II. That all these who have been guilty and censured as aforesaid, and desire to testifie their Repentance, and to be admitted to the Covenant and Communion, shall besides any Confession in publick before the Congregation subscribe the Declaration hereto sub-joined, of their unfained detestation and renunciation of that Engagement, and all other Malignant courses contrary to the Covenant and Cause, Promising to keep themselves from such ways in time coming, and acknowledging that if they shall again fall into such defection thereafter, they may justly be accompted perfidious backsliders, and breakers of the Covenant and Oath of God, and proceeded against with the highest Censures of the Kirk.
III. That of these who have been guilty and censured as aforesaid, and desire now to testifie their Repentance, Whosoever were formerly joined in Arms or Counsell with James Graham in his Rebellion, or who were Generall persons or Colonels in the late unlawfull Engagement, Or who went to Ireland to bring over Forces for that effect, Or who have been eminently active in contriving of, or seducing unto the said Engagement, or whosoever above the degree of a Lieutenant Commanded these parties, that in promoving of the ends of the said Engagement shed blood within the Kingdom, either before that Army of Engagers went to England, or after their return, Or who above the degree foresaid Commanded in the late Rebellion in the North; That none of these be admitted or received to give satisfaction, but by the Generall Assembly or their Commissioners.
IV. That all the rest of these who have been guilty, or censured as aforesaid, may be received by the Presbyteries where they reside.
V. That all who have been guilty as aforesaid, before their receiving to the Covenant, shall make a Solemn publick Acknowledgement in such matter, and before such Congregations as the Commission of the Generall Assembly or Presbyteries respective shall prescribe, according to the degree of their offence and scandall given.
VI. That none of the foresaid Persons be admitted, or received as Elders in any Judicatories of the Kirk, but according to the Act of the Generall Assembly of the last of August 1647, against complyers of the first Classe.
And because many have heretofore made shew and profession of their Repentance, who were not convinced of their guiltinesse nor humbled for the same, but did thereafter return with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow to the puddle, unto the mocking of God, and the exceeding great reproach and detriment of his Cause: Therefore, for the better determining the Truth and sincerity of the Repentance of those who desire to be admitted to the Covenant and Communion: It is appointed and Ordained that none of those persons who are debarred from the Covenant and Communion shall be admitted and received thereto, but such as after exact triall, shall be found for some competent time before or after the offer of their Repentance, according to the discretion of the respective Judicatories, to have in their ordinary conversations given real Testimony of their dislike of the late unlawfull Engagement, and of the courses and wayes of Malignants, and of their sorrow for their accession to the same; and to live soberly, righteously and godly; And if any shall be found, who after the defeating of the Engagers have uttered any Malignant speeches, tending to the approbation of the late unlawfull Engagement, or the blood-shed within the Kingdome for promoving of the ends of the said Engagement, or any other projects or practises within or without the Kingdome, prejudiciall to Religion and the Covenant, or tending to the reproach of the Ministry, or the civill Government of the Kingdom, Or who have unnecessarily or ordinarily conversed with Malignant and disaffected persons, Or who have had hand in, or accession to, or compliance with, or have any wayes countenanced or promoved any Malignant Design, prejudiciall to Religion and the Covenant; That these, notwithstanding their profession of Repentance be not suddenly received, but a competent time, according to the discretion of the Judicatory, be assigned to them for tryall of the evidence of their Repentance, according to the qualifications above mentioned. And the Generall Assembly Ordains Presbyteries to make intimation of this Act in the severall Kirks of their bounds so soon as they can, after the rising of the Generall Assembly, that none pretend ignorance; And that Presbyteries make accompt of their diligence in prosecuting of this Act to the Quarterly meetings of the Commission of this Assembly.
The Declaration and Acknowledgement before mentioned.
I, __________________ after due consideration of the late Warre against the Kingdom of England; And having also considered the course pursued and promoted by the Earle of Lanerk, George Monro and their Adherents in and about Stirling, and by others in the late Rebellion in the North, against all which not only eminent Testimonies of Gods Wrath have been giving in defeating of them, but they were in themselves sinfull breaches of Covenant, and preferring the interest of man unto God; I doe herefore in Gods sight professe, that I am convinced of the unlawfulnesse of all these ways, as contrary to the Word of God, and to the Solemn League and Covenant, not only in regard of the miscarriages of these that were imployed therein, but also in respect of the nature of these courses themselves; And therefore professing my unfained sorrow for my guiltinesse by my accession to the same, doe renounce and disclaim the foresaid Engagement, and all the courses that were used for carrying on the same, either before or after the defeat of the Engagers, as contrary to the Word of GOD and Solemn League and Covenant, and destructive to Religion and the work of Reformation; And I doe promise in the power of the Lords strength, never again to own any of these or the like courses: And if hereafter at any time, I shall be found to promote any Malignant Design or course, that I shall justly be accompted a perfidious Covenant-breaker and despiser of the Oath of God, and be proceeded against with the highest Censures of the Kirk: Likeas, I doe hereby promise to adhere to the National Covenant of this Kingdome, and to the Solemn League and Covenant betwixt the Kingdomes, and to be honest and zealous for promoving all the ends thereof, as I shall be called thereunto of God, and to flee all occasions and temptations that may lead me into any the like snares against the same. Subscribed
at _________________ the _______________ day of ___________