called before the Earle of Murrey Regent and the Lords of privie Counsel who were present with him in Aberdene in Iulie 1569. and were requyred to approve by subscription the old Confession of Faith with all other Acts made concerning Christian Religion in the Parliamenrs holden at Edinburgh in August 1560. and December 1567. They were deprived for their refusall of all honours dignities functions preheminences faculties and priviledges within the said Colledge and of libertie to instruct the youth in any part within this Realme The Commissioner of the Kirk to the shirefdomes of Aberdene Bamfe pronounced the like sentence by the advice counsell and consent of the Ministers and Elders in these bounds But so it is that suâ—drie of these acts of Parliament whereunto they were requyred to subscribe were negative as you use the terme or a rejection of popish errours either in generall or particular as the denyall of the Popes authoritie and jurisdiction the annulling of all Acts made since K. Iames the first his time not agrieing with the word of God and contrarie to the confession of Faith then published the condemniâ—g of the Masse baptising conforme to the manner of the popish Kirk and the abrogating and annulling of all laws acts and constitâ—tions canons civill or municipall contrarie to the said true Religion So you see that even then they thought it not enough to require subscription to the Confession but also to abrenunce contrarie errours specially popish This Confession which you call the negative explaineth more particularly these acts And therfore in the title before it was called A generall Confession of the true Christian faith Religion according to GODS Word and Acts of Parliaments It were good that the like course were taken with you and your fellowes in Aberdene to that which was taken with these before you that is to remove you if you subscribe not that Confession which you seeme to despyte so much In the meane time I would have you content to call it not the negative Confession but the generall Confession as the title beareth To the second Chapter YOu saye divine authoritie appertaineth absolutely to the canonicall Scriptures conditionally to other writings and sermons to wit in so far as they have the trueth revealed in the Scriptures contained in them What if there bee no errour but all trueth which is contained wil you call them therefore absolutely divine Wee professe wee believe with our hearts confesse with our mouthes subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme both before God and the World that the Religion particularly expressed in the confâ—ssion of Faith confirmed by sundrie acts of Parliaments is Gods eternall Trueth and therefore you are bound to sticke to it howbeit wee hold not that or any other confession absolutelie divine For that testimonie whether by word or writ is called divine and hath absolutely divine authoritie which hath God himselfe for the author of it either immediatly by himselfe or by the ministrie of men to whom hee delivered his will by vision dreame or immediat inspiration of the Spirit Both the matter and diction are from GOD. If the testimonie of learned men agreable with the Scriptures might bee called divine absolutely and simply then there should be no difference betweene the holy Scripture the same writings of the learned The Manicheans saide that what Orpheus Sybilla and the Philosophers of the Gentiles foretold of Christ were of as great authoritie as the wordes of the Prophets Augustine answereth that if any trueth bee found in them it availeth to their conviction but not to bee holden in estimation or authoritie as the words of the Prophets For the Devills said hee spake true things of Christ yet were not of as great authoritie as the Angels See in Gratian dist 37. Sicut veri But it may bee in stead of conditionally divine you wold say in some regard or respect that is in respect of the trueth of the matter in which respect it cannot bee called conditionally divine because it is alreadie so farre divine And this is the expression of Divines Etsi enim verae Ecclesiae judicium testimonium dici possit divinum non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nis mirum quatenus cum Scriptura sacra proinde cum Spiritu sancto revelata Dei voluntate congruit tamen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 considaratum non est divinum sed humanum quia non est immediate a spiritu sancto inspiratum Alioqui omne juo dicium testimonium cujuscunque hominis congruens cum sacra scriptura esset divinum atque ita jamnulla esset differentia quoad authoritatem interscripta Prophetarum Apostolorum aliorum ecclesia Doctorum sacris literis consentanea scribentium So wee saye of our Confession of Faith it is not simpliciter divine but in respect of the matter trueth contained into it it may bee called in that respect and so farre only divine Where you saye if wee