Solemn League and Covenant 2024

It is impossible to complete the mission of the church without a confession. It is impossible to have a confession without subscribing to it. The church must produce a form of sound words, in order both to promote and confirm their knowledge, and also to guard them against the hazard of being led into errors; and, as they must be regarded as all agreed, with respect to the main outline of the truths which they believe, they are deeply interested in obtaining some security that those who are to become their teachers in future generations shall continue to teach the same divine and saving truths.

2024 General Equity Changes to the League:

SOLEMN LEAGUE

AND

COVENANT,

FOR

REFORMATION,

AND

Defense of Religion, The Honor

and happiness of Christ’s Church, and the Peace

and Safety of the Kingdom of Christ in the World,

Taken and Subscribed by the elders and deacons of the

Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King,

Following the

Act of the General Assembly of 1643

Ratifying And Approving

the said League And Covenant.
Jer. 50:5 Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten.
Prov. 25:5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
2 Chron. 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart.
Gal. 3:15 Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed by an oath, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto.

Updated in the spirit of the General Equity of the Standards, in the United State of America,

Printed by Puritan Publications,

2024.

Preface

Following the Assembly’s approbation at EDINBURGH, August 17, 1643. Sess. 14,

of the SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT.

 

The Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King stands in solidarity with the committees that have previously established the original Solemn League. Our aim is to bring Christ’s church closer together in union. Following careful consideration, we wholeheartedly endorse the Solemn League as a matter of great importance and biblical necessity. We do so with the same fervor and joy the original Westminster Assembly experienced when renewing the National Covenant of the church. With unanimous agreement, we see the Solemn League as a powerful means, by God’s blessing, to uphold and preserve the true Protestant religion in perfect peace worldwide. We aim to spread it to all nations and to establish biblical commitment to Christ’s reign as King for future generations. With utmost sincerity, we publish and approve the Solemn League and Covenant of 2024. We call upon all true believers of the reformed religion to join us in solemnly swearing and subscribing to it, with public humility and religious solemnity, for the glory of Christ. 

January 2024.

 

Preamble

In accordance with the Act passed in Edinburgh in the year 1641, recognizing the necessity for religious reformation, we hereby affirm, endorse, and validate the aforementioned mutual League and Covenant regarding the reformation and defense of religion, the glory of Jesus Christ, and the well-being of the Lord’s churches. We authorize the application of the same, along with the aforementioned articles of treaty, to possess full authority and efficacy, to be adhered to by all of Christ’s churches, in accordance with their respective terms.

Tenor

Of which League and Covenant, the tenor follows:

 

The Solemn League and Covenant, for reformation and defense of religion, the honor and happiness of the churches of Jesus Christ, and the peace and safety of the church in the world;  we will follow the vow taken by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with Commissioners of the Convention of Estates and General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; and having been approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and by both Houses of Parliament, and the Assembly of Divines in England, and taken and subscribed by them in the year 1643; and thereafter, by the said authority, taken and subscribed by all ranks in Scotland and England the same year; and ratified by act of the Parliament of Scotland anno 1644. (And again renewed in Scotland, with an acknowledgement of sins and engagements to duties, by all ranks, anno 1648, and by Parliament, 1649; and taken and subscribed by King Charles II, at Spey, June 23, 1650; and at Scoon, January 1, 1651.)

 

We elders and deacons of the Gospel, and commons of all sorts, throughout the kingdoms of the World, by the providence of GOD living under CHRIST THE KING, and being of one reformed religion, having before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST, to the true public liberty, safety, and peace of the church in the world, in which every one’s private condition is included: and calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plots, conspiracies, attempts, and practices of the enemies of GOD, against the true religion and professors of it in all places, ever since the reformation of religion; and how much their rage, power, and presumption, are of late, and at this time, increased and exercised, of which the deplorable state of the Church, the distressed state of the Church, and the dangerous state of the Church in the world, show in such present and public testimonies: we have now at last (after other means of supplication, remonstrance, protestation, and sufferings), for the preservation of ourselves and our religion from utter ruin and destruction, according to the commendable practice of The Assembly in former times, and the example of GOD’S people in other nations, after mature deliberation, resolved and determined to enter into a MUTUAL and SOLEMN League and Covenant, in which we all subscribe, and each one of us for himself, with our hands lifted up to the Most High GOD, do swear,

