II - The Acts of Parliament

LIKE as many Acts of Parlament not onely in generall doe abrogate, annull, and rescind all Lawes, Statutes, Acts, Constitutions, Canons, civill or municipall, with all other Ordinances and practique penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice of the true Religion and Professours thereof: Or, of the true Kirk discipline, jurisdiction, and freedome thereof: Or, in favours of Idolatrie and Superstition: Or, of the Papisticall Kirk: As, Act. 3. Act. 31. Parl. 1. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. Parl. 12. of King Iames the sixt, That Papistrie & Superstition may bee utterly suppressed, according to the intention of the Acts of Parlament reported in the 5. Act. Parl. 20. K. Iames 6. And to that end they ordaine all Papists & Priests to bee punished by manifolde Civill and Ecclesiasticall paines, as adversaries to Gods true Religion, preached and by Law established within this Realme, Act. 24. Parl. 11. K. Iames 6. as common enemies to all Christian governement, Act. 18. Parl. 16. K. James 6. as rebellers and gainstanders of our Souveraigne Lords Authoritie, Act. 47. Parl. 3. K. Iames 6. and as Idolaters, Act. 104. Parl. 7. K. Iames 6. but also in particular (by and attour the Confession of Faith) doe abolish and condemne the Popes Authoritie and Iurisdiction out of this Land, and ordaines the maintainers thereof to be punished, Act. 2. Parl. 1. Act. 51. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 114. Parl. 12. K. James 6. doe condemne the Popes erroneous doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to any of the Articles of the true & Christian Religion publikely preached, and by Law established in this Realme: And ordaines the spreaders and makers of Bookes or Libelles, or Letters or Writts of that nature to be punished, Act. 46. Parl. 3. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 24. Parl. 11. King Iames 6. doe condemne all Baptisme conforme to the Popes Kirke and the Idolatrie of the Masse, and ordaines all sayers, wilfull hearers, and concealers of the Masse, the maintainers and resetters of the Priests, Iesuites, traffiquing Papists, to bee punished without any exception or restriction, Act. 5. Parl. 1. Act. 120. Parl. 12. Act. 164. Parl. 13. Act. 193. Parl. 14. Act. 1. Parl. 19. Act. 5. Parl. 20. K. Iames 6. doe condemne all erroneous bookes and writtes conteining erroneous doctrine against the Religion presentlie professed, or conteining superstitious Rites and Ceremonies Papisticall, whereby the people are greatly abused, and ordaines the homebringers of them to be punished, Act. 25. Parl. 11. K. Iames 6. doe condemne the monuments and dregs of bygane Idolatrie, as, goeing to Crosses, observing the Feastivall dayes of Saincts, and such other superstitious and Papisticall Rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt of true Religion & fostering of great errour among the people, and ordaines the users of them to bee punished for the second fault as Idolaters, Act. 104. Parl 7. K. Iames 6.

Like as many acts of Parliament are conceaved for maintenance of Gods true and Christian Religion, and the puritie thereof in Doctrine and Sacraments of the true Church of God, the libertie and freedome thereof, in her Nationall, Synodall Assemblies, Presbyteries, Sessions, Pollicie, Discipline and Jurisdiction thereof, as that puritie of Religion and libertie of the Church was used, professed, exercised, preached, and confessed according to the reformation of Religion in this Realme. As for instance, the 99. Act. Parl. 7. Act. 23. Parl. 11. Act. 114. P. 12. Act. 160. Parl. 13. of K. Iames 6. Ratified by the 4 Act. of K. Charles. So that the 6. Act. Parl. 1. and 68. Act. Parl. 6. of K. Iames 6. in the yeare of God 1579. declares the Ministers of the blessed Evangell, whom God of his mercie had raised up, or hereafter should raise, agreeing with them that than liued in Doctrine, and administration of the Sacraments, and the people that professed Christ, as he was than offered in the Evangell, and doth communicate with the holy Sacraments (as in the reformed Kirkes of this Realme they were presentlie administrate) according to the Confession of Faith, to bee the true and holy Kirk of Christ Iesus within this Realme, and decernes and declares all and sundrie, who either gainesayes the Word of the Evangell, received and approved as the heads of the Confession of Faith, professed in Parlament, in the yeare of God 1560. specified also in the first Parlament of K. Iames 6. and ratified in this present Parlament, more particularlie doe specifie, or that refuses the administration of the holy Sacraments, as they were then ministrated, to bee no members of the said Kirk within this Realme and true Religion, presentlie professed, so long as they keep themselues so devyded from the societie of Christs body: And the subsequent, Act. 69. Parl. 6. of K. Iames 6. declares, That there is no other face of Kirk, nor other face of Religion, then was presentlie at that time, by the favour of God, established within this Realm, which therefore is ever styled Gods true Religion, Christs true Religion, the true & Christian Religion, & a perfect Religion. Which, by manifold acts of Parlament, all within this Realme, are bound to professe to subscribe the articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant all doctrine and errours, repugnant to any of the said Articles, Act. 4. and 9. Parl. 1. Act. 45. 46. 47. Parl. 3. Act. 71. Parl. 6. Act. 106. Parl. 7. Act. 24. Parl. 11. Act. 123. Parl. 12. Act. 194. & 197. Parl. 14. of K. Iames 6. And all Magistrates, Shirefs, &c. On the one parte are ordained to search, apprehend, and punish all contraviners, for instance, Act. 5. Parl. 1. Act. 104. Parl. 7. Act. 25. Parl. 11. K. Iames 6. And that notwithstanding of the Kings Majesties licences on the contrarie, which are discharged and declared to bee of no force, in so farre as they tend in any wayes, to the prejudice and hinder of the execution of the Acts of Parlament against Papists and adversaries of true Religion, Act. 106. Parl. 7. K. Iames 6. On the other part in the 47. Act. P. 3. K. Iames 6. It is declared and ordained, seeing the cause of Gods true Religion, and his highnes Authority are so joyned, as the hurt of the one is common to both: & that none shall be reputed as loyall & faithful subjects to our Soveraigne Lord, or his Autority, but be punishable as rebellers & gainestanders of the same, who shall not giue their Confession, and make their profession of the said true Religion, & that they who after defection shall giue the Confession of their Faith of new, they shall promise to continue therein in time comming, to maintaine our Souveraigne Lords Authority, and at the uttermost of their power to fortifie, assist, and maintaine the true Preachers and Professors of Christs Religion, against whatsoever enemies and gainestanders of the same: and namelie, against all such of whatsoever nation, estate, or degree they bee of: that haue joyned, and bound themselves, or haue assisted, or assists to set forward, and execute the cruell decrees of Trent, contrary to the Preachers and true Professors of the Word of God, which is repeated word by word in the Articles of Pacification at Perth the 23 of Februar. 1572. approved by Parlament the last of Aprill 1573. Ratified in Parlament 1578 and related, Act. 123. Parl. 12. of K. Iames 6. with this addition, that they are bound to resist all treasonable uproares and hostilities raised against the true Religion, the Kings Majestie, and the true Professors.