find in the writings of men any thing repugnant to the holy Scriptures wee ought to reject it correct it or amend it as our progenitours willingly professed in their epistle prefixed to their nationall Confession That epistle or preface seemeth to have beene written in name of the Barons Gentlemen Burgesses other Subjects professing the true Religion who after that they had in their Supplication to the Estates offered to prove the doctrine of the Roman Kirk to bee repugnant to the word of God were coÌ„manded to draw up the summe of that doctrine which they would maintaine and desire the Parliament to ratifie Within foure dayes after it was presented and read first before the Lords of the Articles and after before the whole Estates Some of the Ministrie were present standing readie to answere what might bee alleadged against it The Bishops and others of a contrarie mind were charged in the name of GOD to object against it if they could Everie Article was read by it selfe None would nor could object in the contrare The Eerle of Marshall protested that no Ecelesiasticall person should afterward have place to oppone considering that time was granted them to advise and none opponed in so free and peaceable a Parliament After that none opponed by argument The Confession it selfe without their epistle prefixed when it was exhibited by the Protestants as the title beareth before the Confession was authorized as a doctrine grounded upon the infallible Word of God as you may see where it is insert in the acts of Parliament Apparently you would have no Confession of Faith ratified and authorized or to stand firme and stable but that everie man may have libertie to impugne it This were to unsettle a Kirk or Estate After a Confession is ratified none should bee suffered to be members let bee office-bearers in that Kirk who refuse to subscribe or impugneth it private or publick in schooles or pulpits unlesse it be first corrected by the
onely this much M. Knox within a yeere after hee was exyled out of England after the death of King Edward in his admonition directed to England ranketh kneelâ—ng among the superstious orders which prophane Christs true Religion In a letter directed from Deep anno 1559 to Mistresse Lockâ— hee calleth the crosse in baptisme kneeling at the Lords table Diobolte all inventions In the first book of discipline hee and the rest of his fellowes contrivers of the booke forbid celebration of the Communion at Easter for the avoyding of the superstition of the time The observation of Christmasse cireumcision epiphanie they judge ought to bee utterly abolished that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abominations as are there reckoned in the first head of which observation of dayes is one ought not to escape the punishment of the civill Magistrate In the Parliamenâ— holden in the yeere 1567 it was declared that whosoever refused to participat of the Sacraments as they were then publickly ministred in this reformed Kirk were not true members of this Kirk An act was likewise made corcerning the Kings oath to bee given at his Coronation to maintaine the due administration of the Sacraments then received which was ratified in the Parliaments following anno 1581 and 1582. Againe in the yeere 1572. it was ordained by act oâ— Parliament that such as did not communicate and partake of the Sacraments as they were then truely ministred if they continue obstinate shal be reputed infamous unable to stand in judgement c. The right administration of the Sacraments is set down in the first book of discipline and the booke of common order prefixed to the Psalmes in meâ—ter whereunto Ministers were referred by acts of the generall assemblies holden in the yeares 1562 and 1564. In the generall assembly holden at Edinburgh anno 1566 the lattet confession of Helvetia was approved but with speciall exception against the same five dayes which are now urged upon us In the assembly holden anno 1575. complaints were made against Ministers and readers because they assembled the people to prayer and preaching upon certaine festivall dayes An article was formed to be presented to the Regent craving that all dayes heeretofore keeped holy in time of Papistrie beside the Lords day bee abolished and a civill punishment bee inflicted upon the observers In the assembly holden in Aprile anno 1577 it was ordained that the visitor with the advice of the synod shall admonish Ministers and readers that read preach or minister the communion at Christmasse or Easter or such superstitious times to desist under the paine of deprivation King Iames in the assembly holden anno 1590 praised God that our Kirke was sincerer that Geneva it selfe because they observed Christmasse and Easter without warrant which our Kirk did not In the booke of common order before the Psalmes it is said that the Sacramenes are noâ— ordaind of God to be used in private orners as