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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17585 Quæres concerning the state of the Church of Scotland Calderwood, David, 1575-1650. 1638 (1638) STC 4362; ESTC S118326 6,560 16

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QUAERES CONCERNING The state of the Church OF SCOTLAND DEUT. 27. 18. Cursed be hee that maketh the blinde to goe out of the way and all the people shall say Amen Re-printed in the yeare 1638. Quaeres concerning the state of the Church of Scotland QUAERES I. WAS there ever any Realme since Christs Incarnation professed Christian religion so universally through all the parts thereof even to the utmost corners in such puritie both for doctrine discipline and publick worship with such libertie and for so many yeares together as our realme hath done In the Apostles dayes we read not of whole cities let be kingdōes to have professed the name of Christ. Soone after the departure of the Apostles sundrie corruptions entred into the Church and the mysterie of iniquitie which was working under ground in their time was advanced by little and little till it came to the full ripenesse Neither was there any Nation free from the open profession of Paganisme the first 300 years Since Constantines time that Christianitie began to prevaile above Gentilisme there hath been no Church which hath not been defiled with much superstition corrupted with many errors till the dayes of late Reformation From the first time of reformation to this houre no reformed Church hath spred it self so universally through any Kingdome with such puritie of profession but either their profession is not so universall being intermingled with Papists Anabaptists Lutherians or not so poore as in our neighbour Church II. WAS there ever any Nation which sealed their profession with Oaths Covenants and Subscriptions so universally and so oft as our Church hath done How often hath the Confession of Faith called the Kings Confession been subscribed by persons of all Estates through the Realme or by particular persons from time to time as occasion was offred to require their subscription A more fearfull oath cannot be conceaved then is taken in the end of that Confession in these words Promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God That we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Church shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives under the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of Body and Soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement This is the Promissorie oath The Assertorie oath where upon it is grounded is this We therefore willing to take away all suspition of hypocrisie and of such double dealing with God and his Church protest and call the Searcher of all hearts for witnesse That our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription So that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded only in our consciences through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit as we shall answere to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed To underly the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of Body and Soule in the day of Gods fearful judgement and to answere to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed are not lightlie to be considered but to be pondered deeply and ever to be remembred specially when we have to do with this our Confession III. I Appeale to every mans conscience Whether we have adhered to all the generall and particular clauses of this our Confession or not When we say in this Confession that we detest and abhor the Antichrist his five bastard Sacraments with all his Rites Ceremonies and false Doctrine added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the word of God his cruell judgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament his absolute necessity of baptizing do we not protest that we will abhor and detest confirmation one of the five bastard Sacraments kneeling which is a Rite added to the ministration of the Supper without the warrand of Gods Word and invented by the Antichrist private Baptisme which is grounded upon the necessity of baptisme and doubting of the Salvation of all Infants dying unbaptized When we protest we abhorre and detest his dedicating of dayes do we not condemn observation of aniversary holy dayes And when wee protest wee detest and abhor not only his own worldly Monarchie but also his wicked hierarchie Do we not condemne the degrees of Bishops and Archbishops When wee say we abhor and detest all contrarie religion and doctrine to wit to the former Confession mentioned immediately before and the Christian faith receaved beleived and defended by the Church of Scotland but chiefly all kinde of Papistrie in generall and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God and Kirk of Scotland Doe wee not condemne Archbishops Bishops Holy dayes kneeling Confirmation private Baptisme seeing all these particular heads were damned by our Church either in the former Confession the first or second Book of Discipline and Acts of generall Assemblies before the said Confession was sworne to and subscribed and if any preased to practise them after they were damned the censures of the church was inflicted upon them Have we not of late failed in all these particulars and consequently violated our oathes promises and subscriptions underlying the danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement unlesse we repent which we cannot seriouslie do except we recover so far as in us lyeth what is lost to the losse of any temporall thing whatsoever to the spending of the least drop of our blood and defend what is yet reserved whole and sound with the same hazard For what is that hazard or losse in comparison of all the paines conteined in the Law and danger both of body and soule in the day of Gods fearfull judgement Let no man deceive himselfe thinkeing to deceave God with evasions and shifts The Searcher of all hearts knoweth what was thy meaning when thou saydest We call the Searcher of all hearts to witnesse that our mindes and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription And what was the meaning of the Church of Scotland with which thou protested thou would not use double dealing was too manifest both in practise preaching and the authentick Records aboue mentioned And put the case the particular heads above specified had been a matter indifferēt howbeit they were not so esteemed by our church yet who can deny but thus far at least was intended to eschew all occasions and provocations to tyrannie and superstition and therefore the oath howbeit in a matter indifferent was lawfull and so remaineth as long as they remaine occasions and provocations to tyrannie and corruption yea as long as the forbearance of them is not proved to be a sinne For great regard should be had even to a rash oath if it be not or prove not unlawfull for the reverence we ought to carry to the great