[A1567/12/3]¹

The Confession of the Faith and doctrine believed and professed by the Protestants of the realm of Scotland, exhibited to the estates of the same in parliament, and by their public votes authorised as a doctrine grounded upon the infallible word of God

Of God, chapter 1

²We confess and acknowledge one only God, to whom only we must cleave, whom only we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom only we must put our trust, who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible, one in substance and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, by whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and earth, both visible as invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable providence to such end as his eternal wisdom, goodness and justice has appointed them, to the manifestation of his own glory.

Of the creation of man, chapter 2

We confess and acknowledge this our God to have created man, to wit, our first father Adam, to his own image and similitude, to whom he gave wisdom, lordship, justice, freewill and clear knowledge of himself, so that in the whole nature of man there could be noted no imperfection; from which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall, the woman being deceived by the serpent, and man obeying the voice of the woman, both conspiring against the sovereign majesty of God, who in expressed words had before threatened death if they presumed to eat of the forbidden tree.

Of original sin, chapter 3

³By which transgression, commonly called original sin, was the image of God utterly defaced in man, and he and his posterity of nature became enemies to God, slaves to Satan and servants to sin, in so much that death everlasting has had, and shall have, power and dominion over all that have not been, are not or shall not be regenerated from above; which regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost working in the hearts of the elect of God, an assured faith in the promise of God revealed to us in his word, by which faith we apprehend Christ Jesus with the graces and benefits promised in him.

Of the revelation of the promise, chapter 4

⁴For this we constantly believe that God, after the fearful and horrible defection of man from his obedience, did seek Adam again, call upon him, rebuke his sin, convict him of the same and, in the end, made to him a most joyful promise, to wit, that the seed of the woman should break down the serpent's head; that is, he should destroy the works of the devil, which promise, as it was repeated and made more clear from time to time, so was it embraced with joy and most constantly received of all the faithful, from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Jesus; all (we mean the faithful fathers under the law) did see the joyful days of Christ Jesus and did rejoice.

The continuance, increase and preservation of the kirk, chapter 5

⁵We most constantly believe that God preserved, instructed, multiplied, honoured, decorated and, from the dead, called to life his kirk in all ages, from Adam until the coming of Christ Jesus in the flesh; for Abraham he called from his father's country, him he instructed, his seed he multiplied, the same he marvellously preserved, and more marvellously delivered from the bondage and tyranny of Pharaoh; to them he gave his laws, constitutions and ceremonies, them he possessed in the land of Canaan; to them after Judges and after Saul he gave David to be king, to whom he made promise, that of the fruit of his loins should one sit for ever upon his regal seat; to this same people, from time to time, he sent prophets to reduce them to the right way of their God, from the which often times they declined by idolatry. And albeit that for their stubborn contempt of justice he was compelled to give them in the hands of their enemies, as before was threatened by the mouth of Moses, in so much that the holy city was destroyed, the temple burnt with fire and the whole land left desolate the space of 70 years, yet of mercy did he reduce them again to Jerusalem, where the city and temple were re-edified, and they, against all temptations and assaults of Satan, did abide, until the Messiah came according to the promise.

Of the incarnation of Christ Jesus, chapter 6

⁶When the fullness of time came, God sent his son, his eternal wisdom, the substance of his own glory in this world, who took the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman, to wit, of a virgin, and that by operation of the Holy Ghost. And so was born the just seed of David, the angel of the great counsel of God, the very Messiah promised, whom we acknowledge and confess Emmanuel, truly God and truly man, two perfect natures united and joined in one person. By which our confession we condemn the damnable and pestilent heresies of Arius, Marcion, Eutyches, Nestorius and such others as either did deny the eternity of his Godhead, or the verity of his human nature, or confounded them, or yet divided them.

Why it behoved the mediator to be truly God and truly man, chapter 7

We acknowledge and confess that this most wondrous conjunction between the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Jesus did proceed from the eternal and immutable decree of God, from which all our salvation springs and depends.