charmers and sorcerers use to doe but left to the Congregation and necessarly annexed to Gods Word and seales of the same In the Assembly holden at Edinburgh in October 1581 it was ordained that the Sacraments be not ministred in private houses but solemnely according to the good order hitherto observed under the paine of deposition from the function of the Ministerie It is cleare then that the five articles are contrare to the doctrine and practise of the Kirke of Scotland and therefore abjured in the Confession of faith It followeth then that wee have made two breaches upon the Confession and Covenant for maintaining the same for which the LORD hath threatned us with moe novations and alteration of the whole frame of our Religion Had we not need then to renew our Covenant and promise to repare our breaches so farre as lyeth in us As for antiquite and other reformed Kirkes their judgement corcerning the five articles the writer of these late printed bookes whom you taxe either alledge their authoritie against the same articles or cleare their meaning or answere with respect No well reformed Kirk hath received kneeling or bishoping Some observe holy dayes but would be ridde of them We may safely have fellowship with such Churches if wee communicate not with their corruptions As for the agreement betwixt the oath and Covenant about these things with the 21 article in the Confessien extant in the acts of Parliament wee can find no disagreement The first booke of discipline in the head of the policie of the Kirk distinguisheth betwixt thinges necessarie to bee observed in everie Kirk and things variable to bee ordered by everie particulare Congregation There everie particular Kirk is allowed to have a particular policie of their owne without prejudice of the common and geneâ—all as whether to conveene this or that daye of the weeke to the Sermon or how many dayes For the whicâ— and many like there can bee no generall order set downe That booke of discipline was penned by the same persons who drew up the Confession They meant never that the five articles or the like superstitious rites and ceremonies were variable as appeareth by that which I have alreadie alledged M. Knox who had a chiefe hand in that Confession maintained after his first Sermon in publicke in a convention of gray and black Friers at S. Andrewes that the Kirke had no power to devise significant ceremonies But these are properly called ceremonies not politick constitutions for order and decencie And the other Confession which you call the negative condemnes signes brought into the Kirk without or against the the word of God Significant ceremonies beeing condemned the crosse and the surplice or other superstitious apparell cannot bee received You taxe the royall Mandat if you alledge opposition betwixt the old Confession and the other which you call the negative but wee call the generall with a rejection of Popish errours as an appendicle Before I come this length I perceive your reasons for not authorizing or subscribing this Confession at this time have not beene applauded unto by his Majestie and the Lords of secreet Counsell What will you doe now will you stay your subscription till his Majestie subscribe or will you joyne with the Covenanters or will you subscribe with reservation howsoever if you will The case is altered You were unwilling before but now I will not for the reasons containd in the Protestation made at the crosse of Edinburgh the 22 of September where-unto I adhere To the fourth Chapter IN your former chapter you seemed onely to except at our interpretations But now you seeme to offend at the matter For you saye that in so farre as the matter of an oath is unlawfull or unlawfull plâ—asing or displeasing to GOD it ought to bee kept or broken which is uncontroverted but not to the purpose unlesse you would insinuate that there is some bad matter in the Confession And so should it never have beene sworne to or subscribed from the first houre
AN ANSVVERE to M.I. Forbes of Corse His peaceable Warning 2. Cor. 11.14.15 14. And no marvell for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light 15. Therefore there is no great thing if his Ministers also bee transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse whose ends shall bee according to their workes Printed Anno Dom. 1638. TO THE READER I Doe not believe good Reader that any judicious man is perswaded that our Confession of Faith solemnely sworne and subscribed by persons of all rankes throughout the whole Kingdome is worne out of date for any thing hee hath seene in M. I. F. of Corse his late Pamphlet Yet lest any of weake judgment give credite to his allegations I have undertaken to cleare the Trueth for thy farther information and their confirmation Hee hath entituled it A peaceable Warning whereas it tendeth to division to annihilate the authoritie of that generall Confession sworne and