Declaration Concerning the Late Tumults in Scotland, Floating text 19 – Floating text 22
The Confession of Faith of the Kirke of SCOTLAND:
Subscribed at the first by the Kings Majesties umwhile dearest Father, of blessed memory, and his Houshold, in the yeer of God 1580. Thereafter by persons of all ranks, in the yeere of God 1581. by ordinance of the Lords of Secret Councel, and Acts of the Generall Assembly. Subscribed againe by all sorts of Persons in the yeer 1590. by a new Ordinance of Councel, at the desire of the general Assembly: With the general Band for maintenance of the true Religion. And now renewed and subscribed again by his Majesties speciall command, by the right noble Marquesse, James, Marquesse of Hamiltoun, Earle of Arran and Cambridge, Lord Even and Evendail, his Majesties high Commissioner, and Lords of secret Councell undersubscribing. And that of and according to the date and tenor of the said Confession of Faith, dated in March 1580. and of the Band, dated in Anno 1589.
WEe All, and every one of us underwritten, protest, That, after long and due examination of our owne Consciences, in matters of true and false Religion, are now throughly resolved in the Truth, by the Word and Spirit of God, and therefore we beleeve with our hearts, confesse with our mouths, subscribe with our hands, and constantly affirme before God and the whole World, that this only is the true Christian Faith and Religion, pleasing God, and bringing salvation to man, which is now by the mercy of God, revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangel.
And received, beleeved, and defended by many and sundry notable Kirks and Realmes, but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland, the Kings Majestie, and three Estates of this Realme, as Gods eternall truth and onelyonly ground of our salvation; as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith, stablished, and publikely confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments, and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Majestie, and whole body of this Realme, both in Burgh and Land. To the which Confession and forme of Religion, wee willingly agree in our consciences in all points, as unto Gods undoubted Truth and Verity, grounded onelyonly upon his written Word: And therefore Wee abhorre and detest all contrarie Religion and Doctrine, But chiefly all kinde of Papistrie in generall and particular heads, even as they are now damned and confuted by the Word of God and Kirke of Scotland: but in speciall, we detest and refuse the usurped authoritie of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the civill Magistrate, and conscience of men: All his tyrannous lawes made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty; His erroneous doctrine against the sufficiency of the written word, the perfection of the Law, the office of Christ, and his blessed evangel. His corrupted doctrine concerning originall sin, our naturall inability, and rebellion to Gods law, our justification by faith onelyonly, our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law, the nature, number, and use of the holy Sacraments. His five bastard Sacraments, with all his rites, ceremonies, and false doctrine, added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the word of God. His cruell iudgment against infants departing without the Sacrament. His absolute necessitie of Baptisme. His blasphemous opinion of Transubstantiation, or reall presence of Christs bodie in the elements, and receiving of the same by the wicked, or bodies of men. His dispensations with solemne oathes, perjuries, and degrees of marriage forbidden in the word. His crueltie against the innocent divorced. His divellish Masse. His blasphemous Priesthood. His profane sacrifice for the sinnes of the dead and the quicke. His canonization of men, calling upon Angels or Saints departed, worshipping of imagerie, reliques, and crosses, dedicating of Kirks, altars, dayes, vowes to creatures. His purgatory, praiers for the dead, praying or speaking in a strange language, with his processions and blasphemous letanie, and multitude of advocates or mediatours, His manifold orders, auricular confession. His desperate & uncertaine repentance. His generall and doubt some faith. His satisfactions of men for their sins. His justification by works, Opus operatum, works of supererogation, merits, pardons, peregrinations, and stations. His holy water, baptising of bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing, sauing, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of Gods good creatures, with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith. His worldly Mornarchy, and wicked Hierarchy. His three solemne vowes, with all his shavellings of sundry sorts. His erroneous and bloudy decrees made at Trent, with all the subscribers and approvers of that cruell and bloudy band, conjured against the Kirke of God. And finally, we detest all his vaine allegories, rites, signes, and