would henceforth fo uphold and ftrengthen him by Spirit, that, being found in the Faith, and holy in Manner of Converfation, God may be honoured, the urch edified, and himself faved in the Day of the rd Jefus.

Then fhall follow the Sentence of Abfolution, in efe or the like Words;

Whereas thou N. haft for thy Sin been fhut out from e Communion of the Faithful, and haft now manifefted y Repentance, wherein the Church refted fatisfied: In e Name of Jefus Chrift, before this Congregation, I ronounce and declare thee abfolved from the Sentence of xcommunication formerly denounced against thee; And o receive thee to the Communion of the Church, and the ee Ufe of all the Ordinances of Chrift, that thou mayeft ¿ Partaker of all his Benefits to thy eternal Salvation. After this Sentence of Abfolution, the Minister speaketh to him as to a Brother, exhorting him to watch and pray, or comforting him if there be Need, the Elders embrace him, and the whole Congregation holdeth Communion with him as one of their own.

Although it be the Duty of Paftors and other Ruling Officers to ufe all Diligence and Vigilancy, both by Doctrine and Discipline, refpectively, for the preventing and purging out fuch Errors, Herefies, Schifms, and Scandals, as tend to the Detriment and Disturbance of the Church: Yet, because it may fall out, through the Pride and Stubbornness of Offenders, that these Means alone will not be effectual to that Purpofe; it is therefore neceffary, after all this, to implore the Aid of the Civil Magiftrate, who ought to ufe his coercive Power for the fuppreffing of all fuch Offences, and vindicating the Discipline of the Church from Contempt.

B

Of Ordination of Minifters.

Ecaufe no Man ought to take upon him the Office of a Minifter of the Word without a lawful Call, therefore Ordination, which is the folemn fetting apart of a Perfon unto fome publick Church-Office, is always to be continued in the Church. li

When

When he who is to be ordained Minifter, hath beer first duly examined touching his Fitnefs, both for Life and Ministerial Abilities, according to the Rules of the Apoftle, by those who are to ordain him, and hath been by them approved; he is then to be ordained, by Impofition of Hands and Prayer with Fafting. But, if any Perfon be found unfit, he is not to be ordained.

It is agreeable to the Word, and very expedient, that fuch as are to be ordained Minifters be defigned to some particular Church, or other Ministerial Charge.

Ordination is the Act of a Presbytery, unto which the Power of ordering the whole Work belongs; yet so as that the preaching Prefbyters, orderly affociated, either in Cities, or in neighbouring Villages, are those to whom the Impofition of Hands doth appertain, for those Congregations within their Bounds refpectively. And therefore it is very requifite, that no fingle Congregation, which can conveniently affociate, do affume to itfelf all and fole Power in Ordination.

No Perfon or Perfons may or ought to nominate, appoint, or choose any Man to be a Minister for a Congregation, who is not fit and able for that Work: And, if any unfit Man be nominated to the Claffical Prefbytery, they are to refufe to admit him.

When any Minifter is to be ordained for a particular Congregation, or tranflated from one Place to another, the People of that Congregation, to which he is to be ordained or admitted, fhall have Notice of it; and, if they fhew juft Caufe of Exception against him, he is not to be ordained or admitted. And in the mean Time, till one be admitted, the Prefbytery fhall provide for the Supply of the Congregation.

The Congregation, if they conceive themselves wronged by any Act of the Prefbytery, fhall have Liberty to appeal to the next Synod, which, upon bearing of the Matter, fhall judge as the Caufe fhall require.

Here followed the Directory for Ordination of Miniffers, Word for Word, as the fame is infert above, Page 179, &c.

A

COLLECTION

Of fome Principal

ACTS and ORDINANCES

Of the PARLIAMENTS of

Scotland and England,

And of the

GENERAL ASSEMBLIES

O F THE

Church of SCOTLAND,

In Favour of the

REFORMATION:

Approving, Establishing, and effectually Securing the true Christian and Proteftant Religion, and the Covenanted Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government of the Presbyterian Church of SCOTLAND, before the Year 1650.

**

Printed in the Year 1764.

A

COLLECTION

O F

Acts and Ordinances, &c.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaanian

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of SCOTLAND.

James VI. Parl. I. Cap. 2.

1. Anent the abolifching of the Pape, and his ufurped Authoritie.

I

At Edinburgh, December 15, 1567.

[TEM, Our Soverane Lord, with advife of his deareft Regent, and three Eftatis of this prefent. Parlia ment, ratifyis and approvis the Act vnderwritten, maid in the Parliament halden at Edinburgh, the 24 Day of Auguft, the Zeir of God 1560 Zears. And of new in this prefent Parliament, ftatutis and ordanis the faid A& to be as ane perpetuall Law, to all our Soverane Lordis Liegis, in all Times cumming. Of the quhilk the tenour followis. ITEM the three Eftatis vinderstanding that the Jurifdictioun and authoritie of the Bifchop of Rome, called the Pape, vfed within this Realme in Times bypaft, has not onely bene contumelious to the eternall God, but also very hurtfull and prejudiciall to our So

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