aving before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement of the
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the honour and happiness
of [the[18] King's Majesty and his posterity] and the true public
liberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms, wherein every one's private
condition is included; and calling to mind the treacherous and bloody
plots, conspiracies, attempts and practices of the enemies of God
against the true religion and professors thereof in all places,
especially in these three kingdoms, ever since the reformation of
religion; and how much their rage, power, and presumption are of late,
and at this time increased and exercised, whereof the deplorable estate
of the church and kingdom of Ireland, the distressed estate of the
church and kingdom of England, and the dangerous estate of the church
and kingdom of Scotland, are present and public testimonies. We have now
at last [[19] after other means of supplication, remonstrance,
protestation and suffering] for the preservation of ourselves and our
religion from utter ruin and destruction, according to the commendable
practice of these kingdoms in former times, and the example of God's
people in other nations, after mature deliberation, resolved and
determined to enter into a mutual and Solemn League and Covenant:
Wherein we all subscribe, and each one of us for himself, with our hands
lifted up to the Most High God, do swear--

1. That we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace of
God, endeavour in our several places and callings, the preservation of
the reformed religion in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship,
discipline, and government, against our common enemies; the reformation
of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine,
worship, discipline and government, according to the Word of God, and
the example of the best reformed churches; and shall endeavour to bring
the churches of God in the three kingdoms, to the nearest conjunction
and uniformity in religion, Confession of Faith, Form of
Church-government, Directory for Worship and Catechizing; that we and
our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and love, and
the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us.

2. That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavor
the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy (that is, church government by
arch-bishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deans
and chapters, archdeacons