traditions brought in the Kirk, without, or against the word of God, and doctrine of this true reformed Kirk. To the which wee joyn our selves willingly, in doctrine, faith, Religion, discipline, and use of the holy sacraments, as lively members of the same, in Christ our head: promising and swearing, by the great Name of the Lord our God, that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Kirk, and shall defend the same, according to our vocation and power, all the dayes of our lives, under the paines contained in the law, and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement. And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrist, to promise, sweare, subscribe, and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Kirk deceitfully, against their owne consciences, minding hereby, first, under the externall cloak of Religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk, and afterward, when time may serve, to become open enemies and persecuters of the same, under vaine hope of the Popes dispensation divised 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 away all suspition of hypocrisie, and of such double dealing with God and his Kirk, protest, and call the Searcher of all hearts to witnesse, that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our confession, promise, oath, and subscription: So that we are not moved for any worldly respect, but are perswaded only in our consciences, through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion, printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit, as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. And because wee perceive, that the quietnesse and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the Kings Majestie, as upon a comfortable instrument of Gods merciemercy granted to this countrey, for the maintenance of his Kirk, and ministration of justice amongst us, we protest and promise with our hearts under the same oath, hand-writ, and paines, that we shall defend his person and authority, with our geare, bodies, and lives, in the defence of Christ his Evangel, liberties of our Countrey, ministration of justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this Realme, or without, as we desire our God to be a strong and mercifull defender to us in the day of our death, and comming of our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally. Amen.
WEe under-subscribing, and considering the strait linke and conjunction betwixt the true and Christian religion presently profest within this realme, and Soveraigne Lords estate and standing, having both the selfe same friends and common enemies, and subject to the like event of standing and decay, and weighing therewithall the imminent danger threatned to the said religion, the preservation whereof being dearer to us then whatsoever we have dearest to us in this life; And finding in his Majestie a most honourable and Christian resolution, to manifest himselfe to the world that zealous and religious Prince which he hath hitherto professed; and to imploy the meanes and power that God hath put into his hands, as well to the withstanding of whatsoever forraigne force shall meane within this land, for alteration of the said religion, or endangering of the present state, as to the repressing of the inward enemies thereto amongst our selves, linked with them in the said Antichristian league and confederacie; Have therefore in the presence of Almightie God, and with his Majesties authorising and allowance, faithfully promised, and solemnely sworne, like as hereby we faithfully and solemnly sweare, and promise, to take a true, effauld, and plaine part with his Majestie amongst our selves, for diverting of the appearing danger threatned to the said Religion, and his Majesties state and standing, depending thereupon, by whatsoever forraigne or intestine plots or preparations. And to that effect, faithfully, and that upon our truth and honours, binde and oblige us to others, to conveene and assemble our selves publikely, with our friends in arms, or in quiet manner, at such times and places as we shall be required by his Proclamations, or by writ or message direct to us from his Majesty, or any having power from him, And being conveened and assembled, to join and concurre with the whole forces of our friends and favourers, against whatsoever forraigne or intestine powers or Papists, and their partakers, shall arrive or rise within this Iland, or any part thereof, ready to defend or pursue, as we shall be authorised and conducted by his Majesty, or any others having his power and commission, to join and hold hand to the execution of whatsoever mean or order shall be thought meet by his Majesty, and his Councell, for suppressing of the Papists, promotion of the true Religion, and setling of his Highnesse estate, and obedience in all the countries and corners of this Realme, to expound and hazzard our lives, lands, and goods, and whatsoever meanes God hath lent us, in the defence