THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE KIRK OF SCOTLAND: OR, THE NATIONAL COVENANT. WITH A Designation of such ACTS of PARLIAMENT as are expedient for justifying the Union after mentioned. Josh. xxiv. 25. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 2 KINGS Xi. 17. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people; between the king also and the people. ISA. xliv. 5. One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Assembly at EDINBURGH, August 30, 1639. Sess. 23. ACT ordaining, by Ecclesiastical Authority, the Subscription of the CONFESSION OF FAITH and COVENANT, with the ASSEMBLY's Declaration. HE General Assembly considering the great happiness which may flow Tfrom a full and perfect union of this kirk and kingdom, by joining of all in one and the same covenant with God, with the King's Majesty, and amongst ourselves; having, by our great oath, declared the uprightness and loyalty of our intentions in all our proceedings; and having withal supplicated his Majesty's high Commissioner, and the Lords of his Majesty's honourable privy council, to enjoin, by act of council, all the lieges in time coming to subscribe the Confession of Faith and Covenant; which, as a testimony of our fidelity to God, and loyalty to our King, we have subscribed: And seeing his Majesty's high Commissioner, and the Lords of his Majesty's honourable privy council, have granted the desire of our supplication, ordaining, by civil authority, all his Majesty's lieges, in time coming, to subscribe the foresaid Covenant: that our union may be the more full and perfect, we, by our act and constitution ecclesiastical, do approve the foresaid Covenant in all the heads and clauses thereof; and ordain of new; under all ecclesiastical censure, That all the masters of universities, colleges, and schools, all scholars at the passing of their degrees, all persons suspected of Papistry, or any other error and finally, all the members of this kirk and kingdom, subscribe the same, with these words prefixed to their subscription, "The Article of this Cove nant, which was at the first subscription referred to the determination of the General Assembly, being determined; and thereby the five articles of Perth, the government of the kirk by bishops, the civil places and power of kirk men, upon the reasons and grounds contained in the acts of the General Assembly, declared to be unlawful within this kirk; We subscribe according to the determination foresaid." And ordain the Covenant, with this decla ration, to be insert in the registers of the Assemblies of this kirk, general, provincial, and presbyterial, ad perpetuam rei memoriam. And in all humility supplicate his Majesty's high Commissioner, and the honourable Estates of Parliament, by their authority, to ratify and enjoin the same, under all civil pains; which will tend to the glory of God, preservation of religion, the King's Majesty's honour, and perfect peace of this kirk and kingdom, CHARLES CHARLES I. Parl. 2. Act 5. ACT anent the Ratification of the COVENANT, and of the Assembly's Supplication, Act of Council, and Act of Assembly concerning the Covenant. At EDINBURGH, June 11. 1640. THE Estates of Parliament, presently convened by his Majesty's special authority, considering the supplication of the General Assembly at Edinburgh, the 12th of August 1639, to his Majesty's high Commissioner, and the Lords of his Majesty's honourable privy council; and the act of council of the 30th of August 1639, containing the answer of the said supplication; and the act of the said General Assembly, ordaining, by their ecclesiastical constitution, the subscription -of the Confession of Faith and Covenant mentioned in their supplication: and withal, having supplicated his Majesty to ratify and enjoin the same by his royal authority, under all civil pains, as tending to the glory of God, the preservation of religion, the King's Majesty's honour, and the perfect peace of this kirk and kingdom; do ratify and approve the Baid supplication, act of Council, and act of Assembly; and, conform thereto, ordain and command the said Confession and Covenant to be subscribed by all his Majesty's subjects, of what rank and quality soever, under all civil pains; and ordain the said supplication, act of Council, and act of the Assembly, with the whole Confession and Covenant itself, to be insert and registrate in the acts and books of parTiament; and also ordain the samen to be presented at the entry of every parliament, and, before they proceed to any other act, that the same be publickly read, and sworn by the whole members of parliament claiming voice therein; otherwise the refusers to subscribe and swear the same shall have no place nor voice in parliament; And sicklike, ordain all judges, magistrates, or other officers, of whatsoever place, rank, or quality, and ministers at their entry, to swear and subscribe the samen Covenant, whereof the tenor follows. The THE NATIONAL COVENANT; OR, THE CONFESSION OF FAITH: Subscribed at first by the King's Majesty, and his Household, in the year 1560; thereafter by persons of all ranks in the year 1581, by ordinance of the Lords of secret council, and acts of the General Assembly: subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year 1590, by a new ordinance of council, at the desire of the General Assembly; with a general bond for the maintaining of the true Christian religion, and the "King's person; and, together with a resolution and promise, for the causes after expressed, to maintain the true religion, and the King's Majesty, according to the foresaid Confession and acts of Parliament, subscribed by Barons, Nobles, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons, in the year 1638: approven by the General Assembly 1638 and 1639; and subscribed again by persons of all ranks and qualities in the year 1639, by an ordinance of council, upon the supplication of the General Assembly, and act of the General Assembly, ratified by an act of Parliament 1640; and subscribed by King Charles II. at Spey, June 23. 1650, and Scoon, January 1. 1651. WE all and every one of us under-written, protest, That, after long and due examination of our own consciences in matters of true and false religion, we are now throughly resolved in the truth by the word and Spirit of God: and therefore we believe with our hearts, confess with our mouths, subscribe with our hands, and constantly affirm, before God and the whole world, that this only is the true Christian faith and religion, pleasing God, and bringing salvation to man, which now is, by the mercy of God, reveal-ed to the world by the preaching of the blessed evangel; and is received, believed, and defended by many and sundry notable kirks and realms, but chiefly by the kirk of Scotland, the King's Majesty, and the three estates of this realm, a X 2 God's |