subscribed universally now the third time Ieremie complaineth that from the Prophet to the Priest everie one dealeth falsly for they have healed the hurt of my daughter slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace So now many pretend a care for the peace of the Kirk when they intend no peace farther than their opinions shal bee followed and the course they have layed down to themselves It is true hee hath disclamed what hee hath written amisse or to the offence of any in his former copies spread abroad in writ But is that a sufficient satisfaction for these vile imputations of rebellion sedition disobedience refractarinesse temeritie unduetifulnesse to Ministers and reproching them as blind guides Howsoever hee now seemeth more modest yet you may take up of what spirit hee is But I wil not nor need not make Apologie but proceed to my answere to this Copie directing the same to the Author himselfe An answere to the first Chapter YOur historicall discourse upon the Conâ—ession of Faith which you call The short negative Confession is unsufficient For it was not only approved by the generall assemblyes holden in the yeare 1581 and then subscribed universallie but also in the yeere 1590. by a charge from the secreet Counsell procured by the generall Assemblie There was an Act made in the Assemblie holden in Iune 1587. that Students in Vnivrsities subscribe the Religion then established and professed by the mercie of God within this Realme before they bee promoved to Degries Whereupon all such as have beene laureat in the Colledge of Edinburgh since that time to this present yeere to the number of 1500 or therabout have subscribed that Confession In the Assemblie holden in March 1589 some were appointed to seeke from the Clerk of Register a copie of the act made lately before concerning the new subscription of the Band and the same Confession of Faith Some were sent to petition the Counsell that Commissions might bee given to such persons as were agried upon before the holding of the Assembly to receive de novo subscriptions to the Band of maintenance of Religion subscribed by his Majestie and the same Confession of Faith which was put in execution and the Band was printed with the Confession Whereby you may perceive what is meant by Religion in the Band of maintainance As you have your selfe cited sundrie acts of Parliament for the first Confession you might have added an act of approbation of this Confession also In the 12 Parliament holden in Iune anno 1592. and act 123 it is declared that no Subject shall injoy the benefite of the act of Pacification made in Februar 1572. of aboltion made in December 1585. or of both ratified in Iulie 1587. unlesse they professe the true Religon as the same was then professed within this Realme and acknowledge his Highnesse Authoritie But the heads contained in that Confession were the points of Religion then professed within this Realme was not universall subscription pâ—eceeding a signe of profession Was any subscription accepted but to that Confession since it was first subscribed The title of the Act sheweth that by profession is meant giving confession of their Faith The conjoyning of the acknowledegment of the Kings authoritie with professing the true Religion as it was then professed leadeth â—s to that Confession For in the end of that act there 〈◊〉 a clause binding the subscribers to acknowledge K. Iames to bee their Soveraigne Lord which agrieth not with any other Confession No other Confession of Faith can bee meant in the acts of Parliament following Whereas you saye it was called The Kings Confession because it was set out in the Kings Name Wee saye it might have beene as well so called because it was first subscribed by the King and Court But there is no great matter upon what ground it was so called by any This is undoubted that it was the Confession of the Kirk of Scotland that it was so taken by forraine Kirks and therefore insert in the harmonie of the Confessions of the reformed Kirks and there called in the superscription The Confession of the Faith of Scotland which is a larger title than to call it The Kings Confession If that Confession which was universally subscribed by direction from Authoritie and of the nationall assembly may not justly bee called The Confession of the Kirk let any man judge You say because it insisteth most in rejecting of errours it is also called The negative Confession It is so called by Papists and such as look back to Poperie but not justly For it consisteth of an affirmative part comprehending the first Confession as these words doe expressely beare Wee believe with our hearts confesse with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the World c. and of rejection of errours for which you call it often The negative Confession taking the denomination from a part from the lesser part and from the negative part rather than from