of the said true and Christian Religion, and his Majesties person and estate, against whatsoever Jesuites and Seminarie or Masse-priests, condemned enemies to God and his Majestie, to their utter wracke and exterminion, according to the power granted to us by his Majesties proclamation, and acts of Parliament: To try, search, and seeke out all excommunicates, practisers, and others Papists whatsoever, within our bounds and shire where we keepe residence, and dilate them to his Highnesse and his privie Councell, and conforme us to such directions, as from time to time we shall receive from his Majestie and his Councell in their behalfes. And specially so many of us as presently are, or hereafter shall be appointed Commissioners in every shire, shall follow, pursue, and travaile by all meanes possible, to take and apprehend all such Papists, Apostates, and excommunicates, as we shall receive in writ from his Majesty. And we, the remanent within that shire, shall concurre and assist with the saids Commissioners with our whole friends and forces, to that effect, without respect of any person whatsoever. And generally to assist in the meane time, and defend every one of us another, in all and whatsoever quarrels, actions, debates, moved, or to be moved against us, or any of us upon action of the present Band, or other causes depending thereupon. And effauldly joine in defence and pursuit against whatsoever shall offer or intend any injury, or revenge against any one of them for the premises, making his cause and part that is pursued, all our parts; Notwithstanding, whatsoever privie grudge, or displeasure standing betwixt any of us, which shall be no impediment or hinder to our said effauld joyning in the said common cause; but to lye over, and be misknown, till they be orderly removed, and taken away by the order under-specified. To the which time, we for the better furtherance of the said cause and service, have assured, and by the tenour hereof, every one of us taking the burden upon us for our selves, and all that we may let, assure each other to be unhurt, unharmed, or any wayes to be invaded by us, or any our foresaids for old feid or new, otherwise then by ordinary course of law and justice: neither shall we, nor any of our foresaids make any provocation, or tumult, trouble or displeasure to others in any sort, as we shall answer to God, and upon our Honours, and fidelitie to his Majestie. And for our further and more heartie union in this service, we are content and consent, that all whatsoever our feids and variances fallen, or that may fall out betwixt us, be within fortie dayes after the date hereof amicably referred and submitted to seven or five indifferent friends, chosen by his Majestie of our whole number, and by their moderation and arbitrement componed and taken away. And finally, that we shall neither directly, nor indirectly separate nor with-draw us from the union and fellowship of the remanent, by whatsoever suggestion or private advice, or by whatsoever incident regard, or stay such resolution as by common deliberation shall be taken in the premises, as we shall answer to God upon our consciences, and to the world upon our truth and honours, under the pain to be esteemed traitours to God and his Majestie, and to have lost all honour, credit, and estimation in time comming. In witnesse whereof, by his Majesties speciall command, allowance, and protection promised to us therein, We have subscribed these presents with our hands. At 1589.
We JAMES Marquesse of Hamiltoun, Earle of Arran and Cambridge, Lord Even and Evendail, his Majesties High Commissioner, and Lords of his Majesties Privie Councel undersubscribing, by vertue, and conform to a warrant and command, signed by his sacred Majesty, of the date of Sept. 9. 1638. and registrate in the bookes of Councell upon the 22. day of the said month, Swear, and with our hearts and humble and true affections to Gods truth, and to his sacred Majesty, subscribe the Confession of faith, of & according to the date and tenour above specified: and also renew, swear, and subscribe the foresaid general Band of the tenor abovewritten, for preservation of the true Religion, and maintenance of his sacred Majesties authoritie, according to the tenor thereof, and siclike, as amply as the same was conceived in favours of his Majesties umwhile blessed Father of eternall memorie, by the said Band. In witnesse wherof, we have subscribed these presents with our hands, At Holy-rood-house Septemb. 22. 1638. Sic subscribitur,
HAMILTOUN,
Traquair,
Roxburgh,
Mairsheall,
Mar,
Murray,
Linlithgow,
Perth,
Wigtoun,
Kingorne,
Tullibardin,
Hadingtoun,
Annandaill,
Lauderdaill,
Kinnoull,
Dumfreis,
Southesk,
Belheaven,
Angus,
Lorn,
Elphinstoun,
Naper,
Dalyell,
Amont,
J. Hay,
S. Thomas Hope,
S.W. Elphinstoun,
Ja. Carmichael,
J. Hamiltoun,
Blackhall.
AT the same time was a proclamation made for the indiction of the generall Assembly, which was this.
At Holy-rood-house the 22. day of September 1638.
