Covenanters are not anti-government people. We are not violent revolutionaries. We do not hate
lawful authority (whether in the family, church, or state). We believe that all lawful authority is appointed by
God (within these various spheres) in order to promote His glory and the welfare of those made in His image.
To the contrary, we love our homeland, the land of our birth. We are peace-loving people who seek to follow
God's Word in Romans 12: 18: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
However, we do grieve over the gross treason and tyranny committed by the Divine ordinance of civil
government in nations throughout the world. We mourn that civil magistrates have flagrantly and obstinately
abused God's authority in order to protect and defend idolatry, false religion, heresy, blasphemy, covenant-
breaking, Sabbath-breaking, the murder of unborn children, sexual perversion of every kind, and legalized
theft through oppressive taxation. We humbly pray that God will by His Gospel and Spirit grant faith and
repentance to civil rulers that they might rule according to the lawful duties that are theirs as articulated in
God's Law and summarized in our Solemn League and Covenant. We will stand upon God's Word and the
faithful witnesses of Christ from the past, like the godly and learned Samuel Rutherford who was assailed with
the same false allegations, but who responded with these words:
Truth to Christ cannot be treason to Caesar . . . (Lex Rex or The Law and the Prince, cited from Mr.
Rutherford's "Preface"). |