Election, chapter 8

⁷For that same eternal God and father, who of mere grace elected us in Christ Jesus his son, before the foundation of the world was laid, appointed him to be our head, our brother, our pastor and great bishop of our souls; but because that the enmity between the justice of God and our sins was such that no flesh by itself could or might have attained to God, it behoved that the son of God should descend to us and take himself a body of our body, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones, and so become the perfect mediator between God and man, giving power to so many as believe in him to be the sons of God, as himself does witness, 'I pass up to my father, and unto your father, to my God, and unto your God', by which most holy fraternity whatsoever we have lost in Adam is restored to us again. And for this cause we are not afraid to call God our father, not so much because he has created us (which we have common with the reprobate), as for that that he has given to us his only son to be our brother, and given to us grace to acknowledge and embrace him for our only mediator, as was said before. It behoved further the Messiah and redeemer to be truly God and truly man, because he was to underlie the punishment due for our transgressions, and to present himself in the presence of his father's judgement, as if in our person, to suffer for our transgression and disobedience, by death to overcome him that was author of death. But because the only Godhead could not suffer death, neither yet could the only manhood overcome the same, he joined both together in one person, that the imbecility of the one should suffer and be subject to death (which we had deserved), and the infinite and invincible power of the other, to wit, of the Godhead, should triumph and purchase to us life, liberty and perpetual victory, and so we confess and most undoubtedly believe.

Christ's death, passion, burial, chapter 9

⁸That our Lord Jesus offered himself a voluntary sacrifice to his father for us; that he suffered contradiction of sinners; that he was wounded and plagued for our transgressions; that he, being the clean innocent lamb of God, was damned in the presence of an earthly judge, that we should be absolved before the tribunal seat of our God; that he suffered not only the cruel death of the cross (which was cursed by the sentence of God), but also that he suffered for a season the wrath of his father, which sinners had deserved. But yet we avow that he remained the only well loved and blessed son of his father, even in the midst of his anguish and torment which he suffered in body and soul, to make the full satisfaction for the sins of the people. After which we confess and avow that there remains no other sacrifice for sin, which if any affirm, we doubt not to avow that they are blasphemous against Christ's death and the everlasting purgation and satisfaction purchased to us by the same.

Resurrection, chapter 10

⁹We undoubtedly believe that, in so much as it was impossible that the dolours of death should retain in bondage the author of life, that our Lord Jesus crucified, dead and buried, who descended into hell, did rise again for our justification and destruction of him who was the author of death, brought life again to us that were subject to death and to the bondage of the same. We know that his resurrection was confirmed by the testimony of his very enemies, by the resurrection of the dead, whose sepulchres did open and they did rise and appeared to many within the city of Jerusalem. It was also confirmed by the testimony of his angels and by the senses and judgements of his apostles, and of others who had conversation and did eat and drink with him after his resurrection.

Ascension, chapter 11

¹⁰We do not doubt that the self same body which was born of the Virgin, was crucified, died and buried, and which did rise again, did ascend into the heavens for the accomplishment of all things, where, in our names, and for our comfort, he has received all power in heaven and earth, where he sits at the right hand of the father, inaugurated in his kingdom, advocate and only mediator for us; which glory, honour and prerogative he alone amongst the brethren shall possess until that all his enemies are made his footstool, as we undoubtedly believe they shall be in the final judgement; to the execution whereof we certainly believe that the same our Lord Jesus shall visibly return as he was seen to ascend. And then we firmly believe that the time of refreshing and restitution of all things shall come in so much that they who from the beginning have suffered violence, injury and wrong, for righteousness' sake, shall inherit that blessed immortality promised from the beginning, but contrarily the stubborn, disobedient, cruel oppressors, filthy persons, adulterers and all sorts of unfaithful persons shall be cast in the dungeon of utter darkness, where their worm shall not die, neither yet their fire shall be extinguished. The remembrance of which day, and of the judgement to be executed in the same, is not only a bridle to us whereby our carnal lusts are refrained, but also such inestimable comfort that neither may the threatening of worldly princes, neither yet the fear of temporal death and present danger, move us to renounce and forsake that blessed society, which we, the members, have with our head and only mediator Christ Jesus, whom we confess and avow to be the promised Messiah, the only head of his kirk, our just lawgiver, our only high priest, advocate and mediator. In which honours and offices, if man or angel presume to intrude themselves, we utterly detest and abhor them as blasphemous to our sovereign and supreme governor Christ Jesus.

