"Yet though the church covenant idea, as it is known to us, does not seem definitely to appear in the New Testament, and though the term covenant employed in relation to a Christian church is evidently of comparatively late date, it is interesting to note that in Asia Minor, very early in the Christian era, namely, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (A. D. 98-117), there were Christians who seem to have made use of an idea practically equivalent to, though earlier and therefore naturally more informal than, the church covenant idea of later times. This fact is clearly manifested in the wellknown letter of Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan (written about the year A. D. 112), in which he says "that they [the Christians of that time in Pliny's domain] bound themselves by an oath at their meetings not to be guilty of theft, or robbery, or adultery, or the violation of their word or pledge." This oath resembles the earliest church covenants of later times, though, of course, the term covenant was not used.

"It seems highly probable that other examples of early church oaths are to be found in the remaining literature of the period contained either in the reported confessions of Christians or in the early Christian writings. As to the origin of these church oaths, there is, it would seem, a reasonable explanation. It is a well-known fact that of the two classes of Jewish proselytes the "Proselytes of the Gate" "bound themselves to avoid . . . blasphemy, idolatry, murder, uncleanness, theft, disobedience toward the authorities, and the eating of flesh with its blood." It was evidently a regular requirement imposed by the Jews that these Gentile Proselytes of the Gate should make such an oath. Likewise when the Jews became Christians and formed a Jewish Christian church, as in Jerusalem, they seem to have retained this custom, and to have required of the Gentile Christians in Antioch, as recorded in Acts 15: 19, 20, and repeated in slightly different phraseology in ver. 29 of the same chapter, "that

they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood." When Gentile or chiefly Gentile churches later began to be formed it is not surprising to find, therefore, especially in Asia Minor where Jewish influence was very strongly felt, that the church oath is recorded as being a custom within the church of Jesus Christ itself. How widely the use of the church oath spread among the early churches is probably as yet hidden in the records of antiquity still remaining. We know already, however, the origin of the church oath, and the time and conditions of its origin, as given in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles."-Burrage: The Covenant Idea, pp. 11, 12.

In the ages before the Reformation the covenant idea practically disappeared from the teaching of the church, but with the Reformation it reappeared, and first apparently in the teaching of the Anabaptists Mr. Burrage believes that the idea of a covenant can be found in the literature which immediately preceded the Reformation.

In the year 1523, in a book written by Hans Locher, entitled "Ein tzeitlang geschwigner christlicher Bruder," occurs the following: "If indeed, we have borne in us the likeness of the Father since the creation and if indeed we have given ourselves over to faith and service and have praised and sworn in baptism, after we received the garment of blamelessness, to work for the Lord's profit, to avoid evil and to do good; therefrom will follow our duty to obey his will with all possible industry." This was written unmistakably by an Anabaptist, as baptism is spoken of so prominently; but this brotherhood evidently had had an existence for some time, at least, before the Reformation began, and apparently had become Anabaptist as the Reformation progressed, for the writer refers to his memory of the long history of his Society (alten Geschichte seiner Gemeinschaft).

Of the foregoing Burrage says: "In the above without doubt are the elements of the church covenant idea, the mem

bers of the brotherhood giving themselves over to faith and service, and swearing, or promising, to work for the Lord's profit, to avoid evil, and to do good. Whether such a covenant was employed in this brotherhood before it became Anabaptist in belief, or in others that went through a like experience, is an open question.

"The church covenant idea seems to have been of slow and uncertain evolution, and our knowledge of it in these earliest times is but meagre on account of the scarcity of printed records. Yet from 1523 to the present time one comes in history again and again upon this idea, sometimes more, sometimes less, clearly expressed."-The Covenant Idea, pp. 13, 14.

III. THE SCOTCH COVENANTS

The covenant idea received a new, and so far as we know, as entirely independent emphasis in the development of the Reformation in Scotland. We do not know from what source the Scotch people obtained the idea, but the rise of the Covenanters in the middle of the sixteenth century determined the destiny of Scotland.

In speaking of the early Scotch covenants, James Kerr, D. D., says that the people of Scotland "were led to bind themselves together in 'bands,' or covenants, and together to God, in prosecution of their aims. At Dun, in 1556, they entered into a 'Band' in which they vowed to 'refuse all society with idolatry.' At Edinburgh, in 1557, they entered into 'ane Godlie Band,' vowing that 'we, by his grace, shall, with all diligence, continually apply our whole power, substance, and our lives to maintain, set forward, and establish the most blessed word of God.' At Perth, in 1559, they entered into covenant 'to put away all things that dishonor his name that God may be truly and purely worshiped.' At Edinburgh, in 1560,, they entered into covenant 'to procure, by all means possible, that the truth of God's word may have free passage within this realm.' And these covenants were soon followed by the Confession of Faith prepared by Knox and five other reformers, and acknowledged by the three Estates as 'wholesome and sound doctrine grounded upon the infallible truth of God.'"The Covenants and the Covenanters, pp. 12, 13.

Fortunately the text of all the important Scotch Covenants has been preserved. The one signed in the winter of 1557 by the early reformers, known as the First Covenant, reads as follows:

We, perceiving how Satan, in his members, the Antichrists of our time, cruelly doth rage, seeking to overthrow and to destroy the evangel of Christ and His Congregation, ought, according to our bounden duty, to strive in our Master's cause even unto the death, being certain of the victory in Him. The which our duty being well considered, we do promise, before the majesty of God and His Congregation, that we (by his grace) shall with all diligence continually apply our whole power, substance, and our very lives, to maintain, set forward, and establish the most blessed Word of God and His Congregation; and shall labour at our possibility to have faithful ministers purely and truly to minister Christ's evangel and sacraments to His people. We shall maintain them, nourish them, and defend them, the whole Congregation of Christ, and every member thereof, at our whole powers and wearing of our lives, against Satan, and all wicked power that does intend tyranny or trouble against the foresaid Congregation. Unto the which Holy Word and Congregation we do join us, and also do forsake and renounce the congregation of Satan, with all the superstitious abomination and idolatry thereof; and, moreover, shall declare ourselves manifestly enemies thereto, by this our faithful promise before God, testified to His Congregation, by our subscriptions at these presents. At Edinburgh, the 3d day of December 1557 years. Text from "The History of Scotland." By John Mill Burton.

"A great advance was reached," says Doctor Kerr, "by the National Covenant of 1580. This National Covenant, or Second Confession of Faith was prepared by John Craig... Its original title was 'Ane Short and Generall Confession of the True Christiane Faith and Religione, according to God's verde and Actis of our Perlamentis, subserybed by the Kingis Majestie and his Household, with sindrie otheris, to the glorie of God and good example of all men, att Edinburghe, the 28 day of Januare, 1580, and 14 yeare of his Majestie's reigne." "

This covenant was subscribed again in 1590 and 1596, and was renewed February 28, 1638, and "was transcribed into hundreds of copies, carried throughout the country from north to south and east to west, and subscribed everywhere.' The National Covenant, as finally renewed, is a long document, containing two additions to the original covenant, one summarizing the Acts of Parliament, the other consisting of special religious articles for the time. ("The Covenants and the Covenanters.' By James Kerr, D. D., Edinburgh, 1895,