est
guilt, and incurring the dreadful resentment of a holy and jealous God,
who has severely threatened to punish covenant-breakers. And hence they
assert, that the National Covenant of _Scotland_, and the Solemn League
and Covenant entered into by the three nations, for reformation and
defense of religion, and for the maintainance and preservation of the
truths and ordinances of God in purity, and sworn by our honored
ancestors, not only for themselves, but including also their posterity,
are of divine authority, as having their foundation upon the word of
God; therefore moral, and so perpetually binding upon the nations, and
every individual of them, to the latest posterity. Wherefore, the
Presbytery testify against the principle of refusing the lawfulness of
national covenanting, particularly, under the New Testament
dispensation, and all principles and practices that strike against the
moral obligation of these covenants; see Deut. vi, 13, Isa. ix, 18, and
xliv, 5; Jer. 1, 5; Deut. xxix, 12 to 16, 24, 25; Lev. xxvi, 25, 26;
Josh, ix, 14, 15, 18, 19; 2 Sam. xxi, 1; Ezek. xvi, 59, and xvii, 15,
16, 18, 19; Hos. x, 4; Gal. iii, 15; 2 Cor. viii, 5. See also acts and
ordinances both of church and state in times of reformation, respecting
the taking, and binding obligation, of the covenants.

Again, the Presbytery hereby testify and declare their approbation of,
and adherence unto, all the different steps of reformation, that ever,
in any period, were attained unto in this church and land: particularly,
besides what has been mentioned above, they declare their adherence to
the Westminster Confession of Faith, as it was approven by act of the
General Assembly of the Church of _Scotland, anno_ 1647: Catechisms,
larger and shorter; Form of church government, Directory for worship,
and Books of Discipline, as agreeable to, and extracted from the sacred
oracles.

And with respect to the fourth article of the 23d chapter of our
Confession, the Presbytery hereby declare, that they reject that corrupt
sense and gloss which has been imposed upon it, whether by open enemies,
or false friends to our covenanted reformation in former or latter
times, viz., That a reformed Christian people, having generally
received, and publicly professing the true religion; and more
especially, having expressly and solemnly bound themselves by public
national vows to the Most High, for the preservation of it, may
warrantably set over them an infide