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fhall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and difcipline of this kirk*, and shall defend the fame, according to our vocation and power, all the days of our lives; under the pains contained in the law, and danger both of body and foul in the day of God's fearful judgment.

And feeing that many are ftirred up of Satan and that Roman antichrift, to promife, fwear, fubfcribe, and for a time ufe the holy facraments in the kirk deceitfully, against their own confcience; mind. ing hereby, first, under the external cloke of religion, to corrupt and fubvert fecretly God's true religion within the kirk; and afterward, when time may ferve, to become open enemies and perfecutors of the fame, under vain hope of the pope's difpenfation, devised against the word of God, to his great confufion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jefus: we therefore, willing to take away all fufpicion of hypocrify, and of fuch double-dealing with God and his kirk, proteft, and call the Searcher of all hearts for witness, That our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our confeffion, promife, oath, and fubicription; fo that we are not moved with any worldly refpect, but are perfuaded only in our confcience, through the knowledge and love of God's true religion imprinted in our hearts by the holy Spirit, as we shall answer to him in the day when the fecrets of all hearts fhall be difclofed.

And because we perceive, that the quietnefs and stability of our religion and kirk doth depend upon the fafety and good behaviour of the king's majefty, as upon a comfortable inftrument of God's mercy granted to this country, for the maintaining of his kirk, and miniftration of justice amongst us: we proteft and promife with our hearts, under the fame oath, hand-writ, and pains, that we shall defend his perfon and authority with our goods, bodies and lives, in the defence of Christ his evangel, liberties of our country, miniftration of justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this realm or without, as we defire our God to be a strong and merciful Defender to us in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift: to whom, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally. Amen.

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IKEAS many acts of parliament, not only in general de abrogate, annul, and refcind all laws, ftatutes, acts, conflitutions, canons civil or municipal, with all other ordinances, and practique penalties whatsoever made in prejudice of the true religion and profeffors thereof; or of the true kirk, disciplines, jurifdiction and freedom thereof; or in favours of idolatry and fuperftition, or of the papiflical

*The Confeffion which was fubfcribed at Halyrude-houfe, the 25th of February 1587 8. by the king, Lennox, Huntly, the Chancellor, and about 95 other Perfons, hath here added, agreeing to the Word. Sir John Maxwel, of Pollock, hath the original parchment.

piftical kirk: As act 3. act 31. parl. 1. act 23. parl. 11. act 114. parl, 12. of King James VI. That papiftry and fuperftition may be utterly fuppreffed, according to the intention of the act of parliament, repeated in the 5 act, parl. 20. King James VI. And to that end they ordain all papifts and priests to be punished with manifold civil and ecclefiaftical pains, as adverfaries to God's true religion, preached, and by law established within this realm, act 24 parl. 11. king James VI. as common enemies to all chriftian government, act 18. parl. 16. king Ja. VI. as rebellers and gainftanders of our fovereign lord's authority, act 47. parl. 3. Ja. VI. and as idolaters, act 104. parl. 9. king Ja. VI. But allo in particular, by and attour the Confeffion of Faith, do abolish and condemn the pope's authority and jurifdiction out of this land, and ordains the maintainers thereof to be punished, at 2 parl. 1. act 51. parl. 3. act 106 parl. 7. act 114. parl 12 king Ja. VI. do condemn the pope's erroneous doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to any of the articles of the true and chriftian religion, publickly preached, and by law eftablished in this realm; and ordains the spreaders and makers of books or libels, or letters or writs of that nature, to be punished, act 46. parl. 3. act 106. parl. 7. act 24. parl. 11 K. Ja. VI. do condemn all baptifm conform to the pope's kirk, and the idolatry of the mafs; and ordains all fayers, wilful hearers, and concealers of the mafs, the maintainers and refetters of the priefts, jefuits, trafficking papifts, to be punished without any exception or reftriction. act 5. parl. 1. act 120. parl. 12: act 164. parl. 13. act 193. parl. 14. 2ft 1. parl. 19. act 5. parl. 20. K. Ja. VI. do condemn all erroneous books and writs, containing erroneous doctrine against the religion prefently profeffed, or containing fuperftitious rites and ceremonies papistical, whereby the people are greatly abused; and ordains the home-bringers of them to be punished, act 23. parl. 11. K. Ja. VI. do condemn the monuments and dregs of bygone idolatry, as going to croffes, obferving the feftival days of faints, and fuch other fuperftitious and papiftical rites, to the difhonour of God, contempt of true religion, and foftering of great error among the people; and ordains the ufers of them to be punished for the fecond fault, as idolaters, act 104 Parl. 7. K. Ja. VI.

