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And it is hereby ftatute and ordained, That this act of parliament, 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 fettlement therein contained, fhall be infert and repeated in any act of parliament that fhall pafs, for agreeing and concluding the forefaid treaty or union betwixt the two kingdoms; and that the fame fhall be therein exprefsly declared to be a fundamental and effential condition of the faid treaty or union in all time: coming,

Accordingly this act is declared to be a funda mental and effential condition of the union, and inferted in the act of parliament of Scotland, intitled, An 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, intitled, An act for an union of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland. And on the 22d day

of September 1714, his Majefty, in his first general council, did take and fubfcribe the following oath.

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"I GEORGE, King of Great Britain, France,, "and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. do faithfully promife and fwear, That I fhall in"violably maintain and preferve the fertlement of "the true Proteftant religion, with the government, worship, difcipline, rights, and privileges, of the church of Scotland, as established by the "laws made there, in profecution of the claim of right; and particularly by an act, intitled, AcŁ for fecuring the Proteftant religion, and Prefby

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"terian

"terian church government, and by the acts paffed "in the parliaments of both kingdoms for union "of the two kingdoms. So help me God.

"GEORGE REX."

ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Affembly 1690, act 7.

For retaining foundness and unity of doctrine.

THE General Affembly appoints, That all probationers licenfed to preach, all intrants 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 Confeffion of Faith, approven by former General Affemblies of this church, and ratified in the fecond feffion of the current parliament. And they recommend this to the diligence of the feveral prefbyteries; and appoint them to record their diligence thereanent in their respective registers.

Affembly 1700, act 11.

At anent fubfcribing the Confeffion of Faith.

THE General Affembly appoints, that all minifters and ruling elders belonging to this national church fubfcribe the Confeffion of Faith, as the Confeffion of their Faith, according to the act of Affembly 1690, and the Formula agreed upon in the Affembly held in the year 1694, act II. $6.

The

The Formula.

• I do fincerely own and declare the "above Confeffion of Faith, approven by former "General Affemblies of this church, and ratified "by law in the year 1690, to be the Confeffion " of my Faith; and that I own the doctrine there" in contained to be the true doctrine, which I "will conftantly adhere to As likewife, that I "own and acknowledge Prefbyterian church-government of this church, now fettled by law, "by kirk-feffions, prefbyteries, provincial fynods, "and general affemblies, to be the only govern"ment of this church; and that I will fubmit "thereto, concur therewith, and never endea

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vour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or "fubverfion thereof; and that I fhall obferve "uniformity of worship, and of the adminiftra"tion of all public ordinances within this church, "as the fame are at prefent performed and al "lowed."

Formula to be fubfcribed by all fuch as fhall pass trials in order to be licenfed, and that shall be ordained minifters, or admitted to parishes. By the 10th act of the Assembly 1711.

"I do hereby declare, That I do "fincerely own and believe the whole doctrine "contained in the Confeffion of Faith, approven "by the General Affemblies of this national "church, and ratified by law in the year 1690, "and frequently confirmed by divers acts of par "liament 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 presently authorised and practifed in

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this church; and alfo the Prefbyterian govern

ment and difcipline now fo happily established "therein; which doctrine, worship, and church"government, I am perfuaded, are founded up"on the word of God, and agreeable thereto : " and I promise, that, through the grace of God, "I fhall firmly and conftantly adhere to the "fame; and, to the utmost of my power, fhall, "in my station, affert, maintain, and defend the "faid doctrine, worship, difcipline, and govern"ment of this church, by kirk-feffions, prefby "teries, provincial fynods, and general affem"blies; and that I fhall, in my practice, conform "myself to the faid worship, and fubmit to the "faid difcipline and government, and never en"deavour, directly nor indirectly, the prejudice "or fubverfion of the fame. And I promife, "that I fhall follow no divifive courfe from the "prefent establishment in this church; renouncing all doctrines, tenets, and opinions whatso.06 ever, contrary to, or inconfiftent with, the faid doctrine, worship, difcipline, or goverment, of "this church."

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III. 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 fcriptures gives us of the constitu tion 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 Christianity in its original fimplicity and purity, and guard the church from being infected by the contagion of error, to refift gainfayers, and reject obftinate heretics;, the authority of difcipline, and the native defign of ecclefiaftical cenfures, together with the right which ecclesiastical officers have to employ the neceflary means for at

taining

taining these valuable ends, might all be improved to good purpofe in the defence of Confeffions.

But because the fupporting them upon this foundation would neceffarily engage us in many intricate questions about church-government, and the nature and extent of the authority wherewith its rulers are invested, whofe very being is denied by many, who confidently affirm, that there can be no government but that of the ftate, and disclaim any proper ecclefiaftical conftitution diftinct from the civil; and fince there are innumerable difputes raised by learned men, concerning the meafures and the uses of that power wherewith fynods 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 design of this preface; and, instead of this method of defence, fhall effay to prove, that the church of Scotland, when obliging all her minifters, and other ecclefiaftical officers, to fubfcribe her Confeffion of Faith, does nothing but what fhe hath a juft title to by the common principles of reafon, and the natural unalienable rights of mankind; and as we may afterwards have opportunity to confider any obligation which our church is fuppofed to bring all her members under to her articles of faith, our reasoning at this time will chiefly regard the public 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 treatise upon this fubject, we fhall lay before our readers the principles upon which a larger vindication of creeds may be built, and fuch obfervations as, it is hoped, may be fufficient to answer the moft plaufible objections against them, in that natural unconfined manner which effays of this kind have a claim to, without pre

tending

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