A Short Sum of the Whole Catechism, Confession
A ſhort and generall confeſsion of the true Chriſtian faith and religion, according to Gods word, & acts of our Parliaments, ſubſcribed by the kings M. & his houſhold, with ſundrie others, to the glorie of God, and good example of all men. At Edinburgh, the xx. of lanuarie. 1180. and the 14. yeare of his raigne. (⸫)
VVe al, and euerie one of vsus vnderunder written, proteſt that after long and due examination of our owne conſciences, in matters of true and falſe religion, are nowe throughly re…lued in the truth by the word & ſpirite of god. And therfore we beleue with our hearts, confeſſe with our mouthes, & ſubſcribe with our hands, and conſtantly affirme before God and the whole worlde, that this is onelyonly the true Chriſtian faith, and religion, pleaſing God, & bringing ſaluation to man, which is nowe by the merciemercy of God reueiled to the world, by the preaching of the bleſſed Goſpell, and is receiued, beleued, and defended by many and ſundrie notable Churches, & Realmes, but chiefely by the Church of Scotland, the Kings M. and three Eſtates of this Realme, as Gods eternall truth, and only ground of our ſaluation, as more particulerly is expreſſed in the cō feſſion of our faith, eſtabliſhed and publikely confirmed by ſundrie Acts of Parliaments, & now of a long time hath bin openly profeſſed by the Kings M. and whole bodie of this Realme, both in Citie and Countrey.
To the which confeſſion and forme of religion, we willingly agree in our conſciences in all points, as vntounto Gods vndoubted truth and veritie, grounded onelyonly vponupon his written word. And therefore we abhorre and deteſt all contrarie religion and doctrine: but chiefely all kind of Papiſtrie in generall, and particuler, euen as they are now damned and confuted by the word of GOD, and Church of Scotland. vſurped authoritie of the Romaine Antychriſte ouer the Scriptures of GOD, ouer the Church, the ciuill magiſtrates, and conſciences of men: all his tyrannous lawes, made vponupon indifferent things againſt our Chriſtian libertie: his erronious doctrine againſt the ſufficiencie of the written worde: the perfection of the lawe, the office of Chriſt, and his bleſſed Goſpell, his corrupted doctrine concerning originall ſinne, our naturall inhabilitie, and rebellion to Gods lawe, his blaſphemie againſt our iuſtification by faith onelyonly, our imperfect ſanctification, and obedience to the lawe: the nature, number, and vſe of the holy Sacraments.
We deteſt his fiue baſtarde ſacraments, with all his Rites, Ceremonies, and falſe doctrine, added to the miniſtration of the true Sacramentes, without the word of God, his cruell iudgement againſt infants departing without the Sacrament, his abſolute neceſſitie of Baptiſme, his blaſphemous opinion of tranſubſtantiation, or reall preſence of Chriſtes bodie in the Sacrament, and receauing of the ſame by the wicked, or bodies of men, his diſpenſations with ſolemned othes, periuries, and degrees of mariage forbidden in the word: his crueltie againſt the innocent deuorced.
We abhorre his diueliſh Maſſe, his blaſphemous Prieſthood, his prophane ſacrifice for the ſinnes of the dead and the quicke, his canonyzation of men & women ſaints, calling vponupon angels, or ſaintes departed, worſhipping of imagerie, reliques, croſſes, dedicating of Churches, alters, dayes, vowes to creatures, his purgatory, praier for the dead, praying or ſpeaking in a ſtrange language, his proceſſions, and blaſphemous letany, his multitude of aduocates, or mediators, with his manifold orders, and auricular confeſſion, his deſperate and vncertaine repentance, his generall and doubting faith, his ſatiſfactions of men for their ſinnes, his iuſtification by workes, his Opus operatum, workes of ſupererogation, merits, pardons, peregrinations and ſtations.
