The Establishment of The Presbyterian Church in
Scotland
(1690)
Our sovereign lord and lady the king and queen's Majesties
and three Estates of Parliament conceiving 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 God's word as it hath of a long time
been professed within this land, as also the government of Christ's Church
within this nation agreeable to the word of God and most conducive to the
advancement of true piety and godliness and the establishment of peace
and tranquillity within this realm... therefore their Majesties, with advice
and consent of the said three Estates, do hereby revive, ratify and perpetually
confirm all laws, 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 so far as they confirm the same or are made in favour thereof.
Likewise they by these presents ratify and establish the
confession of faith now read in their presence, and voted and approven
by them as the public and avowed confession of this Church, containing
the sum and substance of the doctrine of the reformed churches, which confession
of faith is subjoined to this present Act. As also they do establish, ratify
and confirm the Presbyterian Church government and discipline, that is
to say, the government of the Church by kirk sessions, presbyteries, provincial
synods and general assemblies, ratified and established by the I 14 Act,
James VI, Parl. 12, anno 1592, entitled, Ratifcation of the liberty of
the true kirk, &c., and thereafter received by the general consent
of this nation to be the only government of Christ's Church within this
kingdom.