Faith in the Holy Ghost, chapter 12

¹¹This our faith, and assurance of the same, proceeds not from flesh and blood, that is to say, from no natural powers within us, but is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, whom we confess God, equal with the father and with the son, who sanctifies us, and brings us in all truth by his own operation, without whom we should remain for ever enemies to God and ignorant of his son Christ Jesus, for of nature we are so dead, so blind and so perverse, that neither can we feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shines, nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, unless the spirit of the Lord Jesus quickens that which is dead, removes the darkness from our minds and bows our stubborn hearts to the obedience of his blessed will. And so as we confess that God the father created us when we were not, as his son our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him, so also do we confess that the Holy Ghost does sanctify and regenerate us, irrespective of any merit proceeding from us, be it before or be it after our regeneration. To speak this one thing yet in more plain words, as we willingly spoil ourselves of all honour and glory of our own creation and redemption, so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification; for of ourselves we are not sufficient to think a good thought, but he who has begun the work in us is only he that continues us in the same, to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace.

The cause of good works, chapter 14 ¹²

¹³So that the cause of good works we confess to be not our freewill, but the spirit of the Lord Jesus, who, dwelling in our hearts by true faith, brings forth such good works as God has prepared for us to walk in. For this we most boldly affirm that it is blasphemy to say that Christ abides in the hearts of such as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification; and therefore we fear not to affirm that murderers, oppressors, cruel persecutors, adulterers, whore-mongers, filthy persons, idolaters, drunkards, thieves and all workers of iniquity have neither true faith, nor any portion of the spirit of sanctification which proceeds from the Lord Jesus, so long as obstinately they continue in their wickedness. For how soon that ever the spirit of the Lord Jesus (which God's elect children receive by true faith) takes possession in the heart of any man, so soon does he regenerate and renew the same man, so that he begins to hate that which before he loved, and begins to love that which before he hated. And from thence comes that continual battle, which is between the flesh and the spirit in God's children, until the flesh and natural man, according to the own corruption, lusts for things pleasing and delectable to the self, and grudges in adversity, is lifted up in prosperity and at every moment is prone and ready to offend the majesty of God. But the spirit of God, which gives witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God, makes us resist the devil, to abhor filthy pleasures and to groan in God's presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption, and finally, to triumph over sin that it reign not in our mortal bodies. Carnal men do not have this battle, being destitute of God's spirit, who follow and obey sin with greediness and without repentance, even as the devil and their corrupt lusts do prick them. But the sons of God, as was said before, do fight against sin, do sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted to iniquity, and if they fall, they rise again with earnest and unfeigned repentance; and these things they do not by their own power but by the power of the Lord Jesus, without whom they were able to do nothing.