We deteſt his prophane holy water, Baptiſing of bels, coniuring of ſpirites, croſſing, fayning, anointing, coniuring, his hallowing of Gods good creatures, with the ſupeſtitious opinion, ioyned therewith, his worldlye Monarchie, and wicked Hierarchie, his three ſolemned vowes, with al his ſhauelings of ſū drie ſortes, his erronious and bloudie decrees made at Trent, with al the ſubſcribers and approuers of that cruell and bloudie band, coniured againſt the Church of God. And finallye wee deteſt all his vaine allegories, rites, ſignes, and traditions brought in the Church, without, or againſt the word of God, and doctrine of this reformed Church.
To the which we ioine our ſelues willingly in doctrine, faith, religion, diſcipline, and vſe of the holy Sacraments, as liuely members of ye ſame with Chriſt our head, promiſing & ſwearing by the great name of ye Lord, that we ſhal continue in the obedience of the doctrine & diſcipline of this Church, & ſhall defend ye ſame, according to our vocation, and power, all the daies of our liues, vnderunder the paines conteined in the law, and danger, both of body and ſoule, in the day of Gods fearefull iudgement.
And ſeeing that many are ſtirred vp by Satan and the Romaine Antichriſt, to promiſe, ſweare, ſubſcribe, and for a time vſe the holye Sacramentes in the Church deceitfully againſt their owne conſcience, minding hereby firſt vnderunder the eternall cloake of religion to corrupt and ſubuert ſecretly Gods true religion within the church, & afterward, when time may ſerue, to become open enemies and perſecutours of the ſame, vnderunder vaine hope of the Popes diſpenſation, deuiſed againſt the word of God, to his greater confuſion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jeſus. We therefore willing to take awaye all ſuſpition of hipocriſie, and of ſuch double dealing with God and his church, proteſt, and call the ſearcher of all heartes for witnes, that our mindes and hartes do fully agrée with this our confeſſion, promiſe, othe, & ſubſcription, ſo that wee are not mooued for anye worldly reſpect, but are perſwaded onelyonly in our conſciences through the knowledge & louelove of Gods true religion imprinted in our hearts by the holy ſpirite, as we ſhall anſwere to him in the day, when the ſecrets of all hearts ſhall be diſcloſed.
And becauſe we perceiue, that the quietnes and ſtabilitie of our religion and Church both depend vponupon the ſafetie, and good behauiour of the Kings Maieſtie, as vponupon a comfortable inſtrument of Gods merciemercy, granted to this Countrey, for the maintaining of his Church, and miniſtration of iuſtice among vsus. We proteſt and promiſe with our hartes, vnderunder the ſame oth, handwritte and paines, that we ſhall defend his perſon, and authoritie, with our bodies and liues, in the defence of Chriſtes Goſpell, libertie of our Countrey, adminiſtration of iuſtice, and puniſhment of iniquitie againſt all enymies within this Realme, or without, as we deſire our God to be a ſtrong and mercifull defender to vsus in the day of our death, & comming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. To whom with the father and the holy ſpirite be all honour and glory eternally.
Amen.
The names of all the ſubſcribers contained in the principall copie, written in parchment, and kept in the handes of the Miniſters.
The Kings M. charge to al the commisſioners and Miniſters within this Realme.
SEing that we & our houſhold hauehave ſubſcribed, & giuen this publike confeſsion of our faith, to the good example of our ſubiects: We command & charge al Commiſsioners & Miniſters, to craue the ſame confeſsiō of their Pariſhioners, and to proceed againſt the refuſers, according to our lawes, and order of the Church, deliuering their names, and lawfull proceſſe to the Miniſters of our houſe, with all haſt and diligence, vnderunder the paine of xl. pounds, to be taken from their ſtipends: that we with the aduice of our Councell, may take order with ſuch proud contemners of God and our lawes,
ſubſcribed with our hand. At Holirudhouſe, the xi. daye of March 1580. The 14 yeare of our raigne.