Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1690

Our Soveraigne Lord and Lady The King and Queens Majesties and three estates of Parliament Conceiveing it to be their bound duty after the great deliverance that God hath lately wrought for this Church and Kingdom In the first place to settle and secure therein the true protestant Religion according to the truth of Gods word as it hath of a long tyme been professed within this Land, as also the Government of Christs Church within this Nation agreeable to the word of God and most conducive to the advancement of true piety and Godliness and the establishing of peace and tranquillity within this Realme And that by ane Article of the Claime of Right It is declared that prelacie and the superiority of any office in the Church above presbyters Is and hath been a great and insupportable greivance and trouble to this Nation and contrary to the inclination of the generality of the people ever since the reformation they haveing reformed from popery by Presbiters and therefore ought to be abolished Lykeas by ane Act of the last Session of this Parliament Prelacie is abolished Therefore Their Majesties with advyce and consent of the saids three Estates Doe hereby revive ratifie and perpetually confirme all lawes statutes and acts of Parliament made against popery and papists and for the maintenance and preservation of the true reformed protestant religion and for the true Church of Christ within this kingdom In swa far as they confirme the same or are made in favours thereof Lykeas they by these presents Ratifie and establish the Confession of faith now read in their presence and voted and approven be them as the publick and avowed Confession of this Church containeing the summe and substance of the doctrine of the reformed Churches which Confession of faith is subjoyned to this present Act As also They doe establish Ratifie and confirme the presbyterian Church Government and discipline That is to say the Government of the Church by Kirke sessions presbyteries provinciall synods and Generall assemblies ratified and established by the 114 Act Ja: 6: parl: 12: Anno 1592 Entituled Ratification of the Liberty of the true kirke &c. And thereafter received by the generall consent of this Nation to be the only government of Christs Church within this Kingdome Reviveing Renewing and Confirmeing the forsaid act of Parliament in the haill heids thereof, except that part of it relateing to patronages which is hereafter to be taken into consideration And Rescinding Annulling and makeing voyd the Acts of Parliament following videlicet Act anent restitution of Bishops: Ja. 6: Parl. 18. Cap 2d Act Ratifieing the acts of the assembly 1610 Ja. 6. Parl: 21 Cap. 1st Act anent the Election of Archbishops and Bishops Ja: 6: Par: 22: Cap. 1st Act Entituled Ratification of the fyve articles of the generall assembly at Perth Ja: 6: Parl: 23: Cap: 1st Act Entituled for the restitution and re-establishment of the Ancient Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops Char : 2 : Par: 1st Sess: 2: Act 1st Act anent the Constitution of a national synod Char: 2: Par: 1st Sess: 3d Act 5th Act agt such as refuse to depone against delinquents Char: 2: Par: 2d: Sess: 2d: Act 2d Act entituled Act acknowledging and asserting the right of succession to the Imperiall Crowne of Scotland Char: 2: Par: 3d act 2d Act entituled Act anent Religion and the Test Char: 2d Par: 3, Act 6th with all other Acts Lawes statutes ordinances and proclamationes And that in sua far allennerly as the saids Acts and others generally and particularly above mentioned are contrary or prejudiciall to Inconsistent with or derogatory from the protestant Religion and presbyterian Government now established And allowing and Declareing that the Church Government be established in the hands of and exercised by these presbyterian ministers who were outed since the first of January 1661 for nonconformity to prelacie or not complying with the courses of the tyme and are now restored by the late Act of Parliament and such ministers and elders only as they have admitted or received or shall hereafter admitt or receave and also that all the said Presbiterian Ministers have and shall have right to the maintenance, rights and other priveledges by Law provyded to the ministers of Christs Church within this kingdom as they are or shall be legally admitted to particular Churches . . . F1 And to the effect the disorders that have hapned in this Church may be redressed Their Majesties with advyce and consent forsaid Doe hereby allow the Generall meeting and representatives of the forsaid presbyterian ministers and Elders in whose hands the exercise of the Church Government is established either by themselves or by such Ministers and elders as shall be appointed and authorised visitors by them according to the custom and practise of Presbyterian Government throughout the whole kingdom and severall parts thereof to try and purge out all Insufficient, negligent, scandalous and erroneous Ministers by due course of ecclesiasticall processes and censures and likewayes for redressing all other Church disorders And further it is hereby provyded that whatsoever Minister being conveened before the said Generall meeting and representatives of the presbyterian ministers and elders or the visitors to be appointed by them shall either prove contumacious in not compearing or be found guilty and shall be therefore censured whether by suspension or deposition they shall ipso facto be suspended from or depryved of their stipends and benefices And ordaines this Act to be printed and published

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1906 (c. 38)