Records of the Kirk of Scotland / containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies from 1638 downwards, as authenticated by the clerks of assembly.

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

7. The Papists shall hereby be occasioned to renew their old objection against us, Annuas & menstruas fides de Deo decernunt, That our Faith changeth with the Moon, or once in the yeere. Other reformed Kirks might justly wonder at our inconstancy in changing our Confession without any reall necessity, and that in one and the same yeer it cometh forth larger, & more particular, then shorter, & more generall: & our Adversaries will not fail to traduce us as troublers of the peace of the kirk & kingdom without any necessar cause.

8. It will likewise prove a confirmation of their errour, who think they may both subscribe the Confession of Faith, and receive the Service book, and Canons, which is not only a direct scandaling of them, but also a ready way to put a weapon in their hands against our selves, who maintain and professe that these and such other evils are abjured in the Confession of Faith.

9. If we should now sweare this Confession, we should be obliged by our oath to maintain Perth articles, which are the innovations already introduced in the worship of God, and to maintain Episcopacy, with the civill places, and power of Kirkmen. Because we are bound to swear this Confession by vertue of & conform unto the Kings command signed by his sacred Majesty of the date September 9. 1638. (These are the very words subioyned to the Confession and Band, and prefixed to the Subscriptions) and it cannot be denyed, but any oath ministred unto us, must either be refused, or else taken according to the known mind, professed intention, and expresse command of Authority urging the same: And it is most manifest, that His Maiesties minde, intention, and Commandement, is no other, but that the Confession be sworne, for the maintenance of religion, as it is already or presently professed, (these two being coincident, altogether one and the same, not only in our common form of speaking, but in all His Maiesties Proclamations) and thus as it includeth, and conteineth within the compasse thereof, the foresaid novations and Episcopacy, which under that name were also ratified, in the first Parliament holden by his Majesty. And where it may be objected, that the Counsellors have subscribed the Confession of Faith, as it was professed 1580. and will not urge the Subscription in another sense upon the Subjects. We answer, First, the Act of Counsell containing that declaration, is not as yet published by Proclamation. Secondly, if it were so published, it behooved of necessity either be repugnant to His Majesties declared Iudgement and Command, which is more nor to sweare without warrand from Authority (a fault although unjustly, often objected unto us) or else we must affirme the Religion in the yeare 1580. and at this time to be altogether one and the same; and thus must acknowledge, that there is no novation of Religion, which were a formall contradiction to that we have sworne. 3. By approving the Proclamation anent the Oath to be administred to Ministers, according to the Act of Parliament, which is to sweare simple obedience to the Diocesan Bishop, and by warning all Archbishops and Bishops to be present; as having voice and place in the Assembly: They seem to determine, that in their Iudgement the Confession of Faith, as it was professed 1580. doth consist with Episcopacy, whereas We by our oath have referred the tryall of this or any other question of that kinde to the generall Assembly & Parliament.

10. This subscription and oath in the mind & intention of authority, & consequently in our swearing thereof may consist with the corruptions of the Service book & Canons, which we have abjured as other heads of Popery: For both this present proclamation, and his Majesties former proclamations at Linlithgow, Striveling, Edenburgh; The Lords of privy Counsell in their approbation of the same; and the prelates and doctors who stand for the Service book & Canons, Doe all speak plainly, or import so much, That these bookes are not repugnant to the Confession of Faith; and that the introducing of them is no novation of religion or law: And therefore wee must either refuse to subscribe now, or we must confesse contrary to our late Oath, and to a cleare Truth, That the Service book and Canons are no innovations in Religion. And, though the present bookes be discharged by proclamation, yet if we shall by any deed of our own testifie, that they may consist with our Confession of Faith, within a very short time, either the same bookes, or some other like unto them, with some small change, may be obtruded upon us, who by our abiuration (if we adhere unto it) have freed both our selves, and the posterity of all such corruptions, and have laid a faire foundation for the pure worship of God in all time comming.

