. College or School within this Kingdom be capable, or be admitted, or allowed to continue in the Exercife of their faid "Functions, but fuch as fhall own and acknowledge the Civil Government in Manner prefcribed or to be prefcribed by the Acts of Parliament: As alfo, that, before or at their Admiffions, they do and fhall acknowledge and profefs, and fhall fubfcribe to the forefaid Confeffion of Faith, as the Confeffion of their Faith, and that they will practife and conform themfelves to the Worip prefently in Ufe in this Church, and fubmit themselves to "the Government and Difcipline thereof, and never endeavour di rectly or indirectly the Prejudice or Subverfion of the fame; and "that before the refpective Presbyteries of their Bounds, by what foever Gift, Prefentation or Provifion, they be thereto próvided. ་ And further Her Majefty with Advice forefaid, exprefly de clares and ftatutes, That none of the Subjects of this Kingdom, "fhall be liable to, but all and every one of them for ever free of any Oath, Teft or Subfcription within this Kingiom, contrary to or inconfiftent with the forefaid true Pro eftant Religion, and "Presbyterian Church-Government, Worship and Difcipline as "above eftablished; and that the fame, within the Bounds of "this Church and Kingdom, fhall never be imposed upon, or required of them in any Sort. And lastly, That after the Deceafe of Her prefent Majefty, (whom God long preferve) the Sovereign fucceeding to Her in the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain, hall in all Time coming, at His, or Her Acceffion to the Crown, "fwear and fubfcribe that they fhall inviolably maintain and pre"ferve the forefaid Settlement of the true Proteftant Religion, "with the Government, Worship, Difcipline, Rights and Privileges of this Church, as above established by the Laws of this "Kingdom in Profecution of the Claim of Right. "And it is hereby ftatute and ordained that this Act of Parlia " ment with the Establishment therein contained, fhall be held and obferved in all time coming, as a fundamental and effential “Condition of any Treaty or Union to be concluded betwixt the two Kingdoms, without any Alteration thereof, or Derogation "thereto, in any fort for ever. As alfo that this Act of Parliament "and Settlement therein contained, fhall be infert and repeated in any Act of Parliament that hall pafs, for agreeing and concluding the forefaid Treaty or Union betwixt the two Kingdoms; and that the fame (hall be therein exprefly declared to be a funda mental and effential Condition of the faid Treaty or Union in * all time coming. Accordingly this A&t is declared to be a fundamental and effential Condition of the Union, and inferted in the Act of Parliament of Scotland, Intituled Act ratifying and approving the Treaty of Union of the two Kingdoms of Scotland and England; and in the Act of the Parliament of England, Intituled An Act for an Union of the two King doms of England and Scotland. And on the 22d Day of Septembar 1714, His Majefty in His firft general Council, did take and fubfcribe the following Oath. " GEORGE King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. do faithfully Promife and Swear that ĺ Shall inviol bly maintain and preferve the Settlement of the true Proteftant Religion, with the overnmen,Worship, Difcipline, Right and Privileges of the Church of Scotland, as Etablished by the Laws made there, in Profecution of the Claim of Right; and particularly by an Act, Intituled, Act for * fecuring the Proteftant Religion, and Presbyterian Chu ch-Goand by the Acts paft in the Parliaments of both Kingdoms for So help me God. Union of the two Kingdoms. ve: nment, GEORGE Rex Ats of the General Allembly. Affembly 1690. Act 7. For retaining Soundness and Unity of Doctrine. “T 66 He General Affembly appoints all Probationers licenfed to preach, all I trants into the Miniftry and all other Minifters and Elders received into Communion "with us in Church Government be obliged to fubfcribe their Approbation of the Co fellion of Faith, approven by former Gene«< ral Affemblies of this Church, and ratified in the fecond Seffion ર of the current Parliament. And they recommend this to the "Diligence of the feveral Presbyteries, and appoint them to record their Diligence thereanent in their refpective Regifters. Affembly 1700. A&t 11. At anent fubfcribing the Confeffion of Faith. દ He General Affembly appoints that all Minifters and ru ling Elders belonging to this National Church fubfcribe the Cofeffion of Fai b as the Confeffion of their Faith according c to the Act of Atlembly 1690, and the Formula agreed upon in the "Affembly held in the Year 1694, A& II. §. 