Vows

  1. That we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace of GOD, endeavor, in our several places and callings, the preservation of the reformed religion in the Church, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, against our common enemies; the reformation of religion in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the Word of GOD, and the example of the best reformed Churches (especially noting churches of England, Ireland and Scotland during the time of the Assembly, and of churches in varied countries under the guidance of reformers such as John Knox and John Calvin in the magisterial reformation); and shall endeavor to bring the Churches of GOD to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion, and as ministers and deacons of the Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King, vow to uphold all parts of the Westminster Standards: the Westminster Confession of Faith, Presbyterial Form of Church Government, Directory for Public Worship, Directory for Private Worship, the Catechizing of the Larger and Smaller Catechisms, in which shall be included the Sum of Saving Knowledge, and the Solmen League and Covenant itself, along with the eminent Canons and Decrees of the Synod of Dordt, that we, and our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and love, and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us, as we seek to uphold the truth of Scripture.
  2. That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavor the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy (that is, Church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissioners, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy), superstition, heresy, schism, profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness; lest we partake in other men’s sins, and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues; and that the Lord may be one, and his church one, in the world.
  3. We shall, with the same sincerity, reality, and constancy, in our several vocations, endeavor, with our estates and lives, mutually to preserve the rights and privileges of the liberties of the common brethren in the church; and to preserve and defend Christ’s church, in the preservation and defense of the true religion and liberties bestowed upon us as members of His body; that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our loyalty, and that we have no other thoughts or intentions to diminish the Lord’s Christ’s just power and greatness.
  4. We shall also, with all faithfulness, endeavor the discovery of all such as have been or shall be incendiaries, malignants, or evil instruments, be hindering the reformation of religion, dividing the people in heart, mind or soul, or one church from another that seeks after the truth, or making any faction or parties among the people, contrary to this League and Covenant; that they may be deposed from any church attempting to join with us that does not adhere to this Solemn League and the documents annexed to it, to receive adequate discipline, as the degree of their offenses shall require or deserve, or the supreme judicatories of the church respectively, or others having power from them for that effect, shall judge convenient.
  5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed peace in the church, denied in former times to our progenitors, is, by the good providence of GOD, granted to us, and had been concluded and settled by the Assembly in times past; we shall, each one of us, according to our place and interest, endeavor that we all may remain conjoined in a firm peace and union to all posterity; and that justice may be done upon the willful opposers thereof, in manner expressed in the precedent article.
  6. We shall also, according to our places and callings, in this common cause of religion, liberty, and peace of the church of CHRIST, assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant, in the maintaining and pursuing of it; and shall not suffer ourselves, directly or indirectly, by whatsoever combination, persuasion, or terror, to be divided or withdrawn from this blessed union and conjunction, whether to make defection to the contrary part, or to give ourselves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause, which so much concerns the glory of God, the good of church, and honor of CHRIST THE KING; but shall, all the days of our lives, zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition, and promote the same, according to our power, against all lets and impediments whatsoever; and what we are not able ourselves to suppress or overcome, we shall reveal and make known, that it may be timely prevented or removed: All which we shall do as in the sight of God.

Attested

And, because the current state of the general course of Christendom being guilty of many sins and provocations against GOD, and his Son JESUS CHRIST, as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers, the fruits thereof; we profess and declare, before GOD and the world, our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own sins, and for the sins of the church and nations we live in; especially that we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel; that we have not labored for the purity and power thereof; and that we have not endeavored to receive Christ in our hearts, not to walk worthy of him in our lives; which are the causes of other sins and transgression so much abounding amongst us: and our true and unfeigned purpose, desire, and endeavor, for ourselves, and all others under our power and charge, both in public and private, in all duties we owe to GOD and man, to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the example of a real reformation; that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation, and establish his glorious CHURCH in truth and peace. And this Covenant we make in the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD, the Searcher of all hearts, with a true intention to perform the same, as we shall answer at that great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed; most humbly beseeching the LORD to strengthen us by his HOLY SPIRIT for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with such success, as may be deliverance and safety to his people, and encouragement to other Christian Churches, groaning under, or in danger of the yoke of antichristian tyranny, to join in the same or like association and covenant, to the glory of GOD, the enlargement of the kingdom of JESUS CHRIST, and the peace and tranquility of Christian kingdoms and commonwealths.

 Signed January of 2024: 

Agreed upon by all ministers and deacons of the Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King.