The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.—Psalm 19.1
LAWS AND ACTS: That is, Excerpts from the Laws, Acts, Constitutions, & Public Declarations of Sundry Nations ONCE FAVOURED WITH THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments... But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments .—Nehemiah 9.13,16. |
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6. Anent the true and holy Kirk, and of them that are declared not to be of the same. |
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ITEM, Forsomuch as the Ministers of the blessed Evangel of JESUS CHRIST whom God of his mercy has now raised up amongst us, or hereafter shall raise, agreeing with them that now live, in doctrine and administration of the Sacraments, & the people of this Realm, that professes {360} CHRIST, as he now is offered in his Evangel, & do communicate with the holy Sacraments (as in the reformed Kirks of this Realm they are publickly administered) according to the Confession of the Faith: Our Sovereign Lord, with advice of my Lord Regent, & three Estates of this present parliament, has declared, and declares the foresaid persons, to be the only true and holy Kirk of JESUS CHRIST, within this Realm. And decerns and declares, that all and sundry, who either gainsays the word of the Evangel, received and approved, as the heads of the Confession of Faith professed in Parliament of before, in the year of God 1560 years, as also specified in the Acts of this Parliament more particularly do express, and now ratified and approved in this present Parliament, or that refuses the participation of the holy Sacraments, as they are now Administered, To be no members of the said Kirk, within this Realm now presently professed, so long as they keep themselves so divided from the Society of Christ’s Body. |
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