COVENANTS, 'TIE. A term by which the Scottish people denoted association of 'bands' under oath to support each other in times of danger, or to maintain sonic principle. The most famous ones are the National Corcnant of 1038, and the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643, which are often referred to simply as the Cove nant, though they should be clearly distinguished. The National Covenant was an agreement signed by all classes in Scotland to resist by force the introduction into Scotland by Charles I. of a modified form of the English Book of Common Prayer, and a new body of canons increasing the nominal power of the Scottish bishops. The nobles disliked the increased power of the bishops because they were beginning to look upon them as rivals, and because they feared that Charles would proceed to a recovery of the Church lands: while the commons disliked the Prayer Book, not only because it was English, hut also because they looked upon it as a popish innovation. The Covenant was based upon a previous one of 1580, whose object was to maintain the Scottish Pres byterian Church against a Catholic conspiracy, but it added numerous citations of Parliamentary acts bearing upon the subject of religion, and a mutual oath "to labor by all means lawful to re cover the purity and liberty of the gospel as it was established and professed before the afore said innovations." It became the basis of the Scotch resistance to the King, which culminated in the two Bishops' wars and the termination of Charles's arbitrary rule.
The ,Solemn League and Covenant was an agree ment between the English and Scottish Parlia ments by which the Sentch came with an army to the assistance of the English Parliament in the war against Charles I., on condition that
Presbyterianism should be introduced into land and Ireland. The Parliament accepted the condition somewhat unwillingly, but in view of the Royalist successes in 1643. Scotch aid seemed indispensable. The Covenant was generally signed by the members of the House of Commons and the Assembly of Divines. It was imposed by ordinance upon all persons over eighteen years of age, upon members of the uni versities, and upon officers and soldiers of the New Model, although the ordinances could not be strictly enforced. It was not only the bond of union between England and Scotland during the war, but was used as test against the rising Independents, and, as such, encountered lively opposition. The signers took oath to labor for "the preservation of the reformed religion in the Church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, . . . the reforma tion of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the Word of God, and the example of the best reformed churches," and to endeavor "to bring. the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion, confession of faith, forni of Church government, direction for worship, and cateehising." Both covenants were abolished at the Restoration, and their adherents severely persecuted. They are printed in Gardiner, Con stitutional Documents of the Puritan llerolution (London, 1897). Consult, also: Gardiner, His tory of England (London, IS83-84) ; and id., areal Civil War, vol. i. (London, 1886). See PRESBYTERIANISM.