Majeftic, our Clementiffime Lord; nor to any State of the Empire, or any other: But onely for the Confervation of the Doctrine and Truth of the Gospell, and of the Peace and Tranquillite in the Empyre and Alemayns nation, and to withstand wrongfull Violence from us and our fubjects and allyes; and onely in cafe of Defence, and in fuch cafe as every of us may bear and fuffer the juft Knowlege and Decifion of his own Caufe, as is aforefaid, and none other wife; and if any man wol be joyned to this our Confederacion, which is not conprehended in it already, fo that he be dedicate to the Worde of God, and fhall permitte the fyncere Doctrine of the Gofpell, conformable to our Confeffion, exhibited to the Emperors Majeftie, and to all the Orders of the Empire in the Affemble at Augfburg, freely to be preached, tought, and kept in his Lands, Province, and Dominions, and woll conftantely ftyck to the fame Doctrine, he or they ought to be afcribed and receyved in this Confederacion, by the affent and will of us all. AND bycaufe that Chriften Confederacion, which fhall be finished the Sunday.invocavit, the year of our Lord 1537, hath lafted the other fix years laft paft, between us, excepted us Ulrich, Duke of Wertemberg, &c. and us Bernim and Philipp, Dukes of Pomeren; us John, George, and Joachim, Princes of Anhalt; and the Cities of Augiburgh, Frankford, Kempt, Hamibra, and Mynda; We, at their Friendly Friendly and Diligent Peticion, have receyved them into this our Confederation; and we do bynde our felfs eche to other agyn, that this Christen Leage fhall be proroged and extended, begynning from the faid Sunday invocavit, 1537, by the space of Ten Yeres next enfuyng, as this Christen Leage, by the Ten Yeres next enfuyng, ought to be kept and proroged conftantly, fyncerely, and bona fide, by us, and every of us, without any Frawde or Malign. · AND if it fhall happen us to entre Werre with any man for the Doctrine of the Reli gion, or any other Caufe depending of the fame, that fhuld not be finished within the space of the faid Ten Yeres; yet, nevertheles, although the faid time of Ten Yeres be utterly expired, yet the faid Expedicion fhall be contynued and profecuted, and the Werre brought to an ende; and that then it fhall not be Lawfull for of the Confederates to exempte him any of the fame, nor hope upon exemption, and from that tyme it fhall be Lawfull for the Confederates, to protract and prolong this Confederation, if they fhall fo think good. WE, the forefaid Electors and Princes, Erles, and Magiftrates of Cities, by interpofition of our Feith infteed of an other, do Promife, and take upon us, for us, and for our Heires, conftantly and perpetually to obferve and performe all and fingular the Premifles truely and fyncerely as it behoveth Princes and Good Men. And that we fhall nor doe, nor procure any thing, in any wife, to be done against this Leage and Confederation: But, in all Points, fhall deale and procede trucly and fincerely, without any Frawde or Malengin. And, for more Credence and confirmacion of all and every thofe Things, every of us, the faid Electors, Princes, Erles, and Cities, in the name of us our Highnes and Succeffors, have caufed our Scals, wittingly and willingly, to be fett to thefe Prefents, which have been given the Yere of the Nativite of our Savyor Jefus Chrift 1536*." Cotton Lib. Cleop. E. vi. p. 303. As to the Churches of the Reformed, as they are styled, Covenanting will be found as frequent among them: The Church of Geneva, for example. The form of the bond which they ufed has eluded my refearches ; but Beza, who wrote the Life of Calvin, affures us, "that he contended, That, all the people being af fembled, they fhould openly abjure Popery, and SWEAR unto the Chriftian Religion and Difcipline, comprehended under a few heads: And although not a few refused, through the rage of faction; yet God granted, that, on the 20th day of July 1537, the capital articles of the Chriftian Religion and Difcipline were Apud BURNET's Collection, p. 99-102. I am not certain whether the Articles of Faith, which were Sworn to and Subscribed, might not be the Confeffion of Faith which is entitled, "Formula Confeffionis," &c. in Calvin's Works. SWORN SWORN by the Senate and people of Geneva ž a public fcribe fetting them an example." The fame author alfo gives us to understand, that this LEAGUE extended to Bern, and Loufanne, as well as Geneva. The Churches of Holland practifed this duty, as well as thofe of Geneva and Switzerland. It appears, that every congregation had its own bond; and, when perfons offered to partake of the facrament of the Lord's Supper, they entered into a folemn covenant, as the term of their admiffion. Says ZEPPERUS, one of their minifters, "When perfons are admitted to the Lord's Table, they make a public profeílion of their faith before all the Church; and likeways promife and coVENANT, that they will continue in that faith, and lead their lives accordingly *" CALVIN feems to think, that it was a practice of this kind which, under Antichrift, was transformed into CONFIRMATION. And, as COMMENIUS obferves, the Bohemian Churches preferved this inftitution in its purity: For fuch as were admitted to special fellowship among them made a folemn profeffion of their faith before all the congregation, engaging to live according to the rules of the Gospel. This term of admiffion was not precipitately received among the Churches in Holland, however; * ZEPPERUS de Polit. Eccl. Lib. I. cap. xii. but, the cafe being maturely confidered, it was enjoined by the authority of feveral fynods *. If we furvey the Churches of Sweden, we will find them equally careful in bringing individual members, as well as public perfons, under folemn engagements to maintain the doctrine, worship, and discipline òf divine appointment. Puffendorff affures, that, as the light of the Gofpel was diffufed in that country, by the perufal of the holy Scriptures in their mothertongue, fo" the King and Estates obliged themfelves, BY A SOLEMN OATH, to maintain the Lutheran religion with all their power †:" And covenant-renovation appears to have obtained in the fame church; they afterwards formed an ASSOCIATION, at least, under the aufpices of Duke Charles, for the defence of the Protestant religion; and to defeat the infidious practices of Sigifmund for its overthrow. As to the Churches of Hungary and Tranfylvania, two different fynods PRESCRIBE AN OATH to be taken by fuperintendants, minifters, elders, and candidates for the holy miniftry, and fuch as are converted from error unto the truth §.-From the eastern point of * INCREASE MATHER, Order of the Churches in New England, p. 20. PUFFENDORFF's Introduction to the Hiftory of Europe, P. 476. PUFFENDORFF, p. 486. ut fupra. Vide Canones Ecclef. Helvet. in Synod. COMJATHINE et VARADINI Statuti ann. 1632, Class I. Can. 7, 8, 27. Class II. Can. 2, 5; 7, 8. Europe |