What works are reputed good before God, chapter 15

¹⁴We confess and acknowledge that God has given to man his holy law, in which not only are forbidden all such works as displease and offend his godly majesty, but also all those that are commanded that please him, and as he has promised to reward. And these works be of two sorts: the one are done to the honour of God, the other to the profit of our neighbours; and both have the revealed will of God for their assurance. To have a God, to worship and honour him, to call upon him in all our troubles, reverence his holy name, to hear his word, to believe the same, to communicate with his holy sacraments, are the works of the first table. To honour father, mother, princes, rulers and superior powers, to love them, to support them, yea, to obey their charges (not repugning to the commandment of God); to save the lives of innocents, to repress tyranny, to defend the oppressed, to keep our bodies clean and holy, to live in soberness and temperance, to deal justly with all men both in word and deed and, finally, to repress all appetite of our neighbours' hurt, are the good works of the second table, which are most pleasing and acceptable to God as those works that are commanded by himself. The contrary whereof is sin most odious, which always displeases him and provokes him to anger; as, not to call upon him alone, when we have need; not to hear his word with reverence; to condemn and despise it; to have or worship idols; to maintain and defend idolatry; to esteem lightly the reverend name of God; to profane, abuse or condemn the sacraments of Christ Jesus; to disobey or resist any person whom God has placed in authority (while they pass not over the bounds of their office); to murder or to consent thereto, to bear hatred, or to suffer innocent blood to be shed, if we may withstand it; and, finally, the transgression of any other commandment in the first or second table, we confess and affirm to be sin, by which God's hate and displeasure is kindled against the proud, unthankful world. So that good works we affirm to be those only that are done in faith and at God's commandment, who, in his law, has expressed what the things are that please him. And evil works we affirm not only those that expressly are done against God's commandment, but those also that in matters of religion and worshipping of God have no other assurance but the invention and opinion of man, which God from the beginning has ever rejected as by the Prophet Isaiah, and by our master Christ Jesus, we are taught in these words 'In vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines the precepts of men'.

The perfection of the law, and imperfection of man, chapter 16

¹⁵The law of God we confess and acknowledge most just, most equal, most holy and most perfect, commanding these things which, being wrought in perfection, were able to give life and able to bring man to eternal felicity. But our nature is so corrupt, so weak and so imperfect that we are never able to fulfil the works of the law in imperfection. Yea, if we say we have no sin, even after we are regenerated, we deceive ourselves, and the truth of God is not in us; and therefore it behoved us to apprehend Christ Jesus with his justice and satisfaction, who is the end and accomplishment of the law to all that believe, by whom we are set at this liberty, that the curse and malediction of God fall not upon us, albeit we fulfil not the same in all points, for God the father beholding us in the body of his son Christ Jesus accepts our imperfect obedience as it were perfect and covers our works, which are defiled with many spots, with the justice of his son. We do not mean that we are so set at liberty that we owe no obedience to the law (for that before we have plainly confessed), but this we affirm, that no man in earth (Christ Jesus only being excepted) has given, gives or shall give in work that obedience to the law which the law requires. But when we have done all things, we must fall down and unfeignedly confess that we are unprofitable servants, and therefore, whoever boasts themselves of the merits of their own works, or puts their trust in the works of supererogation, boasts themselves to be of that which is not and puts their trust in damnable idolatry.

Of the kirk, chapter 17

¹⁶As we believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, so do we most constantly believe that from the beginning there has been, now is, and to the end of the world shall be one kirk; that is to say, one company and multitude of men chosen of God, who rightly worship and embrace him by true faith in Christ Jesus, who is the only head of the same kirk, which also is the body and spouse of Christ Jesus, which kirk is catholic, that is, universal, because it contains the elect of all ages, of all realms, nations and tongues, be they of the Jews or be they of the gentiles, who have communion and society with God the father and with his son Christ Jesus, through the sanctification of his holy spirit; and therefore is it called the communion, not of profane persons, but of saints, who, as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits, to wit, of one God, one Lord Jesus, one faith, and of one baptism, out of which kirk there is neither life nor eternal felicity. And, therefore, we utterly abhor the blasphemy of those that affirm that men which live according to equity and justice shall be saved, what[ever] religion that ever they have professed; for without Christ Jesus there is neither life nor salvation, so shall there be no participants thereof, but such as the father has given to his son Christ Jesus; and they who in time come to him, avow his doctrine and believe into him (we include children with faithful parents). This kirk is invisible, known only to God, who alone knows who he has chosen, and includes as well (as said is) the elect who are departed, commonly called the kirk triumphant, and they that yet live and fight against sin and Satan as shall live hereafter.