Like as many acts of parliament are conceived for maintainance of God's true and christian religion, and the purity thereof, in doctrine and facraments of the true church of God, the liberty and freedom thereof, in her national, fynodal affemblies, prefbyteries, feffions, policy, difcipline and jurifdiction thereof; as that purity of religion, and liberty of the church was used, profeffed, exercifed, preached, and confeffed according to the reformation of religion in this realm. As for inftance, the 99. act, parl. 7. act 25. parl. 11. act 114. parl. 12. act 160. parl. 13. of K. Ja. VI. ratified by the 4 act of K. Cha. So that the 6. act, parl. 1. and 68 act, parl. 6. of K. Ja. VI, in the year of God 1579, declares the minifters of the blessed evangel, whom

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God of his mercy hath raifed up, or hereafter fhall raife, agreeing with them that then lived, in doctrine and administration of the facraments; and the people that profeffed Chrift, as he was then offered in the evangel, and doth communicate with the holy facraments (as in the reformed kirks of this realm they were presently adminiftrate) according to the Confeffion of Faith; to be the true and holy kirk of Chrift Jefus with this realm. And decerus and declares all and fundry, who either gainfay the word of the evangel received and approved, as the heads of the Conteffion of Faith, profeffed in Parliament, in the year of God 1560, specified alfo in the first Parliament K. Ja. VI and ratified in this prefent Parliament, more particularly do exprefs, or that refules the adminiftration of the holy facraments, as they were then miniftrated to be no members of the faid kirk within this realm, and true religion prefently profeffed, fo long as they keep themselves fo divided from the fociety of Chrift's body. And the fubfequent act 69. Par. 6. of K. Ja. VI. declares, that there is no other face of kirk, nor other face of religion, than was prefently at that time, by the favour of God, established within this realm: "Which therefore is ever ftyled God's true religion, Chrift's true religion, the true and "Chriftian religion, and a perfect religion; which, by manifold acts "of Parliament, all within this realm are bound to" profefs, to fubfcribe the articles thereof, the Confeffion of Faith, to recant all doctrine and errors repugnant to any of the faid articles act 4. and 9. Parl1. act 45, 46, 47. Parl, 3. act 71. Parl. 6. act 106. Parl. 14. of K, Ja. VI. and all magiftrates, fheriffs, &c. on the one part, are ordained to fearch, apprehend, and punish all contraveeners: for inftance, act . Parl. i. act 104. Parl. 7. act 25. Parl. 11. K. Ja. VI. and that notwithstanding of the king's majefty's licence on the contrary, which are difcharged, and declared to be of no force, in fo far as they tend in any wife to the prejudice and hinder of the execution of the acts of Parliament against Papists and adverfaries of true religion, act 106. Parl. 7. K. Ja. VI. On the other part, in the 47 act. Parl. 3. K. Ja. VI. it is declared and ordained, Seeing the cause of God's true religion, and his highaefs authority are fo joined, as the hurt of the one is common to both; that none fhall be reputed as loyal and faithful fubjects to our fovereign Lord, or his authority, but be punishable as rebellers and gainftanders of the fame, who fhall not give their confeffion, and make their profeffion of the faid true religion: and that they who after defection fhall give the confeffion of their faith of new, they fhall promife to continue therein in time coming, to maintain our fovereign Lord's authority, and at the uttermoft of their power to fortify affift and maintain the true preachers and profeffors of Chrift's religion, against whatfoever enemies and gainftanders of the fame; and namely, agaiuft all fuch, of whatfoever nation, eftate or degree they be of, that have joined and have bound themselves, or have af fifted, or affifts to fet forward and execute the cruel decrees of the

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council of Trent, contrary to the true preachers and profeffors of the word of God. Which is repeated, word by word, in the articles of pacification at Perth, the 23d February 1572, approved by Parliament the last of April 1573, ratified in Parliament 1587, and related act 123 Parl. 12. of K. Ja. VI. with this addition, "That they are bound "to refift all treasonable uproars and hoftilities raised against the true "religion, the king's majefty, and the true profeffors."