Like as all liedges are bound to maintaine the K. Majesties Royall Person, and Authority, the Authoritie of Parlaments, without the which neither any lawes or lawfull judicatories can be established, Act. 130. Act. 131. Parl. 8. K. Iames 6. & the subjects liberties, who ought onely to liue & be governed by the Kings lawes, the common lawes of this Realme allanerlie, Act. 48. Parl. 3. K. Iames the first. Act. 79. Parl. 6. K. Iames the 4. repeated in the Act. 131. Parl. 8. K. Iames 6. Which, if they bee innovated or prejudged, the commission anent the union of the two Kingdoms of Scotland & England, which is the sole Act. of the 17. Parl. of K. Iames 6. declares, such confusion would ensue, as this Realme could bee no more a free Monarchie, because by the fundamentall lawes, ancient priviledges, offices and liberties of this Kingdome, not onely the Princelie Authority of his Majesties Royall discent hath been these many ages maintained, but also the peoples securitie of their Lands, livings, rights, offices, liberties, and dignities preserved, and therefore for the preservation of the said true Religion, Lawes, and Liberties of this Kingdome, it is statute by the 8. Act. Parl. 1. repeated in the 99 Act. Parl. 7. Ratified in the 23 Act. Parl. 11. and 114. Act. of K. Iames 6. and 4. Act. of K. Charles. That all Kings and Princes at their Coronation and reception of their Princely Authoritie, shall make their faithful promise by their solemne oath in the presence of the Eternall God, that, enduring the whole time of their liues, they shall serve the same Eternall God, to the uttermost of their power, according as he hath required in his most holy Word, contained in the old and new Testaments. And according to the same Word, shall maintaine the true Religion of Christ Iesus, the preaching of his holy Word, the due & right ministration of the Sacraments now receaved and preached within this Realme (according to the Confession of Faith immediatelie preceeding) and shall abolish and gainstand all false Religion contrarie to the same, & shall rule the people, committed to their charge, according to the will and command of God, revealed in his foresaid Word, and according to the lowable lawes and constitutions received in this Realme, no wayes repugnant to the said will of the Eternall God, and shall procure, to the uttermost of their power, to the Kirk of God, & whole Christian people true and perfit peace in all time comming; and that they shall bee carefull to roote out of their empire all Heretikes, and enemies to the true Worship of God, who shall bee convicted by the true Kirk of God, of the foresaid crimes, which was also observed by his Majestie, at his Coronation in Edenburgh, 1633. as may be seene in the order of the Coronation. In obedience to the Commandement of GOD, conforme to the practise of the godlie in former times, and according to the laudable example of our Worthy and Religious Progenitors, and of many yet living amongst us, which was warranted also by act of Counsell, commanding a generall band to bee made and subscribed by his Majesties subjects of all ranks, for two causes: one was, for defending the true Religion, as it was then reformed, and is expressed in the Confession of Faith, aboue writtin, and a former large Confession established by sundrie acts of lawfull generall Assemblies, and of Parlament, unto which it hath relation sett downe in publike Cathechismes, & which hath been for many yeares with a blessing from Heaven, preached, and professed in this Kirk and Kingdome, as Gods undoubted trueth, grounded onely upon his writtin Word. The other cause was, for maintaining the Kings Majestie his Person and Estate: the true Worship of God, and the Kings authoritie beeing so straitlie joyned, as that they had the same friends and common enemies, and did stand and fall togither. And finallie, beeing convinced in our mindes, and confessing with our mouthes, that the present & succeeding generations in this Land, are bound to keep the foresaid nationall Oath and subscription inviolable.