The immortality of the souls, chapter 18

¹⁷The elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours; not that they sleep and come to a certain oblivion (as some fanatics do affirm), but that they are delivered from all fear and torment and all temptation, to which we and all God's elect are subject in this life, and therefore do bear the name of the kirk militant. As in the contrary, the reprobate and unfaithful departed have anguish, torment and pain that cannot be expressed, so that neither the one nor the other are in such sleep that they feel not joy or torment, as the parable of Christ Jesus in Luke 16, his words to the thief, and the words of the souls crying under the altar, 'O Lord, thou that art righteous and just, how long shall thou not revenge our blood upon those that dwell in the earth?' do testify.

Of the notes by the which the true kirk is discerned from the false, and who shall be judge of the doctrine, chapter 19

¹⁸Because Satan from the beginning has laboured to deck his pestilent synagogue with the title of the kirk of God, and has inflamed the hearts of cruel murderers to persecute, trouble and molest the true kirk and members thereof, as Cain did Abel, Ishmael [did] Isaac, Esau [did] Jacob, and the whole priesthood of the Jews [did] Christ Jesus himself and his apostles after him, it is a thing most requisite that the true kirk be discerned from the filthy synagogues by clear and perfect notes, lest we, being deceived, receive and embrace to our own condemnation the one for the other. The notes, signs and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Jesus is known from the horrible harlot, the kirk malignant, we affirm are neither antiquity, usurped title, lineal descent, place appointed nor multitude of men approving an error, for Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth, Jerusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth, where also were the priests lineally descended from Aaron, and greater number followed the scribes, Pharisees and priests than unfeigningly believed and approved Christ Jesus and his doctrine. And yet, as we suppose, no man of sound judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the kirk of God. The notes, therefore, of the true kirk of God, we believe, confess and avow to be: firstly, the true preaching of the word of God, into the which God has revealed himself to us, as the writings of the prophets and apostles do declare; secondly, the right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus, which must be annexed to the word and promise of God, to seal and confirm the same in our hearts; lastly, ecclesiastical discipline administered uprightly as God's word prescribes, whereby vice is repressed and virtue nourished. Wherever that these former notes are seen and of any time continue (be the number never so few, above two or three) there, without all doubt, is the true kirk of Christ, who, according to his promise, is in the midst of them; not that universal [kirk], of which we have before spoken, but particular, such as was in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus and other places, in which the ministry was planted by Paul and were of himself named the kirks of God. And such kirks we, the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland, professors of Christ Jesus, profess ourselves to have reformed in our cities, towns and places; for the doctrine taught in our kirks is contained in the written word of God, to wit, in the books of the Old and New Testaments; in those books we mean of which since ancient times have been reputed canonical, in the which we affirm that all things necessary to be believed for the salvation of mankind is sufficiently expressed; the interpretation whereof we confess neither appertains to private nor public person, neither yet to any kirk for any pre-eminence or prerogative, personally or locally, which one has above another, but appertains to the spirit of God, by the which also the scripture was written. When controversy then happens, for the right understanding of any place or sentence of scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the kirk of God, we ought not so much to look what men before us have said or done, as to that which the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks within the body of the scriptures, and to that which Christ Jesus himself did and commanded to be done; for this is a thing universally granted, that the spirit of God, which is the spirit of unity, is in nothing contrary unto himself. If then the interpretation, determination or sentence of any doctor, kirk or council is repugnant to the plain word of God and written in any other place of the scripture, it is a thing most certain that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the Holy Ghost, despite councils, realms and nations having approved and received the same; for we dare not receive nor admit any interpretation which repugns any principle point of our faith, or to any other plain text of scripture, or yet to the rule of charity.

The authority of the scriptures, chapter 20

¹⁹As we believe and confess the scriptures of God are sufficient to instruct and make the man of God perfect, so do we affirm and avow the authority of the same to be of God, and neither to depend on men nor angels. We affirm, therefore, that such as allege the scripture to have no other authority but that which it has received from the kirk, to be blasphemous against God and injurious to the true kirk, which always hears and obeys the voice of her own spouse and pastor, but takes not upon her to be mistress over the same.

