confession and covenants, fundamental acts and constitutions both of church and state and this, according to the command of the church’s sole King and Head; Rev. ii, 25, and iii, 11.  And what is testified against, is, in the nature of it, an homologation of the church’s faithful opposition to backsliders, in their course of defection, from the national, attainments in religion and reformation, resisting even unto blood, striving against sin.

XVIII.  OF OATHS AND VOWS.—­The Presbytery further assert and declare, that oaths and vows are a part of religious worship, warranted in the word of God, and under the New Testament dispensation, and may be lawfully taken and entered into by the Lord’s people.  That such oaths and vows only are warrantable, as are lawful both for the matter and the manner of them; and those that are so, when once engaged in, must not be violated on any consideration, and that, because of the authority of the awful name of God interposed in them.  And further, they declare, that the right of administering oaths is competent only to those vested with such authority as is agreeable to the word of truth.  As also, that it is the incumbent duty of Christians, by solemn oath to bind themselves to maintain and defend the persons of righteous rulers, in the lawful exercise of their authority; and to such only, it is lawful to swear oaths of allegiance and fidelity.  And hereby, they disapprove the principle of refusing allegiance to lawful authority.  At the same time, the Presbytery testify against, as above, all the oaths of allegiance in being, to an Erastian Prelatical government.  And further, they reject and detest that sinful, idolatrous and superstitious form of swearing, in laying the hand upon, and kissing the gospels, practiced by the Prelatical churches of England and Ireland, and even introduced into Scotland, as a gross profanation of that holy ordinance, and contrary to the scripture examples thereof.  Hereby they also testify against all sinful swearing, whereby the name of God, his titles, perfections, or graces of his Holy Spirit, are profaned in ordinary discourse.  As also, the unnecessary oaths of customhouse, trade, &c., as a reiterated and fearful profanation of the name of God.  And moreover, they testify against, and condemn that ungodly and superstitious oath, practiced by that unhallowed club, called Free Masons:  according to Deut. x, 20; Exod. xx, 7; Neh. xiii, 25; Ezra x, 5; Deut. vi, 13; Matth. iv, 35, 36; Ezek. xvii, 16, 17, 18, 19; Rev. x, 5, 6; Jer. iv, 2. and v, 2; Confess. chap. 22.

Again, they testify and declare, that the work of solemn covenanting with a God in Christ, is a duty warranted in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and by the examples of the godly, agreeable thereto; and that not only to individuals in particular, but to churches and nations in general.  Which covenants once entered into, and being for the matter of them lawful, are most sacred, and therefore inviolably