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A58583
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Act ratifying the confession of faith and settling Presbyterian church-government Edinburgh, the seventh day of June, 1690.
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Scotland.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing S1157; ESTC R34034
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26,464
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30
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faith really and indeed yet not carnally and corporally but Spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucified and all benefits of his death The Body and Blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in with or under the Bread and Wine yet as really but Spiritually present to the Faith of Believers in that Ordinance as the Elements themselves are to their outward senses VIII Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the Thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord to their own damnation Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lord's Table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remain such partake of these Holy Mysteries or be admitted thereunto CHAP. XXX Of Church-Censures THe Lord Jesus as King and Head of his Church hath therein appointed a Government in the hand of Church-Officers distinct from the Civil Magistrat II. To these Officers the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed by vertue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins to shut that Kingdom against the impenitent both by the Word and Censures and to open it unto penitent sinners by the Ministry of the Gospel and by Absolution from Censures as occasion shall require III. Church-Censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending Brethren fordeterring of others from the like offences for purging out of that Leaven which might infect the whole Lump for vindicating the honour of Christ and the holy profession of the Gospel and for preventing the wrath of God which might justly fall upon the Church if they should suffer his Covenant and the Seals thereof to be prophaned by notorious and obstinat offenders IV. For the better attaining of these ends the Officers of the Church are to proceed by Admonitions Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for a season and by Excommunication from the Church according to the nature of the Crime and demerit of the person CHAP. XXXI Of Synods and Councils FOr the better Government and further Edification of the Church there ought to be such Assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils II. As Magistrats may lawfully call a Synod of Ministers and other fit persons to consult and advise with about matters of Religion So if Magistrats be open Enemies to the Church the Ministers of Christ of themselves by vertue of their Office or they with other fit persons upon delegation from their Churches may meet together in such Assemblies III. It belongeth to Synods and Councils Ministerially to determine Controversies of Faith and Cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better ordering of the publick Worship of God and Government of his Church to receive complaints in cases of Male-administration and authoritatively to determine the same which Decrees and Determinations if consonant to the Word of God are to be received with reverence and submission not only for their agreement with the Word but also for the power whereby they are made as being an Ordinance of God appointed thereunto in his Word IV. All Synods or Councils since the Apostles times whether general or particular may err and many have erred Therefore they are not to be made the Rule of Faith or Practice but to be used as an help in both V. Synods and Councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to intermeddle with Civil Affairs which concern the Common-wealth unless by way of humble Petition in Cases extraordinary or by way of Advince for satisfaction of Conscience if they be thereunto required by the Civil Magistrat CHAP. XXXII Of the state of Men after death and of the Resurrection of the Dead THe Bodies of Men after Death return to dust and see corruption but their souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediatly return to God who gave them the Souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into the highest Heavens where they behold the Face of God in Light and Glory waiting for the full Redemption of their Bodies And the Souls of the wicked are cast into Hell where they remain in torments and utter darkness reserved to the Judgment of the great Day Besides these two places for Souls separated from their Bodies the Scripture acknowledgeth none II. At the last Day such as are found alive shall not die but the changed and all the dead shall be raised up with the self same Bodies and none other although with different qualities which shall be united again to their Souls for ever III. The Bodies of the Unjust shall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonour the Bodies of the just by his Spirit unto honour and be made conformable to his own Glorious Body CHAP. XXXIII Of the Last Judgement GOD hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness by Jesus Christ to whom all power and judgement is given of the Father in which day not only the Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all Persons that hath lived upon the Earth shall appear before the Tribunal of Christ to give an account of their Thoughts Words and Deeds and to receive according to what they have done in the body whether good or evil II. The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal Salvation of the Elect and of his Justice in the damnation of the Reprobate who are wicked and dilobedient For then shall the Righteous go into everlasting Life and receive that fulness of Joy and Refreshing which shall come from the presence of the Lord But the Wicked who know not God and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into eternal Torments and be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power III. As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded that there shall be a Day of Judgement both to deterr all men from Sin And for the greater Consolation of the Godly in their Adversity so will he have that Day unknown to Men that they may shake off all carnel security and be alwayes watchful because they know not at what hour the Lord will come and may be ever prepared to say Come Lord Jesus come quickly AMEN FINIS Extracted forth of the Records of Parliament by me TH. BURNET Cls. Reg.
