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.
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