6. The Formula. " T 66 Doctrine Doctrine therein contained to be the true Doctrine which I will conftantly adhere to. As likewife that I own and acknowledge Presbyterian Church Government of this Church, now fettled by Law, by Kirk-Seffions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Affemblies to be the only Govern *ment of this Church, and that I will fubmit thereto, concur therewith, and never endeavour directly or indirectly the Prejudice or Subverfion thereof And that I shall obferve Uniformity of Worship, and of the Administration of all publick Ordinances within this Church, as the Jame are at present " performed and allowed. *FOR MULA, to be fubfcribed by all fuch as fhall pafs Trials, in order to be Licenfed, and that fhall be ordained Minifters, 66 or admitted to Parishes. By the 10 Act of the Affembly 1711. : Do hereby Declare, that I do fincerely own and believe the whole Doctrine contained in the Confeffion of Faith, approven by the General Assemblies of this national Church, and ratified by Law in the "Tear 1690, and frequently confirmed by diverse Acts of Parliament fince "that time,to be the Truths of God,and I do own the fame as the Confeffion of " my Faith, as likewife I do own the Purity of Worship prefently authorized is and practifed in this Church and alfo the Presbyterian Government and Difcipline now fo happily established therein. Which Doctrine, Worship and Church-Government, I am perfwaded are founded upon the Word of Gods and agreeable theret; and I promise that, through the Grace of God; I Shall firmly and conftantly adhere to the fame; and to the utmost of my Fower, fhall in my Station affert, maintain and defend the faid Doctrine, "Worship, Difcipline, and Government of this Church by Kirk-feffions, Presby teries, Provincial Synods, and General Aemblies; and that I fhall in my Practice conform my self to the said Worship, and Submit to the said Difois "C pline and Government, and never endeavour directly nor indirectly the pres judice or fubverfion of the fame. And I promise that I shall follow no divifive course from the present Establishment in this Church; renouncing all Doctrines, Tenets and Opinions whatsoever, contrary to or inconfiftent "with the faid Doctrine, Worship, Discipline or Government of this Church. & THERE might be feveral different Methods taken, in order to vindicate this Ufe which our Church makes of her Confeffion The Account which the Holy Scriptures give us of the Conftitution of the Church, and of the Duty of its Rulers, the Obligations which they are laid under to maintain and propagate the Truth, to preferve the Doctrine of Chriftianity in its original Simplicity and Purity, and guard the Church from being infected by the Contagion of Error, to refift Gainfayers, and reject obftinate Hereticks, the Au thority of Difcipline, and the native Defign of Ecclefiaftical Cenfures, together with the Right which Ecclefiaftical Officers have to employ the neceffary Means for attaining thefe valuable Ends; might all be improved to good Purpofe in the Defence of Confeffions. But becaufe the fupporting them upon this Foundation, would neceffarly engage us in many intricate Questions about Church-Go ernment; and the Nature and Extent of the Authority wherewith its Rulers are invefted, whofe very Being is denied by many, whe confidently affirm that there can be no Government but that of the State, and difclaim any proper Ecclefiaftical Constitution diftin& from the Civil: And fince there are innumerable Difputes raifed by learned Men, concerning the Measures and the Ufes of that Power wherewith Synods and Councils are endued by the Laws of Chrift; we fhall entirely wave the Confideration of Matters, the clearing and establishing of which would be inconfiftent with the Nature and Defign of this Preface; and in ftead of this Method of Defence, fhall effay to prove that the Church of Scotland, when obliging allther Minifters and other Ecclefiaftical Officers to fubfcribe her Confeffion of Faith, does nothing but what the hath a juft Title to by the common Principles of Reason, and the natural unalienable Rights of Mankind: And as we may afterwards have Opportunity to confi der any Obligation,, which our Church is fuppofed to bring all her Members under to her Articles of Faith; our Reafoning at this Time will chiefly regard the publick Officers of the Church, and the Ties whereby they are bound to her Confeffion. As it is not defigned upon this Occafion to compofe a complete Treatife upon this Subject, we fhall lay before our Readers, the Principles upon which a larger Vindication of Creeds may be built, and fuch Obfervations as, 'tis hoped, may be fufficient to anfwer the most plaufible Objections against them, in