the affirmative Nay rather from the qualitie of the appendix to the old Confession than of the Confession it selfe For the rejection of errours is appended to the old Confession This course to joyne the rejection of errours with positiue points of doctrine was followed at the Counsell at Dort Your selfe confesse that many masked Papists subscribed the old Confession deceitfully and therefore that this forme of consenting to the old with a rejection of all contrarie Religion and sundry popish errours particularly expressed was drawne up to discover them Was not that needfull and the course lawfull Whereas you say a certaine reverend Brother meaning Master Craig did it Will any man thinke that none did perceive the deceit of masked Papists but hee alone Or that hee presumed to draw up that forme without the consent of other reverend Brethren finding this course to bee necessarie or that it could passe without approbation of the generall Assembly M. Alexander Anderson Principall M. Andrew Galloway Sub-principall M. Andrew Anderson M. Duncan Norie Regents of the Colledge of Aberdene were
also that there have beene acts of Assemblies made for subscribing that Confession without relation to the Kings commandment as for that students in schools and Vniversities made anno 1587 and this following Sess. 3. quarto Martij 1589. Anent subscriptions to the Confession of Faith with protestation that the Subscribers doe the same only to obey the King his Lawes the Assembly esteemeth of no such subscriptions but ordaineth such persons to bee proceeded against as against simple refusers Suppose the two acts cited by your self make mention of the Kings mandat yet they injoyne Ministers to doe the same thing that the mandat requyres not beeing urged by the King or Counsell but of their owne accord for furtherance of the work it selfe The first Act requyred Ministers to follow the tenor of the Proclamation But the second Act differeth in some points from the tenor of it Where the King with advice of the Counsell injoyned Ministers to deliver the Names of the refusers and the processe led against them to the Ministers of his House under the paiâ—e of fourtie pounds the Assembly enjoyned them to report their diligence to the next Synods that the same might bee reported to the generall Assembly and that under the paine of deprivation They intended perpetuitie in these Acts for they acknowledged it to bee a true Christian confâ—ssion worthie to bee received by all true professours a godly and Christian confession which ought to bee embraced by all the Kings subjects where-upon they urged subscription To approve a Confession and to urge subscription import an intent that such as shall bee members of the Kirke shall professe conforme to that Confession and subscribe when they are requyred When they ordained Students in time to come to subscribe before they past their Degries did they not intend perpetuitie Did not the continuall practise afterward when any suspect of Papistrie were requyred to subscribe prove a perpetuitie was intended at the first If the first Confession standeth because it is nationall This other or the former with this appendicle continueth for the same reason For a Confession subscribed universally through the whole Nation by direction of Authorititie both civill and ecclesiasticall may and should bee called nationall and with as good reason as a Confession authorized by Parliament without subscription of the Subjects the one beeing the collective the other but the representative bodie And yet it was also approved by Parliament as I shewed before Doth any Nation receive a Confession but of purpose to continue in the same If everie generation should change their Confession what a reproach should it be to a Kirk Heare the reproach of Papists Quoties non mut arunt suam quisque sententiam Quod edificant bodie cras destruunt saye the Professours of Culane in their Antidiagma that is How oft have everie one of them changed their opinion That which they build the day they demolish the next day And Bellarmine sayeth likewise that the Catholick Kirk meaning the Catholick Roman is not like the Synagogues of the Protestants quae singulis annis non solum ritus sed etiam fidem mutant That change everie yeare not onely their rites but their faith also You call the Kings charge his royall mandat and make no mention of the Counsells advice and consent You see the second act of the assembly cited by your selfe beareth that the Kings Majestie with advice of his Counsell hath set foorth and proclaimed c. The Commissions given in March 1509 were given likewise by authoritie of the King and counsell Which is more than you doe insinuate and yet had not beene sufficient without approbation and concurrence of the Assembly You say the vigour of the act of assembly remained no longer than the Kings mandat stoode which expyring it did expyre also I have shewed alredie