Of general councils, of their power, authority and cause of their convention, chapter 21

²⁰As we do not rashly damn that which godly men, assembled together in general council, lawfully gathered, have proposed to us, so without just examination we dare not receive whatsoever is obtruded to men under the name of general councils. For it is plain, as they were men, that some of them manifestly erred, and that in matters of great weight and importance. So then as far as the council proves the determination and commandment that it gives by the plain word of God, so far do we reverence and embrace the same. But if men under the name of a council pretend to forge to us new articles of our faith, or to make constitutions repugning to the word of God, then utterly we must refuse the same as the doctrine of devils, which draws our souls from the voice of our only God to follow the doctrines and constitutions of men. The reasons, then, why general councils were convened was neither to make any perpetual law which God had not made before, neither yet to forge new articles of our belief, nor to give the word of God authority, much less to make that to be his word, or yet the true interpretation of the same, which was not his holy will expressed in his word before; but the reason of councils (we mean of such as merit the name of councils) was partly for confutation of heresies and for giving public confession of their faith to the posterity following, which both they did by the authority of God's written word and not by any opinion or prerogative that they could not err, by reason of their general assembly. And this we judge to have been the chief reason for general councils. The other was for good policy and order to be constituted and observed in the kirk, in which (as in the house of God) it becomes all things to be done decently and to order. Not that we think that a policy and an order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages, times and places, for as ceremonies, such as men have devised, are but temporal, so they may and ought to be changed when they rather foster superstition than edify the kirk using the same.

Of the sacraments, chapter 22

²¹As the fathers under the law, besides the verity of the sacrifices, had two chief sacraments, to wit, circumcision and the Passover, the despisers and condemners whereof were not reputed for God's people, so do we acknowledge and confess that we, now in the time of the evangel, have only two chief sacraments instituted by the Lord Jesus and commanded to be used of all who will be reputed members of his body, to wit, baptism and the supper or table of the Lord Jesus, called the communion of his body and his blood. And these sacraments, both those of the Old and New Testament, were instituted by God not only to make a visible difference between his people and those who were without his league, but also to exercise the faith of his children and, by participation of the same sacraments, to seal in their hearts the assurance of his promise and of that most blessed conjunction, union and society, which the elect have with their head Christ Jesus. And thus we utterly damn the vanity of those that affirm sacraments to be nothing else but naked and bare signs. No, we assuredly believe that by baptism we are engrafted in Christ Jesus, to be made partakers of his justice, by which our sins are covered and remitted, and also, that in the supper rightly used, Christ Jesus is so joined with us that he becomes the very nourishment and food of our souls. Not that we imagine any transubstantiation of bread in Christ's natural body and of wine in his natural blood, as the papists have perniciously taught and damnably believed, but this union and conjunction, which we have with the body and blood of Christ Jesus in the right use of the sacraments, is wrought by operation of the Holy Ghost, who, by true faith, carries us above all things that are visible, carnal and earthly, and makes us to feed upon the body and blood of Christ Jesus, which was once broken and shed for us, which now is in the heaven, and appears in the presence of his father for us. And yet, notwithstanding the far distance of place which is between his body now glorified in the heaven and us now mortal in this earth, yet we most assuredly believe that the bread which we break is the communion of Christ's body, and the cup which we bless is the communion of his blood, so that we confess and undoubtedly believe that the faithful in the right use of the Lord's table do so eat the body and drink the blood of the Lord Jesus, that he remains in them and they in him. Yea, they are so made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones, that as the eternal Godhead has given to the flesh of Christ Jesus (which of the own condition and nature was mortal and corruptible) life and immortality, so does Christ Jesus, his flesh and blood eaten and drunk by us, give to us the same prerogatives, which albeit we confess are neither given to us at that time only, nor yet by the proper power and virtue of the sacraments only, yet we affirm that the faithful in the right use of the Lord's table has conjunction with Christ Jesus that the natural man cannot apprehend. Yea, and further, we affirm that albeit the faithful, oppressed by negligence and manly infirmity, do not profit so much as they would in the very instant action of the supper, yet shall it after bring fruit forth as lively seed sown in good ground. For the Holy Spirit, which can never be divided from the right institution of the Lord Jesus, will not frustrate the faithful of the fruit of that mystical action, but all this, we say, comes of true faith, which apprehends Christ Jesus, who only makes his sacraments effectual to us. And, therefore, whoever slanders us, [claiming] that we affirmed or believed sacraments to be naked and bare signs, do injury to us and speak against the manifest truth. But this we liberally and frankly confess, that we make a distinction between Christ Jesus in his eternal substance and between the elements in the sacramental signs, so that we will neither worship the signs in place of that which is signified by them; nor yet do we despise and interpret them as unprofitable and vain, but do use them with all reverence, examining ourselves diligently before we do so, because we are assured by the mouth of the apostle that those who eat of that bread and drink of that cup unworthily are guilty of the body and of the blood of Christ Jesus.

