby Vow and Promise by the MAJESTY OF ALMIGHTY GOD, That with our whole Powers, Bodies, Lives and Goods, and with our Children and Servants, We,

and every of us, will faithfully serve and humbly obey our said Sovereign Lady Queen Eliza∣beth, against all States, Dignities and Earthly Powers whatsoever; and will as well with our joynt and particular Forces during our Lives, withstand, offend, and pursue, as well by Force of Arms, as by all other means of Revenge; all manner of Persons of what State soever they shall be, and their Abettors, that shall attempt any Act, Council, or Consent to any thing that shall tend to the Harm of her Majesties Royal Person, and will never desist from all manner of Forcible Pursuit against such Persons, to the utter Extermination of them, their Counsellors, Aid∣ers and Abettors.

And if any such wicked Attempt against her most Royal Person, shall be taken in hand, or procured, whereby any that have, may or shall pretend Title to come to this Crown, by the untimely Death of her Majesty so wickedly procured (which God for his Mercy sake forbid) may be avenged; We do not only bind our selves both joyntly and severally never to Allow, Accept, or Favour any such pretended Successor, by whom, or for whom any such detestable Act shall be Attempted or Committed, as unworthy of all Government in any Christian Realm or Civil State.

But do also further Vow and Protest as we are most bound, and that in the Presence of the Eternal and Everlasting God, to Prosecute such Person and Persons to Death with our joynt or particular Forces, and to ask the utmost Revenge upon them that by any means we or any of us can devise and do, or cause to be devised and done for their ut∣ter Overthrow and Extirpation.

And to the better Corroboration of this our Loyal Band and Association, We do also te∣stifie by this Writing, that we do confirm the Contents hereof by our Oaths corporal∣ly taken upon the Holy Evangelist, with this express Condition; That no one of us shall for any respect of Persons or Causes, or for Fear or Reward, separate our selves from this Association, or fail in the Prosecution thereof, during our Lives, upon pain of be∣ing by the rest of us prosecuted, and supprest as perjur'd Persons, and as Publick Enemies to God, our Queen, and to our Native Country. To which Punishment and Pains we do voluntarily submit ourselves, and every of us, without Benefit of any Colour or Pre∣tence.

In Witness of all which Premises to be inviolably kept, we do to this Writing put our Hands and Seals; and shall be most ready to accept and admit any other hereafter, to this Society and Association.