ing a parallel betwixt their contendings
and attainments, and our present national defections and backsliding,
courses, in these few particulars following.

Our venerable reformers were not only highly instrumental in the Lord's
hand in bringing a people out of the abyss of gross Popish darkness
(under which they had for a long time continued), but also brought
themselves under most solemn and sacred vows and engagements to the Most
High, and whenever they were to set about any further piece of
reformation in their advancing state, they always set about the
renovation of these covenants.--They strenuously asserted the divine
right of presbytery, the headship of Christ, and intrinsic rights of his
church in the reign of James VI. and suffered much on that
account--lifted arms once and again in the reign of Charles I.; and
never ceased until they got an uniformity in doctrine, worship,
discipline, and church-government, brought out and established betwixt
the three kingdoms for that purpose[7], whereby both church and state
were enabled to exert themselves in rooting out every error and heresy
whatever, until they obtained a complete settlement according to the
word of God, and our covenants established thereon; which covenants were
then by several excellent acts both civil and ecclesiastic[8] made the
MAGNA CHARTA of these nations, with respect to every civil and religious
privilege; none being admitted unto any office or employment in church
or state, without scriptural and covenant qualifications.--And then was
that part of the antient prophecy further fulfilled, _In the wilderness
shall waters break forth, and streams in the desart,--and the isles
shall wait for his law_. Christ then reigned gloriously in Scotland. His
church appeared _beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem:--For from the
outmost parts were heard songs, even glory to the righteous_.

And although Charles II. and a set of wicked counsellors overturned the
whole fabric of that once-glorious structure of reformation, openly
divested the Son of God of his headship in and over his own church, as
far as human laws could do, burned these solemn covenants by the hands
of the hangman (the owning of which was by act of parliament[9] made
high treason afterward).--Yet even then the seed of the church produced
a remnant who kept the word of Christ's patience stood in defence of
the whole of his persecuted truths, in face of all opposition, and that
to the effu