COVENANT, in Ecclesiastical History, denotes the contract or convention agreed to by the Scotch in the year 1638, for maintaining their religion against innovation. In 1581 the General Assembly of Scotland drew up a confession of faith, or national covenant, condemning episcopal government, under the name of hierarchy. This covenant was signed by James I. and enjoined on all his subjects. It was again subscribed in 1590 and 1596. The subscription was renewed in 1638, and the subscribers engaged by oath to maintain religion in the same state in which it existed in 1580, and to reject all innovations introduced since that time. This oath annexed to the confession of faith received the name of the Covenant; as those who subscribed it were called Covenanters.
Solemn League and Covenant was established in the year 1643, and formed a bond of union between Scotland and England for the united preservation of the reformed religion in the Church of Scotland, and the extirpation of popery and prelacy. It was sworn and subscribed by many in both nations, approved by the parliament and assembly at Westminster, and ratified by the General Assembly of Scotland in 1645. King Charles I. disapproved of it when he surrendered himself to the Scottish army in 1646; but in 1650 Charles II. by a solemn oath declared his approbation both of this and of the national covenant; and in August the same year he made a further declaration at Dunfermline to the same purpose, which was also renewed on the occasion of his coronation at Scone in 1651. In the same year also the covenant was ratified by parliament, and subscription to it required from every member; it being declared that without such subscription the constitution of the parliament was null and void. It was afterwards renounced by Charles, and declared illegal, 14th Car. II. cap. 4.