National Covenant to detest all superstition
and heresy, without or against the Word of God, and doctrine of this
reformed kirk, according to the Scripture."

Duet. xii. 30, 31, 32--"Take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared by
following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee, and that
thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve
their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the
Lord thy God; for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth, have
they done unto their gods: for even their sons and their daughters they
have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you,
observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." Acts
xvii. 22--"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mar's-hill, and said--Ye men
of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious." Gal.
iv. 10--"Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." Gal. v.
20--"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies." Col. ii. 20--"Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ
from the rudiments of the world; why as though living in the world, are
ye subject to ordinances? verse 21, Touch not, taste not, handle not:
verse 23, Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and
humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh." Tit. iii. 10--"A man that is an heretic, after
the first and second admonition, reject."

Yet, in the darkness of the times of persecution, many dregs of Popish
superstition were observed, many omens and freets too much looked to;
Popish festival days--as Pasche, Yule, Fastings-even, &c, have been kept
by many; and Prelatical anniversary days, and festivities devised of
their own heart, appointed for commemorating the King's and Queen's
birthdays, (as May 29th, October 13th, February 6th,) who were born as a
scourge to this realm, were complied with by many. Yes, some have
superstitiously made use of the Scriptures as a fortune book, looking to
that which first cast up to them, or to impressions borne in upon their
minds from such and such places of Scripture as Divine responses,
without a due search of them as the Lord hath commanded. And many
wavering and unstable souls have been seduced unto damnable and
pernicious heresies, as Quakers, and delirious delusions, as those that
followed John Gib. All which have been breaches of Covenant, as well as
of D