that these acts of assemblyes were not made by direction or injunction of any royall mandat and have cited some acts which make no mention of any act of Counsell or royall mandate but respect the stablished course You subsume and saye the mandat royall hath expyred long agoe because it was no perpetuall law but a temporarie mandat given out in his Majesties minor age First I answere that mandat was not onely given in his minoritie but againe also in his Majoritie Next it was not only his Majesties mandat but it was an act of Counsell Doth not an act of counsell stand in force till it bee altered or annulled Thirdly the mandat or act of Counsell began the worke not to continue for a time but so long as the Kirk continued Fourthly it could not bee recalled nor yet can bee either by act of counsell or act of Parliament because res non est integra When they laboured to draw the whole Nation to subscription intended they not the perpetuitie of a Confession After the People were brought on to sweare by the great name of the Lord to continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Kirk how could the mandat or charge bee recalled Your sentence therefore cited out of the glosse upon Gratians Decree Causa sublata tollitur constitutio ex causa illa orta maketh nothing for the expyring of the force of the acts of the Assembly For both the acts of Counsell and assemblyes tended to establish a perpetuall Confession in this Kirke and Kingdome So the vigour of these acts yet remaineth and continueth Next this sentence is explained causa 19 quaest 2. cap. Duae sunt Glossa propter criminosos Vbi aliquid statuitur propter impulsivam causam causa cessante non ideo cessat constitutio sed ubi aliquid propter finalem causam est statutum ibi si cessat causa cessat constitutio That is A constitution doth not expyre when the impulsive cause ceaseth but when the finall cause ceaseth But heere the impulsive cause of bringing in this Confession was as your selfe confesse the deceit of Papists subscribing to the first Confession minding thereby to subvert the true Religion and the end of drawing up that Confession was to discover them The same causes both impulsive and finall yet remaine And suppose both should faile there is another principall end wherefore Churches set foorth the Confessions of their Faith to wit to make knowne to the World what they professe as I have observed before out of the preface to the harmonie of the Confession You prove the royall mandat to bee expyred first because hee dissallowed this confession in a certaine speach uttered in conference at Hampton Court There have beene sundrie copies of that conference spread abroad and wee have no reason to believe Bishop Barloes report Suppose the report were true we allow the speach in a part For it would have made the Book of the English articles to swel to a great volumne to insert everie negative position But thinke you that well applyed to this Confession for it doth not containe everie
negative position but is only a rejection of sundrie popish errours particularly expressed with generall clauses for rejection of the rest as your selfe confesse in the 9 page Neither is it a great volumne How often doe your selfe call it a short Confession You saye it may bee gathered by that speach that hee did utterly disallow and annull that Confession Hee allowed it before both in his none age and majoritie Next it was necessarie for the discoverie of masked Papists and still is for masked Papists and Ministers to use such formes of speach I detest I abhorre c. It is strange that that should bee dislyked now which was thought necessarie then But suppose the forme of the Confession was disallowed by that speach yet could it not annull the former mandat A speach uttered in a conference holden out of the Countrie could not repeale the acts of Counsell made at home and his owne publick Proclamation Next that speach was uttered if uttered in a free discourse to such as were there present and was not delivered by way of precept charge or declaration to us M. Patrick Galloway in a letter dated the tenth of Februar 1604. and directed to the Ptesbyterie of Edinburgh hath these words Sundrie as they favoured gave out copies of things heere concluded Where-upon I my selfe tooke occasion as I was an eye and eare witnes to set them downe and presented them to his Majestie who with his owne hand mended some things and eeked other things which I had omitted Which corrected copie with his owne hand I have and have sent you heerewith the just transsumpt of it word by word But in that transsumpt there is no mention of such a speach nor the least inkling against the Confession of our faith which had beene verie pertinent and requisite if hee had intended either a recalling of his mandat or a declaration of his disallowance of that Confession But suppose hee had yet as I have said that could not bee a recalling