Of the right administration of the sacraments, chapter 23

So that the sacraments are administered correctly, we judge two things requisite: one, that they be administered by lawful ministers, whom we affirm to be only those that are appointed to the preaching of the word, into whose mouths God has put some sermon of exhortation, they being men lawfully chosen thereto by some kirk; the other, that they be administered in such elements and in such a way as God has appointed, else we affirm that they cease to be right sacraments of Christ Jesus. And it is for that reason that we flee the society of the popish kirk in participation of their sacraments: first, because their ministers are no ministers of Christ Jesus, yea (which is more horrible), they suffer women, whom the Holy Ghost will not suffer to teach in the congregation, to baptise; and, secondly, because they have so adulterated both the one sacrament and the other with their own inventions, that no part of Christ's action abides in the original purity, for oil, salt, spittle and such like in baptism are but men's inventions; adoration, veneration, bearing through streets and towns and keeping of bread in boxes or busts are a profanation of Christ's sacraments and no use of the same. For Christ Jesus said, 'Take, eat, etc. Do you this in remembrance of me', by which words and charge he sanctified bread and wine to be the sacrament of his holy body and blood, to the end that the one shall be eaten and that all should drink of the other, and not that they should be kept to be worshipped and honoured as God, as the papists have done heretofore, who also have committed sacrilege in stealing from the people the one part of the sacrament, to wit, the blessed cup. Moreover, so the sacraments be rightly used, it is required that the end and reason why the sacraments were instituted be understood and observed, as well by the minister as by the receivers. For if the opinion be changed in the receiver, the right use ceases, which is most evident by the rejection of the sacrifices; as also if the teacher plainly teaches false doctrine, which were odious and abominable before God (albeit they were his own ordinance), because wicked men use them to another end than God has ordained. The same affirm we of the sacraments in the popish kirk, in which we affirm the whole action of the Lord Jesus to be adulterated, both in the external form and in the end and opinion. What Christ Jesus did and commanded to be done is evident by the evangelists and by Saint Paul. What the priest does at his altar, we need not rehearse. The end and reason of Christ's institution, and why the self same should be used, is expressed in these words: 'Do you this in remembrance of me. As often as you shall eat of this bread and drink of this cup, you shall show forth', (that is, extol, preach, magnify and praise) 'the Lord's death until he comes'. But to what end, and in what opinion, the priests say their mass; let the words of the same, their own doctors and writings, witness, to wit, that they, as mediators between Christ and his kirk, do offer to God the father a sacrifice propitiatory for the sins of the quick and the dead. Which doctrine, as blasphemous to Christ Jesus and making derogation to the sufficiency of his only sacrifice, once offered for purgation of all those who shall be sanctified, we utterly abhor, detest and renounce.