FOrsomuch as it hath pleased the Kings Majestie, out of his pious and religious disposition to the true Religion, and out of his fatherly care, for removing of all feares, doubts, and scruples, which may arise in the mindes of his subjects, for preservation of the puritie thereof, and upon divers great and weightie considerations, importing the glory of God, the peace of the Kirke and Common-weale of this kingdome, to appoint and give order, that a free generall Assembly be indicted, kept, and holden at the Citie of Glasgow the 21. of November next: Therefore the Lords of secret Councell ordaines letters to be direct, charging Maissars, and Officers of Armes, to passe and make publication hereof by open Proclamation at the Market Crosse of Edinburgh, and the head Burrowes of this Kingdome, and other places needfull. And to warne all and sundry Archbishops, Bishops, Commissioners of Kirkes, and others having place and vote in the Assembly, to repaire and addresse to the said Citie of Glasgow the said one and twentieth day of November next to come, and to attend the said Assembly induring the time thereof, and aye and while the same be dissolved, and to doe and performe all which to their charges in such cases appertaineth, as they will answer to the contrarie at their highest perill.
IMmediately after that, this Proclamation was made for the indiction of the Parliament.
At Holy-rood-house the 22. day of September 1638.
FOrsomuch as it hath pleased his Majestie, out of his pious and religious disposition to the true Religion, and out of his fatherly care for removing of all feares, doubts, and scruples which may arise in the mindes of his subjects, for preservation of the puritie thereof, and upon divers other great and weighty causes, importing the glory of God, the peace of the Kirk and Common-weale of this Kingdome, to appoint and give order, that the Soveraigne and High Court of Parliament shall be holden at the Citie of Edinburgh upon the 15. day of May next to come, with continuation of dayes: Therefore the Lords of secret Councell ordain letters to be direct to Maissars and officers of Arms charging them to passe to the market Crosse of Edinburgh, and other places needfull, and there by open Proclamation to make publication of the holding of the said Parliament, and to warne all and sundry Noblemen, Prelates, and Commissioners for the Barons, and Burrowes, and all others having voice and place in the said Parliament, that they and every one of them, in their most decent and comely manner, make their addresse to the said Parliament, attend and await thereat during the time thereof, and to discharge that duty which is incumbent to them and each one of them, as they will answer on the contrary at their perill.
ANd last of all was published and proclaimed first the Act of the Lords of Our Councel for requiring all Our subjects to subscribe the said Confession of Faith and Band annexed, which here followeth.
At Holy-rood-house the 24. day of September Anno 1638.
THe which day a Noble Earle, JAMES Marquesse of Hamiltoun, Earle of Arran and Cambridge, his Majesties Commissioner, having produced and exhibit before the Lords of secret Councell, upon the twenty second day of this instant, a warrant signed by his Majestie, of the date the ninth of September instant; wherein among others of his Majesties gracious and royall expressions for preservation of the purity of Religion, and due obedience to his Majesties authoritie in the maintenance thereof, his Majestie did will and ordaine that the Lords themselves should sweare the Confession and generall Band mentioned in his Majesties said warrant, and also should take such order, as all his Majesties lieges may subscribe the same. And the said Lords of secret Councell, acknowledging his Majesties pious and gracious disposition and affection to the purity of Gods truth, did upon the 22. day of September instant, unanimously and with all humble, hearty, and sincere affection, sweare and subscribe the confession of Faith, dated the second of March 1580. according as it was then profest within this Kingdome: Together with the foresaid generall Band dated in Anno 1589. And now to the effect that all his Majesties lieges may give the like obedience to his Majesties so pious desire, therefore the said Lords have ordained and ordaines all his Majesties lieges, of whatsoever estate, degree or qualitie, Ecclesiasticall or Civill, to sweare and subscribe the said Confession, dated the second of March 1580. and that according to the said date and tenour thereof, and as it was then profest within this Kingdome: Together with the said generall Band, dated in Anno 1589. as they will answer at the contrarie upon their obedience. And ordaines officers of Armes to passe to the market crosse of Edinburgh, and make publication hereof, and at all other places needfull, wherethrough none pretend ignorance of the same.
ANd next after that was proclaimed the Commission of the Lords of Our Councell, whereby they appointed and designed severall Commissioners for requiring and taking the subscriptions of Our subjects to the said Confession and Band annexed, throughout the severall Shires within the Kingdome, which here followeth.