Affembly at Glasgow, April 1581. Seff. 6,.

III. A&t explaining the Act condemning the Office of Bishops.

A

Nent the Act made in the Affembly, holden at Dundee, against Bifhops, because some Difficulty appeareth to fome Brethren to arife out of the Word [Office] contained in the faid Act, what should be meaned thereby; the Affembly, confifting for the moft Part of fuch as voted and were prefent in the Affembly at Dundee, to take away the faid Difficulty, refolving upon the true Meaning and Understanding of the Said Act, declare, That they mean'd wholly to condemn the whole Estate of Bishops, as they are now in Scotland; and that the fame was the Determination and Conclufion of the Affembly at this Time; because fome Brethren doubted whether the former Act was to be under ftopd of the fpiritual Function only, and others alledged that the whole Office of a Bishop, as it was used, was Damnable; and that, by the faid Act, the Bishops hould be charged to Demit the fame: This Affembly declareth, That they meaned wholly to Condemn the whole Estate of Bishops, as they were then in Scotland, and that this was the Meaning of the Affembly at that Time,

Alfembly at Glasgow, Decem, 5, 1638. Seff. 13.
IV. Act against the unlawful Oaths of Intrants.

T

HE Six Affemblies immediately preceding, for moft juft and weighty Reafons above-specified *, being found to be unlawful and null from the Beginning: The Affembly declareth the Oaths and Subfcrip

tions

* See Acts of Assembly 1638, from Page 9 to 15.

tions exacted by the Prelates of Intrants in the Miniftry, all this Time bypaft (as without any Pretext of of Warrant from the Kirk, fo for Obedience of the Acts of these null Affemblies, and contrair to the ancient and laudable Conftitutions of this Kirk, which never have been nor can be lawfully repelled, but muft ftand in Force) to be unlawful, and no Way obligatory. And in like Manner declareth, That the Power of Prefbyteries, and of Provincial and General Affemblies, hath been unjustly suppressed, but never lawfully abrogate: And therefore, that it hath been most lawful unto them, notwithstanding any Point unjustly objected by the Prelates to the contrair, to admit, fufpend, or deprive Ministers refpective within their Bounds, upon relevant Complaints, fufficiently proven; to choose their own Moderators, and to execute all the Parts of Ecclefiaftick Jurifdiction, according to their own Limits appointed them by the Kirk.

Affembly at Glafgow, December 8. 1638. Seff. 16.

V. At declaring Episcopacy to have been abjured by the Confeffion of Faith 1580, and to be removed out of this Kirk.

T

He Affembly taking to their moft grave and serious Confideration, Firft, The unfpeakable Goodness, and great Mercy of God, manifested to this Nation, in that fo neceffary, fo difficult, and fo excellent and divine Work of Reformation, which was at last brought to fuch Perfection, that this Kirk was reformed, not only in Doctrine and Worthip, but alfo after many Conferences, and publick Reafonings in divers National Affemblies, joined with folemn Humiliations and Prayers to God, the Dicipline and Government of the Kirk, as the Hedge and Guard of the Doctrine and Worfhip, was prefcribed according to the Rule of God's Word, in the Book of Policy and Difcipline, agreed upon in the Af fembly 1578, and infert in the Register 1581, eftabli

thed

fhed by the Acts of Affemblies, by the Confeffion of Faith fworn and fubfcribed at the Direction of the Affembly, and by continual Practice of this Kirk. Secondly, That by Mens feeking their own Things, and not the Things of Jefus Chrift, divers Novations have been introduced, to the great Disturbance of this Kirk, fo firmly once compacted, and to the endangering of Religion, and many grofs Evils obtruded; to the utter Undoing of the Work of Reformation, and Change of the whole Form of Worship and Face of this Kirk. Thirdly, That all his Majefty's Subjects, both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, being, without Confent of the Kirk, commanded to re ceive with Reverence a new Book of Common Prayer, as the only Form to be used in God's publick Worship, and the Contraveeners to be condignly cenfured and punished; and, after many Supplications and Complaints, knowing no other Way for the Prefervation of Religion, were moved by God, and drawn by Neceffity, to renew the National Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdom, which the Lord fince hath bleffed from Heaven, and to fubfcribe the Confeffion of Faith, with an Application thereof, abjuring the great Evils wherewith they were now preffed, and fufpending the Practice of all Novations formerly introduced, till they fhould be tried in a free General Affembly. Lastly, That fome of his Majesty's Subjects, of fundry Ranks, have, by his Majefty's Commandment, fubfcribed and renewed the Confeffion of Faith, without the former Application; and that both the one, and the other Subscribers have subfcribed the faid Confeffion of Faith in this Year, as it was profeffed, and according to the Meaning that it had in this Kingdom, when it was first fubfcribed 1581, and afterward the Aflembly therefore, both by the Subfcription of his Majefty's High Cummiffioner, and of the Lords of Secret Council, September 22. 1638, and by the Acts of Council, of the Date forefaid, bearing that they fubfcribed the said Confeffion, and ordaining all his Majefty's Lieges to fubfcribe the fame, according to the forefaid Date and Tenor, and as it was then profeffed within this Kingdom; as likewife by the Proteftation of