To whom sacraments appertain, chapter 24

We confess and acknowledge that baptism appertains as well to the infants of the faithful as to those who be of age and discretion, and so we damn the error of the Anabaptists, who deny baptism to appertain to children before they have faith and understanding. But the supper of the Lord we confess is to appertain only to those who are of the household of faith and can try and examine themselves, both in their faith and in their duty towards their neighbours. Those who eat and drink at that holy table without faith, or being at dissension and division with their brethren, eat unworthily, and therefore it is that in our kirk our ministers take public and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are to be admitted to the table of the Lord Jesus.

Of the civil magistrate, chapter 25

We confess and acknowledge empires, kingdoms, dominions and cities to be distinct and ordained by God; the powers and authority in the same, be it of emperors in their empires, of kings in their realms, dukes and princes in their dominions and of other magistrates in free cities, to be God's holy ordinance, ordained for manifestation of his own glory and for the singular profit and commodity of mankind, so that whoever goes about to take away or to confound the whole state of civil policies, now long established, we affirm the same men not only to be enemies to mankind, but also wickedly to fight against God's expressed will. We further confess and acknowledge that such persons as are placed in authority are to be loved, honoured, feared and held in most reverend estimation, because that they are the lieutenants of God, in whose sessions God himself does sit and judge; yea, even the judges and princes themselves to whom by God are given the sword, to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all open malefactors. Moreover, to kings, princes, rulers and magistrates, we affirm that chiefly and most principally the conservation and purgation of the religion appertains, so that not only are they appointed for civil policy, but also for maintenance of the true religion and for suppressing of idolatry and superstition whatsoever, as in David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah and others, highly commended for their zeal in that case, may be espied; and therefore, we confess and avow that those who resist the supreme power, doing that thing which appertains to his charge, do resist God's ordinance and, therefore, cannot be guiltless. And further, we affirm that those who deny to them their aid, counsel and comfort whilst the princes and rulers vigilantly travail in execution of their office, that the same men deny their help, support and counsel to God, who, by the presence of his lieutenant, does crave it of them.

The gifts freely given to the kirk, chapter 26

Albeit that the word of God truly preached and the sacraments rightly administered and discipline executed according to the word of God are the certain and infallible signs of the true kirk, we do not mean that every particular person joined with such company be an elect member of Christ Jesus; for we acknowledge and confess that darnel, cockel and chaff may be sown, grow and in great abundance lie in the midst of the wheat, that is, the reprobate may be joined in the society of the elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the word and sacraments without such being but temporal professors in mouth, but not in heart, shall fall back and continue not to the end and, therefore, have they no fruit of Christ's death, resurrection nor ascension. But such as with heart unfeignedly believe and with mouth boldly confess the Lord Jesus, as we have said before, shall most assuredly receive these gifts: firstly, in this life, remission of sins, and that only by faith in Christ's blood, in so much that albeit sin remain and continually abide in these our mortal bodies, yet it is not imputed to us, but is remitted and covered with Christ's justice; secondly, in the general judgement, there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh; for the sea shall give her dead, the earth those that therein be enclosed; yea, the eternal, our God, shall stretch out his hand on the dust and the dead shall arise incorruptible, and that in the substance of the self same flesh that every man now bears, to receive according to their works glory or punishment. For such as now delight in vanity, cruelty, filthiness, superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire unstanchable, in which they shall be tormented forever, both in their own bodies as in their souls, which now they give to serve the devil in all abomination. But such as continue in well doing to the end, boldly professing the Lord Jesus, we constantly believe that they shall receive glory, honour and immortality, to reign forever in life everlasting with Christ Jesus, to whose glorified body all his elect shall be made like when he shall compear again in judgement, and shall render up the kingdom to God his father, who then shall be, and ever shall remain all in all things, God, blessed for ever, to whom, with the Son and with the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and ever. So be it.

Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be confounded. Let them flee from thy presence, they hate thy godly name. Give thy servants strength to speak thy word in boldness, and let all nations cleave to thy true knowledge. Amen.

These acts and articles are read in the face of parliament and ratified by the three estates at Edinburgh, 17 August 1560.