of his royall mandat the Confession of faith beeing authorized by acts of Counsell acts of Assembly and Parliament neither could the Confession bee abandoned beeing alreadie received sworne and subscribed by the Subjectes universallie Doctor Andrews in his Tortura torti denyeth that hee might have given libertie of conscience in respect of his oath at his Coronation first in Scotland and then in England For then sayth hee hee should bee twise perjured Non semel perjurus esset quin bis si te andiat You would draw upon him a greater guilt that would have made him to draw others also into perjurie You prove next that the royall mandat was made voyde by his death and expyred with the royall breath and to this effect you cite the sentence following out of the glosse upon the 19 chapter of the first Booke of the Decretalls Morte mandantis expirat mandatum which as you have cited is false But these words of the glosse are received Mortuo mandatore re existente integra expirat mandatum The scope of the text is to determine that the jurisdiction of him that is delegate expyreth not by the death of him who delegated if there bee litiscontestation before his death because then the matter is not whole and untouched So likewise Iustinian sayeth of that mandatum that is contracted betwixt him that giveth and him that undertaketh the charge of anye businesse the Mandator and Mandatarius that the contract is loosed if the death of any of them interveene before entrie to execution Si adhuc integro mandato mors alterius interveniat Such like in authorative mandats if hee to whom commission was given to put it to execution depart before hee put it in execution there can bee no farther proceeding till another bee placed in his rowme But for the receiving the Confession of Faith the Commissions given were put in execution both in the 1580 and 1590 yeares The Confession beeing once received sworne to and subscribed could not bee recalled by the death of the King who was the first beginner and ringleader of the work Doth a house fall with the death of the Master builder Neither was that Confession received for the Kings Mandat or direction alone but for the act of Counsell also Now the Counsell never dyeth For politick bodies are immortall and continue by succession Nor yet for the act of Counsell but most of all and principally for the ordinances and directions of the generall Assembly And last of all this Confession of faith is nothing els but the first Confession enlarged with some generall clauses and rejection of popish erours To the third Chapter YOu thinke it not convenient that the negative Confession bee authorized at this time and subscriptions requyred thereto and that for the reasons expressed in the conference at Hampton Court and because of some ambiguities and no small difficulties therein How valide your reason is alleadged by you out of the conference at Hampton Court let the Reader judge No man complained of ambiguities and difficulties in it till such as you are began to pretend the same because apparently your eyes were dazeled with the light thereof and you saw perhaps that which you desired not to see Howsoever it is already sufficiently authorized and needeth not to bee authorized againe for want of authoritiâ—e And seeing it is authorized all the members of this Kirk ought to subscribe it and at this time especially when the frame of Religion was like to be altered If there bee any ambiguities they may bee explained to the subscribers Cavillators and tergiversators should be proceeded against as simple refusers We aggree to the words of the 18 article in the Confession of Faith but that maketh nothing against us who are already perswaded that our Confession is grounded upon the holy Scriptures It is true wee ought to bee busie instructing the people in the positive groundes of trueth but that hindereth us not to explaine to them points of heresie which were set downe for masked Papists and now Ministers themselves are leavened with Poperie Arminianisme Should not the true shepheard bee carefull to warne the sheep if they bee in danger of the Wolfe If any of us have given any other interpretation then the Confession of faith it selfe will beare wee shall bee ready to passe from it when wee shall be convinced You are sorie that some of us in printed workes condemne Episcopacie and the five Perth articles What any have writtten I trust they will bee ready to defend For the present I maintaine that by this Confession which you call the negative wee abjure Episcopacie For in this Confession wee protest that wee detest the Romane Antichrist his worldlie Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie The Popish hierarchie doth consist of Bishops Presbyters and Deacons that is baptising and preaching Deacons For it is so determined by the Councell of Trent in the 4. chap. de Sacramento ordinis Can. 6. Si quis dixerit in ecclesia