:

fome

fome of the Senators of the College of Juftice, when they were required to fubfcribe; and by the many Doubtings of his Majefty's good Subjects, efpecially because the Subfcribers of the Confeffion in February 1638, are bound to fufpend the Approbation of the Corruptions of the Government of the Kirk, till they be tried in a free General Affembly; finding it proper for them, and most neceffary and incumbent to them, to give out the true Meaning thereof, as it was firft profeffed, that all his Majesty's Subjects, in a Matter fo important as is the publick Confeffion of Faith, fo folemnly fworn and subfcribed, may be of one Mind, and one Heart, and have full Satisfaction to all their Doubts; and that the Pofterity afterward may be fully perfuaded of the true Meaning thereof: After earnest calling upon the Name of God, fo religiously attested in the faid Confeffion, have entred into a diligent Search of the Registers of the Kirk, and Books of the General Affembly, which the greateft Part of the Affembly had not feen before, and which by the special Providence of God were preferved, brought to their Hands, and publickly acknowledged to be authentick; and have found, that in the latter Confeffion of the Kirk of Scotland, we profefs, That we detest all Traditions brought into the Kirk, without or against ⚫ the Word of God, and Doctrine of this reformed Kirk, Next, We abhor and deteft all contrary Religion and Doctrine, but chiefly all Kind of Papiftry in general, and particular Heads, as they were then damned and ⚫ confuted by the Word of God, and Kirk of Scotland; when the faid Confeffion was fworn and fubfcribed, Anno 1580 and 1581, 1590 and 1591. Thirdly, That we deteft the Roman Antichrift, his worldly Monarchy, and wicked Hierarchie. Fourthly, That we join our felves to this reformed Kirk in Doctrine, Faith, Religi on, and Difcipline; promifing and fwearing by the " great Name of GOD, That we fhall continue in the * Doctrine and Discipline of this Kirk, and defend the fame according to our Vocation and Power, all the Days of our Life.'

But fo it is, that Epifcopal Government is abhorred

and

and detefted, and the Government by Minifters and Elders, in Affemblies General and Provincial, and Prefby teries, was fworn to and fubscribed, in fubfcribing that Confeffion, and ought to be holden by us, if we adhere to the Meaning of the Kirk, when that Confeffion was framed, fworn to, and subscribed; unto which we are obliged by the National Oath and Subscription of this Kirk, as is evident by the Acts of General Affemblies, agreed upon, both before, at, and after the fwearing and fubfcribing of the faid Confeffion, in the Years abovementioned, and the Book of Policy agreed upon in the Affembly, which was holden at Edinburgh the Twentyfourth of April, and Twenty-fourth of October, Anno 1578, infert in the Regifter of the Kirk, by Ordinance of the Affembly holden at Glasgow 1581; and to be fub fcribed by all Minifters that then did bear, or thereafter were to bear Office in this Kirk, by Ordinance of the Affembly holden the Fourth of Auguft, at Edinburgh 1590, and at Edinburgh the Second of July 1591, but especially in the 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and II Chapters of the faid Book.

It was alfo cleared that Epifcopacy was condemned in these Words of the Confeffion, HIS WICKED HIERARCHIE. For the Popish Hierarchie doth confift of Bishops, Prefbyters, and Deacons, that is Baptizing and Preaching Deacons: For fo it is determined in the Council of Trent, in the 4 Chap. De Sacramento ordinis, Can. 6. Si quis dixerit in Ecclefia Catholica non effe hierarchiam divina ordinatione inflitutam, quæ confat ex Epifcopis, Presbyteris & Miniftris, anathema fit. Bellarmine likewife, in his Book De Clericis, Cap. 11. faith, That there are three Hierarchies in the militant Kirk: The firft of Bishops, the fecond of Priefts, the third of Deacons; and that the Deacons are alfo Princes, if they be compared with the People: This Propofition following Hierarchia Ecclefiaflica conftat ex Ponti

* Cenfura propofitionum quarundam ex Hibernia delatarum per facram Facultatem Theologia Parifienfis facta.