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Like as, all lieges are bound to maintain the king's majesty's royal perfon and authority, the authority of Parliaments, without the which, neither any laws or lawful judicatories can be eftablifhed, act 130, and 131. Parl. 8. K. Ja. VI. and the fubjects liberties, who ought only to live and be governed by the king's laws, the common laws of this realm allenarly, act 48. Parl. 3. K. Ja. I. act 79. Parl 6. K. Ja, IV repeated in the act 131. Parl. 8. K. Ja. VI. Which if they be vated and prejudged, "the commiffion anent the union of the two kingdoms of Scotland and England, which is the fole act of the 17 "Parl. of K. Ja. VI. declares," Such confufion would enfue, as this realm could be no more a free monarchy: because, by the fundamental laws, antient privileges, offices and liberties of this kingdom, not only the princely authority of his majefty's royal defcent hath been thefe many ages maintained; but alfo the people's fecurity of their lands, livings, rights, offices, liberties and dignities, preferved. And therefore, for the prefervation of the faid true religion, laws and liberties of this kingdom, it is ftatute by the 8 act, Parl. 1. repeated in the 99 act, Parl. 7. ratified in the 23 act, Parl. 11. and 114 act, Parl. 12. of K Ja VI. and 4 act. Parl 1. of K. Char. I. That all kings and princes at their coronation, and reception of their princely authority, fhall make their faithful promife of their folemn oath, in the prefence of the eternal God, that, enduring the whole time of their lives, they fhall ferve the fame eternal God, to the uttermoft of their power, according as he hath required in his moft holy word, contained in the Old and New Teftaments. And, according to the fame word, fhall maintain the true religion of Chrift Jefus, the preaching of his holy word, the due and right miniftration of the facraments, now received and preached within this realm (according to the Confeffion of Faith immediately preceding) and fhall abolifh and gainftand all falfe religion contrary to the fame; and fhall rule the people committed to their charge, according to the will and command of God revealed in his forefaid word, and according to the laudable laws and constitutions received in this realm, no wife repugnant to the faid will of the eternal God; and shall procure, to the uttermoft of their power, to the kirk of God, and whole Chriftian people, true and perfect peace in all time coming and that they fhall be careful to root out of their empire, all hereticks and enemies to the true worship of God, who fhall be con-. victed by the true kirk of God of the forefaid crimes. Which was al

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fo obferved by his majesty, at his coronation in Edinburgh 1633, as may be feen in the order of the coronation.

In obedience to the commandment of God, conform to the prac tice of the godly in former times, and according to the laudable example of our worthy and religious progenitors, and of many yet living amongst us, which was warranted alfo by act of council, commanding a general band to be made and fubfcribed by his majesty's fubjects of all ranks; for two caufes: one was, For defending the true religion as it was then reformed, and is expreffed in the Confeffion of Faith above-written, and a former large Confeffion established by fundry acts of lawful General Affemblies and of Parliaments, unto which it hath relation, fet down in publick Catechisms; and which had been for many years, with a bleffing from heaven, preached and profeffed in this kirk and kingdom, as God's undoubted truth, grounded only u pon his written word. The other caufe was, for maintaining the king's majefty, his perfon and eftate; the true worship of God and the king's authority being fo ftraitly joined as that they had the fame friends and common enemies, and did ftand and fall together. And finally being convinced in our minds, and confeffing with our mouths, that the prefent and fucceeding generations in this land are bound to keep the forefaid national covenant and fubfcription inviolable.

We noblemen, barons, gentlemen, burgeffes, minifters, and commons under-fubfcribing, confidering divers times before, and efpecial ly at this time, the danger of the true reformed religion, of the king's honour, and of the publick peace of the kingdom, by the manifold innovations and evils generally contained, and particularly mentioned in our late fupplications, complaints and proteftations, do hereby profels, and before God, his angels, and the world, folemnly declare, That with our whole hearts we agree, and refolve all the days of our life conftantly to adhere unto and to defend the forefaid true religion And forbearing the practice of all novations already introduced in the matters of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions of the publick government of the kirk, or civil places and power of kirk men, till they be tried and allowed in free Affemblies and in parlia ments; to labour by all means lawful, to recover the purity and liberty of the gospel, as it was established and profeffed before the forefaid novations. And becaufe, after due examination, we plainly perceive, and undoubtedly believe, that the innovations and evils contained in our fupplications, complaints and proteftations, have no warrant of the word of God, are contrary to the articles of the forefaid confeffion, to the intention and meaning of the bleffed reformers of religion in this land, to the above-written acts of parliament; and do fenfibly tend to the re-establishing of the popish religion and tyranny, and to the fubverfion and ruin of the true reformed religion, and of our liberties, laws and eftates: We alfo declare, That the forefaid Confeffions are to be interpreted, and ought to be understood of the forefaid novati

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