Читать книгу The Acts Of The General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland - Church of Scotland. General Assembly - Страница 49

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The Kings Majestie having graciously declared, That it is His Royal will and pleasure, that all questions about Religion, and matters Ecclesiastical be determined by Assemblies [pg 074] of the Kirk, having also by publike Proclamation indicted this free national Assembly, for setling the present distraction of this Kirk, and for establishing a perfect peace, against such divisions and disordres as have been sore displeasing to his Majestie, and grievous to all his good Subjects. And now his Majesties Commissioner John Earle of Traquair, intrusted and authorized with a full Commission, being present, and sitting in this Assembly, now fully conveened and orderly constitute in all the members thereof, according to the order of this Kirk, having at large declared His Majesties zeal to the reformed Religion, and His Royal care and tender affection to this Kirk, where His Majestie had both His Birth and Baptisme, His great displeasure at the manifold distractions and divisions of this Kirk and Kingdome, and His desires to have all our wounds perfectly cured with a fair and fatherly hand: And although in the way approven by this Kirk, tryal hath been taken in former Assemblies before from the Kirk registers, to our full satisfaction, yet the Commissioners Grace making particular enquiry from the members of the Assembly, now solemnly conveened, concerning the real and true causes of so many & great evils as this time past had so sore troubled the peace of this Kirk and Kingdome, It was represented to his Majesties Commissioner by this Assembly, That beside many other, the maine and most material causes were, First, The pressing of this Kirk, by the Prelates with a Service Book, or Book of Common Prayer, without warrand or direction from the Kirk, and containing beside the Popish frame thereof, diverse Popish errors and ceremonies, & the seeds of manifold grosse Superstitions and Idolatry, with a Book of Canons, without warrand or direction from the general Assembly, establishing tyrannicall power over the Kirk in the person of Bishops, and overthrowing the whole discipline & government of the Kirk by Assemblies, with a Book of Consecration and Ordination, without warrand of Authoritie, Civill or Ecclesiasticall, appointing offices in the house of God, which are not warranted by the word of God, and repugnant to the discipline and Acts of our Kirk, and with the high Commission, erected without the consent of the Kirk, subverting the jurisdiction [pg 075] and ordinary Judicatories of this Kirk, and giving to persons meerely Ecclesiasticall, the power of both swords, and to persons meerly Civill, the power of the Keys and Kirk-sensures. A second cause was the Articles of Perth, viz. the observation of Festivall dayes, kneeling at the Communion, Confirmation, Administration of the Sacraments in private places, which are brought in by a null Assembly and are contrary to the Confession of Faith, as it was meant and subscribed Anno 1580, and divers times since and to the order and constitutions of this Kirk. Thirdly, the changing of the government of the Kirk, from the Assemblies of the Kirk to the persons of some Kirkmen, usurping prioritie and power over their Brethren by the way, and under the name of Episcopall government against the Confession of Faith, 1580 against the order set downe in the Book of Policy, and against the intention & constitution of this Kirk from the beginning. Fourthly the Civill places and power of Kirkmen, their sitting in Session, Councell and Exchequer, their Riding, Sitting, and voting in Parliament, and their sitting in the Bench as Justices of peace, which according to the constitutions of this Kirk are incompatible with their spiritual function, lifting them up above their Brethren in worldly pomp, and do tend to the hinderance of the Ministrie. Fiftly the keeping and authorizing corrupt Assemblies at Linlithgow, 1606. and 1608. At Glasgow, 1610. At Aberdene, 1616. At S. Andrews, 1617. At Perth, 1618. which ar null and unlawful, as being called and constitute quite contrary to the order and constitutions of this Kirk received and practised ever since the reformation of Religion, and withal laboring to introduce novations into this Kirk, against the order and religion established. A sixth cause is the want of lawful & free General Assemblies, rightly constitute of Pastors, Doctors, and Elders yearly, or oftner pro re nata, according to the libertie of this Kirk, expressed in the Book of Policy: and acknowledged in the Act of Parliament, 1592. After which the whole Assembly in one heart and voyce did declare, that these and such other, proceeding from the neglect and breach of the Nationall Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdome, made in Anno [pg 076] 1580. have been indeed the true and maine causes of all our evills and distractions. And therefore ordain, according to the constitutions of the Generall Assemblies of this Kirk: And upon the grounds respectivè above-specified, That the foresaid Service-Book, Books of Cannons, and Ordinaination, and the high Commission, be still rejected: that the Articles of Perth, be no more practised: That Episcopall Government, and the Civill places and power of Kirk-men be holden still as unlawfull in this Kirk: That the above named pretended Assemblies, At Linlithgow 1606. and 1608. At Glasgow 1610. At Aberdene 1616. At S. Andrews 1617. At Perth 1618. be hereafter accounted as null, and of none effect. And that for preservation of Religion, and preventing all such evill in time-coming, Generall Assemblies rightly constitute, as the proper and competent judge of all matters Ecclesiasticall, heereafter be kept yearly and oftner, pro re nata, as occasion and necessity shall require; The necessity of these occasionall Assemblies being first remonstrate to His Majestie by humble supplication: As also that Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries and Synodall Assemblies, be constitute and observed, according to the order of this Kirk.

After the voycing of the Act (anent the causes of our by gone evills) His Majesties Commissioner consented verbally to the said Act, and promised to give into the Clerk in writ, the Declaration of His consent, and that he should ratifie this Act in the ensuing Parliament.