that natural uncon fined Manner, which Effays of this Kind have a Claim to, without pretending to obferve the Forms of an elaborate Method: Only thus far we fhall endeavour to range our Thoughts in a diftinet Order, as firft to mention the general Foundation, upon which any Church may require Subscriptions to publick Formula's by her Minifters, next to confider the principal Arguments which the Enemies to Creeds boaft of for their Strength and Importance; after which we fhall account for the Reafons, which moved our Church to make Ufe of the Rights the hath to require fuch an Affent to her Confeffion, and the manifold Advantages and great Neceffity of this Practice. S Freedom is the Birth-right of Mankind, any Number of Per under fuch Regulations as appear ufeful and convenient to them, provided they be agreeable to the Rights of others, and the Rules of Juftice: Nor could any Foreigner pretend to intrude himself into a Society which is founded upon Confent, or ufurp the Management of its Concerns. Religion is the brightest Glory of rational Creatures, and their most important Bufinefs; it diffufes it felf thro' all the Circumftances and Conditions of Life, and is founded in our very Beings: Wherefore in all the Relations which Men can be placed in, a Regard to our Maker fhould exert it felf, and they ought all to be improved for that Purpofe; nor can a Perfon be confidered in any State, either of Solitude or Society, but it should appear that he is a Religions Creature: This then is the nobleft Spring of Uni on amongst Men, and that Society is bound together by the grea teft Tie, which is defigned for the Honour and Service of God; it must be therefore infinitely reasonable, that Mankind fhould unite together in worshipping Assemblies, join in a Body for the Praifes and Adoration of their common Lord and Maker, and entertain Communion and Fellowship with one another as his People. And as we are led by the Light of Nature to form Societies for thefe excellent Purpofes, fo we are exprefly obliged to it by the Laws of the Gofpel, which give us a more exalted and enlarged Idea of that Union which ought to be amongst Christians, who thro' the whole World compofe one divine Body united to Chrift as their Head and Lord, animated by the fame Spirit, governed by the fame Rules, and engaged in the fame Interelts. As every Man muft judge for himself, and anfwer to God for his own Soul, he hath a Right independent of another to choofe what Religion he will embrace; and to join himself to that Society of Chriftians, which in his Judgment enjoys the greatest Purity and Conformity to the Conftitutions of the Gofpel, and where he may best promote his eternal Happiness: Nor can any Man with out he fhow a plain Commission from Heaven, which he will never be able to produce, pretend to judge in Matters of Religion for another, and oblige him to a Compliance with his Dictates. In like Manner every religious Society, hath a natural Privilege of worshipping in that Way which, according to their most impartial Views of Things, feems moft agreeable to divine Revelation; of ordering all Matters of joint Concern to the whole Body, and of acting in every Cafe as they believe themfelves directed by the fupreme Rule of Faith and Manners: Nor can any Man thrust himself into the Society without their Confent, or force them to entertain Communion with him contrary to their own Confciences, fince this were a plain Ufurpation upon the Liberties of a Body entirely independent of him. If it appear to them, that ac cording to the Conftitutions of the Gofpel, there ought to be fome peculiarly devoted to the Service of Religion; the Bufinefs of whofe Life it fhould be to explain and confirm the Doctrines of Christianity to the People, to raise their Efteem and Veneration of them, and animate them in the Study and Practice of fincere Religion; to whom should be committed the Government of the Church, and the Administration of the Word and Sacraments; they have a Title founded upon the natural Rights of Mankind to appoint fuch Ecclefia ftical Officers amongft them, and to affift and fubmit to them in the Exercife of the Powers, which they believe their great. Master hath entrusted them with for thefe Ends. As every Society united for thefe Purpofes, hath a Right to determine to whofe Government and Inftruction it fhall fubmit in its fpiritual Concerns: So it muft naturally have a Power to judge concerning the neceffary Qualifications of Perfons, whom they defign to entrust with that facred Office; and to confine fuch an Authority over them, unto thofe who can give reasonable Satisfaction, that they are in fome Meafure fitted to advance the Purposes, for the d 3 fake |
