stify against praying for success and
prosperity to such, in their stated opposition to the Lord and his
Anointed, or in any form implying a homologation of their title as
lawful, swearing oaths of fidelity and allegiance to such, accepting any
office from such, and executing these in their name and authority under
them, military associations with such, by a voluntary enlisting under
their banner, and fighting for their support and establishment. And that
in regard these are actions, as they express a proper and explicit
owning of the lawfulness of that authority, which they immediately
respect, so they are such as cannot be obtained without the actual
consent of the party performing, and must therefore imply a deliberate
approbation of foresaid iniquitous authority.

Further, they testify against a direct and active, free and voluntary
paying of tribute and other dues, unto such, and that for conscience
sake, as unto the ordinance of God, according to his precept; and
particularly, when these dues are required as a tessera of loyalty to
such; or when required, as an evidence of a person's active contributing
to the accomplishment of some wicked action, expressly declared to be
the immediate end of the imposition. Thus the case was in the time of
persecution, when the declared end of the additional cess, was the
immediate suppression of the pure preaching of the gospel in the fields.
As also, not only against professed witnesses for reformation
principles, their prosecuting of their witnessing brethren at law before
the courts of anti-scriptural, unqualified judges; but generally,
against all law processes, in a way of direct counteracting any part of
reformation attainments, or express homologating the authority of an
unlawful judge. And, in fine, against all voluntary subjection, for
conscience sake, unto such powers as are not the ordinance of God,
according to his revealed preceptive will, as contrary to scripture; 2
Sam. ii, 10; 2 Kings xi, 4, 17; 2 Chron. xix, 2; Isa. viii, 12 and lxv,
11; Rom. xiii, 1 to 8; 1 Cor. vi, 1 to 8, contrary to the acts of this
church approving, and ordinances of the state, establishing the civil
authority upon its scriptural foundation, and thereby discovering the
proper object of a Christian people's voluntary and conscientious
subjection; and particularly, to the act of classes. While in the
meantime, it must be acknowledged, that the state and condition of
Presbyterian Covenanters i