11. Although there be indeed no substantiall difference between that which We have subscribed, & the Confession subscribed 1580. more than there is between that which is hid, and that which is revealed; A march stone hid in the ground, and uncovered, betwixt the hand closed and open, betwixt a sword scheathed and drawne, or betwixt the large Confession, registrat in the Acts of Parliament, and the short Confession, or (if we may with reuerence ascend yet higher) between the Old Testament & the New, yet as to scheath our sword when it should be drawn, were imprudency, or at the commandement of Princes, professedly Popish in their dominions, after the Subiects had subscribed both Confessions, to subscribe the first without the second, or at the will of a Jewish Magistrate, openly denying the New Testament, to subscribe the Old alone, after that they have subscribed both, were horrible impiety against God, and Treachery against the Truth: Right so, for Vs to subscribe the former a-part, as it is now urged and framed, without the explanation and application thereof at this time, when ours is reiected; and the subscribers of the former refvse to subscribe ours, as containing something substantially different, and urge the former upon us, as different from ours, and not expressing the speciall abiuration of the euils, supplicated against by us, were nothing else, but to deny and part from our former subscription, if not formally, yet interpretatively. Old Eleazar, who would not seeme to eate forbidden meate, and the Confessors and Martyrs of old, who would not seeme by delivering some of their papers, to render the Bible, or to deny the Truth, may teach us our duty in this case, although our lives were in hazard for refusing this Subscription: And who knoweth but the LORD may be calling His people now, who have proceeded so far in professing His Truth at this time, to such Trials and Confessions, as His faithfull witnesses have given of old; that in this point also our doing may be a document both to the succeeding ages, and to other Kirks, to whom for the present we are made a spectacle.

12. If any be so forgetfull of his oath (which God forbid) as to subscribe this Confession, as it is now urged, he doth according to the proclamation acquiesce in this declaration of his Majesties will, and doth accept of such a pardon as hath need to be ratified in Parliament, And thus doth turne our glory unto shame, by confessing our guiltinesse, where God from Heaven hath made us guiltlesse, and by the fire of His Spirit from Heaven hath accepted of our service, And doth depart from the commandement of God, the practise of the Godly in former times, and the worthy and laudable example of our worthy and religious progenitours, in obedience whereof, and conform to which, We made profession to subscribe: for there is no particular Act required of us, to whom the pardon is presented in this proclamation, but this new subscription allanerlie.

13. The generall band now urged to be subscribed, as it containeth many clauses not so fitting the present time as that wherein it was subscribed, so is it deficient in a point, at this time most necessary, Of the reformation of our lives, that we shall answerably to our profession, be examples to others, of all Godliness, sobernesse and righteousnesse and of every duty we owe to God and man, without which we cannot now subscribe this Confession, least we loose the bands to wickednesse, seem to repent of our former resolutions and promises, and choose to have our portion with hypocrites, professing and swearing that we know God, but in our workes denying him, being abominable, disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

14. Since the narrative of the generall band is now changed, & some lines, expressing at length the Papists, and their adherents to be the partie from whom the danger to Religion, and the Kings Majestie was threatned, are left out, and no designation made of the partie from whom the danger is now threatned, We are made either to think, that our subscription at this time is unnecessarie, or to suspect that we who have supplicated and entred in Covenant, are understood to be the partie, especially since the Lords of Councell have in the Act Septemb. 22. ratifying the Proclamation, found themselves bound to use their best endeavours, that all his Majesties good subjects may rest satisfied with his Majesties Declaration, since also we have beene (although undeservedly) challenged of disorders, distractions, and dangers to Religion, and his Majesties authority; and since in the foresaid Act, and in the missive directed to his Majestie, the Lords of Councell offer their lives and fortunes to his Majestie, in repressing all such as shall hereafter prease to disturbe the peace of this Kirk and Kingdome; which being expressed in a generalitie is by many applied to us, and interpreted of our adhering to our Covenant; We should therefore, by our subscription of the Covenant, as it is now conceived, both do directly against our owne minds in condemning our selves, wherein we are innocent, and should consent to our owne hurt, to the suppressing of the cause which we maintaine, and to the repressing mutually one of us of another, dirictly contrarie to our former solemne Oath and subscription.

15. The subscribing of this Confession by the Lords of His Majesties privie Councell, who by their place and high employment are publike Peacemakers, and by others who have not subscribed the late Confession, will make the breach wider, and the lamentable division of this Kirk more desperate then ever before, some having sworne to labour by all lawfull meanes to recover the former Libertie, and puritie of Religion, and others maintaining that for puritie, which is alreadie established; Some beleeving and professing, that the evils supplicated against, are abjured in that Confession of Faith, and others maintaining the Confession of Faith, and these corruptions (although for the present discharged by Authoritie) not to be inconsistent: and beside this, many divisions and subdivisions will ensue, to the dolefull renting of the Kirk and Kingdome, making way for the wrath and many judgements of God often threatned by his faithfull servants, which all the godly ought to labour by all meanes to prevent.

16. Wee represent also to the honourable Lords of privie Councell to be considered, That the Doctrine, Discipline, and Use of Sacraments are sworne, and the contrarie abjured, according to the Word of God, and the meaning of the Kirk of Scotland, in the Books of Discipline and Acts of Assemblies; And that in the Oath there is no place left to the generalitie of any mans conception of the true Faith and Religion, nor to any private interpretation, or mentall reservation.