ACT Ratifying the CONFESSION of FAITH And Settling PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-GOVERNMENT Edinburgh the Seventh Day of June 1690. EDINBVRH Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to the King and Queens most Excellent Majesties Anno. Dom. 1690. ACT Ratifying the Confession of Faith and Setting Presbyterian Church-Government Edinburgh the seventh day of June 1690. OUR Soveraign Lord and Lady the King and Queens Majesties and three Estates of Parliament Conceiving it to be their bound duty after the great deliverance that God hath lately wrought for this Church and Kingdom in the first place to settle and secure therein the true Protestant Religion according to the truth of GODS Word as it hath of a long time been professed within this Land as also the Government of Christ's Church within this Nation agreeable to the Word of God and most conducive to the advancement of true Piety and Godliness and the establishing of peace and Tranquility within this Realm And that by an Article of the Claim of Right it is Declared that Prelacy and the Superiority of any Office in the Church above Presbyters is and hath been a great and insupportable Grievance and Trouble to this Nation and contrary to the Inclinations of the generality of the people ever since the Reformation they having reformed from Popery by Presbyters and therefore ought to be Abolished Likeas by an Act of the last Session of this Parliament Prelacy is Abolished Therefore their Majesties with Advice and Consent of the said three Estates do hereby Revive Ratifie and perpetually Confirm all Laws Statutes and Acts of Parliament made against Popery and Papists and for the maintainance and preservation of the true reformed Protestant Religion and for the true Church of Christ within this Kingdom in so far they Confirm the same or are made in favours thereof Likeas they by these presents Ratify and Establish the Confession of Faith now read in their presence and Voted and Aproven by them as the publick and vowed Confession of this Church containing the sum and substance of the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches which Confession of Faith is subjoyned to this present Act. As also They do Establish Ratify and Confirm the Presbyterian Church-Government and Discipline That is to say the Government of the Church by Kirk-Sessions Presbyteries Provincial Synods and General Assemblies Ratified and Established by the 114 Act Ja. 6. Parl. 12. anno 1592. Intituled Ratification of the Liberty of the true Kirk c. And thereafter received by the General consent of this Nation to be the only Government of Christ's Church within this Kingdom Reviving Renewing and Confirming the foresaid Act of Parliament in the whole Heads thereof except that part of it relating to Patronages which is hereafter to be taken into Consideration and Rescinding Annulling and making void the Acts of Parliament following viz. Act anent Restitution of Bishops Ja. 6. Par. 18. Cap. 2. Act Ratifying the Acts of the Assembly 1610. Ja. 6. Par. 21. Cap. 1. Act anent the Election of Arch-bishops and Bishops Ja. 6. Par. 22. Cap. 1. Act Intituled Ratification of the five Articles of the General Assembly at Perth Ja. 6. Par. 23. Cap. 1. Act Intituled For the Restitution and Re-establishment of the Antient Government of the Church by Arch-bishops and Bishops Cha. 2. Par. 1. Sess 2. Act 1st Act anent the Constitution of a National Synod Ch. 2. Par. 1. Sess 3. Act 5. Act against such as refuse to Depone against Delinquents Ch. 2. Par. 2. Sess 2. Act. 2. Act Intituled Act Acknowledging and asserting the Right of Succession to the Imperial Crown of Scotland Ch. 2. Par. 3. Act 2. Act Intituled Act anent Religion and the Test Ch. 2. Par. 3. Act 6. With all other Acts Laws Statutes Ordinances and Proclamations and that in so far allanerly as the saids Acts and others generally and particularly above mentioned are contrary or prejudicial to inconsistent with or derogatory from the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Government now Established and Allowing and Declaring That the Church Government be Established in the hands of and exercised by these Presbyterian Ministers who were Outed since the first of January 1661. for Non-conformity to Prelacy or not complying with the Courses of the Time and are now Restored by the late Act of Parliament and such Ministers and Elders only as they have admitted or received or shall hereafter admit or receive And also that all the said Presbyterian Ministers have and shall have Right to the Maintainance Rights and other Priviledges by Law provided to the Ministers of Christ's Church within this Kingdom as they are or shall be Legally admitted to particular Churches Likeas In pursuance of the Premisses Their Majesties Do hereby appoint the first meeting of the General Assembly of this Church as above Established to be at Edinburgh the third Thursday of October next to come in this instant year 1690. And because many Conform Ministers either have deserted or were removed from Preaching in their Churches preceeding the thirteenth day of April 1689. And others were Deprived for not giving Obedience to the Act of the Estates made the said 13 of April 1689 Intituled Proclamation against the owning of the late King James and Appointing Publick Prayers for King William and Queen Mary Therefore Their Majesties with Advice and Consent foresaid do hereby Declare all the Churches either Deserted or from which the Conform-ministers were Removed or Deprived as said is to be Vacant and that the Presbyterian Ministers exercising their Ministry within any of these Parishes or where the Last Incumbent is dead by the Desire or Consent of the Paroch shall continue their Possession and have Right to the Benefices and Stipends according to their Entry in the year 1689 and in time coming ay and while the Church as now Established take further Course therewith And to the Effect the Disorders that have hapned in this Church may be Redressed Their Majesties with Advice and Consent foresaid do hereby allow the General Meeting and Representatives of the foresaid Presbyterian Ministers and Elders in whose hands the Exercise of the Church Government is Established either by themselves or by such Ministers and Elders as shall be Appointed and Authorized Visitors by them according to the Custome and Practice of Presbyterian Government throughout the whole Kingdom and several parts thereof to try and purge out all Insufficient Negligent Scandalous and Erroneous Ministers by due course of Ecclesiastical Process and Censures and likewayes for Redressing all other Church-Disorders And further it is hereby provided that whatsoever Minister being Conveened before the said General-Meeting and Representatives of the Presbyterian Ministers and Elders or the Visitors to be Appointed by them shall either prove Contumacious in not appearing or be found Guilty and shall be therefore Censured whether by Suspension or Deposition they shall Ipso Facto be Suspended from or Deprived of their Stipends and Benefices And Ordains this Act to be Printed and Published Extracted forth