in this Life e, yet, after the general Refur rection, when our Souls and Bodies fhall rife The Re- again to Immortality f, they fhall be damned furrection to unquenchable Fire g: And then we, who of the have forfaken all Mens Wifdom to cleave unBody, to Chrift, fhall hear the joyful Voice,' Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World b;' and fo fhall go triumphing with h; him in Body and Soul, to remain everlaftingly in Glory i, where we shall fee GOD Face And Life to Face, and fhall no more need one to ineverlaft- ftruct another; for we fhall all know him,

ing.

from the highest to the lowest k. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, Honour and Glory, now and ever. So be it.

1

e 2 Pet. 2. Jude, Rom. 9. 22. f A&ts 24. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 12, &c. Phil. 3. 11, 21. I Theff. 4. 13, &c. g 2 Theff. 1. 7, 8, 9. & 2. 12. Ifa, 30. 27. John 3, 36. & 5. 28, 29. Mat. 25. 30, 41, 46. h Mat. 25. 21, 23, 34, 46. ii Theff. 4. 16, 17. & 5. 9, 10. John 5. 29. Ifa. 26. 19. k 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 John 3. 2. Jer. 31. 34. Heb. 8, 11,

CONFESSION

OF THE

Faith and Doctrine,

Believed and Profeffed by the

PROTESTANTS of Scotland,

To the Estates of the fame in Parliament, and by their publick Votes authorized, as a Doctrine grounded upon the infallible Word of God, August 1560.

AND

Ratified and Established by Act of Parliament 1567, as the publick and avowed Confeffion of Faith of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND.

AND

Afterwards further established and publickly confirmed by fundry Acts of Parliaments, and of lawful General Affemblies,

With Proofs from the Scripture.

Matth. xxiv. 14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World, for a Witness unto all Nations, and then fhall the End come.

I Cor. iii. 11. For other Foundation can no Man lay, than that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift.

Printed in the Year 1764.

******************

The CONTENTS.

THE PREFACE.

ARTICLE.

1. Of GOD.

2. Of the Creation of Man.

3. Of Original Sin.

4. Of the Revelation of the Promises.

5. Of the Continuance, Increase, and Prefervation of his Church.

6. Of the Incarnation of Chrift Jefus.

7. Why it behoved the Mediator to be very God and very Man.

8. Of Election.

9. Of Chrift's Death, Paffion, Burial, &c.

10. Of the Refurrection.

11. Of the Afcenfion.

12. Of Faith in the Holy Ghoft.

13. Of the Caufe of good Works.

14. What Works are reputed good before God. 15. Of the Perfection of the Law, and the Imperfection of Man.

16. Of the Church.

17. Of the Immortality of the Soul.

18. Of the Notes by the which the true Church is difcerned from the falfe, and who fhall be Judge of the Doctrine.

19. Of the Authority of the Scriptures.

20. Of General Councils, of their Power, Authority, and Cause of their Convention.

21. Of the Sacraments.

22. Of the right Adminiftration of the Sacraments. 23. To whom Sacraments appertain.

24. Of the Civil Magiftrate.

25. Of the Gifts freely given to the Church.

The PREFACE.

The States of Scotland, with the Inhabitants of the fame, profeffing Chrift Jefus his holy Gospel, To their natural Country-men, and unto all other Realms and Nations profeffing the fame Lord Jefus with them; Wifbing Grace, Mercy, and Peace, from God the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, with the Spirit of righteous Judgment, for Salvation.

Long have we thirfted (dear Brethren) to have no

tified unto the World the Sum of that Doctrine which we profefs, and for the which we have fuftained Infamy and Danger: But fuch hath been the Rage of Satan against us, and against Chrift Jefus his eternal Verity, lately now again born amongst us, that to this Day no Time hath been granted unto us to clear our Confciences, as moft gladly we would have done: For now we have been toffed a whole Year paft, as the most part of Europe (as we do fuppofe) doth understand. But feeing that of the infinite Goodness of our God (who never suffereth his afflicted utterly to be confounded) above Expectation, we have obtained fome Reft and Liberty, we could not but fet forth this brief and plain Confeffion of fuch Doctrine as is propofed unto us, and as we believe and profefs; partly for Satisfaction of our Brethren, whofe Hearts, we doubt not, have been, and yet are, wounded by the defpiteful Railing of fuch as yet have not learned to fpeak well; and partly for topping the Mouths of impudent Blafphemers, who boldly condemn that which they neither heard nor understood: Not that we judge that the cankered Malice of fuch is

able

able to be cured by this fimple Confeffion: No, we know that the sweet Saviour of the Gospel is and fhall be Death unto the Sons of Perdition, But we have chief Refpect to our weak and infirm Brethren, to whom we would communicate the Bottom of our Hearts, left that they be troubled or carried away by Diverfity of Rumours, which Satan spreadeth against us, to the defeating of this our moft godly Enterprise; protesting, That if any Man will note in this our Confeffion, any Article or Sentence repugning to God's holy Word, that it would pleale him of his Gentlenefs, and for Chriftian Charity's Sake, admonish us of the fame in Writing; and we, upon our Honours and Fidelity, do promise unto him Satisfaction from the Mouth of God (that is from his Scriptures) or elfe Reformation of that which he fhall prove to be amifs. For God we take to record in our Confciences, That from our Hearts we abbor all Sects of Herefy, and all Teachers of erroneous Doctrine, and that with all Humility we embrace the Purity of Chrift's Gofpel, which is the only Food of our Souls; and therefore fo precious unto us, that we are determined to fuffer the extremeft of worldly Danger, rather than that we will fuffer ourselves to be defrauded of the fame. For hereof we are moft certainly perfwaded, that whosoever denieth Chrift Jefus, or is afhamed of him in presence of Men, fhall be denied before the Fa ther and before his holy Angels. And therefore, by the Affiftance of the mighty Spirit of the fame our Lord Jefus Chrift, we firmly purpose to abide to the End in the Confeffion of this our Faith.

The